Chapter 11: The Promise
Bella was lying on the bed after she had made it. She had one arm draped over her stomach while her other hand rested up by her head. Her mind kept drifting back and forth between her conversation with her mother as well as her feelings toward Emmett.
The more she thought about her decisions, the more she felt that she was holding Emmett back. At work at this very moment was the greatest man she had ever met besides Edward. He was willing to give her anything, he told her he loved her, and he was treating her like a queen.
Chewing on her lower lip, she closed her eyes as she tried to rest. After not being able to sleep after talking to her mother, she was finally drifting off to sleep.
Emmett arrived home from work early, heading upstairs to take a shower. Walking into his room, he saw that Bella was fast asleep. Smiling a little, he walked by her quietly, heading into the bathroom to shower.
Twenty minutes later, he came out wearing his extremely worn blue jeans, and a tight white t-shirt before lying down on his side next to Bella on the bed. It had been awhile since he was able to watch her sleep. Reaching out, he gently moved his knuckle along her cheek. Unconsciously, she turned her head into his touch, sighing in her sleep. Moving up more on the pillows, he watched as Bella moved closer, resting her head on his chest.
Smiling, he moved his hand through her dark curls as he watched her sleep peacefully. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath as he fell asleep with her.
An hour later, Bella woke up feeling a pair of strong arms wrapped protectively around her. Smiling a little, she slowly sat up, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as Emmett started waking up. "Hey," she said softly, stroking his jaw.
"Hey beautiful," he said smiling.
Bella sighed as she sat back against the headboard of the bed. "You haven't slept in a few days. Want to tell me what's wrong?" he asked as he sat up on his elbow.
"Not really," she replied.
Letting out a deep breath, she held his hand in hers as she moved circles on his wrist with her fingertips. Emmett gave her a quizzical look as she sat there pondering. "But I have to," she murmured.
"Talk to me," he insisted.
Nodding her head slowly she looked down at Emmett. "Um…the hospital didn't tell you, but I was there the day Edward and Rosalie were in their accident. I was the anonymous person who found them," she told him. Emmett sat up as he listened to her. "They were just a mile up the road, but the crash was so loud Emmett it echoed off everything. It was the most horrible thing a person should never have to hear," she explained.
Swallowing hard, Bella stared at her lap as she twisted her ring around on her index finger. "Edward was already dead when I found the car…but Rosalie was still alive," she said softly. Emmett felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach at her words.
Bella pressed her forehead against Edward's, crying. "No, no, no," she sobbed hysterically. Hearing a groan, she pulled back and looked over to see Rosalie beginning to stir. "Rosalie!" she gasped. Carefully letting Edward go, she ran over on the other side, opening the door and Rosalie would've fallen out of the car if her seatbelt wasn't buckled.
Unbuckling the seatbelt, she carefully caught Rosalie in her arms. Carefully sitting down, she watched as Rosalie slowly began opening her eyes. "Em…Emmett…" she groaned.
"Just stay with me Rosalie, I'm calling for help, just stay with me," Bella begged with tears in her eyes.
She pulled out her cell phone, dialing 911. After reporting the accident and calling for an ambulance, she felt Rosalie grip the front of her shirt. "B-Bella listen…listen to me," Rosalie insisted.
"Don't talk, Rosalie you're going to be okay. An ambulance is coming, we'll get you to the hospital and then you can talk all you want," Bella answered.
Rosalie shook her head slowly. "Emmett…Lily…" she started with tears in her eyes.
"You'll see them soon Rose," Bella answered with tears in her eyes, "you have to hold on, you have to hold on for Emmett and Lily."
The blond girl let out a sob before she coughed and blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. "Bella…listen…" she insisted. Bella let out a sob as she watched Rosalie struggle with her words. "T-Take care of…of Emmett and…and Lily. Take care of them…please…please take care of Emmett and my baby. Promise me Bella please," Rosalie insisted with tears falling down her face. Bella nodded her head.
"I promise, I'll take care of them," she answered.
Rosalie let out a sob before coughing again. "Emmett…Lily…I…love…you…both…" she got out while gripping Bella's arm. Bella watched as Rosalie closed her eyes and she fell limp in her arms.
"No…no…Rosalie! Rosalie come back! Come back you can't leave! Emmett and Lily need you! Rosalie come back please!" she exclaimed.
Bella looked at Emmett with tears in her eyes to see Emmett staring at her. His eyes were unreadable. "She loved you, Emmett. She wanted to be sure you were taken care of. I felt worse because I had promised her I'd make sure you guys were okay…" she started.
Instead of answering, Emmett got up. "Emmett where are you going?" she asked.
"I need to go for a run Bella, this is…this is just too much," he answered.
With tears falling down her face, Bella watched as he ran out of the room.
When Emmett was out of the house, he just took a left and ran. He didn't know where he was running to or how long he was going to run, all he knew was that he needed to run.
He ran for what felt like hours, when he finally stopped, he saw that he had run to a bridge and just stood there as he watched the water rush under the bridge. Closing his eyes, Emmett let out a shaky breath as he put his head in his hands. For the first time in six years, Emmett cried over the loss of his wife.
Bella walked downstairs to see Lily sitting in the living room. "Lils?" she called to the girl. The girl looked up at her.
"You and dad had another fight?" Lily asked.
Bella sighed as she squatted down in front of the girl. "No, we didn't have another fight kiddo. We just…I had to tell your daddy the truth about the night your mama died," she replied. Lily gave her a quizzical look, but then her face softened.
"I wish I could remember mama," she said softly.
Bella smiled sadly. "Your mama loved you very, very much," the young woman told the girl. Standing up, Bella pushed her hair from her eyes as she stood up.
Walking over to Emmett's DVD collection, she smiled when she found what she was looking for. "Here," she told the girl as she took out a stack of home video DVD's. Putting the first movie in the DVD player, she sat down with Lily on the couch.
The video began to play and it showed the camera just pointing at the door. "And drum roll please, and introducing Lillian May Cullen," Emmett announced as Rosalie walked in with Lily in the baby carrier.
"Emmett, turn off the camera I look horrible," Rosalie insisted.
"No way, you look beautiful," he answered.
Emmett walked over and kissed his wife briefly. "You look so beautiful Rosie," he told his wife before pointing the camera at a sleeping Lily.
"Emmett, help me take her upstairs," Rosalie told him.
"Yep," he answered.
The video cut to Rosalie humming, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair with Lily sleeping in her arms. "She was pretty," Lily commented as she looked at her mother.
"Daddy never showed you these?" Bella asked.
"Daddy never liked to talk about mama, it upsets him," Lily replied.
Bella sighed as they looked at the video.
The video cut again to a family outing, everyone was together. "Here Uncle Eddie, you have a try," Emmett said as he transferred baby Lily into Edward's arms.
Bella bit her lower lip as she looked at Edward, tears welling up in her eyes.
Bella stood next to Edward, staring at the baby in his arms. "She's beautiful Rosalie," she commented.
"Thanks," Rosalie answered behind the camera.
Edward was carefully rocking Lily back and forth. "Hey maybe someday Ed that'll be yours and Bell's kid," Emmett commented.
"Not for awhile," Bella answered quickly, making everyone laugh.
"A few years yet," Edward commented smiling.
Bella suddenly felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and looked up at Emmett. Emmett's eyes were red, showing that he had been crying. Reaching up, she rested her hands over his as she quietly comforted him as he was comforting her as they watched the videos playing on the screen.