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Heart Wide Open

Alison's POV

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Emily's face got really serious. I could tell she was truly interested in what I had to say and maybe even a little relieved that I was finally talking about everything. I took a deep breathe and paused for a moment. I couldn't quite figure out where to begin. It all started so long ago. Emily could tell it was struggling so she said, "Listen Alison. There's something I haven't told you either. I think this might help you figure out how to start. I found a bunch of my old journals. I've been reading them whenever I can. The last thing I've read is when I sent the letter to you in college and the time I lost my virginity to Paige. I've read about how badly things ended between us in high school and just how far we had drifted away from one another. I've read about all the feelings I had for you in high school and how you broke my heart time and time again. But I always chose to see the good in you and my heart was never really rid of you. Anything that happened after those entries is still a mystery to me. Maybe you could start from there". Wow. Okay so she had at least some idea of how we began and all the trials and tribulations we had been through together and while away from each other. "Okay. I can pick up from there. Not long after I sent a letter in response to your initial letter, I received another one. But only this letter wasn't from you. It was from Paige. She wrote to me telling me to back off and to never contact you again. She said you two were happy and in a really good place in your relationship. You'd even took the next step in your relationship and "made love" to one another. I needed to leave you alone because I was only messing things up. She said that you were just too nice to end things with me. You have to understand Emily that that was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted you to be happy. You had this whole other life outside of the one you created in Rosewood and I didn't want to mess that up. I also didn't really have any other option but to believe what she said to me because had drifted so far apart. I didn't know where we stood as friends for anything else. So I stopped writing you. Even though you kept writing to me. The more you wrote and the more I didn't answer, the more you got angry with me. The last letter you wrote to me you talked about how rocky your relationship was at the moment with Paige and how you could really use a friend to talk to about it all. That was my breaking point so I wrote back to you. I told you that I was going to make a trip out to see you. I set a designated place and time where we could meet and talk. If you weren't too mad at me, then you'd come. If you were in fact done with me, then you wouldn't show.  So I flew out to California and met at the designated spot. You never showed. I waited for a few hours past the time and you still didn't show. I was heartbroken. To me, I'd really lost you forever. If you had showed up, I was going to finally be honest with you about everything. I was really going to have my heart wide open for you and you alone. After that, a few years went by. My heart still hadn't healed. I missed you more than words could ever express. I graduated with my teaching degree and was going on job interviews. There was one day that I stopped at The Brew to get some breakfast before my interview. I opened the door and walked inside only to find you at the register ordering and laughing at something the cashier said. I froze. My heart stopped. I hadn't seen you in years. We hadn't been face to face in years either. But I couldn't get over how beautiful you looked. You looked so different but at the same time the same old Emily I'd known for years. The self conscious part of me said turn around and leave before you saw me but my heart was screaming for me to do the opposite. So I went with my heart and got in line behind you. The barista waved and said, "Hi Alison. The usual?" This made you stop dead in your tracks. I could tell you were debating on turning around or remain facing forward. My confirmation made you soon around because you recognized my voice. You simply said, "Alison". I responded with, "Hi Em". An awkward silence fell upon us. My drink was ready and I handed them the money telling them to keep the change. "It's really good to see you Emily. Honestly. But I have a job interview that I need to get to. I still live in the same house if you want to come by later tonight and catch up. I'd love to hear from you" I offered with a smile. You gave me a half smile and said you'd think about it. To be honest, I completely bombed that interview. I just couldn't think about anything but you. I waited for you at my place till late in the night. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show again until I heard a knock at the door. It was you. You stood there looking very nervous and unsure. But you came inside and I offered you a glass of wine. We got to talking on the couch. You told me about how you graduated and were moving back to Rosewood to train for the Olympics with a trainer and to find a small job on the side. I was so happy to hear that. But then your tone changed and your voice sounded very serious. You asked me why I stopped writing to her after the first time I responded and how I could ignore all the letters she wrote to me. I was completely shocked. I told you about the letter Paige wrote me and why I stopped responding. Then I asked why you never came to the meeting spot after I sent the letter in response to your letter about really needing a friend. You seems just as shocked as I was. You told me you never got that letter. You started to cry because you couldn't believe that I flew all the way out to California when you really needed me. We both deduced that Paige must have intercepted the letter so we'd never meet.

You then began to explain how rocking your relationship was on a continual basis. But you stayed with her because she had isolated you and she was all you really had out there. But now you were broken up for good this time. She was staying in California and you were moving back to Rosewood.