Chapter 21: Everythings Changing
The next day, Bella was sitting outside of the hotel, twisting her moon ring around on her finger. Emmett walked out with their suitcases. "Hey, ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied.
Emmett took their bags and put them in the back of the cab that was going to take them to the airport.
As they were driving back, Bella was looking outside and biting her lower lip. Emmett kept glancing over at her. "You okay?" he asked.
"Just thinking," she replied quietly.
"About?" he asked.
Reaching over, he held her hand in his. "Come on Bells talk to me," he murmured. Bella shrugged her shoulders a little.
"I feel a little…scared," she told him.
"About?" he asked.
Bella sighed as she gave his hand a squeeze. "Everything's changing….nothing's the same," she murmured.
"Nothing ever stays the same Bella," he answered.
He kissed the back of her hand. "As much as we want it to stay the same it never does," he told her. Bella bit her lower lip again.
"When we get back…I'm going to have a talk with Johanna," she stated firmly.
He glanced at her surprised. "Really?" he asked. She nodded her head slowly.
"It's not right what she did to you. She might not think what she did was rape because you're a guy and 'guys don't get raped'," she muttered.
"Who told you that?" he asked when he suddenly pulled over.
Sighing, she sat back in her seat. "It's just what a lot of people say. They believe that just because you're guys that rape doesn't exist to you," she replied.
"Oh yeah, it exists obviously," he muttered.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a frustrated sigh. "People can be so…ridiculous Bells. Ridiculous and cruel, you and I experienced the ugly side of people," he told her. Nodding her head slowly, she rested her head on his shoulder. "We're here together though, starting anew," he added.
"I'd like that," she replied.
Closing her eyes, she let out a deep breath. "Let's go home, I have a son that misses me and a daughter that misses you," she said smiling. Emmett chuckled as he started up the car and drove off.
After many long hours of travel, they finally arrived back at home. Emmett drove up to the Swan house and the door flew open. "MAMA!" Eli shouted excitedly. Bella got out of the car with a huge smile, lifting her son up into her arms.
"Hey there cutie," she said smiling, kissing his forehead.
"Miss oo mama," he told her as he hugged her as tight as he could.
Bella smiled as she rubbed his back. "What about me?" Emmett asked.
"Hi Em!" Eli answered as he went to hug him.
Emmett hugged him back with a smile, rubbing the little boy's back as well. "Well as much as I'd like to stay, I can't. I have a little girl waiting for me," he commented.
"Give Dana a kiss for me," Bella answered.
"Sure will," he told her with a wink before getting into his car and driving off.
Bella smiled as she kissed the top of her son's head and went inside.
Two days later, Bella was back at work and was feeling a little lighter than how she was before she went to Phoenix. As she was going through inventory, she heard the bell on the door ding. "I'll be right with you," she commented as she walked to the front. She stopped when she noticed Johanna standing there. "Johanna…" she started slowly.
"Bella," the other girl answered.
If looks could kill, Bella knew she would be dead with the glare the girl was giving her. "So…what's up?" she asked.
"You stay away from Emmett," Johanna said suddenly.
The smaller girl jumped back surprised. What?" she asked.
"You heard me, stay away from Emmett. He's MINE," Johanna snapped.
Bella furrowed her brow as she went behind the counter. "Last time I checked, Emmett was single and you wanted nothing to do with Dana," Bella answered.
"What does that little brat have to do with anything? Emmett's mine," she snapped.
Johanna leaned in closer. "If I find out that you stole him away, you'll be sorry," she hissed. Bella watched as the girl turned and left the store after that.
Across the small town, Emmett was in the park playing with Dana. Dana was lying back on the blanket her daddy had laid out for her and was gurgling and giggling up a storm at the faces he was making. "Who's daddy's big girl huh? Who's the most beautiful baby in the world?" he cooed. Dana just continued to make little noises, gurgling and making spit bubbles.
Chuckling, he kissed her button nose while her tiny hands tried to wrap around his large fingers. "Oh Emmett," a voice called. Looking up, Emmett saw Johanna walk over.
"Hi Johanna," he answered before looking back down at his daughter.
"Aww Emmy, is that all I get?" she pouted as she squatted down.
Emmett raised his blue eyes. "Hi Johanna, bye Johanna," he replied before lifting Dana up into his arms.
"Aw come on Emmy," the girl whined.
The young man winced at the shrilly voice piercing through his eardrums. He knew it was bothering his daughter since she began to whimper and cry. "Johanna, just do me a favor and leave me alone," he told her.
"Now why would I do that?" she asked as she leaned against his jeep while he put Dana into her car seat.
Emmett looked at her. "How about for the fact I remember that night at the party," he answered.
"Oh come on it was just a little fun," she told him.
Reaching up, she dragged her fingers along his arms. "Don't pretend you didn't like it," she hissed into his ear. Emmett jerked away.
"How about I've been telling you 'no' since the day I met you? I had a girlfriend at the time," he answered with a glare as he closed the door.
He gathered the rest of Dana's things, putting them into his jeep. "Except I made you feel good," she told him trying to be seductive. Except, her ways were just making his skin crawl.
"You made my skin crawl then, Johanna, and you are now," he answered.
"My god men are such babies," Johanna muttered as she rolled her eyes.
Closing the trunk of his jeep, he gave her a glare. "Stay away from me," he told her.
"You said that before," she answered smiling.
Emmett froze as he went to get into his jeep.
The party was loud, there was smoking and drinking everywhere. Emmett was sitting on a couch with his arm around Rosalie. "Hello Emmett," Johanna greeted over the music. Rosalie just rolled her eyes as she rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Go away Johanna," Emmett answered as he ran his hand over Rosalie's hip.
"Aw Emmett, you going to be a party pooper?" Johanna asked as she stood behind him, "We could have fun."
Rosalie looked up in disgust as the other girl tried to feel her boyfriend up. "How about you get away from my boyfriend?" she demanded, standing up.
"Oh right like he's going to stay with you," Johanna answered as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Since you're nothing but used goods."
Emmett stood up with an angry expression on his face. "If you ever say that again, you will regret it!" he snapped. He held onto Rosalie's hand as they went to go through the rest of the crowd. "Stay away form me Johanna!" he called to her.
Emmett shook his head slowly to try to get rid of the memories of that night. Reaching up, he touched his forehead when he felt a hand crawl up his back. "I got you once, I will get you again," she hissed into his ear before walking away.
Looking up, he watched her sashay away as if she was trying to show him what he was missing out. Shaking his head slowly, he got into his jeep and tilted his head back with a frustrated sigh. Looking into the rearview mirror, he saw Dana looking at him with watery blue eyes. "We're going to go home baby," he told his daughter. Starting the jeep up, he drove off back toward his house.
When Emmett pulled up to the driveway, he saw Rosalie's red mustang in his parking spot. Sighing, he got out of the car and got Dana out before going up to the house. Opening the door, he looked around. "Mom, I'm home," he called out. Walking over to the playpen, he placed his daughter in it and she immediately started playing with the toys around her.
"Hey Emmett," Rosalie greeted smiling.
"Hey Rosie," he answered.
Hugging his now best friend tight, he rubbed her back. "Welcome home," she told him as she hugged him back.
"Good to be home, how's everything with you?" he asked as he let her go.
"Everything's going great. I actually have something to tell you," she replied.
"Alright share," he told her as they sat down.
Rosalie smiled at him. "So, you know I've been working on my modeling career?" she asked.
"Yep, heard it from Alice and Jasper," he replied.
"Well, last week while you were in Phoenix, I got a call from a real modeling agent," she replied.
Emmett's eyes grew wide. "Wow Rosalie, that's great!" he told her, hugging her again. Rosalie hugged him back with a smile.
"I'm going to Paris," she added quietly.
Hugging her tighter, his smile only grew. "That's great, Rosalie, congratulations," he told her. Rosalie hugged him back with a smile. Once they let each other go, they sat on the couch talking about his trip to Phoenix and her upcoming trip to Paris. All the while they had no idea that outside stood Johanna with a glare.