❝Emerson Baldwin has self diagnosed himself with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
He hates anything that has to do with a) disorder. b) feeling out of control in any way. c) stepping out of his comfort zone.
So when his friends somehow talk hi...
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Good luck? He hopes Emerson finds happiness? What is he implying? His reaction to Alec's question was strictly due to the fact that he was under the impression that a life coach was asking about the availability of one of his closest friends.
"You okay, man?" Rhyme nudges him with a chuckle. For a split second, Emerson's eyes wonder over to Claire where she sits with her own folder tucked into her bag and her eyes set out the window, music playing in her ears.
He nods with a sigh before handing his paper silently to his friend who takes it warily. After a couple minutes of skimming the paper, Rhyme gives a low whistle. "Looks like he's under the impression that...well, you know."
"That I like Claire?"
"Yeah..." Rhyme chuckles, "But you don't so just let it go. Who cares what he thinks? You've got a thing for Rosalind right?"
"I don't know, man." He whispers lowly, "She talked to me the same night Claire told me how she felt and I didn't think it was fair for her to put that on me. It was just way too dramatic and it threw me off."
"Yeah you don't need to deal with that. We're supposed to be on vacation so I say you forget about the whole thing." Rhyme replied quietly
"You're probably right."
" the space between your dreams and your reality is your doubt." ⃒
That night Emerson falls into a deep sleep. Which is almost worse than a sleepless night because when he has his usual nightmare, it's harder to wake up. Harder to escape.
"Come on, Alex, don't be such a nancy-boy." Emerson jokes in a fake British accent to his young friend, pulling his shirt over his head and discarding it carelessly at the feet of Rhyme who watches him warily, "We've done this jump a hundred times over."
"Not when the water was this crazy, Em." Isaac's voice cracks as he looks over the edge, "I just don't feel good about it."
"I thought we left the girls behind." Emerson snaps at him, looking over the cliff and into the dark swirling water. He knows for certain there are rocks lining the bottom of the forty foot cliff but he's done it so many times, he's sure he knows where to jump by heart now that it's hidden under the torrential waves.
"Don't be such a jerk." Alex shoves him a little. Emerson recovers quickly but his stomach begins to boil with anger.
