Shared Pain

Chapter 29

"And that's the whole story?" Eva asked. Regina nodded confirming.

"That's the whole story," she assured. She had just told the two girls everything that had happened between Emma and her in the past, even though she was all too aware of the fact that Emma hadn't.

She hoped the blonde wouldn't be too mad, but she didn't want these kids to be angry with her because of a misunderstanding.

"So Eloise was lying?"

Regina shrugged. "I didn't kill him. That was a lie. But I do think I hurt her, unknowingly. Emma's worked past it and I hope the people in this town can too."

"If you just make everyone fall in love with you, it'll work," Lola said and smiled brightly.

Regina laughed and nodded. "Well, I don't need everybody to love me. I got Emma, that's enough," she said with her lips curling up into a smile.

"Thank God," someone said as the living room door closed, startling Regina.

"You gotta stop sneaking up on me like that," Regina said and chuckled as she turned around.

Emma laughed and joined her on the couch. "What are you three talking about?" She questioned as she moved close to Regina.

"You two. Eloise said Regina had killed someone," Eva explained. "And that she'd broken your heart, but now we know she didn't kill anyone and didn't break your heart on purpose."

Her mother chuckled and nodded. "Ah, that's great. Kids, why don't you go upstairs, I'd like to talk to Regina for a minute."

Eva and Lola stood up. "Don't get mad at her, we forced her to tell us," Eva said as she quickly pulled her sister along with her to their room.

The door closed and Emma immediately averted her eyes to Regina.

"Are you okay?" She inquired carefully and Regina looked confused at her. That wasn't what she'd expected Emma to say.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Regina asked, confusion evident in her voice as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"You met Eloise Gardener. She's quite a handful if you don't know her. She can't have been too easy to you."

Regina swallowed and shrugged. "It's alright." She wanted to ask Emma something, but she didn't know how to ask it.

"What do you want to ask?" Emma questioned. She knew exactly when Regina wanted to say something but didn't know how to.

"Does the entire town think about me the way she does?" Regina softly asked.

Emma kept quiet for a minute as she was thinking of the best way to respond.

"Probably not," she said. "Eloise Gardener was great friends with my mother-"

"Mother?" Regina interrupted. She wanted to let Emma finish, but in the four months she'd known Emma, the blonde had not once mentioned her parents. "Sorry. Continue," Regina quickly added.

Emma smiled briefly and inhaled deeply. "My parents died in a car crash when I was seventeen. Ever since then Eloise Gardener got quite protective over me, so she's probably the only one who even knew your name. I didn't even know the name of "Neal's girlfriend". She's probably the only one who remembered," Emma tried to calm her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that about your parents," Regina said and Emma shrugged.

"You couldn't have known. I don't really like to talk about it."

Regina nodded understood and then swallowed. "Em.. I did break your heart. If I just hadn't asked him to come to the docks that night, if I hadn't even started sleeping with him in the first place.." Regina sighed. Eloise had really triggered something inside her.