Empty Gold

Chapter 16: Hysteria

"I can do it, Emily, please I can," Ali begs, wrapping Emily's jacket tightly around herself. Her mind begins to slip into a frantic panic, her hands wanting to desperately cling to Emily who steps backwards. The blonde's heart pounds in her chest so loudly that it's all she can hear as she watches Emily's face twist into what she perceives to be anger towards her.

"Thats not-" Emily rubs at her temples. Everything is so fucked up, how did this happen? "I never wanted to have sex with you, Alison."

And then Alison's world begins to spin, her thoughts become fuzzy as she grows lightheaded while trying desperately to wrap her mind around Emily's admission. All she can focus on is how Emily looks so disappointed and hurt.

"You need to leave," Emily shakes her head trying to clear her mind. Alison's lip quivers as she stands, vulnerable and wounded and petrified of being thrown away. Again. She's about to beg when the brunette spins in a circle unexpectedly and punches the wall. Ali's mouth drops open in shock and she covers it quickly, shaking, as she stares at the brunette's bloody knuckles. She's aware of Cece and Spencer shielding her, but she strains to look at Emily around the two.

"Take her home, Cece," Emily mutters stepping past the huddle and heading to the kitchen. No, no, no, Alison begins to panic as she hears those words. She doesn't want to be thrown away, the Emily she knows wouldn't do this to her—Alison feels Cece take her arm gently.

"Please, Em, please," Alison hiccups as her tears start again, hysteria beginning to take over as she pleads. "Please don't send me away."

She doesn't want this. She doesn't want to be away from Emily right now, no, Emily is safety—

"I'm not sending you away, Alison," Emily sighs deeply. "I'm setting you free."

x-x-x

"Come on, babe," Cece hushes softly as she stands outside the front door of Emily's mansion while Alison painfully lingers in the doorway. She looks like an abused, kicked puppy and Cece can't bare the sight of her sudo little sister looking so ashamed and abandoned. Pepe barks and obediently sits at Alison's feet nudging his nose into her leg as if willing her not to go.

Spencer appears behind Alison, softly placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder but Alison flinches and the brunette quickly retracts her hand.

"Ali, you should go with Cece-for now," the manager instructs in a low voice as she bends down to pet Pepe and subtly grab hold of his collar. Pepe growls quietly and whines as he tries to get closer to Alison and away from Spencer. The blonde's lips quiver as she avoids eye contact and tries to nod obediently but she feels like she's crumbling to pieces.

"It's not forever," Cece reiterates softly. "It's just temporary."

Right, Alison thinks dejectedly, just like how Courtney promised they'd come back one day. Being sent away is never temporary.

There's a loud crash from inside the house that causes all of them to gasp, but Alison especially jumps, her nerves extra sensitive.

"Just until things settle down over here," Spencer agrees, her eyes darting worriedly into the house. But Alison doesn't want to go with Cece, she doesn't want to leave the house and she doesn't want to be sent away. She wants to stay with Emily in that little laundry room she's come to love with Pepe and she just wants Emily to stop looking at her with such sad and angry eyes.

"But..." Alison tries to stall for another moment as she prolongs following the older blonde. She appreciates Cece, she does, but right now her mind is in a state of shock and all she can think of, all she craves, is Emily's arms and the brunette's soothing voice telling her it's all gonna be alright. Because one minute the brunette was holding her tightly saying just that, and Alison actually felt safe, for once in her goddamn life. And then suddenly, Emily couldn't even look at her. It makes Alison feel worthless, Emily can't stand the sight of her. Emily doesn't even want her in the house anymore, she hiccups a little trying to control her breathing.