•Emma's POV
When I woke up my head was pounding but I was in bed. 'Did I drive home drunk?' I questioned myself not being able to recall the previous nights events after visiting the cemetery. I was still in my jeans and jacket from yesterday. Ugh. I needed water so I stumbled into the kitchen where it already smelled like coffee and bacon. Nia must already be up.
"Well well." Nia's voice ring from her usual seat at the table "Look who's finally up."
I walked over to the pot and poured myself a cup of coffee "Not yet I'm so fucked up Nia" said before taking a sip.
"Your in so much trouble Emily Renee Gardner." Nia nagged an angry glare.
"What?" I was so confused, had I done something wrong.
"You owe me $335 dollars and I expect every penny of it back before you drink another drop of alcohol." Nia burned a whole in my head with her eyes.
"If looks could kill I would be a goner" I said trying to figure out what she meant.
"I'm in no mood to deal with your snarky ass right now. You really think its appropriate to piss me off more when you live in my house rent free, and make me pay $300 to get your dumb ass outta jail?" she scolded.
"Jail?!" I suddenly recalled getting drunk at the graves and a man approaching me. It all came flooding back. He asked to escort me out of the cemetery because I was disturbing other mourners in a drunken fit. Not realizing he was a police officer when he tried to lead me out I ran away thinking he was trying to nab me. I face palmed myself. How could I be so reckless.
I set down my coffee "Oh my God... I was arrested!" Just then I noticed there was a half eaten plate of food across from Nia at the table.
"Is someone here?" I asked quietly.
"That should be the least of your concerns, but yes. I have company." just as she spoke a familiar looking man entered the kitchen.
I couldn't quite put my finger on where I recognized him from "You have a man over!?" I questioned excitedly.
"Yes. Danny us an old friend of mine and a police officer. He brought you home and paid your bail yesterday since I was unreachable at the time you called. I wrote him a check already to pay him back." Nia avoided looking me in the face and was at least staying calm in his presence and I was thankful for that at least.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry to put you out sir." I apologized "You didn't have to pay my bail on her behalf."
Nia's eyes widened and she stood up leaning over the table facing me "I didn't ask him too. He did it out of pity. You were a pathetic mess and he couldn't stand to leave you in a cell because-" she stopped because he covered her mouth with his hand.
"Do you recognize me?" he asked softly.
I looked at him closely "You seem familiar... it must be because you were with me last night."
Nia lowered herself back to her seat and he removed his hand from her lips "I see. You were young so I doubt you'd remember me. I dated your sister." Danny lowered his head seeming a bit disappointed. It didn't take me long to realize where I recognized him after that.
"You bought her this?" I asked opening a silver locket that was around my neck and showing him. Inside was a picture of him, a picture of my mom with my sister and Nia, a picture of buster, and a picture of my sister and I. it opened from two places similar to how a book would open.
"Yes I bought that" he gave me a sad smile as I closed the locked and tucked it back beneath my shirt against my chest. I clutched close to me for a moment "She gave it to me when she was in the hospital, the day she-" I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.
"I know. She asked my permission first, she... she knew what was coming before it happened..." he cleared his throat then sat back down to eat.
I stared at the ground for a few awkward moments of silence.
"Your food is in the microwave" Nia announced ending the deafening quiet.
"Thanks I'm starving" I grabbed my food and began to eat while Danny and Nia caught up on work and whats new in their lives. Before I even ate half my food it was quiet again. I crunched my toast as loudly as I could then slurped up my coffee to break the tension.
"Stop it. If you want me to talk then I will" Nia stated agitated.
"That would be nice" I smiled and crunched on my toast some more.
"Okay... where do I begin?" Nia sighed then turned to face me "You disrespected your deceased family by getting plastered at their final resting place. You got drunk in public. Ran away from the police. You got yourself arrested. And to top it all off you basically made Danny feel so bad that he bailed you out and brought you all the way home so he knew you were safe." She really laid into me after saying that "You don't think. I Lost My best friend in that fire, my whole support system and you don't see me strolling around town drunk as a bar-fly soaking in rain and self-pity. You have the fucking nerve to disrespect her. It hurt everyone to lose her she was too good to walk this earth and yet it's torment that she was taken away from it. If you think I don't cry still, if you think I don't think I should have been there to save them, If you think I don't feel upset about it anymore your fucking crazy. It haunts my dreams but what upsets me the most is that you are the last Gardner and you have the nerve to be so reckless and cruel. If you were to get hurt because you were drunk and wandering around heart broken I wouldn't have anything left Emma!" she screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.
I understood what she meant. I was the last person in her makeshift family, without her I'd have nothing,, no home,, no love,, and no chance for success, so I could see why it would work both ways.
"I will pay you back" I assured as my eyes burned with tears "I will only drink here with you and I won't be insensitive anymore. I'll try my best and do better. And I'll pay you back every penny I wasted."