Chapter 8: Running from the Truth

Rosalie sighed as she sat in the living room with her sisters. "Rosie why are you going to let a man like that slip away?" Alice asked before lifting Maggie up into her arms.

"I'm not," Rosalie, answered.

"Rose, guys like Emmett don't stay single for long," Bella commented.

"What business is it of both of yours to get into my personal life?" Rosalie asked.

"When you're going to let a man like Emmett slip through your fingers like sand," Alice replied.

Rosalie rolled her eyes as she got up, taking her daughter into her arms. "Rosalie, he practically worships the ground you walk on but you won't even give him that kind of glance," Bella insisted.

"He does not worship the ground I walk on," Rosalie muttered.

Both of her sisters started laughing. "Really? You walk in the room and the man's eyes light up," Alice answered.

"Guys, stop it seriously. I'm not getting into this," she insisted.

The two girls fell silent when their phones went off simultaneously. "It's Edward I forgot I was meeting him," Bella commented standing up.

"I was meeting with Jazz," Alice answered.

"I'll call you guys later," Rosalie, told them.

"Think about what we said Rose. Guys like Emmett don't stay around forever," Bella answered as they left.

Rosalie sighed as she looked at her daughter. "What do I do Maggie?" she asked softly. The baby let out a gurgle, kicking her feet a little. "Emmett's a good guy isn't he? You like Emmett huh?" she asked bouncing her daughter a little. "I don't know baby," she whispered.

Lying back on the couch, she had Maggie sitting on her stomach. Maggie gurgled, stuffing her little fist into her mouth. "I just need you in my life though punkin," she whispered to her baby. Maggie let out a little noise while reaching to grasp the necklace around her neck. Rosalie smiled a little, holding her daughter's hands.

Later that day, Rosalie was walking in the parking lot after doing some grocery shopping after dropping Maggie off at Sarah's house. "Rose! ROSALIE!" a voice shouted. Turning around, she looked up as Emmett ran over to her.

"Oh hey Em," she greeted.

"Are you like pissed at me or something?" he asked.

"Why?" she asked.

"I've been trying to call, I've left messages but you haven't answered or called me back," he replied.

"I've been busy."

She started pushing her shopping cart to the car. "Rosie, did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"Why do you say that?" she asked putting her bags in the car.

"How about the fact you haven't looked me in the eye since I finally caught up with you," he replied.

"Emmett, I told you, I'm busy."

"That is complete utter bullshit."

Rosalie sighed before turning to look at him. "See, I'm looking you in the face, happy?" she muttered. Emmett sighed as she turned around to put her bags in the car.

"Rosie, what did I do wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, I have to go," she answered taking out her keys.

Emmett grabbed the keys from her hands. "Emmett!" she exclaimed. He held the keys above his head so she could not snatch them from him. "How fricking mature!" she snapped as she tried to reach for the keys.

"What did I do wrong Rose?" he asked.

"Well right now you're pissing me off!" she snapped.

"Tell me what I did wrong!" he exclaimed.

"You didn't do anything wrong! I didn't move to Seattle to find a father for my child and I'm not about to have someone like you to come in my life and try to say all the right things to make me think there is kindness in this screwed up world!" she snapped.

Emmett stared at her. "What you think this is all a damn act?" he exclaimed. Rosalie glared at him.

"Fine I'm walking home," she muttered grabbing her purse.

"You think I'm just playing some sort of screwed up mind game on? You think I'm just like that son of a bitch?" he asked as he followed her.

Rosalie remained quiet as she kept walking. "Rosalie answer me!" he snapped grabbing a hold of her arm, turning around to look at him.

"Get your hands off me!" she snapped.

"Answer me! Do you think I'm going to turn evil enough that I will tell you to cut ties with your dad and your sisters? Do you think I'll turn as sadistic as he turns to rape and beat you every night and make you fear everyone and everything? Do you think I'd kill every unborn baby that's not a boy?" he asked.

Rosalie just stared at him. "Rosie why can't you just trust me?" he asked.

"Every man wants something," she answered yanking her arm away.

She ripped the keys from his hands walking to her car. "Yea I want something Rosalie!" he called to her. Rosalie let out a deep breath. "I WANT YOU!" he shouted. Tears pressed against her eyes as she got into her car and sped off. Emmett moved his fingers through his hair, punching the wall of the grocery store.

When Rosalie got back home, she felt every system in her body begin to shut down. She slowly sunk to her knees on the floor with tears in her eyes. She pressed her hand against her forehead sniffling. "What am I doing?" she asked herself.

The next day, Emmett was at the garage working on another truck that was brought in. "Ah shit!" he hissed pulling his hand back after pinching his finger.

"Yo, Em, you have company," David called walking in.

Emmett wiped the grease from his hands and went to the front, thinking it was a customer. Going up to the counter he lifted his head to see that it wasn't a customer, but Rosalie. "Oh great," he muttered.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"I think we said plenty yesterday Rose," he answered.

"No you said plenty yesterday, it's me," she told him.

Emmett sighed as he washed his hands the best he could to keep his finger from being infected. "I'm listening," he answered.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

He lifted his head to look at her. Rosalie sighed. "Okay before you start going off on me, I am not one to get all mushy and fall to the ground sobbing my eyes out like other girls," she informed.

"Is there a point to this conversation Rosalie?" he demanded.

"Yes there is so stop it," she answered.

"I'm standing here waiting for what you have to say Rosalie but you're beating around the damn bush," he told her irritably.

Rosalie closed her eyes; her heart was beating so hard she could swear the whole garage could hear it. "Emmett, to be honest I know how you feel about me before you ever told me. It was very obvious," she told him.

"Hmm glad to know I'm readable," he muttered.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she tilted her head back for a second. "Emmett you're not listening to me," she answered.

"Why? Why should I?" he asked.

"It isn't easy for me! I am never one to show my emotions except to my daughter," she answered.

They stood in silence for the longest time before she continued. "Emmett, I'm scared to death. I am scared of everything. I act like the strongest person, but I'm not I'm just…I'm just not strong at all," she told him. Her lower lip began to tremble as she lowered her head. "You are the first guy outside the family that has treated me with the utmost respect and kindness. You have taken care of me and Maggie without me asking, you have done so much and I know how much you love Maggie I see it when you look at her," she babbled.

Emmett had moved out from behind the counter and was standing in front of her. "And I know that Maggie just adores you, she's six months old and her eyes just light up when you walk in the room," she added. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"What are you afraid of Rosalie?" he asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.

Lifting her head, he could see the tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm scared that…that I'm going to wake up and this…none of this had happened. I'm scared that I'm going to wake up back in New York with Royce to my nightmare," she replied. Sniffling she let out a deep breath, Emmett took the purse from her wringing hands, holding her hands in his. "You deserve better, someone not so broken and ruined. I'm ruined I know I am, 'damaged goods' as Royce had called me a few times," she added.

"Rosalie," he said quietly lifting her chin up.

He wiped the tears away from her face with his thumb. "You are not damaged, you are not ruined, broken…if you truly feel broken let me fix you," he murmured.

"I'm not something you can just fix," she answered.

"I'm not meaning to literally fix you Rosie," he said quietly.

Emmett stroked her hair lightly before moving her into his office. Closing the door he turned and looked at her. "You don't need to be the strong one all the time," he told her.

"Yes I do, I need to be strong…for Maggie, but I feel like I'm not strong enough to fight this," she answered sniffling.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Emmett pulled her close to him. "Let me strong for you Rosie, let me be your protector," he told her quietly. Rosalie hugged him tight with tears falling down her face. "Let me be the one who keeps you safe," he whispered. He rubbed her back gently closing his eyes. "You don't need to fight this alone anymore," he added.

"I'm scared," she answered.

"I know," he murmured.

She rested her head on his chest letting out a deep breath. "I'm here Rosie, always, I'll never leave you I promise," he said quietly.

"It's not the leaving that scares me," she answered.

Emmett wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up off the floor with no problem. "I won't ever hurt you either," he murmured. He set her back down on the floor, stroking her jaw gently. "I'll take care of you and Maggie," he assured her, resting his forehead against hers. Rosalie smiled, moving her hand up his arm, for the first time in four years, she felt completely safe.