I had just finished ridding the kitchen of all signs that Charlie and I had French toast and bacon for breakfast when my phone started ringing. It was Emmett so I tried my best at a sleepy voice. "Hello?"
"Shit Bellabear, were you sleeping? Damn I'm sorry. I'll call you later." He sounded so disappointed I couldn't contain the laughter bubbling up in my stomach.
"No no! I was joking Em. What's up? Good morning," I said as cheerily as possible.
"Bella, have you ever heard of a story called The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Why don't you take a seat and I'll tell it…"
I quickly interrupted him. "No please! I've heard it I promise! So what's on the agenda Hulk?" My imagination quickly conjured up a green Emmett and I couldn't help but giggle to myself.
"Well, honestly I wanted to pick you, take my truck for a wash and go see "The Day After Tomorrow." Then we can stop to get a bite afterwards. How does that sound?"
"Well that sounds perfect. Come get me."
"I stayed overnight at my parent's so I'll be there in fifteen." I ran upstairs to blow dry my hair and change my sneakers for flip flops. I stuffed a spare tank top in my bag in case my George Strait t-shirt got wet. I was already wearing denim shorts so I was now good to go. I went downstairs to let Charlie know Emmett was on his way.
"Hey Dad, Emmett Cullen is on his way. I'm going to hang out with him today. There's sandwich stuff in the fridge for lunch and seasoned chicken breast with veggies and brown rice in a clear container for dinner. Just heat it up for about two minutes." I felt a teensy bit guilty for making plans when it was only the second day I was here with Charlie, but he was going in to work anyway.
"Have a good time kiddo. Don't worry, I won't starve to death if you don't feed me." He chuckled then added, "I haven't seen Emmett in about seven years. So you say he's a big guy now?"
"Yup. But he seems to be the same silly Emmett I remember so I'm really looking forward to hanging out." I heard his truck pull up in front of the house. "There he is now. Can you get the door Dad? I need to grab my bag." I ran up the stairs and grabbed my black tote. After one last glance in the mirror I made my way to my new found friend. I took my time on my way down to let Charlie and Emmett reacquaint themselves.
"Son, what have you been eating," Charlie asked incredulously.
Emmett chuckled and in his most sincere voice answered, "Sorry to disappoint you Charlie, but I think I'm a freak of nature. There's no secret to my incredibly strong and sculpted body. I just feel sorry that Edward wasn't blessed like me," and with those words both men burst out laughing.
"Now now Emmett," I interrupted from the last step on our staircase, "I don't think it's fair to insult your brother when he's not around to defend his, what I'm sure are, charming good looks."
"Ha! C'mon now Bella, you know I'm joking. Don't go all momma bear on me." Emmett made his way to the stairs picked me up for another bone crushing hug, making me giggle like a teenager. "Ready Bellabear?"
"I'm ready. I'll see you later Dad." I gave Charlie my biggest smile as Emmett and I headed out the front door. Emmett gave Charlie a one-armed man hug then led me to the passenger side of his Yukon.
"Alright Bella, you ready to get dirty with me," Emmett said after put the car in reverse while wagging his eyebrows up and down.
"Well, I'm actually coming along for moral support Em. I think I'll enjoy watching you get dirty though." What the heck was wrong with me? I even dropped my voice down and octave for that cheesy line. The heat rose to my cheeks and I immediately turned towards the window so he couldn't see. Emmett was incredibly attractive which brought out my flirty side, but if I was being honest with myself, I knew there was zero electricity flowing between us. I was drawn to him, there was no doubt about that, but I wasn't drawn to his lips and that was a sure sign for me that there wouldn't be any of that going on.
"Hey now Bellabear, don't go getting all shy with me. It's a common fact that any girl, you included, would never say no to a hot male specimen getting a little soap and water on his pecks and rock hard abs such as mine. No need to be ashamed," he playfully patted my thigh. Awkward moment.
I was incredibly shy by nature, but when I met Alice, and the rest of her family eventually, they made it hard for me to not feel comfortable being myself. When I moved to Phoenix I reverted back to shy Bella. I had quite a few acquaintances with zero close friends, the exception being my own mother of course. It was never a problem for me though since my favorite thing to do was read, a one person hobby. When I met Jasper in college, he made me feel as comfortable as the Cullens had and so we hit it off right away.
Now I was sitting here, next to Emmett wondering how it was possible for him to make me feel so at ease after I obviously embarrassed myself. "You're incredible Emmett. And you're right about me not minding a little show of masculine hotness, but actually we better keep the suds to a minimum if we're gonna catch a flick afterwards." I gave him a thankful smile and enjoyed the remainder of the ride to his favorite carwash place.
Once we arrived, Emmett had me sit on a low concrete wall while he started the task of getting his baby clean. "Okay Bella, your job is to list and summarize in chronological order the romantic relationships you've had all of your twenty-three years. Go!" He said pointing at me with his free hand while he began spraying his truck with water. He was joking right? I gave him a confused look.
"I'm waiting Bella…" Not joking.
"Emmett you can hardly hear me over the spray of the water. You can't be serious." He raised an eyebrow and gave me a stern look. Serious he was.
"Okay that's cool. This won't take long. I dated Phillip Montes my junior year of high school for approximately three months and he dumped me for lack of action under the sheets from what I heard. Then there was Robert Holland, who was on the baseball team with Phillip. Apparently, I was too boring because whenever we were together our conversations consisted of about three sentences: 1. Are you ready? 2. I already told you I wasn't. 3. Okay, I have some stuff I need to do, let me take you home. So that lasted about a month. And in college my very good friend Jasper and I hung out a lot and I'm guessing that kept the horny males at bay. Although I'm not the pick of the litter so maybe it was that too. And so there you have it." I looked up at Emmett who had stopped soaking his truck and was staring intently at my eyes.
"Bella," he said and dropped to squat in front of me, placing his hands on my bare knees. "You don't really believe that do you? That you're not the pick of the litter?" I folded my hands on my lap and looked at my thumbs. This was definitely making me uncomfortable. He was looking at me so seriously that I actually felt a bit of burning behind my eyes.
I couldn't find my voice so I murmured in response. "Emmett please. It's no big deal. I don't need you to boost my self confidence or anything. I'm fine. I don't need boyfriends or romance or anything like that. I'm happy. It's cool." My gaze remained on my thumbs until he lowered his face right under mine to look me in my eyes.
"Bella, look at me and hear me when I say you are the pick of the litter. Those guys in high school were idiots and I'm glad that things didn't get far with them. They don't deserve you. Now unless you're planning on becoming a nun, you need to be open to the fact that there is someone perfect for you and there is nothing wrong with romance or intimacy when it's with someone who will appreciate you for the perfection you are." One traitorous tear made its way down my cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb, replacing it with a kiss on my cheek.
I dared to look at him and all I saw in his eyes was compassion. I couldn't help but smile, and once again wonder if maybe I didn't have to be alone forever. Maybe I didn't have to preserve myself from all deep emotion. "Thanks Em. Go finish washing your pimp truck so we can get rolling." I gave him the most appreciative smile I could muster and he went and finished.
By the time all the detailing was complete, my face hurt and my abs hurt. Emmett was a riot and I felt drained of every last ounce of energy from all the laughing. The sky was cloudy enough to block most of the sun, but the rain was asleep. Emmett didn't even break a sweat.
"Whiff me Bellabear." Emmett leaned towards me with arms up and a silly grin on his face. "Tell me if I truly need a shower." Emmett was hot and all, but that was crossing a line there.
"Uh gross Emmett. I am not whiffing you." I gave him the best disgusted look I could and started chuckling.
"I'm joking, but do you mind stopping by at my place with me so I can take a quick one?"
"Of course not. That'll give me a chance to scope out your bachelor pad." We drove about seven minutes and arrived at his place. We walked through the lobby/office area that was very tastefully adorned with large black and white poster sized photographs of different objects. The walls were charcoal colored and the furniture in the lobby was black leather. The elevator doors opened and Emmett pulled me in. We proceeded to the second floor. Could that have been decorated any more manly?
"Hey Em? Were the people who run this place trying to appeal to the average male only? You're not gay right?" I was only half joking.
He narrowed his eyes at me and proceeded to unlock his door. "You know Bella, come to think of it I hardly ever see any women around here. And yes I am gay so don't worry about me trying to feel you up for pleasure. As a matter of fact get comfortable and take off your clothes." He started tugging at the hem of my t-shirt and wagging his eyebrows. We both started to crack up and I slapped his hands away. "Silly Bellabear, I'm going to go take a shower real quick. Feel free to snoop or play a quick game of Halo on my XBOX 360. Unless you wanna play Madden on my PS3?" He turned to me with an earnest expression.
"No thanks Emmett. I'll just chill here on the couch and wait for you."
"Okay, suit yourself. There's bottled water in the fridge or Powerade or umm…," he proceeded to the kitchen to open the refrigerator door.
"Emmett! Go shower!" I pointed towards the hallway until he made his way in that direction with his head bowed. As soon as he disappeared into the hallway, my phone started to ring. Jasper.
"Buon giorno."
"Ciao bello. Or shall I say Bella? How's my girl?" Jasper spoke in hushed tones. He was still in his office.
"I'm actually at Emmett's place waiting for him to finish taking a shower. I work quickly."
"You're kidding me right?"
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn't hide the smile from my voice. "I am not kidding as a matter of fact. I am no longer your white flower Jazz."
"Whatever Bella. As long as he was good and gentle with you." I hear quiet laughter in the background.
"Hey, you offend me Jazz. So, how was your meeting this morning?"
"I have a new account so that's cool. The client wants to reach a broader range of customers for her classic car restoration business. She was so hot when she explained what she wanted, with all her car lingo and such. It was irony at its best. So I'm sitting at my desk and Emma escorts this tall blonde woman into my office and introduces her as Ms. Hale, my 9:00. Ms. Hale is wearing a short black skirt, now I'm talking barely covering her ass short, with a matching blazer. The white blouse she has underneath the blazer has the top at least four buttons undone. So naturally my gaze shifts to her, get this, red bra that's peeking out at me. Her legs went on for miles until my gaze lands on tall ass red "fuck-me" heals. So then I'm thinking I know what this girl wants. Then she interrupts my fantasizing and says "Are quite done ogling me Mr. Whitlock. I have business to attend to." Oh my Lord Bella, I was like holy cow, this woman's a teasing bitch with ice on her freakin' tongue. Who dresses like that and reprimands a heterosexual male for "ogling?"
Sometimes I wonder why I let Jasper get this far with his descriptions, but I always do. I sighed. "Jasper sweety, did you ever think that maybe she's not getting dressed up for heterosexual males, but for herself? Maybe she feels more superior and confident when she feels sexy? You're a gentleman Jasper, behave like one the next time you see her."
"You're probably right Bells. Although, as sexy as she was, if I didn't see her until the after life, it would be too soon. She's nothing like you . I need sexy and cuddly. I need someone to giggle at my stupid jokes and give me hugs as often as possible. She doesn't seem like the hugs and giggles kind of girl. Anyway, I just wanted to hear your voice. We're on for next week then?"
"Yup, can't wait." I couldn't hide the excitement from my voice. "Will you be here right away? The sooner the better."
"How 'bout Sunday? I'll stay the whole week with you. I'll read those dirty novels to you the way you like." I started blushing and giggled. Only Jasper could make me feel giddy from an entirely different state.
"They're not dirty novels Jasper. It's Jane Austen. You know I just like your fake English accent, especially when you read Mr. Darcy's letter." I paused to give him a minute to stop snickering. "Okay cutie pie, I'll see you on Sunday then. Are you getting a rental or do I pick you up?"
"I'll get a rental. Bye darlin'. Talk to you soon." We hung up and I could hear "Amarillo By Morning" sailing to me from his bedroom. I guessed I wasn't the only George Strait fan in his apartment.
"Hey Bella come check this out!" Emmett shouted from his bedroom and I hurried to see what all the excitement was about.
I stopped at the open door where the music was coming from. Emmett stood in front of his bed in a getup I never would have though he'd wear, ever. From top to bottom, he was wearing a black Stetson, a huge grin, a black George Strait t-shirt similar to mine that hugged his rippled torso, some fitted jeans, and black cowboy boots covered his feet. No way. I tried to find words, but I was tongue-tied.
"I'm ready." He didn't move though. He stayed grinning, waiting for me to close my mouth. Suddenly out of nowhere, a laugh so unladylike busted from my lungs out of my mouth. I was laughing so hard for so long, my legs gave up on me and I collapsed to his Berber carpeted floor and rolled on my back. I had to clutch my stomach. With every burst of laughter I felt like I was doing mad crunches. My eyes were soaking my cheeks with tears. I wanted to look at Emmett again so badly, but the image burned in my memory was enough to make me practically hyperventilate. While I was falling apart on the floor, I felt Emmett stride toward me. He was standing at my feet, I could feel him there. The giant cowboy, which could have been extremely sexy to someone else, suddenly pushed my knees away from my chest and his warm hands flattened my legs. I opened my eyes and he made a quick move. He was now straddling my hips while rubbing his hands together with narrowed eyes, nodding his head slowly from side to side.
He removed his hat and tossed it to the bed. "Oh Bella Bella Bella. I see you're in a laughing mood. Let me help you." Emmett wiggled his fingers in front of my face. Then in a swift movement he took both my wrists in one hand and pinned them above my head. His other hand went on a race to see which of my tickle spots made me squeal the loudest. I was laughing so hard I could feel my face burning and I gasped for any little bit of air I could get.
"I'm gonna pee Emmett! I'm gonna pee! I'm sorry! Stop! I'm gonna pee!" I was screaming from the top of my lungs and finally the tickling stopped and we were both exhausted from all the laughing. I think we both realized what a compromising position we were both in because the air around us began to feel thick and "The Chair" began to play in the background. Emmett still had my hands pinned above my head and his scent was encompassing me. His face was less than a foot from my own and my eyes locked on his deep blue ones. I felt like I was in a dream. All humor was out the door now. He started to shift his position. His legs pushed between my knees on at a time. Slowly the hand holding my wrists capture began to unclench and he drew a path down my arm with his finger tips. It felt good. It all felt good. The weight of his body on mine, his incredibly erotic eyes, the extremely gentle touch that was now on my neck, it all felt so good. Gradually his gaze broke away from mine and lowered to my lips. But mine remained on his eyes and my breathing picked up. Emmett's face came closer and closer, an inch at a time, but my body couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant. This always happened to me. Should I just let things happen? I only had a few seconds to decide. I know he cared about me, but where would this lead us? One more second… My eyes closed and his soft lips gently laid on my own. My arms instinctively wrapped around his neck and my hands found their way into his soft hair. His tongue was caressing my lips lightly and mine met his somewhere in between. Our tongues were gently caressing each other with the help of our lips. Emmett broke away so we could both breath and started a trail of kisses from the corner of my lips, down my jaw, down my neck, and back up again. I was panting and felt familiar sensations between my thighs and Emmett began grinding into me with his solid hard-on. Our lips and tongues started their familiar dance only quicker now. Something began to make me feel guilty; something was nagging at my conscience. No! Why now! Please body just let this happen. Emmett's hand was rubbing up and down my thigh, up along my hip and to the hem of my shirt. His fingers went under to caress my stomach and draw lazy circles around my navel. Our kisses were just getting needier and I started to worry. Worry? No! Then just like all the other parts of my body, my hands let me know they had a mind of their own and gently held Emmett's face still. I gave him one final chaste kiss on his hungry lips.
"Something's not right Emmett. I'm so sorry. You have no idea how confused I am right now. I'm sorry." I hid my face in his the crook of his neck.
Emmett smoothly stood up pulling me up with him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed my cheeks and then my forehead. I felt so bad. But he took my face in his hands and made sure I saw the look in his eyes. Love.
"Bellabear, don't be sorry. You're so beautiful. Don't blame me for trying, but you're right. Something's off. I don't expect anything from you but your friendship. Now, on a more serious note, you didn't like my boots?" Emmett raised an eyebrow.
"Oh Emmett, your boots are perfect. Just lose the hat. We're in Port Angeles, not Nashville." He smoothed down the back of my hair, turned off his stereo and his lights.
"Let's go watch the end of the world." That's what we did and our hot make out session was not brought up for the rest of our day. His hat however couldn't hide from our conversation if it tried.
We were parked in front of my house talking about a time when Edward and Emmett let Alice and me take turns laying down on a sheet spread on their floor. Each of them would take a side, someone near our head and the other one near our feet. They'd bunch up the sheet so we were cradled and swing left to right, left to right.
"I almost threw up once. Remember? Then Edward said he wouldn't take part in our "stupid kiddy" games. I was such a wimp. Alice never got hurt or sick to her stomach like I did. Then I'd ruin the fun for you and Alice whenever my wimpy body showed its weakness." I looked at Emmett for response.
"Yeah," he said sullenly, "Edward was a little over-protective over you girls. And you weren't a wimp Bella, you were just fragile. I spoke to him by the way. He says "hello." Hey, have you called Alice? I doubt it 'cause then she would have called me."
"I'm going to. I promise. I just… You know when there is something you have to do that won't be easy, and you just keep procrastinating? And then the task just seems harder and harder to do? Well I feel like this is so hard. You know?" I wasn't sure if she'd be nonchalant about my call or if she'd be happy. If she was indifferent I think I'd be torn. I liked not knowing how she'd react because at least it wasn't rejection.
"Bella, Alice never stopped thinking of you. You're name came up on all of our summer vacations and she never had a hurtful thing to say. She would defend you and…" wait a minute. He paused. Defend me?
"Emmett? You know what I need to hear now." I waited impatiently.
"Edward. He was pretty hurt Bella. When you came back in July and didn't visit us just because Alice was in Paris, Edward got upset. I told him to ask Mom or Dad to take him to visit you, but he was too embarrassed about his feelings. I didn't mind because I just figured you would feel more comfortable if Alice was at our house too. When it was just the three of us, he'd usually manage to slide your name in our conversations. It would start off innocently enough, but then he'd say something like, "I wish I never met her" or "What a crappy friend Alice." He was just hurt though Bella, and we were so young…"
"How could he blame me? I was a kid Emmett!" I was shocked. I always thought Edward was just trying to include me in their activities and make me feel welcome because he felt obligated, not because he actually wanted to. "Emmett, when did he get over it? The end of that summer?"
Emmett drummed his fingers on his steering wheel and looked towards my house in contemplation. "Bella, I really don't know. I mean, he was just a kid. He probably didn't realize he was being unfair by doing a kid version of talking shit. But anyway, you should call Alice." Emmett didn't look at me when he answered which was out of character for him.
"Okay Em," I opened my door, "I'll call her tomorrow. Thanks for everything, I had a great time."
He still didn't look at me when he started up his truck. "Good night Bella. Call her." And he drove away. No hug.
Okay lovely people, I need your help. This is my first fanfic so please review. This story will have all canon pairings. Patience little ones.