I woke up feeling stiff. I shifted slightly in bed, trying not to wake up Chloe. We were laying in an uncomfortable position and I slowly untangled my arms and legs, getting out of the bed as quietly as possible. I closed the door to let Chloe sleep longer and crept downstairs. David, Noah, and Anna were already in the living room talking about the party last night. Emma came downstairs a few minutes later and crawled on the couch, groaning.
"Hungover, Emma?" David asked her, laughing as she wrapped herself in a blanket.
"Yes, but I think I just need food" she mumbled.
Anna commented, "You were pretty drunk last night."
"And chatty," David added.
"Ughh, that's so embarrassing. That would be the wonderful combination of alcohol and molly." Emma said, while groaning into the pillow. I didn't think that I heard her correctly until Anna clarified.
"You were on molly?!" Anna yelled in surprise. Emma shushed her and put the pillow over her head to quiet Anna's yelling.
"Yeah, some of my friends aren't the greatest influence..." Emma finally replied.
Chloe joined us a little while later and we all hung out in the living room watching a movie that Emma and Anna put on.
"Breakfast is ready!" We heard someone yell from the other room. I didn't realize there was anyone else here, but it was a pretty big house. Were Emma's parents here? I hoped not since I was still wearing my pajamas and wanted to make a better first impression.
"Uh, who is that?" Anna asked, looking at Emma suspiciously.
"Jessica! She's an excellent chef that helps us with meals sometimes. I may have texted her last night when I was craving waffles, she makes the best waffles!" She explained trying to defend her drunken decisions. We followed Emma to the dining room where there were a plethora of different dishes sitting on the table including waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit. We introduced ourselves and thanked Jessica before we started stuffing our faces. We all agreed with Emma that the waffles were delicious.
After brunch we were all feeling better and decided to do some sightseeing. We got ready and piled into the car heading towards Hollywood Boulevard. We had a lot of fun visiting the celebrity's handprints, taking photos in front of the Hollywood sign and even seeing a few celebrity houses.
We were all exhausted by the time we got back to Emma's house and collapsed on the living room couch.
"So do we have any plans for tonight?" Anna asked.
Emma stretched and replied, "Well, one of my friends is having a rooftop party. It should be a little more low-key than last night and his apartment has an amazing view."
"Low-key? Does that mean no more molly?" Anna teased Emma.
"Ha, Ha" Emma replied sarcastically.
"But really, the rooftop party sounds amazing" Anna added, replying to Emma's previous statement.
"Oh and some friends are coming over to pregame. Ari, Sam and Travis, I think." Noah said. I nodded, but had no idea who Sam and Travis were.
After watching TV for a while longer, we all changed to prepare for our guests and the party later tonight.
We decided to grill out dinner on Emma's incredible patio. Emma made a few pitchers of mixed drinks; she had mojitos and punch, both of which were delicious, while David and I helped Noah with the grilling. We made tons of food including burgers, chicken, veggies, and corn on the cob.
Ariana and the other two guys, who I assumed were Sam and Travis, arrived and seemed really cool. We ate dinner and drank outside on the patio. It was such a nice night and felt so great to be outside, we had such short summers back in Wisconsin. I was already having a really fun night and it was still early.
I was laughing at a story that Sam was telling about his school, apparently he and Emma went to school together here in Los Angeles. Emma never really talked her other high school, except to say it was very different from Roosevelt. Sam was telling us about how relaxed the rules were and how many famous people went there.
I poured everyone another round of spiked punch and finished the pitcher into Anna's glass. I excused myself to get more from the kitchen, Emma told me there was another in the fridge. I stepped inside the house, closing the sliding door behind me. I heard voices and realized that I had forgotten that Noah and Travis stepped inside a while ago and hadn't returned. As I neared the kitchen I caught a few snippets of their conversation. Travis was contemplating telling Emma something.
"No." I heard Noah tell him firmly.
They stopped talking as soon as I stepped into the kitchen.
"What's up, guys?" I asked, opening the fridge to grab the pitcher.
"Nothing, we were just coming back out too. Right, Travis?" Noah said.
"Noah, I think we need to tell her" Travis whispered loudly to Noah, ignoring both of Noah's previous comments. Noah shook his head, not replying to Travis as he pushed off of the counter and walked back outside.
"Tell her what?" I asked Travis. I didn't mean to pry, but he did bring it up in front of me. Travis's eye darted around the room, not meeting mine and he ran a hand through his hair.
"You should ask Noah, I don't think he wants me to tell anyone" Travis replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. He seemed pretty conflicted and upset about whatever it was that he couldn't tell me. I nodded understandingly and we joined everyone else on the patio. Although I was curious as to what secret they were keeping from Emma, I decided not to pry any further.
I refilled everyone's drinks and sat back down at the table. Chloe was telling an embarrassing story from her old school in Ohio, but I couldn't pay attention to my girlfriend as my mind wandered back to what happened in the kitchen. Was Travis in love with her? Did something happen with her trial?
After we finished the last pitcher, we decided to head to the party. Emma said that the party tonight was more casual, so the girls didn't dress as many as they did last night. I decided on another button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. We piled into Emma's familiar car and her driver took us downtown, stopping in front of a high rise building. I followed everyone else inside and we took the elevator to the top floor. I noticed that Travis kept giving Noah pointed looks, which Noah promptly ignored. What was going on?
The elevator opened to a breathtaking rooftop. There were string lights hanging from above, there was a bar along one side with couches and tables scattered along the other. It was already pretty busy as we stepped onto the roof. Emma was right about the view, it was incredible; the lights from the skyline seemed to brighten the entire city around us. We got drinks and walked around the rooftop lounge, taking in the people and view around us.
Chloe pulled on my arm, "OMG, Luke look who is over there! That's Marcie! I'm going to ask for a picture, I'll be right back!" I had no idea who Marcie was or where Chloe had even pointed. Chloe must have realized that because she was already walking away before I could say anything.
I turned back to the rest of our group, Emma was introducing us to some of her friends. I couldn't help but keep an eye on Travis and noticed him glancing around nervously, like he was looking for someone. I wanted to ask him what he was hiding from Emma, but decided against it yet again. I thought that I would just try to keep an eye on Emma instead and it seemed like Noah had the same idea. He had disappeared right when we arrived, but since his sudden reappearance, he hadn't left Emma's side.
I had a lot of fun talking to people at the party and just hanging out on the rooftop. I had no idea how long we had been at the party, but we were all pretty drunk, not as bad as last night though.
I was talking with Sam and David when I noticed Emma standing alone near the railing. I excused myself and walked towards her.
"Whatcha doing over here all by yourself?" I asked, following her gaze to the skyline.
"I love this view" she said, not really answering my question.
"It is incredible. Are you having a good night?" I asked. She nodded and turned around to face the party, her back now leaning against the railing.
"I'm having a really great time. It's-" Emma started saying something and immediately stopped. I turned towards her to see why she paused, only to see Emma staring wide-eyed at something across the room. I tried to see what or who she was looking at, but had no idea.
"Emma? Are you okay? What is it?" I asked, growing more concerned by the second.
"I..." she started, but couldn't finish her thought. I noticed her knuckles turning white as she gripped the railing behind her.
"Emma, what is it?" I asked again, trying to sound calmer like I heard Noah do last time she had a panic attack.
"He- He's here." She said quietly. I didn't have time to process what she said or who she was referring to when Noah ran over to us.
"Emma? Look at me, Emma. Are you alright?" he asked, sounding frantic. She nodded absentmindedly, turning her head towards Noah, but her eyes focused on something across the party.
Noah looked at me, "Luke, stay here with Emma. Don't let anyone near her and don't let her go anywhere" he instructed. I nodded at his order and he ran off to the other side of the room. I kept my eye on Noah, watching the scene unfold. Noah stopped in front of a man, he looked a bit older than us and somehow familiar to me. I squinted my eyes, wondering where I recognized him from when Emma cleared up my confusion, "It's Jeremy."
With those two words came a world of clarity and bitterness. Her ex-boyfriend. The one who just about ruined her life, almost ended it. I could feel my anger erupting just thinking about how awful he was to her. How easy I could just walk over there and give him a piece of my mind and my fist. Not that I knew much about fighting, besides boxing with David, but thinking about Jeremy really got my blood boiling. I shook my head and reminded myself not to think about him right now, instead I focused on the girl beside me.
I took my eyes off Noah for a second to glance at Emma, "Are you alright?"
She nodded a little, seeming unable to say much of anything. Her eyes were still wide and concentrated on the scene in front of us. I turned back to Noah and Jeremy, who seemed to be talking. Noah kept a fair distance between them.
"I have a restraining order," Emma muttered beside me. "We should leave... I need to leave, we should go" she nervously mumbling under her breath. I had no idea if she even knew what she was saying or if it was a nervous habit to keep repeating herself. Her voice cracked, sounding like she would break apart at any moment and I couldn't help but reach my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to me, in an attempt to comfort her.
I turned back to Noah and Jeremy, they were still talking on the other side of the room. I'm guessing about the restraining order. I saw Jeremy glance towards Emma and clenched my jaw at the disguising smirk he gave her. Noah looked like he was getting more irritated by the second, especially after that exchange; I could see his fists balling from here. I should go help Noah. I took a step forward, almost forgetting that my arm was around Emma.
"Stay," she said quietly. Looking back at her pulled me back to reality, her face was pale and I could hear her erratic breaths as she wrapped her arms around herself. I'm sure she would have left by now if Noah and Jeremy weren't standing so close to the exit. I glanced back at Noah, only to see Jeremy shaking his head and turning back towards the elevators with a few of his friends following him.
Emma let out a breath beside me and muttered Noah's name under her breath. She took a few uneasy steps forward, steading herself with the back of the couch before she made her way more confidently across the roof deck towards Noah. I followed a few steps behind her, she still looked pretty unstable. I looked past Emma and saw that Noah was already running towards her. He engulfed her in a hug and held her at arms length examining her. I heard him ask, "Are you okay, Angel?" She nodded, but I saw a few tears fall down her cheeks.
Chloe rushed over to me, hugging my waist as she asked, "What happened?! Everyone was quiet and whispering and I thought Noah was going to get into a fight!"
"Emma's ex-boyfriend was here and Noah asked him to leave because she has a restraining order." I explained. Chloe nodded in her mouth open in an o-shape. She had a few more questions, most of which I didn't know the answer to, like which of Jeremy's friends came with him and would Emma would have had to leave if Jeremy didn't. I just shrugged and suggested she ask Noah or Emma later. I walked over to the bar with Chloe to get us another round of drinks, everyone seemed to need it after that unexpected appearance. Actually, maybe it wasn't unexpected at all. Everything clicked in my head, that must have been what Noah and Travis were talking about earlier. Travis must have wanted to warn Emma that her ex-boyfriend might show up here tonight. I'm sure Noah didn't want to worry Emma, he was probably trying to take care of it without getting her involved.
Emma and Noah were sitting on a couch and were talking privately when we left, but had joined the rest of our friends when we returned with a tray full of drinks. Everyone was telling their worst date stories, which Chloe quickly jumped in on, telling a story that I had heard before of her ex-boyfriend in Ohio. I glanced over to Emma, wondering how everyone moved on so quickly. Emma was quieter than normal. I watched as she was in a staring contest with the half full drink in her hands. She must have told everyone that she didn't want to talk about it, otherwise I could only assume that we would be discussing what just happened between Noah and Jeremy. Emma always seemed to know when I was thinking of her, or maybe my not-so-subtle starting was making her uncomfortable, but she looked over at me nonetheless. I tried to give her a small comforting smile, to which she returned a thankful one before looking back down at her drink. She looked so sad and I wished I could cheer her up, somehow.
We spent a few more hours hanging out on the rooftop under the stars and string lights until we were almost falling asleep. Noah finally got everyone up and we piled back into the limo to head home, well back to Emma's house.
I fell asleep on the ride home, waking up to rustling as everyone sluggishly got out of the car. But by the time I joined my snoozing girlfriend in bed, I couldn't sleep. My buzz had worn off and I couldn't stop thinking about what happened tonight. After tossing and turning for a while, I quietly got out of bed and decided to get some water. I trudged downstairs squinting as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. When I turned towards the kitchen and saw a dim light already on. As I stepped closer, I noticed Emma sitting at the kitchen island, slumped onto the counter. She turned her head when the floor creaked underneath me and gave me a weak smile.
"Can't sleep?" I asked Emma, walking around the other side of the island to get a glass from the cabinet.
"No. You?" She asked, opening the container of Oreos that was on the counter in front of her. I sat beside her and she pushed the jug of milk towards me.
"Me either. How are you? After everything tonight, I mean..." I asked. Pouring myself some milk and stealing a cookie from the package.
"I'm... I'm alright. It was just a lot tonight" she replied, focused on soaking her cookie in her glass of milk. It brought me back to the party when her sad eyes were stuck on her glass.
"I wanted- I just wished that there was something more that I could have done to help tonight" I said, thinking out loud.
"Thanks for staying with me tonight. It was really helpful, more-so than you know." Emma said, referring to my presence on the rooftop. I thought back to when she spotted Jeremy there, I truly thought she was going to have a panic attack like at school. Emma paused, then chuckled before continuing, "I was worried for a minute that you were going to beat him up." Emma finished.
I nodded and laughed lightly too, "Oh believe me, I was thinking about it!"
We sat in a comfortable silence, both dipping another cookie into the milk. It felt nice to hang out with Emma, just the two of us. We hadn't done it in a while.
I spoke up after a few minutes, "Double stuffed Oreos are the best."
"Mmhmm" she agreed, taking a bit of her cookie. "My parents don't usually have any snacks around, Jessica brought some over when I told her that I was coming to town."
"Are your parents here?" I asked. I forgot that we hadn't seen them since we arrived, even though they lived here.
"They've been traveling for work, but they should be back tomorrow. I'm going to brunch with them before our flight home" Emma explained.
"So, will I get to meet the infamous Mr. and Mrs. Blake?" I asked with a hint of humor to my voice.
Emma nudged me with her shoulder and laughed, "Maybe...."
We sat in the kitchen talking and eating cookies for a while. It felt reminiscent of a few months ago when I brought her food after her court appointment. Emma yawned and I suggested we head to bed. I looked up at the time flashing on the oven and I couldn't believe it was so late. It felt like minutes had passed when, in reality, it had been hours. Emma had to be up in a few hours to meet her parents for breakfast so I said goodnight and we parted ways. For a second my mind wandered back to those nights we spent together, just sleeping and cuddling in bed, but I quickly tried to shake those thoughts as I headed upstairs to my sleeping girlfriend.