Andante, Andante: Please Don't Let Me Down

Chapter Nineteen

The world around me is peaceful on this Christmas evening and if I didn't know any better I would assume that it was just me left in this quite world. The sky expands in a dusty grey across the town, representing the limbo my life has somehow found itself in. The temperature is dropping by the second, Jack Frost biting and stinging my tear soaked cheeks as I gaze out into the miraculous city.

The steady thumping of hooves quake against the cold hard ground below, but I don't bother turning around. I know it's Bandit and I know he's not alone this evening.

"Emma." Bandit exhales loudly from his snout just before I hear her boots connecting with the grass below. "I knew I would find you here," she cheerful acknowledges and I can sense the smile in her soft voice. I close my eyes and fight against all the pain that I have accumulated over the past ten months. "Emma," she repeats with a little more edge in her voice of concern. I thrust my balled up fists further into my skimpy jacket and ignore her pleas for attention. "I thought you might be cold," she kindly suggests just before I feel a thick wool blanket draping over my shoulders and her presence lingering right beside me. "Emma, please talk to me. What happened? Why did you run out like that?"

Her voice is so sweet and so tender that I can't help but reply. "I don't know if I can try again, I don't think I can trust you to change?" At this Regina flinches and backs up just a hair.

"What? Why? Emma, I meant every word I have said on this trip," she implores as her gloved hand cups my bicep, urging me to face her properly and stop staring out into nothing. "I thought I was proving to you that I'm trying. I thought you could see that," she explains through her trembling voice and I know her tears are lurking around the corner just waiting to break free.

"We've been down this road before and I...I just..." I'm tripping on my words because my mind is flashing hazardous images of Fiona cuddled up with Regina calling her babe.

However, all of that is so rudely interrupted when Regina slams her lips against mine. Those soft silk lips are bitter cold as they connect with mine feverishly, but they are still warming up my body like a hot bubble bath. Her fingers tread beneath my knotted strands and clasp onto my neck with determination. The force is so strong it sends me tumbling back, but she's there's, holding me firmly into place and creating an unsolicited moan to stir in my chest. She accepts that dirty sound as the green light to continue, provoking her mouth to part against mine before she sucks my bottom lip between her perfectly straight teeth.

I whimper and push her back with enough anger that she staggers before me. She's perplexed, completely dumbfounded on what's occurring between us right now while we both heave and gasp for our next breaths.

"Stop," I wipe my lips furiously with the back of my cold leather jacket and fight against another stupid set of tears. "I can't. All I see is her!"

"Her, who?" Regina interrogates, so blatantly ignorant to the reality around us.

"Fiona," I blurt out as my eyes slam shut because I'm struggling myself with this harsh turn of events.

"What?" She gasps in pure shock or maybe she's attempting to play stupid, I'm not entirely sure just yet.

"Yes, I know! I know you are fucking her!" I spit in disgust as my face scrunches up from the vile words leaving my mouth, trailing behind a bitter aftertaste upon my tongue.

"What?" She shakes her head and stumbles forward, reaching out for me, but I'm also shaking my head and holding my hands up to still her movements. "H-how...she's...she's just a colleague. Emma, it's-"

"I know, Regina! Stop playing dumb! I saw you," I exasperate even though my voice is loosing willpower and sounds more like a begging whimper.