CHAPTER 10
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Well, you and Edward are about as different as you can get, but you wonder about me and Rosalie?"
I felt myself laughing too, having not made that connection. "I guess you're right. But I still wonder sometimes."
Emmett didn't look at me as he replied, "Rose and I…we do have a lot of differences, but one of our biggest similarities is that we both appreciate the opposite sex and what they can do for each other. Yes, Rosalie and I enjoy each other very much, which is one thing that has made us compatible."
I frowned, "but don't you ever wish you had true love? Something that was not based around sex?"
"Of course I do Bella, but that doesn't mean I'll get it! We don't meet many vampires like us and those who are most usually are already taken, and those who aren't…they usually don't want to be like us."
I considered this. "I'm sorry for bringing it up Emmett.'
"Forget about it, it's no big deal."
We arrived back at the house a few minutes later and went straight to the living room and plopped down on the couch to watch TV.
Three months passed before I even realized it. Alice was still going to school, though she found it much less appealing now that she was all alone. My funeral had gone according to plan and Charlie had even mustered fake tears for the occasion. We saw each other every couple of days, Jacob and Emmett always in attendance.
Rosalie and Edward had not come back at all in those three months and I soon found that I was completely over Edward. Emmett and I hung out a lot, talking, hunting, playing games. Sometimes Alice and Jasper joined us, and other times the whole family got in on it.
I didn't think anything of the bond that was growing between Emmett and me.
Then one day when we were out hiking, Emmett's cell phone rang.
After looking at the name he hesitated then flipped it open and said, "hey Rose."
I could hear Rosalie on the other end, "hello Emmett. How have you been?"
Emmett replied, "I'm okay. The family is fine, Alice is pretty mad that she has to go to school alone but…"
"Yes, I can imagine how upsetting that must be to her. Um…listen Emmett. We need to talk. Are you alone?" she asked.
He glanced at me then said, "yes."
I wasn't sure at first if I was supposed to leave and so I stayed, knowing that he would tell me if he wanted me gone.
"Alright. Emmett, I know this is going to come as a shock, but I think we need to break up."
Emmett appeared shocked, his face froze and then he said, "why?"
"I…I'm so sorry Emmett. I didn't think that being here alone with Edward would have any effect on me, but it has. I realize now that he and I…we're meant for each other Emmett. Please don't be mad at me, I'm so, so sorry."
Emmett was frowning now. "You slept with him didn't you? You, my wife, and he, my brother, slept together?"
I could tell that if Rosalie could have, she would have been crying. "Yes Emmett. I didn't…we weren't…it just happened. I'm sorry."
"Whatever Rosalie. I don't want to talk to you right now. I can't talk to you right now." With that he hung up the phone and leaned back against a tree to support himself.
I looked at him with sympathy, "I'm sorry Emmett. That…what they did… it's inexcusable."
He just shrugged, "They've been doing things like that for a while now. They just don't know that I know."
I actually gasped. "Are you serious? How long?"
He looked away from me, "let's just say since before he met you. They tried to be discrete about it but there were always things that gave them away. I'm surprised it's taken her this long to break it off with me. I was sure she was going to within the first week of being with him. Though I would have thought she'd be a bit more creative than saying that being alone with him has made her realize they need to be together. She's known that for a long time."
"Why didn't you ever say anything? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, shocked and hurt that Edward had been cheating on me along with his lack of loving me.
"I didn't…it's not something I liked to think about, the fact that I wasn't good enough for her, that I wasn't what she wanted. I didn't even think about you and what it would mean if you knew Edward was cheating on you."
"I'm still sorry," I whispered, settling my hand on his arm. He looked down at it, then at me.
"I'm not," he said simply.
I looked at him inquiringly just before he kissed me. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close as my own hands twined their way into his curly hair, keeping him close.
Eventually we broke apart, though there was really no need. We looked into each other's eyes before taking a step away from each other.
"I'm sorry," Emmett said softly.
I smiled and relished what this action did to him, "I'm not," I replied, kissing him again.
"Bella, Bella, stop!" Emmett said, holding me away from him.
"Why? What's wrong?" I asked.
"I can't…I don't want to take advantage of you. I know how you operate Bella, and I still don't know what there is between us. I don't want to hurt either of us with quick decisions."
Here it was again, another man was rejecting me. No matter what he said to hide it, I knew rejection when I saw it. I nodded noncommittally and turned away, trying to hide my pain. I'd just thrown myself at him and he didn't want me, just like Edward, though he was a little faster in telling me he didn't want me.
"Bella! Bella wait, come back here!" Emmett said. When I didn't turn back, he came after me and pulled me around. "Bella, what's this?"
"Don't Emmett, I understand. Just leave me alone," I replied dryly.
"Wait, what's going on? Why are you acting like this?" he asked, sounding confused.
"Come on Emmett! Don't pretend to be the nice guy just because you don't want to look like the asshole. I was so stupid; kissing you when I should have known it wouldn't mean anything to you. I should have known you'd be just like Edward."
"Now just hold on a second! Don't you dare compare me to that scumbag Bella! What is going on? Tell me what I did."
"Like you don't know already! Why did you kiss me Emmett, if you were just going to tell me you didn't want me? Is it because you like seeing my pain? You like seeing me like this, suffering because I know that I'm nothing, that no one loves me, wants me, needs me? You…you just see me as a piece of ass and when you're through with me you'll move on, just like Edward." I was sobbing dryly now.
"Wait, wait, wait. You think I rejected you? You think I don't want you? Bella! I've wanted you forever! Ever since Edward left you I've wanted you!" he said, sounding relieved that he knew what was wrong.
"Don't lie to me Emmett Cullen." My voice was dangerous, especially with it's bell like quality.
"I'm not lying to you Bella! And I don't like seeing you like this. I don't like you thinking that you're nothing, that no one loves, wants, or needs you."
"Then I'll just leave, then you won't have to see me or care about what I think."
"Bella, I don't like you thinking that because I love you, I want you, I need you. You are not nothing. You are everything. Ever since Edward left, you've been my world. You're the reason…well, I guess the whole get up in the morning thing won't work huh?" he asked, smiling.
Against my will I smiled back, "you…you love me?" I whispered.
Emmett came to me and hugged me close, "oh Bella, how could I not? How could I not? I love everything about you, you're humor, your compassion, your ability to get into trouble, your smile, your adventurousness… you have everything that I need. How can I not love you when everything you are is what I've been searching for?"
I smiled into his chest and hugged him back. "I didn't want to, but I love you too," I whispered.
He laid his head on top of mine and I felt him breath in my scent, "why didn't you want to?"
"I was afraid…afraid that if I let myself love you, you'd do what Edward did. I thought that it was too soon, that my heart would be broken again."
He stepped back, "I would never hurt you Bella, not if I could help it. I will never do to you what Edward did. Without you…I wouldn't want to live."