The English Teacher ➳ Emison

Chapter 29 | All Roads Lead Back

Alison slid under her covers, pulling the blanket over her body. Near silence settled in the room apart from the movement of the blanket as she tried to find a comfortable position. The curtains were drawn and the room was rendered in darkness.

A week passed since Pepe's surgery. Thanks to his strong immune system, the dog was now recovering well and was back on his feet again, healthier than ever. This past week had been a blur for Alison. She had left work early on several occasions to care for her dog, and thus, needed to make up some of her workload at home, her sleep schedule skewing even further than it already had.

Emily even checked in about the status of Pepe's condition in school after the surgery, but that was sadly the summary of their interactions now. She'd been relatively distracted since she had a lot on her plate. The biggest swim meet of the year was coming up rather quickly, and senior Prom and finals week were just around the corner.

Alison wanted to talk to her and see how she was handling it all, but she had to remind herself that several people had told her it was best to keep a distance from Emily, especially at this time. It was simply becoming increasingly harder to do.

Likewise, whenever they talked, she felt as though Emily was fighting an inner struggle too. It was frustrating when they both wanted just one thing at the end of it, but had different barricades standing in their way to one another.

Abandoning the thought, Alison closed her eyes and took a calming breath. She had gotten used to mildly sleeping through each night. She'd toss and turn, doze off and then wake up, think about anything and everything. The most irritating thing about it was that no matter how many times she reminisced about the same memories, she knew they would come back to haunt her again the very next night.

All she wanted was a release. Something to make her feel better and take the edge off.

As the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly felt the blanket ruffling as someone slid up behind her, the person's cozy touch engulfing her.

"Are you going to sleep already?" Emily's sweet voice echoed in her ear.

"I was planning to," she replied truthfully, not thinking much of it.

The body shifted behind her until not a single inch of space was left between them. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and gently drew her closer. She sighed peacefully, not daring to move from this position.

"You're not sleeping very well, are you?" Emily questioned quietly. Alison swallowed lightly, the answer conflicting in her mind. Why would Emily ask her this?

"It's okay," the voice assured soothingly, running a hand down Alison's arm, "I already know the answer. I just want to help you."

"Help me with what?" Alison pondered in puzzlement.

"You'll see," the kind voice promised mysteriously. Alison was left guessing for a moment before she felt the hand on her arm traveling down to her hips in a feather-light touch. The fingers grazed over the fabric of her sleeping shorts, before tracing the skin of her thigh, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Eventually, the hand wandered up to her stomach. Alison's breath hitched when the warm limb slid under her pajama shirt, teasingly trailing up her side while mildly pulling the fabric up as it went.

"I bet you can't stop thinking about me," she heard the voice taunt in a gentle tone. It was a little unnerving, because it was Emily's voice but it articulated something she'd frankly never say. Alison was still captivated nevertheless, and her body reacted accordingly, her pulse jumping a beat.

She felt Emily press a small kiss to the top of her shoulder, delicately brushing a strand behind her ear. She missed this to a degree she couldn't even express. She'd never had someone who knew her body inside and out the way Emily did. The brunette was a natural at predicting her reactions, knowing exactly what would make her feel the best.