Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing.
This was originally written for 30 days of Emmett Hope you enjoy!
I grabbed my plunger and the snaking wire and headed toward the stairs. 2C. Fucking, Ms. Hale! If she'd just quit flushing her tampons down the damn toilet, I'd stop having to snake the fuckers out! I wondered if that woman was just too damn lazy to throw them in the trash, or if it was her way of getting me into her apartment. I tended to think the latter. Rosalie Hale was a good fifteen years older than me-give or take a decade. It was tough to tell by her face. Booze will steal years in a heartbeat and it was impossible to tell exactly how many she'd been robbed of. The many tiaras and pageant trophies lining the shelves in her living room served as evidence that she'd not always been an unemployed alcoholic living off of alimony. You could still see the remnants of her glamorous youth hidden within the alcohol induced lines on her swollen face. The dozens of pictures on her walls told the story of a younger, happier Rosalie Hale. They each depicted a proud and smiling beauty queen-someone completely the opposite of who we now knew here at Forks Manor. Usually complaining about something, the only smile I ever got from Ms. Hale was covered in too much lipstick which she put on as an attempt to woo me into her bed. If she ever made the attempt sober, I might actually take her up on it-I am a guy, after all. And it had been a while. But I definitely wouldn't feel good about it the next day.
I reached the second floor and stopped dead in my tracks. On the floor in front of the apartment next door to the "Hale Hole" sat a stranger. And she was crying.
Okay.
What was I supposed to do? I should have asked if she was lost. But that might have involved continuing a conversation. I could have asked her if something was wrong.
But that might have involved her actually telling me and my having to console her. I could have just walked past like I didn't see her. That would be the thoughtless and uncaring option. And seeing as thoughtless and uncaring seemed to work for me, I did just that.
Ms. Hale opened her apartment door promptly after the first knock. She almost wore a gold tank top, her breasts spilling out over the top. Her long blond hair hanging over her shoulders was all that kept her from being completely revealed. Her bottom half sported leopard-print, spandex pants. They rested snugly just below the pooch of a belly that had probably once been remarkable abs. A butterfly tattoo, now looking more like a lost moth, adorned her pelvic bone. "I've been waiting for you to...uh...fix my plumbing." Her words were raspy and her breath smelled of vodka and stale cigarettes. She draped herself across the door frame and when I tried to enter, she showed no intention of moving aside.
I did my best not to make eye contact, focusing instead on the black high heeled shoes she was wearing. "I need you to step aside, Ms. Hale, so I can get in there and do my job." I spoke with all the patience I had to offer, which wasn't much.
Her fingers landed on my shoulder and traced the outline of muscle she found there. She moved down my arm until she placed her hand in mine and led me to the bathroom. I already knew how to fucking get there. She called just about every day. It'd already been 3 times this week and it was only Thursday. She never had a problem in the main bathroom off of the living room. No. It was always the one off of her bedroom.
"You are always SO good at your job, Emmy. But I bet you are good at lots of things."
The little swirl pattern she was tracing on my forearm with her fingernail was making me nauseous. And nothing could make me feel more masculine than being called "Emmy." It wouldn't matter what she said. Ms. Hale's attempts at seduction were always fouled by the slur of her words and the stumble in her stride.
It's Friday, Emmett. Just a few more hours and you can finally go home for the weekend. I told myself.
Shortly after stepping into her bathroom, I discovered there was no plumbing emergency. Her toilet was fine, other than it needed to be cleaned. She may have wanted me to attend her plumbing needs but it had nothing to do with her toilet. I grabbed my plunger and started walking back the way I'd come.
"Where are you going? You just got here," she said
"I don't have time for games Ms. Hale. There are other people in this building with real problems, needing real repairs." There were no other calls for me at the time, but she didn't need to know that. I would have said whatever it took to get me out of her apartment.
"But what about my needs?" she shouted. "I have needs!"
She latched onto my arm and was repeatedly shouting that sentence in a drunken slur as I struggled to get back out into the hall.
That's when I noticed her. The girl I'd ignored on the way in. She was still on the floor beside the door. I knew it wasn't right. She was a stranger. She owed me nothing. She was crying for Christ's sake! But I did it anyway.
Using the best impersonation I could of someone capable of caring for another human being, I spoke in the direction of the stranger on the floor. "Hey, baby! There you are. I bet you've been looking for me."
The girl moved just a bit and I could now tell her face was bright red and her eyes were swollen. I actually felt a little bad, but mostly because I was afraid she was going to ignore me. I tried again, this time placing my hand on her shoulder.
"No reason to cry, baby. I'm here now," I said with enthusiasm, rubbing and consoling her, hoping she'd play along. Selfish bastard.
She looked up. Her large brown eyes rimmed with red; wide and soulful.
"Okay?" Just that one word left her lips, more of a whisper than anything, but I realized it must have been enough when I heard the door slam behind me.
Thank God!
I immediately took her hand and pulled her up from the fetal position she was in on the floor. She must have been there quite a while because her legs had gotten stiff, causing her to stumble. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to steady her.
"Man, I don't know who you are, but thank you so fucking much!" I whispered. "That pickled bitch has been trying to get into my pants ever since I started working here." She just looked at me, her eyes still wide. Her mouth sat open. She said nothing, which is actually a trait I normally like in women, so I felt compelled to continue. "If I push her away, she complains to my boss. And I really need this job."
She opened her mouth to speak, but only a squeak came out. That's when I realized she'd probably been crying for a really long time.
"Shit. I'm sorry. Here I am only worried about my own ass."
Although she'd not spoken but one word, I owed her. I felt a sudden need to make things right for her...at least for the moment anyway.
"I'll be right back. Don't move."
I ran the three flights down to my apartment in the basement. Actually, it was the janitor's closet. But it was large, wired, and had running water. The owner of the building agreed to let me set up a cot and a tiny fridge in there. Since I was working two hours from home, it allowed me a place to live during the week to save gas and I could steal home on the weekends to spend time with Heidi. And Mr. Newton could advertise a round-the-clock super on the premises to lure in renters. Win. Win. As much as I loved her, Heidi could be really demanding. She was a lot of work. So, the time during the week when I had my freedom from her had become a bit of a guilty pleasure.
I grabbed a bottle of water and headed back up the stairs.
Taking the steps two at a time, I was concerned that the girl with the red eyes and tear stained cheeks would be gone when I returned. And that fact alone puzzled me, because I usually gave a shit about nobody but myself.
When I rounded the corner after clearing the stairs, she sat right where I'd left her. Digging through her purse, she pulled out her phone and a small notebook. I stood back a moment, allowing her privacy.
"Hello. Yes, this is Bella Swan. I know I'm supposed to begin subbing for Mr. Molina on Monday, but I'm afraid I need to back out. Umm..." She began to cry again, so hard she couldn't finish speaking.
I took the phone from her hand, unsure who I was speaking to. "Hello. No, disregard that call. It was a prank. You know...kids. I assure you Miss Swan will be at work bright and early Monday morning. That's right. You're welcome. Bye,"
I handed her the phone, smiling. I was met by two very red, very angry eyes.
"What the hell did you do that for?" she squeaked.
"To help you keep from losing a job. They are few and far between these days, you know." I sure knew. It was why I was stuck working a shitty job hours from home.
"Well, it's going to be awful hard to work at Forks High while I'm on a plane back to Phoenix!" And she began to cry again.
"Here," I said, extending my hand with the water.
She sniffled, rubbed at her tears and took my offering. "Thanks," she said as she subtly inspected the bottle before taking a swig.
Suddenly remembering what Mr. Newton had said about a new tenant moving in, I asked "Are you the new 2D?"
"I was supposed to be." I watched as her chin began to shake. "Shit! I signed a lease. How am I going to get out of that?"
I shook my head. "With old man Newton, you're not. You might as well grab your things and bring them in. He doesn't let anyone out of a lease as long as it means money in his pocket." And that was the truth, greedy fucker!
Before I even knew what was happening, the waterworks started all over again. Walk away, McCarty. You don't even know this girl.
"Did you lose your key?" I asked. For some fucking reason still wanted to help her. "Is that why you're so upset?"
She shook her head. "No".
"Homesick?"
"No," she said.
Jeez. It was like playing twenty questions with Heidi when she was being inconsolable and stubborn.
I took my master key out and unlocked her door. I didn't want anyone to think I was the reason she was crying. "Let's at least move inside and sit..." I looked in and the place was completely bare. No furniture. No nothing.
"Where's all your stuff?" I asked as I took her arm and helped her inside, although she was completely capable of walking.
"It's all in storage," She said, her chin still quivering.
"Did you arrange for movers?" I asked.
"No. My...boyfriend was supposed to help me." With those words the damn burst.
The girl was an absolute mess. Her face was red and puffy and covered with tears and snot. I knew I should probably offer to console her. If she was my daughter, that's what I'd want someone to do, right?
I no sooner uncrossed my arms to set my plunger down when she threw herself at my chest, her wet snotty face all over my shirt. I might have liked this girl pressed against me...her swollen lips...her chest heaving with each breath...the warmth of her body making my dick take notice. I might have...if she hadn't been such a soggy fucking mess.
But I continued to allow her to hold me anyway, because I'm such a stand-up guy. And it was only my work shirt. Hell, Yorkie Cleaners could deal with it. Put it on Newton's tab.
And then, when she didn't stop crying and I had no fucking clue how to make her stop, I left her there. I left her sitting on the floor in her apartment. I didn't know what else to do. She seemed a little better than when I'd found her. Well, she'd stopped snot-sobbing anyway.
I had to leave. Heidi was expecting me and I just couldn't bear to let her down. It wasn't my problem. That's what I kept saying to myself. But, as I merged onto the highway, I felt sort of shitty anyway. I just didn't understand why.
0~0~0
I woke up before my alarm would normally have gone off, if I had set it and had it not been the weekend. I sat straight up in bed wondering what the fuck I was doing but decided to get up anyway. I carefully removed Heidi's arm from my chest. She looked so peaceful lying there. It was hard to believe after she'd been so physically demanding the night before. I was sure to be covered in bruises. It always amazed me how someone so tiny and seemingly fragile could cause so much damage. That's one of the things that impressed me most about her; she was small but mighty. I couldn't help being crazy about her, even if her moods did change without warning.
I blew Heidi a kiss as I left the room. Downstairs I grabbed my keys from the table by the door and walked out to my truck. I couldn't imagine why I was doing it. But I couldn't seem to help myself. Normally I drove the Jeep to work. But today, on my day off, I drove two hours back to that shitty building in my gas guzzling truck for a girl I didn't even know. What a pussy.
As I walked up the two flights of stairs I prayed that Ms. Hale was already too pickled to make it out her door. I knocked at apartment 2D. Nobody answered. Ignoring the fact that I could be waking her up, or her boyfriend may have returned or I could find her suicidal corpse on the floor, I used my master key. Fuck it. I'd just driven two goddamn hours, I had rights.
I opened her door and peeked in. Jesus Christ! She was exactly where I'd left her the night before, but curled up into a little ball and sound asleep.
Unsure of what the hell to do, I tiptoed over and tapped her on the shoulder. She never even flinched. Then I thought about how ridiculous it was that I tiptoed over just to wake her up and I started to laugh. That's when her eyes popped open and her body jolted straight up.
"Hey...um...Bella." I couldn't believe I remembered her name. "It's okay. I come in peace." What the fuck was I saying?
She looked at me for a minute like I was foreign to the planet or something. And then she giggled. The red-eyed girl actually laughed.
"I come in Peace? What, No Me Tarzan- You Jane?" She laughed.
She's a smart ass. Perfect. I respected that. "I thought you could maybe use some furniture." I shrugged. "I brought my truck."
"Seriously?" she asked. "Oh my god! I was that pathetic, wasn't I?"
"No, not at all. Not in a fetal position on the floor way, or anything." I smirked. "Oh, wait. Actually you were." She wasn't the only smart ass in the building.
During the next eight hours I learned all about Bella and her asshole ex-boyfriend, James. They'd met three years ago at Washington State. Bella had originally stayed with her grandfather in Seattle until he passed away her junior year. Then, she moved to the dorm. But when Bella graduated, there was a hiring freeze for teachers so she had to move back to Phoenix with her mom. After several months of a long distance romance, James begged her to return to the Pacific Northwest for him. So when she was offered a long-term sub position at Forks High, she took it. Bella found Forks Manor on the Internet and had all her stuff shipped to storage until the apartment was available. Then, when she caught an earlier flight in order to arrive a day early and surprise James, she caught him in bed with a friend of theirs from school. Apparently they'd been sneaking around together all along. Bella said she'd had second thoughts about moving and that her mother had tried to warn her about James. She hadn't told her mother what happened yet. There was no hurry. She was too proud to run home with her tail between her legs. She said she'd decided to stick to her plan, without James, and just make it work.
It didn't even bother me when Bella unloaded all her shit on me. And this time she only shed a few tears. In fact, I was kind of impressed by the ease at which she could talk about it. Hell, I never even mentioned Heidi. Not once. I know that was kind of shitty of me. I should be upfront with her. Honest. Good guys are honest. But who the hell was I kidding? I wasn't exactly what you'd call an upstanding citizen.
"You really are sweet to have come all the way over here to help me," she said as I unloaded the last of her things.
"Don't say that! Don't ever say it," I told her, a little more forcefully than I should have. That's all I'd need fucking Ms. Hale to hear.
"What? Don't say what?" she asked with wide eyes.
"That I'm sweet. Or nice. Or even civil. Don't even think of spreading that shit around here."
"Why do you care? I wouldn't have taken you for a guy who gives a crap what anybody thinks."
"If people think I'm soft, then they'll expect me to do all sorts of extra bullshit favors and odd jobs. I'm not having any of that."
"Oh, but it's too late," she said, smirking. "I already heard you were very...err...generous."
"Who said that?"
"The neighbor lady. You know. The one you used me to get away from last night." She winked, blew me a kiss and closed her apartment door. I stood there, stunned. I didn't walk away until I heard her dead bolt click.
The girl next door had been more coherent than I'd thought. And she wasn't even pissed off.
Fuck! I could actually like this girl.
0~0~0
It had only been 3 hours since I left Bella, but she was all I could think of. That left me feeling like shit because, if all I thought of was Bella, where would that leave Heidi? And Heidi should be the only one I'm thinking about, right? My number one girl.
I came home to find Heidi having lunch with my mom. I got a ration of shit from them both. Where were you? Who were you with? Why were you gone so long?
I realized it was too late now for me to even try to change. I was crazy to think things could be different. My life had been chosen for me. It was a choice I'd made three years ago and there was no going back now.
I pushed thoughts of 2D out of my mind and spent the rest of the weekend with Heidi. I made sure she felt like she was the center of my world. I took her out to her favorite restaurant. We went swimming after dark in the pond behind our house. I even painted her toenails after giving her a sponge bath. I knew I was spoiling her and would pay dearly later, but I couldn't help myself. I guess it was the guilt.
I didn't see Bella again until Tuesday. I was actually off the clock but found myself wandering around her floor anyway.
As I came around the corner she was unlocking her door. "Hey." I said, ignoring the fact that I should have kept on walking.
"Hi there," she said. Damn, I couldn't help smiling whenever she did.
"I missed seeing you around yesterday," I confessed, mentally bitch slapping myself.
"Yep. I started at Forks High. Stayed late grading papers and collapsed when I got home."
"Molding the minds of the future," I said. I don't know why.
She laughed and I started to laugh with her. It was too easy talking with her.
"That's pretty scary, huh?" she said.
"I don't know." I told her. "Kids are pretty mold-able."
"Okay. Maybe. But I really shouldn't be allowed within like 100 yards of children, any children. Not if they're going to depend on me for anything. I can't even take care of myself, let alone anyone else. Obviously."
I laughed, since I felt pretty much the same way about myself most of the time. "I take it today went better since you're actually here before dark and able to stand upright for more than a few seconds."
"Yes. I guess it did." She smiled.
"Well, then that's a reason for celebration. I'll be right back."
"Hey, thanks for grabbing the phone and squaring things away for me with Mrs. Cope." I heard her say as I headed down the stairs. "I don't know what I'd have done without a job."
"That's what friends are for," I shouted back. "Right?" Like I'd fucking know what friends do. All the friends I ever had before Heidi entered my world were drunks and losers. I unlocked my office and grabbed two cans from the fridge before heading back upstairs. Is that what we were? I wondered. Friends?
"It's not champagne, but it'll do in a pinch," I said, thankful that Bella hadn't gone inside and closed the door.
"Rainier?" She said with raised brows. "I haven't seen that stuff since I stole a can from Grandpa Swan's fridge when I was thirteen."
"No dissing the Vitamin R," I said as I popped one open and handed her the can.
She invited me in and I immediately tried out a leather recliner that I remembered being a bitch to move. At least it was worth it. Stretching back, I looked around. The place looked really different from the last time I'd seen it. It was nice. I had seen all the furniture and stuff when I emptied her storage unit. But now she had arranged everything and it looked really nice. Complete. It was the kind of place that deserved appreciation. Any man would be proud to call her place their home...to raise a family there. That's what she'd done. In less time than it takes me to finish a crossword puzzle, Bella had turned that bare apartment into a home. It even smelled like home.
"I suppose your stopping by had absolutely nothing to do with the pot roast I put in the slow cooker this morning," Bella said, though it sounded more like a question.
"You mean the aroma that had my stomach growling since 10am? Nope, I hadn't noticed." She giggled and I hoped she'd ask me to stay. I never accepted meal invitations from residents. I didn't like to feel like I owed anyone anything. But this felt different. Maybe it was because I helped her out. Or could it be because I actually wanted to owe her?
0~0~0
Dinner was amazing. Not even my mom could top Bella's pot roast. And I wasn't just saying that because I was still pissed off at her for getting into my business. And the company couldn't be beat. It was easy and comfortable, like it always was with Bella.
It was the first time in a ridiculously long time that my meal actually included enjoyable, sophisticated conversation. Not that it was rocket science or anything. But it was nice to talk about anything that might actually be found in the newspaper. Bella was smart and funny and not at all afraid to say exactly what was on her mind.
"So, do you make random house calls on a regular basis?" she asked.
"Oh, hell no," I told her. "If I don't see another nasty-ass toilet or clogged up sink for the rest of my life it'll be too soon."
"You ever had dinner with a resident before?"
"A US resident? Yes. A Washington State resident? Yes," I teased. "A resident of Forks Manor? No fucking way."
"Ah. So I'm your first?" she jeered.
"You most definitely are," I said, enjoying the playful double meaning.
"I feel so...scandalous!" she said.
"And you should," I assured her. "I don't eat around with just anyone."
"Well, your secret is safe with me. I make it a rule to never eat and tell."
The only thing stopping me from leaping across the table and kissing the shit out of the girl was gravity (after eating so much fucking roast) and the fear that this little 80lb chick might actually be able to kick my ass. I knew she could definitely hurt me. So I remained a not so perfect gentleman with my clever sexual innuendos, but I kept my hands in my lap. I was pretty sure that's exactly where they'd end up when I returned to my office for the night.
Shit. I was in deep.
0~0~0
"Oh Emmett," she purred as my knee pressed against the place between her legs. Her tongue moved swiftly in my mouth causing my arms to move up and down her body.
"Damn, baby. You are so hot."
"No talking…" she whispered, her breath hot on my neck. "…just kissing."
Her hand dangled dangerously close to the hardness beneath my pants until I couldn't take it anymore. In one sweeping motion I turned us both over until she was lying beneath me, her head on my pillow, her eyes smoldering. Hot.
"I need you so fucking bad," I said as she began undoing the buttons on my pants. I pulled her shirt over her head, happy to discover nothing else came between me and her flesh. I took one luscious breast between my lips, tonguing the rosy tip. She released a tiny moan followed by my name which seemed to tumble from her lips, "Emmett..." Damn!
"...Emmett! God, please tell me you're in there!" I woke to a frantic voice and incessant pounding.
"Bella?" I jumped to my feet and threw open the door, completely forgetting I was only in my boxer briefs.
Although, compared to Bella, I was totally overdressed. She stumbled into my room wearing only a tiny white towel.
"Not that I'm complaining...but what the hell?" I asked, grinning like a mother fucker. If she hadn't looked like she was ready to kill somebody, I'd have thought I was still dreaming.
"!" she said without ever taking a breath.
Sweet! "Oh, so you need Emmett here to open your door?"
"Yes."
I smiled at her, seriously working the dimples.
"Please?" she asked.
"You come in here banging on my door..."
"C'mon Emmett..."
"Wake me out of a beauuutiful dream..."
"Pleeeeease!"
"And now you need me to go to work before I'm even on the clock?" I teased.
"Seriously, Emmett, I'm going to be late for school."
"No problem," I said.
"Thank God!" She sighed.
"But for a price."
"Anything," She agreed.
It came out of my mouth before I could even stop myself. "Let me make you dinner."
"That's it?" she said. "Hell, I figured I'd be snaking Ms. Hale's toilet for the next year."
I laughed, wishing I'd thought of that! "But I'll have to use your kitchen. I can only do so much with a microwave and a hot pot."
The rest of the day was a blur. A blur scattered with images of Bella. Bella that first day on the floor by her door. Bella laughing when I dropped her headboard on my toe. Bella spooning pot roast onto my plate. The Bella from my dream.
I picked up ground beef, tomato sauce, kidney beans, onions, cheese, saltines, and a variety of herbs and spices and cannot name (I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you ~ Grandma McCarty) and a six pack of Rainier because my girl seemed to understand that sometimes you don't have to pay more for the best.
My girl. I felt guilty just thinking of her that way. Heidi had always been "my girl." How could I so easily think of Bella that way? I would have to tell Heidi about Bella eventually, but I was afraid of how she might react.
And, because I'm a selfish prick, I needed to know exactly where things were going first. No point in stirring up a ton of shit just to have Bella decide we'd be better off simply friends.
0~0~0
"Ohmygod, that smells so good!" She said just after I heard the key in the lock.
She didn't seem shocked that it wasn't locked. Or that I was there. It was as if it were the most natural thing.
I had let myself in just after my trip to the store, to unload all the groceries and start the chili. I was sitting on my new favorite recliner with a beer in my hand when she came in. I had even used a coaster. Fuck, I was becoming so civilized.
"Good to see you're making yourself at home," she laughed. "And you remembered the coaster this time."
"What can I say? I'm house trained," I smirked.
"I don't know about that. You have your shoes on my fine leather," Bella quipped.
"Don't you mean fine Naugahyde?"
She answered by swatting my feet off the footrest as she walked by. Damn, I could really like this girl!
I was serving up the chili when Bella returned. She was wearing cutoff sweats that set low on her hips and a loose fitting tee - sans bra.
"Hope you don't mind. I couldn't wait to come home and get comfortable," she said.
"And you should," I smiled. Just make yourself at home."
Her nose wrinkled as she said, "I am home." She had tiny freckles sprinkled across it. Just like Heidi.
I sighed. "Come eat."
I watched as Bella completely devoured her first bowl of chili before I'd even gotten the beer from the fridge.
"Ah, and Vitamin R. Perfect!" she said as she helped herself to another bowl. There was something sexy about a girl who wasn't afraid to eat in front of me.
Bella spent the rest of dinner telling me about her day. Some little prick named Mike gave her all sorts of shit in 4th period, calling her Arizona instead of Miss Swan. At lunch Vickie, the Home Economics teacher, shared far too many details about her date the previous night with the shop teacher. And just after dismissal, that very shop teacher, Mr. James, visited Bella's room to welcome her aboard and personally inspect her room for any necessary repairs. What an asshat!
I don't know why I remembered it all. Hell, I don't know why I was even listening. It's not like any of it had anything to do with me. But I actually found it interesting to hear about her day. It was ridiculously and mundanely interesting. And it was comfortable. Like it was the most natural thing there was.
After dinner, we grabbed the last two beers and moved to the couch. Bella put a DVD on, but I couldn't tell you what it was because I was too busy watching her. Something funny must have happened because she giggled and looked at me, I guess to see if I was laughing too. Except, the look on my face must have told her I didn't care about the movie. I was interested in something far more important and her eyes remained glued to mine. And then, as if in slow motion, she moved closer to me. Our eyes never faltered. Her head tilted just slightly and I leaned in, noticing everything about her in those few seconds: a strand of hair across her forehead, the gold flecks in her eyes, and the fullness of her lips. And then those lips were pressed to mine. Soft. Gentle. Curious.
She pulled away and gazed up at me, her large eyes tentative and inquisitive. Then the corners of her mouth drifted up into a tiny smile and I couldn't stop myself from gently pulling her back to me. Our lips met again, this time with more intimacy, passion. She eagerly parted them, allowing me in. The warmth. The heat. Her breath on my cheek. The want and need too much for either of us to resist. Her fingers tangled in my hair. My palm flat on her back urging her closer…needing her closer. The feel of her breasts pressed against my chest. Each breath in time with one another.
Suddenly, our eyes met and there was no question where the night was going. All that mattered was how long we could savor the moments it took to get there. Slowly, I had to go slowly. I had to make the moments last.
I felt her body shudder as I slipped my fingers beneath the soft cotton hem of her shirt, tracing phantom patterns on her skin. Only exposed to my touch, slowly and gently I explored her body until the flesh became soft and my fingertips brushed across her hardened tips. My cock hardened in response to the release of an almost silent whimper..
"Emmett?"
I froze.
"Emmett McCarty?"
My body turned cold at the sound of my mother's voice.
"Emmett McCarty?" Heidi's voice parroted and my heart sank. I could see the confusion on Bella's face. If only I'd been honest. If only I could have been that stand-up guy she deserved.
She jumped from where she'd been sitting, adjusted her clothes and opened the door as I sat frozen on the couch. Such a fucking coward.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you; I am looking for my son..."
Bella opened the door wider, revealing me to them. And there in the hallway just outside Bella's door stood Heidi with my mother. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her wispy curls were damp and matted. It was obvious Heidi had been crying.
"I'm sorry, Em," My mother pleaded. "She begged me to bring her to see you. She's been a mess all afternoon."
"It's okay," I said, standing and taking Heidi into my arms. She flooded my face with kisses, which I returned because she deserved them even if she didn't deserve me.
Moving to join Bella where she'd resumed her seat on the couch, I glanced at my mom looking pale in the doorway. Heidi climbed into my lap.
Feeling all the color drain from my face, I took Bella's hand in mine and did what I had hoped to avoid for at least a few more weeks.
"Bella, I would like you to meet someone that I should have told you about when we met." Turning my attention to Heidi, who immediately greeted Bella with a silly smile that showed off her two bottom teeth, I added "This is Heidi. And she's the love of my life." I kissed Heidi's cheek.
"She's my daughter."