Can't Fake Love

Chapter 11

She held the red organ in her hand and smiled at me. "Here. You can put it back, now."

I accepted the heart without saying another word. Even without my heart, my feelings for Emma were deeper than my feelings for anyone else - Henry being the exception.

Emma looked at me, evidently waiting for me to put my heart back, so I held it in front of my chest before I pushed it back inside my body with a soft squeak.

"About our conversation earlier, I-..." I sighed softly. "I was just a bit worried about what was to come and I thought I was going to lose this fight, which, surprisingly, I haven't."

The smile on Emma's lips made me feel so genuinely good inside. It was something about her that was beyond adorable. The cute dimples in her cheeks that appeared every time she chuckled was probably my favorite thing about that smile.

I just had no idea as to what would happen now and I was too terrified to ask. I really didn't want to be rejected.

She moved closer and tilted her head. "How do you feel?" She asked.

Conflicted.

I loved Emma. I was actually in love with her, but why couldn't I just ask her where our relationship was going now that I'd confessed my feelings for her?

"Great," I lied. Did people ever mean it when they said they were great? Something was always bothering me and I didn't think I'd ever spoken those words while meaning it.

For a minute, we just stood in silence, near each other, examining each other's faces. Emma licked her lips and I noticed myself leaning closer to her - it was only a matter of time before our lips connected.

My nostrils were blessed by Emma's sweet vanilla scent - my absolute favorite scent in the world. She leaned in as well, but right when our lips were about to touch, she moved back, depriving me of her perfect lips.

"I have a date with Hook tomorrow," she said.

And how I hated that that little sentence had such an impact on me.

Of course this would happen, but being so devastated by this news, did mean that part of me had expected Emma and I would be together, yet all of that had faded away in a split second.

"Oh?" I tried to sound casual, but I was pretty sure Emma heard my voice crack.

"He asked me whether I wanted to "hang out" and I assumed he meant as friends, but I just realized that probably was not what he meant. I- I'll cancel it."

I frowned, but quickly shook my head. "Don't do that. Not because of me, at least. We're both completely different from during the curse as well and I'm sure we won't work out."

Emma looked at me for a moment and I tried to keep a straight face. She always saw when I was lying and she either didn't notice it this time, or she didn't want to fight me on this, because she sighed and nodded softly.

"You're, uh, you're probably right," she gave in.

I straightened my posture. It was some sort of instinct, to mask my emotions better, because I did not want Emma to know just how much it saddened me that she and Hook were going out.

Of course, I could've just told her to not go out with him, but what if I was not the right person for her? And, as long as I didn't come close to people, they couldn't hurt me.

Emma unknowingly pained me now, but it wouldn't ever happen again. I was certain of that.

"We should probably get back to Henry," I said and Emma looked intently at me, before she nodded.