"Emily?" She frowns at me, looking like she isn't too sure she guessed my name right.

She was the last person I expected to see today, or ever. There are thousands of thoughts running through my head as I stare at her, still frozen in my place. I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is not a dream.

"Nicole, who is it?" I hear Blake's voice before he comes to stand behind her.

When he notices me, his expressions go blank. I blink at his pale face, trying to understand what the fuck is going on. He's in his sweats and his hair are a mess above his head.

"Emily, right?" Nicole speaks to me again and I finally snap out of my trance, nodding.

I plaster a smile on my face. "Nice to see you, Nicole."

"C'mon in." She opens the door wide for me to step in but I shake my head. "Is everything alright? It's nearly midnight."

"Yeah." I clear my throat, looking at Blake who just seems to be staring at me. "I collected some of his documents from office today. Just thought I'll give it since I was passing by."

It isn't a complete lie. I did collect some of Blake's documents from office today after he wrote a mail to Eric that it was fine by him if I collected it on his behalf. He was caught up with University work so he couldn't make time to come at the office in the morning hours.

I pull out the folder from my bag and pass it to him. "Here."

He takes it from my hands and I pull out the box I got packed for him. I debate whether or not to give it but I might as well. I'm still trying to understand what's going on, but I got it packed for him, aware how much he loves the banana cake my mother bakes.

"Mum baked this, so..." I pass the box to him and Nicole takes it from my hands.

She opens the lid and smells it. "Oh, cake. We love it."

We. Wow. That felt like an unintentional slap on my face. I swallow, nodding at her. "I'll be on my way. Night."

I turn around to leave, taking deep breaths as tears start to sting my eyes as everything comes crashing down on me. He's with Nicole. Again. I am really lost and confused as to how that happened but she was wearing his t-shirt and he looked pretty comfortable with her presence.

How long has this been going on? He has slept by my side this entire past week. Fucking hell. When I reach the elevator, I press the button and wait for it.

Just when I thought my life was going smoothly for once.

I step inside the elevator and just when the door is sliding close, I notice Blake approaching it. I click on the shut door button continuously, aware that it wouldn't make the process quicker but at least I can express my frustration at it.

"Emma!" He shouts, reaching the elevator just the moment it closes.

Just hearing him say my name feels painful right now, and it's not even my fucking name. When I reach the first floor, I rush out of the place. How stupid have I been to actually encourage this entire thing with Blake?

He said it himself. It's just sex.

When I step out of the building, a hand wraps around my wrist and from the way a shiver shoots up my spine from the touch, I already know who it is.

"Emma." He's panting. His hair are messier than they were as he's trying to catch his breath. "Don't get mad."

"Leave me alone, Blake." I manage to mutter through my teeth.

"It isn't like that." He rushes out. "She just showed up out of nowhere, and I couldn't—"

"Couldn't what? Tell her that you are fucking someone else?" I shout at him, my anger coursing through.

"That's not fair." He scowls at me. "You can't get mad at me for this, Emma."

"Yes, I can. I can't do anything about it, but I can very well be mad about it, or sulk or feel however I want to about it." I repeat his words from when he was pissed about Genesis and I. "It's your life, Blake. No strings. You can do whatever you want, but you can't tell me how and what I'm allowed to feel about it."

"But—"

"Nothing. Just go." I beg him. "Please."

"No." He protests. "You can't have your way with everything."

"Okay." I sigh. "I can't believe we're doing this on a sidewalk at midnight but okay, go ahead and explain."

He shuts up. He doesn't say anything for a minute but then he finally opens his mouth to speak. "I don't know what to explain. She just showed up and we talked, about everything... and she—"

"She kissed you." I scoff, shaking my head when a look of guilt takes over his face. "Let me guess, she wants to give it another go?"

He doesn't even have to say it. It's evident from his face that I hit the bull's eye. It wasn't a difficult guess, I just went for one thing that can possibly destroy the happiness I woke up to this morning.

"Em—"

"No, Blake." I shake my head. "I'll see you around, okay? Just take care of yourself."

With that, I turn around to leave. He had a look of helplessness on his face and I hear him curse behind me but a part of me breaks when he doesn't stop me again.

I manage to keep myself together till the time I drive to my apartment. I've never felt like this in the past with the heaviness in my chest as I walk up to my apartment and unlock the door. When I realise that Nick isn't there, I let out the tears I've been holding back.

This has been an emotionally overwhelming day as it is, and so far, everything had been on the good side but to see Nicole and Blake... it just turned everything for worse.

I change into my comfortable pjs before getting into bed and pulling out my phone. My fingers almost on their own move to the photo of Blake and I which Myra clicked. I want to talk to him, to have him give me an explanation that would make this better and I would gladly hear him patiently but I gave him the chance.

He had nothing.

I've seen him with Nicole. I know he was... is in love with her, and no matter how much I've always disliked the girl, I know she did or does too. That's one reason why I can't act unfairly and want him to myself when I was barely beginning to let the idea of us settle in.

Last night, we both talked about it being a date but we really didn't settle on anything so honestly, I've got nothing to cry about. But the moment I imagine Blake kissing her, it's like my heart contracts from pain.

In the eight months I was with Genesis completely with all of my loyalty, I never once felt like this when I imagined her with someone else. I felt disappointed, and hurt but right now, I feel like someone has stomped on my heart.

With tears in my eyes and my phone in my head, I try to get some sleep but fail miserably. I toss and turn in bed, hoping for sleep to put my thoughts to peace. I think I do hit jackpot when I get to sleep for an hour but wake up with a jolt.

I check my phone to see if there's anything from Blake but there's only a text from my brother.

"Thanks for the gift. I love it. Love you."

Despite my sour mood, I smile at it and respond to him, "Love you too."

Since Blake was already in his sweats last night, and she was wearing Blake's clothes, I know she spent the night with him. The thought makes my heart feel heavy as I stare at the cold side of my bed where he used to wake up. In such a small amount of time, I had gotten so used to his presence.

When sleep doesn't come and it's already six in the morning, I get up from the bed to freshen up. I decide to go for a run. If I can outrun my thoughts, maybe I'll tire myself enough to get some sleep during the day.

I make use of the new earphones I got with Blake. Fuck, how is everything in my life recently all connected to him? On my way back, I drop by the grocery store which was just opening up near the apartment building and get myself two tubs of ice cream. Cookie crumbs flavour.

When I'm back in the apartment, Nick is making breakfast, which is surprising because he wasn't here when I left.

"Breakfast?" He asks me and I shake my head.

"Did you just come back?" I ask, putting the ice cream in the freezer.

"Yeah, Myra's mother coming to city." He starts. "We both aren't ready for that yet, so I came back early."

I nod in understanding. I wonder if Blake told him about us, or about Nicole coming back. I want to ask him if he has said anything, or if he's getting back with her but I don't want to know. I'm sure he is. Why wouldn't he?

She's tall, has skinny legs, beautiful brunette hair and shiny blue eyes, and most of all, he loves her. I try to get rid of the knot in my stomach that forms with that thought. I can't believe it was just yesterday that I woke up to his note on my bedside.

The moment my life gave me a little hope, it snatched it away just as quickly.

It was a shot in the dark with him, anyway. We were having fun, playing around to test the waters. Her return is just the wave that knocked us over to bring us back to reality.

"Are you okay?" Nick asks me and I nod.

I give him a small smile before moving to take a shower. I can't seem to shake him off, no matter how much I try, his blue-green eyes haunt me. The way he looks at me, his annoyingly gorgeous smile, and his words that seemed to knock me over, I can't get it out of my head.

I let out a frustrated groan as I wrap a towel around myself and step out of the shower. When I get in the bedroom, a gasp leaves me when I see Blake sitting on the edge of my bed.

His eyes shoot up to meet mine and I almost drop my towel from how much the look in his eyes knock me over. He traces his eyes all over my body and I feel the heat rising in my stomach from the gaze before I snap myself back to reality.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, my body resting against the back of the door to keep my balance.

"We need to talk."

"I thought we already did." I look at him in confusion. "There's nothing else to discuss, Blake."

"There is." He nods to himself. "I..."

He trails off and I stare at him. "What?"

"Can you please put on some clothes?"

A blush takes over my face from his request. It's good to know that I'm not the only who gets bothered by things like this. I nod at him, biting on my inner cheek.

"Turn around," I tell him when I feel his eyes following me.

I pull out my clothes and turn to see that he's still staring at me. I give him a look and he arches an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yes, turn around or leave."

"Fuck, fine." He huffs before turning around and I put on my clothes.

Once I'm done, I clear my throat but stand by the closet because I don't want to stand near him. He peeks back and when he sees that I'm clothed, he turns back completely.

"Can we talk?" He asks.

I wanted this. I wanted him to talk to me, so when he has come here himself, I'm not going to deny myself of hearing an explanation that can ease this constant knot in my heart.

"Talk."

"I didn't know you were coming over yesterday." He starts but I stop him.

"And that should make it fine?" I frown at him.

"No." He shakes his head. "I would've given you a heads up. If you hadn't come over last night, I still would've told you today."

"You would've?" I ask, sounding surprised and he nods.

"Yeah. I would want to know if your ex would pop up like that, so I had to tell you too." He explains. His words makes my thoughts turn more confusing. I don't know what to think. I appreciate his honesty, of course.

"Okay." I sigh, and then ask the dreaded question. "Where is she right now?"

"Back at my place." He answers hesitantly, reading my expression. "Don't freak out."

Easier said than done.

"I'm not," I tell him, trying to sound as calm as possible. "I thought she was in Providence."

"So did I." He stands up from the bed and I hold my breath as I see him step towards me. "I don't know how she got my address, but she popped up unannounced yesterday. I had no idea she was in the city."

"And?" I gesture for him to go on as he steps closer to me and I try not to let the proximity mess with my head.

The fact that he's here right now, wanting to talk to me instead of being with her when she's at his place is messing with my feelings enough.

"And there's something you need to know." He sighs, taking a step back as he runs a hand through his hair.

"What?" I scowl at him.

"We broke up more than a year ago, but she wanted to meet one last time when she came back this spring." He pauses, reading my face carefully. "It wasn't planned but we kind of slept together."

This spring. Almost six months ago.

"What do you mean kind of?" I ask, wanting to understand where his head is at.

"Not kind of, we did sleep together. We didn't talk after that, we parted ways and hadn't talked since."

"But?" I wait for him to continue.

"Apparently for her it meant that things could still go on between us, that we just needed time." He explains. "She's taking a semester off from the University, says the pressure is too much. Her parents are kind of not on board with the whole thing, so she's crashing with me meanwhile."

Fuck. I nod at him, understanding the complete picture now that he's explained it so well. She thinks they needed time apart, and now that they've had it, things can fall back into place. Especially now that she's back in the city.

Amazing. Fabulous. Great. Couldn't be happier for him.

"Say something, please." He sounds vulnerable.

"What do you want me to say, Blake?" I scoff, trying to hide how painful this feels. "Congratulations on reconciliation with your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Yet." I remind him with a heavy heart. "You can't tell me you don't want to give it another shot with her. There's no reason why you shouldn't. You both were good together, weren't you?"

He shakes his head, stepping towards me as he cups my cheeks and I try not to crumble down from his touch. "I can think of one reason."

"Blake." My voice cracks a little as I remove his hands from my face. He looks dejected when he realises that I'm taking a step back. "Is it worth against all the reasons you should?"

It's not. When I look at him, and see the dilemma in his eyes, I know there's no fucking chance I have against Nicole.