Warmth surrounds me before consciousness fully returns, like being wrapped in a living cocoon of comfort. Someone's fingers thread gently through my hair, each stroke sending pleasant tingles across my scalp. I drift in that hazy space between dreams and waking, not wanting to surface completely.
"Danny?" Emily's voice, soft and tender, pulls me closer to reality. "Are you waking up, baby?"
I force my heavy eyelids open, blinking against the morning light filtering through unfamiliar curtains. Everything feels wrong somehow, my head too heavy, my thoughts scattered like puzzle pieces I can't quite fit together. Emily's face comes into focus above me, her silver braid draped over one shoulder, those clear blue eyes watching me with an expression I can't quite read.
"Good morning," I mumble, my voice sounding strange and distant in my own ears. My tongue feels thick, uncooperative.
Emily doesn't respond with her usual cheerful greeting. Instead, she pulls me tighter against her chest, her arms wrapping around me with surprising strength. I'm cradled against her like a child, my head tucked beneath her chin, her heartbeat steady against my ear.
"Holly's gone, Danny," she whispers into my hair.
The words take several seconds to process through the fog in my brain. "What?" I manage, trying to push myself up to see her face better, but my limbs feel disconnected from my brain, sluggish and unresponsive.
Emily loosens her grip enough to look down at me, her fingers still stroking my hair with hypnotic gentleness. "I know what happened to you," she says, her voice impossibly gentle. "I know she blackmailed you."
The fog in my mind suddenly clears, replaced by a rush of ice-cold panic that shoots through my veins like electricity. My heart slams against my ribs as memories come crashing back, Holly in the bathroom, the hickey, the threats, the video. I jerk upright, nearly cracking my forehead against Emily's chin.
"How did you…" The words stick in my throat. "I don't…"
"Shhh," Emily soothes, guiding my head back down to her chest. "It's okay. It's all over now."
My mind races, trying to piece together what happened. Last night, dinner, the spaghett. Then nothing. Complete blackness.
"Did you drug me?" I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop it.
Emily's fingers pause in my hair for just a heartbeat before resuming their gentle stroking. "Yes," she admits without a hint of remorse. "I needed to know the truth. I saw the mark on your neck, and I just... knew something was wrong. Especially after the study session you had."
My arms wrap around Emily instinctively, clinging to her like she's the only solid thing in a world that's suddenly spinning out of control. I bury my face against her neck, as tears I didn't know I was holding back begin to spill.
"I wanted to tell you," I choke out, my voice muffled against her skin. "God, Emily, I wanted to tell you so badly."
Her hand moves to the back of my neck, fingers gently massaging the tension there as she holds me. "Why didn't you, baby?" she asks, no accusation in her voice, just genuine confusion. "You know you can tell me anything."
I pull back just enough to look at her face, searching for any sign of doubt or disgust. All I see is concern and that unwavering love that still knocks the wind out of me sometimes.
"The video," I whisper, shame burning through me like acid. "She edited it to make it look like I... like I forced her. Like I was choking her while I..." I can't finish the sentence, the words sticking in my throat.
Emily cups my face between her hands, her thumbs gently wiping away my tears. Her blue eyes lock with mine, fierce and certain.
"I would have believed you, Danny," she says with such conviction it makes my chest ache. "No matter what that video showed. I know you. I know your heart." She leans forward, pressing her forehead against mine. "I promise I'll always believe you, okay? Always."
Her lips find mine in a kiss so tender it breaks something loose inside me. All the fear and shame I've been carrying for weeks comes pouring out in a sob that tears through my chest. Emily just holds me tighter, one hand cradling the back of my head as I fall apart in her arms.
"I'll always be here for you," she murmurs against my hair as my shoulders shake. "Always."
When I finally manage to catch my breath, I pull back slightly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "How did you find out?" I ask, my voice raw. "What happened last night?"
Emily's expression shifts, something cold and dangerous flashing across her features before it's replaced by that gentle warmth I know so well.
"I drugged the dinner," she says matter-of-factly. "Once you were both unconscious, I searched Holly's devices. Found the original video. Saw how she set up the camera, instructed you on what to do." Her jaw tightens slightly. "I saw everything."
A wave of relief so powerful it makes me dizzy crashes over me. "So you know I didn't…"
"Of course I know you wouldn't do that," Emily says, her voice gentle but firm. Her eyes soften as she cups my face between her hands. "Though honestly, after seeing what she did, maybe you should have just choked her out for real."
The unexpected harshness in her words catches me off guard. This isn't the measured, controlled Emily I know. There's something raw and primal in her voice, a protective fury that makes my breath catch.
She pulls me closer, resting her forehead against mine. "What she did to you, Danny..." Her voice breaks, and I feel her tremble against me. "Over and over again. Using you like that. Threatening you. Violating you."
I swallow hard, unable to speak as years of compartmentalized pain suddenly threaten to overflow. The weight of everything I've endured, not just with Holly, but my whole life, presses down on me until I can barely breathe.
"I'm so sorry," Emily whispers, her fingers stroking my hair with such tenderness that it undoes me completely. "So, so sorry."
I stare into Emily's eyes, searching for any hint of judgment or disgust, but find only fierce love and devastating sorrow.
"That must have been so hard to go through alone, baby," she whispers against my temple, rocking me gently as I fall apart. "But you're not alone anymore. Not ever again."
Her arms tighten around me, creating a safe harbor I never thought I'd find. I cling to her, anchoring myself in her warmth as wave after wave of grief and relief crash through me.
"I thought…" I choke on the words, struggling to voice the fear that's been eating me alive. "I thought if you knew, you'd think I wanted it. That I was disgusting for even getting hard."
Emily pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes, her gaze fierce and certain. "No. Never. Your body reacting doesn't mean you consented. She violated you, Danny. That's assault, plain and simple."
I nod, unable to speak as another sob tears through me. Emily just holds me, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other rubbing soothing circles on my back.
"Where is she now?" I finally manage to ask when my breathing steadies.
"College dorms," Emily says, her voice taking on that cool, controlled quality that I've come to recognize as her professional mask. "I've made arrangements. She won't be coming back here."
I nod, a strange mix of relief and anxiety churning in my stomach. Holly's gone, but the damage she did still lingers in my bones like a disease. My thoughts feel scattered, still slightly fuzzy from whatever Emily put in the food last night.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Emily says, her voice brightening as she brushes a strand of hair from my forehead. "I called Quick Mart and told them you had an accident. Said you'd injured your back and wouldn't be in for a while."
"You what?" I push myself up to sitting position, suddenly more alert. "Why would you do that? I need that job."
Emily laughs. She takes my hands in hers, her thumbs rubbing gentle circles against my palms.
"You need a vacation, Danny," she says softly. "After everything you've been through? After we get married today?" Her eyes light up with excitement. "Let's go on a trip. Get away from here for a while."
The suggestion catches me completely off guard. A trip? I've barely left this city my entire life.
"I don't have a passport," I mutter, the admission somehow embarrassing.
Emily's laugh fills the room again, but there's no mockery in it, just genuine amusement and affection.
"We can get you a passport by tomorrow morning if you want," she says, squeezing my hands. "I know people who can expedite the process. Money talks, you know."
I blink at her, processing the casual way she mentions connections and resources I can barely comprehend. It's another reminder of how different our worlds are… Or were, before she pulled me into hers.
"I don't..." I hesitate, feeling suddenly small and inexperienced. "I've never really thought about it. Is there anywhere you want to go?"
Emily's eyes soften as she studies my face. "Oh, baby," she murmurs, reaching up to cup my cheek. "You've never even considered where you might want to travel?"
The pity in her voice makes my cheeks burn, but I can't deny the truth of it. Dreaming of exotic destinations wasn't exactly a priority when I was just trying to keep a roof over my head and food in my stomach.
"How about Paris?" she suggests, her eyes brightening with excitement. "Or maybe the Maldives? Beautiful beaches, crystal clear water..." She trails off, watching my expression carefully. "Or we could stay closer to home if that feels less overwhelming. Maybe a cabin in the mountains?"
I stare at Emily, feeling suddenly lost in the vastness of possibilities. All these places she's naming, they might as well be fictional locations from a fantasy novel. My world has been so small for so long.
"I... I don't know," I admit as I start to feel overwhelmed.
Emily studies my face. "Danny, can you swim?"
The question seems random, but I nod. "Yeah. I mean, I'm not Olympic material or anything, but I can keep myself from drowning."
Her face lights up, that radiant smile spreading across her features as she takes my hands in hers. "Then let's go to a resort. Somewhere with a beautiful beach where we can just exist together in the sun. No Holly, no Quick Mart, no past. Just us."
The image forms in my mind, Emily's silver braid gleaming in tropical sunlight, wearing a bikini. Her skin warm against mine, nothing but blue water stretching to the horizon. Something tight in my chest begins to unravel.
"Is that really okay?" I ask, still not quite believing this is my life now. "Just dropping everything and leaving?"
"Yes, baby," she whispers, leaning forward to press her lips against mine. The kiss is gentle, a promise of safety and new beginnings wrapped in the familiar taste of her. When she pulls back, her eyes are shining. "That's what being free means. That's what I want to give you."
"Okay," I say, my voice stronger now. "Let's do it. Let's go somewhere with a beach."
Emily's face lights up like I've just given her the most precious gift. She wraps her arms around me, pulling me close against her chest.
"I'll set it up. We'll leave tomorrow."