Say I'm Sorry

You know those times when you're completely exhausted and you're finally allowed to sleep for as long as you possibly want? Be it eight, ten or maybe even twelve hours? Yeah, that's what I was supposed to get after working fourteen hour days for two weeks straight. So one could imagine my annoyance at the sound of my phone obnoxiously pulling me from my sleep.

Letting out a groan, I reached for the offending device, not even opening my eyes as I opened it, placing it to my ear, wondering what would happen if I just didn't respond.

"Emily? Emily are you there?" I let out a sigh as I heard the slightly slurred words from the other end.

"What do you want Cory?" I groaned, pulling the phone away from my ear slightly as his loud voice rang in my ear.

"I need you to get me. Come get me." At this I finally opened my eyes, turning to look at the clock on the small black table next to my bed.

"Cory it's four in the morning! Where are you?" I demanded, shock washing over me as I sat up in bed, my head spinning at the quick movement momentarily.

"Kimberly's. She just kicked me out...told me to be gone by the time she gets home. Help me," He whined the last part and I sighed.

"What'd you do?"

"Came home drunk....nothing else, I promise. Help me?" He asked, much quieter this time. Rubbing my face with my free hand, I realized I had already made my decision.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," I said and heard him breath a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much. I owe you so big," He rambled and I closed my eyes, contemplating just going back to bed. Knowing that he wouldn't let that happen and would continue to blow up my phone until I got to Kims house, I slowly got out of bed, phone still pressed to my ear.

"You do. Now let me get ready. I'll see you in a bit."

-

Leading the still drunk man into my apartment building, I wondered what had happened between him and his now ex-girlfriend. Deciding that conversation was best left for a much more sober Cory, I stayed silent as we made our way through the lobby and into the elevator.

Once I had propped Cory up in the corner of the small room and pushed my floor number, the doors slid shut quietly and we began our ascent to my apartment. I stood near Cory and he leaned on me, letting out a huge sigh.

"You okay?" I asked tiredly, watching ourselves in the mirrored wall across from us.

"Yeah," He sighed, leaning more into me. My face scrunched up as the smell of liquer wafted to my nose. I watched as his dark eyes drooped slightly, his breathing coming in soft, even breaths. "How come you're with Ian?"

"What?" I asked after the question registered itself in my over-tired mind. I looked over to see him giving me an intense look. Frowning at him, the ting of elevator letting us know we had arrived at my floor hardly registered. I made a move to leave the elevator when Cory grabbed my wrist, keeping me in the small room with him. "What Cory?"

"How come you're with Ian?" He repeated as the silver door slid shut quietly, going unnoticed by both of us.

"What do you mean? I'm with him because I like him, what else?"

"You used to like me though," He mumbled, staring into my eyes deeply.

"What are you-" I tried to ask but he cut me off by spinning so he was in front of me, pinning me to the mirrored wall. I stared at him with wide eyes, not able to speak as he stared at me, his eyes almost black.

"Don't lie. You had feelings for me," He said before leaning down, our faces inches apart. Pausing to keep the distance between us, I felt his hot breath ghosting over my face, making my thoughts go fuzzy. His lips grazed over mine for a second before he pressed them against mine harder, more passionately.

I should have pushed him away, kicked him, punched him, spat on him, anything. But I didn't. I just let it happen; longer than I should have. Why?

Because he was right.

Because, since I had first met him two years ago, I had always strong feelings for him. But he never returned them, never showed any sign of feeling anything other than friendship.
That's why I ended up with Ian.

While I had always found him attractive, he had never really compared to Cory. But he was so nice and once he started showering me with attention, I sucked it up, desperate for any form of a relationship. I hadn't expected it to move as quickly as it did. But it had, and my feelings for Cory were quickly pushed to the side.

Except now they seemed to come screaming back with a vengeance as he pulled away, gazing at me with half-lidded eyes. Catching his breath, a small smirk made it's way to his mouth.

"Cory, don't," I finally forced out, though it was obvious to both of us that I didn't really want him to stop. In that moment, all I wanted was him. For him to be with me, to be in my life more and most of all, for him to want me the way I wanted him.

"Do you really want me to stop?" He whispered, his lips centimeters from my ear, his breath sending shivers down my back as goosebumps poped up across my skin. I took a breath and let it out shakily, trying to compose myself.

"Yes," I said, my voice stronger than I had anticipated. He leaned back, looking at my face as I kept my eyes anywhere but on him.

"No you don't," He mumbled, crashing his lips back onto mine. Not able to hold myself back, I let it happen. My hands flew up to tangle themselves in his hair. He pulled back moments later, biting my lip softly before pulling away for real. "Told you."

The realization of what I was doing finally hit me and I dropped my hands immediately. I felt my stomach knotting up in disgust at what I had let happen. I was now the girl I had always hated. The one who had everything but wanted more. Ian was the best boyfriend I had ever had in my life. And here I was making out with his teammate in an elevator. What the hell was wrong with me?

I pushed him away, hitting the circular button to open the metal door in front of me before I stalked back to my apartment, hearing Cory scuffing his feet on the carpet as he followed a few steps behind me.

I unlocked the door and quickly made my way to my bedroom, leaving the door open so Cory could get in. As disgusted as I was at the situation, I couldn't lock him out and trust him to find a safe place to stay in his still drunken state.

Getting to my room, I shut and locked the door, trying to calm myself down. To justify the fact that I had actually kissed Cory. Groaning, I made my way to my bed, dropping myself onto it, not even bothering to change into the clothes I usually slept in.