September 2008

It had been seven months since that fateful day in February when Emma had told Justin she wanted some space.  Emma wasn’t going to say that it had been easy because it hadn’t, but it had helped that they had still talked on the phone a few times.  And every time they did he would tell her he loved her.  It was reassuring.

And everyday that Emma went to work she saw the painting she and Fee had done.  They had it shipped to Arkansas the day she left because Emma wanted it for herself.  Bryan had helped her hang it up behind the desk in the foyer of the space they rented out.  The painting was a conversation piece for almost anyone who walked into their office, and that made Emma happy.

“I thought you guys were talking again?”  Bryan asked Emma.  She was pacing by his desk.

“We are,” Emma sighed.  “I just don’t know if I’m ready to see him yet.”  She stopped and leaned forward a little against the edge of his desk. 

Justin, Trace, and someone else from WilliamRast were coming into Arkansas to look over some project Bryan was doing for an upcoming winter fashion show.

“You want to get out of here?”  Bryan asked her and leaned back in his chair. 

“I think I will.”  Emma walked around to her desk to gather her things.

“I’ll shut your stuff down,” Bryan said.

“Thanks.”  She smiled and put her bag over her shoulder and moved around his desk to give him a hug.  “Bye.”

“See ya Monday.”

Emma turned to walk out.  Just as she walked into the foyer the front door opened and in walked Justin, Trace, and the third person.  Emma’s heart stopped at the sight of Justin.  He still looked as good as she remembered him too.

Justin smiled at her softly, and she returned it before quickly looking down at the faux-wood floor. 

“I’m just … uh, Bryan’s back there … yeah, bye,” Emma stuttered as she walked past.  He opened the glass door for her, and she walked out of it.

Emma bit her lip as she walked to her car in the parking lot.  She held back the tears.  It was horrible not giving him much recognition, and after seven months of not seeing him she realized how much she really did love him.

She unlocked the door to her car and climbed in.  Emma ended up back at her house because there wasn’t anywhere else for her to go.  Plus Trevor was out of town, so he didn’t have to see her sulk around the house.

*  *  *

Emma jumped when the doorbell rang later that afternoon.  She wasn’t expecting anybody, but she had a good idea who it was.  Emma put her book down and walked over to the door.  She looked through the peephole and saw Justin standing on the other side.

Emma leaned her head against the door frame, and he knocked again.

She might as well get it over with.  She wanted to be with him again so she unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.

“Hi,” Justin said.

“Hey,” Emma replied and held the door open farther.  Justin stepped inside, and she closed the door.  They stood there silently, staring at each other.  Both were happy to see and be so close to each other again.

“I’ve missed you.”  Justin was the first to speak up.  When he saw her that morning, in her office, he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go.  As he told her so many months ago: he would never look at another woman if he could just be with her.

“Have you had enough time?”  He had to know so he just came right out and said it.

Emma bit her lip and looked up at him through her eyelashes.  It was now or never. 

“Too much,” she answered honestly.

“Oh thank goodness.”  Justin was relieved.  He took one step closer to her and pulled her into his arms. 

Emma returned the hug, and she held on to him as tightly as she possibly could.  It felt so good, and she started to cry.

“If you ever, ever do anything like that again, you will be out that door faster than you were the first time, and you won’t be back,” she said through her tears but didn’t let him go.

“I won’t Emmy,” he said against her hair.  “I promise.  I won’t.”

“Good,” Emma said and pulled away a little so she could look up at him.

“Can I kiss you now?”  He moved his hands so he was cupping her face, thumbs resting on her cheek bones.  He wiped the tears on her face.  Emma’s eyes answered his question and he didn’t waste a second.

“I love you Emmy.”  It felt good to look into her eyes and say that.

“I love you too.”  It felt even better to hear her say it back.  It had been too long.

They stood on the patch of tile by her front door kissing for a while. 

“So Bryan told me that was your painting in the front,” Justin stated when he pulled away.

“Oh, yeah?”  Emma questioned.  She wondered what he was getting at and how much Bryan had told her.  She walked over to the couch and sat down.

“It’s really nice Emma.”  He followed her and dropped down on the couch next to her.

“Thanks.”  She brushed her hair behind her ear.  “I did it with mine and Bryan’s friend, Felicia.  I think I’ve told you about her before.”  Emma turned so she was leaning on her side against the back of the couch with her feet tucked under her.

Justin nodded in response.

“I went to New York City in February, and we did it in about five hours,” Emma stated.

“Really?  It looks like it would have taken longer.”

“Well … we were uh, motivated.”  She blushed.  Emma was a little embarrassed to tell him that he was the motivating factor.

“What was that?”  Justin grinned and shifted so he could face her.

“You?”  Emma said it more like a question.  She could see the questions forming in his head.  “Fee and I have this thing we do when we have boy problems.”  Emma paused and gauged his reaction.  He looked intrigued.

“This is embarrassing.”  Emma laughed a little and buried her face in her hands for a second. 

“Why?”  Justin asked and took her hands in his.  He entwined their fingers together.  She liked the feeling of his fingers moving between hers.  She had missed that.

Emma shrugged but spoke anyway. “In college we would spend about a week painting a portrait of the guy and then we’d paint over it.” 

“So that’s what that is?”  He smirked and then started to laugh.  “Interesting.  I guess that’s better than slashing tires or sending hate mail.” 

Emma shook her head at his comment and laughter.  She shifted so she could lean against him and wrap her arms around him.  Justin wrapped his arms around her too.

“I’m glad you came by today,” she said.

“I’m glad you opened the door,” Justin grinned and kissed her forehead.  He had his Emma back, and he wasn’t going to let her go. 

She moved again so she wasn’t sitting on her knees, and ended up with her legs across his lap, but she was still able to lean against him.  Justin kept his left arm wrapped around her back, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

Emma sighed.  Yeah, she had forgiven him seven months ago and here they were together again, finally, but she was still curious.  When they talked on the phone, it was never brought up.

“I have three questions.”  She picked up his right hand and held it in both of hers.

“Shoot,” Justin said.

“Did you do more with that girl than just kiss her?”  Emma kept her attention on their hands.

“No,” he answered.

“Why did you kiss her?”  Emma’s eyes shifted up so she was looking at the side of his face.  Justin glanced at her and then moved his eyes back to their hands.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” Justin stated, “which I will never do again.  I lost my mind for a few minutes and completely blew it.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“The guilt would have eaten away at me and I would of.  I felt so bad about it even while it was happening … I’d take it back if I could.  I lost seven months of my life that I could have had with you.”

Emma put her hand on his cheek and turned his face so he was looking at her.  And she picked her head up off of his shoulder so she could kiss him.

“Mmm …” Justin pulled away a little.  “What’s your brother going to think about us being back together?”

“He’ll be fine because I won’t be sulking around here anymore.”  Emma smiled and Justin let out a little laugh.  She kissed him again.  “So did you guys like what Bryan put together for ya’ll?”

“It’s exactly what we were going for,” Justin answered. 

“Good.”  Emma pulled out of his embrace and put her feet on the floor.

“Where ya goin’?”  He pouted.

“I need a drink.  Do you want something?”  Emma asked as she stood up.

“Sure.  I’ll just have whatever you are,” Justin answered. 

Emma walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet.

“So The Music Hall is having their ‘Back 2 School Bash’ tonight.  It’s just a bunch of local bands.  Would you want to go?”  She asked him as she put ice into the glasses.  Emma pulled a bottle of Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and poured it into both.

“Sure,” he answered as she walked back into the living room.  He took the glass from her hand, and she sat back down next to him.

“Would Trace and …” Emma paused.

“Jason.”  Justin filled in for her.

“Want to come too?”  She took a sip of her soda.

“They’re already on their way back to LA,” he answered.

“Really?  So I’m stuck with you?”  Emma teased.

“Until Monday.”  Justin covered her knee with his hand.

“You were that confident that I’d take you back.”  She stated the fact.  Justin nodded.  

“You’re lucky I love you.”  Emma shook her head and reached for the remote to turn the TV on.  She sat back on the couch, and he put his arm back around her shoulder.

“I know,” he grinned and squeezed her closer to him.  “So should we grab something to eat for dinner on the way?”

“Sure.” Emma replied. 

*  *  *

“Emma!”

Emma turned when she heard her name called over the noise of the crowd.  She grinned when she saw Kevin walking toward her and Justin.  He had left The Wedding in the middle of the year last year when he had gotten married.

It had been a big change for the band, and for a while Trevor had been worried the band was going to fall apart.  But he had consistently pursued finding a new lead singer, and now The Wedding had not only one, but three new members.

“Hey Kev,” Emma smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug.  “You remember Justin?”  She pointed to her recently reinstated boyfriend.

“Yeah.” Kevin gave him a nod.  “How’s it going?”

“Good.” Justin returned the nod and moved out of the way when two guys, who were getting a little rowdy, bumped into his arm.  “You?”

“Not bad,” Kevin answered with a shrug.

“Where’s Jess?”  Emma asked about his wife.  She had to yell when the next band’s set started.

“Girls night!”  He yelled back.  “I thought I’d come and support Stephen.”

“Nice.”  Emma nodded.  Stephen was his brother who played drums for The Goodnight Fight.  They were one of the bands playing that night.  The two turned their attention to the small stage. 

Emma and Justin were standing near the back of the small venue to avoid most of the crowd, which was now surging toward the stage.  Justin moved to stand behind Emma, and she leaned back against him.  He grabbed her hands and held them down by their sides.

After a few minutes, Emma started to move a little to the heavy music.  She wanted to go into the crowd.  Emma let go of Justin’s hands and stepped away from him a little.  She turned and looked up at him.

“I want to go.”  She yelled.  “You?”

“I’ll pass this time.”  He yelled back.

“Kev?”  Emma yelled.  He nodded “yes.” 

Emma and Kevin disappeared into the crowd.  Justin had no issue with her going into that madness.  She could hold her own with the jumping up and down, pushing and shoving.  He’d seen her do it before. 

Justin managed to spot her in the mass of bodies, most of which were bigger than she was, and she was having fun. 

“Oh, what the hell,” he said to himself.  Justin pushed his way through the crowd; he would risk a broken arm or leg to rock out with her.  He could show these punk, emo, and rock kids that a pop, hip-hopper could rock to.

Emma’s smile grew wider when he appeared next to her, bodies pushing and pulling them in different directions.  Justin grinned at her and just followed her movements.  This was her element, and he was just happy to be apart of it, somehow again.

Justin had a forgiving and understanding girl, and he would never take advantage of that again; intentionally or unintentionally.