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CHAPTER 13

In a flash he was next to me, looking into my eyes. Ever so slowly, he moved closer and kissed me. I wrapped one arm around his neck to hold him in place as we kissed and soon his arms were tight around me and my fingers were twined into his curly hair. As I felt things becoming more heated, Emmett pulled back and looked down at me where I was pressed into the mattress under him. I supposed now that since he and Rosalie enjoyed each other so much that they had a need for beds, one reason that Edward wouldn't have.

"What's wrong?" I whispered around my gasps.

"Bella, I think…I think we should wait. I mean, Rose and I are technically still married and you and I…we just started dating… Are…are you upset?" he asked and I turned my face away.

I looked back at him, "of course not. I'm just surprised at myself. I didn't…I didn't think I would want you so badly. I completely understand Emmett. It's funny, I always wanted to be a virgin when I married, but I never thought I'd last that long. And now…" I gave a small laugh.

He kissed me softly again. "You understand why I want to wait? It's not just because of Rose. Its because I respect you, because I love you enough to know that even if you're a vampire, you'll want to have that night be special."

I grinned up at him, "and you think it won't be special no matter what? You're the most wonderful person in the world Emmett. I love you."

"I love you too Bella. And I know you'll think it's special. I just want it to be better than anything else you have or will ever experience."

"You know, you talk about that night as if you're sure it's going to happen. But I haven't once heard you talk about marriage with me," I teased.

He stared at me wide eyed. "I just assumed…if you don't… I'm sorry. I should have…"

I let out a laugh, "its okay Emmett, I understand that it's early to be talking about that kind of thing. I understand that you might not have automatically thought about that. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And we will come to it." I kissed him again.

"If you keep doing that we might very well end up celebrating our marriage early Bella. Just because you're a vampire now doesn't mean you don't have that addicting quality anymore. You're just as entrancing as you were, more so because I don't have to be afraid of hurting you."

"Is it my fault if you're just as appealing? Is it my fault that I can't help myself? Alright! I'll stop okay?" I asked as he started to get off the bed.

He settled back down beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders so my head was supported near his chin.

We had been laying there for a while in silence when I finally said, "Emmett?"

"Hum?" he asked in a contented voice.

"Promise me you'll never leave me," I replied softly.

I felt him push me to a sitting position and looked at him. His topaz eyes met mine. "Bella, I swear to you with everything I am, with every ounce of my body, I will never ever leave you. I don't think I could. No matter what, we will be together."

"Thank you Emmett, you don't know…I've been thinking about that for a while."

"You shouldn't have Bella. So…what do you say we go back downstairs?"

I snuggled closer to him, "I like it here just fine."

Emmett laughed and was up in an instant. "Come on lazy bones! We should be celebrating, not sitting around like lumps on a log."

I rolled my eyes and took his hand. We went back downstairs together to find the family in the living room. Edward and Rose were at his piano, he playing and she watching him. Jasper and Alice were sitting entwined in one chair together, whispering so low that even our vampire hearing couldn't pick up their conversation. Esme and Carlisle were standing by the back windows, their arms around each other, just seeming to watch the sun come up.

Edward's fingers came to a halt when he acknowledged us there. "Bella, what…do you know where Victoria is now?" he asked.

I gave a very inelegant snort, "of sure Edward, of course I know where Victoria is. As a matter of fact, she called me yesterday and asked me if I wanted to go shopping with her in Seattle this weekend!"

I saw a small smile twitch around his lips before he frowned, "you don't have to be so cynical about it! I just wondered. I mean, if she's planning on coming back I think we should be prepared."

"I agree," I said, "but that question was just stupid, there is no way I would know what that psycho is doing or where she is."

"I know, it was a stupid question but I wasn't really thinking I guess."

I realized then that our conversation was actually somewhat civil. I also realized that I didn't want to be civil to him. Just because I was over him didn't mean that I wanted to be best friends with him.

"Hey listen Bella, I wanted…I think I should apologize for some of the things I said and did to you," Rosalie said.

"Don't worry about it, I know now why you did it. That's all behind us now, I just want to forget about it, or pretend to forget it."

"Well I'm sorry anyway, I shouldn't have treated you the way I did."

I just nodded before turning to Alice, "speaking of shopping," Alice's head shot up, "do you want to go this weekend Alice?" I asked.

Her face lit up. "Are you sure Bella? Do you really want to go?" she asked.

I smiled back, reveling inside as I noticed Edward's reaction from the corner of my eye, "of course! I can't resist you anymore. Rosalie, you should come too."

Rosalie seemed shocked that I invited her, "thank you Bella, I would like that."

Alice turned excitedly to Esme, who had been listening for quite a while with Carlisle, "Esme, will you come too?" she asked.

Esme smiled, "of course, I'd love to. It'll be like a girls day out. I'm assuming that you boys will go off hunting bears and lions that day?" she asked playfully, looking at Emmett and Edward.

Emmett's face broke into a grin and he nodded, "I sure hope so. It's been a while since all us guys went hunting together."

That weekend the four of us girls pilled into Rosalie's car and drove to Port Angeles to shop. I was having such a good time that I could almost forget my animosity toward Rosalie, almost. But we all found some nice outfits, I was sure to not get too much blue, but I got a lot of green. Alice even made me get a few pink things.

We were all laughing on the way home and Rosalie and I were even having a conversation as we went inside the house. Suddenly, we were beseeched by two very loud voices belonging to two very angry, very powerful vampires. We stopped in our tracks when we came inside to find Edward and Emmett snarling at each other, practically at each other's throats. Carlisle and Jasper seemed to be trying to hold them back, but I at least knew that if they got much more angry, nothing would hold them back.