The Problem with Emerson

12 | The Problem with Brie

Brie's heart broke, hearing those words. "God, no, Em. No."

"Then what is it?"

Brie ran a hand through her hair. "Fuck, Em," she cursed. "My problem is that I'm fucking in love with you, okay? You're my best friend, and I love you, and it scares me." She rubbed her chest, roughly over where her heart was no longer beating in sinus rhythm, but to a tempo of its own. "I'm crude and I'm loud and I can be pessimistic, but you. Em, you are everything that I'm not. You're optimistic and quiet and you see the good in people. You spin words into beautiful stories and your eyes see right through me. You know me like the back of your hand — it's like you have a map of my brain. You make me a better person, Em. You make me want to do better." She gritted her teeth, unused to being so open and raw with another person, even if said person was her best friend. It almost physically pained her. "So, hell yeah, I want to protect you. I want to protect you from people like me that have the ability to crush you."

Emerson shook his head. "You're underestimating me, Brie," he said quietly, as he said all things. "Strength and reservedness are not mutually exclusive. Being optimistic and quiet, and seeing the good in people, doesn't make me weak."

Brie's mouth went dry. "That's not what I meant. I don't think you're weak."

"But that's what you're telling me," he replied softly. "Maybe I'm a bit naïve, and I choose to see the good, so I overlook some of the bad, but I don't need protection from your love, Brie."

"How do you know that?" she whispered. "How do you know that I won't wreck you?"

Emerson smiled. Even the seriousness of their conversation couldn't take away how that sight made her feel, and that was alive. "I know because I've weathered your love for nineteen years so far, and as far as I'm concerned, it can only get better." He drew nearer, and Brie sucked in a sharp breath. "You're crude and you're loud and you're pessimistic, but you don't give yourself enough credit. When you love someone — or something — you go all in, and that includes your passion for being a nurse. You want to make a difference in the lives of others because you care, and that is something I greatly admire about you. You're beautiful and unapologetic and you make me laugh. And I love you too."

This was great and everything, but she couldn't shake the image of Emerson's roommate from her mind.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, with Jax," she said. "I used him as a Band-Aid instead of just talking to you, and that was a shitty thing for me to do."

She made a mental note to apologize to Jax, too. While she was sure that he hadn't minded being used for sex all that much, she knew that it was the right thing to do.

Emerson grimaced. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have left like that the other day. When you kissed me, I got overwhelmed. Part of me worried that I would just become something temporary to you, and I didn't want that."

Brie shook her head. "You have never been temporary to me, Emerson. Hate to break it to you, but you're stuck with me."

He smiled, his cheeks showing off his deepest dimples. "Good."

"Speaking of Jax," she added. "Does it bother you that I'm not a virgin? That I didn't...wait for you or something?"

Emerson shook his head immediately. "You don't owe me anything, Brie," he replied. Just when she thought that she couldn't possibly love him more, he had to go and say a thing like that. "I've always been aware of who you are, and you don't need to apologize for being that person. Not to me." He swallowed, and Brie noticed his Adam's apple bob with the intensity. "Does it bother you that I am?"

"No," she answered instantly. "It doesn't bother me. I've always been aware of who you are, and you shouldn't apologize for being that person."

"Then as long as you can be patient with me, something I know you find difficult," he said, a soft smile spreading across his lips as he teased her, "I'm sure we'll be just fine."

Brie's lips parted. "What are you saying, Em?"

"I'm saying that, if I'm not mistaken, this is usually the part in a novel where the main characters' conflict climaxes, and some form of resolution is discovered."

Brie's heart threatened to leap out of her chest as Emerson's eyes met her own.

Brie smirked. "Climax, huh?"

Emerson flushed. "Brie," he said sternly. "Not everything I say needs to be an innuendo."

"Okay, okay." She held up her hands in surrender as she laughed. "I'm sorry. Baby steps." Her smile turned tender, and she lowered her arms. "Patient. I can be patient."

"I think this is also the part where the main characters make up."

Brie raised a brow. "Is that your way of asking me to kiss you, Emmy?"

Emerson grinned shyly in return. "And what if it is?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I can't exactly deny you, now can I?" Brie took a step closer, and she guided Emerson's hands, which had fallen limp at his sides, to the curve of her waist. His body went rigid at the unfamiliar contact, and she touched his arm in an attempt to comfort him. "Relax, Em. It's just you and me here."

Emerson let out a breath. "Just you and me," he repeated as he rolled his shoulders.

Brie leant in, and Emerson's eyes fluttered shut.  She smiled briefly before her own eyes closed and her lips molded against his. This kiss was ten times better than the first, now that they both knew where they stood. Brie's hands travelled up his arms and over his shoulders, and then she was cupping his cheeks as she tried to show Emerson just how much she had missed him.

And then the squealing started.

Emerson nearly jumped right out of his skin as he broke apart from Brie, embarrassment colouring his whole face as he looked at his family standing in the doorway. 

Brie's eyes crinkled as she doubled over in laughter.  She couldn't get over the smile stretching across Sage's lips, and the smug look that Zara was directing toward her wife.

"I would just like to point out that I called it," Zara enthused.  "From day one, I knew my babies would get together."

"Mama," Emerson begged, "please."

Sympathetic, Indie began to usher Sage and Zara down the hall.  "C'mon, you two.  Let's leave Em and Brie alone."

"Use protection!" Zara called over her shoulder.

When they were gone, Emerson bashfully met Brie's eye.  He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.  "I'm...sorry about them," he said.

Brie shook her head, smiling in reassurance.  "Don't be, Em," she replied.  "They're your family, and they love you.  You shouldn't be sorry about that ever."

"What they love is embarrassing me."

Brie grinned crookedly as she shrugged before looping her arms around Emerson's neck.  "Well, can you blame them?  It is kind of fun."

Emerson narrowed his eyes as he tentatively placed his hands back on Brie's waist.  This time, his grip wasn't so stiff.  "You're supposed to be on my side!"

Her smile turned tender as she leant into him once again.  "I'll always be on your side."

the end