five
New York City - Four Seasons
New Year’s Day
12:15 am.
Emma wasn’t sure how long she’d been hiding in the ladies’ lounge, but every time the door opened, she panicked. Her pulse would race, and it always took her several minutes to steady her breathing so she wouldn’t hyperventilate. Rationally, she knew she was being ridiculous, but emotionally, she felt like a child all over again. Except if she went back into the ballroom ….
“Emma?”
Elsa’s soft voice steadied her nerves enough to where she could open the stall door she was hiding behind. “Are you alone?”
“Are you okay?” Elsa asked without answering the question. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah,” Emma answered quietly. “I … I just need to get out of here. Can we go?”
“Emma,” Elsa pleaded, “tell me what happened. D
