Chapter Six: Been Here Before
Emmett POV
"Would...would you like to go get something to eat?"I asked as we walked outside from the movie theater.
"Oh...I...I should get back to Aiden." She told me, and I could tell she only didn't want to go out to eat and was using the baby as an excuse,
"He's with Jasper and Alice." I reminded her. "He'll be fine for another hour or so."
"Sure." She finally answered, and I did a victory dance in my head. I knew getting to know Bella was a limited thing since she was still healing. I felt terrible for her. Her fiancee dying just three months before she was due...almost reminded me of the pain I went through when my parents died. "Where to?"
"There's a great pizza down the street." I told her as she got into her car. "Why don't you follow me?"
"Alright, you lead." She smiled getting into her car. I took a few breaths as I walked to my own car and got inside. Thankfully, it was an awkward time of day and the place wasn't crowded. Bella and I were able to pick a seat when we walked inside...something I'd never done before. "How do you know about this place?"
"My aunt and uncle took me here one of the first nights I was in Forks." I told her. "We were here shopping for my things and they took me to dinner here."
"If you don't mind me asking...why are you here living with your aunt and uncle?" She asked as she took a sip of water. "I mean, I don't wanna be rude but...aren't you twenty-four?"
"Yes, I am." I nodded. "My parents died in a fire on the night of my high school graduation."
"Oh."
"Yeah...my aunt and uncle offered to let me go live with them until school started, but...after their funeral I ran. Literally. I ran out of the funeral, grabbed a bag of the things I'd had that weren't in the house when it caught fire...and left. I haven't been back in Tennessee in six years and I haven't actually had a home since then."
"Well, didn't you get the inssurance and everything they left you?"
"Nothing was left in the house." I pointed out. "And, I didn't want the inssurance if the only reason I was getting it at their death."
"How'd you do it?" She asked. "Run away...never look back?"
"It was hard...but I can't still look at my Uncle Carlisle without being reminded of my mother." I sighed. "I just...I was a mixed up kid and got mixed into a really bad lifestyle."
"You weren't like...in a gang or anything?"
"Basically." I sighed. "We didn't kill anyone...until that night."
"That...night?" She asked, and I realized what I'd just done. I'd just told someone what happened that night...something I'd swore I'd never speak of. I looked up and saw her face and it was of pure terror.
"No!" I screeched. "I didn't kill anyone but the 'leader' did. Someone got in his way."
"Creep." She muttered as she looked up at me. Suddenly, those chocolate brown eyes seemed very familiar to me. I squinted my eyes slightly, and tried to remember where I'd seen Bella before. And then...it hit me.
"What did you just do?" I whispered as I saw the color leave the mans face, and looked up to see a picture with him and a a pregnant girl. "Shit. James, he was about to have a kid." I shrieked as I looked closer at the picture. She didn't look very far along in this picture, but for all I knew this could have been taken four months ago and she was about to have the kid.
"Oh my god." I whispered, scooting my chair back. This was the girl that I'd seen in that picture that night. Edward was the husband who was killed, and Aiden was the son they were about to have. I was building a friendship with the wife of my half brother that James killed. "Shit."
"Emmett?" She asked as she starred at me in confusion. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." I lied, standing up and grabbing my coat. "I just...I forgot I have to be somewhere soon."
"Okay, well...bye." She whispered, and she looked hurt. I closed my eyes to savior her look and headed out the door. Of all people to meet and begin to flirt with...it had to be her. I got into my car and sped away towards Forks. I had to get out of here. I couldn't do this anymore. I needed to turn myself in, and everyone who was involved. This guilt had been eating me alive, and it had just won the battle.
As I turned onto the highway, I felt my eyes beginning to sting. I tried wiping them away, and pretend like I was fine. But, I was powerless and ended up making a sharp turn off the road. I slammed on the breaks and just fell apart in my car. This wasn't right. That little boy should have a father, and he didn't because of me. I should have stopped James. I shouldn't have been there in the first place.
After I'd calmed down enough, I turned the car back on and turned onto the highway. The drive back to Forks seemed to take forever, and I bolted upstairs to pack a small bag so I could just leave. I slammed the door to the bedroom I was sleeping in and just began throwing things into a bag. I fell apart again as I was packing, and wished I'd kept better tack of time when I heard the front door closing.
I took a deep breath and tried to sneak downstairs. But, Carlisle was smart and caught me as I was opening the front door.
"Where you going?" He asked, coming up behind me and shutting the door.
"I don't know." I answered honestly.
"So...this is how we're going to do it?" He asked. "You're going to show up at of nowhere...come back into our lives...and disappear again? Do you know what that would do to Esme?"
"I would have called eventually to tell you guys I was safe."
"Eventually?" He almost seethed. "Do you know what having you back in our lives has done for her?"
"No."
"It showed her that you weren't some screw up like everyone was saying you were back in Gatlinburg. It showed her that my sister raised you right and that...that you did care."
"What does she need me to care for?" I asked, turing to face him. "She's got her own kids. Have them show they care."
"Her own kids moved away and barely call anymore, Emmett." He screamed. "You gave her someone to care for."
"She has you."
"It's not the same and you know it!"
"Why does she care so much?" I yelled. "I'm the screwup nephew who just abandoned him the night his parents died! I'm the screwup of this family and you know it!"
"You aren't a screwup!" He tried to tell me. "You've had a rough couple of years but that was to be expected! Emmett, you're changing you life."
"NO! I'M NOT! I'M RUINING LIVES EACH DAY I STAY HERE!" I screamed and he backed away from me. "I'm the reason that poor girl ran to one of the smallest towns of the USA! I'm the reason that little boy doesn't have a father! ME! IT'S MY FAULT!"
"Why? Why would it be your fault?"
"BECAUSE!" I yelled as my back fell onto the wall. "I didn't stop him." I cried, another tear running down my face.
"Stop who?"
"James." I sighed, as my knees gave out and I fell down against the wall.
"Who's James?"
"The man who killed Aiden's father." I cried as Carlisle sat down next to me. "I should have done something. Stood in front of him and James."
"That wouldn't have stopped him and you would have both would have died." He tried to tell me before something clicked in his head. "Wait? Aiden's father? Bella's fiancee that was...that was killed?"
"That's the one."
"Emmett?" He asked sternly. "What did you do?"
I took a deep breath before I began to tell him why exactly I was so thin and sick when I came to Forks. I had to. I didn't care if he called the cops and sold me out...but I couldn't keep this on my chest anymore. He was family and I trusted him to do what he felt was right.
"And, you're sure its the same girl from the picture?" He asked.
"Yeah." I nodded. "Think about it...her fiancee was killed right before she had Aiden. It just adds up."
"Why didn't you come to us before you got into all of this?"
"I didn't want to." I answered honestly. "I didn't really want anyone after mom and dad died. I just wanted to be alone and by the time I had gotten that alone time...I thought it'd be too late."
"You were always welcome here, Em." He whispered. "No matter how much trouble you thought you were in, you could have always come to us."
"I...I just..."
"And, I know Caroline and Max raised you better than this, Emmett."
"Don't bring mom and dad into this."
"What do you expect me to do, Emmett?" He asked. "Pretend I'm okay with this? Pretend that I'm okay with the fact my only nephew...has become some refugee loaner? Em, you're the only thing left of her...and this isn't what she'd want you to be doing."
"You think I don't know that?" I yelled. "I know that if she were here right now...I'd be getting an ear full. But, she's not and if she was...I wouldn't be like this."
"Exactly." He agreed. "Because they raised you to be a better man. A man who owns up to his mistakes."
"I just did."
"You need to confess to Bella." He told me bluntly.
"You want me to tell her I was there when James murdered her fiancee in cold blood...and never looked back and just ran away from the problem I'd helped make?"
"You're twenty-four, Emmett." He said, taking one last sip of his drink and standing up. "You do what you think is right. But..leave Es and I out of it."
I heard his bedroom door shut and I threw my glass up against the wall. He was doing exactly what I didn't need...leaving the situation up to me. I didn't want to go to jail...no matter how much I deserved to. But, the last few months I'd been around Bella, I'd really enjoyed being with her and was beginning to care about her. I couldn't help think that not telling her would be the best thing...that maybe she could just accept and move on from everything that'd happened.
I went to the foyer, picked up my bag and opened the door. But, when I opened the door, I couldn't help but smile when I saw Bella, with her hand in the air, looking like she was about to knock.
"Hi." She smiled. "I don't mean to just barge in, but you...you left this at the pizza place."
"Oh," I said, looking down at the picture of my parents and me for our last Christmas picture before they'd died. I'd forgotten that I was looking at it before going into the movie theater and just put in my pocket for safe keeping. "Thanks."
"No problem." She blushed. "Are..are you okay? You stormed out of the building...and now you're holding a duffle bag looking flustered and drained."
"It's just been...a long afternoon."
"Are you...are you moving?" She asked, almost looking pained. I took one look into her eyes, and completely melted. I couldn't hurt her. I just couldn't. I couldn't tell her the truth, because it would completely destroy her.
"No, I was just going to donate some clothes to Good Will." I lied. "Most of the clothes they bought me when I moved here...got really small really fast."
"Oh." She laughed. "You want some company? Jasper and Alice took the babies to see a friend so I am completely babyless for the rest of the day."
"You know what... I'll do this tomorrow." I said, putting the bag back inside. "And, since we didn't get to finish out lunch...can I buy you dinner?"
"Sure." She blushed.
The next morning was tense. Carlisle hadn't told Esme what we'd talked about, but he also refused to speak or look at me the entire morning. I spent the rest of the day, trying to concentrate on school, but finally decided to give up and go out for coffee. Just as I was paying, I heard Bella's voice behind me.
"Well, it looks like we can't get away from each other." She laughed.
"Hey, Bella." I smiled, looking down at Aiden who was smiling broadly. From the picture's I'd seen that night...he was already starting to look like his father. "What are you doing here?"
"It's cold and I was hoping to get some grading done here." She laughed as the waitress handed her her drink. "What did you say I owed?"
"Go." I offered, swatting away her hand. "I got this one."
"Thank you." She whispered, grabbing her cup and walking over to a table near the fire. Unfortunately for her, we couldn't shut up and she got nothing done. "You did not!"
"I did." I told her, hardly unable to contain my laughed. "I lost a bet against Rosalie and stripped out of my uniform and streaked down the field at halftime."
"I hope someone got that on tape."
"They did...but then my parents made a whole big thing out of it and made everyone delete the videos."
"Damn." She sighed. "I need a good laugh."
"Trust me...it wasn't that funny. It was fucking freezing and my ass was bright red by the time I got back to the locker room."
"I can only imagine." She smiled, before turning back to Aiden. My phone rang not long after and I pressed the 'SEND' button.
"Hello?" I asked since I didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"
"Well, hello to you too." A deep, threatening voice greeted. "How have you been?"
"What do you want?" I asked after I'd excused myself and went outside.
"Oh...nothing." He sighed, but I knew he was lying. "You left, Emmett."
"You told me to get out." I reminded him. "I did what I was told."
"But...you know I don't like it when people listen to me." He laughed. "It creates...problems."
"Well, I don't want anything to do with you." I told him, trying to hide my fear.
"You will...when you hear where I am." I closed my eyes and prayed to God he wasn't going to say Forks. I had enough on my mind and I didn't need him lurking around. "You know, you're old neighbors are very nice."
"You need to leave wherever you are." I told him. "Now."
"You don't call the shot's...new guy."
"No!" I heard Mrs. Hale's voice scream in the back round. "Don't touch him!"
"What are you doing?" I asked, taking a big gulp. "Please, leave them alone."
"No." He told me. "I don't do favors for people who just...leave Emmett."
"I'll do anything." I said before I heard a gunshot ringing in the back round. "No."
"This is punishment, new guy." He laughed. "And I'm going to continue punishing you until you show your face to me again. You don't just leave." He threatened and hung up the phone. I leaned up against the wall and just tried to get my breathing under control again. The Hale's were family to me, and I couldn't even blink without seeing Rosalie's dead body on the floor.
"Hey, we're gonna get going." I heard Bella say. "Aiden's getting cranky and it's time for a N.A.P. You okay?"
"Yeah." I lied. "You gonna be okay to get home?"
"Sure." She smiled. "I have Jasper's truck today."
"Okay. I'll see you later." I said as she walked towards the parking lot. I drove home with blurry vision. I didn't want to go back...but I couldn't let the people I love die because of me. I pulled into my driveway and was confused to see a navy blue Honda in the driveway. I got out and carefully opened the door, grabbing the umbrella Esme keeps at the door. I walked into the living room, and breathed relief when I saw Rosalie's blond hair.
"Rosalie?" I asked, dropping the umbrella and rushing over to her when I saw the tears on her face. "Rosalie, oh my god. You're alive."
"They're dead, Emmett." She cried as she began to pant. "Someone killed them."
"Who them?" I asked as I sat down next to her. "Rosalie, what happened?"
"I was on my way here and your aunt let me in before she left for work and just before you got home...I got a call from the cops telling me there had been shots coming from my house...and when they got there the people were gone...but they were all dead."
"All?" I asked as she cried on my shoulder.
"My mom, dad...sister's." She cried even harder. "They're all gone, Emmett."
"Shhh." I soothed, streaking her hair. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise?"
"Never again." I promised, kissing the top of her head.
Once I got out of James's car that night...I thought I would never have to deal with them again. But now, they really would kill everyone I loved to get me back.