I know my sister like I know my own mind.
You will never find anyone as trusting or as kind.
If I tell her that I love him she'd be silently resigned.
He'd be mine…
She would say, "I'm fine".
…
She'd be lying…
-Angelica Schyleur, from the Broadway Musical 'Hamilton'
A:N/ I have watched Hamilton a total of six times and have listened to the soundtrack in its entirety every single day since the first time. I am seriously addicted and this is one of my favorite songs along with Non Stop so I, of course, had to write a fic based on the song with my favorite Twilight couple- Emmett and Rosalie. FLASHBACKS WILL BE IN INTALICS.
Rosalie took a drink from her glass and shook her head in disbelief at the youngest of her sisters. Isabella was speaking to her, her hair thrown over both of her shoulders, and Rosalie hadn't heard a word that she'd said. She was looking straight through Bella even if she didn't mean to be. The middle child, Alice, was getting married. Her two sisters were standing off to the side taking a break from the bustling of the bodies around the ballroom they almost never used. Men and women alike were waltzing across the floor. There was an array of vibrant dresses and black suits rushing about. Rosalie could see Carlisle talking to some men, one of them being Edward Masen, the brother of the groom. She could see the ladies on the opposite side of the room looking at her father and whispering. They were irritating to say the least.
"Rosalie?" Isabella snapped in front of her eldest sister's face, "Are you okay?"
"Of course," Rosalie took another drink before setting her glass down on the nearest table.
"Good because Jasper Whitlock is walking this way," Isabella smirked and reached for Rosalie's abandoned glass.
Rosalie rolled her eyes and snatched the glass from Bella's hand before it could even touch her mouth. She was too young to be drinking even if it was only by a few months. Rosalie knew Carlisle wouldn't approve and that wasn't a fight she was ready to deal with.
She shot Bella a look that caused the girl to giggle and then mentally prepared herself for the impending face to face she would soon have with Jasper. He was all curly hair and the most darling southern drawl. He was a sharp shooter with battle scars littering his body. Jasper had always just been around. He had always thought Rosalie a child despite her being the oldest… until he simply hadn't anymore. He was a military veteran almost twice her age and he was one of her father's closest companions. Her father wanted her to marry that companion one day and suddenly Rosalie wasn't the little annoying girl Jasper had seemed to think her before and he suddenly wasn't viewed as an uncle.
Rosalie was fond of Jasper. He had a dry sense of humor that mimicked her own. He was polite and well raised. He had his own money so she knew that he wasn't out to get the money that belonged to her father. Jasper, however, wasn't a man of many words. He spoke far less than many of the people Rosalie came in to contact with. She wasn't sure if he was attempting to marry her because he wanted to or because Carlisle had told him that he would. She didn't pin Jasper as a man that would be commanded around, but she couldn't be sure.
Rosalie, Alice and Isabella's father, Carlisle, was in to illegal aspects. He dealt with drugs and murder and the likes, but he would never subject any of his daughters to something he thought wasn't right. He ran their household the same way he ran the streets- with an iron fist. His daughters hadn't made it in to the 21st century yet. They were still run by a man, a man that had to approve their relationships and wasn't above arranging them. They were controlled by a drug lord who would raise hell and high water if they didn't listen to him. Their safety was top priority and that didn't necessarily mean physically. His daughter were to never have their hearts broken. They weren't to be touched. They were his princesses and everyone else were commoners.
Rosalie finished off her glass and took a deep breath. Isabella was gushing about something, leaning towards her and speaking quickly as her eyes glowed, but Rosalie's head was somewhere else, somewhere far off.
She had met the groom first.
Emmett McCarty Masen.
She had met him right in her own backyard. Isabella had been off, most likely away at college. Alice had been across the country. She liked traveling and Carlisle liked giving her the chance to experience new things. Rosalie was the one glued home. Her father had only daughters so Rosalie had taken to looking in to her father's business. She was the oldest and the smartest and she didn't mind staying close to home if it meant that her sisters didn't have to.
Rosalie could recall every moment of their meeting. She had never been the same since. She had been in her father's backyard, partially in the shade of their two story home, a gun in hand as she aimed at a target. She had been mumbling to herself, repeating a phrase over and over like she sometimes did. Her eyes had been on the target, but her head had been elsewhere. She had taken aim and a deep breath before being touched, spinning around and pointing a gun at the man before her.
Emmett had been gorgeous for lack of a better word. His short curly hair had made him look young and childlike. He had been wearing a plain black shirt that seemed to hug his arms and broad chest. He had a plain silver cross around his neck and some black shades hiding his eyes from her view. He had been wearing black shoes and some light jeans, one of his hands jammed in to the pockets.
"Down killer," he had chuckled.
Rosalie however hadn't been amused.
"Why the hell are you in my yard?"
Emmett had taken his shades off and glanced down at her. He had smiled a wide tooth grin that had taken her breath. He had nodded his head towards the target behind her.
"I work for your father now, Rosalie," he'd chuckled and she had lowered the gun from his head out of pure amusement, "I'm here to make sure you're satisfied."
"Satisfied huh?" she'd chuckled and then turned back around, taking aim and letting three bullets fly.
They hit their targets perfectly.
"You strike me as the sort of woman who's never satisfied," he'd continued.
"Oh really?"
"You're like me," he shrugged, "I've never been satisfied," he winked and freed a gun of his own from behind him.
He took two steps to line himself up with Rosalie and then he let three bullets of his own fly. They hit their marks and he cracked his neck.
Rosalie snapped back to reality as someone tapped on her shoulder. She offered a smile to Jasper who took her hand and planted a kiss to the back of it.
"Rose," he smiled slightly at her before looking over her shoulder, "Bella."
"Jasper," Bella smiled brightly, "Are you enjoying the wedding?"
"Alice looks happy," he shrugged, "That's all we can want for her," his gaze traveled the room and Rosalie followed it.
Her sister was smiling happily at Emmett and talking faster than the speed of light. That was her- Mary Alice. She had a nonstop supply of energy and she never seemed to tire. Emmett was looking elsewhere but answering her back, a small grin on his own face. They did look happy. Rosalie raised her glass to her mouth and then resisted the urge to curse when she realized that it was empty.
Jasper closed his hand around her glass and she released it so that he could set it down.
"Care to dance?" his eyes scanned the room.
He did that a lot. Rosalie wasn't sure if it was because of the business that he was in or because of his years in the army. She felt a hand on the small of her back and knew that it was Bella.
"Will you be here when I get back?" Rosalie asked without looking to her right side where she knew her sister was housed.
"Of cou-"
"She'll be in my company," came another's response.
She and Bella both turned around to take in Edward Masen and just like that Rosalie could see Bella lose IQ points. She took a deep breath. Edward was Alice's new brother-in-law. He was, in some part, family.
"Edward," she said dryly.
"Rosie," he winked at her.
"Rosalie," she corrected automatically and then attempted to smile.
"Of course," he chuckled, "Isabella," he reached for her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it and Rosalie could swear Bella had left her body to enter another plane.
She felt Jasper's arm make its way around her back. He was good about that. He knew her moods almost as well as her sisters did. He calmed her.
"Take good care of my sister," Rosalie nodded once to Edward and he returned the gesture.
Jasper led her to the dance floor.
Emmett threw a card on the table and Rosalie rolled her eyes. He was a better poker player than she'd given him credit for. He was a month in to his apprenticeship with Carlisle. He seemed to be around a lot when her father was nowhere to be found. He was being trained to be her babysitter she assumed. Her father liked to switch out his right hand man quite a lot. He had easily become Rosalie's companion. He was the person closest to her age that had anything to do with her father. He was amusing and chipper. Rosalie liked him. He had become a friend quickly.
"You're horrible," he laughed and collected the money in the middle of the table.
Rosalie took a deep calming breath. She was working on her temper. He was not going to break her.
"Oh come on, babe," Emmett stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, "There's no reason to get so serious. It's just a game."
"I'm not your babe."
"Do you want to be?" Emmett winked.
"Just shuffle the damned cards, Masen," Rosalie slid her cards to the middle of the table and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.
"That wasn't a no," he sang.
Rosalie shook her head… slightly in disbelief and slightly in amusement.
Jasper led and Rosalie followed. She could do this dance in her sleep. Her father had all of his daughter's prepped.
"Are you okay?" Jasper asked.
Rosalie resisted the urge to break down in the middle of the floor.
"I'm fine."
"Edward rubs you the wrong way?" he tested.
"He does."
"And Isabella is blinded by him?"
"She is."
"And you're worried?"
"I am."
Jasper nodded once before spinning her around and pulling her back in.
"If you tell me to, I will kill him, Rosalie."
Her eyes drifted up to his face, but Jasper wasn't looking at her. He was looking behind her, most likely at Bella.
"Do you mean that?" she asked.
He looked slightly taken aback by the question, and then he looked down and at Rosalie. She inhaled.
"Whatever you want is yours, darlin'."
Rosalie smiled up at him and Jasper winked at her before looking back up again.
Emmett had gotten Rosalie in to his bed in a matter of 6 months. He had begun working for her father. He was always around. He was a smart ass. He challenged her. He didn't bend to her every will and he didn't jump when she told him to jump. Their affair had been a secret one full of dine-in and stolen nights in random hotels. Emmett had a plan as far as Rosalie was concerned. He wanted to work his way up. He didn't want Carlisle to favor or condemn him for his relationship with her. He would work his way up and then tell him that he wanted to marry his oldest daughter. Rosalie was okay with that. Emmett had lit her aflame. Every. Single. Part of her.
She had been seated on the edge of her father's desk, waiting for him to enter the room when Emmett had entered it instead. Rosalie sometimes swore her father was throwing them together on purpose. Emmett had collapsed in to one of the two chairs in front of his desk. He had leaned back and looked her up and down, from her red dress and black heels, up to her tight bun and pearl necklace and earrings. He had laid a hand on her ankle and let it travel up oh so slowly, causing her breathing to hitch.
And then they had both heard the door.
Rosalie had slid off of the desk and Emmett had stood, straightening his dark blue suit jacket and turning around to meet Carlisle.
They had been met with Mary Alice instead.
"Alice!" Rosalie had rushed across the room to pull her sister in for a hug.
She had hugged her as tight as possible and they had spoken quickly. Rosalie had told Alice that their father was running late. Alice had told Rosalie that she had grown bored of being abroad and wanted to be home. Rosalie had happily shrieked at the great news. Emmett had chuckled gaining their attention effectively.
Rosalie had caught and corrected herself.
"Mary Alice, this is Emmett Masen. He's working with our father. Emmett, this is Mary Alice Cullen, the middle daughter."
"Pleased to meet you," Alice had taken the few steps towards him.
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Cullen," Emmett had met her halfway and shook her hand.
"Come along, Rose. We have so much to catch up on!" Alice had waved to Emmett with one hand and grabbed one of Rosalie's with the other pulling her towards the door, "Nice to meet you!" she'd called.
Rosalie had looked over her shoulder and Emmett had winked at her. She had laughed.
"Dibs," Alice hissed in the hall, "Dibs. Dibs. Dibs."
"On what?" Rosalie rolled her eyes as they continued towards the stairs bypassing the array of luggage that had been abandoned by Alice's driver.
"Him!" Alice had pointed towards the office.
The song ended and Rosalie and Jasper took a step apart and smiled at each other. He didn't make her heart beat speed up. He didn't give her sweaty palms or butterflies… but he was comfortable. He wasn't necessarily fun, but he was safe and hand chosen for her. He lifted his chin towards her left side and Rosalie dutifully spun around.
"Can I cut in?"
She cast a look at Jasper and then back to the groom himself.
"Of course," Jasper gave her a look that said he wouldn't be very far and then excited the dance floor as Emmett pulled Rosalie in.
She rearranged their stance so that they weren't exactly as close and they began to move when the music started again.
"Jasper Whitlock?" Emmett scoffed, "Jeez Rose, you can do better."
Rosalie scoffed herself.
"You don't get an opinion."
"I'm family now," he chuckled.
Rosalie paused and held her hands up in surrender. She opened her mouth and then closed it and spun around. Emmett looked quickly around the room. Jasper was speaking to Isabella and Edward. Carlisle was dancing with Alice. Emmett grabbed Rosalie by her wrist and yanked her back in to him.
"Okay. That wasn't funny. I'm sorry."
"You're married to my sister. You don't get to have an opinion on who I marry."
"Marry? You're thinking of marrying him? Jasper?"
"He's safe."
"You aren't one for safe."
"How would you know that?"
Emmett spun Rosalie out and then pulled her back in. She resisted the urge to marvel at how well he moved for his build.
"I know you," he shrugged.
"You're-"
"married to your sister," he finished, "because you told me to marry her!" he hissed, "I was going to fight for you!"
"She loves you!" Rosalie hissed back.
"And I love you!"
Rosalie looked around the room.
"Keep your fucking voice down!"
"Right," Emmett took a deep breath.
Rosalie opened her mouth and then let it close.
"We had options," Emmett said quietly, leaning in to her to speak in to her ear, "You chose this, Rosalie. I didn't."
"She saw you and was instantly helpless."
"And now your nephews and nieces will have my last name and curly blonde hair," he ground his teeth together and scoffed, "God, I hope you're satisfied."
Rosalie took a deep breath and Emmett stood back up again.
Emmett threw his clothes in to his suitcase. He was pissed. Rosalie could see it on his face. He was clad in a pair of athletic shorts and no shirt or shoes. Rosalie sat at the foot of his bed, her legs cross beneath her as she watched him rage from the closet to his suitcase.
"Where will you go?" she asked for the third time.
"Home," he said dryly.
"Where is that?"
"New York," he made his way back in to the closest.
Rosalie resisted the urge to snap at him to stomp more quietly. The last thing they needed was someone barging in to his room-the room that he had in the house that belonged to Carlisle.
"You'd go back to New York and start over?" she called.
"You bet your ass I would."
"Why don't you just marry her?"
Rosalie listened to Emmett rummage around.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
Emmett made his way out of the closet, his arms full of clothes. He made his way to his suitcase and dropped them messily on top with no attempt to make them fit.
"Are you asking me why I'm not going to let your father tell me that I'm marrying his daughter? Your sister?"
"I-" Rosalie slid her legs from beneath her and let them hang off of the edge of the bed, "You would be a part of his family. He would move you up faster. Your position would be cemented. Your family would be taken care of."
"I would sleep beside your sister every fucking night!" Emmett turned away from her and knelt down in front of his suitcase.
He fished out a light and pack of cigarettes.
"Emmett-"
"I'm not marrying your sister, Rosalie," he lit his cigarette.
"I love my sister more than anything in this life. I will choose her happiness over mine. Every time."
"Rose-"
"You should just marry her. Put what he had aside."
"What we… had?" he almost spat the word at her.
"She'll be happy as your bride."
"And I'll never be satisfied with her!"
"She looks at you like the sun rises and sets on you!" Rosalie ignored his comment.
"I'm in love with you!" Emmett stood up and kicked his suitcase.
"She won't bounce back from this," Rosalie collapsed back on to his bed.
She took a deep breath. She looked at her feet and felt the tears swelling. Emmett placed his cigarette in his mouth, took a puff and walked to his bedroom window. He looked out of it and sighed.
"Will we?" he questioned.
"What?" Rosalie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at him.
"Will we ever be able to bounce back from this?"
"I don't know…" Rosalie admitted.
Emmett scoffed.
Emmett spun Rosalie and she closed back in. She knew she was looking at everything except him… the first man she had ever loved. She was looking at the guests, the food, the wine. She was looking at decorations and the lighting and the floor. She knew his eyes were trained on one thing. She refused to follow his gaze- to see if his eyes were glued on her sister.
"You'll never be satisfied," Emmett said simply as the song ended.
"Huh?" Rosalie's head snapped to gaze at him.
They each took their step back.
"With Jasper," he said simply, "You'll never be satisfied."
"I'll fantasize about you," she couldn't stop the words from spewing out.
"I'll love you."
"At least I get to keep you in my life."
"At least try to be satisfied."
"Try to be satisfied," Rosalie repeated.
Another set of hands closed on her and she spun around to meet her father's gaze.
She smiled at him and he smiled back. He was talking to the groom but Rosalie couldn't hear him… or anything for that matter. She felt as if she was underwater and she just couldn't hear or breathe or think.
Carlisle was leading her away and towards the wedding cake. She was supposed to be doing something apparently. She was ushered away. People kept hugging her, kissing her cheek and smiling at her. She was led by the bustling crowd, taken with the tide of the sea of people.
When she came to stand still Bella handed her a champagne shoot.
Rosalie's head had begun to clear. People were gathered around her. She could see her father and Jasper and Edward. Mary Alice made her way beside her and Rosalie took in the bride for what was truly the first time.
She had checked out of the wedding although she was standing beside them as they spoke their words of love, some sick cosmic joke to hammer the nail in her distaste for herself. Rosalie smiled faintly. Alice had her hair in some extravagant up do that was simply too much. Rosalie took her in from her head to her feet. Her hair had taken hours. Her make-up nearly as much time. Mary Alice was wearing a gorgeous ball gown like dress with a tiara and lovely veil going behind her.
"The toast," Bella whispered and Rosalie shook her head as if to clear it.
She hadn't prepared a toast. She licked her lips and swallowed.
"A toast to the groom!" Rosalie lifted her chute.
"To the groom!' everyone repeated, "To the groom!"
"to the bride!" Rosalie smiled at Alice and motioned her glass towards her.
"To the bride!' the guest echoed, 'To the bride!"
"from your sisters," Rosalie cast a look at Bella, "whose always by your side," Rosalie caught Emmett's eyes over Alice's shoulder, "to your union," she quickly looked away, "and the hope that you provide," Rosalie nodded once towards her father who repeated the gesture.
She should have stopped there. She should have put the glass to her mouth and shut up. She couldn't.
"May you always be satisfied!" she called.
She knew Emmett's eyes were burning in to her and that was why she sought Jasper in the crowd. She hadn't meant to say it. She lowered her hand and watched the people around her take sips of their drinks.
She prepared to do the same, but Alice yanked her in and hugged her hard. Rosalie closed her eyes and hugged her back just as tight, holding the glass in her hand so hard she was surprised it didn't shatter.
"My sister that's always by my side," Alice repeated.
"Always."
They released each other and Emmett nodded at Rosalie once before grabbing his new wife's hand and raising it to the guest. He was talking but she had checked out again. She made a few steps away from the couple to give them space.
Rosalie watched the festivities. She watched them cut the cake. She watched Alice attempt to feed said cake to her new husband. She watched Emmett watch her whenever he thought the guest wouldn't notice.
"He'll never be satisfied," Rosalie said to no one but herself.
Bella and Edward were dancing in the middle of the floor. They would be a match. She could see it. Her father was talking to Jasper and a series of other men. The guest were back to their bustling; ladies whispering and men laughing loudly and drinking. She was behind in her drinking compared to most of the people in attendance. She had as good a reason as anyone else to drink herself in to a stupor. She loved Alice. She loved Emmett. Making one happy would make the other miserable. She had chosen Alice's happiness over Emmett's. She had chosen Alice's happiness over her own. That was a consolation- the fact that Alice would actually be happy and not moving around. That was the light at the end of the tunnel. At least her dear Alice was his wife… At least she still got to somehow keep him in her life.
Rosalie tilted her head back and drank her champagne quickly before setting the glass down.
She regretted nothing.
She regretted everything.
. "I'll never be satisfied," she repeated to herself and scoffed.
She was talking to herself and she wasn't even drunk yet. Pathetic.
She scanned the room for Jasper.