Bella burrowed deeper into the plush comforter, her body seeking more warmth and softness. She hadn't slept well in so long, and just wanted to slip back into that nice, drowsy dream state. Her brain knew that she wasn't home, though, and promptly began waking up. She slowly became more conscious, her ears straining to hear the low, rumbling voice in the next room.

It was impossible to forget where she was, because the room was saturated with Emmett. It looked like him, it felt like him and best of all, it smelled like him. Her body stretched and felt good, fully rested – something that she hadn't experienced in months.

Her body might have felt good, but her mind was a mess, and she was especially anxious about speaking with Emmett.

Bella sniffed and felt her stomach grumble. Her hunger trumped her nerves, and she was soon peeking into the kitchen. From there, the smell of pancakes was almost dizzying, and Emmett's telephone conversation was clearly audible.

"Right," he said, bending over and looking into the refrigerator. "Yeah. He knew what color the couch was, so either he was looking through her windows or he somehow got inside."

Bella leaned against the door-frame and watched Emmett move around the kitchen, completely oblivious to her presence. She wondered who he was talking to. Jasper, maybe? She pictured Emmett over at Alice and Jasper's house for dinner, and felt her spirits begin to fall. She missed her friends.

Emmett sighed heavily as he loaded bread into the toaster. "That's what I told her. She slept here last night." He pulled two plates down from the cabinet. "Okay. I'll let you know. Thanks, Charlie."

"What? Charlie?" The words escaped before she could stop them. The stress and anxiety that had been mounting inside of her at the thought of eating breakfast with Emmett suddenly vanished, leaving only incredulity.

Emmett whirled around, pocketing his cell phone. "Yeah. That was your dad."

"You called him?" Bella accused, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Only because I knew you wouldn't," Emmett snorted. He nodded at the table. "Sit down and eat. You look too skinny."

"I am not too skinny," Bella fumed. She sat down with a huff. The comment about her weight was particularly irritating, since Edward said the same thing recently. Emmett slid a plate full of pancakes, sausage and toast in front of her. "So what, is he driving here now?"

"Not yet," he shook his head. She watched him pour a generous serving of syrup over his pancakes. "You can't stay at your place, though. He's calling in some favors and having James checked out."

Bella tucked her hair behind her ear and waited, wondering if he would offer his spare bedroom. He did, and she fought a cringe. One night here was bad enough, but how could she turn him down? For hours last night she was torn between crying and crawling into his bed. Only the fear of rejection kept her under the covers, and then a blissful sleep took her. Her body knew he was nearby and relaxed enough for her to rest, something it never did anymore.

She obviously waited too long to reply, because Emmett sighed and dropped his fork.

"You can't stay at your place until we figure this out. So what are you going to do? Stay at Edward's?" he scowled. "He doesn't even have an extra bed." He waited a beat. "Unless…"

"No," Bella replied quickly, feeling her cheeks warm. "It's not like that between us."

"Then I think you should stay here," he replied seriously. Her beautiful, sweet man looked exhausted and stressed out, and Bella knew it was her fault.

"I'm not staying with either of you," Bella answered glibly. "Let's talk about something else."

"Bella – "

She knew he was going to push, and she couldn't handle it right now. Her calm facade crumbled.

"Emmett! You broke up with me, remember? I didn't want out of our relationship. Staying here is going to remind me of that constantly and make me feel terrible. Let's not, okay?" The words came out in an emotional rush, and Bella inhaled quickly to keep her sudden tears at bay.

Emmett looked like she punched him in the gut. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to what?" Bella asked, hating herself for taking the bait.

"Everything," he mumbled, shaking his head. "I just – I wanted to be with you for so long. It meant too much to me, and I guess I wasn't prepared for how I'd feel if it ever happened. And I've always been jealous of what you feel for Edward. Sometimes I hated him for it."

"If you wanted us to be together so badly, why did you break up with me?" she whispered.

He sat back in his chair, breakfast forgotten. "I guess I was afraid you'd end it to be with Edward. That would have killed me."

Bella flinched, and instantly felt a wave of guilt, despite her innocence. She was allowed to have friends, she reminded herself.

Emmett quickly backtracked, sitting forward and looking alarmed. "I mean, shit…I want you to be happy, Bella. If you need to be with Edward to be happy, then I guess that's what I want for you."

She hadn't expected such a selfless plea from Emmett, who always struck her as the kind of guy who went after what he wanted. If he was letting her go so easily then he probably never wanted her as much as he claimed. The thought settled on her heart like a heavy weight.

"I'm not with Edward," she said quietly. "I'm not happy. But right now I won't be happy with Edward, either. It's just…I thought you would have fought for me. You gave up so easily and I didn't even realize there was something seriously bothering you. You never struck me as the insecure type."

She was proud of saying everything she needed to get off her chest, and she even made it through the speech without crying. Emmett hated seeing her cry, and she didn't want his sympathy or comfort. If they were really over, she needed some kind of closure. Still, she could tell her words hurt him, and that wasn't what she intended.

"I guess I am insecure," he admitted, his brown eyes dark with emotion. "At least when it comes to you. My family life was never that great, you know?"

Bella leaned forward, her heart clenching tightly in her chest, and waited for some precious morsel about his family. Emmett guarded his family secrets closely, and never spoke of them at all. He rubbed his face and stared despondently at the tabletop, and she saw the sad little boy who lived inside the outgoing, cheerful man.

"I learned pretty early on not to get attached to people, because they always let me down," he continued, his voice husky. "I never let myself get too close to anyone, even the boys. Seth was the first person who got past my barriers. I'd die for that kid."

She had forgotten about Seth and his trouble with the gang. Bella had been too focused in her own little world, and suddenly felt like the shittiest friend ever. She fervently hoped that Seth was doing well.

Emmett finally raised his eyes to hers. "And then you came along. I honestly never thought we'd end up together. Bella, you were everything I wanted and then when I got you…I just didn't know what to do. I panicked. I guess I figured it'd be better to break up with you myself, on my terms. It hurt worse than anything, but I knew it couldn't hurt more than knowing that I wasn't good enough for you and watching you walk out of my life." He dropped his gaze again, and his voice was little more than a whisper. "I'm sorry."

Bella felt the burning prick of tears and shook her head, unable to speak because of the lump in her aching throat. She looked away, trying to avoid those eyes, so full of pain and longing and God, she just wanted to make him feel better. How did things get so messed up?

She just got herself back together. Not totally, but enough to function and start living again. And now this beautiful, broken man was spilling his secrets to her and she wanted more than anything to save him. His childhood had scarred him and he was looking at her like she was his sun, and how could she do anything else?

But she had to do something else, because when Emmett left he had broken her heart. The part of her mind that was still rational told her nothing had changed, that he would be even more threatened by her now stronger relationship with Edward. It would only be a matter of time before Emmett couldn't handle it, and she couldn't go through this again.

"Is there still a chance for us?" Emmett asked. His eyes were wet and imploring, begging her to say yes and soothe their mutual pain.

"I still love you," Bella said tearfully, hating the sudden hope that flared in his eyes. "But I can't be with you right now."

"It's…is it because of Edward?"

His question only confirmed what she thought, and Bella felt sick over it. She thought for so long that if she could just talk to him, things would fall back into place. Now she got her wish, but realized nothing had really changed.

"It's because Edward will always be between us, regardless of how I feel about him. There's just too much going on, and I can't go through this again." She wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you last night. It was stupid. I could have just called the police, but I wanted to see you. It was selfish."

He stood up and picked up his plate, avoiding her eyes. He scraped the mound of food into the garbage. "I'm glad you called me. Even if we aren't together, you're still my friend and you know I'll take care of you."

She knew the words were sincere, but the shutters had come down over his eyes and his voice was different. Emmett was closing her out, and she felt her heart shatter. He finally let her in and she did exactly what he expected. "Emmett, I'm – "

"Bella." He put his hands on the counter and stared at the clock on the stove. She couldn't see his face, but the anguish in his voice was clear. "I understand, and I'm sorry. Please, let's not talk about it anymore, okay?"

He turned and walked across the room, stopping behind her. She felt him bend and when he kissed the top of her head, the tears finally spilled out of her eyes. "Eat your breakfast. We'll go to your apartment and pack up some stuff when you're done. You always have a place here, but if you want me to take you somewhere else, I will."

Bella sat still, frozen, while tears coursed down her cheeks. A few minutes later she heard the shower turn on, and the noise it created gave her the opportunity to sob freely. She knew Emmett showered quickly, unless she was in there with him, so she only allowed herself a few minutes of emotional release.

Then she picked up her cell phone and did something she hadn't done in months. She called Alice.

Jasper plopped down on his couch, gratefully accepting the beer Alice handed him. She looked down the hallway nervously and back at him, her eyes wide and anxious.

"Just give her some time to settle in," he suggested, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"She barely spoke to me," Alice whispered, wringing her hands. "But the room should be okay. I washed the sheets and the comforter, and I put out fresh towels. I knew I should have cleared out that closet last week but – "

"Alice, the room is fine," he said soothingly. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. "Bella's got a lot to deal with right now. Give her a day to just relax and get her bearings. Then you guys can sit down and hash shit out."

She burrowed into him, then raised her face to look up at him. "But it's good that she called me, right? That means something?"

"Yes," he nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I think that means a lot."

"I wish we could go back to before all this happened," Alice sighed. "Everything was perfect then."

"Bella and Emmett weren't happy then," Jasper pointed out. "They were both in love with someone who didn't love them back."

"I guess you're right," she shrugged. "Maybe the best possible outcome is that Bella gets over Edward and Emmett gets over Bella. Then everyone can move on."

He took a sip of his beer. "That surprises me. I thought you wanted Bella and Edward together."

"That was before Bella fell for Em. I knew he liked her but I guess I never realized how much. And it was just so nice to see them happy. But it doesn't matter who she ends up with, because one of my best friends is going to be hurt. This sucks," she sniffled.

Jasper squeezed her tighter. "I know. It makes me even more grateful for you, though."

Alice twisted so she could hug him, and he put his beer on the coffee table. "I love you, Jasper. I'm sorry if I've been a mess the past few weeks."

"I'm in it forever," he told her, kissing the tip of her nose. "Mess or not."

She tilted her face upward to accept his lips, but a knock on the door interrupted them. Alice glanced over at the door, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I doubt Emmett would come back so soon after dropping Bella off. He seemed pretty upset. And I told Edward not to come over tonight."

Alice sighed and hopped off him. When she asked who was there, Edward called out.

"God damn it," Jasper muttered. He was trying to be the neutral territory in this war, but part of him couldn't help feeling irritated with Edward. Part of this situation was his fault. "I told him to give her a break tonight."

Alice looked down the hallway, as if trying to discern what Bella would want. She threw up her hands and unlocked the front door. Edward gave her a sheepish look and shoved his hands into his jeans.

"Hi Alice. Can I come in?" he asked.

Jasper stood up and crossed his arms. "I asked you not to come over tonight, Edward. I think she needs some time alone."

"Did Bella say she didn't want me over?" Edward asked lightly. "I doubt it. And no offense, but I think I know Bella better than you."

Jasper laughed. "Really? Because she's been coming to me, crying over you, since high school. I know what Bella needs when she's upset and it's time. Alone."

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do for her, Jas," Edward said, stepping towards him. "But Bella and I became really close over the past few weeks. You know, when she wasn't speaking to you guys. I think she needs me right now, and nothing you say is going to change that."

Jasper didn't say anything, but the guilt he felt over deserting Bella was written all over his face. He stepped to the side and Edward nodded before making his way to the guest bedroom. He knocked softly and a second later the door opened. Edward hugged Bella, then guided her back into the room and shut the door.

"This is such a fucked situation," Alice moaned, sitting back down on the couch.

Jasper sat next to her and turned the television on. He needed to zone out. The tense atmosphere of his once safe haven was frazzling his nerves. "Maybe he's right. I did let her down. I should've been there for her when they broke up."

"That was my fault, not yours," Alice said miserably. "I was a shitty friend. She just avoided you by default."

"It doesn't really matter," he shrugged. "I should have pushed harder."

"You are now," she rubbed his shoulder. "Like you said, we'll just give her a little time to settle in, and then we'll get things back to normal."

"Yeah, I just hope Edward doesn't make more of a mess of things," Jasper scowled.

"Me, too," Alice said, casting one more glance down the darkened hallway.

"Hey you," Edward said softly, pulling Bella into a hug. Her hair was pulled into a messy knot and her eyes were puffy. She let him hug her and then he turned her around, leading her back to the bed.

Bella crawled back into bed and sat Indian-style, arranging the comforter over her shoulders. Edward almost laughed; she looked like a little kid. The thing that stopped him was the haunted look in her tired eyes. He eased himself onto the corner of her bed.

"How did things go at Emmett's?" he asked, deciding to clear the air. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to pick you up last night. Then we could have just avoided all of this…"

She shrugged and picked at the overlay on the blanket. "I still would have had to stay somewhere other than my apartment."

"You could have stayed with me." Edward wouldn't admit it if asked, but he was slightly hurt that Bella stayed at Emmett's. Granted, he hadn't been near his phone when she called, so it was technically his fault.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You have a small one bedroom apartment."

"I'd sleep on the couch and you could take my bed," he offered.

"It would just confuse me more," she said quietly. "And hurt Emmett."

He shifted so he was closer and grabbed her hand. "I'm a little more worried about you right now. Emmett's a big boy and he can take care of himself."

As Bella began pulling away from him, putting her hands back on her lap, Edward knew he said the wrong thing. "Edward, you really don't know anything about my relationship with Emmett, except for what I've told you…and that wasn't a lot."

"That's true," he acquiesced. "But you know how I feel about the situation. He had his chance and he didn't take it. He doesn't deserve you."

"And you do?" she asked bitterly.

Taken aback, Edward swallowed hard. "I'm not saying that. Right now you need a friend, and I'm here for you. I'm not going to ask for more than that, because I know you're not ready."

She suddenly burst into tears, covering her face with both hands. "I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean that. I'm so – I can't – "

"It's okay," he murmured, moving so he was sitting next to her. Bella leaned against him and cried harder. Edward wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her Bella smell and sighing. Her tiny frame shook as she cried out her pain.

"I messed everything up," she said hoarsely. "Everyone must hate me."

"No one hates you." Edward smoothed her hair back and wiped away her tears. "No one could ever hate you."

"Thanks, Edward," she breathed, trying to staunch the tears. "I hate crying. I feel like it's all I've done for the past few weeks."

"Hmmm…yes, there was a decent amount of tears," Edward said, pretending to think. "There was also a fair amount of bossing Edward around. Edward, I want chocolate chip cookies. Edward, get me chocolate ice cream. Edward, some chocolate covered pretzels. Yes, and it appears there was also a large amount of chocolate."

Bella laughed and bit her lip. "Thank you, Edward. You know, for cheering me up and being my chocolate bitch."

He grinned and took her hand, their fingers twisting together. Bella looked at their entwined hands, noting how familiar it felt to hold his. He brought hers to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, his lips lingering longer than necessary.

The air between them changed, became charged.

She was almost afraid to look at him, but he kept his warm, soft lips on her skin until she did. Edward's eyes were locked on hers, the stormy green a depth of passion.

"Bella." He brushed another kiss on her knuckles. "I'll do it all over again if you need me to. I just want you to be happy."

"Thanks," she said faintly. Edward released her hand, but even without his touch her skin still tingled. He stared at her for a long moment, probably waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't speak.

"I should probably let you get to bed," Edward said reluctantly. "I know you've had a long day. We're going to figure out the James thing, though, so don't worry about it. We've got your back and no one's going to hurt you."

"Who's we?" she asked curiously.

"Me. Emmett. Jasper and Alice. Your friends," he smiled. "Silly girl."

The words warmed her insides like no other, and Bella felt a couple pieces of her heart click back into place. She hadn't even begun to process the James situation, because she was still dealing with the emotional fallout from her brief time at Emmett's.

Everything seemed so hopeless, but maybe with the help of her friends she could make it through. The fact that they were still being called her friends was overwhelming and amazing.

"If Alice and Jasper get on you too much, call me. We'll make it work at my place if we need to, okay?"

Bella nodded and hugged him extra tightly. Edward laughed and his breath tickled her ear. She tilted her head when he pulled away, because Edward always gave her a kiss on the cheek when he left.

Instead of the usual, Edward used one fingertip to tilt her chin up, smirking at the surprise on her face. His voice was smooth and deep. "If you need anything, just call. I promise I'll pick up this time."

And then he leaned in, and Bella instinctively closed her eyes. The touch of his lips to hers was feather light and Bella almost thought she imagined it, but when he pulled away and she opened her eyes, Edward was smiling.

"Night, beautiful," he whispered.

Completely stunned, Bella didn't reply. Edward never lost his smile, just waved and quietly shut his door. She raised her hand to her mouth, touching her tingling lips.

"Good night," she whispered into the empty bedroom.

Sleep did not come easy for Bella that night.

hey guys! just wanted to say thanks for all the support, and apologize for not replying to every review. if you ever want to chat, find me on twitter (bellacellaluna). i hope this chapter came quickly enough for you! thank you to writersiouxchef, my awesome beta, and my prereaders ;)

i put a poll up on my profile page (team emmett vs. team edward, of course). emmett is getting his ass handed to him! but it's just for fun...i already know how the story ends. LOVE YOU GUYS! xoxo

LUNA