Chapter 183

The night settled around the house slowly.

At some point, Ashley had ordered food nobody was really hungry for, Megan had forced Abigail to drink water twice, and Emma had fallen asleep sitting up again halfway through a conversation.

That was what finally convinced them.

“Okay,” Abigail said quietly, standing from the couch. “Bed. Now.”

Emma cracked one eye open. “You say everything like an order now.”

“Because nobody listens unless I do.”

Ashley pointed immediately. “She got you there.”

Emma sighed dramatically but held her hand out anyway.

Abigail took it without hesitation.

Carefully, she helped Emma stand, one arm wrapping lightly around her waist as they started toward the bedroom. Emma moved slower than usual, still tired, still drained, but steadier now.

“You good?” Abigail asked softly the second they stepped into the room.

Emma nodded faintly. “Yeah.”

But Abigail still didn’t let go.

The bedroom lights stayed dim as Abigail helped her sit down on the edge of the bed before pulling the blankets back carefully. Emma watched her quietly the entire time, the same way she had been all evening.

“You’re hovering again,” Emma murmured.

Abigail looked up at her. “Correct.”

That earned a tired smile.

Once Emma was settled beneath the blankets, Abigail moved around the room quietly, grabbing water, plugging Emma’s phone in, adjusting pillows that didn’t actually need adjusting.

Emma watched all of it.

“You know,” she said softly, “you’re kinda freaking me out a little.”

That made Abigail stop.

Her back stayed turned for a second before she slowly looked over at her.

“How?”

Emma’s expression softened. “Because you look like you’re waiting for something bad to happen.”

The room went quiet after that.

Abigail looked down briefly, jaw tightening before she finally walked back over to the bed and sat beside her.

“I thought I lost you today.”

There it was.

No avoiding it this time.

Emma’s face changed immediately.

“Abi—”

“No,” Abigail said quietly, shaking her head once. “When you passed out the second time…” She exhaled slowly, eyes dropping to her hands. “You weren’t waking up. And all I could think was that I should’ve gotten you out of there faster. I should’ve stopped it before it even got there.”

Emma stared at her for a second, the weight behind her words settling heavily between them.

“That wasn’t your fault.”

Abigail let out a dry breath. “Didn’t really matter in the moment.”

Emma’s hand found hers slowly beneath the blanket.

“I’m here,” she said softly.

Abigail nodded once, but her grip tightened around Emma’s hand almost unconsciously.

“I know.”

A pause settled over them, quieter now, more intimate than before.

Then Emma looked at her carefully. “You really punched her hard, huh?”

That caught Abigail off guard enough that she actually let out a short laugh through her nose.

“That was you,” she said.

Emma looked mildly proud of herself despite laying in bed looking exhausted. “Oh. Right.”

Abigail shook her head slightly, finally smiling for real this time. “I didn’t know you could throw a punch like that.”

Emma smirked faintly. “Don’t get on my bad side.”

“I would never.”

Their eyes held for a second longer than either of them intended.

Soft.

Tired.

Real.

Then Emma’s expression shifted slightly. “What happens tomorrow?”

The smile disappeared almost instantly.

Abigail looked away for half a second before answering.

“Administration called.”

Emma sighed softly, already knowing.

“Figured.”

“They want to meet in the morning.”

Emma leaned back slightly into the pillow, processing that quietly. “And the rumors?”

Abigail hesitated.

“…Campus is talking.”

Emma closed her eyes briefly. “Great.”

“They know Shields was coming onto me,” Abigail said carefully. “And people saw what happened after.”

Emma opened her eyes again. “So they think we’re together.”

Abigail looked at her.

“Yeah.”

The room went still again after that.

Not tense.

Just heavy with truth.

Emma looked up at the ceiling for a moment before speaking again, quieter this time.

“I’m not sorry for defending you.”

Abigail’s expression softened immediately.

“I know.”

“And honestly?” Emma added, glancing back at her. “I’d probably do it again.”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Abigail muttered.

Emma smiled faintly.

Then her expression softened again as she reached up slowly, brushing her fingers lightly against Abigail’s cheek.

“You took care of me all day,” she whispered. “Now sit down and breathe before you pass out too.”

That pulled another small laugh from Abigail despite herself.

“Bossy.”

“Learned from the best.”

Abigail finally leaned back against the headboard beside her, exhaustion settling into her own body now that Emma was safe, awake, and here.

Outside the room, they could faintly hear Ashley and Megan arguing over what movie to put on.

Normal sounds.

The room settled into a softer quiet after that.

Outside the bedroom, they could still faintly hear Ashley and Megan arguing over movies in the living room, their voices low enough not to disturb them but present enough to make the house feel lived in. Safe.

Inside the room, though, everything felt slower.

Emma rested back against the pillows, exhaustion finally catching up to her now that the adrenaline was gone. Abigail sat beside her against the headboard, one leg bent slightly, her posture relaxed on the outside but nowhere near relaxed underneath.

Emma noticed it immediately.

“You’re still watching me,” she murmured, eyes half-lidded.

Abigail didn’t even try to deny it. “Correct.”

Emma let out a tired breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “I’m okay.”

“I know.”

But Abigail still looked at her like she was double-checking.

Emma studied her quietly for a second. The redness around Abigail’s eyes hadn’t completely faded, and there was something different about her tonight—something more open, even if she was trying to hide it.

“You cried,” Emma said softly.

Abigail looked away immediately. “No, I didn’t.”

Emma gave her a look.

“…Barely,” Abigail corrected.

That pulled the faintest smile from Emma.

Then it faded again.

“You really got scared.”

It wasn’t a question.

Abigail was quiet for a moment, her jaw tightening slightly before she answered.

“You stopped responding.”

Emma’s expression softened instantly.

Abigail looked down at her hands, voice quieter now. “The first time was bad enough. But when you passed out again…” She exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. It just—it didn’t feel real.”

Emma swallowed slightly, her hand shifting beneath the blanket until it found Abigail’s.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Abigail shook her head immediately. “Don’t apologize.”

“But—”

“You didn’t do it on purpose.”

Emma looked down briefly. “Still.”

Silence settled between them again, softer this time.

Then Emma looked back up at her. “You know what I remember most?”

“What?”

“The hallway.”

Abigail’s brows pulled together slightly.

Emma’s voice stayed quiet. “I remember hearing you calling my name before I woke up.”

That hit harder than Abigail expected.

Emma’s thumb brushed lightly across the back of her hand. “You sounded scared.”

Abigail let out a small breath through her nose, almost a laugh but not quite. “I was scared.”

Emma looked at her for a second longer before leaning her head gently against Abigail’s shoulder.

“You know…” she murmured, “part of me is still mad.”

Abigail looked down at her. “At who?”

Emma gave her a look.

“Emma.”

“I’m serious,” Emma muttered. “She was really in there harassing you.”

“And you were really in there fighting while pregnant.”

“She deserved it.”

That caught Abigail off guard enough that she laughed softly.

A real laugh this time.

Small. Tired. Genuine.

Emma smiled faintly against her shoulder. “There it is.”

“What?”

“That laugh. You haven’t done that all day.”

Abigail shook her head slightly. “You exhausted me today.”

“I noticed.”

“And I still don’t know where you learned to throw a punch like that.”

Emma smiled without opening her eyes. “Don’t get on my bad side.”

“I would never.”

That earned another quiet smile from her.

The room settled again after that, calm filling the spaces between their words. Abigail’s hand stayed intertwined with Emma’s beneath the blanket, neither of them pulling away.

Then Emma spoke again, quieter this time.

“What happens tomorrow?”

The softness in the room dimmed slightly.

“Administration called,” Abigail admitted.

Emma sighed softly. “Of course they did.”

“They want a meeting in the morning.”

Emma leaned back against the pillows more fully, processing that in silence for a moment.

“And the rumors?” she asked eventually.

Abigail hesitated just long enough for Emma to notice.

“…People are talking,” Abigail admitted. “Ashley heard students talking on campus.”

Emma closed her eyes briefly. “Wonderful.”

“They know Shields was coming onto me,” Abigail continued carefully. “And they saw you step in.”

Emma looked over at her slowly. “So everybody thinks we’re together.”

Abigail met her eyes.

“Yeah.”

A quiet pause settled between them.

Not uncomfortable.

Just real.

Then Emma let out the smallest sigh and shook her head faintly. “Honestly? I don’t even care right now.”

That surprised Abigail slightly.

Emma looked back at her. “Today could’ve gone really differently.”

Abigail’s expression softened immediately.

“But it didn’t,” she said quietly.

Emma nodded once.

Then after a second, her lips curved faintly again. “Still though…”

“What?”

“I think the students liking me more now is kinda funny.”

Abigail groaned softly. “Ashley definitely told you that part.”

“She did.”

“She said you have a fan club now.”

Emma smiled sleepily. “As I should.”

Abigail shook her head, but there was warmth behind it now.

“You’re ridiculous.”

Emma looked up at her for a second longer, softer now, quieter.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “But I’m your ridiculous problem.”

Emma remained tucked against the pillows, her hand still loosely intertwined with Abigail’s beneath the blanket while the soft glow from the bedside lamp filled the room with warm light. Outside the bedroom, Ashley and Megan’s muffled argument over movies had faded into background noise, replaced now by the low sound of a television playing somewhere in the living room.

For the first time all day, nothing felt urgent.

No sirens.

No shouting.

No panic.

Just exhaustion.

Emma looked over at Abigail again, studying her carefully. Even now, Abigail looked like she was holding herself upright through pure willpower alone. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes tired, and every few seconds her attention drifted right back to Emma like she needed visual confirmation she was still breathing.

“You need sleep,” Emma murmured softly.

Abigail shook her head immediately. “I’m fine.”

“That’s the same thing you say every time you’re not fine.”

That got a small look out of Abigail.

Emma shifted slightly beneath the blanket, careful but determined as she tugged lightly on Abigail’s hand. “Come here.”

Abigail raised a brow. “Emma—”

“Please.”

That one word did it.

Abigail exhaled quietly before finally moving, sliding down beside her carefully on top of the covers at first.

Emma looked at her.

“Seriously?”

Abigail stared back. “What?”

“You look like you’re about to guard the bed instead of sleep in it.”

“That’s because I am.”

Emma rolled her eyes tiredly and lifted the blanket slightly. “Get under here before I pass out again just to prove a point.”

Abigail’s expression changed instantly. “Don’t joke like that.”

Emma softened immediately. “Sorry.”

A beat passed.

Then Abigail finally slipped under the blanket beside her, careful not to jostle her too much. The second she settled, Emma moved closer automatically, resting against her side like it was instinct.

And honestly?

It was.

Abigail’s arm wrapped around her carefully almost immediately.

“There,” Emma murmured sleepily. “Better.”

Abigail looked down at her for a second before quietly admitting, “…Yeah.”

The room fell silent again after that.

Not heavy.

Just calm.

Emma’s breathing slowly evened out first, her body relaxing fully against Abigail’s side as exhaustion pulled her under again. This time Abigail stayed awake longer, staring at the ceiling while her hand rested lightly over Emma’s.

Thinking.

About the hospital.

The hallway.

The way fear had hit her so hard she couldn’t breathe for a second.

Eventually, though, even she couldn’t fight the exhaustion anymore.

Her eyes slowly closed.

And for the first time all day—

Abigail finally fell asleep too.