The Girl Next Door

Part Twenty-Five

"Yes!" Emma breathes out as Walsh grins like an idiot, slipping the extravagant engagement ring onto her finger.

And she hasn't a clue as to what possessed her to agree to the quick proposal, but the word sort of just fell from her mouth without her consent before she could truly process much of anything.

Walsh's face beams with pride, his brown eyes shimmering with adoration before he pulls her into his embrace. However, there's a small commotion, somewhere off in the corner of the room that instantly screams for her attention. There are hushed whispers that sound an awful lot like an argument if she's not mistaken. Curious green eyes slide toward the noise and that's when she discovers a swift motion out of the corner of her eye.

She spots a champagne flute being slammed down against her parent's countertop and then there's, Regina. Shit! Her heart ceases in her chest as she observes Ruby and Belle with identical pinched faces yelling at her ex. Regina quickly swipes up another glass and guzzles that one down as well in record time and it doesn't shock her the least bit, frankly, she would be drinking too if she had just witnessed Regina's proposal.

There's a gut-wrenching pain in her stomach that provokes her to break away from her fiancé's embrace. All of a sudden, she feels like the walls are closing in on her and all the clean air is being sucked from the room. Before she can even take a breath, Walsh is pulling her face up toward his lips for a deep kiss to celebrate their engagement. Her eyes flutter closed, so she can at least pretend that all of this is not happening right now.

Why is Regina even here? She's avoided her for three and a half years, what on Earth would possess her to come to this party?

She slowly breaks apart the kiss, that's supposed to be one of her most meaningful displays of affection for her future, just to be bombarded by all her guests hugging the happy couple and offering their formal congratulations. After each person takes their time to hug her and politely shake Walsh's hand, they file out into the backyard one by one. Except for her friends, who are all standing in a circle around Regina, whispering about something. Not one person makes a move toward her and her fiancé, until the entire room clears out and that's when she feels unbearably nauseous.

Regina swiftly picks up another champagne flute and sways effortlessly in her direction. All her organs shut down. She swallows thickly as her chest constricts so painfully that she actually winces. This is all too much, and she doesn't think she can handle this type of interaction. She's not ready. She'll never be ready, especially in front of her fiancé.

"Emma," the girl next door coldly greets her in a low, raspy growl that is nothing less than threatening.

"Hi," she softly mutters, because that's all she's got. Nothing else is registering in her mind to be spoken as she blatantly stares shamelessly at the woman she once loved...the woman she still loves.

"Congratulations you two on your...happy engagement."

She's mocking her, taunting her.

Regina stretches forward, successfully tapping the rims of their glasses together while Emma just stands there, completely immobile, silently praying that at any minute she will wake up from this horrific nightmare. Those enchanting brown eyes are dressed in that smokey style, just like when she sang on stage and stole Emma's heart once again. Their eyes lock and Emma swears the entire room vanishes as Regina seductively pulls her glass away and slams back yet another drink without ever breaking eye contact.

Emma gulps down her anxiety, gradually lifting the trembling glass to her lips. She's not sure if everyone else notices the way the glass is tapping madly against her teeth as she attempts to sip her drink and she just prays that nobody calls her out on it.