~~Chapter Nine~~
The fire was roaring, sending warmth out in comfortable waves, the smell of melted chocolate, forest and fire lulled Bella into a relaxation. Laughter filtered through the night as her friends both old and new told stories, mainly ones of Jasper and Pete from Rose or Paul from herself and stories of Emmett and Randall from the sisters.
"You're smiling," Garrett stated as he flopped into the open chair next to her, passing over a beer.
"And?" She asked with raised brows, pulling the blanket around her tightly.
Shaking his head Garrett tossed another bottle to Peter who had loudly exclaimed that he never dropped a bottle before no matter the distance and cheered loudly when he had caught it. Bella and Garrett both rolled their eyes as they watched Peter crow and hold out his hand for Lucy and Nettie to pay up.
"It's nice, it's been awhile is all." He continued after a long moment. "I've missed you."
"I never left Gare," Bella replied with a small voice.
Shaking his head Garrett picked at the label on his beer, eyes never moving from the flames. "No, you did. With Edward you were half there, when everything happened you just withdrew from all of us. You weren't Ishka anymore."
There were many things that came to mind and that Bella was going to reply with but they all seemed to freeze in her throat as she took in the expression on Garrett's face. There was no excuse really, she should have fought harder, made a better effort but Bella didn't know if that was during her relationship with fuckward or after.
"Well, I'm here now." She finally replied, giving her brother a genuine smile.
Garrett nodded and got up, giving his sister a blinding smile before joining in on the roughhousing that Paul and Peter had started that Jasper was dragged in on. Bella laughed as she watched Rose and Kate pull them apart after a while only to find themselves lying flat on their ass in the dirt.
"Oh, they've done it now." Bella laughed as Emmett came over to join her, sitting in Garrett's vacated seat and watched as Rose stood abruptly, dirt falling around her like a mist, twigs and leaves in her hair.
"Done what?" Emmett asked as he looked over.
"Rose may be a grease monkey, but she also takes pride in her appearance, especially her hair and the boys just tossed her into the dirt," Bella explained. "RUN YOU FOOLS!"
The boys didn't need to be told twice before bolting in different directions, they weren't idiots and they learnt after the first time to split up, so Rose's wrath was one at a time not as a whole. Jasper bolted for the trees, Peter the cabins while Garrett bolted for the car and Paul dived to her.
"Oh, hell no!" Bella laughed as she got up, pulling Emmett with her as she saw Rose narrow her eyes upon them. She was not going to get involved in this nor was she going to let Emmett get pulled in on her wrath as well. "Run! RUN!"
Emmett laughed as Bella shoved at him, nearly tripping over the chair in haste to get away. He quickly spun and threw Bella over his shoulder as Rose dove, her lean body colliding with Paul who was struggling to get up from the ground as Bella tossed the blanket, she had on over him to give her more time.
They ended up at the side of the lake, the fairy lights that lined the trees the only light they had besides the moon. It was amazing, the hills just beyond the trees of the other side and Bella could hear the laughter of her friends as well as the soft workings of the other guests and the trilling of nightlife.
"I have to admit that this place is beautiful," Bella admitted as she cast a look out over the still lake, the light of the moon casting its silver glow across it.
Emmett smiled as he took in what is his home. "So do I, I've come to appreciate this place. I didn't enjoy it when I was younger and cocky, but this is home, has been home for generations. But this time of year, it is even more stunning, when the fireflies come out, it's almost magical."
"I take it that this wasn't your first option then?" Bella asked as she glanced up at him.
Shaking his head Emmett sighed and lead her towards the dock, it had been the newest thing to be added, a smart idea that one of his guests last year brought up and so Emmett had it built, it was a place people could go to, to stargaze and swing comfortably on a hammock.
"No, it wasn't, I hated this place when I was younger, but I was in a bad car accident that took out my knee and weakened my side. This was all I had left once I left college and recovered; I grew to love it." He explained as he helped her sit on one of the hammocks, raising his brows in surprise as she pulled him to sit next to her.
Feeling brave, Bella got comfortable on the large hammock and pulled Emmett to lay next to her but not brave enough to look at him. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Life happens, sometimes you just have to roll with it," Emmett replied with a shrug. "What about you?"
Sighing Bella felt her eyes close for a moment. "Edward and I had made it to Dartmouth, he was studying music and following his adoptive father's footsteps to become a doctor and had convinced me to become an English Major. I love to read but it wasn't my passion."
"Then how did you get to Florida?" Emmett asked confused, he wasn't going to ask about the ex, he knew enough.
"Well, I went home on break and fell in love with the campus and the classes. My father convinced me to transfer because he knew how much I hated it at Dartmouth and Garrett too wanted me to. In fact, it was because of Esme and Carlisle that I was able to do so." She explained. "Edward wasn't happy, but his parents said it wasn't his choice. I went from English to Art; I've always loved to draw, and Photography was a passion my grandmother got me on to so that was what I did. It wasn't long till shit hit the fan."
After a moment Bella laughed. "You've seen some of my work, the images that grace Lucy's bar."
Emmett whipped his head around to face her in surprise, her face still one of amusement and he couldn't help but laugh loudly at it. He had always liked those photos and Jasper never did say where he got them only that they were by a good friend and the only person he would wear eyeliner for.
"You'll have to tell me what you did to convince Jasper to wear eyeliner." He stated once he calmed down, noticing instantly at the slight shiver and goosebumps that ran across her bare skin. He quickly shifted and moved so his arm was resting cushioning her head and his arm resting on her bare arm, pulling her close to him for warmth.
Bella smiled and snuggled in further, she hadn't felt like this before. Not even with Edward was things this easy or comfortable but there was something about Emmett, something she couldn't explain or dare to try to figure out. Even this afternoon when he took her to meet Alistair and the animals, he was tender and funny, she watched him care for the injured horse while she made friends with Bear.
And for the first time in a while, she could picture herself by his side.
Laughing slightly, she grinned up at Emmett. "Well you see, it involves a whole lot of blackmail, liquor and a dress."
She dove into the story, enjoying the deep warm laughter that Emmett gave with his whole being as she and he traded stories all night and soon enough, both of them drifted off into sleep, equally curled around each other with smiles on their face.
That was how Peter found them in his search for them both, he quickly pulled out his phone and took a photo before draping the blanket he had over his shoulders over them.
"Sweet dreams." He whispered and quickly made his way back to the others, perhaps there was something behind those two after all. He would need to speak with Maria about it and adjust the bet.
Author Note: Okay this story was supposed to be finished on the 10th, as some of you know I've got glandular fever so my life is basically unwanted sleeping and my pop is sick in hospital. Mama4 knows that I'll finish, and there is only maybe one or two more chapters left.
