A/N: I think you guys'll like this one... Just a feeling... ;-) Thanks so much for the awesome reviews, you guys make me smile every day, and trust me, smiles are much appreciated these days. Thanks to Lea for being all groovy and whatnot. Hehe. And....... that is all for now.

Disclaimer: Why must I keep doing these??!! I don't own it!!! Got it??!!

EmPOV

My mom called every day. That was inevitable, though I was finally appreciating the gesture. I know she still felt horrible that she couldn't be with me, though she promised she was going to come out in a few days to stay for the weekend again. Seeing me soon, however, did not stop her endless chattering, mainly centering around my time with Bella. I had no idea if she was on to me or not, but there were times that her voice bordered on knowing, which was unnerving. Was I that transparent?

And of course, Mom coming meant that Bella would be leaving for the weekend. This time, I wasn't pleased she was going to be gone for a few days. At least I had the satisfaction that she couldn't be going off to Edward someplace. I really hated that guy, and I was extremely happy she had broken things off with him.

But being away from her made me uneasy now. I didn't like to admit it, but I hated it when she wasn't here with me. She was the light of my day… fuck, of my life right now.

Over the last few days, she and I were becoming more comfortable around each other. We spent most of our days hanging out on my bed, with her stretched out beside me, watching movies or horrible sitcoms, and talking. Lots and lots of talking. And I might sound like a girl saying it, but I loved it. Bella was smart, and interesting, and fun and everything I learned about her just made me like… love… her even more. This was so much more than physical for me.

Yep, I'm definitely turning into a woman. Must be the meds.

But it was still true.

And then, one day after we'd been watching an entire marathon of Man Vs. Wild, she had to go and remind me that she was starting school soon. "I'll be around, my schedule's pretty light in the afternoon, you'll barely even miss me," she promised. "I'll be gone for class in the morning, and then I'll be back."

I don't know why I thought we would stay suspended in this little bubble of ours, in this apartment, but real life was calling and she had to move on.

And I'd still be here, in this bed.

Beyond Bella having to go, I felt a twinge of depression, for myself, for my own life. It was hard to ignore the fact that I was supposed to go back to school, finish my degree, get accepted on a pro hockey team, become something more. I was supposed to, but it wasn't going to happen.

And even with Bella, so beautiful and finally my friend, becoming such a large part of my life, I couldn't quite hold off on the depression once more.

She sensed it, and grasped my good hand firmly in hers. "Emmett, are you okay?"

Shots of heat and need flowed through me at her touch. Her hands were so soft and warm, and I couldn't ignore how perfectly her fingers felt woven through mine. Like they belonged. Like we belonged together.

Knock off those thoughts, I told myself. She doesn't need that from you. She doesn't feel this like you do. She just broke up with Ass-ward. Doesn't need me to start-

"Emmett?" I snapped my eyes open, unaware I'd even shut them, and took in her puzzled expression. All I could see was her face, her cute little nose, her wide, chocolate brown and curious eyes, her plump lips which were slightly parted.

"Fine, I'm fine," I managed, trying to keep the moan out of my voice. I was trying very hard not to say something I'd regret, or use all of my strength to roll over as best I could and kiss her. As it was, I was fighting to keep from lifting her hand to my mouth and kiss the back of it, or maybe her palm. Feel her pulse race in her wrist while I watched her eyes darken.

At least, I hoped that's how it would be.

See? I'm turning into a woman, writing some lousy romance novel.

"Are you sure? You look awful red."

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About?" Her voice trailed off, waiting for more.

"About how I was supposed to go back, too. About… you know. How I'm stuck in this bed."

She frowned, her eyes sympathetic, but it wasn't aggravating like it had been in the past. It seemed like she wasn't feeling sorry for me, just concerned. Like she really did care.

"I'm sorry," she said simply. And I knew she meant it. She bit that sexy bottom lip of hers, and looked at me with the sweetest expression I'd ever seen. She cupped her other hand around mine, and began rubbing circles onto my hand. I have no idea how she didn't feel my pulse going crazy beneath her fingers. "I wish I could make it better."

"You do. Every single day." I didn't mean to say it, but I meant it.

She blushed, that sweet, sexy blush of hers, and smiled.

"It's nothing. You deserve a much better caretaker than me. What do I do now? Watch TV with you and bring you pills?" she teased.

"Believe me; you do more for that than me. Don't sell yourself short, Bella. Except in the beginning there, you've kept me from going batshit crazy."

She smiled shyly. I could never get enough of her smile. It made her entire face light up.

God, I wanted to kiss her.

I hadn't realized how I was leaning towards her, closer and closer, until I turned my head an inch more and found that her head was on the pillow next to mine, and her face was turned towards me.

So close. If I could just move my head just a little bit more… My eyes kept drifting from her eyes to her mouth, and back again, making the full circuit across her features. And, to my surprise, my shock and my relief, I saw her doing the same.

I couldn't move closer. If this was going to happen, she had to meet me halfway. I silently begged her with my eyes, trying to do some Jedi mind-trick or some shit like that. Kiss me, please kiss me… come closer Bella, I need you…

She licked her lips, her breathing deeper and faster than before. Her eyes seemed permanently stuck on my lips. Her hand rose from mine, reaching up to my cheek, but froze before her fingertips could make contact. Instead, they rested on my shoulder, and I felt the heat radiating into my body from hers.

She leaned forward.

BPOV

My heart was pounding crazily in my chest. It pounded so loudly, I was shocked Emmett couldn't hear it, surprised it wasn't echoing off the walls of his tiny bedroom.

I leaned forward, drawn to him. I couldn't fight it anymore, the way I felt for him. It was too real, too intense. It was pointless trying to drown out the urges anymore. The way he was looking at me… I could barely breathe.

My hand moved to the back of his neck, sliding over the muscles there. He felt hard beneath my touch, so strong. I looked into his eyes, and he was staring straight back at me, his lips parted, his eyes begging.

I could feel his breath fanning against my lips, and all I wanted was to taste him.

And I was waiting because…?

I took one last look into his eyes, to make sure he really wanted it, and then I brushed my lips against his.

Nothing had prepared me; nothing had ever been like this. I wasn't ready for the way our lips molded together; the way my bottom lip fit between his, the way his tongue swept across my lip and made me forget my own name.

His head tilted so he had better access to my mouth, and I let him. I gripped his shoulder tightly, silently encouraging his actions. Slowly, torturously, we deepened the kiss, and molded our bodies together as best we could, until I was half under him. It was difficult to stay mindful of his injuries when his tongue was so skillfully engaging mine. I was whimpering, I was moaning, I was burning up, and I never wanted it to end. My arm curled around his neck, and barely remembered that I couldn't hitch my leg around his hip. I wanted to be closer, infinitely closer.

"Emmett," I sighed when we both needed air. He continued on to my neck as I curled my fingers into his hair. It was a lot more silky and thick than it looked. Me moaning his name must have been some sort of catalyst, because before I knew it, his mouth was back on mine, and this time, it wasn't sweet or seductive, it was desperate and needy and powerful and passionate.

My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I was clinging to him like he was the only thing tying me down to earth. I think he was; my entire body felt like it was floating.

And then suddenly, my cell phone was ringing. Emmett and I jumped apart (well, I jumped, he inched slowly away), and I rolled over to shut off the ringtone on the side table. I looked at the phone with disgust. Renee. Leave it to her to interrupt the best, most sexually charged moment of my life.

"Uh, I should take this," I stammered, and eased myself off the bed. His face was flushed, and his lips were swollen from our passionate kisses. I could also see that certain parts of his anatomy were still fully functioning. Shit. I wanted to whimper and be held tight against him again, to feel him against me, every single inch. I wanted nothing more than to have his mouth against mine again, to be held by him once more.

"Okay," he said, and his voice was husky. I shivered. I gave him a long, meaningful look that I hope reassured him that I didn't regret what just passed between us, and then turned into the living room.

"Hi Mom," I said, and while I loved the woman, I wanted nothing more than to strangle her at this moment.

"Hi sweetie!" she chirped, which made my mood just that much more dark. "How are you?" She dragged out each word so that they were exaggerated. I rolled my eyes through the phone.

"I'm fine," I said briskly.

"And how's Emmett?"

Sexy. Amazing. Kisses me till the earth moves beneath me. Loveable.

Shit. Where did that one come from? Loveable? What the fuck does that mean?

I filed that thought away for later on. One kiss and I'm thinking of love?

"He's fine," I said, after I realized I'd paused for a ridiculously long time. "I'm fine. We're both fine. It's fine…"

Great, I was babbling beyond belief. Was I that obvious?

I could practically hear her eyebrows raise at my words.

"So everything's fine then?" She sounded amused.

"Yes, Mom. It's fine."

She laughed then. "Good to know. What have you kids been up to? Still at each other's throats?"

Only when tongue, teeth and lips are involved.

I shivered at my own thoughts, and glanced through the open door. Emmett was staring at the ceiling, still panting for breath. God, I hope I affected him as much as he affected me. My panties were soaked clear through.

"Not exactly. We're pretty good friends now actually."

More than friends. Christ, I had to stop this damned internal dialogue. It was killing me, and it wasn't helping me focus at all. Though, the way he had touched me, I was surprised I even had vocal cords to begin with.

I finally realized that Renee was still on the other end of the phone, and that she was speaking once more. Head in the game, Bella.

"Good! Esme and I always thought you guys would get along if you would just get your heads out of your butts. Our little Pride & Prejudices."

"Excuse me?"

"You both had silly little prejudices against each other, for no real reason. I'm glad you got past it."

"Mom, are you trying to tell me we're like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy?" I tried very hard to keep the mirth out of my voice. Pride & Prejudice was one of my very favorite books, but I found it very hard to find the parallels between the epic Lizzy and Darcy, and Emmett and me.

"Something like that."

"Whatever, Mom."

"Stubborn girl. Anyway, the reason I called was that Esme is coming next weekend to take Emmett off your hands for a few days."

Please don't.

"And I was thinking, I might come with her, so I can see you! Your dad is going to be busy at the station anyway, so I figured we could have a girl's weekend. You can bring Alice."

"Uh, sure, that'd be great," I said, though less enthusiastically than I would have hoped to muster.

"I know you'll be busy with schoolwork and all, but Esme and I can hang out in Emmett's apartment with him when you're gone. Oh, this is going to be so fun, Bella!" she practically squealed.

I couldn't bring myself to squeal along with her. Too many emotions were flooding through me at the moment, and I didn't know how to deal with them. Renee and Esme coming. The inevitable bursting the little bubble Emmett and I lived in. That epic kiss we'd just shared. What that meant. How he felt about it. How I felt about it. It was driving me fucking nuts, and I hadn't even hung up the phone with Renee yet.

"Yeah, fun. Okay, so Mom, I have to go now. Can I talk to you later?" I was being distant and rude, and I knew that if I kept this conversation up much longer, she'd be on to me. I wasn't ready for that.

"Sure, honey. I'll talk to you later. Love you!" And then she was gone.

When I looked into Emmett's bedroom, he was asleep.