Warning: There's some mini lemons of Emmett and Bella in this chapter (thank you for your nice review, guest :) ).
I hate myself for making Emmett perfect in my eyes. The fall's just going to be that much harder.
~*Chapter Two*~
-Heathens-
…BB…
Mary Brandon pulls open the door to their pretentious house like she's the First Lady of the White House, and we're her lowly subjects, and damn, does her attitude annoy the hell out of me.
I thank God every day that Nova and Jack Jack weren't born with sticks up their asses. I haven't noticed any up Emmett's either. It must not be genetic.
Mary pulls Emmett into a hug while Jack mauls my face with tiny fists and giant sized teefers. Nova's huffing loudly at my feet, still pissed I wouldn't let her wear my high heels. Those babies were like six inches. She would have broken both ankles and then I would have been given the look at the ER. The one that says are you sure you didn't do this to her yourself.
No, doc, but do I ever imagine things like that?
Also, no.
"Novalie," Mary says, and she's one brave cat because no one, and I mean no one calls Nova Novalie and lives to tell about it. I can already see the steam coming out of Nova's ears.
"No…" Emmett warns, and seriously, I know it's wrong, but I really want to fucking laugh right now.
"My name is Nova, Grandma."
If Nova hates school, she fucking loathes the name Novalie. I happen to think it's a beautiful name, but Nova does know best after all.
"And how is Jack doing?"
Currently, he is ripping my hair from my scalp, but I'd say rather peachy. Emmett does me a solid and pulls Jack from my arms, and I, yes reluctantly, give his mother a hug.
To be fair, Mary and Briggs Brandon have never liked me. I've never been pretty enough or tall enough or even poised enough. Emmett says Mary had to go on antidepressants when he broke it off with the royal Rosalie.
Alice says she's still on them even after 10 years.
I told you!
Fuck all crazy.
He didn't even love her.
Jack's back in my arms and Mary's leading us through the house. Nova's purposely scuffing her feet on the immaculate tile, and Emmett's giving me wide-eyes like it's my fault Nova feels the tension and wants to stir shit up.
Who's kid even is she?
I hear Alice before I see her, and she's ranting and raving about the latest celebrity gossip like Briggs of all people gives one shit about Psalm West.
When the sitting room comes into view, I spot Briggs on his chair smoking a cigar looking the picture of stick up ass.
"Nova," Alice screeches and runs across the room, yanking Nova into her arms and twirling in her circles until they're both dizzy.
Nova eats that shit up.
Alice is Nova's favorite person alive aside from Emmett. They are like two peas in a pod. Okay, more like two little devils in the eighth circle of hell, but that's neither here nor there.
Jack is talking nonsense as Alice sets Nova on her feet. Emmett has to steady her with a hand on her shoulder and then Jack's being pulled from my arms, and Alice is kissing all over his face and saying things like who's the cutest boy in the world and I could just eat your face off.
Jack squeals – in terror, probably – and then Alice is handing him over to Emmett and looping her arm through mine.
"Nova, doll," Alice says, holding her hand out. "I have a present for you."
Nova screams, making Mary flinch and Emmett chuckle. "What is it? Is it a puppy? No, a pony?"
"It better not be a fucking pony," Emmett calls as Alice leads us away, and Alice cackles.
"Emmett," Mary scolds. "Your language is appalling."
Turns out it wasn't a pony.
It was so much worse.
It's so bad I can't even talk about it.
~o~O~o~
"Sweetheart, make it stop," Emmett begs, shaking my body so hard I feel like I'm in the middle of a level 10 earthquake.
I have my head buried under my pillow, and I'm kicking him with my foot. "Just go take the sticks away!"
"Dammit," he grumbles, and I hear him leave the room cursing Alice's name the entire way.
It's literally five in the fucking morning, and it's been an entire week of this shit.
I fucking told you Alice was a pain the ass.
Seriously, drums.
I'd rather pooper scoop pony shit out of the yard.
"No, give me the sticks!" Emmett hollers.
"But daddy, I'm playin' a song!"
"You don't play songs at five in the morning. Give them to me."
"But the song was for you, daddy!" She starts banging and belting out made up lyrics, and I fucking lose it.
There's a bang and a yell and then the sweet sound of silence. Emmett plops back onto the bed, and I lift my head from my hiding spot and see him shoving the sticks under his pillow. He gives me the look of death, and I start laughing.
"One of these days," he says, jerking me into his body. "We're going to sleep the fuck in."
Okay.
He slides a hand into my pants and palms my ass. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart, before Jack Jack wakes up."
What seems like minutes but is really an hour later, the alarm goes off, and Emmett is moaning and groaning all over again. Tonight he has to work a 24-hour shift at the fire house, but this morning we have to go watch Nova in her Bug play at school. She's a bee, and she's just buzzing to…oh, who are we kidding. She's pissed because she wanted to be a grasshopper because they have all the good parts.
Emmett grabs my hand and places it on his thick erection. His eyes are still closed, but he's wide awake. "Baby, what makes you think Nova's not going to break that door down any minute?"
He pushes my hand harder against him. "I locked it. We'll at least hear her first. Just give it a little suck. Come on, just one little suck."
Laughing, I pull his boxers down and let loose his massive member. I look up at him, and he's watching me with half-lidded eyes and a smirk on his lips. I lick a path from base to tip, and he hisses and grips my hair. "More…"
I suck the tip into my mouth, and he jerks on my tongue. Adjusting my position, I swallow as much of him as I can, using my hand and to make up for what doesn't fit in my mouth. He's seriously massive.
He's growling a deep symphony and my panties are drenched. I continue to make him feel good and slip my hand into my panties and play with myself as I give him a good mouth fucking.
"Shit, sweetheart. Fuck, it feels…fuck, yeah keep doing that shit."
Footsteps pound down the hall, and Emmett groans miserably. I suck him faster and sloppier, drool dripping down my chin, and he bucks his hips, chasing that release he so badly wants. He doesn't give me a warning when he starts to come down my throat but I take it like a champ, moving my fingers faster so I can get mine, too.
Emmett slips from my mouth and yanks me up his body. He pulls my panties to the side and sets me on his face, his tongue lapping at my swollen clit. I grab a pillow and shove it into my face just as I start to come into his mouth, my hips rocking and my legs aching.
Emmett gives me an even wetter kiss right on the lower lips before tossing me wrong side up on the bed. I catch my breath and listen as he goes into the bathroom and starts the shower just as the doorknob rattles.
Emmett laughs, and I kick him in the ass before running into the bathroom to brush my teeth. He lets Nova in, and I hear her asking for her sticks. Emmett doesn't give them to her, thank God, but tells her she can have them after school.
What the hell.
I'm killing Alice.
I pull on a pair of sleep shorts and an oversized cardigan before Emmett slides past me to hop in the shower, and I'm left to feed Nova her cereal. She watches me like a hawk as I pour the damn milk first, nodding her head in approval.
She's such a little shit.
"Are you excited for your play?" I ask, sliding onto the stool next to her with my own bowl of cereal.
Of course I know she's absolutely not.
She gives me this evil little smirk, and I drop my spoon in my bowl. "Nova, you better not ruin the play."
"I'm not gonna ruin it, mama. Henri thinks he's better because he's a grasshopper."
"He's not better than you. Bees are cooler."
"No, they're not."
Shit, I know.
"Well, you just do you."
Nova hops down from her stool and starts buzzing around the kitchen. "I'm gonna do this," she says and shakes her booty and throws her hands in the air like she just doesn't care. I snort and choke on my cereal and she laughs and starts singing one of the songs from the play.
Once she's done messing around, she asks, "Do I get to leave school early?"
I see no harm, so I say, "Yes, but you only have a few more weeks, so you're not missing another day."
She screeches and jumps in the air, yelling, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Can we get ice cream after and go to the zoo?"
"Ice cream, yes. Zoo…" fuck no. "No."
She pauses. "I'll ask daddy." She runs off down the hall.
"Nova," I yell, and she laughs like a crazy ass hyena. "I said no!"
If Emmett says yes, I will go on a rampage. I will fucking riot. The zoo is my worst enemy. The last time Nova planned a trip to the zoo, a camel got my hair stuck in its tongue. I thought he was going to rip my entire head off.
No zoo.
I rinse the dishes and hear Nova, Emmett and Jack Jack talking and laughing and just carrying on.
Such a good daddy.
Then, the drums start a wild beat, and Jack is scream-laughing.
Fucking Emmett.
~o~O~o~
Nova stole the show.
Literally.
When little Henri was singing and hopping around, Nova was shaking her ass and buzzing all over the stage, completely out of character for her part.
Her teacher was not having it, but the crowed loved it, and Nova walked off the stage satisfied.
Seriously, where does she get it?
"Ice cream," she yells as soon as we step outside, and Jack bounces in my arms excitedly even though he has no idea what the hell is going on.
Alice runs up to us and tells Nova how brilliant she was, high-fiving her and just talking Nova's antics up. That's why Nova's the way she is, because Aunt Alice encourages such fuckery.
"You want to get ice cream with us? I'm getting the most biggest one there!"
"Sorry, doll, but I have to stay at school."
Alice is a kindergarten teacher.
I'm not even kidding.
Just not Nova's teacher. Can you imagine the hell those two would have started in that classroom?
"Come over this weekend," I say, grabbing Jack's hand before he shoves it in my mouth. "Em's off, and we'll BBQ."
"Yeah, sis, Bella will man the grill." Emmett knocks me with his body, and I shake my head. He pulls me into his side, and Jack says, "Dada!" and tries to climb him like a tree.
"Can we go?" Nova asks, yanking on my shorts. "I'm hungry."
We tell Alice bye and pile into Emmett's truck. When we get to the ice cream shop, Jack's screaming his damn head off. He can't have ice cream, but it's the boob he wants anyway.
Emmett gets Jack out of his seat and hands him to me before taking Nova inside for ice cream. Slouching down in the seat, I feed Jack and hold his little hand. Damn, I'm not always bad at mothering thing. "My wittle baby was hungry. Yes, he was." I rub a finger across his cheek, and he smiles around my nipple, making my heart fucking squeeze.
Enjoy these precious moments, Bella, hell is always just around the corner.
I switch Jack sides and let him eat until he falls asleep. I put my boobs away just as Emmett and Nova step outside, a giant milkshake in both of his hands.
Hell yes.
I roll my window down, and he hands me mine before helping Nova in. He hands me his and takes Jack from my arms but not before grabbing one of my boobs, the dirty dog.
We eat our ice cream on the way home, and when I look back, Nova is a fucking mess. Her yellow shirt is full of ice cream. "I keep dropping it every time daddy hits a bump."
"You'll need a bath."
"No. I'll just change my shirt."
"Fine."
When we drive down our street, the little old lady from next door is standing outside her house, her eyes on the house across the street.
We still haven't met the neighbors. I think they moved their shit in and then left, but from the looks of it, they're back.
With a goddamn motorcycle.
It's parked right in the yard, just sitting there all shiny and sexy as all fucking get out.
Who are these people?
I hope they're not part of some motorcycle gang, although, I'm not sure that would be such a bad thing.
Have you seen Sons of Anarchy?
Okay, maybe it would be a bad thing.
Emmett parks the truck, and we jump down. "Hey, Mrs. Levitt," I call, waving, and she lifts a gnarled hand in what can only be a wave back.
"We got new neighbors," she calls.
"Yeah, we noticed. Have you met them?"
"Nope, and I don't know that I want to. He drove up here like a bat out of hell. Damn hooligan's these days."
Oh shit.
I grab Jack and Emmett gets Nova down. Nova runs to Mrs. Levitt and hugs her bony legs. That Nova, she is such a contradiction.
One minute she's spitting fire, and the next she's wearing a fucking halo.
"Bring that boy over here. He's gettin' big."
Emmett sneaks off, the giant asshole, and I bring Jack Jack to Mrs. Levitt, so she can have a looksie. She really is a nice lady, if not a little salty. Jack is deathly afraid of her, though. He wraps his hands around my neck and holds on for dear life, like he thinks I'm going to feed him to her.
Mrs. Levitt tries to tickle and tease, but Jack is not fucking having it if his blood curdling screams are anything to go by. Nova laughs, and I hold back my own.
"Well, I better get them inside."
She nods and pats Nova on the head. "I'll keep an eye out." She gives a nod to the house across the street. "I got 911 on speed dial."
I snort and drag Nova inside. She doesn't want to go. She wants to hang out with Mrs. Levitt.
Crazy fucking girl.
Emmett's kicked back on the sofa watching a baseball game, and I dump Jack into his lap and head for the kitchen for something to eat. "Do you want a sandwich?"
Nova's drums start an unsteady beat, and I move back to the living room and give Emmett a are you shitting me look. He laughs, and yells, "Nova! Shut the door!"
The drums stop and her door slams but then the drums start again, only relatively quieter and not near silent enough. "I'm going to kill your sister."
"Hey, that's your best friend, sweetheart."
"So, sandwich?" I ask, ignoring that little tid bit.
"Yeah, I'll take one."
I make us both a sandwich, peeking out the window every now and then, kind of fucking curious about the rider of that sleek bike. He never shows himself, though.
Emmett eats his sandwich and half of mine, giving Jack Jack little nibbles of the bread.
The drums never fucking stop.
Never…fucking…stop.
~o~O~o~
By some small miracle, Nova didn't throw her normal tantrum this morning, and Jack is still sleeping. It's a rare day when I have the house to myself and quiet at that.
After Jack was born, I quit my job as a medical records clerk at the hospital, and Emmett said I could go back whenever the hell I wanted, so that could be next year, maybe two years from now, maybe fucking never.
I don't mind this housewife business, well except for when it's time to do laundry. Laundry is the worst. I have nightmares about laundry.
I tip toe around the house, picking shit up here and there, and then drink my morning coffee and eat my toast and jelly.
I savor it all.
The revving engine of a motorcycle has me jumping up and peeking through the blinds. The rider has a helmet and leather jacket on, and I squint my eyes harder to get a good look, but then Mrs. fucking Levitt's face pop ups in my view, and I scream fucking bloody murder.
Holy shit, lady.
She shakes her head and walks toward my front door.
Good lord, no.
She knocks, and just goddammit.
She does this from time to time, comes over for a morning visit, drinks my coffee, eats my food. I'm not heartless, but this is me time, Levitt.
Me time.
I pull open the door, and she slowly pushes her way inside. I tip toe and angle my body to get a look across the street, but he's gone.
"Good morning, Mrs. Levitt," I say, faking the cheer in my voice, obviously.
"I'm out of coffee. Mind if I steal a cup?"
Yes.
"No, not all. Let me get you one."
"You're a dear."
Okay, damn, she's not that bad.
She sits at the table, and I get her some coffee and set it in front of her.
"Billy, from across the street, he got some info on our new neighbors. There's two of them. A husband and wife. Don't know their names, just know they look like some wild heathens."
"Old? Young?"
"They're about your age, maybe a bit older."
Hmmmm.
"Kids?"
"Not that I've seen, no."
"I'm sure they're nice people."
Or serial killers.
She takes a sip, then gives a doubtful, "Mmmhmmm. Hey, you got any of them powdered donuts?"
Go home, Mrs. Levitt. Those are mine!
"Sure."
Mrs. Levitt stays a while, long enough for Jack to wake and ruin my perfect alone time morning. Jack freaks the fuck out when his sleepy eyes land on her, and she takes that as her cue to hobble her ass out the front door.
"Thanks for breakfast, dear."
"Anytime."
Not really.
I shut the door and hug Jack, whispering, "She's gone. It's okay. She's gone."
He slaps me in the boob.
I feel so used.
Jack gets his liquid breakfast and then I feed him scrambled egg but half of it lands on the damn floor since he threw it there.
These kids, I swear it's their life's goal to try my patience.
~o~O~o~
"My dad called," I tell Emmett late that night when he gets home from work.
"Yeah?"
"He wants to come for a visit this weekend."
My dad is the shit. Seriously, no dad is better than my dad. Him and my mom didn't work out, but he raised me and my sister Heidi while she went off globe-trotting with her younger husband Phil. Don't get me wrong, she's not a bad person, but dad is just it.
"We can pull out the couch." He strips out of his shirt and pants, and I know he's probably tired but I could use a good fucking right about now.
"Are you tired," I ask, letting my eyes trail every beautiful inch of his rock-hard body.
His answer is to pull his boxers off.
Mmmm, come to fucking mama.
He lays back, and I do all the work, taking my time to kiss and lick every inch of him. He's a sexy beast.
When it's all said and done, and I'm completely sated and worn the hell out, the roar of a motorcycle makes its way down our street.
Seriously.
"Mrs. Levitt came over today," I say, resting my head on Emmett's chest. "She said the new neighbors are heathens."
His chest rumbles, and he runs his big fingers through my hair. "I'm sure they're alright."
Or they're literally heathens.
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
"Night, baby."
Emmett falls asleep almost immediately, the big bear, but I'm not far behind.
Morning comes too damn soon.
~o~O~o~
Jack stayed back at the house with Emmett while I brought Nova with me to buy a shit ton of food for my dad's visit and the BBQ. Why I brought the holy terror with me, I'll never know.
"Put it in the basket, Nova," I grit through my teeth, ignoring the nosey assholes glancing our way. "That's it. Don't ask for another thing."
She tosses it in and crosses her arms, but she's silent, and that's all I fucking ask.
I push the overloaded cart down each aisle, grabbing shit I absolutely do not need.
What am I going to do with stainless steel straws?
Save the turtles?
Once I pay for everything, I make Nova get buckled in and start the car then I have the daunting task of unloading the bags into the hatchback.
I loathe this job.
Nova puts on the stereo and sings along to fucking Cardi B as I transfer bag after never ending bag to the car. My armpits are sweating and my hair is sticking to the back of my neck. I'm almost to the last bag when the bag in my hand just rips and all my cans go rolling all over the place.
"Motherfucker…"
I toss the rest of the bags in before bending down to collect my 101 cans. The hot pavement is burning the hell out of the bottom of my feet through my thin flip flops. I'm almost lazy enough to just say fuck it.
I get on all fours and reach down for a missing can of Rotel beneath the car when a hand reaches out for it and grabs it instead.
I stand and dust off loose rocks from my damn kneecaps and look up at the man holding my Rotel and time stops.
It literally fucking stops.
His eyes are so damn green, I'm feeling a little spellbound.
How the hell can they be that green?
"Mama, I'm hot."
"Shit, thanks…" I say, grabbing the can, a shock going through my arm when our fingers touch.
What the fuck?
He smiles and lifts his chin, his skinny black tie hanging all askew down his chest. He turns and walks away, glancing once over his shoulder.
God, this fucking heat is really fucking with my head.
"Maaaaammmmmaaaaaa…"
"I'm coming." I slam the hatchback and hop in the front seat, pointing half the vents at my overheated face.
The roar of a motorcycle pierces the air, and I pause with my hand on the gearshift, watching as the Rotel man slowly speeds by. He doesn't have a helmet on, and he meets my eyes, giving me another damn chin lift before peeling out like a bat out of hell.
What the fuck?
He's the heathen?
Holy hell.
