Chapter eight. Apologies, and sorries. Oh, they're the same thing.
"He was just being a brother", sighed Rosalie. I grabbed the ice pack off her and shoved it on my forehead. I winced in pain at the contact.
"Being a brother? He was being an animal", I snapped, exasperated, "but he's done it this time. I'm not going to pretend anymore. Emmett crossed the line!"
"That's going to leave a bruise", said Alice eyeing my forehead.
I was sitting in Jasper Hale's blue Mercedes. Rosalie sat next to me at the back as Alice fidgeted around looking her mobile phone in the front seat. I was wearing my shorts again with a red tank top.
"Where did you get the ice?" I asked Alice.
"I got Jasper to run over to the bar over the road", she explained, "How's that head?"
"Better", I shrugged, "where are they now?"
"The boys?" asked Rosalie. I nodded.
"Edward and Jasper are trying to calm down Emmett", she stated pulling the ice pack away from me and pushing it in a different position.
I closed my eyes and a sudden flash of images launched behind my eyelids.
-Flashback-
"You knocked her up?" Emmett roared and then he launched for Jacob. I was pushed out of the way as Emmett plunged into Jake pushing him back and falling the sand.
"Emmett!" screamed Alice and Rosalie at the same time.
"Get off him", I shouted, panicked. Jake sat up and pushed Emmett away from him, trying to regain a better position for a fight.
"Stop him, stop him right now!" I commanded to Jasper and Edward who just stood there watching the whole time. I didn't want Jacob to get hurt, or Emmett for that matter.
"Stop them, Jazz", said Alice softly with a small pleading in her eyes.
Without thinking I jumped on Emmett's back, my legs wrapped around him trying and failing to restrain him from harming Jacob. My heart pounded in my throat as it was Jacob who kicked Emmett back and he fell back, with me attached to him.
I let go of Emmett but not before falling face first, not on the soft sand, not on a comfortable towel but on the hard concrete that edged around the side of the beach.
Pain. I was used to it, but pain is pain nevertheless.
-End flashback-
"I'm going to see Jacob", I sighed opening the car door and stepping out. Rosalie caught my wrist.
"Maybe you should wait for Emmett", she suggested uneasily. I pulled free.
"No. I don't want to see him again", I said through gritted teeth. Alice and Rosalie both jumped out of the car.
"I don't think Emmett would be very happy if you went to see Jacob", said Alice warningly.
"I don't care if he's happy", I snapped, "He doesn't about me being happy. No, he just likes being an over protective fool!"
"He was mad, he thought you were pregnant", Rosalie defended, "I'm sure he'd do the same with Alice."
"No. That's the thing Rose. He wouldn't", I insisted, "it's me he does that to. He loves embarrassing me and scolding at me for no reason. And he totally jumped to conclusions!"
"So you're not pregnant with Jacob's baby?" confirmed Alice.
"No! I'm not", I yelled.
"So…it's Mike's then?" she asked curiously. I sighed heavily.
"It's no one's baby", I said with clenched teeth. This conversation was getting just the slight bit irritating.
"Oh come on, Bella! Don't tell me we have to have another little talk about where babies come from", teased Alice nudging me with her elbow, "it takes two to tango. And the baby has to have a father."
"There is no baby", I screamed. A couple across the parking lot turned to stare. I breathed out and bit my lip.
"Here they come", whispered Alice. I turned to my left to see Emmett and Edward marching over. Emmett now had a shirt on. He looked tense and slightly disturbed whereas Edward looked perfectly at ease.
As soon as my eyes made contact with Emmett the burning rage inside of me suddenly exploded. I wasn't going to say anything. He wasn't worth it. I would just walk away and not talk to him.
I turned on my heel, with my head held high and started walking back.
"Bella!" a booming voice called out, "wait, don't!"
I didn't even give him the satisfaction of glancing around. I simply carried on walking. He wanted to embarrass me. He wanted make me look stupid. Jake and me had been friends for ages. He probably didn't want to talk to me anymore. I saw that he got a few bruises on his arm. Jacob would just ignore me or avoid me now. Like all the other boys I had gotten close to. Emmett didn't want me to live. He didn't want me to have a life. Whilst he had his. With Rosalie and all his stupid friends. Why couldn't I live my life? He was just a hypocrite.
I didn't even understand why –
"Sorry", I muttered picking myself up from whomever I bumped into.
"Don't worry Bella", said Jasper pulling me up. His eyes flickered behind me, "I think Emmett wants to talk to you."
"Well, I don't wanna talk to him", I said shrugging. I was about to take off again, trying to find Jacob but Jasper stopped me.
"You might wanna listen to what he wants to say", he said. Somehow those words convinced me to wait for Emmett to jog over.
"Look, Bella I –"
"Don't even think of apologising", I hissed. Emmett rested a hand on my shoulder and pushed him off, "I'm telling dad you picked a fight with one of my friends. And if you don't mind, I'm going to find Jacob, to make sure he's alive!"
"He's gone", Emmett said softly.
So that was it. My friendship with Jacob was over, like many other friendships. Because of Emmett of course.
"And whose fault is that?" I snapped.
"Not ours", said another voice. I noticed Edward approaching with Alice and Rosalie.
"We went to apologise", explained Edward, "but he just said… some colourful words, then drove off."
"I don't blame him", I muttered, tears already forming in my eyes. I sniffed and turned back to Emmett. He reached out and touched the spot on my forehead with hurt the most. I flinched back and he looked hurt.
"I didn't mean for you to get hurt, Bells", Emmett whispered gently, "I just… I get I lost my temper. I didn't mean…"
"Yeah well, it already happened", I shrugged, laughing humourlessly, "you know, you always want to protect someone and that person ends up getting hurt anyway. You shouldn't have meddled and gotten involved in the first bloody place!"
"How did you think I felt when I thought you were… with his… I mean, that's just…" Emmett seemed to shudder at his unsaid words.
"Give him a break, Bella. No one got badly hurt", said Jasper behind me.
"Er, hello?" I pointed to my forehead.
"At least your limbs are still attached", mumbled Alice.
"I wanna go home", I sighed, "I hope you know Emmett, and I hope you're proud because I now like you less and one of my close friends have ditched me. Your stupid violent ways don't get the outcome you're wishing for, do they?"
"Bella… I was… you're my sister, I was only trying to –"
"Worked perfectly, didn't it?" I asked staring up at him.
After a couple of minutes Emmett seemed to have given up. He sighed in a resigned sort of way.
"I'll drive you home", he said.
"That's alright, I'll get a lift with someone else", I mumbled.
"We all came in Emmett's jeep", Alice said apologetically.
"Apart from Edward, he takes every chance to drive his Volvo", laughed Rosalie.
"Come on, Bells, I'll drive you", Emmett said.
"I'll walk!" I insisted.
"Why don't I drop you off?" Edward's voice surprised me. I forgot he was standing right there. All my hate suddenly melted as his velvety voice hit my eardrums.
"Oh, er, ok", I gulped.
"Bella", Emmett snapped, "I can do it! Why don't you –?"
"It's no problem", Edward said looking at Emmett meaningfully, and "I'll get her straight home, man".
"Yeah, ok", mumbled Emmett. And I swear he added, "or else" in an undertone.