Elizabeth was also silent but Jason didn't realize that it was because she was feeling slightly nauseous; she was now regretting the ice cream flavour she chose.
Even as she grumbled internally over her poor taste, Jason had reached the Sumps and parked his car near Emily's house.
"I'll walk you to your door," Jason said as he exited the car with Emily.
The latter stared at him thoughtfully before nodding. Neither of them said anything as they took the sidewalk to Emily's house.
Back in the car, an unsettling silence descended upon the three. Alice was staring out the window, frowning as she watched Jason walk away with Emily. Maple watched her from the corner of her eyes, a slight trepidation running through her as she noticed how distant Alice was to her. She couldn't blame her, she was Alice's best friend yet she supported another woman other than the latter's mother.
"Alice . . ." Maple opened her mouth but stopped when Alice glared at her.
"Maple . . . he's my dad," Alice said, her voice uncharacteristically harsh.
"I . . . know," Maple said while concealing the pain she felt.
"Are ye two seriously still fighting?" Elizabeth asked incredulously as she turned around at both of them despite being blind. "You realize Jason will never be satisfied with just one girl, right? What's the problem in sharing?"
"Hmph."
Both Alice and Maple frowned before snorting as they turned their faces away from Elizabeth. To them, she was more of a threat than Katelyn or Melanie and her opening her mouth merely turned both of them against her.
"I get why yer angry, it's yer mom we're talking about," Elizabeth said as she eyed Alice before turning to Maple. "But I'm confused about ye. Who are ye supporting?"
Maple hesitated before answering sulkily, "Melanie."
"That sna - skinny girlie?" Elizabeth caught herself before saying snake out loud, but Maple still glared at her.
"She's not skinny, she's petite!" Maple argued.
"You're right, she's small. In all the right places," Elizabeth sighed sadly before grinning at Alice. "Bet your mom's the same? Guess that means I'm the biggest."
"She's just not fat," Alice replied calmly, though her eyes were burning with annoyance as she stared at Elizabeth who jutted her chest out proudly.
"Cow tits," both Maple and Alice muttered under their breath and Elizabeth grinned.
"Yeah, and what're going to do about it? All men love titties and yer dad's no different."
"Well, he's my dad," Alice replied smugly. "Guess that means he didn't love you enough to have a kid."
"But I've known him for longer," Elizabeth boasted. "I've known him for almost eight years.
"Well, then Melanie beats you both," Maple chimed in. "She told me Jason saved her ten years ago."
What? Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing and sulked when she saw the two's smug look.
"Whatever, I'm still the first woman he loved," Elizabeth grunted before turning back to the front as Maple and Alice clapped their hands together in victory.
Well, at least they aren't fighting now, Elizabeth thought.
This entire time, she had been trying to antagonize both of them by goading them, hoping that they'd overcome their differences while directing their anger towards her. Seeing how they were talking once again, Elizabeth smiled as she felt that she had accomplished what she intended to do from the beginning.
Jason lagged slightly behind Emily as she walked home. He was unsure of what to say, of how to explain his complicated relationships, and Emily was silent as Elizabeth's words haunted her thoughts. She realized that Elizabeth was right; she barely knew Jason.
"Listen, Emily . . ."
When they reached her porch, Jason knew he had to say something. The silence was so deafening, he could hear the sound of his own heartbeats.
Emily stopped, one hand on the door to her house while her back faced him.
"Jason . . ." Emily finally spoke but refused to turn around. "Tell me. Do I know you? The real you?"
Jason opened his mouth. He was prepared to say 'Yes', tell her that she knew him, that he cared for her more than he wanted to admit it. But his voice refused to come out, as he belatedly realized that he couldn't - didn't - want to lie to her.
". . . I understand," Emily knew what his silence meant, and the hand holding the doorknob tightened until her knuckles turned white.
Almost instantaneously though, she relaxed and a smile appeared on her face. She turned around and wrapped her arms around Jason, looking upwards at his face and gazing into his midnight black eyes.
"It doesn't matter," Emily whispered as her lips came closer to Jason's. The latter's heart thumped as he watched Emily draw closer, unable to react as though his heart was stolen away. "It doesn't matter even if I don't know who you are. Because it will never change how I feel about you.
"And one day - someday - I will get you to open your heart to me. Then I'll know who you really are," Emily closed her eyes as she locked her lips onto Jason's. It was not a sexual kiss not one of passion; it was a kiss of emotions, of connecting to one another on a deeper level.
Emily . . .
Jason, after witnessing the fright and horror she had of Fenrir, thought it would be better if he distanced himself from her. He was scared, utterly scared, of revealing his ferocious nature to her, knowing that the intense, ruthlessness of his true self would pull her away from him. But the restless feeling of regret lingered through his mind as soon as he thought about it and he realized that he didn't want to let go of Emily.
I won't tell you then, Jason decided. I'll never let you see that side of me, never. Instead, I'll be whatever you want me to be. Whatever you need me to be.
Jason closed his eyes as well, savouring the feeling of her soft lips and even softer body. He hugged her tightly, pushing her against him as though he were afraid she'd disappear before reluctantly ending the kiss, especially when he heard a cough from nearby.
Emily also heard it and pulled away from him, her face flushed red as they both turned to a nearby window from which both Jared and Mia were watching them. Jared, the one who coughed, had his arms crossed and gazed at Jason as though he had stolen his sister away from him . . . which wasn't entirely not accurate. Mia, on the other hand, had practically half of her body sticking out the window as she gazed at them with a smirk.