Page 19 of Emma
Vanessa downed her wine and refilled the glass again. “Nothing really. I don’t feel anything about it. But she couldn’t even look at me. Not until I screamed at her and she had no choice.”
Emma’s shoulders sagged with the weight of everything she was hearing. “Well, I have to admire your bravery in doing that, but I’m not sure it’s helped anything. She’s probably thinking up reasons to blame me for you doing it.”
“None of this is about you, Emma. I told you that before.” Vanessa sighed as she kicked off her heels beneath the table, groaning with relief. “When she’s ready to have a conversation and apologise, I’ll be here to listen. Until then, I’m not dealing with her. I’m sick of her attitude.”
Emma reached a hand across the table and settled it over Vanessa’s. “How about I run you a nice bath before you drink that entire bottle and regret it in the morning?”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Vanessa pushed the bottle away and leaned back in her seat. “And a sensible one, too.”
Taking the stairs slowly,Vanessa exhaled a deep breath, grateful for the silence of the house and for Emma, who had noticed the shift in her mood earlier and nudged her towards rest. But that was Emma. She was always watching, and she always knew when Vanessa needed a moment. Now, wrapped in one of Emma’s hoodies, Vanessa felt a little more prepared for whatever came next.
If Lauren wanted to talk, they could talk. Vanessa wouldn’t shy away from it. But she wasn’t going to make the first move. She had spent years absorbing blame that didn’t belong to her. Lauren, Richard, whoever else wanted to stick the boot in. This time, shewouldn’tstand for it. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
At the bottom of the stairs, Vanessa caught the soft glow of the living room light as it spilled out into the hallway. She turned towards it and paused, her breath catching the moment she saw her wife. Emma was curled up on the couch, papers from work spread across her lap, while she made notes across one of the pages. She wore her school hoodie with the hood pulled halfway up, a blanket draped over her knees as she chewed her lip in concentration.
Vanessa didn’t move. She just watched her.
These were the moments when she realised how lucky she was. How blessed she felt to be loved like this. To come home to a woman who saw right through the armour she sometimes forgot she was still wearing. Emma was her sanctuary. She washer home. No conflict and no poorly chosen words from Lauren couldeveralter that truth.
Crossing the room slowly, Vanessa leaned over the back of the couch and pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek, allowing herself a moment to linger. She smiled against her skin and wrapped her arms around Emma’s shoulders. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Emma tilted her head and kissed Vanessa. “Did you enjoy your bath?”
“I did. I feel better for it.”
Emma gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Good. I didn’t want you to work yourself up. It’s no good for you.”
“I know.” Vanessa drew back reluctantly, the loss of contact felt immediately as she zipped up her hoodie. There were practical things to do, she was definitely ready for dinner, but all she really wanted was this room, this couch, and her wife. “Do you have much more work to do?”
“No. I should be done in about twenty minutes.” Emma barely looked up, her attention still on the papers in her lap, but the growing tower of marked papers on the coffee table spoke volumes. She was almost done.
Vanessa lowered a hand and squeezed Emma’s shoulder. “I’ll start dinner.”
“I think after today, we deserve to unwind and not worry about dinner. Takeout will be here in about thirty minutes or so. I ordered while you were upstairs.”
Vanessa’s heart melted purely because her wife knew her so well. Once upon a time, it would have unnerved Vanessa to be read so easily, but not with Emma.Neverwith Emma. “You’re amazing.”
“And you’re tired, so come and join me on the couch and wait for the food to arrive.” Emma set the papers down and swept them to one side. “I’ll finish those tomorrow at work. No rushfor them.” She opened her arms to Vanessa, that stunning smile ready and waiting as it always was. “Come on. Sit down.”
Vanessa rounded the couch and eased herself into Emma’s lap without hesitation. She curled around her, the day beginning to fade from her shoulders as the tension and the tightness loosened. For the rest of the night, she didn’t want to think about anything beyond this. The door was locked, the evening was theirs, and Vanessa wanted to existonlyhere.
She reached up and brushed her fingertips against the nape of Emma’s neck. “You don’t have a manipulative bone in your body.”
Emma tensed slightly and lowered her eyes to where Vanessa’s hand rested on her thigh. “I don’t know why she said that. I hope it was just her frustration talking, but I don’t know.”
“Look at me.” Vanessa slid her hand to Emma’s jaw and lifted her head. “You don’t.”
“If you’ve ever felt that way?—”
Vanessa stopped her with a kiss, silencing the doubt before it could take root any deeper. This would stay with Emma, Vanessa knew that, and no reassurance would erase what Lauren had said completely. But she would try. She never wanted Emma to think she was anything of the kind. “I haven’t.Ever. Not for a single second.”
Emma’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her bottom lip trembling as she whispered, “Promise me?”
“I promise you.”
Emma’s arms tightened around Vanessa’s waist, and that familiar protectiveness rushed through her more than ever before. Her fingers toyed with the hem of Emma’s hoodie, and the urge to undress, worship, and soothe her wife in the most intimate of ways planted itself at the front of Vanessa’s mind. Just as she considered stripping Emma bare, her phone started to continuously buzz on the coffee table.
Vanessa groaned. “Please, for the love of God, silence that fucking thing for me.”
