The List

Chapter 19

Regina and I continued talking for three more hours. It wasn't planned, it just so happened. I offered her to stay the night, but she had to be on set in three hours, so she said it was easier if she just went home right now.

I didn't want her to leave, yet. She'd informed me on every aspect of her current life and I'd told her how I was handling things with Killian. He still had to pick up his stuff from my place, but he'd blocked me on all social media, right after he'd dumped me, so I had no way of communicating with him.

"Shall I walk you home?" I offered. I was already grabbing my coat, when Regina nodded.

"If it's no problem for you. I don't want to be.."

"A bother," I interrupted her. "You're not, Regina. Why do you always think your presence is undesired?"

We started walking down the stairs of the building as Regina thought of an answer. "I don't know. Maybe because I can rarely just.. be. I'm always the Regina Mills, America's Star, it's seldom just Regina. When I'm just Regina, it feels like it's not enough, I guess."

I opened the door and she stepped outside. Her face was highlighted by the faint gleam of the lampposts. I stared at her for a second too long and she quirked an eyebrow. She was waiting for me to say something, but I let the door fall in its lock and hooked my arm in hers.

"You're more than enough, Regina. "Just Regina" is far better than "America's Star". I was in love with "America's Star" when I was a teen, but now I know "just Regina" and I like her even more," I said and smiled at her.

She tucked me close to her side. "Thank you," she whispered softly. That was all she said. We walked in silence the rest of the road to her trailer. It was a comfortable silence. I liked walking in the dark, with Regina.

"I totally forgot. It's officially Christmas, already two hours," I said, when we got to Regina's trailer. She smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Merry Christmas, Emma," she replied. "Thank you for the delicious food, the hospitality and the conversations."

"Merry Christmas, Regina," I responded softly and glanced at her lips. She'd put on red lipstick that suited her very well. Her lips were plump, but not fake. They looked soft and I felt my heart pick up its pace when I remembered the times I'd thought about kissing these lips.

I didn't know whether I was moving towards her or she towards me, but our lips were nearing each other. My breathing hitched and my heart was pounding in my ears.

She was looking at my lips. I tenderly stroked her cheek with my thumb, while she pulled my body against her own. I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned in, ready to kiss her.

"Regina!"

So close. Our lips had been so damn close. Who the hell dared interrupting us?

We both turned around and someone appeared from the trailer opposite Regina's. "There you are. I missed you at dinner."

A man came walking towards us and hugged Regina, while her hand was still on my hip. She released me and now the moment had officially passed.

"And you missed a lot, too, Regina," the man said. "Kathryn dropped her bottle of Château Lafite, she must've paid a lot of money for that wine and it all went to waste. We had a great laugh about it."

How in the world was that funny?

"Then, the rumour got out that Frederick and she had kissed during the Oscars and then everyone started spilling rumours they'd heard."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself tonight, Samdi," Regina said. She managed to say it kindly, but in a way that showed she couldn't be less interested. Samdi didn't pick up on that, though.