Second Life: Book 1 (GxG)

Chapter 1

Emma walked across the living room towards the front door with the sound of Harvey's voice echoing in her ear. She was barely listening to him as he ranted on about something he'd told her a million times already. "And Em-"

"Do not sleep with your daughter," she finished for him. She hurried to dismiss him, her cool expression unfaltering despite her slight annoyance.

"I'm going to meet her now," she announced quickly. "I'm signing out."

"No! Emma, I'm ser-"

The line went dead, and she sighed. She shoved the phone into the back pocket of her jeans as she exited her own apartment. The hallway was long and narrow, stretching in both directions. However, her destination lay ahead.

Directly across the hall was a door identical to hers, the number 321 hung in gold. Behind that door lived the most important thing to her until Harvey told her otherwise. With a deep breath, she pushed forward, giving herself a pep talk as she went up to the door.

"Ok, Em," she breathed. "It's time. Put on your acting face and whatever you do, do not sleep with Sierra."

She did not know why she would want to sleep with Sierra. Emma had never met the woman in her life. And while she was reckless, amongst other things, she was not one for casual sex or one-night stands. She was especially not one to entangle business with pleasure. Still, Harvey drilled it in her head for a purpose. A purpose she may not understand now, but it had to count for something.

She breathed slowly and told herself another time, just to make sure it sunk into her brain. "Do not-"

"Heh hm!"

She barely got two words out before she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She twisted, her face turning expressionless at the sight of Sierra, but her eyes remained scrutinising, studying the stranger that her life would now revolve around.

Fuck, was the only thing she could think, seeing the reasoning behind Harvey's statement now that a pair of turquoise eyes locked in on her. She could feel her mind going blank as she lost herself in them and felt her palms starting to sweat as anticipation mounted within her.

Sierra smiled at her, as if her eyes weren't already enough to have people bowing at her feet and kissing the ground. A smile that lit the hallway brighter, yet did little to hide her confusion. "You moved in last night, right?" she pried.

Emma nodded, her voice suddenly unreachable. Her throat was suddenly parched too and her heart- she was sure it typically didn't beat this fast. What the fuck was happening?

Was she shy?

Pushing away the feeling, she wiped her palms dry against the rough of her jeans, and then offered her hand to Sierra. Her eyes never broke from the blonde's - couldn't break from the blonde's as strange connection that she has no choice but to label as unsettling.

She searched for her voice within the desolation of her dried throat. "Emma."

Sierra shook Emma's hand with a cautious gaze. Only a second passed, but she read Emma like an open book already. Well enough that she knew the brunette was doing the same. Though, Sierra could tell she was a bit too slow, not at all typical for her.

Emma herself was displeased that she'd gotten distracted. But in her defence, she wasn't...feeling well.

Adamant to regain her focus, she pushed everything else to the back of her mind. Now Sierra was the focal point of her attention again. Behind Sierra's smile, there was a nervousness she was trying desperately to hide. Emma wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement that boosted it, but judging from the situation, it seemed to be both. She knew because the feelings were mutual.