champagne problems x jemily/hotchniss

twenty-seven

it's the fact that this book is almost at thirty chapters and it's felt like five minutes that i've been writing it👁👄👁

i'm currently sick with some kind of stomach bug so if i have to suffer so does emily🤝

happy readings and stay safe besties! -salem🤍

TW: swearing, mentions of physical abuse, mentions of violence, anxiety, mentions of death and mentions of smoking
word count: 5574

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Spencer: "The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one." Margaret Atwood.

It had been two weeks since Haley was killed. Emily got up at about three o'clock in the morning and had an indescribable amount of nerves in her. She carefully got up to the bathroom down the hall. When she got there, she leaned over the counter and just stared at her reflection.

Pull yourself together, Prentiss.

"Stare any longer, and you'll fall in love with yourself," Ian said and came up behind Lauren as she fixed her mascara. The woman chuckled and shook her head. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "You look beautiful, all day, every day."

"Thank you," Lauren said and smiled back gently at him. She opted to ignore the lingering comment in the back of her head as she looked directly at the faded black eye she sported.

Emily pulled away from the mirror and knelt down at the toilet. Her empty stomach being emptied once again as she threw up everything she had left in her. She flushed the toilet and just sat back against the bathtub.

"What is going on with you?" Emily asked and twitched as the anxious thoughts started to take over her head. She shook them off as best as she could and scavenged the cabinet for the new toothbrush and toothpaste the couple decided to leave in case guests stayed the night and needed one. Emily brushed her teeth while trying not to look at herself in the mirror. After a few minutes, she walked out and into the kitchen.

"Can't sleep?"

"Oh, Jesus!" Emily said and clutched her heart. The woman behind her covering her laughter with her hand.

"I'm so sorry, Emily," Jessica, Haley's sister, had said and held her hands out. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it's alright. I guess I'm just not used to someone staying in here besides Aaron," Emily said and reached back into the fridge. She grabbed herself the strawberry jam they had. "I'm guessing you can't sleep either. Jelly toast?"

"You've guessed correctly," Jessica said as she took her seat at the aisle. "Yes, please."

Emily smiled softly as she slowly made her way around the large kitchen. She popped two pieces of bread into the toaster and turned back to Jessica.

"Penny, for your thoughts?" Jessica asked and grabbed two mugs from the mug display. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed the milk carton before pouring both women just a little bit. "Are you okay to be going back to work? You look sick."

"It's just—me," Emily said and shrugged her shoulders. "This whole situation has me on my toes. When I get anxious, I throw up. I just don't know how to describe it. And I don't know if Aaron is ready also. He's been pretty heartbroken since Haley...you know."

"It's understandable. But, I am thankful every day that he finally found someone that understands this," Jessica said and sat back in her chair. Emily furrowed her eyebrows. "He deserved someone who'd understand what the job was like. That's one thing my sister never did. Yeah, he's halfway across the country, but that doesn't mean he never tried."