AN: So you guys did AWESOME with the reviews--but that doesn't mean you're safe yet. . .keep 'em coming!! Thanks to my betas, CallistoLexx and Tamelaine.
Check out this awesome story my friend wrote: "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" by angel4ever. On my favorites list and soon to be up on a list of links in my profile, along with all the other stories I've rec-ed.
Also on my profile is a link to the acoustic, live version of Everlong by the Foo Fighters.
Enjoy!
APOV
"I'm not going," Rosalie said with total determination in her voice.
"Of course you are," I told her with little to no real concern. Rose might wish she wasn't going, but she was. She was incapable of staying away from Emmett.
Just the way that I was incapable of staying away from Jasper. Or the way that Bella followed Edward with her eyes every time he was in the same room. Truly, we were a pitiful and spineless lot of females.
Bella meandered into my bedroom, her glow still firmly in place. When she'd come home late, late, two nights ago, we'd all guessed what had finally happened between her and Edward. While I knew that while we were both happy for her, there was a definite bittersweet pain in my heart that was clearly echoed in Rosalie's eyes.
We wanted it be us.
I wasn't stupid enough to think that Jasper's latest apology and attempt to make peace was permanent. I was playing with fire, and it was only a matter of time before he changed his mind yet again. I'd been trying to dredge up the courage to tell him once and for all that anything between us was done, but I was beginning to realize it was totally useless. I loved him too much to give him up; even if I knew he would only hurt me.
"You're not going?" Bella asked with a confused expression on her face.
I wondered if Rose would tell Bella why exactly she didn't want to go, and though I turned toward the closet, pretending I wasn't listening—I totally was.
Ever since Emmett and Rose had parted ways, she'd loathed the Foo Fighters. I couldn't deny that part of me had gotten the tickets because I really wanted to see her response. Would she totally chicken out? Would it prompt Rose and Em to remember their past? My bet was yes.
Music had always brought Jas and I together, and I wanted it to do the same for Rosalie and Emmett.
"No, I don't think so," Rose said,
"Why not?" Bella asked, clearly not understanding the undercurrent of what was going on. Even better. If I'd asked, Rosalie would have known there was a deeper purpose behind the question. If it was Bella, her innocence in the whole situation would totally work in our favor.
"I'm tired," Rosalie hedged, "I have a lot of work to do."
"That's ridiculous," Bella laughed. "You're totally coming with us. It's the Foo Fighters. Work can wait, and I've got some diet Coke in the fridge if you're tired." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Rose a straight-up antagonistic look. Go Bella, I thought.
"Uh, well. . ." Rose stammered, and I knew Bella had done her job. Not that I truly believed that Rose wouldn't have gone otherwise, but still, Bella's rather innocent prodding had done the trick.
"Excellent!" Bella yelped and threw her arms around Rosalie's neck. "I'm so glad you're going."
"Oh, me too," Rose enthused sarcastically.
I tried to stifle a laugh but Rosalie clearly must have heard it because she called out, "And thanks for all the support from you too, dear sister."
I poked my head out of the closet. "What?" I asked in mock outrage. "This is a great opportunity. You know, to . . .network."
Rosalie rolled her eyes and told us she was going to go change before we left.
I caught sight of Bella. "Is that what you're wearing?" I tried to ask casually.
"This?" Bella said, gesturing to her t-shirt. "Of course."
I shook my head. "A t-shirt and jeans?" I asked with a dubious voice.
She looked at me like I'd grown a few extra heads. "Alice, it's a rock concert, not tea with the Queen of England."
I didn't like her patronizing tone or her insinuation that she might know how to dress better for this occasion than me—which would be correct, though I would have died a thousand deaths rather than have her find out. My experience with music had everything to do with research and deep listening than rocking out at a concert.
"Go," I said with a teasing irritation. "I need to find something to wear and you're distracting me."
"Ok, I'll be in my room when you're ready to go."
I heard Bella leave and I turned back to my closet with a sigh. Bella was right; we were going to a rock concert. I needed to . . .loosen up a bit. Or maybe just stop stressing about what I was going to wear.
After ten minutes of flipping through my closet and muttering that every single thing was way too dressy, I finally settled on the rattiest pair of skinny jeans I owned and an old black tank top that I'd last worn while doing spring cleaning. I debated for another five minutes over a pair of black knee high boots with four inch heels before deciding on the black flip flops I wore to get the mail.
Mussing up my hair, I stared in my full length mirror and tried to decide if I looked casual enough. I knew Jasper didn't like high maintenance girls, and like a stupid infatuated teenager, I was determined to prove that I could ditch the matching couture outfits.
A little outraged voice told me that I was pretending to be someone I wasn't, and that Jasper wasn't so much turned off by my stylish clothes as intimidated by them, but I refused to listen. I wanted Jasper—that was all that mattered.
Walking out my bedroom door, I took off down the hall yelling, "Bella, Rose, let's go!"
EmPOV
I'd momentarily considered telling Jasper that I wasn't going.
God. The fucking Foo Fighters. It just had to be the Foos.
After Rosalie, I'd gone and smashed my The Color and the Shape CD into a million tiny fragments, unable to bear listening to it or myself any longer. Of course that didn't mean that I didn't have the lyrics to "Everlong," and its corresponding memory, on repeat nearly 24/7 six years later.
Going to the concert with Rose would only be a hideous reminder of the trust I'd betrayed when I'd taken her virginity then forced myself only a scant three days later to close on the bet with Lauren Mallory.
I deserved to get shoved off the nearest cliff. That, really, was the only reason I'd decided to go. Because I deserved that she look at me like the bastard I was.
I also knew I couldn't stay away. I wanted Rosalie so damn bad. She was so tantalizingly close, and every cell in my body ached for her.
I could feel both of us spiraling out of control, headed for some kind of massive explosion full of lust and confusion.
If her phone hadn't rang two nights ago, I would have had her on the pool table in under fifteen seconds. And the lust wasn't only physical—I wanted to know her again, soul-deep, like I had before. I knew I wasn't strong enough and that eventually, I'd give in, but I was convinced of my ultimate inability to deserve her. We'd eventually part ways a second time, but at least I could give her the healing ability to break it off when she realized she deserved better.
"This is it," Edward said, examining the tickets in his hand and motioning to a door in front of us. We were on the exclusive Suite level in the Rose Garden arena, and though I'd been up here a few years back for a Blazers game, I'd totally forgotten how luxurious it all was.
The carpet was so plush I felt like I was sinking and there was gold-plating everywhere. Edward opened the door to the suite and we walked into our own private oasis that looked out on the incredible arena area set up for the concert.
The girls were already there, and my eyes immediately latched onto Rosalie. Her back turned to me and she was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt, but it didn't matter. She was always glorious to me. Probably to every other man too, I conceded, but when I looked at Rosie, I saw not only the beauty of her features but also the beauty of her soul.
"Rosie," I called and she turned around, smiling, more generously than I knew I deserved.
"You want a drink?" she asked rather conscientiously, especially for her. Rosalie never served anyone—she was always the one being served. I guessed that she was probably nervous and that this wasn't easy for her either.
"Sure," I said, "a beer would be great."
Rosalie leaned down to the mini fridge sitting next to her, and my mouth went dry as her jeans tightened over her incredible ass. Don't pant, don't pant, don't pant.
She finally straightened up with a bottle of microbrew and my breathing returned to normal. I was so riding the edge here.
"Thanks," I told her as she handed it to me, and I prayed she hadn't noticed the rough need that was shading my voice.
Who was I kidding? Of course she knew I was desperate for her.
Alice came dancing over looking, well, not quite like herself. But I couldn't exactly place why. . .
"Guys! You missed the opening band!" Jasper followed closely behind after Alice, his eyes a little wide, and Edward and Bella, holding hands, drifted over too until we were all paired off and standing around together in a loose circle
"Who was it?" I asked, shifting slightly closer to Rosalie. She shot me a look, but she didn't move away—in fact, she moved closer too. Okay, maybe she was crazy but she clearly wanted me too. Damn it. So much for not being able to resist her.
BPOV
"Supergrass," Alice said excitedly. "They were really raw."
I thought of how Alice had sat through the entire opening band with her arms crossed, her earplugs in, and her blackberry out, doing some online shopping. She was a horrible musical elitist and in her words, Supergrass had "sucked major ass."
I couldn't help the snicker and Alice frowned at me, clearly not wanting me to give away her secret. "What? They were."
"Um, Alice. If you thought Supergrass was raw, you're really going to love the Foos." I tried to sound genuine but I knew that my voice definitely veered towards sarcastic.
I heard Edward chuckling behind me, and Alice glared again. "Of course I am. I already love the Foos and Dave Grohl."
Jasper spoke up. "Dave Grohl is the Foo Fighters."
"Hardly," Alice scoffed. "I loved his first band."
Jasper smiled, more than a little patronizingly, and I elbowed Edward, who looked up from his drink to see Jasper go in for the kill.
"You know, I think pretty much everyone loves Nirvana."
Alice's gaze narrowed and she walked towards him, voice staccato and more than a little annoyed. "I wasn't talking about Nirvana, dumb ass." She punched him, not exactly lightly, in the arm as punctuation to her assertion.
"Huh?" Jasper's jaw dropped open slightly and I wasn't surprised to see a pretty self-satisfied expression settle onto Alice's face.
"I'm talking about Scream. You know, the band he was in before he joined Nirvana? When he moved from Washington, DC?"
"Shit," Jasper muttered. "You make me look like a rank amateur."
Alice gave a little shrug. "I've been a fan of Dave Grohl since I was little. I have to know everything I can about musicians I like, it's kind of an OCD thing. For example, did you know that Dave played drums for Queens of the Stone Age?"
"Seriously?" Edward asked, moving closer to me and wrapping his free hand around my waist. "I love the Queens."
"Oh yeah, he even played live with them on their 2002 tour."
"Shit. That's crazy," Emmett piped up. "I didn't know any of that."
Jasper frowned, and even from a good five feet away, I could sense the disapproval radiating out from him in waves. Ruh roh.
"Of course not," Alice said rather smugly and I could sense this whole thing disintegrating before my eyes. Oh Alice, who was smart enough to dress down to impress Jasper but who didn't realize that he hates it when she makes him look like a fool.
But before I could save anything, the lights suddenly dimmed, followed by the entire stadium erupting into ear-piercing screams.
"Oh, it's starting!" Alice chattered excitedly, clapping her hands.
Edward leaned down toward my ear, as we positioned ourselves to the front of suite that looked out into the middle of the stadium.
"Thank god," he breathed into the sensitive skin of my ear. "I thought it was never going to start."
"Did you think you'd have to play referee?" I giggled a little as he wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me close. I could feel all of him, every part, and I was so ridiculously addicted to that feeling.
"No, I thought you might have to get out the chair," he teased back.
"Never," I laughed again, and then gasped as he nuzzled my ear with his lips.
"Stop that," I whispered as harshly as I was able as his tongue shot out to trace the curve of my neck. "We have to stay for the whole concert and you're going to let Naughty Bella out of the bag." I turned slightly and shot him an extra hard look in the eye.
His face broke into a huge smile. "Naughty Bella, eh? Now I thought she existed, but it's nice to know she's really real."
"Oh, she definitely is."
"Can I release her when we get home?"
I giggled again. "You'd better release something."
Edward grabbed me close, as we both nearly doubled over with silent laughter. "You," he whispered fiercely, "are a little tease. And I haven't even mentioned that Green Lantern t-shirt you're wearing. I never knew having your girlfriend wear a superhero t-shirt would be so damn hot. I want to rip it off of you. . .with my teeth." To give me a little demonstration he nipped a bit at my shoulder and I nearly collapsed into him with lust.
"Your girlfriend?" I gaped questioningly.
He definitely looked confused. "What else did you think you were?"
"Uh." God damn it, Bella, stop gathering flies here and say something.
"You really didn't think you were?" His voice was positively shocked and I almost glared at him. How on earth would I have known? I wasn't a freaking psychic.
"Um, no. How would I?"
He hit himself playfully on the head. "Of course. Duh. It's just that I've thought of you as my girlfriend for so long."
"So long?" Huh?
"Oh it's a long. . .oh, nevermind." And, as if to purposefully distract me from the question at hand, he started kissing my neck again, knowing that I wouldn't be able to hold up my end of the conversation while he did that.
"So your t-shirt," he skillfully changed the subject. "Baby, I love it. Any man that looks at you twice while you're wearing that is going to be dead meat."
I laughed again because he sounded so caveman-esque. "Silly," I murmured, "as if I could think about anyone but you. Now, hush," I told him as a single spotlight drifted onto the stage and the greatest rock musician of the modern era, Dave Grohl, entered on the stage to a huge wave of fresh screams.
RPOV
I enjoyed the hard rock edge of the beginning of the concert, but I couldn't deny that my whole body was on edge, waiting for the moment they'd ditch the electric and pick up the acoustic guitars. I knew the Foo Fighters well enough to know they'd play the song I dreaded hearing during their renowned acoustic section.
Every time the song changed, I could feel Emmett tense next to me, and I knew we were both worried about the same thing. Under the cover of darkness I opened my mouth a dozen times to say something joking about it, to dispel the tension, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The moment we'd shared six years ago was too precious to talk about in a lighthearted way, even if it might help ease our anxiety now.
What didn't help the situation was that Edward and Bella were clearly making out across the private box, and Alice and Jasper were intertwined, dancing to the music.
We were the only couple not touching, and I was definitely beginning to feel it. Even worse, I wanted to touch Emmett. Bad.
In fact it seemed more inevitable than ever that something would happen and it would happen tonight. The air was positively crackling around us as Dave launched into a particularly rousing version of "Big Me."
I forced myself to relax a little and as I compelled every molecule in my shoulders to let go, I felt myself brush against something hard, yet soft. Emmett.
I tried to move back in a flurry of mumbled apologies, but he wrapped one huge hand around my waist, and dragged me backward.
"Don't apologize," he told me roughly, "I liked it." God, I did too.
It had been too long since we'd been close, and as I melted into him, every memory came rushing back in a painful and ecstatic blur. I knew then that there was no way I could ever truly resist. I could try, but I'd never be able to fully succeed. I sagged against Emmett even more, trying to absorb this new realization, and I thought I heard him growl in delight.
Smiling, I rubbed my ass against him just enough to make him wonder if I'd done it on purpose. I heard another groan, this time clearly through the rock music pulsing through the stadium. Nothing had ever sounded so good.
The song ended and the whole stage went black. And then I knew what was about to happen. Emmett must have too, because he tensed slightly, then relaxed. Finally, I could feel him about to give in to this nostalgic madness.
And of course, before the light even shone down on Dave again, I could hear the distinctive chord changes in the intro. It was the song. Everlong.
Hello, I've waited here for you . . .everlong . . .tonight, I've thrown myself in and out of the red . . .out of her head, she sang. . .
Dave's voice purred the vocals out, and the appropriateness of the lyrics hit me like a brick wall to the face.
I turned to Emmett, my mouth gaped, and before I could even mentally prepare myself, his lips were on mine, and they were kissing me with the passion of six misspent years.
Come down, and waste away with me, down with me . . slow . . .how you wanted it to be; I'm over my head, out of her head she sang . . .
The shock settled into me, as the words echoed around us, over us, and I regained my senses and didn't pull away, like I was sure I would. Instead, I began to kiss him back.
And I wonder. . .when I sing along with you. . . . If anything could ever feel this real forever; if anything could ever be this good again. . .the only thing I'll ever ask of you is to stop when I stay when. . .she sang. . .
The kiss deepened, and we were suddenly, and yet completely expectedly, devouring each other like we could never get enough. His hands wove through my hair and pulled me even closer to him.
I broke away slightly only to tell him, "Let's get out of here."
He gave one sigh and then a single sharp nod, grabbed my hand and we were suddenly in the bright light of the hallway, and my back was against the wall.
Breathe out, so I can breathe you in. . . hold you in. . .
Emmett covered me with his body, and tenderly brushed a strand of blond hair out of my eye. "Rosalie," he murmured. "Breathe out, so I can breathe you in. . .hold you in."
The Emmett of six years ago hadn't been a romantic. He'd come close on occasion, but never like this, with such an intensely serious expression on his face, repeating the one line that I remembered more clearly than any of the others.
"Yes," I whispered back, my voice harsh with need in the silent and empty hallway.
"Okay," he agreed and then he gave me one more incredible kiss, before he meshed his fingers with mine and we walked down the stairs and out into the warm evening. I watched with half-closed eyes as he hailed a cab.
Was I really going to do this? Did I want to do this? The thoughts rushed through my head at warp speed, and my breath came a bit unevenly.
Emmett opened the car door for me, and his smile latched onto me and pulled me toward the cab almost as if my feet didn't need to move on their own accord. The cord between us was so strong, it felt like it could never be broken again—like the last six years had never happened.
I smiled back and got into the cab.
You know you want to keep making my day. . .seriously!