It was hot. This isn't something I usually notice, and it isn't something that often happens in Forks, but the whole house smelled like Bella, her own scent, freesia, wildflowers. I knew from listening to conversations before Bella started coming around frequently that this was something which drove Edward crazy. I could see why. So I guess it isn't surprising that I was thinking of the fact that it was hot enough to make Bella sweat, and thinking about Bella herself.
Rosalie was working on her computer again, and I was sitting in my computer chair and looking out the back windows. I was feeling like I wanted to do something, but I didn't really know what. I'm bad at occupying myself when I'm bored. It's why Rosalie is usually such a good companion for me, but lately, she'd been closing herself off to everyone because of our general acceptance of Bella's arrival, when she wasn't comfortable with it at all. I loved her, but her attitude got to me sometimes. Bella was okay to have around. She kept things fun.
I loved watching Edward going slowly insane around her. Half the time she was completely oblivious to Edward's moments of weakness. I could see it though. He'd stand behind her, eyes scrunched tight, face turned up to the ceiling, not breathing, jaw locked tight. Even if she'd been looking at him, she wouldn't have been able to see his shaking, it was too fast for human eyes to see. He'd vibrate like an exploding atom until he got his control back.
Also, Bella's complete void of grace. How could anyone be that klutzy? It gave me endless hours of laughter to watch her walking through our house...there weren't any potential hazards in our place, yet Bella always managed to trip somehow . Yes, I had to admit, I really enjoyed having Bella around. Well, at least I did until I started getting these weird visions of her. I couldn't figure it out. Why would these thoughts come to me? About Bella!?
When I knew they weren't looking at me, I would really look at Bella. For a human, it's true, she is pretty, and there's definitely something different about her. But compared to Rose, she wasn't much to look at. Of course for me there was much more to Rosalie Hale than just her looks. I was really annoyed with Rose for that, more than anything else. Me and my family knew Rose for the way she was inside, behind all the rude, and seemingly uncaring attitude she conveyed. But she wouldn't let Bella in one inch. Bella continued to see Rosalie as the one member of the family who absolutely loathed her, but I knew better, so did Rose. But for the last several weeks, I'd been struck again and again by disturbing images of Bella in very un-Bella-like situations.
The first time I'd noticed anything, I'd walked in on Bella sitting on a chair in Carlisle's study, I'd opened the door and there was Bella, and I suddenly had a collage of random positions I could have her in on that chair. It was things I'd only ever tried with Rose and the realization had freaked me out, and really disturbed me. Then there was Carlisle's birthday, I'd seen two inches of Bella's waist and lost my mind. It was the strangest thing yet...at least until later when I'd started imagining myself kissing Bella. Then a few weeks ago, Alice had convinced us all to go to a club together. That night I hallucinated about Bella doing things involving me, ice cubes and her tongue that I couldn't think of now without physically cringing. That night had ended strangely, Edward had shot out of Seattle like a bullet, after throwing Jasper across the club. I didn't really know what was going on, but I did know that Edward was keeping Bella locked in his room during the few times he let her come over to the house. Also, Alice and Jasper both were walking around very grumpy these days. Then recently I'd had a sudden and ridiculous vision of Bella, on a dancing platform, and, well, it had been very strange too.
I could hear Bella in another room talking to someone, I assumed it was Edward, "I feel like my skin will drip off me. If this doesn't stop I'll melt."
Poor little sis, I thought. She's probably feeling the heat. I thought maybe I'd invite her out to the river, see if she wanted to cool off in the back. Edward would help me persuade her, anything to help Bella. Really, his consideration of her was completely out of the park. I stood up and headed to the door, as I opened it Esme stood before our door, turning to the other direction, on her way in to Carlisle's study. She smiled at me as she turned. Esme loved Bella, she'd been going crazy keeping food in the house for her. I thought of the last shopping trip she'd made for Bella's sake. The fridge and cabinets were stocked to their capacity. She'd bought enough frozen foods to keep Bella well fed until...frozen foods! I thought suddenly. Esme had bought a large box of popsicles for Bella as summer had arrived. I pulled the door closed, and ran downstairs to grab a popsicle
When I made it back up the stairs I ran directly to Edward's room. I knocked, "Bella?" I waited, pushing the popsicle open for her.
"What's up Emmett?" she asked through the door. I opened the door, and seeing her lying across the bed, closed the door and crossed to her. I held the popsicle out, "Here, I thought you might want a popsicle since it's so warm, even I can feel the difference." Bella smiled at me and then suddenly her smile dropped, and a crashing sense of lust fell over me. She stood up on her knees on the bed, reached forward and grabbed my hand with hers, pulling the popsicle closer towards her, she was still looking me into my eyes as she slid her mouth down over it. and then back up it again and smiled at me.
I threw the heels of my hands into my eyes and screamed, "Aaaaah! THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! I can't take this anymore." After a short moment, I pulled my hands away to find Bella looking at me strangely with wide eyes. "What?" I asked her.
"Are you okay, Emmett?" she said in a cautious tone. I nodded, and she went on. "Thank you for the popsicle Emmett." she smiled and then slid her mouth down the popsicle again, I wasn't hallucinating this time. What the heck was going on?.... I thought to myself.
Suddenly I heard a chuckle and saw Jasper walk out from behind the door to the closet, as soon as he became visible I felt another crashing wave of lust, I turned back to Bella who was, I realized, feeling the same thing. She froze halfway down the popsicle, then pulled it back out of her mouth and ran her tongue along the side of it.
I suddenly became aware of how warm it really did feel, Bella was still looking into my eyes, she lifted the popsicle up over her head, and using the underside of her wrist, wiped the sweat off her forehead, face and dropping her arm, wiped up her neck. She licked her pale red lips and looked back at me, and something broke in me. I'm not sure what, but I closed the distance between us, reached my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her forward while I dropped my head and smashed our lips together.
It was pretty much the way I'd imagined it those many weeks ago, only I'd never imagined Bella was so warm. Her lips burned me from my lips all the way through my whole body. I reached around her with my other arm and drew her against me. Bella parted her lips and kissed me back, every bit as strong in her feelings as I was. She pressed into me a little more, as though she'd been pushed, and she moaned into my mouth. My eyes opened in suprise, and saw Jasper's face at the back of her shoulder. He was pressed up against her from the back, and was kissing her neck and shoulder, biting at them gently with his teeth. I closed my eyes as I felt Bella shudder and reach her hands up onto my chest, pulling me forward into her by my shirt. I slid the hand that had been holding her neck and rested it on her Bella's breast. She moaned again and she slid her hand down over mine and she squeezed my hand, while I squeezed her breast. I could feel Jasper pushing Bella into me in a steadying pattern, and so I began to press her from the front in an opposing but familiar pattern.
I reached my hand down and pulled her hips against me, and ran my tongue over her lips, then crushed her lips with mine again. She broke the kiss as Jasper's face come up over her shoulder. She turned her face, and she and Jasper began kissing the way I'd just kissed her, I went down on one knee, wrapped one arm around Bella's back, avoiding contact with Jasper as much as possible, and lifted Bella's shirt and was kissing her whole stomach when the door behind me flew open and slammed with a splintering crash into the wall behind it. I started to jump up and back, but realized Bella would fall the way I'd had her braced against me. So I stood there with my hands on Bella's shoulders, keeping her upright.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Edward standing in the doorway in a towering rage. "I WARNED YOU TO STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HER A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, CAN'T YOU FOLLOW ANY ORDERS?" Edward yelled. I snarled and glared at him, opening my mouth to argue with him, when Jasper actually growled and flew over both mine and Bella's heads at Edward. They crashed backwards, out through the bedroom door, sounding as always like thunder when their bodies struck each other. I turned and looked back at Bella, our eyes met and we both ran out the door.
Edward and Jasper were arms, legs and movement. Bella winced and cringed, screaming at every contact they made. They were yelling too,
"A CENTURY I FOLLOWED ORDERS FROM BETTER MEN THAN YOU, BETTER WOMEN...NO MORE!"
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE VERY WELL-"
"EDWARD, JASPER, Please stop this, please...I'm begging you. For ME! EDWARD!" Bella called, uselessly, she turned and looked at me, her eyes pleading with me. "Emmett, stop it."
It had been awhile since I'd seen Jasper and Edward go at it when they were really and truly angry with one another, so I was tempted to allow it to continue, but for Bella's sake, I waded into the battle.
"ALL RIGHT, PUT YOUR CLAWS AWAY LIKE NICE LITTLE KITTIES" I bellowed, as I grabbed each of them by the collars of their shirts. Both of them snarled at me, and I glared at Jasper, growling. Jasper mellowed instantly. He fought with Edward frequently, never with me. Then I looked at Edward. I let the feelings of confusion show on my face. "I've just had a very strange experience for the last several weeks, and I have a feeling both of you know what's going on. Now I love my new little sister, and I intend to keep her, so I would like someone to start explaining exactly who is mindscrewing who before I get pissed, because right now I THINK IT'S ME!"
Just then, I heard a very calm, but very stern voice from behind me. "I doubt that's the case Emmett, but I would still like very much to know what's going on as well." We all turned and looked back, as I released their collars. Carlisle stood there, and since Carlisle almost never showed any emotion, finding him frowning with his jaw clenched was very weird.
The whole family was sitting in Carlisle's study. Rosalie was sitting behind me with Alice, Bella was sitting with Edward, her face full of concern and worry. Edward was still so mad at Jasper he hadn't noticed he was scaring Bella, who was blaming herself, to pieces. I was annoyed with both Jasper and Edward, and with myself. We all sat there in a huff. Esme stood behind Carlisle with disapproval all over her face. She put her hand on Carlisle's shoulder, and he glanced up to her as he placed a hand over hers. He then looked back at us.
"I would like to know what is going on, from the beginning please." He said softly.
Everyone started answering at the same time.