Past the Horizon (Eddie Vedder)

Ch. 10 - A Friend in California part 1 (Emmy)

*A few people advised that I should probably update the rating to mature with this chapter, so that's what I did. I have also added the content warning back to the first part of this fic (chapter called "Heyo!"). Please read that if you haven't already. 🙂

**Also, this will be the last chapter I post for a while. I'm beta reading a novel and want to focus my attention on that right now. I'll be back to posting bi-weekly again sometime in February!

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Chapter song:
"Alive" - - Pearl Jam

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Tuesday, September 5th

Her back met the inside of the door after the click of the lock. She closed her eyes and slid down until she was on the floor, back still against the door. Her dress was still on, but her panties were hanging loosely around one knee. The black lace she had planned on wearing still lay in her overnight bag, untouched and hidden underneath tomorrow's clothes. Why did she waste money on something like that anyway?

Emmy hadn't planned on the night turning out like this, but then, who ever does? She wiped a lone tear from her cheek and hugged her knees against her chest, her vacant stare focused on the smeared dampness that coated the tip of her finger. Harsh lighting flashed across a streak of gold, a shimmer of diamond, and she reached up behind herself, fingers crawling up the wall to kill the lights. She never liked gold. Now she hated it.

Jacob had walked her up to her apartment, and she pulled him in by his arm, wanting to right the night she had ruined. Their anniversary. A special night. Maybe she would have dimmed the lights, excusing herself to the restroom with her bag, where she planned on changing into the delicate lace. It was a special night, after all.

Perhaps Jacob felt like she owed him after the proposal fiasco. Maybe he was still angry. She didn't know, and she honestly didn't care at this point. The gold ring on her finger felt heavy as she twisted it around… and around… and around.

Maybe she would leave him.

She thought maybe she should.

She hadn't been granted the opportunity to dim the lights. The bedroom door had been pushed shut, and the next thing she knew, she was lying face-down on her bed. Her dress was then yanked up to her waist, panties pulled down and off one leg. Those smooth, uncalloused hands contrasted so sharply with how roughly her hips were snatched up and away from the bed. Her face was buried in her pillow, both out of shame and to muffle the sounds of despair, of what little dignity she had left being ripped away.

Then, her mind drifted to another place, as it often did.

Soared, really, up and away, as if it grew wings so it could fly the distance needed to be liberated.

It wasn't always like that though… the cruelty of the act.

Her thoughts honed in on the piece she wanted to photograph, the one about Jeff's possible new band. She'd been so absent as of late, off in her own world. Just as she was then… now. When was the last time she spoke with him or Lily… or even Dani? She didn't know but… she thought about it… them and Dani. During and after… that's what she thought about.