#Thread (Emi and Tommy)

[lxvenderhxzehv]

Where: Emi's place Who: Emi and Tommy (@thirtecnth)

"Okay! enough about me and James! You need to tell me how the hell you started dating THE Freya Chamberlain?!" She she smiling stupidly "I can't believe you didn't know who she was, she's a fashion icon!" she clapped her hands together "Okay I'll shut up, tell me, tell me, tell me!"

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"Yeah that would be pretty nice..." She laughed a bit. She had always wanted to do into the woods. Now she could do with her best friend and it would be perfect. She could actually have fun doing a show and not stress about it being a job. "good" she said with smile.

"Not gross, just sad Tommy" she said softly. It hurt to see him like this. He deserved someone who would love him. He was such an amazing person. "no there will be none of that! I'm not allowed to outlive you I'm saying that right now..." She shook her head.

"Stop! It would be fun!" Tommy said, laughing along. "Besides, you would get to cheat on me with some handsome prince. What's better than that?" It felt like high school again but that really wasn't the worst thing in the world. He needed a little excitement now that he was stuck. "Perfect! I'll be ready with an audition song."

He rolled his eyes. "I told you it was gross. I gave you a warning." Thomas had loved her since they were kids. It wasn't news. "My hope is that one day I'll just keel over and die rather than have to face that emotion anymore."

[bandstolookup]

chuck

brice wilson

classic case

cruiserweight

the drifters

dead lazlo's place

clyde

drunk in public

cmten

kid ferris

Judy Garland*

108

* Crystal Gayle* (

* Gentle Giant*

* Bobbie Gentry

* Sonny Geraci*

* Gerry and the Pacemakers )

* Glass Tiger* )

* Jackie Gleason*

* The Golden Cups

* the golden age of tv

* The Goldens*

* Graffiti6*

* Amy Grant

* Great White*

* tate mcrae

* Andy Griffith

dynamite boy

monowhales

archie roach

titanium

bang the drum

ten gram tang

ben abraham

Glitch Gum

walk the waves

boom crash opera

chayito valdez

brothers 3

lunay

raff law

christina parie

turquoise prince

dead letter circus

dylan joel

euphoria

vassy

goanna

gyan

gyroscope

hopium

jenny morris

tommy tutone

seabreather

afterxclass

mike rossi

maximum penalty

WRTHLESS

alive like me

love&run

modern maps

k.i.d.

albert hammond jr

the drums

the shaking hands

bryan

blonder

spiritbox

ritalin revenge

kaz skellington

moon honey

fogust

* Hager Twins

* micro tdh

* on repeat

* the knocks

* Merle Haggard* )

* Geri Halliwell*

* Caylee Hammack (Capitol Nashville)

* Jennifer Hanson* (Capitol Nashville)

* Joni Harms* (Capitol Nashville)

* Odessa Harris*

* Walker Hayes (Capitol Nashville)

* Jamie Haywards

* Niykee Heaton

* Hedley

* Heir Apparent*

* The Heirs (US)

* Helix

* salmon shorts

* Don Henley

* HRVY

* Milt Herth

* J. Holiday (Music Line/Capitol)

* The Honeys

* Steven Wayne Horton* (Capitol Nashville)

* kinetic octopus

* lucky3rd

* six steps in

* trent toney

* mikaela davis

* mikael karlsson

* we were blank

* rushing spring

* section 25

* the salamanders

* pacific latitudes

* section eight

* david bromberg

* the metro springs

* swan dive

* jeff finlin

* dirk hamilton

* barbara kessler

* larry john mcnally

* hamell on trial

* anders osborne

* ferron

* peter mulvey

* jane kelly williams

* kelly joe phelps

* alejandro escovedo

* alison brown

* luke lucas

* noshows

* rat cage

* the inclines

* original son

* veruca salt

* thread the lariat

* Jedd Hughes* (Capitol Nashville)

* The Human Beinz

* Hurricane* (Grand Royal/Capitol)

* Hurt

* youth pool

* dubby mac

* • Janis Ian

* Icon

* If

* emancipator

* the wallabies

* Frank Ifield (US/Canada)

* Industry

* new york klezmer band

* new york klezmer orchestra

* Inner Circle

* The Insect Trust

* • Alan Jackson (EMI Nashville)

* Freddie Jackson*

* Wanda Jackson*

* new york vaults

* nimrod wildfire

* Harry James

* Sonny James

* J-Haze (Division Media Company/Capitol Records)

* nails

* yvngctrl tha god

* Jaicko

* Jarvis

* Matthew Jay*

* The Jenkins* (Capitol Nashville

* Jimmy G and the Tackheads

* Eddie Jobson*

* The Jodimars*

* cheap peach

* Lia Marie Johnson

* runaway after dark

* heavenly faded

* Plas Johnson

* bobby marchan

* z-head

* jarvis cocker

* Celebration

* Joseph Black

* Josie & The Pussycats*

* Joy Of Cooking

* Danny Kaye*

* Tori Kelly

* Jesse Kinch*

* The Kingston Trio*

* The Knack*

* 51 stitches

* elephant in the room

* last dinosaurs

* calloutcisco

* sir chloe

* emergency 5

* Dave Koz*

* Kraftwerk*

* Kudai

* Pierre Lalonde*

* Duncan Laurence

* Chris LeDoux*

* Peggy Lee

* Sean Lennon*

* LeToya*

* The Lettermen

* Little Big Town

* Little River Band*

* Lil Yachty

* Liu Chia-Chang*

* Show Lo

* sunnbrella

* human pet

* golf alpha bravo

* muscle shoals rhythm section

* wildstreet

* eisley

* the linda lindas

* Laurie London

* Tito Lopez

* Donna Loren

* Luscious Jackson*

* Donna Lynn

* • Mabel*

* Mad River

* Barbara Mandrell*

* Gordon MacRae*

* Meredith MacRae

* Mae*

* jackson lee morgan

* toosii2x

* off wing

* iann dior

* bite me bambi

* Magic System

* Mantronix

* seatbelts

* mischief brew

* bomes

* tasty vibrations

* gordon munding

* normaria

* aura da prophet

* ces cru

* matt maltese

* ayesha erotica

* foreseeing fools

* ill nino

* reversal of man

* combat wounded veteran

* orchid

* jeromes dream

* klondike blonde

* forcefedglass

* anton bordman

* stray rebel bullet

* yun head

* king mary

* florian t m zeisig

* tragedy brothers

* cathedral bells

* the electric indigo

* ic3peak

* fashion jackson

* happy hour

* satoshi & makoto

* analog nightmares

* the sundays

* the sugarcubes

* gashley's ghost

* catatoneya

* topher

* ant clemons

* myle

* Mandy Capristo

* Marillion*

* Dean Martin*

* Al Martino*

* Richard Marx*

* Mason Dixon

* nevergreen

* Conor Maynard*

* Max Webster*

* Maze*

* Kym Mazelle*

* MC Hammer*

* McAuley Schenker Group

* Delbert McClinton

* Mindy McCready

* Mel McDaniel*

* Kevin McHale*

* Scott McQuaig*

* McQueen Street

* Mellow Man Ace

* Roy D. Mercer

* Midnight Red*

* Miilkbone*

* the secret channel

* Dean Miller*

* Jody Miller

* Mrs. Miller

* Ned Miller*

* Mims*

* Missing Persons*

* Molly Hatchet*

* max wassen

* Joey Montana

* Melba Moore*

* Patrick Moraz

* Morningwood

* fornax void

* shayfer james

* whosah

* anthony green

* circa survive

* saosin

* the sound of animals fighting

* audience of one

* jeer at rome

* destroyer

* high and driving

* zolof the rock and roll destroyer

* knocked loose/terror

* overcoast

* john daniels band

* The Motels*

* the ting tings

* poole

* WARGASM

* cannons

* royal & the serpent

* red velvet

* ace lover

* pacific palace

* pinhead gunpowder

* kyu sakamoto

* fleef

* mccn

* limbeck

* quite frankly

* lvger

* hotbox

* red flower lake

* barbie sailers

* of the (SiC)

* the heroic enthusiasts

* ACHILLE LAURO

* 2for5

* boot camp clik

* jackie wilson

* zeph anijong

* nitro wilson

* honky tonk henry

* red valley sea party

* presley river

* slowtai

* kenny beats

* chace wall

* tech n9ne

* siena faccilio

* twelve'len

* smif-n-wessum

* suicide leopard

* ill chris

* lil toe

* bbno$

* diamond pistols

* MAX

* Y2K

* the kid laroi

* bankrol hayden

* sean price

* kreayshawn

* apoc krysis

* mutant joe

* murder club

* evilgiane

* lederrick

* johnny utah

* musiclabel

* murder of crows

* powerdoll

* scotch bx

* dj jocelyne

* cock nitro

* the lsd

* lord dove

white goblin

young link

ken burns

dj cannabiz

sfyacid

tommy vext

psycho realm

KRSNA

dj hentai master 420

dj creep

arab strap

kovács beatrix

WZRD

what the hell

over motion

beef hutchins

matt king

and so i watch you from afar

so solid crew

dj loser

himera

grxgyr

sematary

tek 800

real mccoy

acounta

emotegi

outby16

cold as life

dicksoak

ryan b

djx

salama

neatpop

julien andreas

while she sleeps

dj rnr d3mon 666

sienna sleep

pumpo matriarch777

tommytohotty

alt j

lord pussywhip

dj nick jersey

japanraingoggle

soso

deaddigitizer

dj interior semiotics

wax romantics

dj pacificmagicwriter

ben is dying

bug bus piano

dj angelfire

dj baby patrick

the playboy otaku

boris

ty segall

dum dum girls

crimewave

drainpuppet

matt watson

kevin creel

dj penisman

* mario judah

* jay purp

lunar riptide

spîked mînd

* Dude Mowrey*

* Anne Murray*

* • NCT 127

* Norah Jones

* Naughty Boy

* Emilio Navaira

* Willie Nelson*

* Juice Newton*

* Wayne Newton*

* Britt Nicole

* sienna skies

* The realist*

* NF

* • Oaktown's 357*

* OK Go

* Troy Olsen

* ride for rain

* inphlux

* O'Bryan*

* Jamie O'Neal*

* ONR.

* Donny Osmond*

* Marie Osmond*

* Johnny Otis Show

* The Outsiders*

* spencerport high school jazz ensemble

* Buck Owens*

* • Allison Paige*

* Pallas

* mortiis

* Passion Conferences

* Les Paul & Mary Ford*

* People!

* Pet Shop Boys

* from ashes to new

* emil richards

* Pentagon

* Peter & Gordon

* food house

* taylor bennett

* Édith Piaf

* The Pipkins

* riddlin' kids

* Lisa Marie Presley*

* the modern glitch

* Pirates of the Mississippi*

* The Power Station*

* Pru

* PTAF

* we are in the crowd

* robyn

* johnny o

* Purple Popcorn*

* Robyn Peterson

* Queen Naija

* Quicksilver Messenger Service*

* Q.C.

* • Eddie Rabbitt

* Corinne Bailey Rae

* Bonnie Raitt*

* Sue Raney

* Raspberries

* Eddy Raven*

* Lou Rawls*

* RBD

* cole b

* Re-Flex*

* Red Café*

* Helen Reddy*

* Matt Redman

* Red Rider

* Alaina Reed*

* kuromi

* bonnie prince billie

* rutila

* Remy Ma

* Renaissance*

* Priscilla Renea

* Nacole Rice*

* Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra*

* The Righteous Brothers*

* Rigor Mortis

* Tex Ritter*

* River Road*

* Don Robertson

* Kenny Rogers*

* Roy Rogers*

* Linda Ronstadt*

* Rucka Rucka Ali

* Pablo Ruiz

* Runner Runner

* Andy Russell

* Kyu Sakamoto

* The Salty Peppers*

* Richie Sambora

* Emeli Sandé

* Tommy Sands

* Saosin

* Savuka

* Remove Robert Bobby From Earth

* Sawyer Brown*

* Don Schlitz*

* Thom Schuyler*

* Jack Scott*

* Dan Seals*

* Seatrain

* Second Coming

* The Seekers

* Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band*

* Bob Seger System*

* Sequal*

* S'Express*

* Helen Shapiro

* Shenandoah*

* Sheriff*

* Shiva's Headband

* Ryan Shupe & The RubberBand*

* Silentó

* Skinny Puppy*

* Slik Toxik

* Slum Village*

* Hurricane Smith

* Russell Smith*

* Tom Snow

* Jo-El Sonnier*

* Joe South

* Sparklehorse*

* Spandau Ballet*

* Tracie Spencer*

* Squad five-o*

* Jo Stafford*

* Kristian Stanfill

* Kay Starr

* Status Quo*

* Steriogram

* Ray Stevens*

* Stone Poneys

* Stryper

* Yma Sumac*

* Sun*

* Stefanie Sun*

* The Superiors

* SuperM

* The Sweet*

* The Sylvers*

* • A Taste of Honey*

* Télépopmusik*

* Teresa Teng

* These Kids Wear Crowns

* Lillo Thomas*

* Lynda Thomas

* Cyndi Thomson*

* one dove

* Hank Thompson

* bad manners

* Ed Townsend

* Trader-Price*

* Merle Travis*

* Charles Trenet

* Triumvirat

* Jolin Tsai*

* future sunsets

* scarlett jo band

* oblomow

* The Tubes*

* Tanya Tucker*

* Kreesha Turner

* • Gene Vincent & His Blue

* capsize

* Vow Wow

* • Steve Wariner*

* W.A.S.P

* Gene Watson*

* Waysted

* Max Webster*

* noble vibes

* Bob Welch*

* Emily West

* Westside Connection*

* Cheryl Wheeler*

* The Whispers*

* Ron White

* Lari White*

* Jack Wild

* The Wild Ones (Toshiba/Capitol)

* Wild Rose* (Capitol Nashville)

* Wildside

* rockets

* Ann Wilson

* Brian Wilson*

* hello ground

* the skycoasters

* logan

* gene pitney

* traffic

* Nancy Wilson*

* Tim Wilson (Capitol Nashville)

* • XYZ*

* Billy Yates* (Capitol Nashville)

* Faron Young* (Capitol Nashville)

* Don Yute

* Yung Perj

karmadella

kasey chambers

adam ant

xavier dunn

katie noonan

kerser

my enemies & i

kiley gaffney

kim churchill

lisa mitchell

magic dirt

cookin on 3 burners

dane rumble

robin schultz

roddy ricch

rory noble copy

mass collective mind

moonlight

pretty violent stain

*

* Alabama Shakes

* Allen Stone

* Altin Gün

* Amyl and the Sniffers

* Benjamin Booker

* Black Pumas

* Brandi Carlile Band

* Brittany Howard

* rory music

* The Bronx

* birdhouse

* yutzi

* doc rhombus

* mepemuro

* as friends rust

* castellso

* brian swindle

* the kid laroi

* Caitlin Rose

* Chicano Batman

* Cordovas feat. leadsinger Joe Firstman

* Danny Barnes

* Drive-By Truckers

* unknown t

* Emily King

* Honey Harper

* brian setzer and the nashvillains

* Hurray for the Riff Raff

* J Roddy Walston and the Business

* The Claypool Lennon Delirium

* Jessica Lea Mayfield

* Jim James

* Jonny Fritz

* Joseph

* King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

* Lee Ann Womack

* Les Claypool's Duo de Twang[12]

* Lisa Hannigan

* Lucero

* stupid drama

* lil poh

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Sixty-Three

Words: 4.8K

Warning(s): explicit language, violence, angst

Tag List: @unknownoblivion  @sinningsixx  @edwardtriggerhandzz  @lemmyjelly  @haileynicoleseavey17  @cierrasixx19  @oskea93  @mgkobsessed  @vamprlestat  @sharon6713  @itsametaphorbriansblog  @miriampraez  @allie-mcginn @xpoisonousrosesx  @rebeccaphillips14  @nicholeh7  @fandomshit6000  @lilmou5ie  @tamedhearts  @divaanya  @kingbouji3 @evrsncnewyork @6ixx6ixx  @ratedrkohardychick91  @floregrohlssard  @oldschoolimagineblog  @thanks2pete  @abaldboi  @swoopygorl @justjodeye @liith-ium  @caos18blog  @ytwahsog  @shamlessobsession  @scarecrowmax  @toadspleen @random-internet-user-4471  @solohqrry  @loveofmyloif  @sparxx27  @kaitieskidmore1  @cruecifymesixx  @ijustwanttokiss70srogertaylor  @emmaelizabeth2014 @meetthesixxter  @sixxsixxsexx @sublimeprincesswasteland @arianareirg  @girlnight-terror  @mcnibberachi

@fancywasmyname1  @teller258316  @ggorehorror  @blowinmeupwithherlove  @xrosegoldwolfx  @mylifeisjustafeverdream  @redlipscrystalskies14 @str4nge-haze

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED

"Viv?" I barely hear her voice as Tansy gently nudges at my shoulder, worriedly, while I'm staring at the TV after calming down from hyperventilating, my mind starting to collect itself as my sorrow begins turning into pure rage. 

"Vivian." Her voice becomes crystal clear and I'm shoving her away from me, into the floor, as I scream, "don't fucking touch me!" 

"Vivian, I'm sorry!" She pleads. "We couldn't tell you!"

"We?!" I grit out. "Who the hell has known about this?!" 

Her silence is speaking volumes and I roll my jaw, stomping to the door with her crying motivating my anger further. 

I'm banging on Tommy's door, hearing him and Nikki chuckling, and the second the door opens, I'm grabbing the full Jack bottle out of Tommy's hand and throwing it at Nikki. 

"How could you let this happen?!" I shriek at him, tears of anger streaming down my face as I start picking up everything in sight and throw it at Nikki. "What have you done, Nikki?!" 

"What the fuck, Vivian?!" Nikki's yelling back at me as Tommy tries to get me under control, but all I have to say is, "Me, God, and everybody just saw your fiancée brag about getting to marry you," and Tommy's stumbling back in shock, the look on his face is the same as Nikki's and they know they're all fucked. 

"Vivian--" 

I shut Nikki up by throwing a bottle of wine at him, missing him, but it smacks into the screen of the TV, causing a loud banging noise as glass goes everywhere,  before I'm grabbing a stray heel off the floor that one of the groupies left here with Tommy, hurling it at him and it hits him in the face, hard. 

"How could you do this to me?!" I cry out as he starts trying to walk to me, trying to keep his anger low, but I get away from him, throwing a hotel lamp at him, only for it to shatter on the wall behind him. "What did I do to make you hate me so fucking much, Nikki?! To make you pursue another girl--one of my friends--so fucking hard that you propose to her?! Am I just that fucking forgettable?!" I'm throwing dirty dishes Tommy's used tonight, all of them breaking when they miss Nikki by merely centimeters, hitting the wall. 

"Vivian, fuck it off!" He barks and I grab Tommy's switchblade off the nightstand, throwing it next, and it barely misses Nikki's face. 

"I hate you!" I say back. "I fucking hate you!" 

He's pouncing before I can grab anything else, tackling me to the bed, holding at my arms.

"I have done nothing but dedicate the last six years of my life to you, asking you 'how high' every time you have told me to fucking jump, trying to help you the best I could, and trying to keep my shit together for you and this is how you repay me?!" I'm overcome with sadness once more, a wave of sobs drowning me, and I try to get him off of me, hitting at his chest.

"Viv--"

"--How long has this been happening?! How long have you been fucking her?!" 

"Vivian, stop before you get us kicked out." He orders sternly, trying not to raise his voice anymore. 

"I am humiliated!" I wail out, pain threading through every layer of my voice. 

"What the fuck is going on?!" Fred and Doc come in with Tommy, I didn't even notice Tommy had left. 

I take a few breaths, pushing Nikki off of me and he stumbles back after I shriek, "Get away from me!" and sit up on the bed. 

"Vivian--" Doc starts. 

"Shut up! I don't wanna fucking hear another word because it's all fucking bullshit!" I seethe at him. 

"Vivian, we can talk about this calmly, because screaming--" 

"--No! I've had everyone's foot on my throat for the past four years, telling me how to act, how to look, how to make sure he's happy, and it just took less than 45 seconds for her to blow every fucking thing to fucking hell and let me know I did all of it for absolutely nothing!" I say through thick tears, bubbling anger starting to rise within me again.

I'm suddenly lunging and clawing at Nikki's face and neck before I can stop myself.

"Vivian!" Nikki hollers, his face bleeding as he tries to swing at me but Doc blocks him, yelling, "both of you calm the fuck down!" 

I'm starting to breathe quickly, my whole body feeling heavy as Fred and Doc keep us separated.

"How the hell did this happen?" I ask him, more so demand.

"Vivian," Doc says, catching his breath. "We'll talk about it later."

"I just found out…" I can't bring myself to say "my husband's been cheating on me" without feeling like I'm going to vomit. "...and you just wanna talk about it later?" I ask him, appalled and he looks at Nikki. 

"I'm not…" Nikki trails off, shaking his head, looking as if he's about to cry before heading to the door and slamming it shut. 

"Oh, God, please." I beg, holding at my aching chest, my eyes squeezing closed as tears topple down my cheeks. 

"Come with me." I hear Doc lowly say to  Tommy. 

"Viv," Tommy slowly starts and I shake my head at him. 

"You were suppose to protect me." I hold back a sob. "You've always protected me and when I needed you to the most...you  were suppose to protect me and you didn't." I finally muster out and tears break over his lashes.

Before he can say anything, Doc's leading him out of the room, leaving me with Fred. 

"Vivian," Fred says, genuinely concerned. 

"I-I-oh, God." I can't make myself speak, tears and snot running down my face but I don't care, and he nods as I shake my head a little.

He just grabs one of my hands, squeezing it, comfortingly. 

We got kicked out of that hotel and because of my tantrum, we had to pay them back for the broken lamp and TV, but I didn't care. 

 I had done everything. Everything I could, everything I was told to do, and it still wasn't enough. I still wasn't enough. My best still wasn't enough.

I lay on the bathroom floor of our new hotel with the door locked, not crying as extensively as I was, but it's a steady stream of tears puddling on the floor, as everything I overlooked runs through my mind. 

Those nights I'd come home to see Vanity passed out in my house, the way everyone would get a little uncomfortable when she would hint at something and I was the only fucking one that didn't think anything about it...the fucking "V" tattoo on his arm that he played off as a five, when he just as easily at least could've have said it was for "Vivian" or something. Anything. 

"You are the world's biggest fucking idiot." I whisper to myself. "How could you be so stupid?" 

I'm so tired, I've been crying for the past four hours, but anytime I try to sleep I can't. It's not because I'm on the floor and I'm uncomfortable, but because my mind won't quit replaying every scenario there is imaginable of Nikki and Vanity touching each other. 

A one night stand would have been something I'd still be shattered over...but an entire relationship?

I don't even want to know how long it's been happening. 

I just want to sleep. 

"Vivian." I hear Vince say from the other side of the door and I sniffle, not wanting to talk to anyone. "I'm sorry, alright? But what the fuck did you expect? We're rockstars. It's common sense how we live. You should have known Nikki wasn't an exception to that, when you married him." 

"Get out!" I scream at him, getting all the strength in me to open the door and shove at his shoulders to the room door. 

"Vi--"

"--Leave me alone!" I demand, snatching the room key from him before opening the door and pushing him out, slamming it shut, resting my aching forehead against the cool wood. 

I try to take deep breaths to calm down, but I'm unable to. 

I slide down the door, my mind continuing to race.

I couldn't sleep at all.

My eyes, nearly swollen shut from crying for two days, are glued to the screen of the TV set before me, Doc, Fred, Nikki, Tommy, Vince, Mick, Tansy, Sparkie, Donna, Emi, and everyone else at risk of being asked about this shit show by the press, as a recording of Vanity's interview is replayed to us.

"Yeah, I'll be Vanity 6 once again. Isn't that nice?" 

 "I heard that--now, Nikki, uh, he's not ma--"

"--Mötley Crüe." She states what he's known for and cuts Arsenio short. 

"Yeah, I read about Nikki in, uh, Fresh Magazine."

"Oh, no, you've read about him." Vanity says, causing the audience to laugh uncomfortably along with Arsenio. 

"Is he here?" He asks.

"Texas. He's in Texas." She explains. 

"He's in Texas with Mötley Crüe."

"Right." She nods. 

"And they're probably partying with some chicks up in the room." He jokes, trying to carry on as smoothly as possible with this whirlwind she just dropped.

"Oh, I'll kill him." She laughs out. "I'll kill him." 

Again, everyone laughs. 

"When are you getting married?" 

"Oh, probably December, maybe Christmas, maybe New Years, we haven't decided." She replies. 

"Are you--you seem like you're in love, you're very bubbly, you're glowing." Arsenio points out and she nervously rubs her forehead. 

"Oh, I--I know, I feel stupid, I know. I look stupi--"

"--No, no, that's great." He argues politely. "And this ring is something else." He states as he looks at it. "You don't get no crackerjacks with this, I mean that's a nice ring." He chuckles, along with her and the crowd. 

Doc stops it there, anger of the highest degree on his face as he glares at Nikki, who's got his sunglasses on and refuses to even look my way. 

"I told you--" Doc stops talking for a moment, nearly shaking, having to take deep breaths. "--when you got together with that coked out bitch to not be--" he loses it, throwing his bottle of water at the wall, "--fucking messy!" He yells. "We have done everything we could possibly do to help you and what do you do in return? Bend all of us over and just," Doc thrusts his hips forward a few times as if he's screwing a girl, "fuck all of us!" 

Nikki let's out a heavy breath.

"Her sister called last night and that ring she's flashing around, Sixx, is Viv's." Doc states and I feel my bottom lip shake as more tears come to my eyes. "You can't tell me you didn't play a part in this shit. You can't. Vanity's crazy, but she didn't just wake up one day and decide to say she's engaged to you. You helped prompt this. You can't tell me you didn't." He points at Nikki and Nikki sits quietly. "Jesus fuck." Doc sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay. Okay. This is what we do. I've been on the phone for the past two days with the office, the label, Vanity's people...and everyone agrees that playing this off as a misunderstanding on Vanity's part is the best option." He tells us. "What she said about being engaged to Nikki is-is technically right thanks to his fucking smack and crack binge that lead to that bright fucking idea--but instead of accusing her of lying, we'll say it was a 'misunderstanding'." Doc replies and I squeeze my eyes shut. "It could get ugly for us if you two are at each other's throats over this, publicly, so you two are just gonna have to play nice for the cameras and hash this out behind closed doors." He adds. "Because if we say it was a misunderstanding but you two are having issues, they'll know we're bullshitting."

"What if I want a divorce?" Nikki--Sikki--boldly asks and Doc clenches his jaw while I brush away tears as quickly as possible, playing it off. 

"You can split when this tour is over, that way you can blame it on something other than asking another woman to marry you while you've been married to the girl you've been with since 1981 for four fucking years."

I'm too exhausted to protest the idea of staying with him until the tour ends. 

I just want to go home. 

"So if anybody asks any of you about it 'no comment' the fuck out of them. And if you absolutely have to say something other than 'no comment', you laugh a little bit to make it seem like it's nothing, and tell them--verbatim--'It was a complete misunderstanding.' And if I find out anybody doesn't answer with one of those, word for fucking word, you're done." He threatens in a serious tone. 

I've never seen Doc this mad. 

"Do I make myself clear?" He asks us and everybody nods...except me. "Viv?"

"I want to go home." I tell him. 

"If you go home right now, it'll look like something's up--"

"--Something is up." I let out hoarsely and everyone lets out a sad breath. "I just want to go home for a couple days." I say, my voice cracking.

"Not like it's gonna do you any good to run home. They knew about it, too." Sikki mocks me, referring to Duff and the guys. 

"Dude." Tommy says to him as if wanting him to shut up. 

I just get up and go to walk out of the room, stopping in front of Nikki, getting in his face.

"Burn in hell." I say and he turns his head to look at me, smirking. 

"That's the dream." He replies.

I get out as fast as I can, Fred following after me, and the second I get out, I'm throwing up, hoping nobody in there heard, especially Nikki. I feel like his inner evil fucking psychopath junkie will delight in my discomfort. 

He was angry because I refused to see him after he had tried to get Fred to convince me to speak to him. 

I didn't know what to say to him, and I didn't want to hear anything from him, yet. 

I just needed to get away from him for a few days and think about what I wanted to do. 

Did I want a divorce? Did I want to pack my shit from the house and never go back to him on tour and send him the divorce documents in the mail? Did I want to try to fix things? Did I think things could even be fixed at that point? I didn't know what to do, other than go home.

I finish packing all of stuff into my suitcase as Fred comes in, clearing his throat. 

"Look, I, uh...I talked to Doc. He decided it's a good idea for you to go back home for a couple days and come back with a clear head--well, as clear as it's gonna get." He explains. "But, the Rolling Stone dude is still coming on this week, so Doc wants you gone no longer than three days." He adds.

I completely forgot about Rolling Stone wanting to do a big issue on Mötley Crüe's tour in the midst of everything that's happened recently. 

"Which of course now, they're definitely chomping at the bit to get to nitty-gritty on everything and if you're not here, that's gonna send off some red flags, according to Doc." He explains and I let out a groan. 

"But Doc's currently getting you a flight for this early this evening, and I'll drive you there and we'll get someone to pick you up." 

I don't reply, letting out a breath and he gives me a small smile. 

"It'll be alright, Viv." He assures me. 

"I've been telling myself that since 1981. Nothing's fucking alright."

Going out in public was a mistake from hell.

 Every reporter outside of the airport here is shouting "Vivian" followed by invasive questions about Vanity and Nikki, and I'm happy I have my sunglasses on so they can't see me about to burst into tears. 

"Vivian, are you going home to file for divorce?!"

"Is Nikki and Vanity engaged?!"

"Are you and Nikki divorced without public knowledge?!" 

"Why aren't you wearing your wedding ring?!" 

"We were under the impression Vanity was your friend?!" 

"Is this a polygamous relationship?!" 

"Do you have any comments on the recent bombshell about Vanity and Nikki?!" 

"Bless their hearts." I reply with a sarcastic smile, damning Doc's little gag order. 

This causes them to start popping off my questions like a swarm of piranhas.

I'd be hearing about that comment I made, from Doc,  the next day.

I'm praying there isn't a swarm of press outside as I make my way to the front exit of L.A.X., but my prayer is answered, kind of, when I only see Axl waiting for me with Duff's car. 

We don't say anything to each other until we get to the first stop light on the road. 

"It's fucking shitty we didn't tell you--"

"--Axl, I don't wanna hear it."

"No, let me finish." He demands. "Look at me." 

I sigh and glare at him. 

"We wanted to tell you, Viv."

"Then why the hell didn't you?"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me, honestly, matter-of-fact, without a doubt, if one of us came to you and told you Nikki and Vanity were seeing each other, you wouldn't have lost your fuckin' mind?" 

I don't say anything. 

"We've been trying for months to get him to leave her alone, or come clean to you, and he'd just say, 'I'm working on it'. We had no idea they were that fucking deep into it."

I roll my eyes, my eyes blinking back tears.

"I'm being serious--Viv, hey." He says and I look at him. "If we would have known that, that's how you would have found out, we would've told you sooner. I swear to fucking God, Viv, we woulda told you sooner if we knew that's how you would've found out." He promises. 

This is possibly the most sincere I've ever seen Axl.

Which lets me know he's being honest. 

No matter how angry I am at them, they didn't tell me to save my feelings. 

Their intentions were pure, but horribly executed. 

When we get to the Franklin, we walk in to see the guys in the living room of Axl's place, watching cartoons. 

I don't say anything to Izzy, Duff, Steven or Slash, and none of them try to speak to me once Axl gives them the look that says I'm not in the mood to speak about anything. 

"I'm gonna shower." I say, taking myself to the bathroom with my stuff, locking the door behind me.

I shower, then proceed to stay in there, avoiding everybody and everything, until I hear a soft little knock, and Stevie's voice.

"H-hey, Viv? We got some food...if you're hungry, I mean." He says on the other side of the door and I exhale.

"I'm not hungry, Steven." I say, sniffling, wiping tears away that have been flowing since I turned the shower off. 

"Are you gonna stay in there all night?" He asks next.

"It's my business if I do." I snap back and he lets out a breath. 

He doesn't say anything else, I just hear him walk away. 

Steven, as nice as he always has been, had no problem setting someone straight if needed. He was never aggressive with me, because I usually stayed on his good side, but if someone rubbed him the wrong way, he'd get in their face and ask them what the fuck their problem was. I expected him to break into that bathroom and ask me what my problem was, but he knew what my problem was, I guess…

...Izzy on the other hand…

"Izzy, what the hell?!" I yell as the door swings open after he picks the lock. 

"We're fucking pieces of shit and the assholes they come out of, I get that. Axl gets that. Stevie gets that. Duff gets that. Slash gets that. We understand collectively that we are gross for not telling you. But we didn't tell you in hopes your dumb-fuck husband would wise up, like we have all been trying to get him to do, and break things off with the bitch. But he didn't. But we were hoping he would so we wouldn't have to witness your firey wrath sent straight from the gates of fucking hell. But we are anyway, apparently. We tried dropping hints. Countless hints. Obvious hints but you were too busy getting fucked by cupid and having a too perfect view of love to notice. But we tried. Extensively. If we knew she was going to embarrass you like that, we wouldn't  have kept it from you, at all. But it's too fucking late now, and we can't do anything about it except just be here for you, I guess, but you coming home and being a bitch to us for not telling you something that would've been so fucking obvious to you if you would have paid a little more attention, is fucked. Next time we'll just tell you he's fucking one of your best friends and rip the fucking bandaid off." He says to me, stunning me. "Now quit hogging the bathroom because some of us need to use it."

I can usually take Izzy's tough love, but this time, I can't.

"I gave her a key to my house." I say randomly, more tears coming to my eyes. 

"No, no, you're suppose to tell me to go fuck myself." He says. 

"And the codes to our gate and...24/7 access to my husband, and I was too fucking stupid to realize I was just letting her have him anytime she wanted him." I choke out.

The door cracks open a little to reveal Duff behind Izzy, and he cautiously steps to me, hugging me tightly to him.

One thing I was beginning to realize: the first thing I said to Nikki was, "how could you let this happen?"  

 I was beginning to see that it wasn't meant as a "how could you let yourself do this to me?" but as a "how could you let her embarrass me like this?"

I knew something was up, subconsciously, I had this feeling that I knew something but I didn't know what exactly I knew until I was publicly humiliated over it.

I spend the rest of the night not speaking to anyone, not necessarily because I'm still angry, but because I'm just not in a talking mood. 

By the time everyone else is going out, Duff and I are heading back to his place so I can try to sleep. 

"You can have whatever side of the bed you want." He lets out, a little awkwardly being that we haven't spoken all night. 

I nod, going to the side of the bed I slept on the last time I stayed here. 

He looks as if he wants to say something else to me, but chooses not to as I get into bed with him, turning my back to him, hoping to get some form of rest, but even a couple hours later, it never comes. 

I lay next to Duff, his soft snoring sounding through the small room, his bare back to me, and in the lights from the street that are filing through the window, I can see the smattering of acne scars along his back, and I can't stop my hand from reaching out, grazing over them. 

He moves a little in his sleep and I let out a breath, tired of being awake with my own thoughts that are just overflowing with whispers of Nikki. 

I wish I was in bed next to him. 

I wish he never would have done what he did in the first place. 

I wish I wouldn't have been so naive.

I wish I would have listened to my gut before we got married. 

Finally getting tired of it, I pull myself up and stumble to the kitchen, looking around until I find a bottle of NyQuil syrup.

I take the correct dose of it to maybe help me sleep before going back to bed. 

 "Will you quit it?" I grin, chuckling as his lips brush against the space between my shoulder blades as he hovers over me while I'm laying on my stomach at the foot of the bed. "I'm trying to finish this." I add, referring to the blank paper before me and the pen in my hand. 

"You weren't worried about writing it for the past two hours." He teases, peppering my bare back in kisses and I giggle, trying to worm him off of me."You're almost done with school, what's one missing paper gonna hurt?" He questions. 

"It'll hurt when it counts as a chunk of my final grade and I haven't even gotten a thesis statement figured out. And if I when I bring home a crappy final grade, I don't think my mom will appreciate, 'I couldn't do my thesis paper because I was too busy fucking your worst nightmare that I snuck in through my window'."

He lets out a scoff, kissing my skin one last time before I'm turning over to face him, still holding the pen and paper in my hand laying above my head, my other hand tracing over his cheek.

"I can write it." He says after a moment of thinking and I furrow my brows. 

"Write what?" 

"Your paper." 

"You want to write a thesis for paper for twelfth-grade English?" I have to stop myself from laughing.

"Sure." He shrugs. 

"Didn't you drop out of school?" I question and he snatches the pen and paper out of my hand and sits up, grabbing the book I was using as a hard surface to write on. 

"If I can write a song, I can write a thesis paper." He states and I raise my brows. 

"Whatever you say." 

My eyes slowly blink open, and my whole body starts hurting again, gut wrenching pain that's suffocating my heart in a stronghold as my swollen eyes start to weep again. 

"Oh, God, please. Please, God." I beg, trying to be quiet enough not to wake Duff up. I'm not sure what exactly I'm praying for, I just know my spirit is crying out for mercy and relief of any kind. 

He spent a couple days writing that paper, collecting sources and proof to back his thesis statement: 'The way today's christian and conservative groups view and sacrifice secular music genres, specifically rock n' roll, and the artists within those genres, is completely counterproductive of the teachings of who they worship because their approach is judgemental and belligerent.' I just copied it word for word in my handwriting and kept his original work of it which is framed and hanging in our house today.

Those were the main memories that would replay in my dreams: us when we first started fooling around and slowly seeing each other exclusively.

Small little things that just added more reasons to why I was so in love with in to begin with.

Things we completely lost sight of by 1987. 

Those were the ones that would hurt like hell to wake up from.

I'm unable to fall asleep again, so I take another dose of NyQuil, and wait for it to go in effect. 

I fell asleep, but woke up every couple hours, and immediately started crying each time, not forgetting I was heartbroken in the slightest because I'd dream of Nikki. 

I'd just lay there saying, "God, please," not knowing what I was praying for him to do.

And, in a slightly irresponsible and reckless attempt to go back to sleep to stop the pain,  I'd take another dose of NyQuil every time, not thinking anything of it because it was an 'over the counter' drug. After taking four maximum doses of the stuff in a 6 hour period, my body started freaking out.

My heart is pounding in my chest, my breathing trying to compensate for what feels like an inability to get enough air as something in me is telling me to wake Duff up.

"Duff, Duff." I gasp out, shaking at his shoulder and he wakes up, confused, tired eyes looking at me. 

Apparently it just takes one look at me to wake him up fully, because he's sitting up as fast as he can. 

"Something's not right." I say breathlessly. 

"Viv?" He asks, at least I think that's what he says.

His hand suddenly grasps at my wrist, his fingers on my pulse point, and his eyes widen. 

"We gotta get you to a hospital." He replies as calmly as he can, but I can tell he's frantic in his mind. 

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"we would tear each other to shreds!" She laugh out loud. "You really think we could pull it off?" She would go as soon as she could to who ever she needed to talk to. She was getting excited for once since arriving to Huntsville. "I'll look into it and let you know when auditions are"

Emi scoffed "god You're so in love" she faked a a gag "You make me look like a cynical romantic" she chuckled.

Tommy's eyes immediately lit up. "Into the Woods! Emi, you're a genius." It was one of his favorites. Strangely enough, not one he'd even been in either. He furrowed his brows, just for a single moment, to nudge her back and laugh. "I think I'd go for the Baker-- we'd be a perfect little married couple."

"If you find any good ones, give me a call..." He sighed. "This is going to sound gross but I'd rather be near her and deal with that than far from her and not."

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"Think we could pull off Into the Woods....?" They would have to find the right people. "I think You would kill any of the male leads....even Jack" she nudged him a little joking. "I think I'd try for the Bakers wife..." A smile pulled at her lips.

"Maybe we can hunt down some headphones for you..." Emi suggested "So if it gets to be too much entirely I do have a spare room...."

"Go for it. Really, I'd love to be a part of it. The town could use a good musical." It might give him a little more credibility as a teacher if he landed a decent role. "Yeah, that's the very least of our concerns... Which one would you want to put on?"

Tommy sighed. "I'll let you know. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can really do after sundown besides cover my ears and pray it stops so... I'm a bit screwed there."

[lxvenderhxzehv]

Emi sighed "I do to...I'm just itching for someone to do a musical....I might talk to whoever is did that play and The Ballet coming up if they have anything in mind." She thought out loud "I'm sure the school has some old scripts from past shows. Who cares about rights when were stuck here you know?" She chuckled.

she shook her head "were not changing the subject, Tommy" she looked at him. When he said he would be fine. "Well, its okay to not be fine. You know my door is always open if you can't handle it..."

"I butter up no one... Well, besides casting directors. And directors in general. And sometimes the leads. If it works it works, Emi." He laughed softly. "I miss it already."

"I know, but why?" Thomas asked, looking all around them. "I'm not! I'm not. I'll be fine."

[lxvenderhxzehv]

Emi scoffed "Oh please, you're just trying to butter me up" She shrugged. "You should give yourself some credit too, you made it too you know?" smiling she squeezed his hand.

"You're a idiot, did I tell you that?" She furrowed her brows at him. "You are setting your self up for heart break!" she sighed

"I don't think you're grasping at straws," Thomas said, smiling. "But that might mean nothing coming from me. I get it." He was in a similar situation and they thought similarly anyway, but he wanted to say so anyway. Especially when she looked so ashamed of herself. He really didn't want that for her. "Pfft, you're one of the best actors to grace those old dusty stages. I'm honored to be in your presence." He reached over to hold her hand but took a sip of his coffee at the same time. He understood, he just wanted to keep it light and not put pressure on her.

"Mmm? Yes? She had a room in her place and it seemed like a good plan." He swallowed hard. "Why?"

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"She shrugged they were friends and that was a normal thing for friends to ask for. The events that followed were different. "I'm sure I'm just grasping at straws..." She chuckled "But trust like that means a lot to me..." she noted. Looking down at her hands like she used to when her parents would talk down to her. Feeling foolish and silly for having a crush at her age. "She shrugged they were friends and that was a normal thing for friends to ask for. The events that followed were different. "I'm sure I'm just grasping at straws..." She chuckled "But trust like that means a lot to me..." she noted. Looking down at her hands like she used to when her parents would talk down to her. Feeling foolish and silly for having a crush at her age. "thanks Tommy...." she snorted a laugh "At least you're still my biggest fan" a joke but there wasn't much of a smile on her face.

Then she furrowed her brows and shook her head "I'm sorry did you just say you're living with her? Thomas!"

Tommy debated it in his mind. "Huh. Interesting." There were plenty of dancers in town from what he had heard. To come to her directly for something that important felt significant. "Might be something to that." He didn't want to get her hopes up, it could've just been that she was someone he trusted, but there could be more too. Her next words brought him immediately out of thought. "Ah, ah, ah! Stopping you there. You are. You're special, Emilia." She was important and he wouldn't allow her to think anything otherwise. He quieted and chose to listen despite wanting to protest. "He's stupid if he doesn't." He muttered. He didn't mean it, not exactly, but he was serious when it came to her.

"And I'll find it! It's fine. I'm fine." He let out a very deep breath. "A little different since we're living together this time but I'm sure it's nothing I can't handle."

[lxvenderhxzehv]

She snorted a laugh and nudged him "He has a long lost daughter and she got married. She wanted him to dance with her at the wedding....he came to me. Of all people.....Tommy he came to me" She said simply. Maybe she was reading in to too much. But she hadn't even been in town that long. Emi rolled her eyes "I'm just me Tommy. I'm nothing special...." Not anymore. Her days of being the Starlet she once was long since gone. Now she was just Emilia Atkins. A protective older sister and a loyal friend. "I know, I have it even if its not romantic I know I'm loved..." She had even gotten better at loving herself for the first time in a long time. Loved the body she had, the curves she had. She wasn't scared anymore of not being perfect. "James is a good guy and I'm not going to force him to have feelings for me...If they're not there than they aren't there..." she would still always love him regardless.

"Never say never..." she sighed. "Then I will hope for you. Because you deserve the same love you said I do..." she smiled "Just keep your heart open Tommy..."

“Ah, that’ll do it.” Good ol’ liquid courage. Not enough in the world that could help his situation. “Special dance? Unless it’s a horizontal tango, not sure what would’ve made it so special.” He was trying to lighten things up a little. “Sorry.” He’d still apologize for it as he gently laid a hand on her arm. “You’re not a choice. Remember who you are.” He shrugged, glancing up at the ceiling for a moment. “James is great, but if he doesn’t realize how lucky he is that you chose him then I have a problem.” It was as simple as that. “You’re fine, but I won’t be. You deserve so much love, Emi.”

“I’ve kept this secret since we were five,” he said, smiling. “I stared her in the eyes as she said I do to another man. She doesn’t know. She will never know.” He turned his hand over and squeezed hers for a moment. There was still a smile on his face, it was just more of a resigned one. “It’s not a loss of hope, it’s just reality.”

[lxvenderhxzehv]

Emi shoved him playfully "You know what I mean, Though I guess I should be wondering why she doesn't know us....I'm sure shes been to New York a lot saw a show once in a while" she felt a smile pull at her lips. The idea of marrying James made her cheeks warm. It was too early for that but perhaps down the line she wouldn't say No. There was a small part of her that wanted them to make it out of Huntsville. Emi raised a brow "Oh you certainly did..." but she let them move on and she rolled her eyes at him "When you find out your fiance took everything from you...it makes you not want to be with anyone." she shrugged trying to explain "I never wanted James to be a rebound either..." plus she berried herself into her work. She had to she had to make the money back that she would never get back. "Okay then how about this....you look into the stuff at the school and I will talk to Art about doing it and see if he knows anyone who would want to direct."

“Pretty sure the only way you could come off being a crazy fan is if I said ‘some strange girl told me to ask you to make her clothes for her since I’m dating you’ so I think you’d be covered. But fine, fine… I’ll leave it for now.” He made a mental note to ask Freya about that though. Tommy smiled. “Hey, still can. Look at that.” He wanted Emi to have her happy ending. She deserved it. His heart dropped as she repeated him. The inside voice escaped. “I didn’t say that.” He furrowed his brows at her. “Six years?” He exclaimed, “Six YEARS? As in YEARS?” Honestly, Tommy couldn’t believe that for a second. “You might’ve been a born again virgin, jesus christ!” The impulsive words just tumbled out of him before he could have ever stopped them. “I’m going to stop talking now, thank you very much.” With a nod, he tried to move before his big mouth could make another mistake. “I think it’s a good musical to start things out with. Relatively well known and has a little something for everyone!”

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"the only other times I've had him that close was when we were drunk. I was calm, I had the liquor in me to calm me down" those days were long over but she was okay with that. "And we were just goofing off hanging out as friends so it didn't seem weird. But this was a special dance I was teaching him. It just felt...heavy" she explained. "he not choosing anyone right now. He's got too much going on so it really doesn't matter..." She said simply. Her defenses going up surprisingly "I just want him to be happy. Whatever he chooses...I'm glad he knows now and I can Just go on with my life not having that weight on my shoulders anymore." She explained. "It will be fine tommy, I'll be fine..." She assured him.

"you don't give yourself enough credit tommy...." She shook her head "Then take it slow. Test the waters..." She suggested. "You will never know until you say something...or she's going to figure it out like James eventually did with me..." She placed her hand on top of his "Don't give up hope"

"Mmm, yeah that'll do it. I'm actually a little surprised that you hyperventilated like that." Then again, the more he thought about teaching Vic to slow dance, the more that made a lot of sense. Even as professionals, they were still people. "Uh-- I'm sorry, back up. I don't think I'm understanding." Thomas set a hand on her shoulder. "He likes someone else? So he's choosing between the two of you? Emi." He felt so out of the loop with all of this but one thing he was sure of was that Emi shouldn't be a choice.

He shook his head back at her, his smile fading. "She's still married. Even if her husband is a complete and utter asshole. I'm not interfering and I promised if I didn't at her wedding, I never would." Sighing, he took a sip from his coffee. "She's my best friend. I came to find her because she's my best friend. That's all. That's it. That's all there will ever be."

[lxvenderhxzehv]

Emi scrunched her face "I was teaching him how to slow dance and I nearly hyperventilated having him so close to me...that's how he found out..." She felt like such an idiot. But something she was doing was working "he also likes someone else....and there's a few other things he's been through and he's not in a place to date right now....so I'm giving him space and time.... because he's my friend and I care for him that way firstly than someone I've fallen for you know?" It was the best way for her to explain it.

She furrowed her brows at him "Oh Thomas come on please..." She shook her head "Look at us.... We are in the same boat. Were in love our friends....I know that look Thomas. Because it's the same one I've had for James for years..." She shook her head "I could tell you weren't happy...and now you seem so free. If you don't go after her I just might kill you myself."

Tommy gave her a small knowing smile before patting her arm. They didn't have to talk anymore about it. He understood. "I have every faith in him... Less in me, but I've done that to myself at this point." He laughed.

"Please, keeping track of someone's love life has been on both of us, I of all people have every right to tease you about it." He took a sip of his coffee and tried not to spit it out at what she said. "You told him? Good for you, Emi... He's even starting to see you as more than a friend. You've made it." It seemed like good news to him, he was waiting for the bad part. "And he needs space then?" That was the confusing part. He was sure he'd catch on eventually. It felt like his cheeks immediately burned as she brought up Vic. "What? No. Why would she have anything to do with my engagement falling apart?"

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"Oh I couldn't ask you to do that! I'm a big girl I can ask myself just....introduce us? I don't want to come off as some crazed fan I hear she had some crazy stuff happen to her back home a few years ago." It was also a sore spot for Emi "She makes gorgeous Wedding gowns...I was going to commission one..." now that dream was dashed at least for now anyway. Emi narrowed her eyes at Tommy before raising a suspicious brow "Everything huh?" this was about to get messy and she could see that already. Tommy was no where near over Vic and Emi could see that be she left it at that. "Four years Tommy, I have wanted to be with James and it was six years without any sex so excuse me..." she couldn't stop laughing "I am stuck in a town out of a horror movie but I am dating the man of dreams. A few beds are gonna break" she was joking with Tommy but Emi really hadn't been this happy in a long time. Sure she was her usual upbeat self but things were working out and that helped. "Oh right! well we both work at the theater we have to talk to Art first I would imagine and then maybe either the High school or the library has scripts and music we could use. We still down for into the woods?"

Tommy chuckled a little. "I can always ask her to make something for you? Pretty sure she'd love to." And it would be worth it if it would mean so much to one of his best friends. He let out a little puff of a sigh, throwing his head back as the memory invaded his mind again. "I know but she's -- she's her. She's everything." And yet, he nodded. "Yeah, of course, I have her... Yeah." He was trying so hard to finally get over Vic. He was starting to before the lake. Before putting sunscreen on her shoulders and hearing that little sigh off her lips. "I know you can have fun but cracking a whole headboard takes unnatural amounts of pounding--" He shook his head away from it before it could form fully in his mind. "Fine, tell me the status of the musical stuff we talked about. You still doing it?"

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"I think we all have..." She said softly. Her own engagement breaking off years prior and at the time she was at her lowest she was thankful for it. It gave her a Chance to figure out her feelings for James. "I hope something does, I just want my baby brother to be happy..." She nudged Tommy "That includes you too" she teased.

"jeeze Thomas You make me sound like some sort of stalker!" She said with a laugh adjusting herself "Actually...he knows how I feel, finally figured it out on his own...He said he's trying to figure things out." She somber"He's starting to see me as Moore than just his friend so...I'll take it...." she cleared her throat "I'm just giving him space..." She reached for him hand and squeezed it "It's because of Vic isn't it...?" She remembers him being so bent out if shape when Vic got married. Emi knew he wasn't happy with this new girl.

Tommy was a little brother and an older brother. He had both sides of the spectrum. Though, unfortunately, Elijah got to see more of the little brother side than anything else. It would be fun to mess with him. He took another sip from his coffee and laughed. “Smart, cute, sweetheart... Isn’t that adorable?” The name sounded familiar. Maybe she’d been one of the other teachers he’d met at the high school. “He’s been unlucky… If you think something good will come out of it, I’m sure that’s a good sign.”

He smiled but raised a brow too with the further mention of James. “I’m sure you have every single little detail of what’s been going on with James… Live tracker of his relationship status included?” He was playing a dangerous game from his glass house but he hoped it was enough of a distraction from his reason for being here. “Mmm? Oh, um… Yeah, I’ve taken some time to process. I’m fine. Guess it wasn’t meant to be.” He seemed so— relieved in saying all this. Calm. Even from his own eyes, that felt wrong.

[lxvenderhxzehv]

"you're welcome" she said matter of factly. She knew it only took that little bit to stop his interest. Not that the Sex was bad by any means. But that was for her to know. "I mean, I'm sure being stuck here she's been humbled. You can't exactly get designee stuff here unless she already had it in her things when she got here....or anything she's made herself..." You could have sworn Emi was drooling at the thought of owning something that Freya had made. "it would have happened to anyone in that situation!" She argued and then very plainly "You don't care about embarrassing yourself in front of me...I'm your best friend she's always going to be more Tommy" she said simply "But you have Freya now right?" She scoffed a bit at his shock "I am insulted. I am capable of having a good time with my partner in the bed room. Just because I'm in my late 40's don't me I can't have fun." She shrugged "I'm just that good what can I say" maybe her and James were just bit too excited and it was just wrong place at the wrong time. It still had been fun and the story was hilarious. "Blah, I'm gonna start missing James if we keep talking about him.... don't let me get sappy"

Tommy did make a little face at that, scrunching his nose a little with the thought. "You're right, keep me out of it, thank you." He actually wanted to enjoy visiting her without worrying about where he was in there. "I am bigger than that. The money thing was never my thing. You know that... I don't know, maybe I can just relate." He gave her another face, this time lowering his eyes at her. "There was liquid coming out of my body -- it's the same thing." It was actually a nightmare, so why was it that all her could think about was opening his eyes and seeing her face? "Vic isn't my partner, she's my best friend," he said, then added, "You are too. Don't worry. I just hate to embarrass myself in front of her." A laugh rose out of his chest, shaking his head from it all. "Jesus Christ, Emi! How's that even really possible?" He sighed back at her, staring off into his cup. It was funny, hearing that he'd end up with Freya didn't make him as happy as he wanted it to. It just felt like something was missing.