It's been about 5 months since prom and Emmett and I haven't even talked about that night. We're still just best friends. I'm afraid that he was just caught up in the moment at prom and he didn't actually feel anything for me. So we haven't talked about what happened and actually we act like it never happened. I have all of the pictures that Uncle Charlie and Alice took of that night. I have the picture that Alice took of us, with my head laying on his chest and his head on top of mine framed on my bedside table. He has seen it, he knows it's there, but he doesn't even mention that night at all.
It was September 13th. My cousin's birthday and Alice and I had a surprise party planned for her at the Cullens house, just family of course. I was up before Bella and I was in the bathroom putting on my make up and listening to my ipod. I was listening to B-e-a-utiful by Megan Nicole. I heard Bella starting to stir in her room. I also heard Uncle Charlie given her, her presents and telling her he thought he saw a gray hair. I shook my head. If only you knew how torn up Bella was about her birthday. I said to myself as I finished applying my mascara.
I was eating my breakfast when Bella finally came down. "Happy Birthday Bella." I said with a smile as I hugged her. She hugged me back, but I felt her tense when I said it. I gave an apologetic smile as I resumed my seat. After a while we left and headed to school.
Right as we pulled up in the school parking lot my favorite song came on my ipod. I turned the volume up a little bit and sang along as Bella and I got out of her truck. We were there before the Cullens, so I just leaned on the hood facing the school as she and I waited. I didn't hear anyone come up because I was blasting my music. I felt someone put their hands on my waist and lift me up onto the hood of Bella's car. I jumped a little, but relaxed when I saw it was Emmett when he turned me around. I took my headphones out and turned my ipod off turning it off.
"Hey Em!" I smiled widely and leaned forward to give him a hug. He hugged me back and kissed my cheek. It didn't surprise me because he always does that now, all the time. "Hey Aer. So are you gonna come home with us and help set up, while Eddie and Bella go to her house for bit?" I giggled when I heard Edward subtly growl for the nickname. I nodded my head trying to control my giggles. Emmett just smiled widely at me and poked my side making me jump and laugh even more. He laughed along with me and helped me down from the hood when the bell went off. I waved to everyone as I made my way to class.
It was lunch and as I made my way to our table I noticed that everyone was staring at me today. Once I got to my seat I visibly relaxed. Everyone gave me questioning looks. "What's wrong Aer?" Emmett asked concerned. "Do you guys know why everyone is staring at me?" Edward started to laugh uncontrollably and I started to fidget. Emmett growled at him and pulled my chair closer to his. "The guys are staring because they think that the summer was very good to you," he said winking. "The girls on the other hand are staring because he have caught the eye of every male here and they are irritated with you for that." he laughed even more.
"Edward, I really could have gone the rest of my life not knowing that. Now, I'm gonna feel awkward around talking to my guy friends. The girls, well, they are just being stupid." "So do you feel awkward around us?" Emmett inquired. I always feel awkward around you. Don't say a word Edward. "No, because Edward and Jasper are with someone and you are my best friend. I can tell you anything." I looked at Edward and he gave me a look on that last statement. You better keep quiet. The bell rang then and I made my way to my third block.
The last bell of the day just rang and I made my way to Edward's Volvo. I was listening to My Kind of Perfect by David Archuleta when I left someone grab my waist. I looked and saw Emmett and continued to listen to my song and sing. I leaned against the car and watched Jasper and Alice and Bella and Edward make their way our way singing this song. They all look so perfect together. They look like they have everything they could possibly want. I looked at Emmett and saw he was messing with his phone. I sighed and wished that was us.
"So, Aeriel you're coming with us right and Bella and Edward are going to her house?" I nodded my head and got into the passenger side on the Volvo. The boys got in the back and Alice got in the drivers seat. We peeled out of the parking lot and made our way to the Cullen house. When we got there Esme greeted me at the door and she asked if I wanted a snack. I nodded my head and thanked her before Alice dragged me off to her room.
"Alice slow down or you'll tear my arm off!" I yelled as I felt an uncomfortable pop take place in my shoulder. She slowed down and apologized before shutting her door and turning to me with an evil grin. I smiled timidly, scared of what she had in store for me. "I'm doing your hair, make up, and dressing you for the party tonight." "Alice what's wrong with this?" I gestured to how I looked. "Emmett's used to seeing you in those kind of clothes. If you want to get his attention you gotta spice it up every once in a while." She stated plainly. I huffed and dropped the subject. I knew arguing would get me nowhere with her, so I just did what I was told.
After an hour she was finally finished and I was allowed to go downstairs. I walked down the stairs with my shoes in my hand. I told her I refused to wear my heels until it was time for the party. She grudgingly let me have my way. I walked into the living room and took a seat in one of the chairs by the big window and grabbed the book I left here and read. I heard someone walk in, but I didn't look up. They continued what they were doing so I figured they hadn't noticed me yet. When the shuffling stopped and I heard a thud I looked up to see that Emmett had fallen from his place on the ladder.
I jumped from my place and rushed to him. "Emmett! Are you okay? What happened, you're not usually clumsy! With you being a vampire and all." I said as I leaned over him. He didn't say anything; he just continued to look at me. "Emmett? Hello?" I waved my hand in front of his face. He jumped then coming back from La La Land.
"Aeriel? Is that you?" I nodded. "I know it's over the top. Alice got her hands on me," I said with a grimace. "No, it looks just right. You should dress up like this more often. You would have all the guys all over you. Oh, no, nevermind. Don't ever wear this in public." He said. I giggled and shook my head. A few of the curls came loose. I put my hand out to help him up even though I knew he didn't need it.
"Aeriel, put your shoes on this instant! Bella will be here in a minute!" Alice screeched at me when she saw I was still barefoot. I grumbled and slipped the wedges on. She nodded and turned back to the door. Edward and Bella came in then and Alice flashed Bella's camera. "I hope you don't mind. I found it in your bag." Alice said. Bella shook her head and hugged everyone. "Okay you two picture time. Show a little love." I smiled at them. I knew I wanted a copy of that one. "Okay now the two cousins!" Esme said in a singsong voice. I smiled big at Bella and hopped to her side. "Pose or no pose?" "Pose." She said simply. I nodded and we posed. We turned our back to each other. Bella out her back against my leg and leaned against me with her arms crossed. I put made a gun with my hands and pretended to blow on the gun tip. We saw the flash and we laughed. Another flash went off as we laughed.
"Bella it's time to open presents!" I exclaimed, excited for her to open my present. I watched Alice hand her Emmett, Jasper and mine present. She tore the paper off and looked at the box. She almost looked like she analyzing it. I giggled and turned a little red. She opened the box and didn't bother with hiding her surprise."
"Um … thanks." I couldn't help it I busted out laughing and held onto the banister for some support. Jasper laughed also, but explain nonetheless. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it." She shook her head, but thanked us anyway. She yelled her thanks to Emmett outside. All that we heard was his booming laugh and Bella's. Alice handed Bella her and Edwards present to her.
"You promised," she said glaring at him. I giggled as Emmett came in, "Just in time!" Edward assured her he didn't spend a dime. She took the present and Emmett chuckled again. I nudged him and he returned it wrapping his arm around my waist. I leaned against him as I watched my cousin open her present. But, as she was opening it she got a paper. Everything happened so fast that I had a hard time keeping up. Jasper lunged for Bella as Edward flung him and Bella back and Emmett and Carlisle restrained Jasper. I rushed to Bella's side when I saw she was flung into glass decorations.
"Bella your arm! Are you okay?" I asked scared. I didn't notice I had tears in my eyes until she started wiping them away. "Hey, shush. It's okay. I'm okay." She cooed. I nodded and backed up, so Carlisle could look at her arm. Carlisle told Edward and me to go out and make sure Jasper was okay. I rushed out of the house and when I came within ten feet of them I stopped. "Jasper is it okay if I come near you?" He hung his head, but nodded anyways. I went to his side and talked softly to him, "Hey, it's okay. Bella's not mad and neither am I. I know you think you are horrible for reacting that way, but no one was expecting that." I looked at me and smiled sadly before he called to Alice and they ran into the woods. I hung my head and sat on the tree stump.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up. You tried to comfort him." I looked at Emmett and flung my arms around his neck and cried into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around me and made cooing sounds in my ear. "Aeriel look at me baby." I snapped my head up when he used that pet name. He had never used it before. I continued to look into his eyes as he began to lean down. Just when our lips would have met I turned my head and hung it. "Hey, what's wrong? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made that move." He said pleading with me. I shook my head. "No, no, it's just that last time we kissed the next day you acted like nothing happened between us. I'm not going through again." I said not looking at him. He grabbed my chin and made me look at him. "Not this time." Was all he said before he brought his lips to mine and kissed me.
It had been three days since Bella's birthday party and three days since I saw Emmett. Bella and I had just pulled in the drive after school when we saw Edward. I waved and made my way into the house figuring Emmett was in my room. He wasn't there. I guess he was busy.
It had been hours since Bella went with Edward into the woods and she still wasn't home. I really started to worry when Charlie came home and she hadn't shown up. I told Charlie and he began freaking out. He called some of his buddies from La Push to help him find her.
A man named Sam Uley had finally found her after hours of searching. Charlie brought her into the living room and covered her with a blanket. I was silently crying in the corner just seeing her like that. I tried to call the Cullens, but no one answered. I ran upstairs to my room and went to grab my jacket off my bed when I saw I folded piece of paper. I walked over to it and saw my name on it. I picked it up and read:
Aeriel.
We are leaving. I don't think we will ever come back. People were starting to get suspicious of us. I know that you will be the last to know, but I couldn't bare to tell you this face to face. It wasn't fair to you. To just leave after we had just confessed our feelings for each other. I know you will hate me, but if it's real, our feeling for each other … then you will understand why we had to leave, why I couldn't face you. This will be the last time I contact you. Don't try to call us or go to the house. We won't answer and we won't be there.
It's to forget us. Don't let me leaving stop you from finding someone. I love you, baby.
Emmett
I couldn't believe what I was reading. I screamed and began to sob uncontrollably. Uncle Charlie busted into my room and threw his arms around me. I continued to shake and sob as I handed him the letter. He read it and turned red in the face. "My poor girls. I hope they never show up again. The sorry bastard didn't even have the guts to tell you to your face." He growled. I sobbed even harder.
The months passed in a blur for Bella and me.
OctoberNovemberDecember
January
It was February and I was fine now. I didn't think about them, didn't talk about them, I didn't even look at all of our pictures. I threw everything that had anything to do with them away. Bella on the other hand still hadn't bounced back. I promised myself that if I ever see Emmett or Edward again I would find a way to hurt them as bad as they had hurt us, hopefully worse.
I guess Uncle Charlie was tired of Bella's depressed state because he completely blew up. Threatening to send her to her mother. Once she lied about going out with Jessica and Angela Charlie eased up and went back inside. I shook my head and got in the truck.
Bella started hanging out with Jacob Black and his buddies down in La Push. She was never home anymore, but it didn't bother me because she was getting better and that's all that mattered. I was listening to ipod on my ihome cleaning the house. I heard the door open, but I didn't think anything of it.
"Aeriel!" I whirled around to come face to face with Alice. I gasped and flung my arms around her. "What are you doing here?" Before she could say a word Bella's truck pulled into the drive. We waited for her to come in. When she saw Alice she launched at her and asked about the others. Alice said she was the only on and she wondering how Bella was alive. I listened silently from my perch. Jacob came into the house then and Alice left leaving Bella and Jacob to talk. I watched them walk out of the living room and into the kitchen. Alice rushes in then right as the phone goes off. Jacob answers the phone and starts to get really mad. Bella started yelling at him and demanding why he didn't let her to talk to him. By him I was guessing it was Edward.
Bella and Alice rush out of the house then and get into Carlisle's Mercedes. I run out of the house and push Jacob aside. "Bella what are you doing? He left you! Emmett left me! We swore we would never have anything to do with either one again!" I screeched. She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Aeriel, I love him," was all she said before they sped off.
Bella finally showed up three days later with Edward. I glared at him the whole time he brought Bella into the house. Uncle Charlie shouted at him and said he could never set foot through his door again. Once he had finished and closed the door I came out from my hiding place.
"You have a lot of nerve coming back after the hell you put her through! How could you do that to her? Don't try to explain yourself or your brother because I, unlike Bella, don't want to hear it. Now, I suggest you leave before I use my Uncle's baseball bat on your head, you sorry bastard." I spat as I made my way into the house slamming the door. When I walked into my room my phone was ringing. It was an unknown number so I answered it.
"Hello?" "Aeriel, it's Emmett. Listen let me explain myself." I hung up without a word and blocked the number. You should get the picture. I thought. I walked into Bella's room and saw her sleeping peacefully. I closed the door and slid against the wall beside and sat on the floor with my head in my hands.
I woke up the next morning and walked downstairs to start breakfast. When I got downstairs Bella was making breakfast for the first time in months. "Bella?" I questioned unsure of myself. She turned around smiling and handed me a plate of pancakes. I smiled back and ate my pancakes.
"Here are the keys to the truck. I'm riding with Edward." She said like the past months hadn't happened. I ignored her and walked to the truck. I arrived at school ten minutes later and headed for my friends. I smiled when I approached them, but they were staring behind them. I turned and saw them turning in. I smiled and waved at my friends before making my way over to Alice and Jasper.
"Alice! Jasper!" I screamed as I sprinted across the parking lot. I reached Jasper first and hugged him. I then hugged Alice. "I've missed you two!" I heard someone clear his or her throat behind me. I turned around with a glare on my face.
"What? What could you possibly have to say? I'm sorry? Let me explain? No, Emmett, let me explain. I hate you! You left me and didn't even tell me about it. You kissed me and left. I'm through with you. I forgave you for ignoring that incident at prom because it was trivial. Now, though, this is far from it. Bella may have forgiving Edward, but I will not be as forgiving. So do me and everyone else a favor and leave me alone." I looked at his heartbroken face and I wanted to take it all back and be like Bella and forgive him, but I had to stay strong. I had to prove that I was worth having, not just something to pass time with.