Where The Numb Meets The Lonely (SwanQueen)

Chapter Three

Another vice, another call
Another bed I shouldn't crawl out of
At 7am with shoes in my hand

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Regina shifted in the bed, causing Emma's deep sleep to come to a quick halt. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings for a moment before all the memories of last night came flooding back to her and she panicked when she realized she spent the night.

The sun coming in through the blinds forced her to squint and she looked down at the sleeping brunette beside her. Regina looked so peaceful and innocent, with her deep soothing breaths that caused her chest to rise and fall. In that moment, part of Emma just wanted to slide back into her embrace and fall back asleep, but she knew she couldn't do that. She was already crossing the line and never should have spent the night.

She glanced at the clock that read 6:58 AM. She had a hunch that Regina was a morning person and would probably be waking up shortly. She climbed out of the bed as quietly as possible before running toward the living room the find her clothes. As soon as she was dressed, she left through the front door and closed it quietly behind her, trying to leave Regina behind in the same manner she had done dozens of times before.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when she finally made it back to her rental. She had only been in Cape May for 24 hours and it was already the best weekend she could remember having in years. She grabbed a towel from the linen closet and headed toward the bathroom, quickly peeling off her dress to avoid the thoughts of last night from filling her mind again. She turned on the water and looked at herself in the mirror, noticing the smudged lipstick stain on her jawline. She smiled when she remembered she wasn't wearing lipstick last night, but the stunning brunette was.

Just as she stepped foot into the shower, she got a whiff of Regina's perfume that was still lingering on her skin and she froze. She reached over to turn off the shower water and stepped out, deciding she wasn't ready  to wash Regina's  scent down the drain for good.

She rummaged through her duffel again, pulling out a tiny black bikini and quickly tying it at her hips and behind her back. With the ocean only walking distance from her room, she figured she'd be stupid if she didn't squeeze in a quick morning run along the water to help clear her mind.

The moment she popped her headphones in and pressed play, her feet found a rhythm on the sand as she started off with a light jog. As the images of Regina continued to dance through her mind, she picked up the pace and increased the volume.

She hit the two-mile mark and decided to sit down in the sand for a little while before making her way back. Now that she stopped running, the beads of sweat began to slip down the back of her neck..

She wiped the sweat off her forehead using the back of her hand then decided it would be more efficient to just hop into the ocean. She took a few steps in the direction of the water and when she dipped her toes in the ocean and shivered at the cool temperature, she knew she'd have to make this a quick dip.

She quickly ran toward the water, diving under an incoming wave. The cold water sucked the breath out of her and stung a bit, but it succeeded in washing away the sweat and the lingering smell of Regina that was bringing back memories.

She got out of the water quickly and used her fingers to comb her hair back into a ponytail, tying it securely with the hair tie on her wrist. She sat down in the sand, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to let the sun warm her back up.

"Hey, you."

Emma didn't have to open her eyes to know who was standing behind her. The deep voice, among the other sounds that escaped her throat, had been playing on repeat all morning. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to look behind her. She tilted her head up and shielded her eyes against the sun.

"You must have been in quite a hurry this morning; I didn't even hear you leave. I would have made us some breakfast, you know? Or at least some coffee." Regina laughed, half joking.

"Oh, uh - um. Yeah, my phone rang and I assumed it was for work so I stepped out to answer it and didn't want to wake you." Emma lied effortlessly but felt a little guilty.

Regina pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. "Right. Well, you don't have to make excuses for me. I just appreciated our night together, but like I said, there's no need to run."

"Sorry, I guess it's a habit." Emma said, biting her cheek and shrugging her shoulders.

"Well you can make it up to me if you'd like." Regina's confidence that drew Emma in last night was back and Emma was once again rendered speechless.

"Mmm, what did you have in mind?" Emma asked with a smirk, unable to resist flirting with the woman hovering over her. She stood up to try and level the playing field.

Regina's eyes instantly fell over Emma's body, covered only by a skimpy bikini, although she already knew what was hidden underneath. She bit her lip then locked eyes with Emma, not even hiding the fact that she just blatantly checked out the blonde woman in front of her.

Emma's breath hitched and she felt her own desire begin to build up inside her.

"How about I cook you dinner tonight? At my place?" Regina asked with a genuine smile.

"Um, I don't know if that's a good idea, Regina..."

"I don't see any harm in it. When do you leave to go back to... where did you say you're from?"

"I didn't say. And I leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Well then it's settled. I'll cook you dinner tonight and we can get to know each other a little better."

"There's not much to know." Emma said with a shrug.

"I highly doubt that, but we will find out. 7:00? Wait, no. You seem like the type who always shows up late, so let's say 6:30." Regina said with a laugh and Emma smiled, confirming Regina's assumption.

"Okay, 6:30 it is."

Regina was glowing but Emma's stomach was in knots. She waved goodbye and put her headphones in and made the two-mile run back to her place.