Can't Let You Go

My thoughts are muddled, but the pain is clear. If this one woman is both of our exes, the friend who betrayed Tally and the lover who left me without a word, then how do her two identities weave together? As my thoughts grind together, the ringing in my head intensifies to the point that it's a struggle to follow the conversation happening in front of me.

"Liam?"

Tally has to shake my shoulder to get through to me.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry. Just distracted by a headache that's coming on. Where were we?"

"I was just starting to introduce you. Liam, this is Ashton and Emily. They're former classmates of mine."

As expected Ashton and I reach to shake hands, but Emily does the same as though we don't know each other. With too firm of a grip, she rotates her wrist so she can clasp my hand with both of hers.

"It's so nice to see that Honey still has the knack for making handsome friends." Using an exaggerated shake, she calls both mine and Honey's attention to her diamond ring adorned hand.

"You're married?" Whatever emotion Tally has imbued in the question is indiscernible to me.

"Not yet." She releases my hand after an extra squeeze.

"We came back to find our newlywed home and spend time with my parents. Unfortunately, they were called away on urgent business before Emily arrived. Can you believe that after almost eight years of dating they still haven't met?"

Incongruence between the past I lived through and the story unfolding in front of me makes my head throb.

"Baby, you're exaggerating, it can't have been that long. Anyway, Ashton came back before Christmas, but I've just arrived."

"How long are you staying?"

"Oh, we're moving here. Ashton just said it. He has to go back for a while, but I'm here to stay. I wanted to get settled in Alaris and start working before I joined the Scott family. I didn't want my life to be consumed with wedding planning immediately upon arrival either. I need a balance." Emily draws her brows together and nods her head as though she's just said something very wise.

"Yeah, I'm still not happy about you moving before me," Ashton says. "But I'll agree to just about anything so long as I get you to sign the marriage license." He chuckles self consciously. "I've got to go back to UCLA to finish up my master's. These six months apart will be the hardest time of my life." He kisses Emily on the cheek, then looks apologetically towards Tally.

Wanting to see her expression, I also turn my head to look at Tally, but as my line of sight sweeps past Emily, I notice that she's locked her eyes on mine and I freeze.

For the third time tonight, everything seems to stop, this time even my breathing and heartbeat come to a standstill. Nothing exists in the world right now except she and I. Every emotion I've ever felt for her vies to dominate, causing a sudden sensation of vertigo. As the room spins, time restarts.

"I'm sorry," I interrupt without even knowing who was talking, "but I'll have to excuse myself. I really need to go find something for this headache." Not bothering to wait for acknowledgement, I just turn and leave.

***TALLY/HONEY***

Liam's sudden departure puts me in a quandary, not knowing if I should follow or stay on my assignment, but I'm somehow cemented in place in front of the last two people I would ever want to see.

"I hope your date is okay," Emily says while she also watches Liam's back as he heads towards the exit.

"He's not my date and I'm sure he'll be fine once he gets some medicine. I'm actually here with Darius Meriwether."