Since the night we at the clearing, I had had mainly one thing on my mind—I needed to tell Emmett everything. Hiding something from him not only seemed unnatural, but immoral. I had never really discussed it with anybody. Edward knew because of his ability, and I think he told Carlisle and Esme, but it simply was not talked about. Not because they were afraid to, but out of kindness. It never seemed to help, trying to forget. In killing them all, I found that 'expressing how I felt' was easier.
"Em!" my voice came out strangely shaky. He ran in, baseball mitt still on, from the backyard, with the rest of our family behind him.
"Yeah, Rose?" he looked concerned, which made me wonder what my expression said…worry…fear…anger? I was all of those things, every time I thought of it.
"Can I talk to you…I'm not mad at you…" his mood lightened considerably. I had been quiet lately. He didn't know it was because I was always deep in thought, instead of because I was upset with him.
"Of course!" I led him upstairs, into my bedroom. The four poster creaked when we both sat on it.
"Okay…I need to tell you now." He looked confused for only a moment, before a sympathetic look became visible on his face, signifying 'I'm listening'.
"It happened two years ago. I died, or was changed; call it whatever, two years ago. In Rochester New York…"
I told him everything. From the details about my last encounter with Royce even I hated to think about, to how he looked just like Vera's son. His reactions to it all were worth a thousand words. As he heard what had been done to me, he looked livid, angry. Yet when he spoke, asking questions, his voice started to crack. It seemed that he couldn't understand how things like this could happen to people like me, or how there were men in the world capable of such evil. I reached out and grabbed hi shoulder, feeling the need to comfort him. Odd…protective.
"Are you okay?"
"I am now…"
"They got away with it?"
"Not exactly…I killed them all, Emmett. It was so calculated…so cold…and I relished it." He didn't seem disgusted at what I did, quite contrary, actually. It was hard to read his reaction, but it was easy to tell it made him feel better that what goes around really does come around.
"Thanks for telling me…I know it was difficult…" it was, but I never regretted letting him know everything. He could understand me better. Understand why I did what I did. He was, and still is, one of the only people I don't mind sitting in silence with. I don't feel awkward like I would usually, like I did with Royce. Things all came so easily…we had already come so far. I had come so far, as a person. Feeling so different, because of a man seemed crazy. He always say's I'm his angel. I've never told him that he's mine. He truly saved me. Edward walked past the room, and paused, smiling at us. He knew I had found what Carlisle and Esme had, and what I hoped he would have someday. He nodded at both of us, and shut the door.
"I love you"
"I love you too…" I hardly thought of Royce anymore after that. He was no longer an issue in my mind. All was well.