Intent [Wattys 2017]

Chapter 22

Emma

"Fuck this!" Lina yells at us as Henry holds her back, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Now you two don't come out until you've either worked out your issues or had sex, or worked out your issues with sex. I don't bloody well care but you need to fix this and get over yourselves already!"

The three of us are left completely shocked by her pointed words as she finishes her little rant. Suddenly and with great determination she turns on her heel and stomps out of my room quickly followed by Henry giving us a sympathetic smile before closing my door leaving Harry and I with no other option.

The inevitable has come and it's time for Harry and I to face this.

***Two weeks earlier.

"Emma, you have to wake up now" I don't open my eyes but I feel Lina's nimble fingers stroke my hair as I lay on my bed.

"You have class in an hour and you made me promise yesterday to not let you miss another full day, no matter how pisssed you get".

She's right, I did say that but I roll over to the other side of my bed trying to escape her and her overly rational words.

I've been in bed for three days straight. Not crying or whining about what happened with Harry a few days ago. I just have no will to actually get up and face reality. What's the point anyway. I've ruined our friendship and any other type of future I could have had with my best friend so why even get out of bed? There is too much of him in the outside world anyway, I don't think I can face it just yet, if ever.

There is a constant feeling in the pit of my stomach, this mixture of dread and anger stirring up in my gut. This is another reason that has kept me here, under the safety of my covers.

"I lied, I don't need to get up." I huff trying to get her to leave.

"No Emma" she says tugging on my arm "it's time to get up."

"Lina" I groan trying and failing to push her away. A few minutes of this push and pull go on, her groaning at me to get up, me growling to go away in response, Lina thankfully decides to leave and I start to fall back to sleep in silent victory, but only for a moment.

"You leave me with no other choice" I hear Lina say just before I'm assaulted by a wave of water over my head.

"What the fuck Lina" I say jolting up and facing her, hastily pushing the wet hair from my face, a shiver running up my spine.

"You only have yourself to blame sweetie" she says turning on her heel and leaving.

I continue to push my sticky hair off my face as I get out of bed. I'm chilled to the core after Lina's rude awakening of cold water and absolutely no mercy. While her tactics are far from satisfactory I guess somewhere deep down I am glad she's managed to give me a real reason to get out of bed and into the shower, even if it's only because I am soaked through.

For any normal person the very act of being out of bed might seem like a step forward but I know myself, I was safe, even from myself, tucked under my covers. Now I'm out in the world who knows what kind of trouble I'll manage to get myself into. The wheels are turning and at this point there is no stopping them.

It's just like before. Like the drug being placed in front of an addict longing for a hit and I am more than tempted to take my dose and fall back into my little oblivion.

***One Week Earlier

"Want another drink, babe?"

God I hate when people call me that but I can't bare to deny him in my intoxicated state greedily nodding in response, thankful to not have to finance my little numbing session for yet another night.