Emison: Fragile Like Glass

Chapter 22: Truth Be Told

Alison POV:
I can't believe I never noticed it before.

How could I be so stupid?!

"Emily..." I trail off, my voice shaky with fear and worry.

She looks at me with her sad, glossy eyes.

"Y-Yes?" She stutters, her voice nasally from crying.

"W-What hap-happened to your leg?" I ask her, not really sure if I want the truth.

She freezes, her bottom lip starts quivering, and she clenches her hands.

"Umm...Lets get you in the bath. You need to relax." Spencer interrupts.

Emily nods her head, and slips into the tub.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I hear Spencer say to Emily.

"Okay." Emily replies with a faint voice.

Spencer walks out of the bathroom looking down at the floor.

"What happened to her?!" I demand an answer through gritted teeth.

"She-I can't tell you. I promised her." Spencer whispers.

"She's my girl-my ex girlfriend! I deserve to know!" I whisper yell, not wanting Emily to hear me.

"You...didn't know her. Who she was before. You were like her...happiness. The love you had for each other was...intoxicating. You two were inseparable. Then you hurt her..." She trails off, taking a big shaky breath. "It's like you hurting her triggered...it triggered something. Something that isn't good. Something Emily wants to forget..." Spencer explains, her voice cracking every few seconds.

"Emily is fragile. Too fragile for her own good." Aria sighs.

"She is! And that's destroying her! I hate seeing my best friend like this!" Hanna exclaims. I can tell by her voice that's she's about to cry.

"Emily acts tough. Because she's afraid to get hurt again. She's this hot biker chick, but the with the best personality ever. It's like...her disguise. Emily is really this fragile human being, waiting to be repaired." Spencer speaks, letting a few tears fall.

"I what to help her! I do! But to be able to do that, I need you to tell us, ME, what's happened to her that is making her this way." I proclaim, tears brimming in my eyes, clouding my vision.

"Emily will tell you when she's ready to!" Spencer yells at me, now furious.

I take a step back, and my eyes widen in shock as I stare at the tall brunette.

"...Fine. Fine!" I scoff, a let out a humorless laugh.

Spencer POV:
That laugh.

The broken, humorless, sad laugh.

I've heard that laugh. But it wasn't from Alison, ever. It was from Emily.

From when the incident occurred.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

"I'm going to check on Emily." I tell Aria, Hanna and Alison with a sigh.

"Okay." Aria whispers.

I go into the small bathroom, and see Emily relaxing in the bath, the bubbles covering her bare body.

She opens her eyes, and I look into them.

"I was thinking, and...I'm ready to tell the girls...Everything." She murmurs.

I give her a small, reassuring smile, and nod my head in understanding.

Emily rinses out her hair before shakily standing up, and wrapping a towel around her broad body.

"I'll get you some clothes." I speak softly, and exit the bathroom.

The girls all look at me in an expectant matter, eyes burning how's in my head.

"She's ready to tell you everything." I breath, and go back into the bathroom.

Alison POV:
Emily walks out of the bathroom in gray sweatpants and a baggy, oversized sweater, her hair damp, hanging over her left shoulder.

"Can you please sit down?" She pleads in a whisper.

"Y-Yeah. Of course." Aria stutters, and takes a seat on the desk chair.

Hanna sits down on the window seat, her blue eyes sad.

I sit on the edge of her bed, and watch her carefully as she slowly makes her way to the bed.

"I just wan to get this over with. And quick. So listen." Emily tells the rest of us.

She takes a deep breath, and wipes her hands on her pants before beginning.

"...I was out one night, and I met this guy. He was nice. We became friends shortly after, and would hang out during our free time." She speaks, and takes in another breath, while closing her eyes. "He became very touchy a few weeks later, and he told me he loved me. He wanted to be my boyfriend. I was...in shock. He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned away, which made him angry. He asked me why I didn't kiss him, so I told him why. I knew her had a problem with drugs and alcohol, he was drunk that night. He got angry at me for being gay. He said I would go to hell for it. That is was wrong." She explains, her voice shaky. I can see he tears brimming in her eyes. "I tried to get away from him, but he told he he had to fix me. I pushed him away from me, and that only farther infuriated him. He pulled out a knife, and yelled at me. I kicked him, and h-he slice-sliced my leg." She stutters. "I hit him, knocked him out, and ran." She slurs. "Now, I'm afraid. I'm afraid to get hurt. I'm afraid of love." She mutters.

"That's why I broke up with you, Alison." She finishes.

Tears are now streaming down everyone's cheeks.

"I will kill him!" Hanna yells through tears. "No one gets to hurt you!"

"Emily, we're your best friends. You could've told us. We would've helped you." Aria says, her voice cracking.

"That's why you broke up with me? You'd rather be the dumper and the dumpy? Emily, I love you! I do!" I tell her, my voice faltering and cracking.

"I was scared." Emily says to me in a high pitched whisper.

"You don't have to be. We're all here for you. No matter what." Spencer tells her.

"Thank you...All of you. It feels good to know I'll always have you 4." Emily says with a small, glad and thankful smile.

I smile back, and get on my knees, and I pull Emily into my arms.

"Come on, join us!" I say to the other girls.

They all gladly except, and wrap their arms around Emily and me.

"I love you." I whisper into Emily's ear.

"I love you, too." She whispers back, and kisses me cheek.