Episode 20 - Part 1
Mary paused halfway up the stairs when she heard James' and Emily's voices. She proceeded slowly, trying to make out what was being said. Neither of them heard her as she reached the door to Emily's bedroom and stopped. She wasn't entirely sure what she was seeing. For a moment, she thought Emily's clothes must have caught fire or been infected with itching powder. What other explanation could there be for her standing in front of James in her underwear?
James: "Emily, you're a gorgeous woman…"
Mary narrowed her eyes, the fury building. She was frozen in her place, unable to utter any of the words that came to mind -- they were all coming too fast. Before she could form a coherent thought, James took note of her and quickly, quietly closed the door in her face.
She stood where she was for a moment. The voices behind the door became hushed and far away sounding. Finally, she turned around and went back downstairs, fixed herself a sandwich and sat down in front of the TV.
Moments later, James walked slowly down the stairs. He hesitated as he walked behind Mary on the couch, heading for the front door. She didn't say a word and appeared to be completely engrossed in whatever it was she was watching. He glanced at the door, and then at the back of Mary's head, and then finally back toward the stairs. Sighing inwardly, he sat down a safe distance away from Mary and affixed his eyes to the television in the hopes of giving Emily time to fall asleep without Mary pestering her about what had just happened.
James quickly found himself engrossed in the television show and was startled when something soft hit his head and he was suddenly covered with mustard.
James: "What the…"
The remains of Mary's sandwich slowly slid off his face and chest down to his lap. He peeled a slice of frighteningly orange cheese off of his knee and dropped it to the floor in disgust as he stood up.
Mary: "Get out of my house. NOW. I gave you a ten minute head start and you used it up watching … whatever the hell this is."
James: "Mary, I don't think you understand-"
Mary: "I don't think you understand that I don't CARE to understand. Couldn't you just go to the bar and pick up some random ho-bag groupie? You had to go after EMILY? Emily, James!"
James: "And what would be so terrible about that, exactly? Anything to get her away from Andy, wasn't it?"
Mary: "Not anything. Not you, not a vampire!"
James: "Ooooh, I see. Only you're allowed to have random sex with vampires. Got it."
Mary: "That's completely different!"
James: "Yeah? How's that again?"
Mary: "That was MY choice -- I wasn't being seduced by some Tall Dark and British with bedroom eyes singing sweet lies to me!"
James: "Right, got it. Men and vampires are both okay, as long they're open about the fact they're sleazebags."
Mary: "At least I can make an informed decision!"
James: "Why, I think you're on to something here! Why on earth would anyone EVER want to be with someone they liked and who they thought actually cared about them, too? Much better to lay down and spread for any dirt bag who's spent the last several months TRYING TO MURDER YOU. Call me crazy, but in my book that's a little sick."
James managed to duck the second object Mary sent hurtling toward his face, this time her fist instead of a sandwich. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to sit back down on the couch. She was visibly shaken and didn't put up a fight.
Mary: "It wasn't like that. I had complete control of the situation."
James: "I'll bet."
Mary: "You know what? My personal life is not open for discussion."
James: "But Emily's is? And mine? You can't have it both ways. You may have been able to pull of this holier-than-thou crap before Christmas, but woman, you have lost all credibility now. I don't mean to be hurtful, but you have to understand that you do not live in a vacuum, removed from subjective reality. At some point you have to ask yourself why you are really so obsessed with forcing everything and everyone to conform to your designs."
Mary: "Because if I don't, then everything falls apart. You don't understand. You weren't there. I did let go. I let go and I shouldn't have. I know it, Emily knows it. I failed her, and I'm not going to do it again. Someone has to do something."
James: "And what if nothing can be done? What if you don't have any power in this situation, no matter what?"
Mary: "Unacceptable."
James studied Mary's face. The resoluteness in her eyes was compelling. He found himself wondering why this woman was focusing all of her fierce determination on someone else's life instead of her own. She could've given Andrew Stone a run for his money and owned half of Deception Pass by now if she'd wanted to.
James: "Why?"
Mary: "Emily has had more than her share of disappointments in life. She's been let down at every turn. Do you know how that feels? Yet after all that, she still has hope. She still believes that there are people out there who will see her, who will love her, who will protect her. She's surrounded herself with the cads and losers for so long, from day one really, she has no idea how to protect herself. She gets hurt, and she thinks it's her own fault. So she keeps on trying, over and over. Trying to make it work this time. And what's going to happen when her faith gets broken for the last time? After that final betrayal, that last straw?"