Chapter 13: Primitive Attraction

"You're home early," Sarah said astonished as I walked sulkily into the beautiful house in the outskirts of Forks.

"Left school early," I replied monotonously, tossing my car keys into a bowl on a small coffee table and heading straight for the stairs and my bedroom.

"I could figure that one out, my question is why," Sarah pressed on, following me and rolling her eyes at my foul mood.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" I snapped, getting into my room and slamming the door after me.

I knew I was acting like a spoiled child, but I had the right to get pissed once in a while and hell I was going to! What was it I was so angry about? I couldn't remember quite well, but I knew it was stupid and it had to do with Emmett and his lack of sensitivity in dealing with Edward's Bella issue.

I mean, I could deal with the fact that Emmett had killed people before but, if he had turned into 'vegetarianism' he should at least have had some kind of respect for human life, right? Why would he decide to drink animal blood if he didn't give a shit about humans?

What's more: why on earth was it so important to me? I barely knew Emmett. Hell, I wouldn't even have come to care about any of the Cullens if it hadn't been for Jasper's sudden reappearance. I was quite sure it wasn't about Bella. Yeah, the girl was nice and all, but the possibility of her death wasn't the reason of my horrible mood. No, it was Emmett. Stupid, huge, bear-like and incredibly handsome Emmett. Yeah, I'll admit it; the boy was completely hot, even for vampire standards but that's all he was in his mind, a stupid boy. Couldn't he just grow up a little?

My musings were interrupted by the phone suddenly ringing. I let it go, assuming Sarah would answer, but she didn't. She had probably gone out or something. So I picked the device up and, pressing a small button, placed it on my ear.

"Yep?"

"Nikki, is that you?" Alice's high-pitched voice came over the phone, sounding rushed. "I've been meaning to talk to you since lunch."

"What is it, Alice?" I asked, sighing tiredly. I just wanted time to think about things on my own. If I had been human, I was quite sure I would've been asleep by then; it would've been wonderful to be able to rest…

"I wanted to apologize for Emmett," she said. At the mention of his name, my grip on the phone tightened and I had to prevent myself from breaking it. "He didn't meant it like that, I swear. He's really sorry about it."

"Well, too bad," I snarled, my anger flaring out of nowhere. Jeez, I was totally PMSing. "'Cause I don't want to talk about it. You can tell him that."

"Oh, Nikki, he's not here," Alice informed, sounding kind of nervous. "He's heading for your house right now."

"What do you mean?" I asked in panic, understanding the reason behind her nerves. She was totally gauging my reaction. However, I couldn't talk to Emmett face to face! That was exactly the reason I had left school! If I had only taken a glimpse into his beautiful eyes, I would've given up very easily, and I didn't want that. "He can't come here!"

"Well, he should be about to arrive," Alice said. "He left home about ten minutes ago, so he will be there in a minute and fourteen seconds."

"Great, thank you for the heads up," I muttered sarcastically, though I wasn't quite sure Alice had identified the irony behind my words.

"No problem!" she chirmed in her usual cheerful mood. "Talk to you later, I wouldn't want to interrupt Emmett's and your conversation."

I knew there was a hidden meaning behind her words, as if she knew something I was ignoring, but I didn't have enough time to dwell on it and Alice, being Alice, wouldn't have told me, even if I had spent hours trying to coax it out of her. Not that I had the time because, as soon as she said those words, a knock came from the door, announcing Emmett's arrival.

"He's here," I said. "Call you later?"

"No need," Alice reassured me. "You'll be at my house in three hours and six minutes, so I'll talk to you then."

"Have I ever told you how annoying you can be?" I asked mockingly.

"I already know, don't worry," she said happily ignoring the insult. "Bye, Nikki!"

"Goodbye, Alice," I greeted, hanging the phone and rushing out of my room as another knock was heard. "I'm coming! Jeez! Impatient much?"

I stormed down the stairs and opened the main door, not even bothering to look at Emmett there, let alone greet him. Without making any kind of offer for him to step inside, I walked into the kitchen, sitting myself in one of the three-legged stools there and waiting for Emmett to follow. He closed the door and came right behind me, taking a seat right in front of me and gazing at me with those beautiful eyes filled with regret and something else; something I couldn't recognize. Hesitation, maybe?

Anyway, I could barely keep my eyes off him. I didn't know what was going on with me, but my sight was glued to Emmett: his godlike features, his strong arms that I wished were wrapping me instead of folded defensively over his torso, his muscled chest, defined by the simple, black t-shirt he was wearing and his oh so kissable lips.

"Hi," he said in a smooth voice that I couldn't help but think of as sexy. What was going on with me? I didn't reply and, at that, he sighed tiredly. "Okay, Nic, I know you won't speak to me, so I'll do the talking." Emmett straightened himself up and looked right into my eyes, causing me to get lost in the depths of his own topaz orbs. "I cannot explain to you how sorry I am about everything, not only about Bella."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion, curiosity getting the better of me and causing me to talk, despite my vow of silence. What else did he have to be sorry about?

"We'll talk about that later, but first I want to apologize for talking like that about your friend," he said, his eyes downcast. "Not only it was out of place, but I didn't mean it either."

"Why say it, then?" I questioned, trying very hard to keep my cold demeanor, which was proving to be very hard.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully, meeting my eyes and allowing me to see the sincerity shining in his. "I guess it's just me, you know. Always trying to be the funny one, trying to make you laugh…"

"You don't need to try, Emmett," I said sadly. "You can make people happy just by being who you are."

"You really think so?" he asked hopefully, like a small, bouncy child who needed reassurance. Mischief, though, was clearly shown in his eyes. He was joking, back to his usual self.

"Works with me," I admitted with a shrug and a small smile, which he corresponded to. His happy appearance fell, though, a few seconds later.

"So… are we okay?" he asked hesitantly, no jest in his eyes that time.

"Of course we are," I agreed, jumping from my seat and going to hug Emmett. On mid-leap, however, Emmett's body shifted slightly and, before I could realize what was going on, I was standing face to face with him, my eyes locked into his, our lips mere inches apart. I didn't know where it came from, but I suddenly found myself wishing I could make that distance between us disappear and just kiss him, feel how his lips would taste, how they would move in sync with my own, how it would be to touch his huge muscles, to dig my hands into his soft, curly hair and never let go…

"Nic?" Emmett asked, bringing me out of my day dreaming. However, it seemed to me as if he was lost in his thoughts as well, my name a mere sigh coming from his parted lips to make me realize the compromising position we were in.

"Sorry," I apologized as I untangled myself from the tight grip his arms were holding me in. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I thought I distinguished a flash of emotion going through his eyes as I did so. Longing, maybe? It was then the reason we were in that position in the first place hit me. "How did things go with Bella and Edward?"

"What?" he asked, seeming confused and lost for a moment, as if his mind was far away from our current conversation.

"Bella and Edward," I repeated slowly, as if talking to a child or someone whose knowledge of the language was quite basic. "What happened with them?"

"Oh! Uh… they're both fine, I guess," he replied, though I could tell he wasn't that much into what he was saying. "I was somewhat concerned when I saw Alice ditch her class out of the window and walk towards the science building, but Edward reassured me everything was alright as soon as I saw him. He and Carlisle went hunting all the same."

"That's good," I said, trying to fake enthusiasm when, in reality, my thoughts were far from the Edward/Bella situation and, instead, revolving around the vampire standing near me. Somehow, though, it appeared none of us had anything else to add, so we fell into an awkward silence "So… you want to watch a movie or something?" I asked, glancing at my intertwined hands so as to avoid Emmett's intense gaze.

"Uh… sure," he agreed, probably relieved to be able to break through the uncomfortable silence that had settled between us. His usual smirk then returned full force, and I found myself thinking of how much I had missed it. "But no chick-flick."

"No chick-flick," I agreed with a laugh as we made our way to the living room, where Patrick's huge DVD collection was. As soon as I saw a particular movie on top of the small coffee table, I immediately knew what film I wanted to watch. My own favorite. "Hey, Em? What about something from my time?"

"But, were there movies then?" he asked, sounding confused and scratching his head in a totally adorable way.

I laughed at him, shaking my head in amusement. "No silly, I meant something set in my time," I explained.

"Yeah, whatever you want is fine with me," he agreed, smiling cutely. Okay, one, he was totally hot when he did that. Two, my stomach felt as if it was filled with butterflies. And three, why am I even thinking about Emmett in that way? He's nothing more than a friend, right?

Shaking my head to dismiss those kind of thoughts, I put in Pride and Prejudice, the 2006 version with Keira Knightley. I had read the book over and over again for my past vampire existence and I never got tired of doing it and, when the movie came out, it started all over again.

If Emmett had any type of problem with the movie choice, he wisely chose to keep it to himself, probably sensing I would kick his ass if he made a negative comment about my favorite movie. Instead, he turned off the lights and sat in the sofa, patting the spot next to him in invitation, which I gladly took.

It was about a half-hour later, though, that I realized my mistake in picking a movie I had practically memorized. I was interested by it, of course, but that interest was nowhere near the pull Emmett's presence had on my gaze and, what was even worse, my body. I wanted to look at him, to run my hands through his unruly hair and well-sculpted chest, to feel his body pressed against mine and to crash my lips against his cold, marble-like ones.

I hadn't realized when it began, but, at that moment, I was completely aware of the primitive attraction I felt towards the vampire I had come to consider my friend. It was as if there was a spark between us, of lust, desire and need. It wasn't just that I wanted him; I needed him.

But he surely didn't feel the same way about me. Why would he? He was sweet, nice and incredibly handsome and I was just… well, me. Don't get me wrong, I was hot and I knew it. I wasn't going to act like those girls who are pretty, but prefer to see themselves as undesirable by men. I had never been insecure before, so why was I doubting myself then?

Maybe I didn't want to ruin my friendship with Emmett. Yes, he was totally hot and I was certainly attracted by him, but I wasn't willing to risk my relationship with him over a mere crush that he might not even correspond. No, I wouldn't act upon my wishes, no matter how much I wanted to.

Risking a glance at Emmett, I could notice his posture had become rather stiffed and that his eyes were fixed on the screen, but that he didn't seem to be really processing what he was watching. His hands were tightly knit on his lap and he was twitching them nervously, as if hesitating on doing something, which I ignored.

I tried to focus my gaze on the playing movie, but the feel of Emmett's body next to me was enough to make my mind wander through dirtier paths. Maybe watching a movie wasn't such a good idea after all.

But I wasn't the only one who couldn't concentrate and I knew it. I could sense Emmett's restlessness besides me as if it was my own. Strangely, I felt it as if it was my own. It was after a particularly deep sigh that I turned my head to look at him, my resolve to keep focused on the movie shattered, but I found myself not seeing anything, as my eyelids had closed on their own accord.

I found his lips had crashed into mine and he was kissing me like I had never been kissed before: with passion, desire but, above all, I was being kissed as if I was something breakable and delicate, as if I was the most precious thing in the world, as if I was cherished and loved for the first time in my life. Non-surprisingly, I found myself kissing Emmett back with all I had. His lips were soft against mine, his mouth tasting of peppermint and summer breeze, his hands cupping my cheeks carefully and sweetly, as if I was as fragile as a normal human. My own hands, had found their way to Emmett's hair, where they tangled around his short, dark locks, enjoying their softness.

Hold on! My mind was screaming at me that something was wrong, and I soon realized what I was doing. I was kissing Emmett! My brother's almost brother! That wasn't right at all! With that realization going through me, I quickly broke the kiss, to find myself staring at Emmett's eyes, which had darkened with the intensity our kiss had held.

"What are we doing, Em?" I asked rhetorically.

He smirked mischievously. Yummy… No! Bad Nikki! Focus! "What does it look like?" he asked back and inched his face closer to mine, in an attempt to continue with the kiss. I moved backwards, causing Emmett to look puzzled and hurt, but sit back, nevertheless. "What's wrong?"

"Emmett, this isn't right," I whispered, looking right into his eyes, trying to convey the emotional turmoil going through me with a single look. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" he persisted, before smiling and going on with one of his usual jokes. "I like you. Don't you like me back?" Yup, he was acting like a shy school boy, twitching his hands, pouting, and even shifting his weight between his feet.

However teasing his demeanor might have been, his question proved to be a challenging one. Did I like Emmett? Yes! my heart screamed with all its might. Well, I guess he was hot, and funny, and nice, and caring, and I had already established I was completely attracted to him in a physical way but, hadn't I promised myself I wouldn't listen to what my heart told me?

"I do, but…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say. I liked him, didn't I? Then how could it be so difficult for me to reach a decision? He practically confessed his feelings were much like mine, so what exactly was the problem?

And then it hit me. I was shattered, and that was because Kevin; because of a guy; because of what he did to me. Could I allow myself to trust another man? Most importantly, would I?

But Emmett was not like Kevin. No one I had ever met in my long years had had the same evilness he had in his heart, especially not Emmett. He was kind, sweet and gentle with me, whereas Kevin had only treated me roughly and disrespectfully. Besides, Emmett would never do what Kevin did to me. He cared, right?

"You're scared," Emmett guessed, quite incorrectly if I might add. Scared? Hell, I wasn't scared. Terrified was more like it. "You're afraid to let me in, because you fear I'll break your heart." Wow, did Emmett have a degree in psychology? I should totally ask Alice about that…

"Will you?" I asked, pleading with all I had for him to be sincere, but, at the same time, lowering my eyes so he wouldn't see the moisture that had settled in them.

I heard a deep sigh before I felt Emmett's fingers under my chin, lifting my face so he could look straight into my eyes with his breathtaking ones. Gosh, he really was beautiful… "I would rather experience the burning of the transformation again than do anything that could bring you any harm," he said in all earnest, bringing out a side of him I would've never known he possessed. "It would be less painful than looking at you and knowing I caused you pain."

"Oh, Emmett!" I exclaimed, throwing myself at him and engulfing him in a bear hug. Could he get any sweeter?

"Will you give me a chance, Nikki?" he asked, his cold breath falling onto my hair and making me shiver with the pleasure of his closeness. "Will you let me be the man you need? Will you give us a chance?"

I slowly dethatched myself from his embrace, taking my time to take in his expression, filled with nervousness and sincerity. Could it be? Could he be the man I'd been looking for ever since I became a vampire? The one that would become my mate? The one that could heal the wounds that time had been unable to cure? If there was someone who I believed could achieve that, it was Emmett.

"Of course," I replied, my voice a mere whisper of happiness before his lips fell upon mine, with no attempt to protest on my behalf.

A/N: I'm so so so sorry I took so long to post this chapter! I guess I was still kind of tipsy from everything I drank, even when almost a week has passed since my arrival. I want to thank all of my last chapter's reviewers! You guys rock! I couldn't help but remembering your comments when I was about to take off! Now, could this chapter get as much, or maybe more, feedback as the previous one? After all it has a lot of Emmett in it, and things will just grow from here, I promise! A special thanks to Kelsey-Short, who has the patience to beta a new story I'm working on and to put up with me! Xoxo (I'm posting this while at school :p)