Falling From Cloud Nine

After saying good bye to everyone, Emily was led over to Pete’s car that was parked just behind the club in a small parking lot. The two walked side by side, his hand occasionally brushing against hers in an attempt to hold it, but she was so unsure of what she was feeling right now that she didn’t seize the opportunity and take it.

Pete dug out his car keys from the front pocket of his already tight jeans, hitting the unlock button. They were now a few feet from the car and slowing their pace, not of purpose of course. He tried one more time, grazing the back of her hand with his finger tips. Immediately she intertwined their fingers, ignoring what ever mess was currently forming within her head.

“Let me get that for you.”

A slight smile spread across her face as he opened the door for her, trying to be a chivalrous as possible without over doing it.

“Why now?” She asked, sitting down in his passenger’s seat.

He leaned up against the top of the door, shrugging his shoulders a bit. “The timing just felt right I guess,” He answered, shutting her door for her before jogging around the back to his side of the car.

“Do you still live in that same old apartment?” He asked, starting the car up and shifting it in to reverse.

“Yep.”

“The kids really missed you,” She said while they were stopped at a red light.

“I know. We missed them too.”

Emily giggled in her seat. “They actually thought we were together at one point.”

“I did too,” He mumbled under his breath, taking his foot off the brake and placing it on the gas when the light turned green.

An awkward silence soon fell between them as Emily contemplated what was happening between her and Pete. Ever since she had mentioned the comment about the fans thinking they were in a relationship he hasn’t let go of her hand since. As soon as that light turned green he had laced their fingers together, keeping her icey hand warm. Not that she truly minded.

“Did you really miss me?” Emily blurted out as they were nearing her street.

It took him a minute to respond, unsure of how he should go about it since she wasn’t very clear on what answer she was looking for.

He took his opportunity at the stop sign, making sure the care stopped all the way before turning to look at her beautiful eyes.

“Yes.”

She didn’t say anything back, but instead looked out the window with a smile playing on her lips.

“Do you want to come in?” She asked after he had finished parallel parking in front of her building. “I promise my house is clean.”

“Sure.”

---

For a while, the two sat on the couch and caught up on life, work, how everyone was doing, how Bronx was, and so on, casually brushing around the topic of his divorce from Trash Ashlee.

They laughed about good memories from being on Warped Tour, almost cried while laughing hysterically when Pete told her about the time he tried to convince her that she should do naked laps one night on the Honda Civic Tour, and they both nearly pissed their pants thinking about the Young Wild Things Tour.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, watching a huge grin form on her face whenever he told another story; even if this was the fifth time she’d heard it. Every now and then their eyes would catch one another’s, becoming fixated for a minute or two. (Or at least it felt that it was that long anyway.)

He couldn’t get enough of the way her voice sounded, the way her dark brown hair fell around her face and landed right below her shoulders. He tried not to stare, but it was of no use. She was the same old Emily and that had never changed.

It began to feel just like old times again, even if it was for only a second or two.

Once their laughter had died down a bit, Pete cleared his throat.

“Em’s?”

She raised her brow, taking a sip of wine from her glass.

“You were right about Ashlee,” He admitted. “I should’ve listened to you when you said she was trouble.”

Trying so hard not to say the words, she let them out anyway. “I told you so.”

“I should’ve known it was you all along…” He mumbled, looking down at the floor.

“Pete,” She sighed. “You’re drunk.”

He shook his head. “We’ve only had two glasses. I’m not drunk.”

She gulped, fully aware that he was right.

Picking his head up, he look her dead in the eye, trying to see past all the confusion brewing in her hazel ones and fighting the clouds of misjudgment in his own.

“You’ve been there through it all. How did I read the stars so wrong?”

“Peter…”

“No, no, Em’s.” He sighed, trying to think of the least cheesy way to put his words together. “I want another chance with you. I want to show you everything I could’ve given you when I wasn’t thinking and still show you everything I give you now.”

“Can you forgive me for being an ass?”

She smiled. “I forgive you for being an ass.”

He licked his lips, realizing how much closer they had moved together as he was giving his little speech. Her face was just a short distance away from his with her eyes teasing him.

Reaching up, Pete put his hand behind her neck, letting their lips finally crash together so they could see the fireworks behind their closed eyelids.

Then, what felt like hours, was only a few seconds before he pulled away and he eyes fluttered open, both of them trying to catch their breath.

“Can we give this a shot?”

She pressed her lips up against his once more, smiling in to the kiss.

“Yes.”