enola_hold-me-2

HOLD ME IN YOUR ARMS by Enola <<< Part 1

PART 2

Emma didn’t go to work the next day. She called Martin early that morning to inform him she wasn’t feeling fine and would stay home for a few days. Martin didn’t ask anything. James had waken him at 3am. He was soaked with rain and shattered. Martin had persuaded him to stay overnight and they had had one long conversation.
She switched her mobile off and activated the answering machine. She spent the whole day in bed doing nothing. She didn’t even get up to eat. She just lay in bed holding a pillow for hours struggling with herself not to think.

The following day Emma went to Martin’s. He still hadn’t come back from work and she was glad to stay with Lydia, his fiancée, alone for a while. Lydia was her best friend. They had known at college twelve years ago and Lydia was the person who knew Emma better than anyone else. Lydia was a lot more than her best friend; she was the sister Emma had never had. Martin and Lydia had met at Emma’s three years ago and were going to get married.
“He came here the other night,” said Lydia holding her friend’s hands in hers. “Martin let him sleep overnight here. I didn’t agree, but you know Martin, you know that they are very close.”
Emma only nodded.

Martin got half an hour later. He didn’t expect to find Emma here, but was glad to see her. Lydia went to the kitchen to make more tea and when she returned Emma took an envelope out of her bag and handed it to Martin.
“What’s it?” asked he without open the envelope,
“My resignation,” she said quietly looking at her mug of steaming hot tea.
“Don’t be silly! You can’t…” Martin turned and looked at his fiancée in disbelief for a while. She already knew and said nothing.
“No Martin, don’t say anything. You won’t manage to make me change my mind. I took a decision and I won’t go back.” Her voice was firm and Martin understood that his attempt would be vain.
“Okay. Maybe you won’t change your mind, but I need to tell you something all the same. I do know, James has hurt you but you have to know what’s happened…”
“He shagged my sister,” interjected Emma angrily. “I don’t think there is more to say.”
“Just let me go on, please.” She kept silent with her look down, so he continued. “He thought it were you. He greeted and called her Emma and she said hi back as if she knew him. They talked and got drunk. She asked what he felt for her, that is you. He honestly replied he liked you a lot. He wanted to accompany her home, just this. He didn’t have any other aim. But she asked to go at his place instead because she didn’t want him to realise it weren’t you. Do you understand? She had planned everything since the very first moment she saw him. She cheated him.”
“This changes nothing,” spat Emma.
“Oh come on! How can you think he would’ve slept with her if he had known the truth!”

Emma held her mug of tea in her hands, her eyesight got dim because of tears. “Maybe you’re right but I cannot pretend anything has happened ‘cos it’s not like this. The thought he’s slept with Ethel after knowing what she’s done to me throughout all these years makes me believe that he doesn’t…that he’s never given a damn about it. I considered him a friend, but friends don’t do such things.”
“He can’t set his mind at rest. Believe me, he feels like shit.”
“I feel even worse. Just try to put yourself in my shoes,” she said looking at Martin in the eye. He could see despair in those eyes of hers and he couldn’t add more. “I can’t,” went on Emma, “I don’t want to run the risk of meeting him. I couldn’t bear it.”
“We’ll be missing you,” said Martin sadly,
“I’ll be missing you too. Could you please prepare my reference?”
Martin smiled weakly at her. “That’s the least I can do. You’ll get it by tomorrow.”
Emma thanked him and got ready to leave. Lydia hugged her. “Don’t forget we love you darling.”
“I love you both too.”
“Call me anytime.”
“I will.”
Martin hugged her afterwards. “Take care of yourself.”
Before going away Emma asked Martin one more favour. He had to tell James not to call or come to her house.

When she got home she found a message in her answering machine. It was her dad who reminded her of her mum’s birthday next Sunday. They wished to have her at lunch.
“Damn it!” She took the receiver in her hand and dialled her parents’ number. “Hi dad. I’ve just heard your message. I’m sorry, but I think I won’t be bale to com…”
“What? Darling, it’s your mum’s birthday,” interjected her father in his usual stern voice, “You know how important is to her having you here.”
“I know dad, and believe me, I wouldn’t miss it but…” she couldn’t go on.
“Darling, listen to me. I know you’re angry at Ethel because of Pete and you have every reason to. I know that three months is a little time, but I’m just asking you an effort for mum.”
Emma closed her eyes and shook her head. “Okay dad, I’ll be there.”

Emma parked down the street so that her parents didn’t realise she had already arrived. She needed a little more time; she still wasn’t ready to meet her sister. She looked at the small raindrops falling over the windscreen and tried to persuade herself everything would be fine. She only had to enter the house, greet her parents and eat with them. She had to act as if nobody else were there. Emma knew she could ignore her, but she also knew that her sister would provoke her. She’d always enjoyed that. But he awareness that their parents would be there encouraged Emma. They would support her. She had no doubt about that.

Her dad welcomed her with a tight hug and a sweet kiss on the forehead. Her mum held her even tighter and gave her several kisses on the cheeks. Ethel was sitting in the sofa reading a magazine. She looked up as Emma entered the lounge.
“Hello Em, I’m so glad to see you!” She sounded impertinent and irritating as always. Emma ignored her but couldn’t help but notice her sister wore the same haircut as her. It was typical of Ethel.
Emma still had the carrier with her gift for her mother in her hand so she gave it to her. “Hope you’ll like it.”
“Aww! How lovely!” exclaimed Ethel, “Don’t worry, she’ll love it. Mum would love anything bought by you.”
Emma went to the bathroom and refresh herself. It wasn’t going to be any easy but she couldn’t allow her sister to keep on hurting her. She had to be strong. She could do it.

As she joined her family again, they all sit down and started to eat. She and her sister faced each other as they used to when they were kids. Emma never looked at her.
“What about your job, Emma?” asked her father to break the silence.
Emma gulped nervously before to answer. “I dropped it a few days ago.”
“How come?” asked her mum shocked, “I thought you loved it.”
“I did mum. But I’ve been forced to.” Her voice was extremely sad and couldn’t look into her mum’s eyes as she spoke.
“What does it mean that you’ve been forced to leave?” asked her father.
“It’s a long story.”
“C’mon Em, tell us everything,” said Ethel challenging her twin, “we are so curious to know what’s happened, aren’t we?”
Emma had come to the point in which she could no longer tolerate Ethel’s cheap jibes. “When will you stop it? When will you get tired of poking your nose into my life?” she hissed.
Her sister replied with a long snigger. “Poor Emma! I pity you. You’re so sad and pathetic!”
“Yes, I’m sad and pathetic. Now tell me why you go round pretending to be me!”
Their mum and dad looked at each other in disbelief, then they watched their daughters in turn and finally their eyes stopped on Ethel.
“Ethel, did you pretend to be your sister?” asked the father sternly. “You’ve touched bottom.”
For the first time that day Ethel had nothing to say back. Emma took it as a small victory and felt relieved. She quickly apologised to her parents, but she had to leave.

Whilst driving home she suddenly stopped the car and burst out crying. That sense of self-confidence felt a few minutes earlier had rapidly slipped away. Ethel had won again and she couldn’t accept it. Why her sister was so evil? Emma took her mobile and called her parents. As she hoped, her mother came to answer.
“Mom…I’m so sorry!” she sobbed, “I spoilt your birthday.”
“Oh my darling, don’t cry. Don’t worry about that, you’re not the least responsible. Me and dad wanted you both here ‘cos we thought the two of you had to face each other sooner or later, but we made a terrible mistake. It’s our fault darling. We’ve always wished you and Ethel to get along together, but the older you and your sister grow, the worse it gets. We won’t ask to meet her. Never again Emma, we promise.”
“Thanks mom.”
“We love you, sweetheart, and we always will. Never forget it.”

The very first thing Emma did once home was rush to the bathroom to search for some aspirin. Her sister always managed to cause her a splitting headache. As she opened the closet she saw the sleeping tablets her doctor had prescribed her after finding Ethel and Pete in bed together. She remembered taking one several times, maybe four or five, then she had no more needed them. She put some in her hand and stared at them for a moment. She could take them with some whiskey and, in a little time, everything would end. Ethel could have no longer hurt her. Nobody else could have done it. Was that the solution to her problems? No, it wasn’t. She stopped to think of her parents, Lydia and Martin. They had said they loved her and Emma knew they were sincere. She couldn’t do this to them. She couldn’t and didn’t want to hurt them. That was the silliest thing that ever crossed her mind. She shook her head whilst putting back the sleeping tablets in their place and took an aspirin. Shutting the closet, she looked at herself in the mirror and she thought that the only thing she needed was a new haircut and a different hair colour.

Five weeks later.

Lydia was a hopeless case. She was getting married in a fortnight and still hadn’t bought her wedding gown. At her workplace she had filled the drawers of her desk with dozens of bridal magazines and, in each of them, she always found at least one model which drove her crazy. She met up with Emma almost each day at lunch and she usually carried a copy of each new magazine she bought so that her friend could help her in the choice. Lydia was capable of calling her in the middle of the night saying which magazine Emma had to take and in what page she had to open it to say what she think about that dress. Two Saturdays before the wedding ceremony, at 3:20am, Emma lost patience.
“I’ve had enough of it. Later we go to look for your dress and you’ll buy one!” she said authoritatively. “I don’t care how many places we’ll have to go to or how many gowns you’ll have to try, but you must buy one!”

“Mmm, this one is lovely. It suits you wonderfully!” smiled Emma,
“You said the same about three dresses at least!” whined her friend, “You’re not helping at all!”
Emma got up and went closer to Lydia. “This is the best,” she said grasping her hand and making her friend turn towards the mirror. “Look at yourself. You’re beautiful!”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure! But you must like it first.”
“I do love it!” Lydia smiled and Emma gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you Emma. Are you sure you want to do it?”
“Of course, I do! You’re my best friend and I’m honoured to be your bridesmaid.”
“James told Martin he doesn’t feel like coming to the wedding. Martin threatened to kill him. He wants him to be his best man and no-one else. Martin hopes you understand.”
“It’s no problem. He has the right to come as I have. Yet, this is your wedding and I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
“He’s promised not to bother you.”
“Good!”

When Emma was driving Lydia home, the two friends talked about this and that, then all of a sudden, Lydia said, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure you can.”
”Feel free not to answer, but if you do, please be honest.”
“Okay, shoot!”
“What do you really feel for James?”
“What the hell do you mean?”
“Emma, don’t be silly! You know what I mean. Martin believes you’re in love with him.”
“Pardon?” Emma didn’t know whether she had to burst out laughing or get angry. “I only have one thing to say: the man you’re going to marry is mad!”
“I’d also think he’s mad if I didn’t know you so well.”
“So you agree with him. Great! The two of you are just meant to be together!”
Lydia laughed quietly looking at her friend, then Emma turned and joined her.

As Lydia had expected, Emma avoided to answer her question. Were she and Martin right?

Part 3 >>>

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