Chapter 2 lovelies :) review and I'll answer any questions you might have about my plot/characters etc.
Again, not the best writing, but it's a re-post so, forgive me :)
"Edward just called sweetheart, he wanted to know what the Biology homework was, he didn't seem to be paying much attention in class, and I just wondered if you noticed anything."
"No, nothing, he seemed fine. The Biology homework was last night mum, and it was in today, he was supposed to do the three questions on page 15, draw diagrams and annotate them correctly. It took me about an hour, so it should take him about two."
"Rose!"
~0~
"Rosie, honey, Edward has been round four times this week asking for homework, is everything OK with him?"
"He seems fine, what homework did he want?"
~0~
"Rose, Edward called..."
"Whatever."
~0~
"Rose, Edward needs to know the Chemistry..."
"Tell him to phone Mike."
~0~
"Edward needs help with..."
"I'm busy."
~0~
"Edward needs..."
"I don't care."
~0~
"Edward..."
"Don't bother."
~0~
"Edward..."
"Mum."
~0~
"Honey?" I looked up at my mum. She had tears in her eyes and was gripping the phone tightly in her hand. I suppose I had noticed it ring, but I was far too busy avoiding conversations about Edward, and doing my homework to really pay any attention to the conscious world around me.
"Yes mum?" Her tears started a fresh and I jumped up to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "What's going on? Who was that?"
"Emmett," my heart stopped, "he's at the hospital..." She hardly had the sentence out of her mouth before I grabbed her and her keys, pushed her into the front seat and instructed her to drive. She did as I asked, her hands fumbling around a little as she tried to start the car and put it into gear. Finally we were on the road and moving towards the hospital.
My mind was racing at a mile a minute as I focused on what this could mean; we could lose Emmett. My mum had looked pretty shaken up on the phone and I couldn't get this sick feeling out of my stomach, an almost dull ache, incessant and foreboding. Tears formed in my eyes as I thought of all the good times we had had together, from meeting him, up until the day he left for College...
~0~
"Bella! Will you hurry up, we'll be late!" I screamed up the stairs to my sister; I was nervous about being there. Emmett was leaving for College and we wouldn't see him for ages! He would be gone until Christmas. Finally, Bella hurtled down the stairs; I grabbed her arm and pushed her out of the door. Alice, my mum and dad were waiting for us, and we immediately set out for the house around the corner.
"Renee! Charlie! It's so good to see you! Come in, come in, Emmett is just upstairs finishing off his packing, why don't you go help him Rose? The boys are in the game room girlies, you just head on up!" Esme was positively beaming as she waved us into her house and up her stairs in almost one breath. I suppressed a giggle as I heard her excited chatter fade away. I ascended the narrow staircase remembering the first time I had met Esme; I had been so intimidated.
Emmett had turned 18 three months ago and was ecstatic that he was going to college. He had applied to about 15 different colleges and had been accepted into every one, except Seattle. That meant that he was moving further away. I couldn't figure out why I cared so much, he was blowing me off all the time. I hadn't spoken to him since that day that Edward was sitting in the front and it was starting to bug me. He finally chose to move to New York. New York of all places! Why did he have to move so far away? Oh, well, it was time to confront him.
I climbed up the many stairs until I reached Emmett's room. I smiled at Jasper when he came out of his room to 'collect' Alice. He returned the smile and wrapped his arm around Alice, dragging her into his bedroom and closing the door behind him. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward so that I was in front of Emmett's door. I raised my hand to knock and was greeted by Emmett's chest.
"Oh, hey, Rose. How are you?" He looked really nervous and I smiled sheepishly back at him.
"Um, I'm...cool, thanks for asking. How about you? Nervous?" He smiled brightly and that gave me confidence. He nodded his head and then laughed before pulling me into a tight hug. I laughed too and squeezed back, willing away the tears that threatened to appear.
"Yeah, I'm nervous Rosie, but you keep your phone on all the time right?" I shook my head and he looked disheartened. "Oh, well, never mind. You probably wouldn't want me calling you every day anyway." I released me and I felt like letting the tears spill, just so that he would hug me again.
"Emmett, I can turn my phone on if you want me to." He shook his head without looking at me and I stepped forward, wrapping my small hand around his large forearm, my fingers barely reached the softer underside of the thick limb. "Emmett..." He snapped his head up and looked me in the eyes. Slowly, he reached his hand up and I let mine drop. He stroked my cheek affectionately and smiled sadly, running the back of his hand over the soft skin.
"Rosie, you know I'm gonna miss you the most don't you?" I shook my head and looked at the floor, causing his hand to fall from my face. I immediately regretted the action as I felt the cold air seeping into the previously warm flesh. "Well, I am, and I'm sorry I've been blowing you off, but I just-" He stopped abruptly and I looked up at him with confusion plastered onto my face.
"What? You just what?" He shook his head and ducked back into his bedroom. I followed him and closed the door behind me. "Seriously, Emmett, what?" He shuffled his feet and peered at me from underneath his long eyelashes. "Emmett?" My voice faded, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I looked at him.
"I'm sorry Rosie." Then he launched himself at me. I was shocked for all of five seconds before I started kissing back. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer while I stood on the tips of my toes to secure my arms around his neck. I twisted my neck, not entirely sure of what to do, but he lead me, running his tongue along my bottom lip. I sighed at the contact and he took advantage of that, sticking his tongue in my mouth, but not in an unpleasant way.
I found some new strength inside me somewhere and managed to nudge his leg backwards so that he fell onto his bed, pulling me down with him. He ran his hand down my back and up my shirt. I shivered at the cool touch of his fingers on my burning skin. He ran his fingers up and down, just lightly grazing my back in a way that would usually have me giggling like mad. I felt grounded, but somehow lifted now; like nothing could go wrong.
Of course, it did.
Emmett ran his fingers up my back once more and hooked his finger under the clasp of my bra. I froze.
"Oh, God, Rosie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Forgive me?" I nodded dumbly, pulling myself away from him. I straightened my top and did up my jacket. "Rose?" I looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes. I opened my mouth to say something when the door opened and Jasper stumbled in followed by a giggling Alice tripping over the rug.
"Oopsie Daisy Jazzy Pie, looks like we walked in on something here!" Oopsie Daisy? Jazzy Pie? Alice tripping?
"Alice Swan! Have you been drinking?" Alice giggled and shook her head at me, her eyes dancing with mischief. Emmett stepped forward and pushed me out of the way, walking into Jasper's room.
"JASPER CARLISLE CULLEN!" Emmett's voice was like thunder as he walked out of Jasper's room holding a smoking cigarette that was definitely not a cigarette and a small packet of a very illegal substance that looked like dried rosemary.
"Alice?" I whispered and she turned on me, anger burning on her face, her eyes wild with a fury that terrifies me to this day.
"What? You think I don't know what I was doing? Do you think he tricked me? Jasper, trick, me?" She laughed manically and I felt something break inside my heart. "You are a selfish bitch you know Rosalie? You are a selfish bitch who doesn't deserve to be my sister! Yep, that's right, I said it; you don't deserve me! You don't deserve Jasper, or Emmett, or Edward either! They are all better than you, and Bella doesn't like you either, she hates you really, she just is too nice to see you get hurt, and you know what Rosalie? I HATE YOU TOO!"
Tears pricked at my eyes and spilled over the edge silently at her nonsensical words as I pushed past her and into Jasper's room. Emmett followed me and together we ripped the room to shreds. I tried to ignore the smell of sex and the used condoms on the floor and my sister's underwear lying forgotten on Jasper's bed.
We pulled out draws and clothes from the wardrobes, searching every pocket and every little box. In total, we found three little Ziploc bags full of the drug and two rolls of cigarette papers. I knelt down and peered under the bed.
"Rose? Rose, what's wrong? What have you found?" I realised that I had been shaking, with anger, shock and pain. There, lying on the floor, underneath Jasper's bed, lay two used needles...
"Rose? Rose?" I looked at my mum and saw her looking worriedly at me. I looked out of the windscreen and it took me a few seconds to register the sight of the hospital in front of me. "We're here... Rose! Come back!" I had jumped out of the car and I ran. I kept running, running away from my mother, into the hospital, towards Emmett...
EMMETT?!
"Rose, are you OK?" he looked defeated, almost as if he thought I was running away from him. I skidded to a halt and ran back to him, throwing my arms around his huge waist.
"You're OK, you're OK!" I almost yelled, earning myself disapproving glares from other patients and nurses. "Oh, God, Emmett, when mum said you were at the hospital, I thought the worst, I thought I'd lost you, Emmett!" He disentangled himself from me and frowned down at me.
"You mean, you thought it was me?" I nodded, confused; if it wasn't him, then who the hell was it? "Rose, do you know who's in here? Rose?" I was shaking my head. No, it couldn't have been him. It wasn't allowed! No, I refused to believe it.
Emmett grabbed my arms and pulled me to his chest, sighing. I was aware of the hospital shaking, and strange ripping noises coming from somewhere close. I didn't figure out that it was me until much later. I just stood there, Emmett's arms around me, rocking me back and forth as I wept for the person lying on the operating table.
Edward...
~0~
"No change, we're still waiting for the surgeons to finish with him..."
~0~
"He's in critical condition..."
~0~
"We don't know much, but there is a great chance that he won't survive..."
~0~
"Does your daughter need something Mrs Swan? She looks a bit pale..."
~0~
"Um, sir, madam, your son is asking for you." My head shot up from looking at my hands. They were intertwined with Emmett's. His grip tightened as I tried to stand up. "He wants no one else Miss, sorry." I nodded my head and felt my face heat up from embarrassment.
"It's OK Rosie; we'll get to see him soon." I shook my head. "Yes, we will, he's sure to want you to come and see him."
"No, Emmett, he won't want to see me, he hates me!" My tears started again and I heard voices surrounding me as Emmett picked me up as though I was weightless.
He was taking me home...
~0~
"No, Emmett, take me back!" I struggled against his hold as he held me down in my seat. "Let me GO!" He looked me in the eyes and I shrank away from the anger and pain I saw there.
"I am not letting you go anywhere Rose, you need to calm down. Edward doesn't hate you and he probably does want to see you, but I am only taking you back if you calm down." I nodded, shocked at the force behind Emmett's words.
"But, Emmett, you don't understand..." I began nervously, watching as his hands twisted on the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the stretching of his skin. "You don't know what he did to me, Emmett, he does hate me. He really does." The tears started to flow again and Emmett looked at me in anguish.
"I do know Rosie. I was there baby." I was so confused by his words that I didn't even notice that he called me baby, not until it was too late anyway.
"What do you mean, 'you know'? How were you there? You can't have been!" I stared at him and he gazed right back into my eyes.
"'No! No, no, no, no, no! That's what you said! You said no! And I hated you for it; I still do. And even though I always knew that you were too good for me, it still hurt. You know why? Because I love you Edward Cullen, I love you and there's not a thing you can do about it!' That's what you said, and it really hurt Rose, really." His voice was monotone and unfeeling as he looked dead straight into my eyes. He looked in so much pain, but all I could do was sit there and be shocked that he heard our conversation.
"Em..." I shifted forward and tried to touch his arm but he pulled it away and started the car again.
"I'm taking you back to the hospital, then I'm going back home to pack." I stared at him in confusion as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. He pulled the car out of the lay-by and started driving.
"Where are you going?"
"Away. Back to College, I don't know. Somewhere far away from this God forsaken hell hole!" He slammed his fists down onto the steering wheel and a single tear dropped from my face as I recognised what I had done.
"Bye Emmett." I whispered quietly, but his gaze stayed on the road, never wavering. "I love you, Em." It didn't feel right to say 'Big Bro' at this moment; it seemed too jovial and unsuitable. I didn't realise until many years later that it never felt quite right calling him my brother, but part of me did recognise at that moment that I would never do it again...
~0~
I was silent for hours. Just sitting still in the waiting room, wishing that someone would tell me that I could go and see Edward or that Emmett would come waltzing in with a huge smile and some pink roses for Edward. I stared at the ground and listened to people move and talk around me, but not taking any notice of the words they were saying.
Everything was muted in my head and blood rushed through my ears as I thought about the terrible effects that both occurrences would have on our families. Esme was not yet aware of Emmett leaving, and she would be devastated when she walked back into the house and found it empty; nothing but a note left of Emmett.
"Miss Swan?" My head shot up and I looked at the nurse standing in front of me. "Mr Cullen would like to see you. You are Rosalie, correct?" I nodded dumbly and followed her into the cold white room where Edward lay; tubes flowing conspicuously from every patch of skin on his body.
"Rose?" His voice cracked and my heart just about broke at the sight of him, lying there, helpless and in pain. "You came?" I nodded, mute from shock and nervousness. He half-smiled at me and then grimaced from the pain. I winced as he shifted awkwardly and groaned from the agony coursing through his body.
I coughed, trying to find the right words to say to him. His face fell as he realised that I would stay silent and he coughed as well, trying to force himself into an upright position. He cried out and I leapt forward.
"Be careful! Idiot, you got yourself hit by a car or something and now you're trying to move! What are you? Crazy?" He smiled triumphantly and I realised that he was trying to make me talk. "Oh you stupid, stupid boy! I would have spoken eventually; it's kind of awkward you know, seeing as you have been blatantly ignoring me for an age-"
"Rose."
"-And the last time we did speak you walked away from me, and don't think I don't know what you said to my sister, why would you answer a question like that?-"
"Rosie."
"-I was perfectly happy pretending, and quite honestly, I haven't spoken to Alice for a while either, but seriously, don't you think it's obvious that I would find out if you told her? Really? And, just so you know, my cousins were there as well, and-"
"Rosie!"
"-they saw the whole thing! It was really very insensitive of you-"
"ROSALIE!" I stood there breathing heavily and I looked at Edward who had a look of pain on his face.
"Oh God, do you need more medication? Should I call for the nurse? Really, do you need anything? I can get you something if you need it-"
"Rosalie! I'm fine, but, can you stop saying all that stuff about me hurting you? I feel bad enough about it all without you telling me how much pain you were in." I was completely shocked by his words and stood still, processing what he had said. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" I stared at him in disbelief; eyes wide, mouth hanging as if on loose hinges. "If you weren't in pain right now I would hit you so hard! You're sorry?" My voice rose in pitch as I became hysterical. "You basically left me Edward, you hurt me, and it pisses me off! Why would you do that? Just because you wanted to be cool, and couldn't because of me? What the hell?"
He just looked at me.
"Say something dammit!" He remained still and silent. His breathing was soft and his eyes were misty. "God dammit, Edward, I don't need this! You have no idea what you have done! You hurt Emmett, because you hurt me, and Alice and Jasper are in some serious trouble right now, and you are being so selfish! How can you not see the consequences of your actions? Or do you see them and just decide to ignore them?" I looked at him expectantly; hand on my hip, eyebrow cocked inquisitively.
"I'm so-"
"So help me God! If you try to say, 'I'm sorry' one more goddamn time, I am going to rip you head off! I don't care if you were in an accident, whatever; I will rip your head off your Godforsaken shoulders and throw it at you repeatedly!" I looked at him angrily, arms crossed furiously over my chest, eyebrows pointing towards each other as my eyes pierced his with an icy glare.
"I-" he stopped himself as my steady gaze weakened his own. "I never meant to hurt anyone, and I really am sorry, oh shut it! I have to apologise, or you will never know how sorry I really am. I need you to believe me Rosie, Rose, sorry." I felt the tears prick at my eyes, but even when my eyes misted over completely with tears I never broke my gaze with him.
Not until the door slammed against the wall did I look away from him. I felt a pull from behind me and looked over my shoulder to find Emmet standing there, glaring at Edward like he wanted to kill him.
"You were running from the cops because they busted you for drugs?" Emmett demanded of him. I gasped and felt the strange tugging coming from behind my navel, pulling me backwards, working with the simultaneous push I was feeling from Edward's side of the room at this revelation. I complied and was met with Emmett's chest. "Rosie, I suggest you go and wait outside for me, I'm taking you home when I've finished with him." His arms had wrapped around my waist instinctively pulling me from 'harm's way' even though he was still looking at Edward over my head. I twisted in his grip, allowing myself to see his face, and gripped his sides worriedly.
Edward flinched when Emmett called me Rosie, but I simply smiled at the endearment and ignored Edward's discomfort. He decided to ignore me, so I was ignoring him. If only I could have kept it up.
"No! Emmett, you were going to leave, and I don't want you getting in trouble for hurting him. Just calm down, come outside and talk with me about what happened, and then, if I feel that it's necessary, we'll both come back in here and yell at him together, OK?" Emmett looked down at me and the hard expression on his face softened just slightly. "Please?" His resolve weakened and he smiled at me, leaning down and pushing his face into my hair.
"Alright, let's go." He looked away from me and his expression hardened as he glared at Edward. To him, he said, "You and I are gonna have a serious talk, bud." Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me outside of the hospital room. I followed easily, gripping his forearms tightly, as if he would disappear at any moment.
When we were outside the room, I waited until the door was fully closed before I launched myself at him and hugged him tightly. He laughed as I ran my hands over his back and arms, and grabbed my hands to keep me still. He leant down and pecked me lightly on the lips. I giggled, blushing furiously and looked at the ground. He cocked a finger underneath my chin and directed my face up so that he could look me in the eyes.
"Rose?" I nodded meekly, feeling my eyes well up with tears at the desperation I felt at being torn between Emmett and Edward. I couldn't see what the right way was. I couldn't see which boy to go with. I loved them both, so much, and it hurt me to see them separated. "Look, if you would rather I just left and you not know what was going on, I can do that, but I really think that it's something you should know."
"No, don't go, I just, today has been a little overwhelming, you know?" I looked at him properly, seeing for the first time that day, although they had been there often, the tears that clung to his lashes and the slight gleam in his eye as he looked at me. He nodded and then his small smile got even smaller.
"I do know, and I'm sorry, because I figure that part of the problem has been me, but you really need to hear this." I nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Right, you are not going to like this one bit. Right, do you even know what happened with Edward today?" I shook my head in the negative and he sighed, running a hand through his hair; a Cullen family trait that I had grown to love over the years of knowing them.
"Just say it Em." He nodded his head and glanced at me, then back at the ground to his feet, that were, apparently, incredibly interesting right at this moment in time.
"Right, well, Edward was hit by police car." He wrinkled his nose in obvious distaste. "But, there was a reason for it. You see, Edward was running from the cops, and they thought that the best way to get him was to scare him, so they tried to nearly run him over, but as you can see, that didn't work out so well.
"Edward did stop, because he thought that there was no way they would give up, and it would just get back to mum and dad when he eventually got caught. But the police didn't figure that he would be that, moral I guess is the word, so they went ahead with the plan and he ended up here.
"But, the reason Edward was running from the feds is, well, he was busted at a supermarket for carrying drugs, lots of 'em too, there was maybe, 30 grams of coke there, and some other, stronger stuff." Emmett looked at me sheepishly, twisting his fingers together and pushing his hands down in front of him, flexing his muscles like a small boy who has just been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
"Sonovabitch!" I jerked away from Emmett and slammed back through the doors to Edward's room. "What the hell?" I confronted him angrily, tears welling up in my eyes. Thoughts of my earlier revelations about Jasper and Alice flooded my head. I was 16! 16 and already, my younger sister and best friend's brother were in rehab, had been for almost two years, and now my best friend was busted for drugs as well, my youngest sister was starting to pull away from me and the only person I had left lived 2879 miles away from me!
"Rose, look, I was trying to, dammit, Emmett, why couldn't you have just fucked off back to New York like you said you would, you have just monumentally fucked my life up! Thanks man, why don't you go and tell mum and dad while you're at it?" Edward exploded, leaning forward in his bed, face turning puce from the effort and lack of breath. I felt the rage boiling in my veins as I turned on my heal and stalked back out of the doors, letting them swing behind me as I unconsciously followed my brain to the waiting room.
"Esme, do you even know why Edward is in here?" She looked at me startled and my dad looked at me disapprovingly, shaking his head, but I ignored him, choosing instead to look at Carlisle, raising my eyebrow in question.
"Yes dear," Esme sighed exasperatedly, evidentially displeased with my exclamation. "He was hit by a police car." At this she looked accusingly at my father and the anger bubbled a little more, threatening to break the surface.
"I am so sorry about that Esme, I don't know how that happened, just know, please, that whoever is responsible will be thoroughly dealt with." The flame of fury shot about ten feet in the air and I exploded.
"Stop!" Everyone looked at me in confusion. "Stop apologising, stop lying; stop believing a lie! He is lying to you, all of you, that is not what happened, or not all of it in any case!" I was breathing heavily and Emmett rounded the corner, a murderous look in his eyes. He wrapped me in his arms and spoke to the others in the room.
"He has been lying to all of you, really, the police car thing was an accident, they were trying to get him to stop because he was running from them. He had drugs mum, lots of drugs, he was busted for them at a supermarket for attempted dealing. You have to believe me mum, please." I was aware of Esme crying and I stepped nearer to her, out of Emmett's arms, but she shrunk away from me.
"No, no, it's not true, you, you corrupted all of my children!" Esme's words were slurred through her tears as she pointed accusingly at me. "First Jasper with the drugs, now Emmett with the lies, and Edward, he has been so forlorn, it's all your fault, stay away from me, you bitch!" I shrunk back, tears gathering in my eyes and I attempted to defend myself, but both Emmett and my mother stepped in for me.
"Now you hold on a minute there Esme, I don't think it's fair that you are accusing my daughter of this, Edward being forlorn is Edward's problem. You know full well that Rosalie has liked Edward for a very long time, and he has brought this on himself by turning her away. Jasper and Alice also admitted to have been doing drugs before hand, and Rose has never been anywhere near any illegal substances. They searched both houses profusely and you yourself suggested that we all do drug tests, which of course, as you know, all came back negative, so I do not like you making these assumptions." My mother's eyes were fierce as she glared at Esme. Both fathers were looking disbelievingly at Emmett and myself.
"Do you know what I think, Renee? I think that you are just trying to cover up the conniving ways of your bitch of a daughter! I think that you are a bitch yourself, and that you have raised the three of them to be cruel to my boys, my boys who have done nothing wrong." Esme began rocking backwards and forwards in her seat, her arms hugging her chest tightly. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her and tried to soothe her, but nothing would work. I fought my way out of Emmett's constraining arms and walked towards her, Carlisle looked at me sternly, silently warning me to back off, but I didn't. I raised my arm, and before anyone could stop me, I brought my hand down firmly against her face, listening as the satisfying slap of skin on skin contact rang through the quiet room.
"Rosalie!" Three people shouted in unison, but I stayed looking at Esme, waiting for her to react.
It was silent.
~0~
Carlisle and my dad managed to get Edward off the hook about the drugs, and Emmett left for New York the morning after Edward got out of hospital. Jasper and Alice were still in rehab on some Spanish island somewhere, and Bella was still pulling away from me, claiming that she had more important things in life to deal with than some emotional, depressed older sister.
Esme and I came to terms again once Edward was out of the hospital, but we never really got on the way we used to. The true feelings that came out during that one encounter hung between us, blocking the way to reconciliation.
I was officially alone.
And that's how I met Royce.
He was sweet, calming and comforting when I needed softness and a gentle hand. He was firm and tough when I over stepped boundaries. He was a great laugh when I needed it and an excellent shoulder to cry on. In short, he was everything I thought I needed. He always seemed to have the upper hand in our relationship, but that didn't matter to me, because I was content to be told and not to tell.
But he soon started to get antsy, if you know what I mean, and I didn't like it. I didn't expect him to go as far as he did, but then, I didn't expect anything from him or anyone else for that matter. He was always unpredictable and never liked having something taken from him, or given to him without him making an effort. He was the work a lot, play a lot kind of guy. That one who is never quite joking and never quite serious, to the extent that you just say yes dear and hope that he doesn't bite your head off.
But that day was the day that Emmett was coming back from New York for a week, and even though I was sure he wouldn't want to see me, let alone talk to me, I was still excited, and nervous, for his return. Royce didn't like it. I was becoming far to outspoken for his liking and he decided that he would try and snap me out of it.
~0~
"Royce, will you get your damn feet off the coffee table, for the last goddamn time, I don't want any marks on there!" He grumbled a little and grudgingly placed his feet on the floor. I rewarded him, albeit a little condescendingly, with a peck on the top of his head. He grabbed my waist and pulled me on top of him, attacking my mouth with his.
My dad coughed from the doorway and I pulled away, embarrassedly standing and shaking out the red top that I always wore when Emmett came home. It was a new top this time, with pleats along the straps gathering the material around the neckline with bits of the same fabric hanging down from a bow over my left breast. The top was tight around my hips, but ballooned from the gathers in the copious amounts of fabric creating a bubble effect. The long dark jeans I wore were new as well and they went well with the bright red slip-ons that adorned my feet. I smiled as I thought about my reason for wearing red whenever Emmett came home.
~0~
It was during one of our many phone conversations that were held late at night when he first went away. I had been asking about the campus when Emmett suddenly blurted out,
"I like you in red." I was startled silent by his sudden statement and he hastily apologised before I shut him up.
"Emmett, really it's fine that you said that. I was just wondering why you said it at this moment in time, that's all." I heard nothing on the other end of the phone except heavy breathing. I giggled a little as I heard the shaper intake of breath and waited patiently for him to continue.
"Umm, well, mum gave me that photo of you before you went to that disco when you were in eighth grade, the one with you in that red halter top and the jeans - " His voice cut off with a slight squeak as I burst into hysterics, that had been the worst night of my life! So far...
~0~
"Rosalie!" Royce was yelling at me as I giggled uncontrollably on the sofa. "Ok, stop it now please." His voice was firm and I recognised a slight anger that I had detected previously that I didn't like. I was quiet immediately and tried to brush the hair from my face a little, making me look more presentable.
There was really no point.
The moment I heard the gravel crunch in our driveway, I shot up from my seat next to Royce and squealed, running excitedly to the door, yanking it open and running to the huge red Jeep filling our courtyard.
"EMMETT!" I pulled open his car door, almost taking his arm off with it and dragged him out of the car and into a hug.
"Oh my God! A bear!" I pulled away indignantly and frowned playfully at him. He smiled sheepishly and I rolled my eyes indulgently, allowing him to kiss my head quickly, before I felt myself swiftly removed from his arms.
"OW! Royce, that hurt, I'm going to have Chinese burns now, thanks a lot." He was squeezing the tops of my arms tightly, pulling the skin taut. "Ow, Royce let go." I began to struggle against him, making his hands constrict further. Tears were beading in my eyes and then he was suddenly gone and I was behind Emmett looking at Royce's legs where he was lying on the ground.
"She told you to let her go." Emmett was clearly angry and was towering over Royce, even when he managed to pull himself back up to stand firm, reaching a hand out for me, Emmett still managed to clear at least half a foot, if not more.
"Well, if you hadn't been about to plant one on my girlfriend, I wouldn't have had to hold on so tight to protect her from you now would I?" The thought of anyone having to protect me from Emmett was preposterous and I showed what I thought clearly with a sharp, uncontrollable snort.
That was a mistake.
Royce's eyes darkened and he turned on me. Pushing past Emmett, he grabbed my arms and shoved me into the side of the Jeep behind me. I turned my head as he pushed through my personal space bubble and invaded my comfort zone.
"You think that's funny? That I had to stop this guy from molesting you? Maybe you like to be molested, huh? Do you? No? Oh, well then maybe you are having an affair, does that seem like a fair assumption to you? No? Well, I think it does, and if you were having an affair, I would have to punish you, so why don't you just sit there like a good girl, and I shall do what I think is best for you!"
He brought his hand back as if to slap me, or punch me, but he looked confused when his hand wouldn't fall again. Emmett had grabbed his hand and wrenched it behind his back in one sickeningly quick movement that made Royce's joints crack.
Emmett punched Royce in the gut and let him fall to the ground, stunned. He walked cautiously over to me and only when I cried out with one painful sob did he lunge forwards and wrap his arms around me comfortingly.
We sat there and rocked backwards and forwards while Emmett made shushing noises. At one point he did leave me to tell Royce to clear off, but I heard nothing of their confrontation and continued to hear nothing until Emmett had his arms wrapped around me again, cooing softly into my ear...
~0~
Emmett returned to college three days later and I didn't see him again until he met me in New York outside my brand new apartment. I finished High School a year later at 18 and immediately started packing for New York. I had accepted the place they had offered me as soon as I received the letter. I would be undertaking a Psychology degree to eventually go on and do my doctorate. Or so I thought when I started out.
Everything was fine, perfect actually. Emmett and I got on brilliantly and worked well together as a team. We had movie nights every Friday and I was beginning to fall in love with him. Then I went home for the holidays with Emmett. I was sincerely hoping that when he was in his home environment, although he was a senior in college, that he would feel comfortable enough to ask me out. But Edward got to me first.
I literally bumped into him one night. He was walking home drunk from a party at some friend's house. He of course, Mr. I'm so smart, I can go to Ivy League, went to Harvard, then decided that he didn't like it, so transferred to Dartmouth. Anyway, I walked into him and decided to help him home, expecting fully to just put him to bed and leave. I knew that Carlisle and Esme were out because I saw them leave myself.
I helped him back to his house and up the three flights of stairs that led to his bedroom. I put him on the bed and he pulled me down with him, planting a huge, wet kiss on my lips. I recoiled immediately, feeling that old attraction bubbling to the surface again but desperately trying to push it back down.
I helped him lie down and walked over to the window when I heard voices outside, thinking that Carlisle and Esme were home. How wrong I was and how much I wished that I had stayed put, or just left. But I didn't.
I looked down and saw Emmett grab a girl by the buttocks and begin making out with her on his front lawn. I stayed there for all of five seconds before I turned around and leapt on Edward, causing him to wrap his arms around me and begin kissing the life out of my lips.
I tried to focus on Edward clumsily removing my clothes and running his hands down my body, but all I could think about was Emmett with that other girl, and I thanked God the most sincerely I had in my life that Edward left the light off so that he couldn't see the silent tears running down my face...
~0~
I woke up early in the morning and immediately regretted what I had done. Edward didn't love me, never had and never will, so I was battling with myself, trying to figure out why I had felt compelled to sleep with him. I heard Edward move next to me, turning over to face me. I looked down and saw that he was awake, and utterly confused.
"Rose? What the hell are you doing here? And why are you naked? Oh God, we didn't?" I looked at him incredulously. Shaking my head, I decided to dignify him with an answer.
"No, pig, I am just so obsessed with you that I climbed through your window, which by the way is four stories up, undressed myself and got into bed with you! Oh wait, I forgot the part when I took your clothes off too!" I scowled at him and ripped the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around myself. He still didn't understand! He was looking at me with a look of disbelief on his face and I felt my poorly mended heart tugging at the threads just barely holding it together. "Yes, moron, we slept together, you were drunk though, so you won't have to think about how disgusting it was for you."
He reached out his hand, pain showing on his face and I scoffed. His face fell slightly and he pulled his hand away again.
"Yeah, I guess, that wouldn't be exactly appropriate, would it?" I shook my head, unable to bring the right words into my head let alone out of my mouth. "So, umm, did you, like, want a shower or something...?" He trailed off as his eyes met my infuriated glare.
"No, I would not like a shower. I want to go home, I want to erase everything that happened last night Edward! I gave you my virginity, I gave you my...everything, and you don't remember a single second of it! I have given you my heart time and time again, and every time, you throw it back in my face like it means nothing! Do you have no feelings?" I screamed at him as the tears began running down my face. I quickly pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt that could have been his or mine, I really couldn't care less.
"Edward? Edward, what's going on?" I heard Esme call up the stairs to her son. I wiped my eyes and yanked the door open, almost running into her and Carlisle on my way down the stairs. "Rose? What are you doing here?" I ignored her, dashing through the house that I knew so well. I ran to the front door and pulled it open, not even noticing when the cold winter air hit my face. I fled from the house that I had occupied frequently as a younger girl and didn't stop until I reached my house. It seemed like forever that I was running away from that house, from the person that I thought I loved.
I raced down the street, ignoring the startled looks of people walking by. When I reached my house I saw my dad standing outside, looking around frantically for something. Alice and Bella were standing behind him and my mum's car was gone. I saw tears running down Bella's face as Alice held her in her arms and my heart broke a little more, if that were even possible. A sob broke itself free of my chest as I ran forward into the little driveway in front of our house and straight for the arms of my ever-loving father.
"Don't you ever, ever do that to me again Rosalie! I was worried sick about you; your mother has been out looking for you all morning; and your sisters have been up all night apparently." He pulled me into his arms and I cried a bit more, waiting for the sobs that wracked from my chest to subside. My dad held me the whole time, his hands stroking my hair and the hands of my sisters grabbing at my arms as they clung to me as well. We broke apart as we heard the sound of a car pulling up. My mum climbed anxiously out of the car and walked towards us, twisting her hands together as she did so. It was obvious that she had been crying, her eyes were puffy and red, and there were tell-tale tear tracks marking her flushed face. Then she saw me.
She froze where she was and I held my breath, waiting for the onslaught that would inevitably reach my ears soon. However, the reaction I received was quite the opposite.
"Baby," My mum breathed before running to me and throwing her arms around me. The tears started up again as her hands patted every surface that she could find, trying to make sure that I was real. I winced when she touched my hips. She stepped back, frowning at me. I blushed under her gaze and her mouth opened slowly. She narrowed her eyes and her hands twitched at her sides.
I paled as I saw two figures walk around the corner. Two figures that I did not particularly want to see. Edward and Esme came into full light and I noticed for the first time the dark circles adorning the pale skin under Edward's eyes, and the way his cheeks seemed slightly hollow, sunken in. Bile rose in my throat as I saw him standing there, shame and pain surfacing again at the expression on his face. He wore a look of pure contempt.
My mum reached out her hands surreptitiously and pulled the hem of the t-shirt up sharply, revealing dark purple, distinctly hand-shaped, bruises. She gasped at what she saw and swayed on the spot. My dad darted forward to catch her and she turned towards the small flower bed in our garden, throwing up yellow bile. I reached my hand out towards her and rubbed her back gently as she coughed a few times.
I grimaced as I realised that she was remembering the last time she saw bruises like that on my skin. Royce. I couldn't keep my eyes on my mother as she heaved into the roses that she spent so long pruning.
"Bella, go and fetch your mum a drink." Dad spoke sharply, looking at me questioningly. I looked at the ground, unable to stand the steady gaze that he kept on me. Silently I pulled up the corner of the t-shirt to let him see the bruises. I noticed that his hands clenched by his sides as I looked up at him cautiously from under my eyelashes.
"My God, Charlie, is she OK?" Esme's voice came floating through the silence that dominated our little, broken world. I looked at her and she furrowed her brow, but then returned her attention to my mum, who was now standing up and sipping slowly from the glass of water that Bella had brought outside.
"Yes, Esme, I'm fine, thank you for asking. Thank you Bella." My mum turned to look at me and I gulped loudly. Esme turned to look at me again and her gaze immediately fell to my hips where I was still holding up Edward's t-shirt.
"My God! Edward, what did you do to that girl?" Esme shrieked, turning to her son incredulously. My dad whipped around to face me and my mum swayed again. Bella and Alice looked down at the ground as I gulped again.
"Rose? What does she mean? Does she know where you were last night? Were you with Edward?" My mother looked at me sadly and I grimaced at the pained expression on her face.
I nodded slowly, my head falling so that I was looking down at my feet in shame.
"Rose, were you with Edward ALL night?" My father's face was like thunder as my mother's voice grated through her teeth and down my spine. I nodded again and my dad pushed a breath of air through his lips in anger, at me or Edward, I wasn't sure; until his gaze rested furiously on Edward that is. "Did you sleep at Edward's house Rosalie?" The stress she placed on the word sleep made it very clear that she knew exactly what we had been doing and that she didn't approve of it in the least. I looked at Edward accusingly, tears sliding down my face angrily. He looked away, at least having the decency to look ashamed at himself.
I shook my head very slowly.
I mentally braced myself for the onslaught that would come from three people all at once, but I was interrupted by a very loud, very off key singer turning the corner drunkenly. My head snapped up as I somehow recognised the voice.
"Emmett." I breathed softly and ran over to him just as he stumbled and fell to the ground.
He shrunk from my touch and I was startled momentarily before trying to assist him again, but this time he forcibly pushed me away, and the next words out of his mouth have haunted me and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.
"Get away from me you slut!" The derogatory term slid from his mouth in a slurred rendition of Emmett's beautifully deep voice.
"What?" The word had barely left my mouth when he began yelling at me causing me to feel about ten times smaller and about ten times more stupid.
"'What? What?' Afraid that your little boyfriend might hear and not like you anymore? As if banging the guy isn't enough, the only head he can think with is the one in his pants, and you would know all about that head wouldn't you, angel?" He growled out the last word, and I felt fresh tears dripping down my face in shame.
"Oh, don't cry baby, Edward will make you feel better!" He roared the last part at me and I was about to run away when he began speaking again, and what he said made me more mad than anything he had ever said to me before, anything anyone had ever said to me before. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you had been banging him all along, just like the whore that you are. Every phone conversation we had, I bet he was there, smug as ever, little prick, licking your neck, sucking your earlobes-"
"Listen here prick, you are the one who has been going on with this Maria chick behind my back. I thought you liked me Emmett? I thought that you wanted to be with me, and that is why I tried to fight my feelings for Edward so hard! Because I love you! Imagine what it felt like, little me who has been there for you from the very beginning, seeing you make out with some bitch right in front of me! You really are a man-whore aren't you? Sonovabitch! I was helping Edward into bed while he was drunk. He made a move on me, not the other way around, and I was about to leave and then I saw grab this chicks but, right outside Edward's window, and I decided, 'To hell with it' and I turned around and went against everything I ever thought was right. I hope you're happy with yourself Emmett, you have completely ruined any chance you may have had with me!"
I turned and I ran, brushing off the comforting hands that tried to stop me and ran straight for my room, slamming the door and throwing myself on the bed, sobs wracking my body as I thought of the two best friends that I had lost in one day...
I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) see you next week..
GeorgieMarie95 xxx