**DISCLAIMER: ANYTHING RECOGNIZABLE DOES NOT BELONG TO ME**
RPOV
I woke up to the smell of burning pancakes and a muttered "Oh shit" from Emmett. Smiling to myself, I walked towards the kitchen, keeping myself wrapped in the blanket for warmth.
"Need help?" I asked.
"Maybe a bit," Emmett replied sheepishly, blushing a bit and making me chuckle.
"Give me a minute and I'll be back out," I said, turning to head back to the bedroom to get dressed. I sighed wistfully to myself thinking of the night before as I picked out my clothes. Emmett had been so amazing and gentle, it was strange to know we had only been together a short while. It felt as though we'd been lovers for years.
I walked quietly back to the kitchen and watched him for a moment. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. I loved how endearing he looked trying so hard to make us pancakes and bacon that wouldn't stick to the pan. That's when it hit me – I was falling in love with him.
Emmett chose that moment to turn around and flash me his smile, which I readily returned. I knew at that moment I wasn't falling in love with him, I was already in love with him.
"Ready for that help now?" I asked and he nodded. Between the two of us we got breakfast done relatively quickly and we ate in comfortable silence. Afterward we went outside on the deck; me laying back against his chest while we looked out over the water.
"You know," Emmett started after a few minutes of silence, "after my divorce I promised myself I would never fall in love again."
"Oh," I said, trying to sound nonchalant but unable to help feeling a bit worried and thinking "not again."
"Yeah, and I know it sounds melodramatic, but at the time I really did mean it. And for the past two years it seemed like a good idea…until now."
I felt my entire body go still in his arms and I couldn't breathe. All I could feel was emotion bubbling in my throat and a small veil of tears covering my eyes.
"Oh shit, Rosalie. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
I shook my head and took a deep breath before turning to look him in the eyes.
"Did you mean it?" I asked.
"Yes," he said, nodding his head. "Is that okay? Or does it bother you?"
"No, it doesn't bother me. It makes me so, so happy."
With that, Emmett leaned down and gently kissed my lips. What followed was lovemaking that far surpassed our first session. While last night had been full of raw passion and need, this one had that but also was full of emotion. It was as if a connection between us had been fully brought to life and multiplied. We spent the rest of the day lying in bed alternating between talking about our past and making love.
The next morning I woke up in his arms, thinking to myself there was no place I'd rather be.
"I don't want to leave," I whispered.
"I know," Emmett agreed, leaning over to kiss me on the lips. We spent the rest of the morning and the whole car ride home in relative silence, which for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. By time we pulled up in front of my house I was nearly emotionally exhausted and after watching him drive away I collapsed on my sofa in tears.
When the tears had finally subsided, I picked up the phone and called Bella.
"Hello!" Bella answered cheerfully.
"I did something so stupid!" I wailed into the phone, sobs coming back full force.
"Rose, is that you? Are you alright? Do you need me to come over?"
"No, I'll be fine in a bit," I got out between sobs, all the while thinking a decade was more like it, before I'd be okay.
"What happened?" Bella demanded.
"Nothing…everything."
"You slept with him?!"
"Well…we shared the bed for the weekend, but I can promise you there was not much sleeping."
I heard Bella snort in disgust. "If you're seriously calling me for sympathy, let me tell you…you are SOL. I'm so mad I could scream at you. Seriously! WHY IS EVERYONE HAVING SEX BUT ME?!?!"
If I wasn't crying so hard I would have laughed at her, poor Bella.
"It was so beautiful," I whispered.
"Then why in the world are you crying?"
"I don't know!" I sobbed again. "I'm just so afraid."
"Of what?"
"I think I lost him. He barely spoke two words to me the whole way home, much less this morning. And please, PLEASE, don't laugh Bells, but I love him. I really do, even after so short a time."
"I wouldn't laugh. And I know you have nothing to worry about."
"How can you be so sure?" I hiccoughed, my sobs subsiding once again.
"Because I saw the way he looked at you at dinner, he was awestruck. So calm down and stop worrying. These things have a way of working themselves out for the best."
"You sound so sure."
"It's because I am. Looks to me, my best friend, that marriage and a family are about to be yours. One look at Emmett and you KNOW he has a high sperm count!" Bella said, sounding gleeful. And for the first time that day I truly felt like smiling. We chatted for a few more minutes then I hung up, feeling much better.
I spent the rest of my afternoon doing random stuff around the house; doing anything and everything to keep myself busy and in my current semi-good mood. I was just beginning to wash my kitchen window when I noticed Emmett's car in the driveway. I froze for a split-second, unsure what to do, before gathering my wits and heading to the front door. I opened it to see Emmett standing there, his hand raised and ready to knock.
For a moment we just stared at each other. Then Emmett looked down and put his hands in his pockets, refusing to look at me.
Oh great, I thought. Another heartbreak. I couldn't bear it if he walked away from me now.
"Walk away from you?" Emmett said, looking up at me sharply.
Oh crap, I said that out loud!!
"I didn't come here to break up with you Rosie, I came up here to see if there was any chance at all you'd be willing to see me again. I thought for sure I had ruined any chance for us this weekend. I swear I didn't mean to rush you and let things get out of hand so fast. I just –"
"Oh Emmett, I'm so glad you're here!" I interrupted him, leaping into his embrace. He quickly wrapped his arms around me and I knew that this was where I wanted to be forever.
"Of course I want to see you Emmett! Again and again and again and again," I told him while showering kisses all over his face.
"I'm not sure I'm any real bargain," Emmett replied in between kisses of his own.
"That's for me to decide and I am positive you are. And the first thing you need to know, is that it is absolutely pointless to argue with me."
"But maybe it's too soon to tell…"
"As far as I'm concerned, it's fourteen years too late," I stated firmly.
"Oh Rosie, this is all so crazy!" Emmett laughed.
"But it's a wonderful kind of crazy," I laughed along with him. "I finally found you and there is no way I am letting you go. So just accept we're meant to be and leave it at that," I told him, grabbing his hand and leading him into the house where we sat down on the sofa. I looked over at him, "Looks like you need to be convinced...how long do you think that'll take?"
"Oh…I don't know. How about forty or fifty years?" he grinned and I couldn't help but grin back as we laid down on the couch…
EPOV
It was Monday afternoon and I was lying on my couch, grateful that I was able to leave work early. Yesterday I had moped around over the kids leaving, but I got over that pretty quickly. I love my kids to pieces but after the past year of living pretty much on my own, I've learned to enjoy my solitude as well. And I was grateful too that the kids were taking Tanya's remarriage so well and the fact that Tanya herself was being pretty civil through the whole thing between the two of us.
Since I was counting my blessings it seemed, I should probably mention that I'm grateful for Bella too. Over the last two weeks, the kids had spent just as much time with her as me. Just then my phone ring, and speak-of-the-devil, it was Bella.
"Hello Bella," I smiled into the phone.
"Guess what?" she said furiously. "My date just called to cancel on me…for the third time this week!"
Then why do you insist on still taking his calls? You should have told him to shove it after the second time when he offered no time he was free, I thought to myself but didn't say out loud.
"And I have tickets tonight for the new play at the theatre and I refuse to waste them," Bella continued ranting.
"Can't you just exchange them for another night?"
"Then I STILL wouldn't have anyone to go with! No way am I ever seeing, let alone speaking, to that rat ever again. And besides, even if I would the tickets are non-exchangeable."
"What about Emmett and Rosalie"
Bella snorted. "Yeah, right. Like they'd ever go see a theatre performance."
"What about your sister?"
"Her and Jasper are in Florida for the week."
"Oh, I see," I said, having a feeling of what was coming next…and dreading it.
"Will you come with me?"
Bingo! Knew she was gonna ask that.
"Please, please, PLEASE come with me?" Bella pleaded at my hesitation. I sighed.
"How formal is it?"
"You'll have to wear a suit if you have one, preferably dark."
"Shit," I cursed under my breath before saying into the phone, "I do."
"Does that mean you'll go?" Bella said, and I could hear the smile in her voice which made me feel a little better about agreeing to go, I liked cheering her up.
"What time do you need me ready?"
"Seven-thirty."
"Ok, do I get dinner through this too?" If I was gonna be wearing a suit and tie I was for sure getting something good out of it.
"You expect me to buy you dinner too?! These tickets cost $50 each already!"
"I could help you out and bring a can of chili over."
"Let's see…I've got," there was a pause and looking through the window I could see her in the kitchen stretching up to look in cupboards and I admired the way her shirt rode up to show the slimness of her torso. Whoa…where did that thought come from? Shake it off Cullen.
"I've got a head of lettuce and some cheddar cheese. Do you have chips? We could make taco salad."
"Yeah, I can bring some chips too."
"Ok, hurry up and head on over. I'll make us dinner before we have to go and get ready. My dress cost me $125 and there is no way I'm spilling anything on it."
"Alice put you up to it?"
"Of course. When else would I EVER spend that much on a piece of clothing?"
I laughed and hung up with the promise of being over in a few minutes. Dinner was excellent, as always, and it amazed me what she could do in the kitchen with just a few ingredients. After dinner I headed back home and got ready. As I was slipping my tie around my neck, I couldn't help but wonder how Bella was going to look tonight in the dress. Knowing Alice the dress would look more than amazing on her and I found myself getting really excited. What the hell Cullen? This is Bella we're talking about.
When I went to meet her outside, I had to do a double take. THIS was Bella Swan? No way, no how. The dress was a deep midnight blue that accentuated the swell of her breast and subtle curves like no other. As my eyes trailed down her body, I couldn't help but wonder if this was a dress that required a bra. Without realizing I had held it, I let out a breath and Bella turned around to face me.
"Does this look okay?" she asked, blushing slightly. I couldn't help but smile back at her, finding her honest self-consciousness endearing when she looked absolutely stunning.
"You look positively gorgeous," I told her honestly, earning myself a huge grin from her face.
"Thanks. Should we go?" she asked. I nodded and led her to my car; thankful I had that tonight and not the truck.
The play, I quickly found out, wasn't a play at all, but an opera. And one that was losing my attention fast. It was obviously a tragedy, with quite a few deaths, but to me that still wasn't enough deaths to keep me interested and I felt my attention wandering around the newly renovated theatre. By the end of the first scene I was two seconds from falling asleep in my chair. As quietly as I could, I asked Bella for a pen.
"Sure," she whispered back and as she reached down to her hand bag I couldn't help but glance at her front. Yep, I was right – no bra.
When she sat back up, I made sure my attention was towards the stage, though on the inside I was reeling on my newfound information. This information led to my doodling not being quite…appropriate. And Bella quickly realized this and crumpled it into a ball and stuffed in her purse.
With the loss of the program, I tried to pay attention to the actors, I really did but it was just so boring! So…seeing as Bella was absorbed in it, I stole her program. Only this time, instead of doodling, I made it into a paper airplane. It was a pretty fancy one too, not like the ones we used to make in grade school. I wasn't going to fly it, but apparently Bella thought otherwise and ripped that away too.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"You have to ask?" she hissed back between clenched teeth.
So, with all my amusement gone, I settled back to watch the "play." Only now, it was even more boring than I had first though. After a few moments, I couldn't help but let one yawn escape. Then two. Then three. I then found myself falling asleep, only to jerk myself awake moments later. I looked over to see Bella glaring at me with a look that could kill. I was about to say something when the lights came up for intermission.
Finally, I thought. Leaping up with a "I'll go get us something to drink." I was halfway towards the aisle when Bella's hand on my arm stopped me.
"What is your problem?" she demanded as she led us both out to the lobby.
"Nothing," I tried, unsuccessfully.
"That play in there is masterful, brilliant –"
"Boring," I interjected.
"Maybe to you but not to everyone else. For Pete's sake, you're acting like you're five years old! And what were thinking drawing all those?"
"I don't know. I was just doodling, I do that sometimes."
"Have you ever shown your 'doodles' to a psychiatrist?"
"Ha ha ha," I laughed sarcastically. "I promise I'll be better the second half."
"No," Bella sighed. "Let's go home."
"Seriously?" I was so grateful I could kiss her. However, once we stepped outside, I started wondering if this was going to come at the cold shoulder price.
"You're not angry are you?" I asked cautiously.
"No," she replied, in a way that wasn't angry, but wasn't pleased either.
"We can stay if you want, I promise I'll put up with it."
Bella didn't respond and it wasn't until we got to the parking lot that I realized the truth. She had been just as bored as me, only she was too polite to show it.
"You didn't like it either," I pointed out, unable to help the smug look on my face.
"Not true. The music was –"
"Don't let your nose grow Bella."
I watched as she struggled not to smile, but was unable to stop the twitching of the corners of her mouth.
"Be honest," I coaxed. She took one glance at me and burst out laughing, clutching her sides as she doubled over. Once she calmed down a bit she started walking backwards directly in front of me.
"I wish you could have seen your face," she spit out between bursts of laughter.
"Glad I'm such a source of amusement," I said sarcastically, but with a smile on my face. I grabbed her hand as we strolled down the street and I was surprised out how right it felt to be walking down the street with Bella, holding hands.
Neither of us were ready to go home yet so I suggested coffee. Despite our fancy clothes, we found ourselves at an all-night diner and ended up talking about Emmett and Rosalie.
"Despite how petty it sounds, I'm jealous; jealous that she managed to find this great guy and has had more sex in the past week than I've had in my whole life. She's like this whole new person, it's practically nauseating," Bella confided.
I nodded my head, agreeing. "Emmett is like a totally new person. I've never seen him this happy."
"I wouldn't be surprised if they end up married," Bella sighed. She reached for the cream and started pouring it in, a sure sign she was depressed.
I reached over and put my hand over hers. "There is someone for you Bella."
She met my eyes slowly. "Yeah, but when am I going to meet him?"
As much as I wanted to have the answer, I didn't. And neither did she. Only time would tell.