For Better or Worse

[Heather]

James chuckled, holding onto her. "Well Riley is only giving me tips." He said innocently

 

[tamaracorine]

"Not fair..." she grumbled. "Not fair. You can't make the chemicals in my brain all weird by sleeping with me and then hold onto me and create a bond with my best friend over how to deal with me and ugh..." she groaned. "Why am I not angry right now?"

 

[Heather]

He gave another chuckle. "Because I'm holding you. Awe why not? I'm sure Lily can share things about me to you."


Lily put her hands up. "Just an innocent bystander who will not do a thing." She said as James rolled her eyes at her

 

[tamaracorine]

Emily sighed and stopped squirming. "It's not my fault that hugs make me feel good." She mumbled. "I still hug my Dad every night before bed. Sometimes he cuddles me while I fall asleep. Is that lame?"

 

[Heather]

"Nope, shows that your a daddy's girl." He said with a small smile.

 

[tamaracorine]

Emily smiled. She liked that label a lot. "I guess I am. That's why I was so scared when he got married. I didn't want to lose him and Lily... You're so... Good... And I thought he might love you more."

 

[Heather]

Lily shrugged. "Ha that's funny I don't even talk to him and usually in my room. Don't spend anytime with anyone at home, so there is no way the could happen. Besides your his real daughter how could he not love you a lot more than me." She said

 

[tamaracorine]

"It isn't that I didn't want him to love you at all. I just didn't want to lose him." She admitted, shrugging. "He likes you a lot. Told me one night that he wished I would care about something for once."

 

[Heather]

"You do care about things." Lily said leaning back into the couch some more.

 

[tamaracorine]

"Not really." Emily stared at the wall, "I'm bad at caring. I keep feeling like if I try and fail then I'll never be able to try again. So I stick to the few things I'm good at. Like running. And partying."

 

[Heather]

"That's life. You try, you fail, you keeping going like nothing happened. I find it useful to ignore the things that have failed me in life..." Lily murmured

 

[tamaracorine]

"Then you should probably ignore me. I'll fail you inevitably." She told her, staring outside the window at the star filled sky. "Whatever. Doesn't matter."

 

[Heather]

"I'm sure you won't. I couldn't ignore you." She said glancing to her.

 

[tamaracorine]

"Sure." Emily murmured, her hands beginning to shake more than before. She didn't know how to be friends with Lily. She wanted to, but she was scared of hurting her father if she messed up the friendship - and losing James at the same time.

 

[Heather]

James held onto her hands feeling them shake some more, squeezing them as he held her.

 

[tamaracorine]

Emily's hands stopped shaking a few minutes later as she fell into a light sleep, her head resting in the crook of James' neck.


"Do you need to call your mom and let her know where you are?" Riley asked Lily.

 

[Heather]

James gave a light smile listening to her sleep.


"I'll just shoot her a message." Lily said getting up and heading back into the study and pulling out her phone from her bag and texting her mother where her and Emily where. Then walked back into the living room sitting on the couch next to Riley.

 

[tamaracorine]

Riley pulled her closer and grinned. "You want dinner? Maybe we can cook together and leave these two to their cuddles."

 

[Heather]

Lil smiled, "Sounds great to me," she said standing up

 

[tamaracorine]

Riley walked with her to the kitchen and began to get food out to make dinner, giving Lily the vegetables to cut up.

 

[Heather]

She took the vegetables from him and started to cut them up.

 

[tamaracorine]

Riley chatted easily to her as they cooked, about nothing important. Occasionally he would stop and pull her into a kiss. He pulled her into his arms once all the food was in the oven or on the stove, resting his hands just above her backside. "Athletes can cook, you know. We have to."

 

[Heather]

Lily smiled as they talked and everything as the cooked. Wrapping hers arms around him and gave a smile. "I surely hope so. With everything athletes do."

 

[tamaracorine]

"You should run with Em sometime. She'd appreciate it." He suggested, rubbing her back. "It's how I became her friend."

 

[Heather]

"I'll think about it, not much in shape for the runs she does or for any run." She admitted