How About Forever? (Sequel)

You'll Be The Death Of Me - 6

EMILY'S POV

(Flashback)

I walk into our walk in closet and find a pair of comfortable casual clothes. I look through some of Alison's clothes to find some accessories and what not, maybe a nice flannel to wear around my waist, or to actually wear it. I rummage through her clothes and find a black box. My interest is suddenly piqued. I try my hardest to turn away from it, but my inner kid gets to me. 

I take the box out of the drawer, sit down on the floor with the box, and try to open it. It's sealed shut. I place down in frustration. Ugh, how is it sealed shut when it doesn't even have a lock? I pick it up again, and try to use my swimmer muscles, and it comes loose. Maybe I'm just really weak.. I take the lid off and peek inside. It's filled with photos... photos of guys. Photos of them naked. There are some with Alison and the guy together, both stripped of clothes. 

My throat dries as confusion and tears surface. How? What? When? How could she keep this from me? I never knew she encountered this many guys, and took photos of them. I place the lid on the box and shut it, tightly. I stand and place it back in the drawer, trying to cover it with clothes, erasing any proof that I found it. 

(End of Flashback)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(2 DAYS LATER)

Alison is in bed, with her laptop working. I strip myself of my jacket and throw it on the end of the bed.

"Hey babe" I walk over and place a tender kiss on her lips. I sit down and Ali's eyes wonder down to my hand, which holds a box. I hold out the box, I bought from the Rosewood Mall, hoping to distract her from the incident at DiLaurentis Real Estate.

"For me?" she asks in surprise. I nod shyly. She takes the box and shakes it gently. She grins her girlish, dazzling smile and sits down beside me on the bed. Leaning over, she grasps my chin and kisses me.

"Thank you," she says with shy delight.

"You haven't opened it yet."

"I'll love it, whatever it is." She gazes down at me, her eyes glowing.

"I don't get many presents."

"It's hard to buy you things. You have basically everything."

"I have you."

"You do." I grin at her. Oh, you so do, Alison.

She makes short work of the wrapping paper. "A Nikon?" She glances up at me, puzzled.

"I know you have your compact digital camera but this is for . . . um . . . portraits and the like. It comes with two lenses."

She blinks at me, still not understanding.

"On our honeymoon, in the gallery you liked the Florence D'elle photographs. And I remember what you said in the Louvre. And of course, there were those other photographs." I swallow, trying my best not to recall the images I found in her closet, but fuck it. I decide to tell her "In your closet, I found a black box... and it had pictures of you... and past guys..."

She stops breathing, her eyes widening as realization dawns, and I continue hurriedly before I lose my nerve.

"I thought you might, um . . . like to take pictures of . . . me."

"Pictures. Of you?" She gapes at me ignoring the box on her lap. I nod, desperately trying to gauge her reaction. Finally she gazes back down at the box, her fingers tracing over the illustration of the camera on the front with fascinated reverence.