Emma didn't move. She blocked the door quite competently for a woman so small.
"What do you want?" Julie asked tiredly.
"Are you really dating Aaron?" Emma asked. "At first I didn't really believe it, but… I'm beginning to wonder."
"I fail to see how that is any of your business, Emma."
"I'm just curious," Emma said, no malice detectable in her tone. "You two make a cute couple. I know we've all had our…indiscretions, but I just wanted to let you know I have no hard feelings, and I personally think that when the dumb little whore out there isn't trying to claw her way back into him, you two look good together. Between women, I'm sure the only reason she's trying to come back is because of his success. She's playing the remorse card right now, but she was always a lousy little actress, and I understand better than most people the undeniable appeal of a person with money."
For one split second, Julie almost sympathized with Emma.
"I mean, that's the only reason she went after Matt," Emma said sensibly. "She knows that she obviously meant a lot to Aaron because he was so wounded after her. She probably assumes she can get him back because she had that edge. Women like us are ruthless, Julie. You don't seem to have figured this out yet, but they are. They will do anything to get what they want."
"Why are you telling me this?" Julie asked her.
"Because you don't know how to fight back," Emma stated. "If you care about Aaron, if you want to keep him, don't go hide in the bathroom, get your ass out there and take what's yours. You're not like Shannon, and Aaron knows that, I can tell. He wouldn't have avoided being
around you as much as he did if you didn't faze him."
Frowning, Julie said, "How did you know…?"
"It's not important right now," she said impatiently. "The important thing is that Aaron is drunk right now so he's a little easy, for lack of better word, and you're letting that skank put her paws all over him. Don't. He's yours, so act like it."
Julie asked suspiciously, "Why are you doing this?"
"Aaron has been unhappy for a long time, Julie. He deserves more."
Julie was completely befuddled at that point, but without another word Emma turned around and walked right back out of the bathroom.
Shaking off her confusion, she acknowledged that most of what Emma said made sense. Aaron was drunk, and he was always more agreeable when he was drunk. Of course, that could also mean he had only tried to kiss her because he was drunk…
How did Emma know Aaron had avoided being around Julie? And why was Emma giving Julie advice? Emma had hated Julie since she met her, and suddenly there were no hard feelings?
Nothing made sense. The whole night had gone to hell.
Exiting the bathroom, Julie decided it didn't matter why Emma had decided to momentarily take Julie under her wing, it only mattered that Emma was actually right. Hiding out in the bathroom was probably only making it easier for Shannon to push Julie from Aaron's mind.
With that thought in mind, Julie marched back out to the dance floor, searching for Shannon and Aaron. When she didn't find them, she searched again. Frustrated, she was searching the floor more carefully a third time when she felt a peck on her shoulder.
She turned around, her expression still determined, but thankfully it was Aaron.
He gave her a charming smile. "Looking for someone?"
Julie offered a smile in return. "There you are."
"Yeah, I was looking for you, too, but you disappeared."
"Had to freshen up," she offered. "You were occupied, so… I didn't think you would notice."
Rolling his eyes, he said, "Yeah, my lovely sister kind of trapped me. Anyway, I think you still owe me a dance."
"Just a dance?" she said only half-jokingly.
But instead of responding playfully as she had expected, he averted his gaze a bit uncomfortably.
"It was a joke," she said quickly, but she felt her heart sink and her face redden. Forcing a brave and incredibly fake smile, she said, "I'm parched, so… um, I'm going to get a drink before the next song comes on."
Thankfully he just nodded and let her go by herself; she was glad, since she felt too disappointed to fake it if Aaron followed her.