Emmett is already in Carlisle's room when I enter, both of us in our flannel pants. He paces the foot of the bed with his hands clasped behind his back. I sit on a chair in the corner and debate my options again.

"He's pissed, dude. Why did he ask us to change?" Emmett asks panicky.

"I don't know." I mumble.

"Why aren't we in his office?"

"I don't know."

"What is he-"

"Emmett! I don't know!" I snap at him. He turns to me with a harsh look.

"No need to be a hateful asshole about it!"

"Emmett!" This time it's Carlisle who calls Emmett's name from downstairs.

"Sorry." Emmett mumbles.

"This is all your fault anyways." I hiss at him. "You're the one who came up with this dumb idea."

"You're the one who went along with it!"

"I did not!"

"You did to! You filled in the holes of the story. If you would have kept your mouth shit, we would be in this predicament right now!"

"You mean I wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"He wouldn't have believed me if you didn't chime in!"

"Are you too stupid to realize that he was believing every word you said?"

"Don't call me stupid!"

"Then don't be stupid!"

"Shut the fuck up, Edward!"

I growl at him, but cut it short when Carlisle comes in through the bedroom door. After slamming it shut, he gives us both angry looks.

"Front and center, both of you." He says, pointing to the area in front of him. Grudgingly, we do as we're told. Carlisle's firm glare stays. "Either of you care to explain what has been going on?"

We both just scowl at each other and neither of us say a thing.

"I'm waiting for your answer."

Still nothing.

"Ow!" I yelp as a hard smack from Carlisle lands on the back of my thigh. He's not holding back this time.

"When I ask a question," Carlisle says through clenched teeth. He grabs Emmett's arm and turns him slightly. Emmett closes his eyes, he knows what's coming, and only whimpers slightly after Carlisle smacks him. "I expect an immediate answer."

"We were arguing." Emmett mumbles.

"About?" Carlisle turns to me for the answer.

"Who's at fault for us being in trouble."

"Well, from what I see, you both are at fault. You both lied to Jasper."

"He started it." I mumble.

"He may have started it, but you went along with it and continued the lie."

"You were the one who made him believe it." Emmett snaps at me. I glare at him.

"Both of you keep quiet unless I ask you a question." Carlisle says firmly. He folds his hands behind his back, his look still angry. I clench my jaw but comply. "Emmett, what started this lie?"

"I told him that he wasn't the only one who knew what an angry coven leader is like."

"Can you please explain to me why you felt the need to tell him that?"

"All he does is complain about how horrible his past was and how lucky we are." Emmett huffs. "It gets annoying and I just thought we could get him to shut up."

Carlisle's eyes are comparable to fire once Emmett finishes speaking. As soon as the words leave his mouth, Emmett ducks his head and waits for Carlisle's response.

God, I'm stupid! He demotes himself mentally.

"Let me get this straight. Because Jasper has had horrific and miserable experiences with other leaders and appreciates the home we have worked so hard at creating, you thought it would be a good idea to make a joke about it? Is that how you're justifying turning his fear and anxiety into a joke?" Carlisle asks condescendingly. He steps closer to Emmett, who starts to panic.

Damn, he's pissed.

"It sounds harsher when you put it like that."

"How would you put it to make it sound acceptable?"

Emmett just looks down.

"How dare you make a joke out of his insecurities." Carlisle shakes his head.

Maybe he'll keep his anger directed to Emmett. After all, he's the idiot who thought up this whole plot.

"And you!" Carlisle turns to me, his finger pointed in my face. "You could hear every distressed thought of his, yet you continued to lie to him!"

"Carlisle, I-"

"Did I ask you a question?" He demands. Scowling, I shake my head no. "Then don't talk!"

My jaw drops. When Carlisle turn into such a controlling ass?

"You knew exactly how worried he was about this. You knew his every worry, yet you did nothing but let him believe that outrageous lie!" He jabs his finger closer to my face. "I cannot believe you let him worry so much! You knew he wasn't taking it as a joke. How? How could you let him suffer like that?"

"Hey, I wanted to tell him we were joking once we returned to the house!" I say angrily. "Emmett's the one who said not to!"

"Now is not the time to raise your voice to me, Edward." He growls.

"I was going to tell him! It was that idiot over there," I point to Emmett. "Who told me not to tell!"

"And he has complete control over you?" He asks sarcastically.

Without thinking, I growl at him. Carlisle almost reacts without thinking, too, and his arm twitches. I don't know who is more scared by the image in his mind, me or him. I jump back and duck, and he also takes several steps backwards to get away from me.

He was ready to slap me. Not hit my thigh or spank me, but actually slap me. Across the face.

I stare at him with a mix of confusion and anguish. Is he really that angry with me? He was seriously ready to smack my face. He's never smacked any of us. We never get out of an ass whooping if we deserve it, but this is so much different. He was ready to hit me out of pure anger.

"Well," Carlisle clears his throat into his fist. Emmett looks between the two of us, wide-eyed and curious of what just happened. "Both of you are to stay here. I'm going out to clear my head for a moment. If either of you leave this room, you will not like the consequences. Understand?"

We both nod. After eyeing us, he gives us a curt nod. He exits the room and gently shuts the door. Emmett wait for him to run out of ear to question me.

"What just happened, dude?"

"He was going to," I gulp the words back. They sound so weird and foreign, even in my head. "Carlisle was ready to hit me."

"I figured that. You were walking on thin ice. I thought for sure he was ready to tan our hides."

"You don't understand. Not hit like beat my ass. Hit like smack my face."

Emmett's jaw drops. He looks just as surprised as me.

"Damn it, Emmett." I plop down on edge of the bed and hold my head in my hands. "We seriously did it this time."

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