You and Tequila

Chapter Forty-Nine

Regina inhales sharply, inspiring Lola to come and lay across her feet as she finds the courage to begin. She knows in her heart and soul that if she ever wants Emma to start the healing process and maybe forgive her some time in the future, she needs to prove how open and honest she's willing to be.

"As you know, my career started off in acting when I was four and honestly, I loved the art behind acting, it was my passion. However, when I turned fourteen, my mother insisted that I needed to be a well-rounded celebrity, which included music."

Emma's quiet, just like she was instructed to be, but she's too quiet and Regina isn't used to her ex keeping her mouth shut, and it's unnerving to say the very least. Those stunning eyes are boring into her, waiting, assessing, but there isn't a hint of judgement which encourages Regina to proceed.

"My mother hired an older man, Leo White was his name, he was far older than my mother." She pauses, because the tangy acid slithering maliciously up her throat is almost too much to bear, but she forces herself to push through, because she cannot afford to lose Emma again. "He was the king of teaching music in his world, he was in high demand and every celebrity wanted him. Of course, my mother snatched him up, forcing piano lessons in every free moment I had at the time."

She notices right away that Emma's chin is wobbling recklessly, threatening to reveal her true emotions and Regina can only assume that Emma is piecing things together, she just knows it won't be her truth.

"He was kind at first, overly sweet and it never sat right with me. I tried so many times to tell my mother that I didn't care for the man, but of course, Cora Mills did not listen to reason and ignored my pleas. His hands would always run down my back in an unnerving fashion or he would linger in ways that were inappropriate in my eyes."

Maybe Regina is numb to the old memory, or maybe her brain is simply working on autopilot to release these old impressions, but Emma isn't ignorant to the vacant sound in Regina's voice, even though thick tears are gliding down her cheeks. She knows that Regina is so broken by the memory that she doesn't even realize her own tears in this moment and that alone drags Emma to the brink of her own tears as well.

"One year after he worked for my mother," she pauses, the emotions swelling in her throat and distorting her words with her unknown tears. "I think...he thought he was safe and trusted by my mother..." her eyes flutter closed, forcing more tears to dribble down her flushed cheeks. "I just remember Jefferson kissing me on the cheek before he left. He was so bored sitting in on my piano lessons and constantly babysitting me...he wanted his own life, too," she whispers, before a harsh sob rattles her throat and she chokes back her own cry.

"Regina," Emma shouldn't be interrupting, but she doesn't think she can handle the next part of the story and maybe if she chimes in, she can save Regina the pain from this horrific memory.

Regina shakes her head and forces her eyes to peel apart and meet Emma's concerned gaze. "Jefferson left that night and Leo took his opportunity. God, I hated his hands, rough and thick and always wandering," she shudders violently, like the presence of his touch still lingers against her flesh from all those years ago, embedded, tainted and somehow Lola knows to rest her head in Regina's lap, even if the woman is too broken to acknowledge the dog's presence. "He never crossed any lines until that night."

"Regina, please," Emma releases a trembling breath and she isn't quite sure what she's asking for, but maybe she can stop whatever is coming.

"I know what you're thinking, but Jefferson left something behind and interrupted before anything...transpired," she explains, wiping at the warm tears staining her cheeks with her past heartache. "But Leo tried," she laughs humorlessly and Emma knows it's a defense mechanism to ward off the pain that has been tormenting her heart for too many years to keep track of.