Whirlwind of trouble

15

"Emma" I smile. "What are you doing here? It's 10pm"

"Sorry, I just... I need a friend a right now" she looks as though she has been crying all day, she's not answered any of my texts or calls.

"Emma, what's wrong?" She immediately crumbles at my tender question and comes tumbling to my arms. "Hey hey, Emmy" I gently wrap my arms around her frame and hold her close. "I'll make you a coffee, come on in"

"You got anything stronger?" She smiles softly as she follows my lead into the kitchen. "Where's Elena?"

"I've just put her to bed"

"I'm sorry, I can go..."

"No. It's... it's okay, I like that you trust in me and you can come to me. What's the matter Emmy?" I pour two generous glasses of apple martini and slide one over to my vulnerable friend. I take a seat beside her and offer my full attention.

"After group, I've spent so much time thinking about Neal. Every time I close my eyes I see him. I flinch every time I drop a mug, or every time I see a male, or even if I walk in and forget to take my shoes off. These minor things that shouldn't be made an issue of are now things I flinch and fear. I used to do all this things and I'd pay the price. He would hit me, he would verbally abuse me or rape me and yet I still live in the fear of what he is going to do to me." She rushes out with all this and fails to take a moment to breathe.

"Em, you're speaking in present tense. He isn't here anymore" I wrap my arms around her shoulder and tug her close. "I hate to see you hurting but you escaped that monster. You should be proud"

"How can I be proud! I killed him Regina. I'm a horrible person" she weeps into my chest, but soon takes a sip of her liquid courage. "You know... I tell myself it was self defence, but I'm not so sure."

She takes a big breath, and I know not to say anything else because I know she will continue to pour her heart out. Just as she finishes her glass, I top it up, knowing just how much the pretty blonde likes a drink.

"That night, I tried to escape him. He went to the shops so I packed up all mine and Henry's things and I called my foster mom. She was coming to collect me and yet it wasn't soon enough. He got home from the shops. He saw the suitcases by the front door and Henry fastened in the car seat. He yelled at me so much but I wasn't about to take it anymore. I yelled back. I shouldn't have but I did. I was so close to escaping and I wasn't about to give up"

Her tears start to fall more and more, but I know this is something she wants to get off her chest. "Emma, you did the right thing, for you and Henry. You did what any mother would in that situation"

"He shot me in the leg Regina. He pulled out his gun and shot me so I couldn't run. My foster mom pulled up outside, and he saw her car. He went over to the window and saw. And as all abusive partners do, he went and locked the door and shut all the curtains which gave me time to reach for the knife on the counter."

At this point, her hands are trembling. She is so shaken up by this memory, it still gives her nightmares.

"Regina I wasn't thinking. I murdered my own damn husband. I took slow and quiet steps and then when her turned around and didn't expect me to be that close I stabbed him. Not once, but 6 times Regina. How can I live with myself?"

She sobs hysterically. Crashing down on the counter and curling up.

"Emmy. I would have done the same. You protected Henry. You needed to get out that relationship before Henry got hurt anymore. You got cleared, it was self defence. Stop beating yourself up darling. You did the right thing. Now tell me, would you wish you'd rather have stayed in that toxic relationship until he would of killed you, or even Henry"

"No of course not"

"Well then, you protected yourself and your son" I gently rub my hand on her back and soothe her cries. "Emma, i know it's hard but you need to move on. We both do. Get back out there, find someone new. Forget about him"

"I can't! Regina I've tried. I've been on tinder, I've blind dated a few guys, I've tried sleeping with someone but I crumble. Every time it gets to the point where the male tries to kiss me or lay me down or place their hand on me, I flinch and I stop" she finally sits back up and rubs her tears away. "Regina, I feel so lonely yet I can't move on to find someone new. Every male I see, I see him"

"What about a woman?"

"I'm not gay Regina. We've been over this" she rolls her eyes but there is a tiny smirk from her, with a sense of humour. "Now stop drooling over me"

"How do you know if you haven't tried?" I slowly lick my lips and flutter my sultry eyes. "Don't knock it until you try it".

"Regina stop looking at me like that. With you big wide sexy eyes, and your plump wet lips puckering. Just stop!"

"Why?" I tease, leaning in and slowly peering down at her lips. I see her chest slowly fall and rise at a pace that I know is full of seduction.

"Because... because... Regina... you know it works on anyone you can. It's why you do it isn't it? You know you can make any girl yours" she pants, looking down at my lips and licking her own.

"Then stop me." I hush. She leans forward and her breathing becomes slower.

Her lips part. Her breathing is slower and heavier. Her chest beats rapidly and she holds intense eye contact. She wants this, she just doesn't want to admit it.

"Stop me Emma." I lean in dangerously close yet again, my nose brushes hers and I breathe a breath of hot air over her. "Emmy, why aren't you stopping me"

"Because I want it Regina. I want you" she finally admits and that's when it starts. My lips crash into hers in a hot seductive kiss. I tackle her lips like a battle until the end, I shift my position, sitting on the counter and tug her closer, pulling her to my front and gripping her luscious blonde hair tightly into my fist. She lets out a big moan and I immediately begin to divulge into her neck. "Regina..."

"Do you want me to stop?" I timidly whisper into her ear and watch as she shivers from my touch as I nibble on the bottom of her ear.

"No" she kisses me fiercely, taking control. She lifts me up off the counter and carries me into the other room. She lays me down on my sofa and hovers over me, slowly unbuttoning my blouse until she can see my black lace bra peering out. "You're stunning"

"Emma, I want this. I do, but I don't think now is the time" I slowly say and I watch as she deflates.

"Not even women want me. I'll never be seen. I can't have men, and the women don't want me. I'll be alone forever." She huffs.

"Emma, I see you. I want you. I like you Emma, I really do but I don't want to be heart broken when you fuck me and leave me when you've had what you wanted. I want more than a quick time of fun but I don't want to wrap you up in my whirlwind of trouble. If I'm really what you want then you'll wait. You'll wait until you're sure, until you know who you are and who you like, until you're less vulnerable." I slowly lean in and kiss her again. "But until then, we shall see how things go" I peck her lips yet again and kiss that pout away.

"That's fair, you're too nice Regina. You're so damn sexy that every human being would fall at their knees to have you. Every human in the bar was drooling over you but you took none of them home. I hear whispers in this town about you. Everyone loves you yet you're here, just as alone as I am".

"None of them are you Emma. I meant it, I like you. I want you, but I'll wait for you"