Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight, I, however, own a nice pair of silver-ribboned ballet flats. (:
You'd think that Emmett would have lightened his load on the whole 'explore Edward's character' thing, right? Joke's on you, though. He hasn't, and if anything, he's just been more persistent on finding the background on this man. Just like he was Car Faxing a used car he was about to purchase.
You see, Edward Cullen was the car, and Emmett was so pigheaded as to the information he was going to pull out from his sources. He knew exactly how I felt, yet he hadn't lightened up the load.
A week had passed by, and I had all but gotten fed up with Emmett's no talking to Edward rule. Yes, I understood where he was coming from… but that didn't mean that I would agree to be restricted by Emmett, stuck within the confines of our house. Him and his delusional mind…
Over this week stuck with Emmett, I had done some researching of my own on the Cullens; turns out there were six of them. They either married into the family, or are sons or daughters of the filthy rich inhabitants. Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, Rosalie, and finally… Edward – the man who had staked a claim on my mind every day since one week ago. His every thought branded my mind, seeming possessive. The thing was though, it seemed anything but. I was happy to fork myself over to the luxury of those sparkling green eyes.
I was so used to seeing his eyes that it didn't surprise me when I had awoken mere minutes ago, to find them dancing behind my closed eyelids. I wanted to reach out and caress both purplish tinted eyelids, feeling his long, beautiful lashes tickle the ends of my fingertips like a butterfly's kiss. It made me want to be with him so badly… he had lived inside my head for only one week, but it seemed he had made his bed for eternity.
Slowly I opened my eyelids one by one, shattering the smooth fantasy that made my heart flutter. Slipping my cold feet into slippers and grabbing my robe, I made my way to Emmett's room, not surprising me when I found him snoring loudly from his plush bed. I snuck over to his side, poking his hand and wrist once.
"Emmett…" I whispered gently, not wanting to startle his peaceful slumber. "Em… Emmett!" I finally whisper-shouted at him, awaking him with a startle, causing his to flail and tumble to the floor as I took a step backwards. Looking at his frightened face and wide eyes, I chuckled softly.
"Ah, Bells. Why did you wake me up so early in the morning?" my once again serene brother asked. I realized that I hadn't checked the time yet this morning, and knowing that the sun was up was enough of an alarm for myself.
"Emmett, it is eleven o'clock in the morning," Getting no reaction out of him, I persisted. "Emmett, we missed church. Come on, I'm sure that we can still make it to breakfast before they take out the Sunday lunch specials. Get ready."
"I love how you are the parent, and I am the child," he grumbled. "Bella… you make me loathe you sometimes." Emmett added while half smirking, half smiling.
"You know you love me… now hurry! Ándele… Ándele!" I spoke while rushing him and shutting the door tightly after slipping out. Pressing my ear to the door, I made sure he had not fallen asleep yet again.
Yes, it was true that I was more the parent to Emmett's childlike behavior, but it had always been that way even when our parents were around. My mother would always mention my adult-like qualities from the way I would walk to the broad vocabulary I had as a young child. When I was a first entering my hormonal years I wasn't like most. I was in control of my raging spurts of hatred that I would experience, having self-control. My father and mother claimed to have known people who were far passed being over the hill, and they had a bigger temper than I ever had. You see, the difference wasn't the temperamental thoughts rushing through my head, but rather the way I presented them, or lack thereof. Those elders my parents spoke about knew not of holding in their rage to make them seem less… mental institution worthy. I had always been known as level-headed with great character. Those were some of the only things in my life that I strived from, that kept me grounded while living a scholarly life with ages full of knowledge. I knew how to keep my head held high and my hatred from boiling over the brim.
After a quick shower and a change out of my silk pajamas, I knocked on Emmett's door. Finding a room that was lacking Emmett was not what I had been expecting, so I was automatically on alert. My senses were on a rapid high; I could hear almost everything that went on throughout the household: the washing machine, the dishwasher, heater, running car… running car? Just as I was about to whip myself around and peer through my brother's curtains, I felt a light tapping on my shoulder causing me to shriek mildly.
"Emmett!" I sounded so little girly. It was so… unusual. I put a hand over my racing heart while I spoke. "You nearly gave me heart failure." I joked acting overly shocked. A wide smirk was set on his lips as he spoke what I hadn't expected.
"Come on, Bells. Rosalie and Edward are waiting in their car for us… they're giving us a lift to a late brunch," Emmett said proudly. Yes, this day was coming up with many unexpected twists and turns.
I wasn't regretting Emmett's sudden change of heart towards the Cullens, but it did seem very suspicious. How they even knew where we lived was one thing, but picking Emmett and I up for brunch was another thing.
I slowly made my way down the carpeted staircase, careful to avoid tripping in my newest high heels with the pointed toe. They were very like with the right amount of class to them, but they were unfortunately very uncomfortable. I followed Emmett out the front door, making sure to lock both the deadbolt and the doorknob before trailing behind on the icy path that inclined to the Cullens' car. Expecting to find the exotic Edward Cullen behind the wheel, I was pleasantly surprised to find him leaning against a car door in the back, propping it open with his arm. Once he noticed I was looking at him, he smiled dazzlingly, causing me to avert my eyes to the ground I was walking upon. Not seeing the patch of black ice upon the sidewalk, I slipped unto the cold, wet ground.
I wasn't always this clumsy in heels… I had made sure to train myself in them by walking around with my highest ones about the house. It had always made Emmett smile to see me wearing them, his face lighting just a tad whenever he saw me traipse up and down the staircase to master the art of walking normally. In a high fashion world, I needed to have the ability to wear the dreadful shoes.
A hand flashed before my eyes, the fingers silently questioning whether I needed a hand in getting off my rear. I looked at the hand that was before my face, in all of its perfection. The long, graceful fingers that seemed to be as strong as the toughest metal silently asked if I needed help again, waking me from my reverence. Looking up slowly, I came to find Edward squatting on his feet to help me to my own. His face lightened slightly, and I smiled at the sheer beautiful of this absolute stranger. I felt as though I knew him inside and out, yet I knew nothing about this alien glory that was standing before me.
After taking Edward's hand and being pulled up off the driveway, I looked behind the bronze hair to find Emmett and Rosalie smiling and laughing. They occupied the two front seats of the flashy, red sports car, leaving Edward and I to sit in the tan leather back seat.
"Hey, Bella. Long time no see," he said as he led me to one side of the car, behind Rosalie's seat. Sitting down, I instantly felt a hot seat turned on, silently informing me that the Cullens had money (yeah, as if the flashy red ports car wasn't enough to confirm this). He was such a gentleman opening the door for me while still holding my hand leading me on my seat. He closed the door and walked gracefully, yet in a manly manor, to the other side of the backseat. As Edward took his place beside me, I tuned into the conversation being upheld by Emmett and Rosalie, but mostly on Rosalie's part. They were smiling brightly, laughing, and… flirty. My older brother with the dead, shattered heart from a lifetime ago was flirty. It was truly a first.
Emmett hadn't always been a man with a heart broken into a million pieces. At one point in his life, he was a lady's man, always attracting the attention of the most beautiful women who passed him by. They all caught his eye, but one stood out in particular to him. Andrea.
At first, their relationship was the best, or so Emmett said. She was all he would talk about, Emmett even confessed to me once that she was all he could think of. She made him lighten up. His dull, sullen face, an effect of our parents' deaths, was overjoyed. You could barely get the man to stop smiling. His mood changed dramatically as well, with a glint in his deep eyes, he would utter the most hilarious and inappropriate things, causing you to burst into a bubble of laughter and at the same time second guessing your laughter because it was played upon by something disturbing. Emmett had always been a bubbling and happy child, making crude jokes and mindless laughter as a small child all the way to the end of our parents' lives. The day they left this life his heart was broken, only to be without repair for years. Queue Andrea, and his whole life was turned upside down. His broken face was light and cheerful, seeming to pester me persistently throughout the day… his playful banter and teasing dulled the aftermath of the deaths. Then he found out the truth about his beloved Andrea: she was a cheater.
Andrea claimed to be in love, and no one could doubt that she had been, but that wave of love slowly dulled. Emmett's never ending shower of affection seemed like a mindless and thoughtless thing for Andrea… you could really get that she wasn't as committed in the relationship as she had been. Once head-over-heals, then like a stone… hard and cold. She came back to Emmett and I one day, confessing to her one night stand with a guy she met at a party. Having claimed to have been visiting her cousins coming in from New Jersey, when she was in actuality going to a college party that would no doubt end in drinking, a floor scattered in empty silver wrappers, and phones being left throughout the place had turned into something Andrea would never forget… or so she claimed.
Ending it with Emmett was painful for her; I could see it in her eyes. She regretted her actions, but she was enough of a respectable woman to know that the long relationship with her partner had to end. With tears on all three sides, the third side being my own, she left Emmett's life, along with mine. She had been my friend, bringing life to my brother when I couldn't, but she betrayed Emmett; she betrayed us both. She said her goodbyes and endless apologies before being flung out the door and into the world where she would find her true love. Emmett knew she would be a great spouse to some lucky man, but he had hopes that it would be himself.
The many months following were filled with a cold, lifeless Emmett. He still took care of his 'baby' sister, but with less passion. His hearty laughter and crude jokes left with Andrea, truly breaking my heart along with his.
It was nice to find that Emmett was happy once again, but I really couldn't understand where it had come from. It was obvious he was fond of Rosalie, but it seemed to be moving quickly for him. Although, Emmett had always been one to move quickly into relationships, even before Andrea.
I looked into Edward's vibrant green eyes, to find that he was staring back into mine intently. I blushed, looking down to my feet with his intense stair. I chewed on my lower lip, realized that I was falling fast for Edward, even though it may only be a friendship. Yes, I was fond of him, but I had only known this man for a week. Short conversations didn't cause love, and I was one to know. If there was anything I could learn from Emmett's last relationship, was that things were meant to be taken slowly. So I knew that I had to suppress my feelings towards Edward Cullen until I knew more about him. And I would definitely get to know him, seeing that Rosalie and Emmett looked to be becoming fast friends. This was truly a ride to be awaited.
(A/N): Do these chapter need to be longer? Again... comments are needed! So PLEASE review... tell me what you would like to see happen!
Some juicy things are to come in awaited chapters... I can feel it. Already have ideas... this is gonna be a long story! So please keep reading and the more reviews, the faster I write! Love you! (:
