More than enough.
It was the last time she had seen him.
Until last weekend.
Emily wiped at her face one last time, feeling the coolness of the locket against her flush cheek as she did. She brought the small gold oval to her lips and pressed a kiss against it, then pushed herself from the sofa.
It wasn't like her to be so melancholy, to get lost in her memories of the past. She had moved on from that time in her life, had made her own path. One that made her happy.
She tucked the locket into the jewelry box then moved back to the sofa, curling into the corner before dragging the afghan up over her. Maybe her life wasn't flashy or glamorous, but it was her life, and she was happy with it.
She had a job as a market analyst, working for a small company that treated its employees like family. And while she could make more if she moved to a bigger company, she'd lose her valued free time. No, she was much happier where she was, working sane hours during the week with the flexible option to work from home.
No, moving to a bigger company wouldn't be worth it, not when it would mean giving up time to be with Monica and Taylor. Especially Taylor. Her niece was adjusting as well as could be expected, given the situation, but she still needed stability. Considering she rarely saw her father and her mother worked crazy hours, that stability oftentimes came from Emily.
Which is why Emily had chosen to move in with Monica a couple of years ago, right after her sister’s divorce. She had changed the basement of the townhouse into a small getaway, with her own bedroom and living room. Not that she spent much time down here because she was usually upstairs with Monica or Taylor or both of them. But some nights, like tonight, she preferred her privacy.
If the shuffling footsteps she heard above her were any indication, her privacy tonight was coming to an end. She tilted her head, listening, then sighed.
Monica, not Taylor. She sighed again and rubbed her hands over her face, hoping to erase any signs she had been crying. Her sister generally left her alone. The fact that she was coming down here now couldn't be good.
"Do you always sit in the dark when you're down here?"
"Sometimes."
Monica paused at the bottom of the stairs and Emily waited, squinting her eyes in anticipation of the light she was sure Monica would turn on. But there was no flicking of a switch, no sudden glare of bright light. Just the sound of padded steps as Monica made her way over to the sofa, accompanied by the gentle clinking of glass against glass.
Emily looked up, surprised to see the bottle of wine in Monica's hand. She placed two empty glasses on the coffee table, filled them, then handed her one. Emily reached out to take it, watching as her sister lowered herself to the sofa. She curled up in the opposite corner then leaned down to snag an end of the afghan to pull over her feet.
"Taylor said he was there again this morning."
Emily waited for Monica to say something else, for her to get angry or tell her again that she didn't want Taylor near JP. But her sister didn't say anything else, didn't even look at her. Emily took a sip of the chilled wine then nodded.
"He was."
"He didn't say anything?"
"Nope. He invited us to breakfast, but I don't think that's what you meant. No, we didn't go." And Emily could still see the look of shocked disappointment on JP's face when she had told him no. Like he couldn't believe she had turned him down.
Like he had been hurt by the refusal.
Which was absolutely ridiculous. Why would he be disappointed, let alone hurt? She still wasn't sure why he had been there, why he had invited them out. Knowing JP, he probably felt guilty and thought taking her to breakfast would make up for...everything.
No, making up for anything probably hadn't even crossed his mind. They had run into each other last week through sheer coincidence and he probably thought he could pick up where they left off, no strings attached. Why
It was the last time she had seen him.
Until last weekend.
Emily wiped at her face one last time, feeling the coolness of the locket against her flush cheek as she did. She brought the small gold oval to her lips and pressed a kiss against it, then pushed herself from the sofa.
It wasn't like her to be so melancholy, to get lost in her memories of the past. She had moved on from that time in her life, had made her own path. One that made her happy.
She tucked the locket into the jewelry box then moved back to the sofa, curling into the corner before dragging the afghan up over her. Maybe her life wasn't flashy or glamorous, but it was her life, and she was happy with it.
She had a job as a market analyst, working for a small company that treated its employees like family. And while she could make more if she moved to a bigger company, she'd lose her valued free time. No, she was much happier where she was, working sane hours during the week with the flexible option to work from home.
No, moving to a bigger company wouldn't be worth it, not when it would mean giving up time to be with Monica and Taylor. Especially Taylor. Her niece was adjusting as well as could be expected, given the situation, but she still needed stability. Considering she rarely saw her father and her mother worked crazy hours, that stability oftentimes came from Emily.
Which is why Emily had chosen to move in with Monica a couple of years ago, right after her sister’s divorce. She had changed the basement of the townhouse into a small getaway, with her own bedroom and living room. Not that she spent much time down here because she was usually upstairs with Monica or Taylor or both of them. But some nights, like tonight, she preferred her privacy.
If the shuffling footsteps she heard above her were any indication, her privacy tonight was coming to an end. She tilted her head, listening, then sighed.
Monica, not Taylor. She sighed again and rubbed her hands over her face, hoping to erase any signs she had been crying. Her sister generally left her alone. The fact that she was coming down here now couldn't be good.
"Do you always sit in the dark when you're down here?"
"Sometimes."
Monica paused at the bottom of the stairs and Emily waited, squinting her eyes in anticipation of the light she was sure Monica would turn on. But there was no flicking of a switch, no sudden glare of bright light. Just the sound of padded steps as Monica made her way over to the sofa, accompanied by the gentle clinking of glass against glass.
Emily looked up, surprised to see the bottle of wine in Monica's hand. She placed two empty glasses on the coffee table, filled them, then handed her one. Emily reached out to take it, watching as her sister lowered herself to the sofa. She curled up in the opposite corner then leaned down to snag an end of the afghan to pull over her feet.
"Taylor said he was there again this morning."
Emily waited for Monica to say something else, for her to get angry or tell her again that she didn't want Taylor near JP. But her sister didn't say anything else, didn't even look at her. Emily took a sip of the chilled wine then nodded.
"He was."
"He didn't say anything?"
"Nope. He invited us to breakfast, but I don't think that's what you meant. No, we didn't go." And Emily could still see the look of shocked disappointment on JP's face when she had told him no. Like he couldn't believe she had turned him down.
Like he had been hurt by the refusal.
Which was absolutely ridiculous. Why would he be disappointed, let alone hurt? She still wasn't sure why he had been there, why he had invited them out. Knowing JP, he probably felt guilty and thought taking her to breakfast would make up for...everything.
No, making up for anything probably hadn't even crossed his mind. They had run into each other last week through sheer coincidence and he probably thought he could pick up where they left off, no strings attached. Why
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