Chapter 7: Stab in the Gut

Emmett was standing outside the bookstore when Bella pulled up. Looking up, she let out a sigh. "Great…" she murmured, climbing out of the truck, walking up the steps. She tripped on the top step, falling on all fours. Hurrying over, Emmett helped her up from the ground.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

She pulled away with a sigh. "W-What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing her hair from her eyes.

"I came to see if you were okay. We tried calling you last night, but you wouldn't answer," he answered.

"I'm fine, just went home and went to bed," she replied.

She went to unlock the door when Emmett stood in front of her. "Emmett let me through," she told him.

"Not until you talk to me," he answered.

"We have nothing to talk about," she told him as she tried moving by him.

"We have a lot to talk about," he insisted.

Bella bit her lower lip, looking over at him. "Bella, I want to know what I did wrong. We had a great time here in Seattle. Lily's wondering why you don't visit her anymore, she remembers Bella. It might've been a year ago but hell she remembers the times we went to the park with her. She liked the time we went to the Aquarium remember?" he asked.

She leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why is my seven-year-old wondering you don't like her anymore?" he asked.

"I do like Lily, she's an awesome kid," she answered.

"Then what happened? Was it me? Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes lowered to the ground. "You and I became close in Seattle," he added.

"Too close," she answered, stepping out from in front of him when he tried to move closer to her.

"But…" he started.

She shook her slowly. "Bella, I care for you so damn much. I care about you more than a friend. I want to be with you, I truly want to be with you. I want you to be part of mine and Lily's lives. You and Lily were all I thought about in Iraq. I came home wanting to be with Lily and wanting to be with you, but you disappeared on us again," he explained.

Bella continued to shake her head. "I care about you too Emmett, but not as much as you think. I had an awesome time with Lily. The bond she and I formed was great. What happened between you and me Emmett…I can't let it happen again," she answered. Emmett felt like someone had just took a hot dagger and plunged it into his chest.

"Wait…you're regretting what happened between you and me?" he asked.

She let out a sigh. "It just can't happen again," she answered. Emmett sighed as he shook his head slowly, feeling nothing but hurt. "Emmett, you mean so much to me," Bella insisted, her hand on his cheek. She forced him to look at her. "You are my closest friend, you have been there for me as much as I have been there for you," she told him. Swallowing hard, he pulled her hand away.

"It's too late then," he said softly.

He walked over to his motorcycle when Bella went after him. "I don't want to lose you," she told him, gabbing onto his arm. Pulling away, he glanced at her with a heavy sigh.

"And I can't live without you, but I'm going to have to," he answered before starting up his bike and riding away.

Bella wrapped her arms around herself watching as he disappeared into the distance. "It'll be better this way," she murmured, heading into the bookstore.

Emmett arrived home in Forks, having no idea how long he had driven in the rain and the cold but he didn't care. Getting off his bike, he moved his fingers through his wet hair before climbing the stairs, heading inside. "Sweetheart good you're home…" Esme trailed off.

Esme stood there, frozen to see her son drenched from head to toe. That wasn't surprising to her, what was surprising to see that his eyes were red. "Sweetheart what's wrong?" she asked concerned. She hurried over, resting her hand on his cheek.

"I want to leave Washington," he answered.

Letting out a shaky breath, he pressed his fingers against his forehead. "I want to start over somewhere mom. Just take Lily and go," he told her.

"Why do you want to leave Emmett? What happened sweetheart talk to me," Esme insisted.

Swallowing hard, he let out a deep breath. "I just can't stay here anymore," he answered.

"Where will you go?" Esme asked, "your father and I will go with you."

"No, I need to do this myself," he answered.

She nodded her head slowly. "Losing Rosie hurt mom, it hurt so much," he murmured.

"I know baby," she answered softly, moving her fingers through his wet hair.

"But being rejected is just as bad if not worse," he told his mother before going upstairs.

Another month later, Bella drove past Emmett's house, like she usually did to get to he dad's house, but this time she saw that something was different. Stopping in the driveway, she got out of the truck and went up to the front door. "Emmett?" she called. She raised her hand to knock when the door opened from just one knock.

Furrowing her eyebrow, she pushed the door open and saw that the house was completely empty. "Emmett?" she called, her voice echoing off the walls.

Walking around the house, her footsteps echoed in the seemingly abandoned house. Leaving, she saw Angela and Ben walking down the street hand in hand. "Angela," she called.

"Hey Bella," Angela greeted smiling as she hurried up to them.

"What happened? Where's Emmett?" she asked.

Angela smiled sadly. "He and Lily moved out of Forks last weekend," she replied. Ben wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "Poor guy, he looked like he was run over by a semi," she murmured. Bella swallowed hard when she remembered the look on Emmett's face when he left her bookstore.

"D-Did he say where he was going?" Bella asked.

"No, he just said he had to leave Forks," Ben replied.

"What about his parents?" Bella asked.

Angela looked at her friend. "You mean you really don't know?" she asked. Bella shook her head slowly. "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen are still here as well as his sister and brother-in-law," Angela replied. Bella let out a deep breath.

"Emmett just said he couldn't stay in Forks anymore. So him, his dad, and brother-in-law packed his and Lily's things and they left," Ben explained.

Nodding her head slowly, she walked over to her truck after thanking them. Sitting behind the wheel, she let out a shaky breath. "What have I done?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

In a little town in Tennessee, Emmett walked downstairs to find Lily sitting at the kitchen table doing her math homework. "Hey baby girl," he said smiling, kissing the top of her head.

"Hi daddy," she answered.

He sat down across from her. "What do you think of our new place?" he asked. She shrugged a little.

"I like Forks better," she answered.

Sighing, he stroked her hair gently. "I know," he answered. He kissed her forehead softly. "This is a new start for us okay? Just you and me, daddy and Lily," he told her. She smiled a little, the same half-smile that matched her mother's. "You'll get used to it here, I promise," he said softly. Getting up from her chair, she sat in her father's lap with her head on his chest.

Hugging his baby girl close, Emmett stroked her hair gently. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too daddy," she answered.

Kissing the top of her head, he hugged his daughter close while closing his eyes. He was looking forward to his new life with his daughter, as long as she was happy, he was happy.