Yes or no - Book 4 - S.E.

Epilogue I: Louisville and the big apple

Deciding on what she was going to take with her and what would stay had been hard. Sure, her mom would still be living in that same house, probably renting the spare bedroom for some extra cash and her own room would pretty much stay the same, but that didn't mean it hadn't been an emotional moment. That was the same bedroom she had had since her and Natalie moved from Idaho to Ohio. Granted, the wallpapers and bedsheets had changed and so had the pictures on her board, but Emily and her mom had been living in that same house for seven years now and this bedroom held so many memories. This was the room that had watched Emily and Quinn's friendship blossom, from acquaintances from church to inseparable best friends. This was the room that had held one of the most special nights of Emily's life over the summer of her sophomore year when she had decided to give her everything to Sam after weeks of a near perfect relationship. This was the room that had watched her grow from a scared little girl into somewhat of a bully in her early teens and into the young woman she was now. This was the room that would watch as she took the last of her boxes out and toward her mom's car so they could make the trip to Louisville.

With one last look around the room and a fond smile, Emily grabbed one last picture of her, Quinn, Brittany and Santana from her board and placed it on the box beside her, getting ready to pick it up and leave. Before she could, though, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her away from the box.

"I told you, baby... You're not carrying anything."

Emily rolled her eyes with a smile as she watched with crossed arms as Sam picked up the box and started to make his way downstairs.

"It's not even that heavy!" She protested, walking behind him.

"I don't care. I'm your boyfriend so it's my duty to carry all of this for you."

"No, it's not!"

Seeing the pair of them coming toward the car, Natalie smiled, highly amused, already far too used to their constant bickering.

"Stop complaining, Em." Natalie said, as Sam turned around to give his girlfriend the tongue playfully. She gasped at that, but laughed when her mom did too. "He's just trying to be nice."

"He's trying to prove himself, that's what he's trying to do." She mumbled, standing beside Sam as he placed the box down in the trunk of Natalie's car. She smirked when Sam turned to her after closing the trunk. "Or he's trying to get something out of it. But I'm not paying you for any of this."

"Are you sure?" He teased her right back, wrapping an arm around her waist as he pulled her closer to him and she squealed. "Sure you're not paying me for this?"

And before Emily could even begin to protest, Sam had leaned down to capture her lips with his. She sighed into him then, leaning into his touch as she savored that moment, knowing that was, most likely the last one she'd be getting in a while. Fully aware of that fact as well, Natalie let the two kids be for a second longer, walking back into the house to give them some privacy — or as much privacy as they could get in the streets of Lima, Ohio.

"I'm gonna miss you..." Sam whispered, pulling back from Emily eventually, but pecking her lips again when she hummed. "But you go to Louisville and show these people how real cheerleading is done."

Emily giggled slightly, nodding her head as she leaned up in her tip toes and kissed him again.

"And you go conquer New York, baby. Take a bite of that big apple for me, huh?" She smiled when he did too. "I'm sure you'll be in every billboard by the end of the year. And I'll be the proud, annoying girlfriend pointing out every single one of them to my friends saying hey, see the hottie over there? Yeah, that's my guy."

Sam looked down at her fondly, his heart jumping in his chest, full of love for the girl in front of him, but hurting knowing she'd be going away any minute.

"God, I love you..." He breathed out quietly, chuckling sadly when Emily's eyes filled with tears and her lips formed a small pout. "Oh, no, no, no... No crying, baby... If you cry, I might never let you go."

"I love you." She choked slightly with the words, wrapping her arms around Sam's waist to pull him in a hug as she hid her face in his chest. Quickly returning the gesture, Sam ran his fingers through her hair as he tried hard not to cry. At least, not yet. "More than anything."

"I love you too, baby. More than anything."

And so they kissed again. And as much as they could tell they were both crying considering the salty taste of the tears in their lips, none of them commented on it, choosing to instead, just enjoy each other for as long as they could, pecking their lips again as Natalie called for Emily gently, saying they were already late and they needed to go.

They said nothing when Emily left Sam in her yard for the last time, their eyes saying everything they needed to say. Emily held herself together for a second, keeping her tears at bay as she sat down on the passenger seat of the car. As soon as the house was out of sight, she broke, the sobs racking her body as Natalie sent her daughter a sad smile, reaching a hand over to rub her thigh affectionately.

"You'll be fine, honey..." She assured, hoping that she was actually right. "You'll be okay."