Another Life (emison)

Chapter Fifteen

I update so often. I'm probably so annoying.

Alison woke up and her face was dry, her eyes sore. Why did this feel so familiar? She glanced around. She was in her room at Spencer and Toby's. Wait...had everything just been a dream? A horrible nightmare? The last eight years had never happened?

"Mommy?"

Thank God.

Alison turned over in the bed and saw Estella sitting up and looking at her with a worried expression.

"Hey, baby girl," Alison whispered, not trusting her voice. She propped up her elbow and rested her head on her hand. She tucked strands of Estella's hair behind her ear.

"Are you ok?"

Alison took a deep breath. "I'm not great, but I think I will be."

Estella looked down as she played with her fingers, a nervous habit she'd obviously picked up from her mother. Alison grabbed her hands and stilled them.

"You woke me up when you came to bed," Estella said quietly. "You were shaking. It sounded like you were crying."

"I was," Alison said, her voice croaky. She cleared it. "I heard something last night that really hurt my feelings."

"Who hurt you, Mama?" Estella asked earnestly. "I'll go all Queen Bee on their a-"

"Uh, not necessary, baby girl," Alison stepped in quickly. Hearing her six-year-old cuss was not something she was ready for, but it didn't stop the smile from creeping onto her face at her daughter's desire to protect her. "Do you remember that girl from high school?"

Estella's eyes widened. "You saw her again?"

Alison nodded, the memory of hearing and seeing Emily, her Emily, all over another girl. She closed her eyes, but a tear escaped and rolled slowly down her cheek. Alison felt a soft hand on her cheek, wiping the tear away.

"If she hurt you then she doesn't love you," Estella said matter-of-factly. "Noel and Spencer both told me that. If you love someone, you shouldn't hurt them."

Alison nodded again and let Estella snuggle against her chest.

"Don't worry, Mama. I still love you."

Alison just closed her eyes, pulled her arms tightly around Estella and let the fresh set of tears fall.

-

Her head felt like a fifty-pound rock. She groaned and rolled over, immediately wishing she hadn't even moved. Emily lay still for a few minutes, trying to remind herself how her body worked. Everything felt alien. For a brief moment, she wondered if she'd been abducted. She did remember some green juice...

Fuck.

Ali.

Why, why, why, why had she been so fucking stupid? And with Maya? Emily groaned at the reminder of her ex-lover's hands all over her body and the look on Alison's face.

She pushed herself up and blearily opened her eyes, having to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She wasn't in her apartment. She was in Maya's bed. Emily lifted the sheets and winced when she saw that she was naked. She figured that she'd passed out. In the club – God, that must've been attractive. She vaguely remembered seeing Noel and him saying something about staying away. Had Maya then brought her back here? If Emily had been virtually unconscious, the thought of Maya having sex with her kinda grossed her out.

"Look who's finally awake," a sugary sweet voice said from the doorway.

"Whyaminaked?" Emily mumbled, her mouth refusing to co-operate.