Page 84 of Emma
Emma lockedthe P.E. office and slung her bag over her shoulder, the keys gripped tight in her hand so she didn’t lose them like she had once before. Okay, it was actually three times, but she wasn’t counting. Vanessa was, though. Emma smiled to herself at the mere thought of Vanessa. Those blue eyes and long lashes, that silky blonde hair, and the world’s sexiest collarbones. God, she was one lucky woman…and even though she was shattered today, Emma couldn’t wait to get home and hold her for the rest of the night.
She turned down the long corridor that led away from the P.E. department and towards reception and the front doors. Just another minute and she would be outside in the fresh air. Though, judging by the temperatures this morning, it would beveryfresh air by now.
“Emma!”
She stopped before she’d even registered the voice. NotMiss,butEmma. She pivoted, fighting back the smile threatening to break out, and there she was. Freya was jogging out of the adjacent corridor that led away from the English block, herrucksack bouncing against her hip. Her braids had frayed at the ends, wisps curling around her temples, and she seemed out of breath. Had she…run to catch Emma before she left?
“Hey,” Emma said, trying to remain casual as she adjusted the strap on her bag. “You alright?”
Freya nodded quickly. “Yeah. Great. I was hoping I’d see you before you left.”
“Lucky timing,” Emma said with a smile. “I was just about to escape before the caretaker locks me in for the night.”
Freya’s mouth pulled into a small, bright grin. She rocked on her heels, suddenly a little shy, yet…not. “So, when are we going for dinner together?”
Emma blinked, caught off guard by Freya’s sudden questioning. “Dinner?”
“You said in your email last night. Don’t you remember?” Freya rushed on, her eyes wide as her words tumbled over themselves. “You said that maybe one day we could have dinner. Just me and you.”
“I do remember. Of course I remember. I just didn’t expect you to be thinking about it so soon.”
“Oh, my God. I’ve been thinking about itallday. Like, where we could go. Or what we could eat. I don’t mind pizza, but I like noodles better. Ben says there’s a place near the retail park that does proper ones in a bowl as big as your head.”
A laugh slipped out of Emma before she could catch it. The image of Freya with a bowl bigger than her head was so perfect that she wanted to tuck it away somewhere safe. “That’s averystrong recommendation.”
“I know you said there’s no rush, but I’m excited. I can’t wait.”
Emma’s heart soared. “I’m excited, too. I think having food together will be a nice change from only seeing one another here.”
Freya angled her head. “So why can’t we just do it at your house? Isn’t that easier? We can have dinner at a dining table like normal people do. Or on your couch while we watch telly. Ben and Carmen eat in front of the TV sometimes, but Carmen always complains about the crumbs.”
And there it was. The gentle reminder that Freya was nothing more than a twelve-year-old girl who didn’t always understand why things had to be the way they were. “I really love that you want to do something like that, and maybe one day we will have dinner at my house, but right now…it’s probably better if we meet somewhere that we both feel comfortable in. Like a restaurant or a cafe.”
“Why?” Freya frowned, quite clearly confused. “I’m not a weirdo.”
“Oh, really? That’s a shame, because Iama weirdo. Always have been…always will be.” Emma shrugged, trying to make this moment a little less tense than it was beginning to feel. “It’s not about you, I promise. It’s about making sure everything we do is okay with the people around us. Carmen and Ben…Nia, too. If we keep things clear and easy to understand, then you won’t feel too overwhelmed with all of this.”
Freya nodded as she chewed her lip. “Okay. That makes sense.” She hesitated, then added quietly, “It’s just that I get nervous when it’s busy in restaurants. There’s too many people and I don’t know where to look. I don’t like when tables are close together and you can hear what everyone’s saying. My brain goes…fuzzy.”
Emma nodded, making a mental note of what Freya was saying for future food outings. God, she wanted to wrap her sister up in a hug and tell her that she understood. That it was okay to feel anxious and unsure in social situations. And then she wanted to wring her mum’s fucking neck for likely being the cause. Jane never took Emma out to meet people or interact.She’d had to learn that all by herself. “Thanks for telling me that. It’s really helpful.”
“It is?”
“Yeah. Of course,” Emma said, relaxing her posture a touch. It was beginning to feel a little uptight. “Because now I know what to plan for. I don’t want to take you anywhere that’s going to make you feel uncomfortable. We can eat somewhere quiet. Maybe…in a booth? I always think of them as being built-in shields for those days when you don’t really want to interact with anyone outside of your table.”
Freya grinned. “Booths areelite.”
“Absolutely elite.”
Freya tugged one of her braids over her shoulder and twisted the end. “So, will you ask her then? Carmen? You’re an adult, so she’ll listen to you more than she’ll listen to me. She already says I’m not allowed to go too fast.”
Even though Emma had already spoken to Carmen about it, she wouldn’t tell Freya that. If Carmen had told Freya to slow down, then Emma wasn’t going to contradict that. “Sure. I’ll mention it. That’s no problem. But…if she says not yet, it’s not because she doesn’t want us to have dinner with one another. It’s just that she’s making sure your head and your heart aren’t taking in too much at once, okay?”
Freya nodded. “I know. If she says not yet, then…not yet.” She glanced down the corridor towards reception. “Ben’s picking me up at the gates.”
“Did you want to walk together?” Emma asked. “I’m heading for my car if you’re ready to leave now…”
“Yeah. That would be good.” Freya said that as though it was the most normal thing in the world. And one day, it would be. God, it justhadto be.
