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Chapter Eighteen

Rose and I stared at Nessa with what were probably similar looks of shock on our faces. My eyes were wide, and my jaw was dropped open. Um, excuse me?

"You're fucking Jacob Black?"

I'd like to say that it was Rose who said that, her voice going slightly high at the end. But no. It was me. I had not been expecting that revelation to come out of her mouth. Sweet little Nessa was fucking Jacob Black? Jacob Black was fucking sweet little Nessa? Mind. Blown. I wouldn't put them together for any other reason than I just didn't see them as a couple. But then again, how many people saw Rose and I as one?

"Jesus! Keep your voice down, will ya?" Nessa scolded, glancing around to ensure that my outburst hadn't caused unwanted attention.

"He's been coming in for the last few months to get a touch-up," I said, my brain not fully computing what she had just said. Every time he had come in, Nessa had taken him into the backroom. He'd specifically asked for her! I had just assumed it was to give her the practice. How fucking wrong was I?

"Yeah, just not how you think," Nessa countered, throwing me a wink.

"Oh, God. Please tell me that you cleaned off anything that you fucked on?" I was pretty sure that she was enjoying my discomfort. I had no problem with people fucking… but in the workplace? In my workplace? It was different if it was me. That was acceptable. I had an entire list of places I wanted to take Rose; my desk, my chair, the storeroom – it was endless. Shit. I felt cock getting hard just from thinking about having her bent over in all those places. I cleared my throat, forcing myself to focus on Nessa.

"Of course," Nessa said as she got an evil glint in her eye. "Most of the time, he came on my tits anyway."

"Oh, fucking hell!" I exclaimed. That was not an image that I needed in my head. Rose squeezed my hand, a small smile covering her face. She was finding this fucking hilarious!

"Consider it payback for what I walked in on."

I wanted to wipe the smirk from Nessa's mouth, and I was currently planning on giving her every crappy client we had for the next three months. Oh! I could give her the hippie dude who didn't believe in washing! Ha!

At Nessa's words, the amused look that had been on Rose's face disappeared, and she got serious again.

"Nessa, please don't tell Dad what you saw. Em, and I aren't ready for him to know." I could hear her voice waver slightly, and I could just sense the anxiety in her body. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her it would be okay. Because the thing was, Edward was going to find out about us at some point, and we were going to have to deal with it. This thing with Rose was it for me. She was my everything, and it was killing me that I couldn't shout to the world about it. But me being a fucking coward, I didn't want it to be today. I didn't want to deal with the shit storm that would follow and Edward's dramatics.

With a wave of her wrist, Nessa snorted. "No worries there. Who you fuck is up to you. You're both adults; get on with it. Besides, there's no way in hell I'm telling him I'm seeing Jake." She shuddered. "He'd freak out and then get all caveman on my ass. He doesn't like Jake at the best of times."

That was true. Jake and Edward hadn't gotten along since the first time they met. Mainly because Jake regarded Edward as a douche who strung Bella along, and Edward was convinced that Jake had a thing for Bella. Clearly, he was looking at the wrong woman in his family.

"Thanks, Nessa," I told her, genuinely grateful. Not just because she wasn't going to tell Edward and spare me an ass-kicking, but for the apology that she gave to Rose too. I knew how much it meant to Rose. She didn't want to fight with Nessa. Their relationship was strained because of circumstance, not because they wanted it to be. By Edward lying, he had driven a wedge between his daughters. I don't think he could see it, though. I don't know if he even wanted to.

"Any time," she told me before taking a giant bite of her sub, sauce dribbling out of the sides and onto her chin, looking perfectly Nessa-esq.

I squeezed Rose's hand in mine before bringing it up to my mouth and kissing her knuckles. I was so fucking happy.

And from the look on Rose's face, so was she. Now, that was a look I could get used to.


Six weeks of blissful fucking happiness… it had to end at some point, right? Rose and I hadn't broken up or anything. No. Arguably, I could have drunk myself into a stupor and gotten over it that way. Edward was hosting some kind of charity auction, and I was going. And Rose was going. But we weren't going together. He still didn't know about us. Nessa had kept her word and hadn't told Edward. She had told Jake, though. He wasn't a bad guy – I didn't have any problems with him. Rose and I had actually gone on a few double dates with them, and it had been fun. We had a similar taste in music, cars, and tattoos. He was fun and clearly fucking adored Nessa. We were both whipped.

"Will you relax?" Jake said to me from the back of the cab we were riding in. There was no way I was driving my own car here. That would mean I wouldn't be able to drink. And alcohol was going to be one of the main things getting me through tonight. I needed it to dull my nerves. They were on edge. I was on edge.

"He's going to know!" I argued back, tugging at the collar of my shirt. Why did charity events all have to be black tie? Couldn't I donate money in my t-shirt and a pair of sweats? Why did I have to dress up like a pretentious knob to give money?

"No, he won't. Nessa and I have been seeing each other for six months, and he hasn't got a fucking clue."

"Edward isn't your best friend," I practically growled back. Logically, I knew he'd have to find out at some point, but I was really fucking hoping for later rather than sooner.

Jake shook his head, a stupid grin on his face. "I have a feeling I'm going to fucking enjoy tonight."

"Bastard," I spat out, tugging at the tie in my hair, wishing I hadn't tied it so tight. I was feeling so uncomfortable, and that was making me twitchy and irritable. Fuck. Tonight was going to be a disaster.

When we pulled up outside Edward's ridiculously large house, I swallowed the lump in my throat, noting how my mouth felt like I had just eaten a ball of cotton wool. I took a deep breath and pushed myself out of the car, and walked down the path and towards the front door – one I had been in so many times before. I didn't even knock anymore. I just walked in. Because Edward and Bella had welcomed me into their home with open arms… and I had fucked Edward's daughter. Shit.

I didn't want to mess anything up. Not just for me, but for Rose.

That thought helped. For Rose. She made every day brighter.

"Emmett!" a familiar voice called, and I shit you not; I thought my heart would pound out of my chest.

"Edward!" I greeted back, hoping like hell my voice was normal and I wasn't sweating too much. His house may have been big, but at the minute, it felt entirely too small and warm.

"Thanks for coming, man," he said, looking completely relaxed. Edward always looked at his element during these things. He was the epitome of suave and charm. It was probably why he had managed to keep two women for sixteen years.

"No problem." I winced at my own voice. Had my balls receded into my body? It felt like they had. I tried to look him in the eye like I usually did… but I failed miserably. I just kept looking at his eyebrows.

"Everything alright?" Edward asked, eyebrows quirking. Fuck. He knew! He fucking knew! He knew I was fucking his daughter, and he would castrate me and shove my balls down my own throat! I'd managed to avoid him these last six weeks as he was in the middle of negotiating a large business deal, and it seemed like I'd forgotten how to act around him

"Yep," I nodded my head, hoping to convince him. Fat chance. I wasn't even convinced by my lackluster performance.

Thankfully, Jake had my back. "He's just worried that I'm going to outbid him," he said, slapping me on the shoulder and effectively rescuing me.

"Nice to see you could make it, Jacob," Edward told him tersely, physically drawing himself up taller. I mean, it was pretty fucking funny to see but also pretty fucking useless—Jake was the same height as me, and Edward was missing a good three inches. Maybe in stilettos but not in his dress shoes could he ever hope to reach Jake's height.

"Wouldn't miss it, Eddie," Jake joked back, knowing just how much Edward hated that nickname. I could have kissed him. He was drawing the attention away from me and onto himself. I owed him a fucking drink.

I thought Edward would straight-up punch him when his face turned red, that vein in his neck began to bulge, and he took a step forward. He'd never been very tolerant of Jake. Jake always knew the right buttons to press to irritate him, and Edward fell for it every time.

Thankfully, the universe was on my side tonight as Bella called him over to where she was, offering both Jake and I a small wave – and a reprieve.

"Saved by the Bell," I joked as Jake snorted.

"I only call him Eddie to rile him up. If he didn't react, I wouldn't do it."

"Nice to know you want to make a good impression," I told him, causing Jake to shrug.

"I don't care what he thinks of me. He's not exactly in any position to judge."

Ain't that the truth? Jake and I weren't seeing other women. We were utterly devoted to Rose and Nessa. They both had us by our balls. As far as I was concerned, it was love. I wanted a future with Rose. She was the only person for me. The only one I could see myself growing old with. My future started and ended with her.

"Look out," Jake said, drawing me out of my thoughts. "Trouble at twelve o'clock.

I turned to where he was looking and saw Nessa and Rose walk in.

Fuck me.

Rose's dress was a sparkly navy colour, sequins covering the fabric. A train of material trailed behind her, swishing as she walked. There was a deep V neckline that had me itching to run my tongue down it. The thin straps going over her shoulders wouldn't stand a chance against my teeth or hands if I chose to rip them from her body. There was a long thigh-high slit, offering every man in this room a steamy glimpse at something that wasn't theirs to look at. Mine.

She turned slightly, listening to something Nessa said, and I saw that the back dipped low, her sexy flesh on display. My knees actually felt weak. How was I supposed to avoid touching her? I struggled when she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Yet, here she was, entirely too sexy for her own good – and mine. My hands were itching to touch her, to sweep her up into my arms, hold her close and kiss her until she was a wet whimpering mess begging me to fuck her. I wanted to cover her back, feel the warmth of her skin underneath my fingertips as I explored every inch of her sweet body until she was screaming.

"She's going to put me in an early grave," I remarked to Jake, who was too busy wiping drool off his chin to even hear me. Nessa wore a short black dress that showcased the colourful designs snaking up her leg. I could almost hear Jake's mind working out if he had time to sneak her away and have a quickie in her childhood bedroom.

Edward and Bella made their way over to them, and I knew that I couldn't go over there now. One, I was sporting a massive hardon that was doing its best to rip through my trousers. Two, I doubted I could control myself. Three, my hardon. Four, there's no way that Edward would miss me looking at Rose, and he'd just know. Five, my hardon.

"Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in," a melodic voice chimed, stopping the erotic images dancing around my head.

"Esme," I cheerfully greeted, turning to face her and opening my arms to embrace her in a hug. Mind you, I was careful not to pull her too close. Last thing I needed right now was Esme feeling my cock. Not only would she probably kill me, but so would Edward… and Doc.

Esme was Edward's older sister and a fox if I say so myself. She, too, like me, was covered in tats. Her hair was ginger, not red or fucking copper—ginger, and her skin was pale, dotted with light freckles.

Jake greeted her too, and I instantly noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Doc?" I asked, referring to her long-term boyfriend, Carlisle.

"He's just saying goodnight to the boys," she said, turning and pointing over her shoulder to where he was talking on his mobile, his head bent low and a soft smile on his face.

"Oh, are these the two boys you didn't want to introduce him to?" Jake teased, making Esme lean forward and smack him.

Esme had gone into Carlisle's shop looking for something to take the edge off her nerves. An hour later, she emerged freshly fucked and supplied with some of the best weed in the state. That's where Carlisle got his nickname from, Doc. He'd trained as a doctor, was fucking smart as hell, but turned his back on 'traditional medicine' and now ran a shop that provided… alternatives, if you know what I mean.

At first, he'd been a convenient fuck. Then, the fucker, as she affectionally called him, wormed his way in, and now he was living with her and her two sons.

"Shut the fuck up, Black," Esme harshly said, her face flaming slightly.

"You know we're only teasing you, Es," I told her. "We love Carlisle." He had been good for her. He had shown her – and her boys – unconditional love. He adored them all. I knew for a fact he carried a photo of them around in his wallet. I had taken it when we'd gone to the park together. Esme had both boys on her lap, sunglasses covering her eyes and a smile so big it could have split her face in half. The sunlight glinted off their hair – because, yes, all three were ginger – and they looked so happy.

"At least somebody does," Esme cynically remarked, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest, the colourful tattoos on her arm becoming more prominent. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as a few people watched with fascination. They weren't used to seeing so many people with tattoos in one place. Edward was vehemently against them. They probably thought we had snuck in. Uptight pricks.

Jake and I shared a look. Both of her sons adored him. Hell, they liked him more than their own biological father.

"Edward," Esme clarified. "He's still pissed I'm dating him." Her voice gave away her annoyance.

"Why?" Jake asked. "Is it the weed?"

"Surprisingly, no, although I'm sure that doesn't help." Esme paused. "The irony being a little fucking weed might actually make him pull that stick out of his ass." She shook her head. "It's because he's eight years younger than me."

Jake and I shared a look. If eight years bothered Edward, sixteen might give him an aneurism.

"He actually asked me if Carlisle was coming tonight, and when I said yes, he asked what kind of example I was setting for my children." An evil glint twinkled in the corner of her eye. "I told him a better one than when I was with their arsonist father."

The chuckle that burst from my chest was entirely involuntary but completely too loud. Several of Edward's guests turned to look at me. But I didn't care. Esme was fucking hilarious.

"Good for you, Es," Jake told her. "Stick to your guns." I knew Edward hadn't approved of Esme divorcing her husband, but what was she supposed to do? He enjoyed setting fire to things! I'd hardly call that an excellent example of a parent. Then again, Edward had a secret family for sixteen years…

"Aunt Es!" two voices squealed, making Jake and I turn as Nessa and Rose strolled towards their aunt, looking ecstatic. They both loved Es – name me a fucking person who didn't.

"There are my beautiful nieces," Esme beamed, opening her arms wide and pulling them both into a hug.

They spoke animatedly, and I loved watching Rose's face light up as she talked about the latest car that she was working on. She was so fucking passionate about her job.

"Closed relationship, Es," Carlisle grinned as he walked over. "I don't share you with anyone," he joked, making her unwrap her arms from Nessa and Rose.

"Don't be disgusting," she chided, immediately fitting herself into his side. They made a beautiful couple. His light hair and stubble perfectly accentuated just how fucking ginger Esme was. Part of me was jealous. Because I wanted to be able to pull Rose to me and casually wrap my arm around her waist. I wanted her to be able to reach up and link her fingers with mine – just like Esme was doing with Carlisle.

I didn't want to hide.

Pushing down my jealousy, I held my hand to Carlisle. "Evening, Doc."

"Hey, Em. How's business?" he asked, beginning the pleasant small talk about our lives.

I tried to pay attention. I'm pretty sure Carlisle said the shop was doing well and spoke to Jake about some renovations he was thinking about doing. I think Esme said something about the boys wanting to build a treehouse, and Jake and Carlisle both got way too excited about it. I think Esme asked if I would help out with some artwork for them, and I think I might have agreed. My mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about Rose. About how fucking difficult it was not to pull Rose to my side, wrap an arm around her and let my hands rest low on her back, my fingers finding that warm spot just above her ass. Instead, I settled for clenching my fists and then shoving them into the pockets of my slacks.

"I didn't know Maggie would be here," Nessa remarked, her eyebrows pulling together as she looked at her cousin, who was over the other side of the room, hanging off Edward's arm. She wasn't a cousin-cousin but rather a cousin removed or a cousin through marriage. The Masen family tree was pretty fucking complicated.

"Didn't you hear?" Esme said. "Her parents have cut her off."

"What?" Rose remarked, surprise lacing her voice. "Why?"

Even I was shocked. I heard a lot about Maggie from Rose, Bella, and Edward. Her parents had struggled to conceive her, so when she was finally born, she was spoilt—and not in a good way. Anything she asked for, she got. Maggie was placed on a pedestal, and her parents had only been too happy to worship her.

"Her parents found out she'd been stealing from them. About fifty thousand dollars," Esme said, disapproval lacing her tone.

"Shitting hell," Rose replied, glancing briefly towards Maggie before returning to Es.

Next to me, Jake whistled low as Carlisle nodded; clearly, he'd heard this story before.

"Yep. She tried to get a job at the gallery. Obviously, I turned her down, and now I think she's trying to weasel some money from your dad."

Nessa snorted. "He's got enough of it."

We all watched Maggie interact with Edward. She looked over at our little group, her lips turned up into what appeared to be a sneer before turning back to Edward. Then, a look that could only be described as murderous anger crossed his face, and he stalked over to us.

My brow furrowed because I wondered what the fuck she had said to make him look so angry. Then, I glanced behind him and saw a familiar-looking girl go and stand next to Maggie.

"Uh-oh," Carlisle began. "Who pissed him off?"

Standing in front of Jake and I, his chest heaved, green eyes wild. "Are you fucking my daughters?" His voice carried throughout the large room, everyone stopping to stare at us. Even the band he had hired stopped playing. To be honest, I didn't know he could shout that loud.

Now I knew why that girl looked familiar; she was the waitress who had bumped into Nessa all those weeks ago. Shit. She was friends with Maggie. Which meant she had told her everything she had heard.

Oh fuck.

Well, there we have it. Edward finally knows! And we got to meet Esme and Doc (who may or may not be getting their own little backstory).