This will be our little secret - emison

Part 3 - heartbreaker

1 week later
Alison's POV

I paged through the book for the fifth time on my bed and sighed contentedly. This book assignment was giving me such a headache, and I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

I remembered back to a couple weeks ago in the library, where I reciprocated her kiss with a little peck on the lips. At the time I didn't think of it as anything special. It was nothing but innocent. But it was definitely the one which had started it all.

To think that one little kiss could develop into something so complex and arduous; feels so strange. That one day in the locker room really changed everything so drastically.

I actually went over to her house that very same night, to make sure to keep our little rendezvous a secret, but it surprised me how differently it went instead...

The door opened and there she stood with puffy red eyes. I noticed that she was in her sweats and worn-out Rosewood Sharks Swim T-shirt. She sniffled and rubbed her nose with the handkerchief, she'd clenched so tightly in her palms.

"Emily, is everything alright?" I asked with concern, as I leisurely stepped into the house.

She just nodded and sidestepped for me to get in. I took her hand in mine and looked at her. She immediately froze and gulped.

"Ali, can I get you something?" She whispered meekly and tried to avoid eye contact.

Then she pulled her hand away from my tight grab, and scurried into the kitchen, not even awaiting an answer.

I furrowed my brows and scanned the house hurriedly. The pastel yellow walls were covered with pictures of Emily with her parents. Most of the pictures were just single shots of Emily from when she was very young, to about now, smiling giddily at the camera.

A smile automatically crept its way onto my face. Emily looked absolutely adorable when she genuinely smiled.

Good thing that Mrs. Fields was visiting Emily's dad in Texas, I thought to myself, as I made my way into the polished kitchen.

##########

Emily's back came to view, as I entered the room, where she was pouring me a glass of juice.

I went over to her and hugged her gently from behind, as I sighed softly into her neck. She smelled of sweet cinnamon, her usual scent. It somehow always made me feel lightheaded.

Emily stiffened at first, but eventually relaxed into my embrace, and a little victory smile formed on my lips. She was starting to worry me with all this jumpiness. I was very aware that I made her uncomfortable most of the time, but a little voice whispered inside of my ear that maybe this whole thing was beginning to derail.

It wasn't really my intention to be so soft with her when I decided to visit her, but after seeing her so teary-eyed, I just couldn't help myself, but feeling a little bit guilty.

I made a face.

Guilt was not a feeling I ever experienced quite often. This is how I've been feeling recently with Emily. Pushing it down hasn't helped and everything was beginning to get too much.

"You can always tell me if there's anything wrong, sweetheart," I said in a low tone, just above a whisper- with my arms still wrapped tightly around her waist and my head buried in her hair.

She jerked her head up at the last word, waking her up from a temporary daze. It seemed as if it had struck a chord in her.

Once again, she tried to free herself from my embrace, but only this time I clutched tighter onto her and didn't let her go. I didn't want to.