He hadn't been sleeping well since Bella left. It was no surprise when he found himself awake at nearly two a.m., staring at the glowing red numbers on his alarm clock's display.

In the darkness it was easy to imagine Bella beside him. Missing her was more painful than any physical injury he had ever sustained, and on the football field they were plentiful. This felt like his chest had been torn open and a gallon of salt poured into the gaping wound.

There was a noise near the front of the house. His senses suddenly heightened and his body stiffened. Emmett held his breath and listened for any other sounds. His heart began to beat a quicker pace, pushing adrenaline through his veins.

A floorboard in the hallway creaked. Someone was out there.

He sat up slowly, making sure the mattress didn't make any noise. There was a baseball bat propped against the wall directly next to his bed, and Emmett leaned over to reach for it.

"Emmett?"

That voice – that soft, anxious voice. Everything inside of him clenched devastatingly, his heart newly stricken.

His bedroom was dark, but the moon allowed enough light to see her figure in the doorway. She dropped her bag to the floor and stared at him.

"Bella," he replied hoarsely.

She walked to the foot of his bed and for the first time in a week, he really saw her.

"I miss you," she whispered.

His heart was in his throat, and he couldn't speak. For that, Emmett was grateful, because if speech was possible he'd undoubtedly say something stupid and fuck everything up again. Unable to communicate the swelling emotion in his chest that began to choke him, Emmett held out his hand.

Her shoulders slumped in relief and her eyes lost some of their sadness. Bella climbed up onto his bed and crawled towards him, hesitating just before she reached him.

"I'm so sorry, Emmett."

He had told Jasper that Edward would always be there between them; that they'd never get past him. But at that moment, in his dark bedroom, with Bella at his side – it seemed possible. Their reconciliation was just seconds away and he couldn't think of anything except Bella; wanting her, loving her, never letting go of her. They could definitely do this.

Her hand reached up and brushed against his cheek. Emmett turned his head and pressed a kiss into her palm. She gasped a little and the noise set him off, hauling her onto his lap.

His body screamed to take her, to dominate and claim her. Emmett needed that reassurance. He wanted to give her satisfaction in the best way he could, and he knew exactly how to do that. Their lips crashed together, moving as recklessly as their hands.

Bella trembled in his arms. His hands, so desperate and nearly shaking, roamed over her curves. He couldn't get enough, and Emmett felt his chest rumble with a hoarse groan.

"Please," she breathed.

Their lips parted long enough only so he could pull Bella's shirt over her head. She made a small crying noise and wrapped her arms around him as soon as it was free. Emmett gently moved her off his lap and repositioned their bodies so he was back home, right on top of her.

Bella accepted his weight and moaned when their forms lined up just right. His body strained to get closer to her, his pants two sizes too small for his erection.

"Come on," Bella pleaded.

Her mouth was so warm and wet, and Emmett poured his soul into their kissing. There was nothing gentle or sweet about his movements. The urgency that drove them, the pain of being separated for so long, was agonizing. The only way to remedy the growing torture was to be buried deep inside her, feeling her body seize around him while she moaned into his ear.

Emmett pushed his shorts down and struggled with her jeans. He could tell that she didn't want to release him, didn't want to put any space between them, but he needed those jeans off. Now.

The jeans and panties were yanked off in one smooth movement. Her legs spread, welcoming his body to rest on top of her once more. This time when they lined up, they fit together like a lock and key. Bella threw back her head, exposing her slender throat, and Emmett attacked it with his mouth.

His lips and tongue made love to her throat as his hips moved in tandem. The world around them ceased to exist, and nothing else mattered. Bella's fingernails dug into his shoulders, the little pinpricks of pain barely breaking through the pleasure gripping his spine.

"Oh, God," she moaned. "Please. Please."

Emmett held on to her hips to keep her from moving up the bed as he thrust into her. Her breathy sighs soon turned into louder moans and groans, spurring him on.

He was rapidly approaching his climax, and knew Bella was, too. Emmett pulled back slightly to watch her. He missed this, and he missed her.

"I love you," she whispered. "Don't stop. Please don't. Oh, God, Edward!"

Edward. Edward.

Emmett wrenched awake, sitting straight up in bed. His heart hammered in his chest and he couldn't catch his breath. He looked around wildly, but the bedroom was empty and dark. The Bella he dreamt of was gone, leaving him throbbing and shaking. He felt like vomiting.

It took him a long time to calm down.

Emmett rolled onto his side, stretching one arm across the empty bed. He missed Bella more than he wanted to admit to anyone, especially to himself. She had consumed him, infiltrated every aspect of his life until she was everywhere. And now, without her, there was nothing.

Jasper told him to get a dog. For some reason, he thought that would really help. "You know," he had said. "You can take the dog out for walks to the park and shit. Get out of the house. Maybe meet somebody else."

The thing was, he didn't want to meet anyone else. Now that he knew what it was like to be with Bella, nothing else would ever compare. He always thought it would be amazing, but knowing how wonderful they were together ruined his chances with anyone else.

It was several hours before his body calmed enough to drift back to sleep.

Bella glanced at her cell phone, which was vibrating on her coffee table. It was probably Edward. Again.

The past couple weeks had been miserable, made bearable only because of Edward. It was as if he knew exactly when she needed him, starting with that first night he showed up at her door.

Edward plied her with a delicious shrimp scampi and an excellent, rich wine. She didn't have to do anything, just watched him cook and move around her kitchen with unexpected ease. Apparently he didn't need those cooking lessons quite as badly as he portrayed. He kept her laughing and, to her surprise, talking.

Something inside of her shifted after Emmett left. Something broke, and Bella lost part of herself. Gone was the girl who blushed and giggled over every word Edward said. She doubted any man would ever have that effect on her again.

Except maybe Emmett.

She dreaded seeing Emmett. It was a given that they'd run into each other. They shared the same circle of friends for so long. They had been friends for so long. Her stomach twisted into painful knots every time she thought of him.

Edward never pushed her to speak of Emmett. He texted her daily to make plans. If she tried to dodge him, Edward would show up at the most unexpected times. He stopped by early one morning to make her breakfast. He brought her lunch at school. He brought dinner to her store.

She was grateful at first, but now she was feeling guilty. Bella felt guilty that he spent so much time on her; cooking and just hanging out. She felt guilty because she knew Alice would disapprove. And most of all, she felt guilty because if Emmett found out, it would hurt him.

But he doesn't want to be together. He doesn't care. I shouldn't care, either.

Her phone went off again and Bella sighed. She didn't want to avoid Edward, but she just needed a night off. A night to let her guard down and just be. If she tried to explain that to him, he would assume she was too upset for company and needed to cry herself to sleep. And, as she so recently learned, Edward couldn't handle tears. He would do anything for her to stop crying.

Bella stood up and walked into her bedroom. She changed out of her teaching clothes and into a pair of sweats. She was so tired. Sleep remained unattainable. She couldn't fall asleep, and when she did, she didn't stay asleep.

She needed a break, but the world just kept turning. Her routine had to be fulfilled. She needed to keep up her grades to maintain her scholarship and needed to work to pay rent.

After she changed into her pj's, Bella went in the kitchen to scrounge up dinner. There was leftover chicken alfredo, compliments of Edward, sitting in the refrigerator. She heated it up and was leaning against the counter when someone began knocking on the door.

She bit her lip and considered ignoring it, but then a fresh wave of guilt hit her. Edward was being really nice. He was going above and beyond, truly proving that he wanted them to be friends.

Bella put her pasta down and opened the door.

"Hey," Edward said softly. He held up his cell phone. "I called, but…"

"Sorry," Bella smiled weakly. "I don't think I'd be really good company tonight."

He rolled his eyes and brushed past her. "You're always good company, Bella."

"Really, Edward. You've been so great lately but I don't think – "

"I brought some movies," he interrupted her. "You want a chick flick or something scary?"

Bella sighed and followed him into the living room. "Neither. Don't you have a movie where a bunch of hot guys just go around killing people?"

He frowned a little, obviously not expecting this request. "Um…we can see if there's something on television."

She plopped down on the couch. "I don't care. Whatever."

Edward glanced over his shoulder at her, studying her for just a minute. He turned on the television and sat down a few feet over from her.

Bella held herself stiffly, too aware of Edward's body heat and close proximity. She was wrong earlier when she thought she was finally over Edward. Sitting so close to him made her realize that might never happen, and she might never be free of that insane infatuation.

"Come here," Edward said, patting the empty space next to him. "You look tired."

Bella felt her heart begin to flutter. She looked over at him, unsure of how to respond.

He smiled, that cute crooked smile, and shook his head a little. "Come on, Bella. I'm not going to bite you or anything."

She hesitantly slid down the couch and sat next to him, but not touching him. Edward made a little noise of protest and slung his arm over her shoulder, tugging her to his side. He effectively closed the space between them.

"Edward," she said lightly.

"I'm not here for anything except a movie and maybe some snuggling," he said, his voice soft and honest. Bella twisted her neck to look up at him. She never imagined she'd ever be so close to his beautiful face, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe.

He smirked, probably delighted with her lack of response. Bella snapped herself out of it and snuggled deeper against him, a ruse to turn her attention back to the movie. "Good, because you're not getting anything else."

Edward brought his free hand to his chest and rested it over his heart. "That hurts, Bella. For real."

She smiled, even though he couldn't see it, and didn't bother with a reply. His arm tightened, a silent plea for her to relax. Despite their cuddling, her muscles were still tense. She had been relaxed moments earlier, before he arrived, but she just wasn't comfortable being this close to Edward.

Her thoughts returned to Emmett, with whom she was comfortable enough to relax with. Bella sighed and tried to focus on the movie. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker were great eye candy, but even they couldn't hold her attention.

The movie played on, and Bella lost herself in her thoughts. Emmett was always there, lurking in the back of her mind. Now, though, she focused on Alice and their recent fight. They hadn't spoken since the day Alice came to apologize. Her gut twisted with regret every time she thought of Alice. It seemed so impossible that they weren't friends any longer.

"Okay," Edward said, interrupting her thoughts. He snatched the remote off the side of the couch and turned the television off. "We need to cheer you up."

The very idea of being cheered up left Bella feeling drained and exhausted. "I'm fine."

"No, you aren't," he disagreed. Edward slipped off the couch and stood to face her, running a hand through his messy hair. "You haven't left your apartment even once for anything other than work and school. Your kitchen is practically empty. And you look sad all the time."

Bella felt her eyes sting at the onslaught of scrutiny. "Well, I'm sorry I haven't handled my break up the appropriate way."

His green eyes widened slightly when he noticed the sheen of tears in hers. His voice immediately took on a more cautious tone. "I'm not saying that. I just want to make sure you're okay. You don't seem okay."

"I'm fine," she insisted, needing to change the subject.

Edward sat down on the edge of her coffee table, moving so his knees bumped hers. He grabbed her hands, sending her heart into her throat. "Bella, listen. You're an amazing girl. You've got a lot going on right now but I know you can handle it. Maybe Emmett wasn't the right guy for you, but it's inevitable that you'll find someone. Hell, a few of my friends already asked for your number."

"They did?" she asked warily.

He nodded. "Don't worry, they didn't get anything out of me." Edward smiled. "I'm keeping those digits to myself."

"You don't have to stay here with me," Bella said, trying again to shake Edward free of his quest to cheer her up. Maybe he felt bad, or guilty, and assumed her and Emmett's break up was his fault. "I'll be fine, really. I just need a night off to cry it out and I'll be good as new tomorrow."

His shrewd eyes didn't look convinced. "I like spending time with you."

"But you aren't spending time with me," she argued. "You're babysitting me. I'm like this big pathetic mess you're trying to clean up."

Edward stood up, deftly changing his plan of attack. "Then let's really hang out. Sunday will be our day, and we'll do something different every week."

The idea both frightened and excited her. He was right; she did need to snap out of her current funk. The kids at school continuously asked her why she was so sad and the staff at Nature's Harvest had remarked numerous times on her zombie-like behavior. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "Seattle is full of stuff to do. Museums, parks, galleries. You name it, we'll do it. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good," Bella managed. Her curiosity was about to just burst through her chest, though. Why? Why was he doing so much for her? "But – "

"I want you to be happy," Edward said softly, as if anticipating her question. "If you need a friend, I'll be your friend. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy. Whatever it takes."

"All you ever wanted?" she repeated. "We barely spoke before this past month."

Edward stood up again, avoiding her eyes and the question. He sighed heavily and rubbed his face, as if debating on whether or not to divulge a secret.

"Edward?" she prompted, sitting up straighter. "What's wrong?"

He turned to face her and Bella was surprised at the intensity on his face. He walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands again. The ease with which he touched her was disarming. Bella leaned forward and her eyes fluttered shut when his fingertips skimmed over her cheekbone. Her heart thrummed as quickly as a hummingbird's wings, and her mind raced frantically to process what was happening.

"You're important to me, Bella," he said huskily. "You've been important to me for a long time."

She stared at him, unconvinced, waiting for more.

"My feelings for you aren't exactly platonic," Edward tried again, this time his cheeks turning pink.

Bella shoved his hands away and stood up, and this time she was the one pacing the room. She had never felt so confused; she felt ill. "What does that even mean, Edward? You ignored me practically my entire life!"

"What was I supposed to do? My best friend was in love with you. For as long as I can remember, you were all Emmett cared about." He looked pained. "Emmett was like a brother to me. I couldn't tell you how I felt, or put him through that. I just didn't know how else to handle it."

"Not ignore me!" she replied shrilly. Bella took a deep breath and tried to wrap her brain around what Edward just told her.

She didn't believe him. She couldn't. The idea of Edward Cullen being romantically interested in her was just not something she could understand. Through all those years of anguish and pain, she was just dying for him to acknowledge her. And now he was telling her that the cold act was just a front?

"I couldn't be your friend. I tried," Edward shook his head. "The formal? I tried, I really did. But it was too much. It killed me to be close to you and not be close to you. And every time I tried to talk to you…well, you just clammed up. It was better for both of us if I just stayed away."

"That's not fair," Bella said angrily. More tears choked her, but these were angry tears. It wasn't fair that she was just learning this, after so much heartache and humiliation. It only made it worse that his confession followed so closely on the heels of the breakup.

"I know it isn't, and I'm sorry." He hung his head. "I just can't keep lying to you."

"Edward, I just can't – I can't believe you would even – " She was so angry that she could barely speak.

Edward slipped in front of her, effectively ending her pacing. He stood too close and his cologne dulled her senses. She stopped breathing as he leaned even closer.

"I'm not stupid, and I don't expect you to fall all over me," Edward whispered. "I don't expect anything from you. I was telling you the truth earlier…I want to be your friend. Let me be your friend and help you."

"Edward…" she shook her head.

"Don't turn me away, Bella," Edward pleaded softly. "I already lost Emmett. He won't even talk to me. I can't lose you, too."

"Don't do this to me. Don't make me choose."

"I'm not," he said quickly. "I'm not. I'm not asking for anything but friendship."

Bella broke out of his embrace. "Friendship will hurt Emmett. This, whatever this is, is already hurting him!"

"He told you that?" Edward asked, knowing his words would sting. "Have you talked to him? Because I haven't talked to him in weeks. He won't answer my calls. Won't answer the door. How long are we supposed to wait for him to grow up?"

"I don't know," Bella snapped, her defenses rising. It didn't seem right to discuss Emmett with Edward. It felt as though she was betraying him, and Emmett didn't deserve that. Did he?

"Emmett had his chance and he blew it." The emotion on Edward's face was overwhelming. "I won't lie again and tell you I'm sad about your break up. If this is the way he's going to treat you, he never deserved you in the first place."

His words reached deep inside of her and made her stomach hurt even more. She didn't want to believe what he said, but she had thought it enough times herself to know it was true. If Emmett really felt anything for her, he would have given her a chance to explain herself.

Edward looked as though he wanted to say something, but bit his tongue instead. "You look tired. Take a bath and get some rest. Think about what I said, okay? Just friends. We could be good together, Bella."

"I'll think about it," she said weakly, not willing to engage in another battle. The smile that lit up his face was too bright. "Just friends, right?"

Edward's hand was suddenly on the back of her head, tangling in her hair. Bella gasped as he pulled her forward and angled her face up. He grinned mischievously, enjoying her panic before dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Just friends. For now."

He grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch and gave her a wave before disappearing through her front door, leaving Bella in a mental tizzy.

For now? Had she imagined that?

Feeling faint, Bella plopped down on the couch and tried to sort through her messy thoughts. She could barely make sense of the evening. Times like these really made a girl wish for her best friend.

But she didn't have a best friend anymore. She only had Edward.

That night she dreamt of Alice and Emmett. When she awoke, her heart was heavy and her cheeks were stiff from dried tears.

Bella decided to take Edward up on his offer. If anything, she could count on their Sundays together as an escape from the rest of her depressing life. She needed something to distract her from Emmett and the ghost of their relationship.

hey guys! sorry the update took so long...my life is stupid right now. :)

thank you to siouxchef for her crazy beta skills, and to dinx, mentalist and jamie for prereading! this story is so much better because of you guys.

also - sorry i am so terrible at replying to reviews. if you ever wanna chat or have a question, i'm really great at replying on twitter (bellacellaluna). love you guys! thanks for the support!

LUNA

p.s. teams! edward? emmett?