Chapter ten. Don't worry about it, right?

Bella's POV

We drove in silence.

Edward didn't say a word to me. The only sound made was the soft drone of the car and Claire De Lune in the background.

I stared out of the window thinking about any topic that would come to my head. Then I thought about what Jacob said. He was being unfair. Emmett didn't hurt me purposely. He was preventing hurting me. He didn't want me hurt. Sure, he could be a little bit defensive but what brother wasn't?

Jasper was slightly defensive when Rosalie started dating Emmett. He would always stand next to Rosalie or clear his throat when Emmett and Rosalie got a bit too carried away. It's what brothers did. Jacob was being unfair. He wasn't right.

"Bella? You ok?"

It was more than ten minutes but Edward didn't complain. I smiled and turned to him.

"Yeah, I'm good", I said nodding. I realised we were parked outside my house.

"Uh oh", muttered Edward. I followed his gaze to see Emmett walking out of the door, his lips pressed into a straight line. I got out of the car and began walking towards him.

"We got stuck in traffic", I mumbled walking past him and into the house.

"Bella, I used the same road as you. We left a couple of minutes after you guys did", said Emmett, "there was no traffic."

"No, no. I'm pretty sure there was some", Edward insisted.

"Whatever", Emmett shrugged.

I did a double take.

Did Emmett just let it go? Did he just shrug? I wasn't going to die?

He didn't even ask the questions!

"Are you ok?" I asked him. Emmett stared at me for a couple of seconds. We walked into the living to see Rosalie, jasper and Alice staring at the TV fakely and listening to our conversations.

"What are you guys watching?" asked Edward.

"Oh, it's, um, Home Improvement", stuttered Alice. Jasper and Rosalie nodded in unison quickly.

Edward took a seat looking suspicious.

"Can I talk to you for a second please, Emmett?" I asked. He nodded and followed me into the kitchen.

"Bella, don't be mad", Emmett began before I got to say anything, "I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I lost my temper and I'm sorry. I promise not to get involved with you and Jacob again. Hate me if you must but I want you to know I'm sorry."

He cared. Of course he cared. Jacob was wrong.

"I'm not mad", I sighed sitting on the counter, "and I don't hate you, Emmett."

"You seemed pretty mad before," Emmett muttered staring at the floor.

"I was. Because you totally humiliated me and you hurt Jacob", I explained, "but I know you did it because you cared. That doesn't give you a reason to hurt people who I get close to Emmett. You've got Rosalie, I need someone too. Someone to be there for me."

"I'm here for you", he said quickly.

"Yeah, you are. As a brother", I said, "but I need someone to be here for me when you're not there. You're going to have to let me go, Emmett. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can", said Emmett sighing, "but… you're my baby sister, I don't want to let go."

"I love you Emmett, thank you for caring", I whispered. Emmett closed me into a tight hug, sighing heavily.

"Always", he whispered back.

"That is so cute", a high voice chirped up. I jumped back to see Alice grinning by the doorway, "don't I get a hug?"

"Come here!" Emmett called out. We squashed little Alice in the middle and had a trio hug.

…………………………….

Edward's POV

"So where did you guys go?" jasper asked as Alice went into the kitchen. My eyes never left the TV.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "We didn't go anywhere."

"Come on, Edward", laughed Rosalie, "don't pull the traffic excuse on us!"

"I went to see Jacob", announced a voice. I looked up to see Alice bouncing back to sit next to jasper. Emmett leaned by the doorway and Bella standing next to him.

"I just wanted to make sure he was ok", she told everyone, "and he was. But I don't think I'm going to hang around with him anymore."

"Bella, I can go say sorry to him if you want me to", Emmet offered, "I don't want to ruin your… friendship with Jacob."

"No, it's ok", Bella insisted, "You didn't ruin it. He did that himself."

She turned around and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

Everyone looked at me questioningly.

"What happened?" asked Emmett taking a seat next to Rosalie.

"I don't know", I said truthfully. They stared at me disbelievingly.

"Come on, dude. How did Jacob mess up?" asked jasper.

"I seriously don't know", I told them, "I was in the car. She went to his house and I saw them talking but I couldn't hear what they were saying."

"I think I should talk to her", said Rosalie standing up, "come on, Alice. Let's go."

They both disappeared up the stairs. No one bothered to pretend to be watching the TV anymore.

"You let her go to his house on her own?" asked Emmett. He didn't seem angry for some reason, he just sighed heavily.

"I gave her ten minutes", I told him, "I told her to come back in ten. She agreed. Besides they were talking in her doorway. She didn't really go in."

"Is she still pissed off with you?" jasper asked Emmett.

"No, we sort of made up", Emmett said, "but I'm not pushing my luck any time soon."

"The way you flipped out on the beach was a bit too over", jasper said, "I mean, you acted like her dad."

"Don't start on me, man", Emmett muttered grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels, "did you see what they were doing?"

"Nothing you haven't done with my sister", jasper shot in, "but you don't see me going hulk."

"Yeah, but you don't walk in on us", laughed Emmett, "besides, they were in public. I don't want people to start calling my sister a…"

"She was just messing with him", I added, "she told me that they were trying to freak out Lauren. That's why they said the whole eloping and pregnancy thing, I think."

"Did you really think she was eloping?" laughed jasper.

"At that moment I was too stunned to think anyway", said Emmett shrugging, "I mean… he was… she was… they were all over eachother. It was just…"

"Yeah…" I sighed shuddering from the flashback of the memory.

Suddenly Alice and Rosalie came running back down the stairs.

"She's not there", huffed Alice, out of breath.

"What do you mean?" demanded Emmett standing up.

"Bella's gone", said Rosalie.

And my world shattered once more.