A/N: Sorry for the short chapter the last time everyone. Do to things beyond my control, it was either leave it short or not post for a couple of days. To make it up to you, I am posting this chapter early. Enjoy!
Chapter 4 – Impossible Dreams
Bella whipped around when she heard a knocking behind her and breathed the name, "Emmett."
His voice stuck in his throat as Emmett was struck once again by her beauty. Hearing his name on her lips gave him chills and filled him with a sense of happiness and want. He couldn't think about that now, she belonged to his brother. The increase in her heartbeat was probably because he had scared her. There was no way it could be anything else.
Walking towards the small girl, well small compared to him, Emmett held up his hands as if in surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he muttered breathlessly. Was that his voice that was coming out of his body? He couldn't ever remember sounding like that.
Bella swallowed hard, forcing moisture into her suddenly dry mouth. The object of her thoughts and dreams stood only five feet away from her. It was almost like he had heard her siren's song and came calling. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she knew that wasn't it at all. He was probably only there because of his mate's behavior. Clearing her throat, she said, "You didn't scare me. I was just thinking about some things and wasn't expecting anyone." Was that a tremor in her voice? It couldn't be. This was her boyfriend's brother and nothing more. It could never be anything more.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. I can leave…" he started to say and paused when she grabbed his arm before finishing in a low whisper, "if you want." He was surprised when he suddenly felt her touching him and grabbing his forearm. Shocks coursed through his body all centering at that spot where she was in contact with him, the connection point.
If he thought he could deny his interest and feelings for the small human before, Emmett had been lying to himself and this one action proved it. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and show her how much he really did care about her, but he shouldn't, he couldn't. Could he?
As soon as Emmett had said the words "I can leave", Bella felt a well of panic rise in her gut. She couldn't explain it and she couldn't fight it. Before she knew what she was doing, she had closed the small gap and had grasped his arm. She wasn't ready for him to leave and she something inside her wasn't sure if she would ever be, but he was here now and she would take that.
Trying to convince herself, that the feelings were those of friendship and wanting to get to know Emmett more, Bella whispered knowing he could hear her, "Don't go."
Emmett blinked and gazed down at her still holding onto his arm. He heard her and knew he could not deny her because that would mean denying him. Denying something deep within him that told him he needed to do anything to make her happy. At that moment, he decided that he would do anything for her, anything she wanted or needed or asked. He would do it. Edward may have been her boyfriend, but there was something almost primal about Emmett's need to please her. It was more than a desire to see her smile and know that she was alright amongst this world she was catapulted into, it was an urge and a necessity, essential to his very life. He had to know that she was safe, protected, and content. Not just content, but blissful. "Could it be?" Emmett asked himself, but chose not to finish that thought.
Lifting his arm, his hand found its way to the side of her head and brushed her hair behind her ear. He noted the goose bumps she got at the action, but chalked it up to the coldness of his hands. "I will stay if you want me to," Emmett declared softly and was struck dumb once again by her blinding smile at his statement.
"Thank you," Bella smiled and felt the tightness in her chest release and uncoil. A simple affirmation had helped her so much. "Why can he put me at ease with a small announcement when Edward can't do it with a whole speech? A simple sentence giving me what I want versus Edward's telling me to not worry or to feel better. Why?" Bella thought to herself as she stared at Emmett in the eyes.
The duo stayed there staring at each other for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes. Their moment was broken when both of them heard Charlie making his way up the stairs. Bella dove into her bed and pulled a book out pretending to be reading. She had forgotten to turn off the lights, so she couldn't pretend to be sleeping. Emmett had disappeared and Bella and while she was not sure where, she hoped that it was not too far away or that he was gone. "Why is there such a draw to him? I need to stop and tell him to leave. I am with Edward and my thoughts are not fair to him, but can I?" Bella thought to herself moments before there was a knock at her door, "Come in."
"Hey Bells. I was just checking on you. It is getting late. You might want to turn in soon," Charlie said to his only child.
Glancing at the time, Bella nodded and replied, "I will, I just want to finish this chapter. Night dad."
"Night," Charlie smiled and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.
When she heard her father's bedroom door open and close, she hopped out of bed and went looking for the large vampire. She didn't find him in her room, so she figured he had left and a flood of disappointment encompassed her as she started to turn off the lights so she could get into bed. "It is for the best," she sighed.
"What is for the best?" Emmett asked as she was lifting the covers to crawl into bed.
Bella gasped and turned around quickly. Standing behind her was the man she had been looking for. "Emmett!" She exclaimed before she found herself wrapping her arms around him in an embrace.
He couldn't help it. A smile started to form on his lips at her actions. She was just as happy to see him as he was her. He knew it was wrong, but he could no more stop this than he could stop time. "I told you I would stay if you wanted me to and I don't remember you telling me to get out," he stated as he wrapped his own arms around her and pulled her close. She fit his body perfectly and he loved the feel of her pressed against him. If he could, he would hold her for all eternity. "I need to stop, but I can't," Emmett said to himself afraid of letting the woman in his arms escape from his embrace. There was more to think about than just him. There was Edward and Bella and the family. He didn't include Rosalie in that because Jasper was right, Rose was not his true mate. She was his savior, but there had to be someone out there for him and something inside him cried out, "Bella."
Chuckling softly so as not to disturb her father, she whispered as she clutched him a little tighter, "I thought you left." Bella breathed in deeply, taking in his scent and surrounding herself with him.
"I will leave when you tell me to leave," Emmett conceded as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, unable to stop himself from such an action. He wasn't ready to let her go and if he only had this one night, this one moment, he would take it and hold only it with both hands. For this second, this brief period of time, he could pretend that Bella was his and not his brother's.
Before she could stop herself she probed, "What if I don't ever want you to go?" She knew it as the wrong thing to ask when she felt him stiffen, but the words slipped out. "Sorry, don't answer that," Bella murmured.
He wanted to say that if she didn't want him to go then he would never leave her side, but he couldn't. She loved and belonged with Edward. Emmett was only dazzling her with his vampire charms and nothing more. When she was around Edward again, she would realize who she really wanted to be with and unfortunately for Emmett, he didn't believe it would be him. Kissing the top of her head again, he suggested, "Why don't you go to bed and I will sit over here until you fall asleep?"
Bella didn't want to go to bed and fall asleep. She didn't want to lose this precious time she had with the man of her dreams, but she knew that was not fair to him or Rosalie. It wasn't fair to Edward. Maybe if Emmett had been single when she had started school, things would be different, but he wasn't single and she had made her choice. Feeling dejected and anxious, she muttered, "Okay." Dropping her arms from his waist, she climbed into bed and turned over on her side facing away from the chair he said he was going to sit in. She couldn't stop the tears from falling when she heard him sit down knowing he was watching her. He was so close to her and yet they were miles apart.
Tears continued to fall, but Bella did not wipe them away or give any indication that she was still awake. She didn't want him to know that she was crying. Nothing could change their situation from what it was and that thought caused more drops to fall down her face and onto her pillow. A shuffling noise like someone entering her room made her eyes pop open. When she realized that it was Jasper, her heart started to race a little, but she immediately relaxed knowing that Emmett was there to watch over her.
"I thought I would find you here," Jasper whispered almost imperceptibly.
Emmett looked at Bella and knew she wasn't completely asleep just yet. He also knew she was crying, but what could he do about that? Turning towards Jasper, he answered in a low voice, "How did you know?"
"I had my suspicions and l smelled your trail leading this way," Jasper smirked.
"Let me guess, everyone is worried and you are part of the search party?"
"Actually Esme is worried, but they all figured you needed space. I decided to come looking for you."
"Why?"
Jasper could feel Emmett's feelings of defense. He could also tell that Bella was awake and listening to everything they said. She was feeling torn and hurt, but there was another underlying current of caring present, and all of them were directed at Emmett. "Did you think about what I told you?" Jasper asked knowing that the feelings he felt coming off of Emmett in his room were more than doubled now. Emmett's eyes cut to the bed and then back to Jasper. If it had been a human and not a vampire, that small action may have gone unnoticed, but this was not only a vampire, it was a very observant one. That one little look was very telling.
"I have, but it is impossible," Emmett sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Why is it impossible?" Jasper inquired wondering if Emmett was going to admit anything to him.
"It just is. Come on, Bella is sleeping and we need to get home," Emmett announced pushing his brother towards the window knowing full well that Bella was not fully asleep nor did they need to rush home. He just needed out of there right now. Glancing one last time at Bella, Emmett muttered, "Impossible dreams." With that said, he jumped out the window and landed next to Jasper and before the older vamp could say anything, he took off towards the woods. "I finally think I found her and she belongs to someone else. I have tonight though and that is enough. I hope," Emmett tried to convince himself.
Jasper gazed up at the window and then at the disappearing form of Emmett. Emmett may think it was impossible and was ready to give up, but Jasper was not ready to allow that to happen. The situation may be difficult, but it was not impossible. Running after his brother, he made a vow to both Bella and Emmett that he would do what he could to rectify the situation and bring the mates together.
