Thanks so much to jkane180 for the edit.
I hope you're not mad about what happens next, but remember this is still a Bella/Emmett fic. I'm just showing that no couple is perfect, but it's no reason to let your whole lives together fall apart. This is the kind of stuff that makes you stronger. Also hope you understand why I won't be reading reviews until I have another couple chapters up. I don't want them to discourage me from posting, but of course review with your thoughts and I'll read them some time in the near future. Thanks guys.
Chapter 11
When I arrived back at the penthouse, Rosalie was curled up on the couch watching television. I went out to get us food, wanting her to have as much peace and rest as possible.
She was dressed in one of my t-shirts and sweatpants. I smiled at the fact that my clothes swallowed her up just as they did Bella.
"I'm sorry I'm wearing your clothes, but I put mine in the wash."
"No problem. You're welcome to anything."
She smiled and helped me pull the food out of the bags. We ate at the living room table, watching crap on television and avoiding conversation.
I looked over at her, and saw sadness written all over her features. I sighed to myself and ran my hand over my face. I seemed to have gotten her attention because she was looking at me while biting her lip.
I thought of Bella in that moment, and I missed my kids.
I knew I shouldn't have been here with Rosalie; I should have been home helping put my kids to bed.
But I also didn't want Rosalie to be alone this way. I wanted her to need me. It felt good.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Are you and Bella okay? You seem sad."
"When I came home yesterday, she told me she kissed Edward. I left," I told her, staring ahead at the television as I spoke the dreaded words.
When I glanced at her to gauge her reaction, she frowned and seriously looked surprised. "But. . . I don't understand. Are they having an affair or something?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "I don't think I can listen to her explain right now. . . She came by the office, and I was a total dick to her." My eyes felt sore, and I didn't want to fucking cry in front of her. I didn't want to think about my problems and have to face them.
"Maybe it was just a kiss. She's loves you. I know she does."
Frowning more, I looked at her and shook my head. "I really don't fucking wanna talk about the fact that my wife is going around kissing other men she obviously has feelings for. . . Especially when you won't talk to me and tell me what's going on with Royce."
After looking at me for a second, she stood from her spot on the couch and left the living room, closing the bedroom door behind herself.
I groaned, frustrated and hurting, and ran my hands roughly over my face before I stood and followed her to the bedroom.
She didn't need my attitude when she obviously had bigger problems than mine. Bella kissed someone, but who knew what an asshole like Royce did?
"Rose?" I asked, knocking lightly before I entered.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at me with red, tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry. . . I know you're trying to help, but I can't talk to you about this. . . Or anyone. . . Thank you so much for helping me though."
As she began crying, I went to her and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. "You can count on me," I told her. "You can stay here as long as you want. I won't let anyone hurt you."
"Thank you," she sniffed, pulling away slightly and looking at me.
I gave her a smile, hoping it would bring one out in her as I pushed her blonde hair behind her ear and ran my fingers over her cheek, wiping away the tears.
She smiled slightly, glancing down at my lips and then up into my eyes again. I leaned in, and pressed my lips to hers.
She moaned, and my whole body felt it. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, and she did the same, our kiss deepening.
In that moment, I knew I'd fucked up worse than Bella had. I knew Rosalie had feelings for me; I could feel them, and it was wrong of me to do this to her now when she was in so much pain. I'd only made it worse.
It was wrong on so many other levels too.
"I'm sorry," she whispered between kisses, cupping my face as I held her close.
"Want me to stop?" I breathed, worried I was overstepping, even though she didn't seem to be reluctant.
She shook her head no slightly, kissing me even harder.
God damn it, I should have stopped. I should have been at home kissing the woman of my dreams. But the thought of kissing the right woman right now hurt too much.
I pushed Rosalie down on the bed, moving over the top of her and kissing her neck as I lifted my t-shirt up her chest, taking her breast into my grasp and hearing her moan approvingly.
I loved the sound. I wondered what she'd taste like. . . God, she was so soft.
I removed the t-shirt completely, and my mouth trailed kisses to the soft swell of her breasts. Her hands were gentle in my hair, not the tug I was used to from Bella.
Bella.
Fuck.
It was harder than I hoped it would be to pull away from the beautiful young woman beneath me, but when I did, she didn't make me explain.
She quickly put the t-shirt back on and told me she was sorry. "I won't tell Bella."
I ran my hands over my face for the thousandth time today and shook my head. "Please forgive me for doing that to you? I'm truly sorry." It was beyond wrong of me to act on my attraction to her, for so many reasons.
"You didn't do anything wrong. . . You're the nicest person I know," she told me, wrapping her arms around herself.
I looked down at her chest and up at her neck where my stubble had left her skin red with slight irritation. I wanted her body, and I wished I didn't care enough to take it. . . That made me the bad guy.
I don't think I even had the guts to tell Bella what I just did. But she did - she had more guts than I did. She told me as soon as it happened. Did that mean something? Did it mean she had nothing to feel guilty about?
I hadn't listened to the person I trusted most. I left her alone. I left our kids without a second thought. I was a fucking horrible person. I didn't deserve Bella and our children. I didn't deserve a beautiful person like Rosalie, obviously willing to be with me even though I was taken.
"I wish you were single," Rosalie interrupted my thoughts, "More than anything else." She smiled sadly.
I smiled at her too, bringing my hand to her cheek. "We're still friends. . . But in a perfect world, I'd wish for two of me, because I could easily fall for you, Rose."
She blushed at my words and looked down. I could still make Bella blush that way too, and I wanted that more than I wanted. . . this.
Being away from Bella and the boys was not where I belonged. My home was with my family; that was the reason I was feeling so unlike myself and acting on things that I knew better than to act on.
When did my life do a complete three-sixty?
