A/N- so, it's been awhile... and this is a short chapter... sorry i suck. i've been hecka busy and has some wicked writer's block. next chapter is underway, hope you enjoy this one.

EDWARD

Pulling the door open, I was immediately disappointed. Really, I knew that it wouldn't be her, couldn't be her, but once the idea had crossed my mind I couldn't help but hope. I tried to hide the disappointment in my eyes, but I'm pretty sure Alice had caught a glimpse of it. I stepped aside to let her through, and was confused when Rosalie stepped into view and followed her in.

Fuck. I shut the door, turning I found both girls perched on the edge of my still unmade bed. Instead of yelling at them to get off before they diluted my memories of Bella lying there, I crossed the room and flopped onto a chair.

"So?" I asked, in a defeated tone.

Rosalie snorted out a humorless laugh as she folded her arms across her chest.

Alice shot a sharp look at Rosalie, before rolling her eyes and springing up from the bed. "So?" she screeched. "So? That's all you have to say?"

I stared at her in shock, unsure of how to respond.

"Edward, what the hell happened last night?"

"He took advantage of her, duh." Rosalie's voice was flat.

"What? I… no… that's not what happened." I stammered out my defense. Obviously it wasn't a very good defense, lucky I wasn't planning on being a lawyer.

"Oh, sorry. That's usually the conclusion I come to when my friend comes home after spending the night with a random guy and waking up in his bed, when she was obviously drunk." Rosalie's eyebrow was arched as she eyed me, bitterness in her glare. Suddenly her face softened and guilt washed over her features, she shot her eyes down to her lap, a soft sigh escaping her. "I can't believe I let her leave." I could barely hear the words as she spoke.

Alice dove to Rosalie's side, pulling her into a hug. "It's OK, Rose. "

Hushed words were passed between the two girls, while I sat awkwardly on the chair, not sure if I should be trying to listen in or not.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Rosalie hissed, her voice rising.

I couldn't take it anymore. "I love her!" I shouted, jumping up from the chair. "I've always loved her. Only her. I fucked up, I know it, but I would do anything, anything to make it right again. All I wanted last night, was to tell her that."

Rosalie scoffed, "Yeah, that's all you wanted."

"Rose," Alice breathed out sharply, effectively quieting her before turning to me. "Edward, what happened last night?" Alice asked softly, her arm still wrapped around Rosalie.

Swallowing thickly, my eyes ran over the faces of both girls, knowing that my response wouldn't be enough to appease them. "I honestly don't know." Shaking my head slightly, I cast my eyes down to the floor. "I don't really remember much. We were both really drunk."

"And you had sex with her." Rosalie shouted in accusation.

My forefinger ran a path between my eyebrows to the bridge of my nose several times, before I brought my palm down my face. Though she hadn't asked a question, I nodded at Rosalie. "I'm pretty sure we did."

Damn her, I didn't want to be ashamed or feel badly about having sex with Bella. I wanted to be screaming from the roof tops, hiring a fucking sky writer. I should be fucking overjoyed.

Should be; but, even without Rosalie's guilt inspiring looks- I wouldn't. I still would have felt shitty about my drunken one night stand, even if it if it weren't Bella I slept with last night. The fact that it was Bella, my Bella, made it twenty times worse. My stomach was still unsettled, the withering looks from Rosalie and disappointed ones from Alice weren't helping. The worst part was the folded piece of paper in my back pocket, the words on the paper had both sent my heart soaring and plunged it deep into the pit of my stomach many times.

"What do you remember?" Alice asked, her voice still low, like we were kids sharing secrets, and I guess we were.

"Start when you got in the fucking cab with her," Rosalie blurted out, still unable to contain her ire with me. Really, I couldn't blame her.

So I told them all I could remember, which wasn't much. A bit of discussion in the cab, a stop at liquor store, we sat on the curb together. There was still little memory of what was said, just the tone of her voice and her laughter; it all felt like a dream, it was completely surreal. Then, of course I told them about waking up the in the morning, reality crushing down. Rosalie's mouth was set in a thin line as I finished, while Alice looked as though she were barely listening, her eyes were foggy and far away.

"She told me she didn't want to love me, which means she still loves me." I attempted to rationalize, spewing word vomit waiting for one of them to react. "I just had to make sure she knew that I meant it. That I was serious at Christmas."

That did it.

"What the hell happened at Christmas?" Rosalie screeched.

Alice was brought back to reality, a questioning look on her face.

"I told her I loved her. I just wanted-"

"Wait. You did what? When?" Alice cut me off, a lost look on her face.

How the hell could Alice not know what I was talking about, she was Bella's best friend and, come on Emmett knew. She was playing me. Trying to pry out more information and Alice was good at that shit. "Christmas," I said disdainfully, my eyebrows raised in a silent dare for her to ask more.

Rosalie inhaled sharply through her nose and stood, hands on her hips. "Oh my God! You did, didn't you?"

"He what?"

"He did it, he told her that. Remember, you said she left Forks early, but she didn't come back home?"

"She didn't?" Alice asked her voice small and wavering, completely unsure.

"No." Rosalie shook her head authoritatively. "She came back the day before you, the day before New Year's Eve. But when you came home you were talking to her like you hadn't seen her since before Christmas, I thought that was weird."

"She called me the day after Christmas, said she was going home early." Alice spoke slowly and softly, as she took in what Rosalie was saying. Then they were both quiet for a moment, during which my eyes were trained on Alice still trying to discern what she knew. It was obvious to me when something clicked in her head, her face fell before she spoke. "She was gone for like 5 days?"

Rosalie nodded slowly.

"She didn't tell you, but, Emmett-"

Alice's eyes watered, "Emmett knows," she breathed out.

I stood there staring at her blankly, she really had no idea. There were several more moments of awkward silence, Rosalie and my eyes darted back and forth from one another to the crestfallen Alice.

"I haven't been a good friend to her, have I?" Alice finally spoke ever so softly.

My mouth dropped open. I willed words to come from my mouth, but none did. From the panicked look on Rosalie's face, I figured she was doing the same.

"I have to go Edward." Alice turned and darted to the door, Rosalie fast on her heels.

"Alice, no, you…" I trailed off as the door clicked shut behind her.

How many women were going to run away from me today.

BELLA

"Bella," came a deep voice from behind me.

I reached my arms out straight in front of me, extending my fingers in a full stretch before turning toward the caller of my name.

Emmett sat down beside me in the water, he was fully dressed and I couldn't help the eye roll and head shake when I saw him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me tight to his side. "I'm sorry Bell," he said softly.

"For what Em?" From his soft tone I could tell that he meant what he said. He was totally sincere, I just couldn't imagine what he felt he had to be sorry for.

"I told Edward to go to you."

I let out a short, breathy and completely humorless laugh, while shaking my head. "Emmett, that's nothing to be sorry for. You didn't force me to leave with him, or have sex with him."

Emmett's eyes were huge. "You did have sex with him?" He asked incredulously.

"I'm assuming."

"Based on?"

I shook my head slowly.

"Never mind."

Emmett and I sat in silence for a moment as I stretched my arms, legs and shoulders, trying to avoid my muscles from tightening up too much.

"Still," he started, breaking the comfortable quiet, "I feel responsible."

I could feel his eyes on my face, searching for something, but I refused to look at him or respond in anyway.

"He really does love you."

I could feel the stinging of tears behind my eyes. "It's not enough Emmett."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Bella."

"Because, it's just not." The tears were now beginning to well in my eyes, threaten to spill over.

Emmett pulled me tight to him again, still talking in a soft voice. "OK, he screwed up. Even he knows that, but, what could it hurt to hear him out."

Honestly, I didn't have a good reason not to talk to Edward. Sure, he hurt me, but maybe that was all the more reason to listen to him. Maybe he could explain it to me, maybe then I'd understand and I could maybe forgive him or at the very least, forget him and move on. Move forward. The only thing that was keeping me from hearing him out was my pride. I couldn't let him have the power to hurt me again.

"You still love him."

I wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement.

Standing up, I stretched; my arms up over my head, rocking up onto my toes then back down on to my heels. Enjoying the pull I could feel in my muscles. Emmett stood as well, his shorts dripping and his shirt soaked to just above his waist.

"Geez Emmett, when did you turn into such a girl?"

"When you refused to be honest with all your girl friends."

He was right, I hadn't been honest with Alice or Rose, but how could I. Rose really didn't know anything Edward and I. There was really no way that I could have given her an unbiased view. And Alice, well, I had felt for the last few years that she was more on Edward's side than mine. I loved Alice to death, but when it came to Edward, I didn't feel like she saw things from my point of view, so I just didn't talk with her about him.

"Fuck you," I laughed, shaking my head. "Speaking of my girl friends, I have to go meet Rose and Al."

"I'll walk with you."

The two of us headed back toward the entrance to the hotel, grabbing towels, I quickly ran a towel over myself then wrapped it around my shoulders to absorb some of the moisture from my hair. Looking over I had to laugh as Emmett attempted to dry his cargo shorts, water still pouring from his pockets as we walked inside.

"I'm gonna kick that motherfucker's ass if he doesn't overt his eyes." Emmett grumbled.

I laughed again. "I just told you I had woke up in some dude's undies and that didn't bother you."

"First of all, you didn't tell me that, and well, I kind of wished you hadn't just done that now. Second, it was not some dude. It was Edward."

I buried my face in my hands, "Can we just pretend it was some dude?"

Emmett scoffed. "No."

Biting down lightly on my lip I stopped walking, turning to face him I asked, "Why does it matter to you, Em?"

He looked conflicted. "Bella, I just want you to be happy." Emmett was quiet for a moment, I could see his mind working, trying to figure out what he wanted to say and trying not to hurt or offend me. I eyed him curiously.

"Just spit it out."

"He makes you happy Bella, he always has. He loves you, you love him and yeah, there's probably a lot to work through, but the fact is that you love each other."

I shook my head, "Em." My lungs emptied in a deep sigh. "I've gotta get going, you know how Alice gets if your late."

"Bell, I'd never let him hurt you again, you know that." Emmett caught my eyes with his, giving me a soul searching gaze that I never knew him capable of. I couldn't tear my eyes from his, I knew he meant it, he would never let anyone, even Edward, hurt me if he could help it, and if anyone did hurt me he'd make sure they'd to regret it.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, whispering into his ear, "You're a good friend, Emmett."

He lifted me up and crushed me to his chest. "You too, Bell. You too."

A/N- reviews are hella awesome, leave me one... please.