The next afternoon was no fun at all, Alice thought to herself as they all sat in the living room, staring each other down in tense silence.
Bella, inside Emmett's body sat next to Edward but there was no hand holding or contact of a romantic nature. Not because Edward was being cold towards her, but because Bella did understand how hard it was for her man to snuggle up against her new muscular man body. Edward had protested, saying it didn't bother him, always willing to do or say anything to make her happy, but still she just studied her history textbook, ignoring the glances being exchanged.
Rosalie sat very still, but kept her eyes on the music videos playing on the TV screen. She was, however, cuddling with a little Bella (Emmett looking warm and content inside her body). Rosalie stroked Bella's long soft hair that she had straightened earlier this morning, occasionally whispering in her ear as they chuckled softly in their private little world. For a short time, Emmett even took a little nap, falling asleep on Rosalie's chest, earning a nice back scratching from her long red nails.
Alice and Jasper were like the chaperones here, watching as the tension built and built, in total silence for the last few hours.
Edward was being silent now, because technically, Rosalie was being gentle and caring to Bella's body. He watched like a hawk to see if there was any kind of sexual touching in the least, ready to pounce on them, but it never happened. However, while "Bella" had fallen asleep, Edward took his opportunity to voice his concerns to Rosalie.
"I don't like you dressing Bella that way." Edward whispered, his voice tense as his cold eyes studied Rosalie.
Bella, in Emmett's body looked up and once again surveyed the outfit her body was wearing across the room. Bella had to admit, it didn't look anything like her, but deep inside, she was jealous. She looked hot, she thought.
Emmett was dressed in a tiny little black leather skirt, fishnet stockings, spiked black high heels, and a white lace see through top that clearly showed the tiny bra beneath, her breasts shoved together hard and upwards, assorted necklaces dangled right upon the peaks of her bosom, calling more attention to them. Her face was covered with makeup, although it looked good, it also looked very cheap and sluttish to Edward. He almost didn't like looking at Bella anymore. Almost.
"Hey, he dressed HIMSELF today." Rosalie hissed in her defense, Emmett's eyes opening slightly, looking back at Edward, "Besides, you didn't seem to mind it last night."
Edward stiffened, his face tensing at Rosalie. He had not told Bella about this yet and he certainly didn't want her to find out from Rosalie, of all people.
"Hey, if I have to be a girl, I'm gonna be a HOT girl.", Emmett stated.
"What last night ?" Bella asked from Emmett's large body at Edward's side.
"Nothing." Edward snapped, shooting them another "shut the hell up" look.
Alice smirked before she realized it, remembering last night after the dance took place. Poor Edward. Alice had to strip his clothes right off him while he argued and it took both she and Jasper to shove him into the shower, three different jets shooting ice cold water onto his hard, erect body. Alice had almost considered getting him a high class escort to come over and relieve his problem but he read her thoughts and screeched at her not to even THINK about it. Jasper had to spend two hours outside the glass shower doors to finally calm Edward down enough that he could go back to lay beside Emmett's body.
Bella caught Alice's smirk and frowned at Edward.
"What happened?" she asked, Emmett's booming voice coming out of her, "Why are you lying to me?"
"I'm not!" Edward pleaded, "I just didn't want to tell you right now. Can we talk about this later?"
"Did you sleep with him last night ?!" Bella shouted, slamming her history book closed.
Edward's eyes turned horrified, "NO !! NO !!"
"Only because I stopped him." Emmett said from inside sexy Bella's body.
Edward, Bella and Alice all gasped at the same time, spinning their heads to Emmett.
Rosalie giggled, liking the way Edward was squirming.
"What ?!" Bella's Emmett voice sounded like it was about to cry.
"Bella, listen, they were playing a trick on me…" Edward began, grabbing her man hands and making her look only into his nervous golden eyes.
"He had his hands all over her." Rosalie informed, getting Bella's attention now, "He licked her nipples and was clutching her ass, it was disgusting. I have it on video, I can show you if you want."
"EDWARD!" Bella stood on the sofa, trembling as Edward did the same, still shorter than she was.
"Bella, it was a joke they were playing on me!" Edward yelled again, then softened his voice as he stared up at Emmett's face crying real tears again.
"He even bit my poor little human nipples!" Emmett added, making Bella burst out sobbing.
Edward turned to Emmett in Bella's body and glared an evil look his way, internally vowing to get his ass later.
"You don't go that far with ME, even when I WAS me, but you LICK HIS NIPPLES?!!" she screamed while sobbing.
"I thought HE WAS YOU !" Edward shouted in his own defense, trying to hold her hands again but she jerked out of his grip.
"Oh, so you like me better that way, instead of the way I usually look?!" Bella squinted, trying to control the tears that blurred her vision of his beautiful but scared face.
"No!" Edward breathed, "I LOVE you the way you are – I HATE the way he looks now ! It's trashy !"
"But you liked it last night." Bella tried to understand. He was contradicting himself and it could only mean that he was lying to her. She knew it. Deep down, in truth, Edward knew she was plain and maybe secretly wished she was sexy and wild. And it didn't matter now, anyway, because she was trapped in a man's body, maybe forever. She was losing him already.
Before he could say anything in response, Bella leapt over the sofa and charged up to Edward's room, slamming the door and locking it, screaming at him "LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU LIAR !!"
Edward came back down the stairs slowly, like a psychotic murderer, staring Rosalie and Emmett down hard.
"That was wrong." Edward said in a low growl at the both of them, "It's one thing to hurt me, I'm used to your shit. But Bella ? She's never hurt either of you. Why would you do that to her?"
Emmett looked a little remorseful now, looking down at his fingernails silently, but Rosalie turned her hateful eyes on, pointing them at Edward.
"Oh, don't give us that holier than thou bullshit, Edward." Rosalie scowled, "We were just teasing her, if she can't take a little joke, then she shouldn't be here. Weak humans – now we can't have any fun as long as she's around, which is ALWAYS!"
Edward read her mind and his mouth twitched up at one side, staring at her with deadly loathing, saying, "Weak humans…but what you wouldn't GIVE to be a weak human again, huh Rosalie?"
"Shut up Edward." Rosalie warned, not moving from her seat, playing with the remote control as Emmett watched from her side, Bella's face looking stern and tight.
Edward cooed his voice now, making it syrupy sweet, knowing he was being evil to her but he didn't care. She used him to make Bella cry.
"How weak you would love to be." Edward almost sang with his soft voice, "To be pregnant, to feel that little kick inside your stomach, the way a baby moves inside you as it grows…"
"SHUT UP !!" she stood now, throwing the remote right at his head as he ducked at the last second, taking another step towards her, not through yet.
"Cut it out, man!" Emmett warned, standing behind Rosalie, his eyes threatening.
Even Alice and Jasper stood, Alice went up behind Edward and tried to touch his arms, to soothe him away from saying more hurtful things.
"Edward, don't…" Alice whispered, "Bella can hear you, don't say those things, it's not like you to be so mean."
"She's ALWAYS hated me, Alice!" Edward turned to her, shouting, almost shaking in his voice, "Because I didn't fall at her feet like every other man! Even after Emmett came, she still gives me that LOOK, like I'm a piece of GARBAGE because I didn't love her that way ! And now that Bella's here, she's EVEN WORSE!! Because how dare I fall in love with a little human girl when THIS RAGING GODDESS IS LIVING RIGHT HERE IN MY HOUSE!!"
"Alright, Edward, we're going to play Scrabble now." Alice tried to turn him away from Rosalie and Emmett but he didn't budge.
"I could care LESS who you're with !" Rosalie argued, "I wouldn't TOUCH YOU if you were the last man on EARTH!!"
"Then why do you still dream of me?" Edward decided to tell a few of Rosalie's secrets now, "I can see it, you know."
"LIAR!" Rosalie spat back.
"Three nights ago, we were in Paris on the Eiffell Tower, drinking wine." Edward recited the dream in detail, "You threw our glasses over the edge and started speaking French to me, you said, --"
"ENOUGH !" Rosalie's outburst proved Edward's claims and Emmett crossed his girl arms with a huff, frowning.
"Two can play at this game, Rosie." Edward sneered, about to dig in more when a knock sounded at the door.
"Edward, get the door." Alice was glad there was something to distract Edward away from the fight, "Go on, calm down and get the door."
He went, muttering, "What am I, the goddamn butler around here?"
The last time he opened a door without looking it was Charlie and he was carried off like a puppy. This time he listened for the thoughts of the person before he answered.
Edward groaned out loud, glad he was in his own body now, opening the door, seeing Jacob Black standing there, looking up at him with a smug look in his eye.
"Edward Cullen." Jacob grinned, "Just the one I wanted to see."
With a deep sigh, Edward made no move to step back to let him in, but asked, "What do you want, Black?"
"I want to have a little talk with you, in private." Jacob put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, waiting.
"About Bella?" he asked, "I thought she made it clear to you last night what she thought of you."
"This isn't all about Bella." Jacob informed, "Can I come in or what ?"
"Whatever." Edward turned his back to Jacob, walking into the kitchen area, past his siblings, Jacob following closely.
"Should I put some newspaper down or can you control yourself in here?" Edward grinned at his little joke.
"Oh, Cullen…" Jacob shook his head, arrogantly staring back at Edward's perfect face, wishing he could crush it.
"We're alone, what?" Edward leaned on the counter, crossing his arms, looking bored.
"You are going to talk to Bella." Jacob stated like it was a fact, "You're going to tell her to give me a chance, and you're going to let me go out with her."
Edward laughed out loud, liking the kid's attitude for a second. Too bad he'd be in the hospital soon.
Jacob laughed along with Edward for a minute, then took something out of his pocket, tossing it to Edward. It was a piece of paper, no, a picture, Edward laughed as he turned it over, seeing it. He stopped laughing.
"See, I knew you weren't right from the minute I met you." Jacob informed as Edward stared down at the picture, speechless.
"But I wonder what the school, the TOWN, the chief of police, and BELLA would say when this little picture gets out." Jacob smiled, his white teeth nearly glowing.
"Jacob…" Edward growled low in his chest, staring down at the image of his lips sucking in Emmett's mouth, you could even see Emmett's tongue.
"What I don't get is, why?" Jacob wondered aloud, "Why would you date Bella, when you're gay and obviously have something going on with your brother? Is it to keep up appearances?"
Edward's eye twitched as he looked at Jacob. This was insulting, thinking that he would give Bella to Jacob to save his own reputation.
Tearing it up into a bunch of pieces, Edward sneered at the human, saying, "I'm not giving Bella to you, I don't care what you have on me."
"That was not my only picture, Edward." Jacob raised a brow, "I have it in my computer, ready to send it to the entire student body of Forks High School. If you don't want to see your kiss across a banner that reads, Vote for your Prom King and Queen, then you will do this one small thing I ask."
"You think a date with Bella is a small thing?" Edward was angry at this pitiful human.
He had waited 90 years for a date with this stunning angel and Jacob treated it like it was a pittance, a trinket. He knew the Cullens had lots of money, but he wasn't asking for money, so he was lying. He knew Bella was one of a kind and that Edward had her. But this bargaining for her was making Edward sick inside. He didn't OWN her. Jacob made it sound like she was some matchbox car he could just hand over and let him play with.
And he thought of running to Jacob's house and stealing the hard drive of his computer, but he knew that was against the treaty. Damn.
Edward was about to tell him to shove his picture when "Bella" walked into the kitchen, dressed in her whore wear. Jacob stared at her, taking in every detail as Edward scowled at him silently.
Bella's body was there in search of something to drink, opening the refrigerator and taking out a can of coke, snapping it open and glancing at them, leaving without a word.
Edward tried to ignore the fantasies swirling around inside Jacob's head as he hid a smile and got a wonderful idea, but he had to be subtle about it.
"It's not a small thing." Jacob admitted, a serious expression on his face, "I really care about Bella and while you were gone, we got very close. Now that you're back, she seems to hate me. I know you've had some time to work on her."
"You think I'm brainwashing her?" Edward asked, insulted again.
"Something's changed." Jacob stated, eyeing him in accusation.
"Well, maybe you're partly right." Edward began his plan, turning his back to Jacob, "Since I've come back, I've noticed…changes in Bella, too. Maybe that has something to do with you or not, I don't know…but…she's different. Look at the way she's dressing now – her makeup."
"Yea, I noticed that a minute ago." Jacob began.
"The thing is" Edward did his best acting performance, looking torn and anguished as he turned towards Jacob, "She may have changed too much. I don't think we're on the same page anymore."
"What are you saying ?" Jacob waited, a glint of hope in his eyes.
"I'm saying" Edward took a hard breath, "that…I think she should go out with you. Tonight."
"What ?" Jacob didn't believe this.
"I can admit defeat, Jacob." Edward looked at the floor, "I think she wants you, not me. We've been drifting apart for some time now. The months without me, I think, changed her. She likes to party, she's wild. I…can't have a girlfriend like that. I want someone quiet, shy…someone I can marry."
"That sounds old fashioned." Jacob was surprised by Edward, but thrilled nonetheless, "But I won't argue with you about it. You'll talk to her?"
"Yes, but, promise me one thing." Edward said.
"Okay, what ?"
"This may be your one shot at telling her everything you feel." Edward informed, "I might not be so generous tomorrow. So you have to show her how you feel, tell her everything. Don't go out as just buddies tonight. Romance her, sweep her off her feet, you know ?"
"Why are YOU telling me to do this?" Jacob was a little suspicious.
"Well, to be honest…" Edward looked around, coming closer to Jacob, whispering, "I was sorta looking for a way out with Bella. If she likes you, it will be easier for me. She can dump me and I won't have to worry that I broke her heart. Besides, you saw the picture of me and…Emmett. So you know what's going on."
"Yea." Jacob looked a little disgusted. Edward Cullen just so much as admitted he was having a gay relationship with his adopted brother…YUKKK. Somehow, he wished he could tell everyone in town, just to see Edward's life fall apart. But getting a real chance with Bella was better, so he decided to take the deal.
"Oh…sorry." Edward backed off a bit and gave Jacob a little space, "Did I make you uncomfortable, Jake?"
Now Edward was just playing with him, making him feel like perhaps he was attracted to his dogface now.
"Uh, a little." Jacob admitted.
Edward leaned in again, putting his hand on Jacob's shoulder, inhaling, closing his eyes, trying to make it seem like he enjoyed the canine cologne he was wearing.
"MMmmm" Edward looked right into Jacob's eyes, "What is that delicious scent?"
Breaking away hard, Jacob got himself on the other side of the room from Edward, almost squeaking when he spoke, "Can you go talk to Bella now please?"
"Certainly." Edward smirked, looking him up and down, then smiled, "Wait here."
Edward had gotten Emmett alone without Rosalie and apologized for his angry outburst. Emmett quickly forgave and said he understood, feeling bad about making Bella cry and have a fight with Edward. But, he didn't like the way Edward spoke to Rosalie and he would have to make it up to her later. Edward agreed then told him about the picture Jacob had.
"How'd he get THAT?!" Emmett shouted.
"I don't know." Edward said, "But there's a problem. He says he'll give us the picture and we can delete it, but you have to go out with him tonight."
"WHAT?!" Emmett screamed.
"You don't have to sleep with him, I'm talking about going on a first date with a teenager.", Edward sold the idea like a professional car salesman, "What's the most that could happen? He takes you to dinner, you can eat now so have a nice meal, on him. He doesn't have the stones to even ATTEMPT first base."
Emmett sighed, thinking about it. School would be a veritable hell if that picture got out.
"Alright, but you have to make up with Rosalie while I'm gone then." Emmett agreed.
"Yes I will." Edward promised, curling his arm around Bella's body, guiding him back towards the kitchen where dog boy waited.
"Jacob." Edward came in, Bella in his arm as he smiled weakly, "She's all yours."
"Hey." Emmett jerked free of Edward's arm, then looked at Jacob's smile with guarded eyes.
"Hi Bells." Jacob greeted her, "Are you sure this is okay with you?"
"It's fine." Emmett replied, making himself smile, "Actually, better than fine. I was getting so tired of Edward anyway."
Suddenly, she screamed, leaping at something Edward had done behind her back. Jacob frowned and accused him, "Did you just hurt her?"
"No, no." Edward looked at her and she shook her head, "I would never hurt your Bella."
"What would you like to do tonight, Bella?" Jacob asked shyly and Edward was standing there, grinning.
"Oh, I know!" Edward piped in, "There's a great new movie out now called Marley and Me, about an evil dog that interferes in a loving couple's lives. That is perfect."
"Edward!" Jacob frowned, feeling that Edward was more bothered by this date than he was letting on. But Bella had said she was getting sick of him, right in front of him. Jacob hoped that he wasn't just some tool they were using while having a lover's spat or something.
"Are you…wearing….that?" Jacob asked, wondering if she wanted to change first.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked defensively. Edward had probably made her feel bad about the new look. Jacob wouldn't do that to her, he wanted to be different than Edward, in good ways.
"Nothing, nothing." Jacob answered, "I…like it."
"Yes, it IS…special." Edward looked her up and down, then put an arm around Jacob, "First, I want to talk to Jacob a sec."
Edward moved him down the hall, away from Bella and he growled, "The picture…now."
"Alright." Jacob handed Edward his house key, "I invite you into my home for tonight only, and in my room is my computer. My password to that file is gayvamp and the file name is Ed/Emmett. You can erase it yourself."
"Erase my ass, you won't have a hard drive when I'm done there." Edward informed, knowing he could have that picture in another file somewhere.
"Fine." Jacob agreed, not much was in his computer anyway, he would get a laptop for Christmas soon his father had promised him.
"Fine." Edward smiled, taking the key and watching Jacob about to walk back towards Bella but he grabbed his long hair, yanking him back near him.
"Ow, what the hell---" Jacob began to complain but Edward hissed, silencing him.
"Don't think you've won anything, Jacob." Edward's voice was deadly, "Bella is still mine and it really pisses me off that you feel you can rent her for a night like a goddamn video. Watch your hands and your…other parts. Understand?"
"Let go of me you fucking bloodsucker." Jacob growled back, just as wickedly as Edward had sounded.
"Have a good time, guys." Edward's voice suddenly went happy and fatherly, watching Emmett turn, giving him a quick glare before leaving.
Edward mentally asked Alice to keep an eye on them and without a word, she nodded and leapt up happily, making Jasper go with her out the door.
Rosalie looked up, not sure what was going on. Edward would get to her later, right now, he had a crying girl to plead to. He rushed up the stairs, two at a time, and reached his door.