The War on Love

Chapter 4

*4 months later*

I sat silently on my couch with a book in my hands. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. My earbuds were stuck in my ears like usual playing my favorite songs. I got lost within my book. But good things never last, now do they?

My iPhone started to buzz. I huffed and put my book down, paused my song, and answered the incoming phone call. "Hello?"

"I have a question, Emmalyn," Thomas's thick accent enters my ear.

"I might have an answer."

"So, you know that The Maze Runner is finally done shooting, correct?"

"Yes. Was that really your question?" I ask with annoyance etching my voice. He interrupted my book for a stupid question like that.

"No. My question is much much better." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Since Isabella and I are no longer seeing each other, I was wondering if you would like to attend the premier with me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Your kidding, right?"

"Nope. I can't show up alone. I need a date and I decided that you would be an adequate choice," he says.

"When?" I ask, grabbing my calendar from the table.

"Two weeks from Friday."

"I think I could make that."

"Lovely, Emmalyn. I'll be picking you up in a few hours to go get you a dress."

I nearly spit out my coffee. "What? No, no, no. I don't do dresses."

"Really? Well, too bad, love. You have to and it will be blue and you will love it."

"Why blue?"

"Because, I am wearing blue and since you are my date we must match. I can't show up wearing blue and you in something like green! Therefore, I will be taking you. Good bye for now, Emmalyn." And with that he ends the call.

I release a groan and get up to take a shower and become half-way presentable.

When I get out of my shower twenty minutes later, I braid my hair quickly. I blow dry the rest and take a straightener to my bangs. I get dressed and sit back on the couch. My German Shepherd, yes, I finally got my dog, her name is Paris, jumps up and lays on my chest, knocking the wind out of me.

I scratch her between the ears as I hear a knock on my door. "Who is it?!" I shout.

"Who the bloody hell do you think, Emmalyn?!"

"Don't have to be rude about it! Come in!"

Thomas Sangster opens the door cautiously. "Hello?"

"Under the dog."

"Oh. Um, okay then. Well, I'm ready to go when you are," Thomas says, sitting in one of the chairs. He leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees.

"Little help here first," I say, my voice muffled by the dog's fur.

"Oh, right." He whistles a sharp high note and Paris jumps from my stomach making me exhale in a sharp gasp.

Paris lolls her tongue out and thumps her tail against the floor in front of Thomas but then begins to whimper loudly when he doesn't give her the attention she seeks. He pats her head lightly and pulls me to my feet.

"Thank you. She normally doesn't do that. I think she realized I had to leave." I look down at my black shirt and sigh. "Let me go change my shirt. I'll be back in a few minutes." I walk off down the hall. I scowl when I feel two eyes boring into my back. Was he staring at me?! I don't know why but I began to feel uncomfortable and started fidgeting with my dogtags.

*Thomas's POV*

The dog sat by feet as I stood by the door. I couldn't help but stare. She was gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Not the dog. Emmalyn. Thought I should make that clear. I looked down at my feet when I saw her begin to fidget with the silver tags around her neck, a nervous habit of hers.

She returns a few moments later with a different shirt. I clear my throat. "Shall we go?"

"Okay," she says simply, putting her wallet in her pocket like usual.

"No, Emmalyn. I invited you, I will be buying your dress."

"No. You won't. You paid for lunch last time. You are not spending who knows how much to buy me a dress. Believe it or not, I am not broke! I can buy my own dress. That's final."

I rolled my eyes and pushed her gently out the door towards the car I borrowed from Dylan.

It's about a thirty minute drive to the shop Kaya told me about. We walked in and a store associate greeted us kindly. "How can we help you today?" She asked politely.

"I need a dress for a premier," Emmalyn says.

"Okay." She begins to lead Emmalyn down aisles of dresses. "Any specific color? Oh, and what size?"

"Uh," Emmalyn looks at me with a pleading look in her eyes.

"4. She's a four and we're looking for a navy blue," I supply.

"Thank you," she whispered as the associate walks through the aisle, pulling dresses that fit the criteria.

"I can't believe you don't know your dress size."

"I can't believe you did! How did you know what?"

I shrug. "You look like a four. Too broad for a two but too small for a six."

She gives me a look of pure amazement. "If you're right about the size I will, I don't know, do... something!"

I chuckle as the lady comes back and lays a pile of bagged dresses in her arms. She gets pushed into a dressing room and I'm ushered off to wait in a chair.

Not five minutes later did Emmalyn come back. Her arms were crossed and a look of distaste was painted on her face. She looked me dead in the eyes. "No." I couldn't agree more. It had a sweetheart neckline with cap sleeves.... She walks back without another word.

When she comes back after the fourth dress, I am stunned into silence. She looks at herself in the full length mirror and smiles to herself. "What do you think?" She asks. The fabric flows down to the floor with a beaded sweetheart neckline.

"Wow. Just simply, wow. Only, a few things." I stand from the chair and walk towards her. "Lose the braid." I pull the elastic gently from her hair. Then, I run a few fingers through the braid, unraveling it. Soft waves fall down and stop about the middle of her back.

"Your posture is absolutely atrocious," I say and make her straighten her back. "Head up." I place three fingers under her chin and raise her head up ever so slightly so that she is looking me in the eyes. A tiny smile comes across her normally scowling features.

"Finally, when did you get a tattoo?" I ask, pointing to the black cursive writing along her collarbone.

"When I got back from my first tour. I was twenty-one and decided, 'Why not?'" She shrugged.

I squinted at the letters. No one comes close. "Why that?"

"It's the unofficial Air Force motto," she says looking at the tattoo in the mirror. "It's usually covered so not many people know I have it."

I nodded slightly and stood next to her. "I think this dress would suffice, don't you?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Lovely," I smiled faintly as she starts to walk off to change. "Oh, and Emmalyn?"

She turns to look at me. Her lips are slightly parted and her eyebrows are raised. "Yeah?"

"You look stunning. Really."

A faint blush takes over her cheeks. "Thank you, Thomas."

----------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sorry that it's been a while =/ School has me really stressed right now. Thank you for reading! Remember to vote and comment! -med_01