Bella hadn't slept over at his house in four days.
Every time he thought of their bathroom quickie, Emmett felt sick. He could barely look at Bella the next day, and had left for practice as early as possible. His stomach churned with shame and regret for hours.
Bella deserved more than a mindless fuck in their friends' bathroom. When they came together, it was beautiful and more wonderful than he ever hoped for. It was from a place of love, not from the anger and jealousy that drove them to that miserable union. That wasn't how it was supposed to be with her. She was better than that.
Emmett thought about going over to her apartment a million times, but never acted on the impulse. There was suddenly a big gaping hole between them, and the distance felt terrible. What made it even worse was that the entire situation was his fault.
He pulled away. He couldn't look her in the eye. She reached out to him twice, and both times he shot her down; once he said he was too tired and the second time he blatantly lied, telling her he was sick.
Emmett stared at his television glumly. He showered, but only because Bella sent him a text asking what he was doing. He had a sneaking suspicion – no - hope, that she would stop by and surprise him.
He needed to man up. He wasn't usually one for sulking, but that was definitely what he was doing. If his grandmother were still alive, she would have slapped him upside his head by now. Besides, if he was honest with himself, it wasn't even Bella he was upset with. He was angry with himself.
Emmett sighed and picked up his cell phone. He stared at the dark display, contemplating what to do. Avoiding her any longer wasn't an option; it hurt both of them too much, and he simply couldn't be away from her any longer. He flipped opened the cell phone and scrolled to Bella's name.
And then he heard knocking at the front door.
He jumped up and jogged to the door, tossing his phone back onto the couch. It clattered to the floor but he didn't care.
Bella looked tiny and anxious. Her dark eyes looked up at him, fully of uncertainty. She held up a bag. "I brought Chinese."
The thick knot in his chest suddenly loosened and Emmett could breathe again. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, picking her clear off the floor. The bag hit the floor with a heavy thud and Bella started crying.
"I'm sorry," she gasped against his throat.
Emmett squeezed her tightly and turned around, kicking the door shut. He just held her for a moment, both of their chests heaving, bodies taut with emotion. Finally he slid her down, holding onto her even after her feet touched the floor.
"You didn't do anything," he said forcefully. "I'm – I'm sorry. My head hasn't been on right lately."
"No, I shouldn't have gone to Edward's," Bella wailed. "I'm sorry. It was stupid. I am stupid. I won't – "
"Stop," Emmett pleaded. "Stop it, Bella. You didn't do anything wrong. You're allowed to have friends. I just – " He pulled back to look at her, feeling weak and vulnerable and exposed. He didn't want to admit how he felt out loud, but she needed to know. "I know how much you liked him. I'm terrified that one day he'll realize how amazing you are and change his mind."
"It wouldn't matter even if he did," Bella promised, clutching his arm.
Her words twisted the knife in his heart a little deeper. He wanted to believe her. He needed to believe her, because the rest of his life couldn't be spent in the dark, painful abyss that was the past four days. He needed Bella in his life.
"I'm sorry about the bathroom," he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink. If they were going to do this, they needed to do it right, and he had to get everything out.
At his words, Bella blushed and looked away. "Why? What do you mean? I wanted it."
He shook his head. Emmett cupped her face, holding her still so he could drink in her beauty. His heart clenched again, painfully, and he brushed his lips against hers. "That wasn't us. I'll show you how it's supposed to be."
And he did. Emmett locked the door and they slowly made their way to his bedroom. Every few feet they would stop and Emmett sandwiched her against the wall, pressing soft, warm kisses to her throat. Bella felt heavy and drugged from his kisses, and clung to his shoulders.
"Please…" she murmured.
The hallway was dark and his bedroom even darker, but they didn't need lights. His hands knew the curves of Bella's body well enough that he could love her in the dark.
She stretched out on his sheets and Emmett continued his administrations, pausing only to remove a layer of her clothing. Bella pushed back against him, her greedy hands running over his skin, trying to break his willpower.
Tonight, though, it was unshakable. Determined to make up for the last time they were together, Emmett worshipped Bella slowly. Excruciatingly slowly.
By the time he pulled her panties down her legs, Bella's breathing was ragged and broken. Emmett ran a hand up her leg, along her inner thigh, and she parted her legs for him. The darkness made her bolder, and he liked that.
His lips followed the trail his hand took, placing kisses along her heated skin. Her thighs tensed when his mouth's destination became apparent, but she didn't object.
His fingers tasted her wetness first. After he inhaled her distinct scent, Emmett lowered his head and allowed his mouth to take over. Bella out a sharp cry and her thighs slammed shut around his heads.
"It's okay," he said soothingly, pulling back slightly. "Relax, Bella. Please."
He could hear her breathing, harsh and fast, and the tension in her muscles was great. She took a deep breath and slowly unclenched her legs but her muscles remained rigid. He continued placing kisses here and there, enjoying the way Bella's body quivered under his touch.
When he opened his mouth on the throbbing juncture between her thighs, Bella moaned and arched against him. He couldn't see her, but he felt the sheets tighten and knew she fisted them in her hands, just like she always did when she was close.
"Please," she said, her voice high and needy. "I don't want to – I want you – "
"I've barely touched you," he whispered, making sure his hot breath caressed her skin. Bella shifted underneath him and let out a little sigh. "Tell me what you want. I don't know unless you tell me."
"You do know," she insisted, still squirming.
He smiled, because he did know. He gave her one more languid lick, making plans to thoroughly enjoy Bella like this at a later date. He kneeled on the bed and pulled his shirt off, then shoved down his sweatpants.
He could just make out Bella's form in the dark, and watched her sit up. He kicked off his pants and met her halfway, their bodies crashing together. Bella clawed at him, trying to get him closer, and then they fell back onto the bed. It felt so good to just rub against each other, to prolong the excitement, but the fire between them burned too hot.
"Come on," Bella half groaned.
Emmett obliged, pushing into her and loving the way her legs locked around his waist. Her mouth found his jaw and he grunted. This was her payback. Her hot little mouth kissed everything it could reach, lingering on his earlobe. She knew what that did to him.
The stress of the week made the sweetness of their reunion that much greater, and it was over far too soon. Emmett couldn't even be embarrassed by the shortness of their coupling, because the evidence of Bella's pleasure was in the scratches and bruises on his skin. She definitely wasn't complaining.
He slumped back onto his bed and Bella immediately followed him, curling up with her head on his chest. She sighed happily and her fingers played with his chest hair. He covered her hand with his and laced their fingers together.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked, wishing the light was on so he could see her all sleepy and satisfied.
"Coming over here?" she guessed.
He laughed. "Seth is coming over for dinner. Would you join us?"
"Yes," Bella said, and he could feel her smile against his skin. "Do you want me to pick anything up after work?"
"No, I have it all. Seth likes tacos. His record is fourteen."
Bella sat up to look at him in the dark. He could imagine her outraged expression and he smiled. "Emmett! You can't let a kid eat fourteen tacos….he'll get sick!"
"Oh, please. He'll be fine. He's just trying to beat my record."
"Oh, God. And what is your record?" Bella asked, her voice filled with trepidation.
"Twenty four hard shell tacos," Emmett boasted. "And I never got sick."
"Yeah, well, you're a huge monster. He's a skinny little thing," Bella rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her.
"Mmmm, and you love my huge monster, don't you?" he asked, his voice thick with innuendo.
Bella rolled her eyes again and felt her cheeks blush. "Shut up, Emmett."
He laughed and rolled her onto her back. "Tell me how much you love my huge monster."
"Shut up!" she laughed. His hands skimmed up her sides and Bella knew – she just knew – that he was going to start tickling her. Instead of trying to get away, she simply directed her attention to a very specific part of Emmett's anatomy, and he immediately stilled.
"I love your huge monster a lot," she whispered, grinning.
"Do you like peppers?" Bella asked, holding up a green bell pepper.
Seth looked at it, squinty-eyed, and shook his head. "Nah. I only like meat and cheese on my tacos."
"Got the cheese." Emmett held up a package of shredded cheese as he approached and tossed it into the cart.
When Emmett told her that he had all the ingredients, he actually meant he had ground beef and taco shells. When she realized he didn't even have taco seasoning, she told him to stop at the grocery store on his way to get Seth. Somehow she got suckered into coming.
"Is that everything?" Emmett asked.
Bella tossed in the pepper. "Yup.''
"So, Bella, do you got any friends?" Seth asked. He gave her his full attention.
"Have," Emmett corrected absently. "Do you have any friends."
"I have friends," Bella answered him, a little mystified by the question. "Why?"
"You know, for me. So we can all go on a double date," Seth said earnestly.
Emmett burst into laughter and Seth immediately turned on him, scowling. "Shut up, Emmett!"
Emmett slung an arm around his shoulder, ignoring Seth when he tried to shake it off. "I think Bella's friends might be a little too old for you. What about that girl, Leah?"
Seth ducked out from under Emmett's arm and gave him a dirty look. "I don't even know who you're talking about."
Bella might have believed him if his cheeks didn't turn pink.
"So you go around protecting all the girls on your block?" Emmett asked casually, unloading the groceries onto the checkout counter.
"I'm gonna kill Quil," Seth mumbled.
Emmett laughed but didn't question him any further. He took out his wallet and stuffed a few bills into his pocket, then paid with his credit card.
"I'm gonna beat your record tonight," Seth said seriously, talking to Emmett but watching the young female cashier. He finally spared Emmett a glance. "You better have enough taco shells. Do you? Because I would have won last time, but you ran out. You did that on purpose."
Emmett rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay."
Seth continued chatting the entire way out. Bella liked to watch him and Emmett interact. It was cute, really. Emmett pestered him to the point of frustration, but Seth was good-natured and gave it right back.
They walked out of the grocery store and Emmett told them to wait for a minute. He walked over to an elderly man sitting on the curb. His face was dirty, as was his clothing, and he was clearly homeless.
"What's he doing?" Seth asked her.
"I don't know," Bella replied honestly.
She watched a smile spread across the man's face, and he laughed. His laughter sounded ancient and rusty, and she wondered what Emmett said to him, and how long it had been since he laughed. Emmett stood up and dug into his pocket. Bella saw a quick flash of green as he handed the folded bills to the man, then patted him on the back.
Seth was quiet until they were out of earshot, even though Bella could tell he was dying to ask questions.
"Emmett, did you give him money?" he asked. Emmett put his arm back over Seth's shoulder and steered him toward the car, but Seth looked back over his shoulder at the man. "Why did you do that for? Jane says you shouldn't do that because they spend it all on drugs and whiskey."
Jane was Seth's foster mother.
"I see him there all the time," Emmett shrugged. "His name is Joey. He seems like a pretty nice guy, and he might just need a hand. I try not to judge people by how they look."
"So you think he's not gonna go spend that on booze?" Seth asked skeptically.
Emmett shrugged again. "He might. But maybe he won't. Maybe he's hungry and it'll get him something good to eat."
Seth considered this and seemed satisfied. Bella remained silent, secretly in awe of Emmett once again. She felt ashamed that she had avoided the man's eyes when they entered the supermarket. She ignored Joey because his homelessness made her uncomfortable. Emmett met it head on and tried to make his situation better.
She was quiet during the car ride home, still contemplating Emmett and the never ending ways in which she was learning from him. She was happy that he was Seth's Big Brother, because Seth would undoubtedly grow into a better man because of it.
"You okay?" Emmett asked as they pulled into his driveway. "You've been kind of quiet."
"I'm okay," Bella assured him. "Just tired."
He smirked and raised an eyebrow, and Bella laughed. "Didn't you sleep last night?"
"Oh, gross," Seth muttered. He leaned forward and grabbed the keys from Emmett before jumping out of the car.
"Something kept me up most of the night," Bella teased.
Emmett laughed and gave her a sound kiss. "There's a party coming up. Sort of a fake high school reunion. Come with me?"
"A fake high school reunion?"
"It's not official, and it's only the people we liked," he laughed. "One of my old friends put it together. I just got an email."
"Okay," she agreed. They kissed again, but Bella pulled away before it became too heated. She didn't want Seth to see anything too risqué. "What are we doing for your birthday?"
"Alice wants to go out," he rolled his eyes. "I told her no clubs, only bars."
"Oh, God," Bella groaned. "She's going to make me dress up."
Emmett's eyes lit up. "I want a short skirt and some heels."
She groaned louder and he laughed, pulling her in for another quick kiss. "Come on, we can't leave him in there alone. He might find my porn stash."
Bella resisted the urge to pull him into the backseat for some quality time. Instead, she went inside and became the referee for the taco showdown. Emmett, displaying a surprising amount of restraint and maturity, only ate twelve.
Seth, clearly a rookie, downed eighteen. Then he puked and Emmett, losing the maturity he had previously displayed, laughed hysterically.
It was an awesome night.
"Stop pulling on it," Alice ordered, slapping Bella's hand away from her denim miniskirt.
"It's too short!" Bella complained. She shifted uncomfortably in her heels. "Everyone's going to see everything."
Alice giggled. "Only Emmett."
"Yeah, well, not with the dress being this short!" she retorted.
Alice and Jasper joined them at Emmett's house to pregame. Plus, Bella needed help getting ready – or at least Alice thought so. Truthfully, Alice's presence just guaranteed that Bella would be clad in Emmett's requested skirt and heels.
She was excited to go out. Bella had crashed at Emmett's the night before, and when they woke up he had been acting kind of funny. He seemed somewhat distant again, but said he just didn't sleep well. He did have dark circles under his eyes. She hoped the night out would revive him and restore his good spirits.
"You ladies almost ready?" Jasper asked, knocking on the open bedroom door.
"Almost!" Alice chirped. "Can you make me a cranberry vodka?"
"Bella? Would you like anything?"
Bella gave Jasper a smile but shook her head. "Oh, wait – there's something in my bag called Party Smart. Can you get that for me? It's in the kitchen."
"What's that?" Alice asked.
"It's an herbal supplement you take before you drink and it's supposed to stop you from getting a hangover. Everyone at my store loves it," Bella said sheepishly. "I'm going to try it."
Jasper rolled his eyes, doubtful that anything could ward off the hangover they were all sure to have tomorrow morning. Alice blew him a raspberry and he smiled before heading back to the kitchen. He found Emmett pouring shots of tequila.
"No tequila for me," Jasper shook his head.
Emmett handed him the shot. "Don't be a pussy."
They knocked back the shot together and Jasper grimaced from the burn. "That shit is disgusting."
Emmett shrugged. "Yeah."
Jasper eyed him curiously. Something was definitely off. He studied Emmett as he mixed Alice's drink. Bella's purse was sitting on the kitchen counter. Finished with Alice's drink, he went over to Bella's bag to find her herbal drugs.
"What are you doing?" Emmett said suspiciously. He grabbed for Bella's bag and it slipped out of Jasper's hands, hitting the ground and spilling open.
"Chill out," Jasper frowned. "Bella asked me to get something."
They both crouched down to pick up the contents of her bag. Cosmetics, hand sanitizer, chapstick, and tissues were strewn about the floor. There was also a 5x7 card. The front was stained and dark, but Jasper felt a flicker of recognition as he looked at it.
"Dude! Is that from middle school?" he asked, picking it up.
"I don't know. What is it?" Emmett asked, leaning over to look at it.
Jasper opened the card and a dislodged photo fluttered to the floor. Emmett picked it up and turned it over. He heard the whoosh of breath leave Emmett's lungs. He dropped the photo and stood up, his hand rubbing his forehead.
"What is it?" Jasper asked, scrambling to pick up the offending photo. He turned it over and saw Edward beaming at him. Bella beamed at Edward, clearly head over heels for him. They were young in the photo, and he guessed it was the 8th grade formal.
"What the fuck," Emmett mumbled. He sank into a chair and stared into his empty glass.
"Why is she carrying this around?" Jasper asked.
"How the fuck would I know?" Emmett snapped.
Jasper raised an eyebrow at the tone but didn't say anything. He shoved everything back into Bella's bag and sat down across from Emmett. He poured them another round of shots. "You okay?"
"Things have been great lately. Even better than before. But…" Emmett trailed off. He shook his head.
Jasper waited.
"Bella talks in her sleep a lot. Last night she kept saying his name. Over and over. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't even stay in the same room as her," he said, his voice anguished. "I know it's not her fault and I shouldn't be upset with her but…I guess I can't help it. And now the picture? I thought…I don't know."
"She talks in her sleep all the time, doesn't she?"
Emmett shrugged.
"She does," Jasper said firmly. That was common knowledge. "Who else does she talk about?"
"A lot of people," Emmett admitted grudgingly.
"So I wouldn't worry too much about that," Jasper replied mildly. "I know it sucks. I mean, if I had to listen to Alice…I don't know if I could. But you can't dwell on it."
"And the picture?" Emmett asked. "Just let that go, too? It means nothing?"
Jasper opened his mouth to respond but Alice beat him to it, skidding to a stop inside the kitchen. She wore a sparkly black dress made out of stretchy material. "Okay! We're ready. Mr. McCarty, I would like to introduce you to your escort for the night, Miss – "
Bella ruined her introduction by walking into the kitchen and ignoring Alice. Alice began protesting but Jasper pulled her onto his lap, more interested watching in the dynamic between Emmett and Bella.
Bella approached Emmett shyly, and that did put a small smile on his face. His eyes lingered on her spiked heels, then traveled up her naked legs. Her black shirt showed a fair amount of cleavage.
Emmett waited a beat too long, and his eyes were a shade too sad, but he smiled and told her how beautiful she looked. Someone less observant than Jasper wouldn't notice the glimmer of worry – of fear? – in Bella's eyes. She knew something was wrong with Emmett.
"Let's go," Emmett said, standing up. He took Bella's hand and kissed it.
The drive to the bar was fairly quiet. Alice put on the Spice Girls, which she burned onto a CD especially for Emmett's birthday. He laughed and nodded his head but didn't do his usual Scary Spice impersonation. Alice looked to Jasper, concerned. He kept glancing in the rear view mirror, watching Bella and Emmett.
"Are you okay?" Bella asked Emmett, smoothing back his hair.
"I'm fine," he nodded. "Just tired."
"Are you…are you mad at me?" she asked quietly.
Emmett looked at her, all done up and uncomfortable just to make him happy. He couldn't be angry at her, especially when she hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't want to be the jealous boyfriend who wouldn't let his girl hang out with anyone. He didn't want to tell her that she couldn't be friends with Edward and that he hated seeing that goddamn picture.
"No," he said just as quietly. "Just not feeling that great."
"Do you want to go home? I don't mind," she said, putting the back of her hand to his forehead. He knew he didn't have a fever. His body wasn't sick, just his heart.
"No, let's just go and have fun," he said, forcing a smile.
Bella leaned against him, holding his hand and wishing she could cheer him up.
Emmett's bad mood continued, even after they got to the bar. Bella and Alice danced together and with Jasper. Bella asked Emmett to dance – which he knew was a huge deal, because she hated dancing – but he refused.
Jasper kept buying him drinks, probably hoping that the more alcohol he consumed, the less of a dick he would be. If anything, that plan backfired. His mood worsened as he sat and watched the girls have fun.
Edward came directly from work, looking stressed out and tired. He smiled when he saw Emmett, though, and made a stop at the bar before coming to their table. He brought three glasses half-filled with brown liquor.
"Happy Birthday!" Edward cheered. "I got special birthday shots."
"What is it?" Emmett asked warily, looking at the glasses. "That's not a shot. That's a drink."
Edward handed one to Jasper and then to Emmett, before raising his glass to him. "It's called a Four Horsemen. Just shut up and take it."
"Happy Birthday, Emmett," Jasper toasted. Edward echoed his sentiments and they knocked back their shots.
"Jesus Christ," Emmett wheezed. He picked up his beer and chugged. "That was disgusting."
They bullshitted for a little while, and Emmett found himself reflecting on his friendship with Edward. He liked him, always had. He was a good guy. He just wasn't right for Bella.
Emmett hated feeling so conflicted. He loved Edward like a brother, but the past few months he had been pulling away from him because of Bella. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize his relationship with her, but as a result his friendship with Edward was suffering.
Still, Edward deserved some of his anger, too. He never glanced twice at Bella until after St. Patrick's Day. Even if he was suddenly feeling things for her… Even if he was madly in love with Bella, he knew how Emmett felt. He had always known how Emmett felt about Bella.
He excused himself and went to the bathroom. He needed to shake it off. Just let it go.
He trusted Bella. She said she was over Edward, and that was that. Emmett splashed cold water on his face and rolled his neck. He wasn't sure if he could salvage the rest of the night. Maybe dance with Bella a little, and head back home.
He left the bathroom and battled his way through the bar, which was hopping. Their table was empty. He sat back down and looked around, trying to spot his friends. He didn't see them, so he ordered another beer and just waited.
Within a minute Jasper was back. "Sorry. We were getting another round of shots. Feeling any better? You look better."
Emmett grimaced. "Yeah, sorry I've been such a bitch."
Jasper laughed and took a pull of his beer. "I'm used to it by now."
Emmett rolled his eyes and glanced around the bar, looking for Bella. He spotted her by the bar, talking to Edward. His gut tightened as he watched them. It was as if the rest of the bar faded away. The roar of the music and people laughing and shouting dimmed, and the light seemed to focus directly on Bella.
She put her hand on Edward's arm and leaned up onto her tip toes to tell him something. Edward inclined his head to listen and then laughed at whatever she said. Bella nodded her head and laughed.
Their closeness wasn't what bothered him. Even Bella, touching Edward, wasn't what killed him.
The dagger to the heart was how she looked at him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes dancing with happiness. She looked at Edward like he was the only other person in the world, and it twisted Emmett's insides so painfully that he couldn't breathe.
He must have made some sort of noise, because Jasper looked at him and then turned around to follow his line of vision. He saw Bella and Edward laughing, the intimate touch, and the obvious affection.
"Emmett…." He didn't know what to say.
Emmett shoved his beer away. His stomach was churning and he needed air. He needed to get away. "I'm going home."
"Are you going to get Bella?" Jasper asked, standing up, alarmed.
"No," Emmett shook his head. He stared at Bella, a storm of emotions brewing inside of him. "Look at her, Jasper. Look at her and tell me she doesn't love him."
"Emmett, we don't know that. We can't know that." Jasper hated Emmett's sad, resigned voice. It was like he already gave up on Bella.
"I do!" he practically shouted. "I know Bella. I know her. And that right there is what's going to kill me. I can't do this. I just can't. Just take care of her tonight. I need to go and just be alone."
Emmett turned around and Alice was right there, crestfallen, tears shining in her eyes. He couldn't take her pity right now, either, and brushed passed her.
Respecting his wishes, no one followed him. Emmett went home and opened up a six pack. He spent the rest of his birthday on the couch, getting drunk and watching mindless television.
Bella never came home.
He had never felt so empty and alone.
i hate emo emmett...he makes me so sad :(
teams?
also, i am participating in the FGB! TORN has an outtake up for grabs, anything you want...or you can save it for an alternate ending in case your team doesn't win bella ;) link is on my profile page. there's also an original one-shot up for auction.
hope you guys are doing well!
LUNA