love on the brain

00:58

I swallowed my pride, remember how I swore up and down that I was never coming back to this town, and yet here I was.

"I'm going to search the perimeter" Joseph says causing my nod as he walks behind the house.

I ringed the doorbell, and moments later the door opens, standing there was Shay. I swallowed hard, before forcing a smile.

The last time we spoke, wasn't much of her speaking just me yelling at her at how she was a bad sister who was spoiled. "h-hey" she states.

"Hi"

She looks as if she was about to say something when I stopped her. "Is dad here yet?" I asked trying to look past her shoulder.

"yeah.... but there's something I want to you to know" she starts.

"okay"

She sighs, "I'm sorry. About everything. I didn't understand what you went through because of mom until it was too late and I should've been there for you as a sister. But you know mom she..." I cut her off.

"I didn't come here to talk about what happened. Think of it as forgotten" I tell her without giving her the chance to respond, I walk past her and into the house.

I entered the living room to hear her laughing, there sat my dad talking to my mother and sitting across from them was kevin.

"Guys, look who made it" Shay says causing them to all turn to me, my mother rolls her eyes at me before turning back to Kevin.

"Emily" My father says standing up from the couch and approaching me, tears formed in my eyes. He walks to me as I rush to him, he hugged and I held him tightly.

"My god, you've gotten so big" he says after parting.

"I would hope so"

I couldn't help but feel the lasers from my mothers eyes, she glares at me before standing up and walking into the kitchen.

"I want to hear everything? How's work? Talia?" He also causing me to sigh. I look to see my mother walk back from the kitchen, "we haven't told him yet because we thought you would want to do that" she says.

"T-tell me what?" My father asks.

"We should talk outside" I tell him softly.

"No. Tell him right here, right now. Tell him that you and Talia aren't even together anymore. Tell him how you moved on to some denigrating, nauseating girl who likes to disrespect others" she spats angrily referring to Alison.

"Woah. Emily, y- you and Talia aren't together? What happened" he asks.

I scoff, "you can't even pretend to be a nice mother? For once?" I ask her.

"Excuse me?" She asks.
"Emmy, what's gotten into you?" My dad asks causing me to sigh, trying to calm myself down.

"Dad, we should really talk outside"

"Why so you can victimize yourself so you don't feel guilty?" My mother inputs.

"Ma!" Shay calls out for her to stop.

"What is wrong with you? You know what she tried to do to me yet you still want me to with her?" I asked her.

"No. I just don't like the fact that your with al- I cut her off, "I don't care what you like or don't. I didn't come here for you, I came for him" I spat seriously.

My dad looks at his wife and me in confusion, I motion to go outside with me and he follows with concern.

I stood on the front patio porch, "what was all that about? Is what your mom said true? You and Talia broke up? What about the wedding?" He asks me.

"Talia and I have been broken up for almost 6 months, dad" I tell him honestly.

"What? What happened?"

"She cheated, and so did I" I say trying not to feel sorry for myself.

"She what? And you... but I thought you guys were happy" he tells me.

"I thought so too but.." I cut myself off feeling as if I was about to cry. "But what?" He asks.

I turn facing him, "I wasn't, dad. She hurt me, a lot. And I can't just forget about it" I tell him.

He was about to say something when we were interrupted, "ma'am, the area is secure" Joseph says not reading the room.

"Joseph, this is my dad. Dad meet Joseph"

Joseph nods, "I'll be waiting by the car until it's said I can come in" he says before walking away. I turn back to my fathers whose eyes were widen, he looks at me in confusion, "y-you have a boyfriend?" He asked causing me to choke on air.

"No..no.. no. Ew! That's my girlfriend's bodyguard"

Shit. I froze, "girlfriend?" My dad asks. I slightly smiled, "Alison.."

"Why does your girlfriend need a bodyguard?" He asks seriously.

"She's... an important person" I answer shortly. The truth, she was a powerful person, who had many enemies.

"Oh....." he responds.

"Yeah... you know.. after Talia, I met her" I lie but was it really a lie.

"Is that who your mom was talking about? The Nauseating girl?" He asks causing me to catch his eye.

"She's not nauseating. She's a good person. Shay and mom don't know her, they just know whatever Talia told them. So, Mom hates her, only because she really wants me to be with Talia." I explain to him.

"So"

"So? Dad, this is where you say, she'll come around eventually... you know" I say, and he chuckles at my response.

"I know your mom better than anyone. If she's doesn't come around now, she won't ever. She's stubborn, like you. But I said so because I want to know why you care? I mean so what if your mother hates this Alison girl?" He asks.

This is why he's the sensible parent. The one I trusted and the one I came out first too. I wished my mother thought like my dad, "are you happy?" He ask me.

I hesitate before answering, "yeah... I mean I should be right"

"Then why does it look like your about to cry?" He asks. Because I was.

"Because I'm scared" I say with tears forming in my eyes.

"Of?"

I remain silent unsure how to answer his question. The truth? Scared of loving someone again, loving her. Loving Alison scared me, and it wasn't because she didn't know how to love it's because somehow... without even knowing...

Alison meant more to me than any other person has, she was everything I thought about. Everything I think about revolves around her, she is everything I needed, everything I wanted.

"Em... you have to be willing to fall, if you want someone... anyone to catch you. I may not know much about the love thing, but I know I loved your mother for almost 25 years, it wasn't easy. But I can tell you, if loving her doesn't scare the hell out of you, even if just it's for a little, then she's not the one" he tells me.

He pats my head, "falling in love is easy, choosing to stay in love is the hard part. If this Alison girl makes you happy, then be with her. Screw what others say. Even if it's your mom" he tells me.

I smiles before walking to the door, "but don't tell your mom that I told you that or I will never hear the end of it" he says before walking into the house.