x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"Still not dancing, you guys are the worst couch potatoes I have ever seen. But enough is enough."
Brennan and Emma looked up to see a smiling Jesse and Shalimar standing in front if them.
"Come on Emma dance with me. No one else will pay any attention." Jesse bent forward to take Emma's hand. He comical pout made Emma smile and she nodded yes.
Brennan almost flinched, but he could not do anything. *~ I will not stand in her way if that is what she wants. ~* Brennan kept repeating that to himself, clenching his jaw as a slow song came on. *~ What Emma wants . . . for Emma. ~*
"So do you want to dance?" Shalimar sat down next to Brennan, unsure on how to get him to open up. He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes desperately tried to keep track of Emma and Jesse.
"They dance quite well. They look cute together." Shalimar 'casually' commented.
Brennan's head whirled around to face Shalimar.
*~ That got his attention. ~*
"This morning you were trying to convince me that Emma was in love with me and now you're pairing her off with Jesse!" Brennan almost spit the words out.
"You are the one who was insistent that you didn't have feelings for Emma. It shouldn't matter to you who she is with. But it doesn't it?"
Brennan remained silent; he was not going to get into a discussion with Shalimar.
"It hurts you to see her dance with someone else. It kills you doesn't it?"
Brennan ignored her, picking up the glass of water Emma had left on the table.
"You want to be there with her, don't you?" Shalimar's voice was almost taunting.
Brennan drank the remaining water, to disguise the lump that had formed in his throat. For a moment, his mouth lingered on the rim of the glass.
"Can you taste her by drinking from the same glass?" Shalimar now openly mocked him, she had to get a rise from him.
"Look at her, isn't she beautiful? Look how she moves; look at how the men around look at her. You must have been blind not to notice how desirable she is. I am sure any man would give his right arm to hold her like Jesse is. To hold her close to him, lightly rub his hand on her back, sway with her."
Brennan's knuckles had turned had turned white around the glass.
"In fact, I will make a bet with you. Any man would sell his soul to be able to kiss her, taste her, make love . . ."
"Enough." Brennan slammed the glass down on the table, causing it to crack slightly.
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"Come on Emma relax. The music is not that bad and I haven't stepped on your toes." Jesse pleaded with the young woman in his arms.
"Yet." Emma dryly commented causing Jesse to grin.
"See, that's what I mean. Have fun, relax. Take pot shots at me."
"Now would I do that to you?" Emma asked oh so sweetly.
"Of course."
Emma chuckled, this felt good. Jesse was right; she needed to calm down.
As the music continued, Emma sighed and laid her head on Jesse's shoulder. She would allow herself this time. She closed her eyes and imagined she was dancing in Brennan's arms. Her body unwound slowly and swayed to the music.
Jesse smiled knowing fully well whose arms Emma was thinking about at that point. It was a sad smile full of empathy for his friends, and the needless suffering they were putting themselves through
"You love him don't you?" Jesse gently asked Emma.
She raised her head to look into his soft, concerned eyes. He smiled at her, "Want to tell me about it?" He was not going to push Emma; he could see how tired and fragile she was at this point.
The rested her head on his shoulder again and weakly nodded her head. She needed to tell someone and she knew that Jesse would understand. After all, he was family.
"I love him so much and he doesn't feel the same way about me." Emma stated simply. It was that simple, wasn't it? At least she thought so, until she felt Jesse shake with laughter.
"So you are going to laugh at me." Emma asked quietly. Jesse looked down to find that silent tears course down her cheeks.
"Never. I just don't believe you when you say Brennan does not love you. He is crazy about you. Completely, hopelessly, in love with you."
"Don't make fun of me. I can't take it Jesse."
"Emma please believe me. Brennan loves you."
"How do you know? He hasn't said anything to you has he."
"No but . . ."
"Then I am right."
"No you're not. Haven't you seen the way Brennan looks at you? The way his eyes follow you when you enter the room? He gets the goofiest look on his face when you smile at him. I would laugh at him if I couldn't see the desperation on his face when you turn away from him."
"I turn away from HIM?! Never, he is the one who rejects me. And why shouldn't he? I am not beautiful or . . ."
"You are the most wonderful person. And trust me, Brennan thinks you are lovely. If he looked at my sister the way he looks at you, I would be tempted to smash his face in. In fact, I still might, he has been checking you out the whole evening. You can't tell me that Brennan has never shown his attraction to you?!"
Emma instantly remembered the kiss - the way Brennan had devoured her mouth. The way his hands had roamed her back - hungry, desperate, lustful.
Jesse chuckled as he saw Emma's cheeks colour. He guessed Brennan had shown his desire - and if Emma's blushing was anything to go by, very efficiently at that.
"He loves you."
"Then why doesn't he tell me?!!" Emma's confusion and pain forcibly struck Jesse. For a second he was tempted to beat Brennan's face. He settled for gently squeezing her.
"Have you ever told him?" Jesse quietly asked.
Emma just looked at him, her eyes wide in her pale face.
"Isn't it possible that he is as frightened as you are? Isn't it possible that he is as confused about your feeling as you are about his? How is he to know that his feelings will be welcomed when you avoid him?"
Emma swallowed, "It was so hard to be around him and not be loved by him. I couldn't do that. It would have killed me."
"I know, but now you are better. Edward explained what happened with you. But you are stronger now than ever. Please don't let your insecurities and fear drive Brennan away. He needs you, without you, he is so alone. Don't abandon him Emma."
*~ Love him as he needs to be loved - as you need to love him. ~*
Emma smiled through the tears. Jesse was right; she could not let Brennan go without being honest with him. She owed that to herself and to herself. *~ And if he doesn't want me after that . . .~*
Emma swayed as the thought flashed through her mind; her face becoming almost white.
Jesse held her tightly, recognising the fear on her face.
"He loves you. Give him a chance."
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"What is 'enough' Brennan? Did I say anything wrong?" Shalimar questioned, her tone challenging.
"Never speak of Emma with another man. I won't stand for it, I . . ."
"You WHAT Brennan? Why does it hurt you to think of Emma with another guy? Why does it make you so angry?" Shalimar leaned forward, she had almost broken through Brennan's denial.
Brennan sighed, he couldn't do this any longer. He couldn't keep fighting Shalimar, himself - the truth.
"Because I love her."
*~Because I love her. ~*
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
*~ Because I love her.~*
Emma whirled around in Jesse's eyes. Brennan's voice was so clear, it cut through all her own thoughts. The defeat and fear were so clear that Emma flinched.
*~ Because I love her and she doesn't love me. ~*
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
hehehe *Evil grin* . . . we're reaching the end very soon. So what did you guys think? Too melodramatic the chapter? Wrote this late at night so have no idea how it reads.
"Still not dancing, you guys are the worst couch potatoes I have ever seen. But enough is enough."
Brennan and Emma looked up to see a smiling Jesse and Shalimar standing in front if them.
"Come on Emma dance with me. No one else will pay any attention." Jesse bent forward to take Emma's hand. He comical pout made Emma smile and she nodded yes.
Brennan almost flinched, but he could not do anything. *~ I will not stand in her way if that is what she wants. ~* Brennan kept repeating that to himself, clenching his jaw as a slow song came on. *~ What Emma wants . . . for Emma. ~*
"So do you want to dance?" Shalimar sat down next to Brennan, unsure on how to get him to open up. He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes desperately tried to keep track of Emma and Jesse.
"They dance quite well. They look cute together." Shalimar 'casually' commented.
Brennan's head whirled around to face Shalimar.
*~ That got his attention. ~*
"This morning you were trying to convince me that Emma was in love with me and now you're pairing her off with Jesse!" Brennan almost spit the words out.
"You are the one who was insistent that you didn't have feelings for Emma. It shouldn't matter to you who she is with. But it doesn't it?"
Brennan remained silent; he was not going to get into a discussion with Shalimar.
"It hurts you to see her dance with someone else. It kills you doesn't it?"
Brennan ignored her, picking up the glass of water Emma had left on the table.
"You want to be there with her, don't you?" Shalimar's voice was almost taunting.
Brennan drank the remaining water, to disguise the lump that had formed in his throat. For a moment, his mouth lingered on the rim of the glass.
"Can you taste her by drinking from the same glass?" Shalimar now openly mocked him, she had to get a rise from him.
"Look at her, isn't she beautiful? Look how she moves; look at how the men around look at her. You must have been blind not to notice how desirable she is. I am sure any man would give his right arm to hold her like Jesse is. To hold her close to him, lightly rub his hand on her back, sway with her."
Brennan's knuckles had turned had turned white around the glass.
"In fact, I will make a bet with you. Any man would sell his soul to be able to kiss her, taste her, make love . . ."
"Enough." Brennan slammed the glass down on the table, causing it to crack slightly.
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"Come on Emma relax. The music is not that bad and I haven't stepped on your toes." Jesse pleaded with the young woman in his arms.
"Yet." Emma dryly commented causing Jesse to grin.
"See, that's what I mean. Have fun, relax. Take pot shots at me."
"Now would I do that to you?" Emma asked oh so sweetly.
"Of course."
Emma chuckled, this felt good. Jesse was right; she needed to calm down.
As the music continued, Emma sighed and laid her head on Jesse's shoulder. She would allow herself this time. She closed her eyes and imagined she was dancing in Brennan's arms. Her body unwound slowly and swayed to the music.
Jesse smiled knowing fully well whose arms Emma was thinking about at that point. It was a sad smile full of empathy for his friends, and the needless suffering they were putting themselves through
"You love him don't you?" Jesse gently asked Emma.
She raised her head to look into his soft, concerned eyes. He smiled at her, "Want to tell me about it?" He was not going to push Emma; he could see how tired and fragile she was at this point.
The rested her head on his shoulder again and weakly nodded her head. She needed to tell someone and she knew that Jesse would understand. After all, he was family.
"I love him so much and he doesn't feel the same way about me." Emma stated simply. It was that simple, wasn't it? At least she thought so, until she felt Jesse shake with laughter.
"So you are going to laugh at me." Emma asked quietly. Jesse looked down to find that silent tears course down her cheeks.
"Never. I just don't believe you when you say Brennan does not love you. He is crazy about you. Completely, hopelessly, in love with you."
"Don't make fun of me. I can't take it Jesse."
"Emma please believe me. Brennan loves you."
"How do you know? He hasn't said anything to you has he."
"No but . . ."
"Then I am right."
"No you're not. Haven't you seen the way Brennan looks at you? The way his eyes follow you when you enter the room? He gets the goofiest look on his face when you smile at him. I would laugh at him if I couldn't see the desperation on his face when you turn away from him."
"I turn away from HIM?! Never, he is the one who rejects me. And why shouldn't he? I am not beautiful or . . ."
"You are the most wonderful person. And trust me, Brennan thinks you are lovely. If he looked at my sister the way he looks at you, I would be tempted to smash his face in. In fact, I still might, he has been checking you out the whole evening. You can't tell me that Brennan has never shown his attraction to you?!"
Emma instantly remembered the kiss - the way Brennan had devoured her mouth. The way his hands had roamed her back - hungry, desperate, lustful.
Jesse chuckled as he saw Emma's cheeks colour. He guessed Brennan had shown his desire - and if Emma's blushing was anything to go by, very efficiently at that.
"He loves you."
"Then why doesn't he tell me?!!" Emma's confusion and pain forcibly struck Jesse. For a second he was tempted to beat Brennan's face. He settled for gently squeezing her.
"Have you ever told him?" Jesse quietly asked.
Emma just looked at him, her eyes wide in her pale face.
"Isn't it possible that he is as frightened as you are? Isn't it possible that he is as confused about your feeling as you are about his? How is he to know that his feelings will be welcomed when you avoid him?"
Emma swallowed, "It was so hard to be around him and not be loved by him. I couldn't do that. It would have killed me."
"I know, but now you are better. Edward explained what happened with you. But you are stronger now than ever. Please don't let your insecurities and fear drive Brennan away. He needs you, without you, he is so alone. Don't abandon him Emma."
*~ Love him as he needs to be loved - as you need to love him. ~*
Emma smiled through the tears. Jesse was right; she could not let Brennan go without being honest with him. She owed that to herself and to herself. *~ And if he doesn't want me after that . . .~*
Emma swayed as the thought flashed through her mind; her face becoming almost white.
Jesse held her tightly, recognising the fear on her face.
"He loves you. Give him a chance."
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"What is 'enough' Brennan? Did I say anything wrong?" Shalimar questioned, her tone challenging.
"Never speak of Emma with another man. I won't stand for it, I . . ."
"You WHAT Brennan? Why does it hurt you to think of Emma with another guy? Why does it make you so angry?" Shalimar leaned forward, she had almost broken through Brennan's denial.
Brennan sighed, he couldn't do this any longer. He couldn't keep fighting Shalimar, himself - the truth.
"Because I love her."
*~Because I love her. ~*
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
*~ Because I love her.~*
Emma whirled around in Jesse's eyes. Brennan's voice was so clear, it cut through all her own thoughts. The defeat and fear were so clear that Emma flinched.
*~ Because I love her and she doesn't love me. ~*
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
hehehe *Evil grin* . . . we're reaching the end very soon. So what did you guys think? Too melodramatic the chapter? Wrote this late at night so have no idea how it reads.