19 - Promise Me

"Oh. My. God." was the only thing that escaped Alison's wide open mouth. "Mona?" Alison whispered mostly to herself.

"Hi, you guys!" Mona waved enthusiastically to the group. She was nearly unrecognizable. Gone was the dorky sweater, replaced with a stylish dress, gone were the glasses, instead, she was wearing contacts, and gone were the horrific pigtails, her hair now loose and falling delicately on her shoulders. Alison had to confess, it was quite impressive. Mona finally didn't look like a loser.

Noel pulled Mona closer, declaring to everyone, "Guys, this is Mona. Mona, these are Toby, Spencer, Ezra, Aria, Hanna, Caleb, Emily and Alison," he ran an introduction, pointing at each person as he spoke their name.

Alison looked over to Emily, who seemed almost as confused and surprised as she was.

"Actually, I know Mona already," Alison said tentatively to Noel, still taken back by the whole scenario.

"Well, you know everyone, Ali-" Noel's knowing chuckle was interrupted by Spencer.

"No, we all know Mona already. How are you, Mona? You look... different," Spencer asked Mona with a skeptic smile, as if she could read the minds of everyone in the room.

"My friends CeCe and Sara came to visit me and they gave me a makeover. Does it look okay?" Mona asked hesitantly.

"It looks perfect," Noel assured and kissed the top of Mona's head.

Alison wasn't sure how she felt about this ridiculously strange scenario. She presumed she was glad that Noel's mystery date wasn't some stranger, but on the other hand, this was Mona. Loser Mona. Alison decided to debate what Emily would tell her about this whole situation. She came to the conclusion that the brunette would say that from everything Alison had learned in the past few days, maybe Mona wasn't as bad as she thought. Giving the short girl the benefit of the doubt, Alison switched her eyes switched carefully between Noel and Mona.

Ezra glanced at the big clock on the brick wall, noticing the time before announcing to the group, "Well, it was really nice to see you again, Mona, but we should really get going."

Everyone mumbled agreements and went to grab their bags, except for Alison who rooted in her spot a bit longer. She snapped out of her thoughts, lifted her chin and made her way to Mona, who was now standing alone since Noel went to help Toby carry some of the bags.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed," Alison said to the short brunette, folding her arms over her chest.

"Thank you, Alison," Mona said to Alison in admiration and smiled.

Alison examined Mona for a second longer, making the girl squirm under her criticizing gaze, then spoke again. "Take care of Noel, okay? He can be a douche sometimes, but he's a good guy," Alison finished with a small nod and turned around to get her bag, when a hand closed around her wrist. She spun back around and met Mona's brown eyes.

"Thank you. For giving me a chance, Alison," Mona said gratefully. Only genuine appreciation was evident in her brown orbs.

"It's Ali now, I guess," the blonde said with an aloof shrug, but that only got Mona to smile at her widely, making her break into a petite smile of her own. Yes, this was definitely surreal.

Alison looked to her left and caught a glimpse of Emily, laughing along with Caleb and Hanna at something on the computer. Alison's faint smile could only increase at the sight of her girlfriend. "I'm not the same person I was a week ago, Mona. I know that sounds like a bit of a reach but I really am trying to be better. For her."

Mona looked over to see what Alison had her eyes on, and smiled when she saw none other than Emily. "Who on earth would've thought you'd end up dating Emily and I'd be dating Noel?" she quipped and Alison shared a light laugh.

"I don't know. But I'm really glad it worked out this way."

XXXXX

After Mona and Noel left, everyone climbed into the cars and drove off in the direction of the Hastings' lake house. The ride didn't feel very long, especially when Emily, Alison and Hanna who were in the same car, sang along exaggeratedly to songs on the radio, while Caleb tried to smother his laughter and focus on driving. Caleb had to stop Hanna a few times from getting too carried away while listening to Maroon 5, and Alison, surprisingly, had to do the same for Emily when it came to Beyonce. Caleb followed their friends' car in front of them on the road so that the drive passed by smoothly, and they all arrived at the lake house at around 7:30 PM.

Toby, Spencer, Aria and Ezra, who drove together in the same car, reached there beforehand and were already getting settled in when the others arrived. Although the lake house had several bedrooms, the extremely spacious living room with the enormous fireplace - that no doubt showed the wealth of the Hastings family - seemed a bit more inviting, and they all decided to go ahead and sleep together in the living room. They took out a plethora of blankets and sleeping bags out of the closet, then split up to their own businesses until the time they had to go to bed.

Alison led Emily by the hand out of the threshold, and Emily, being her curious self, couldn't help but at least wonder where they were heading.

"Where are we going?" Emily asked as they crossed the wide porch to the front yard, over to an area that was hidden from most by a stylish partition. Alison didn't answer, only gave Emily an encouraging smile that showed her dimples. Emily didn't ask any following questions as she allowed Alison to lead her. Alison smirked to herself in satisfaction when the only sounds she heard were the sounds of the nature around them, and not the sounds of Emily's protests. Little did she know, that Emily would follow her anywhere and everywhere without protesting, because that was what you did when you loved someone as deeply and as passionately as Emily loved Alison.

It was very dark outside, and with the sounds of crickets and the sights of fireflies, Emily swore the whole scene felt like a fairytale. The lake house stood still in the background, its roof covered in twinkling lights that reflected on the lake water and illuminated the darkness. Alison thought the place looked absolutely beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as the mesmerizing brunette who's fingers were intertwined with hers. When Alison finally reached the place she had planned to take Emily to, she let go of the brunette's hand and smiled softly.

"I didn't know they had a hot tub here," Emily stated in a matter-of-factly.

"I found out about it the last time the five of us were up here. Spencer doesn't know I know, so if anybody asks where we went, you have to lie about it. It'll be our little secret," Alison finished and smirked as she closed the distance, taking hold of Emily's hands and brushing her thumbs against the top of them. She noticed Emily looking away at the sound of her words, her eyes becoming distant and unfocused, and she couldn't help but turn a little worried. "Em?"

"I'm not the same girl I was before we started dating, Ali. I don't want any more secrets, as little and unimportant as they may be. You were wrong before. They didn't keep us close, they just tore us apart. I want... I want you to promise me no more secrets," Emily spilled what was on her mind as she stared into Alison's concerned eyes.

The brunette knew she couldn't control Alison's mind or how she chose to handle people, which was a good thing, since she wanted their relationship to be between two equals. However, she also acknowledged that Alison was a stubborn being, that the blonde wouldn't give up on her habit of untruthfulness so easily, but she hoped that if she gave Alison all of her heart and love, it would be enough in order to at least stop with the meaningless lying and secrets that Alison was so infamous for, because that was the one subject Emily was sure Alison was wrong about.

"Emily, what are-" Alison was cut off by Emily.

"I love you, Ali, more than anything I've ever loved in my life. And I don't want you to live in an ugly web of lies. All I'm saying is it's not too late to fix it."

"Fix what?" Alison was still confused as to what Emily was getting at, gazing at her obliviously as she dropped her arms to her sides.

"The fact that lying is your second language, Ali," Emily replied, her tone turning a bit sharper, getting Alison to clamp her mouth shut. Alison stared at the brunette's honest eyes for a few moments, Emily boldly holding the eye contact, before sighing heavily, all the air leaving her sails.

"I don't think I know how to do that, Em," she admitted in a small voice and Emily appreciated seeing the vulnerable side of the blonde. She grabbed Alison's hand as softly as she could, turning candid.

"Yes, you do, Ali. If... If you just tell the truth from now on, not creating small lies as you go as if they were air, things will fall into place, I know that for a fact. You'd be surprised by how easy it is to just be honest."

Alison's look of interest kept Emily going, "Look, life gets tough, and sometimes... Sometimes you need to lie to keep someone from getting hurt, I get it. But most of the time, lies just spill out of us even if we don't want them to. That's what happens in Rosewood. Everyone knows everyone and sometimes I feel like our whole town is just one big lie altogether. But it doesn't mean we have to follow the same guidelines."

Alison's eyes turned glossed over as she listened to Emily's genuine, wise words. Because even if she didn't want to admit it, she knew Emily was right. She was a living, breathing lie. She used to be proud of that fact but now, she just wanted it to stop too, and maybe, with Emily by her side, it could.

"Promise me," Emily repeated so Alison would snap back to the present.

"I promise," Alison said in an almost whisper, nodding her head softly. "I promise you, Em, I'll try my best to stop with the unnecessary lies." Emily searched her face for any indication that she was lying, pleased when she found none. "I'll do anything for you, you know that, right?" the blonde asked with a shaky breath as she rested her forehead on Emily's, deep love laced in her tone of speech.

Emily closed her eyes, murmuring, "I love you so much, Alison."

"I love you too, Emily." Alison answered back and nudged the brunette's nose softly with hers, making them both smile gently.

Alison shifted so her chin was resting on Emily's shoulder while they embraced each other in a protective hug. They stayed there, safe in each other's arms and feeling warmth inside, until Alison pulled away and took hold of Emily's hand.

"Come here," she said and tugged the brunette's hand gingerly, leading her towards the hot tub. She turned it on easily and spun back to face Emily.

The blonde grabbed the bottom of Emily's shirt, and Emily took the hint, lifting her arms, allowing the shirt to be peeled off of her body by Alison.

Soon enough, they were both only in their undergarments, giggling as they climbed into the hot tub together. They sat on the bench inside of it, close to each other, with their feet tangled under the water. Alison inched closer to Emily and grabbed the brunette's arm, lifting and moving it so it would rest protectively around her shoulder. She snuggled into Emily's side, allowing the brunette to kiss the top of her head tenderly.

Not a single word escaped their lips as they sat in comfortable silence, soaking in the feeling as the time flew by. Both their minds were clouded with thoughts about none other than each other, and the bliss they felt was almost enough to put them to sleep right then and there. They spoke in a soft tone occasionally, exchanging words of love and admiration, cherishing the feelings of immense closeness that they sensed at that moment.

After a while of them enjoying the water and the mood, the hot tub started producing bubbles, which made the machine release strange sounds that did not signal good.

"I don't think it's supposed to do that," Emily confessed as she looked around, searching for a button that'll stop the bothering noise, but finding none. "Maybe we should turn it off and go back to the lake house to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow and I don't want us falling asleep in the middle of the concert," she suggested with a small giggle.

Alison groaned in dissatisfaction, but stopped when she felt a pair of warm lips on hers. Emily gave Alison a chaste kiss, pulling away when the sounds got louder and groaning herself.

"Come on, it won't stop unless we turn it off," Emily said as she pulled Alison to her feet. They both exited the hot tub and Emily finally turned it off, making the bothering sounds stop. The only noises reaching their ears were once again the sounds of nature. Before Emily got a hold of her clothes, Alison brought her to a kiss, and Emily rested her hands on Alison's hips, urging her to stay in the moment. When they pulled away, Alison looked into Emily's warm, inviting, brown orbs and sighed inaudibly.

"Thank you," she said simply.

"For stopping the noises?" Emily asked teasingly, making Alison roll her eyes playfully.

"For your reality check earlier. I needed that. Honestly, what did I do to deserve you?" Alison asked the brunette with a hint of sadness in her voice, eyes fleeting down to the ground.

Emily grabbed Alison's chin and lifted it, forcing their eyes to meet. "You were you, Ali," she answered back easily yet genuinely, "and I am so in love with that person."

The brunette gave a swooning Alison one more peck on the lips before turning to get dressed. Alison shook out of her daze and got dressed as well before they both walked back to the lake house hand in hand.

"Where have you two been?" Hanna asked in amusement while raising a suggestive eyebrow as Emily and Alison walked inside the house, making both girls roll their eyes.

"In the hot tub," Alison uttered simply and winked at Emily, who was already staring at her proudly for taking what she said earlier to heart. It was a small thing, but Emily was contented to see the beginning of a progress. The old Alison would've said some snarky or mysterious comment, but the new and changed Alison told the truth, ignoring Aria's raised eyebrows and the knowing look that Hanna exchanged with Spencer.

Emily and Alison sat down on the couch and Toby came back from the kitchen, carrying a tray littered with mugs. The mugs contained hot chocolate with marshmallows and Toby placed it down on the coffee table, letting the pleasant aroma fill the air.

By this time, the entire group had assembled in the living room. They each took their spot next to their partners, all snuggling around the fireplace with blankets around their shoulders. They grabbed their mugs and began drinking the hot liquid while discussing their plans for tomorrow.

"I remember a really cool diner my family used to go to in this area, we could have breakfast there. It's really close by, if you guys want to go there in the morning," Spencer proposed, nestled next to Toby as the light from the fireplace radiated against her face.

"Sure, that sounds good," Hanna nodded with a smile.

"What are we going to do until the concert tomorrow? Any place worth going to in the area?" Caleb asked mostly Spencer since she was the one who was clearly more familiar with the area.

"Well, we're not far away from Philly whatsoever, so we can do something there," Spencer advised while heading to refill her cup, this time with coffee.

"I've always wanted to go to the zoo in Philly," Emily said in a small voice, feeling slightly flustered. She didn't want her friends thinking that she was childish for wanting to go to a zoo, but when an encouraging smile appeared on Toby's face, she continued. "It could be fun, I haven't been to a zoo in almost ten years," she concluded and looked at the group, searching for a sign of approval.

Alison smiled at the way Emily's eyes twinkled as she spoke. She loved how Emily could go from mature and serious to childish and playful in a matter of seconds. "Sounds like a plan," Alison backed her up while placing a hand on her thigh. Emily beamed at her gratefully and the blonde grinned back.

Emily looked into Alison's eyes and, like every time, she had to hold herself from drowning in the ocean that appeared inside those blue globes. Alison's eyes never failed to amaze Emily. They were absolutely mesmerizing, and one of her favorite features about Alison, not that she could ever pick a favorite. Emily never got tired of looking at Alison, even more so these days - now that she was her girlfriend.

After exchanging a few looks between them, the group agreed to Emily's suggestion and the girl smiled brightly in triumph. The time passed by seamlessly, until it was getting rather late.

"We should probably go to sleep if we don't want to wake up like zombies tomorrow," Spencer resolved the evening with a wistful sigh.

"Yeah, I guess. But I want to eat something first," Hanna said casually.

"What time is it?" Caleb asked while looking around, searching for a clock.

"Uh, half passed I'm hungry," Hanna answered as if it was obvious and walked to the kitchen with Caleb in tow, who was still chuckling at her joke.

The rest of them got ready to go to sleep as they'd arranged. Ezra and Aria decided to sleep together on the loveseat, Spencer and Toby cuddled up on the big armchair that could successfully fit two people, Hanna and Caleb were fine with sleeping on the floor after they returned from the kitchen with a bag of chips, and Emily and Alison were still struggling with their sleeping location. Alison suggested the couch, but Emily started arguing about how they always took the couch and maybe they should just give it to Hanna and Caleb instead. Alison loved that Emily had such a good soul and that she always took care of everybody before herself, but at that moment, she just wanted to sleep comfortably, and not on a wooden floor. After Hanna and Caleb convinced Emily that they preferred it on the floor, the girls consented to sleeping on the couch. They both laid down on the spacious couch with a thick blanket covering them.

"Good night, Ali," Emily whispered and pecked Alison on the cheek, but the blonde had a different idea in mind. After Alison was certain everyone had fallen asleep, she turned to Emily and as she expected, the brunette wasn't asleep. Emily turned to her as well, and the light pink blanket ruffled as they shifted. They looked into each other's eyes, and Alison felt the tension between them slowly build, as the entire room seemed to fade away. Her eyes fleeted between down to the brunette's lip and she discovered she wasn't the only one with this idea in mind, since Emily inched closer to her.

Emily had long forgotten all about the people in the room, as her eyes fixated on Alison and her body leaned forward. She met Alison's lips devotedly and soon after, she released her arm from under the blanket and moved it to rest delicately on Alison's cheek. Alison responded to the kiss as she shifted her arm from under the blanket as well, only to place it on Emily's higher back, bringing the brunette closer to her. Their lips moved in a rhythm, a perfect sync.

Alison shifted until she was on top of Emily, not straddling her lap, but simply lying half-way on Emily's body, never breaking the kiss. It seemed like forever passed before they had to break for air, and right as they were about to part away to catch their breaths, they heard the sound of a throat clearing behind them. They pulled away from each other hastily and turned around to see who disturbed their kiss.

They saw Spencer standing next to the couch, crossing her arms over her chest with an unamused glare. "Oh, hey, Spence..." Emily said awkwardly as she looked anywhere but at the girl herself. Alison only fell her previous spot beside Emily and rolled her eyes at Spencer, annoyed at her best friend for interrupting her kiss with her girlfriend. "We'll, uh, we'll go to sleep," Emily amended in pure embarrassment, her cheeks blazing as she turned away from Alison, still in dismay from the situation she was trapped in.

Alison only grumbled a curse at the interference and sat up to meet Spencer's threatening glare. "Thanks," she mouthed to her sarcastically, before falling down on the couch with a frustrated thud. Spencer only shook her head in pure disbelief.

"That was my nana's couch."