Chapter 1

A/N: Here we are with another story. This story differs from my usual stories. This is a poly fic. It is not a threesome fic…well yet. Anyways, it is B/E and B/Em, so if you can't do those pairings, then this story isn't for you. This story also has citrus and lemons, not as much as my last fic, but we can't always be greedy. As always rude GR's will just be deleted and sorry, not sorry, but you won't stop me from writing. I want to thank my always amazing pre-readers; littleashes17, dawnbreaker8, sheselectric1, and sassynoles for joining me on this journey. This is betaed by MidnightCougar and she is absolutely the best and I love her to pieces. Okay, off we go!

"Rose!" I yelled, running to catch up with my friend.

She turned just before I made it to her and smiled at me.

"Bellsy. Hey, bitch. So, you all moved in with your brother dearest?"

I rolled my eyes. When I finished college and had to get out of my parents' house, I called on my brother for his help. He lived in Seattle in a 4-bedroom house he shared with three other roommates. One of his roommates had just moved out, so he needed someone to move in soon. I had gotten a job a month earlier, and it was completely remote, so I didn't have to worry about where I moved.

I knew the only reason my parents didn't balk about me moving into a house with three other guys was that one of those guys was my brother. I had yet to meet the roommates. They were childhood friends and were visiting family when I moved in. Jasper was kinda ambiguous about it, and I briefly wondered if they were maybe closer than he assumed, like in a lover's way. That only caused Jasper to laugh, and I let the subject drop.

"Yeah, I am. I still have yet to meet the other two roommates, but he said they would be back anytime, so whatever."

"I wonder if they are hot?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"I'm not looking for a guy right now, Ro. Plus, that would make shit super awkward if it went sideways."

"True. So, let's talk about the hot guy I met today," she said, smiling brightly.

I laughed and linked my arm with hers as we walked through the park we had met in. I was so glad she moved to Seattle shortly after I had told her I was leaving Forks. Rose and I had been friends since I was eight years old, so now at twenty-one, we had been friends for thirteen years. Rose was taller than I was, with blonde wavy hair and violet-colored eyes.

Sure, I could hang out with Alice, Jasper's girlfriend, and I had a few times, but she was a forceful personality, and I craved Rose's calm mood. Alice talked a lot, while Rose and I communicated mostly without saying a word to each other. Having a brother who was four years older than I was, I rarely got along well with people my age, and Rose was the exception.

We walked around the park twice, then we went to eat somewhere close to my new residence. Shortly after, I took her to see my new living space for the foreseeable future. When we arrived, no one was home. Jasper was usually at work or Alice's, so he wasn't home often. I gave Rose the grand tour, skipping the two rooms that I saw for a second when I first got the tour from Jasper. Jasper's room was the master and on the other side of the house. My room was in the corner of my side of the house, putting me right in the middle of the three rooms.

I had been kind of miffed to find out that I was going to have to share a bathroom with two other guys. Guy's bathrooms were usually gross and unhygienic, but I got lucky and our bathroom was clean and didn't smell weird. It made me wonder about these mystery guys even more.

I sat on the couch with Rose, and we were talking and laughing when we heard the sound of the front door opening and two guys talking. Neither of them was Jasper. Ah, so the mystery roommates had finally returned home. Rose and I kept talking, and I was leaning into her really close because she was showing me a video on her phone. A pretty funny part of the video had us leaning onto each other, and from the outside, I could see how it might look sexual.

"Whoa, dude, are we in the right house?" One of them asked in a booming voice.

"Fuck, I hope so," the other answered in a rich, velvety voice.

I turned away from Rose and had to keep my composure. Standing there in the living room of my new residence were two of the most gorgeous guys I had ever seen. One was tall and built like a lineman. He was fit and had muscles everywhere. His hair was cropped close to his head and bleached blond. His eyes were a clear blue and currently shining with mischief. The other man was just as tall as the muscled guy. He was slender but toned, and I could see the muscles in his biceps that were encased in his long sleeve T-shirt. There was a tattoo peeking out of the T-shirt onto his neck, and I really wanted to know what was under that shirt. His entire face was sharp and angled, as if he had been carved from marble, and there was just enough scruff on his face to be hot, not a full-on beard, but not clean-shaven. His eyes were emerald green.

It took me mere seconds to check out their gorgeous faces and bodies, and soon, I was rising from the couch. I offered my hand to whoever wanted to take it first. "I'm Bella. I'm the new roommate."

"I'm Emmett," the big guy said. He was the first to react and took my hand, and I felt my stomach flip when he did so. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was jarring. I kept my composure and continued to smile throughout the whole interaction.

"I'm Edward," the lean guy said. He took my hand next, and I felt the same flip in my stomach. I wondered if I was coming down with something; it was odd.

"So, who's your friend, Bella?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, that's my best friend, Rose," I explained.

Rose, ever the social butterfly, turned and shook both their hands. I saw her checking them both out, because anyone who had eyes would agree they were hot.

"So, what made you move to the big city, Bella?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, her brother told her a sob story about needing a roommate and she wanted out of her parents' house," Rose explained.

"Brother?" Edward questioned.

"Hey, I see you met my little sister," Jasper said from the doorway.

I hadn't even heard him come in. I noticed that Emmett and Edward both took a step back from me, and I rolled my eyes. Jasper wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I hip checked him, making him let go and laugh at me. Jasper gave Edward and Emmett the half hug, half handshake thing that most guys did in greeting.

"Ah, right, Isabella, the little sister who wants to live in the big bad world on her own now." Edward chuckled.

"Just Bella. Please. Only my parents call me Isabella, even though I've asked them not to," I explained.

"Well, Bellsy, it seems like you all need to do that roommate bonding thing, so I'm gonna head out," Rose announced.

I nodded and walked her to the door.

She turned to me when we got to the front door and pulled me in for a hug. "Oh my God, they are hot," she whispered in my ear.

I giggled and nodded.

She winked at me and breezed out the door.

I turned, and both Emmett and Edward acted as if they hadn't been watching our interaction. I shook my head and retook my spot on the couch where I had been before they showed up.

Jasper leaned over the back of the couch. "So, what do you think we should do for dinner?" he asked me.

"I can do my homemade macaroni and cheese," I said, smiling at him. I knew he loved that, and I saw his eyes light up.

"Hell, yeah. Guys, she makes the best homemade mac and cheese. Do we have everything you need?"

"Let me look." I went to the kitchen and looked through the pantry and the fridge. "Damn," I murmured. "There are no macaroni noodles and not enough cheese."

"Edward, you want to come with me to the store to get the stuff we need?" Jasper asked.

"Why do you need someone to come with you?" Edward asked.

Jasper just gave him a meaningful glance that left me wondering.

"Ugh. Okay, let me go drop my shit in my room and change my clothes real fast."

Edward grabbed a duffel bag from the floor and made his way to his room. Emmett excused himself to go do the same thing, and I continued to look in the pantry.

"Hey, can I give you a list of other stuff to get?" I asked Jasper. "If you guys are going now, you might as well only make one trip."

He nodded and gestured to me to hurry up. I smiled at him and started to write out a list. When I finished, I gave it to him, and with a kiss to the cheek, I left the kitchen, heading to my room to grab a book. I ran smack dab into the wall of muscle that was Emmett's bare chest. I almost fell flat on my ass when I felt his warm hands steady me by grabbing my hips. My breath came whooshing out of my lungs, and Emmett looked a little stunned.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"No, it's fine. I'm fairly sure it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention," I said. I noticed that he had a tattoo on his torso, close to his hip.

We both went the same direction to go around each other, so naturally we then went the opposite direction. We laughed nervously.

He pointed to his left. "I'm gonna go this way."

I nodded and went the opposite direction as we skirted around each other. I turned around and noticed he had a few tattoos on his back too. When I got to my room and shut the door, I slid down to the floor. Holy shit! My words to Rose were true. I wasn't trying to find a guy, and getting involved with a roommate could be a disaster. But it really wasn't fair that both Emmett and Edward were hot as hell, and I was instantly attracted to them; but then, they were the hottest guys I had ever met. There were definitely no men like that in Forks.

I picked myself up off the floor and grabbed the book I wanted to read. I made my way back out to the living room as Edward and Jasper were leaving. Emmett was sitting on the couch, and I sat on the sectional opposite of him. Jasper ruffled my hair and told me to be good.

I fixed my hair while giving him a saccharine smile. "Not fucking likely, Jazzy."

"Oh, Bells, the bad girl thing is so overdone."

I flipped him off and stuck my tongue out at him as I read from my book. Jasper, Emmett, and Edward laughed. Then Edward and Jasper were out the door. I continued to read.

"Do you mind if I turn on the TV?"

I looked at him, confused. "Why would I mind?"

"I just didn't want to interfere with your reading."

"Oh. That's really very sweet, but I prefer noise. I grew up with Jasper, and my dad is a cop, so silence was never a thing. It actually unnerves me." I smiled.

Emmett gave me back his own grin, and the man fucking had dimples. I mentally chastised myself for thinking about licking them. I gave him a shy smile and went back to reading.

"So, can I ask just one question?"

I laughed and put the book aside. "Sure."

"Why the purple hair? I mean it's awesome, but not most people can pull it off."

I smiled and pulled my hair through my hands. "I get bored really easily, so instead of finding more unhealthy ways to express that, I change my hair color often. This month, it's purple."

"So, what's your natural hair color?" he asked curiously.

"What do you think it is?"

"Probably the same chocolate brown your eyes are," he said, looking me dead in the eyes.

I had to look away from that intense look. "You would be correct. So, why the blond?"

"I spend so much time in the sun; it just seemed easier than any other color. Naturally, it's like a sandy blond color, anyway," he said, flashing those dimples at me again.

I really had to wonder if he had control over them.

I had to break his gaze again, because it was just too much to take at once. He chuckled and went back to watching TV. I picked up my book again. I noticed him looking at the cover of my book with a confused expression.

"What are you reading?"

"The Odyssey by Homer. It's an epic poem. Set in ancient Greece."

"Looks pretty thick to be a poem."

"It's an epic poem," I explained. He just continued to stare at me. I came over and sat down next to him. I read him a few sentences from The Odyssey. "An epic poem is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry. They usually tell stories of extraordinary feats and adventures of characters from a distant past. So, there is this and The Iliad by Homer. There's also Paradise Lost and Paradise Found by John Milton about the fall of Adam and Eve."

"Wow, you're one of those really smart, hot chicks, aren't you?"

I laughed out loud. I really didn't mean it to be that loud. "Yeah, sure. That's what my four-year college degree got me. I was an English major."

"Oh, makes sense. I was a business and accounting major. I get to stare at spreadsheets and financial plans all day."

"Ew, math. Not my strong suit. I'm much better at writing," I replied.

"We all have our strengths," he said.

I closed the book and handed it to him. "Read it. Give it a chance. I guarantee you'll like it. Come see me when you want the next book."

He smiled at me again and took the book. To his credit, he actually opened it and started reading it right there, his TV show forgotten.

I changed the channel and stayed sitting right next to him. I noticed he smelled good. Not like cologne or the body sprays every guy used too liberally. He smelled like sunshine, cinnamon, and honey. It was a comforting smell.

Emmett and I sat just like that, me watching TV and him reading The Odyssey, until Jasper and Edward returned. They looked a little surprised to see Emmett reading a book. I followed them into the kitchen to help. Jasper asked Emmett if he could talk to him and left Edward and me alone in the kitchen together to unpack the groceries. I put something away, then turned and almost ran into Edward. We spent a few seconds awkwardly moving the same direction until he finally grabbed my waist and lifted me to move me out of his way. I laughed nervously, and he chuckled.

"So, did I see that right? Emmett is reading The Odyssey?" Edward looked confused.

I smiled brightly. "Yeah, I was reading it, and told him about epic poems and that he should read it. So, he did. I've read it like five times, so I figured I could wait until he read it to continue."

"Hmmm. So, you were an English major?"

"How did you know?"

"The look on your face when you talked about getting someone who never reads to read an insanely complex story."

I didn't know what came over me, but I leaned into him and said quietly, "Well, I guess my powers of persuasion are working."

I saw his hands turn white, clutching the counter, and his jaw clenched. It confused me, but I brushed it off. I turned and finished putting away the groceries. I took out all the ingredients for the mac and cheese. I tried to grab a pot, but it was on the top shelf for some weird reason. I jumped to grab it and still no luck. I was about to get a chair when Edward walked up behind me, pushed me into the counter, and reached up above me to retrieve the pot. I went to grab it from him, and he held it out of my reach.

"Manners, Bella. What do we say?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "If you want to eat sometime soon, you should probably give me that pot…please."

He smiled and handed it to me. I shook my head and filled it with water, then put it on the stove. Edward watched me make the cheese sauce. I explained to him what I was doing as he handed me ingredients I asked for. It was nice to have someone to talk to while I cooked. I noticed that when Jasper walked in the kitchen, Edward slid a little farther away from me, and they both kinda glared at each other.

I finished with the mac and cheese, and we all sat down to eat. While Emmett and Edward had third helpings, I dragged Jasper out of the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on between you and your roommates?"

"What…?"

"Don't even play that shit with me, Jasper. You know what I'm talking about."

"Bella, just drop it."

"Ha, nice try, Jazz. You know that won't happen." He wouldn't look at me, and I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. "I swear to God, Jasper…"

"Fine!" he said, finally snapping. "I told them they need to keep their distance from you. I don't want them to get any ideas about you. I saw the way they looked at you when I walked in."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Keep it down."

"No, I won't. God, you are just like Dad! Just because I'm only twenty-one doesn't mean you get to make those decisions for me. Guess what, Jazz, I'm not a virgin anymore. You want to go beat on Jacob a little?"

"That's not funny."

"No, it's not, and this control bullshit isn't cute either. God, fuck off!" I shouted. Losing my temper completely, I went to my room and slammed my door shut. I changed into jeans and a T-shirt, then I put on my boots, grabbed my keys and my purse, slinging it across my body. I stomped through the house, and Jasper came out of the kitchen.

"Bells."

I stomped past him and out the front door without a word. I wasn't quite sure where I was going to go, so I slowed my roll a little.

Edward followed me out the front door. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere away from him."

"Look, Bella, I get that you are pissed, but shouldn't you be happy you have a brother who cares enough to look out for you?"

"Do you have siblings, Edward?" I asked my own question.

He nodded. "Yeah, I have a sister."

"How would she feel if you did the same thing to her?" I said, trying to explain it to him.

He smiled. "I did. I told Jasper to stay away from her. She didn't listen, though, since they are dating now."

"Alice is your sister?" I asked, stunned.

"Yeah."

"You two are nothing alike."

"Heard that my entire life. Look, if you want to leave, that's fine, but I would like to come with you. You don't know Seattle very well yet," he said genuinely.

"Got any ideas where we can go?" I asked, my eyebrow raised.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I have some."

I realized that I really liked his smile.

We got in the car, and I felt a shiver of excitement.

A/N: So, how do we feel. Thoughts, concerns, questions. Let me know what you think and hit that review. Until next week lovelies!