Bliss || Reece Bibby

16

chapter sixteen; real life

"Come on leah! It can't be that bad!"

I laugh. "It was terrible!"

Emily smiles at me before grabbing her purse, putting a twenty dollar bill on the table.

"I can pay for some of it."

"No, you've got a fiance and I haven't seen you since you first starting dating the guy. Today is a day of me giving you all sorts of gifts to celebrate."

"Emily, I can't let you do that."

"Yes you can!"

"But-"

"You've got yourself a fiance! When are you going to pop a baby out?"

"Wait, how did we go from me not wanting you to spend a bunch of money on me to you talking about me having a baby?"

"Um, we did because I wanted to."

I chuckle. "Noted."

"It better be."

"I missed you."

"And I missed you more! We need to work together soon!"

"I know, but I've been so busy lately with work back home that I haven't been able to come down here."

"I know how that feels. I missed Christmas with my parents because I've had so much work to do."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I managed to buy them plane tickets so they can come down here."

"Really?"

She nods.

"When are they coming down?"

"Next Wednesday."

"Damn, that's the day after I leave. I would've loved to see them again."

"They would be thrilled to hear you're engaged!" She shakes her head and smiles. "Sometimes I feel like they love you more than they love me."

"Emily, you and I both know that is nowhere near true."

"Okay maybe, but still."

I laugh at her as we walk out of the diner.

"So where to now?" I ask. "It's not like we're working or anything and actually have something to do."

"We could always go down to the beach?"

"Let's go."

"Alright. Let's run to my apartment really fast so we have towels and everything."

We start to short walk to her apartment, getting there within a few minutes.

"You can borrow a bathing suit if you want. We were always about the same size during shoots."

"Sounds good."

She nods, opening up the door and disappearing in her room.

I look at everything that has changed in the past two years. You could tell that everything that once held a meaning in her relationship was thrown away, the only things inside being what allows Emily to express herself.

"I love what you've done with the place."

"Thanks! It took awhile for it all to come together, but it got there."

She walks out of her room, handing me a maroon bikini.

Oh shit, I didn't even think about the scar.

"Is everything alright? You went pale for a moment."

"I'm fine. Do you have a one piece?"

"Yea, let me get you one." She takes the bikini from me with no questions asked, which I'm grateful for.

"Here. It's got a couple cut-outs on the sides, but it should still be able to cover up the scar."

"W-What?"

"I saw it when we were at the diner." She says quietly. "When you reached in your purse your shirt came up a little bit."

"Oh."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"You remember how I told you about my mom?"

"Please tell me she didn't do this."

I look down at the ground.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. How long ago did it happen?"

"About a year and a half."

She sighs. "Why is it always you that has bad things happen to them?"

"I don't know." I look up at her for a brief moment before walking towards the bedroom. "I'm going to change."

I walk into her bedroom, closing the door behind me. I quickly change into the bathing suit before looking in the mirror, seeing a little bit of the scar poking out.

It gives me an idea.

"Emily?"

"Does it show the scar?"

"Yea. Where's that maroon bikini at?"

"What?"

The door opens up, a confused look on Emily's face.

"I shouldn't be insecure about it."

oof sorry i've been shit at updating lately

i've had a busy week. again.

there was statewide testing all week and nobody told me about it so i was completely unprepared and it stressed me tf out

all i have to say is

school sucks

and i hate it with a burning passion

i literally have zero friends in any of my classes