A/N: Yay! 70 reviews! You guys totally rock. Thanks for stickin with me and I'm soooo happy you're enjoying my story. And since I always make good on my promises, here is Chapter 14! I would love to see this hit 85 reviews before I post the next installment, and if you all have any questions you don't want to leave in a review, you're welcome to pm me. I will respond as quickly as I can.

Happy reading, friends!

xo

-A

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--Bella--

I was finally letting go and giving in to my desires. No more walking away, no more hiding. Here in front of me was everything I had ever wanted for the taking. Here was a man who loved me for all that I was and wasn't afraid to show me. I kissed him lightly at first, then vigorously deepened it when his hand wound into my hair. I hated to pull back and take a breath.

"Human moment," I laughed, and basked in the glow of his returning smile. I saw all fear and tension drain from his face, only to be replaced by sheer adoration. I felt an effervescent joy bubble up in the pit of my stomach. This was new and exciting and completely different from anything I had felt with Edward. I knew what this was and I couldn't deny it anymore. I was in love with Emmett. This once brutal and fearsome, now tender and passionate creature had stolen my heart. The only thing left to do was tell him. I curled my fingers into his hair and his eyes rolled back. I giggled.

"Open your eyes," I ordered softly, "I want to see them when I say this."

"Say what, love?" at hearing that name, my heart skipped a beat. My face flushed and I grinned like a fool.

"Emmett, I -"

Everything happened so fast I barely had time to breathe. I was thrown into the soft couch cushions as the plate glass window behind us shattered and Edward came soaring through, tackling his brother into the far wall. I watched in horror as he stepped back and smashed his fist into Emmett's jaw. Emmett roared and grabbed Edward by the throat, lifting him in the air and slamming him into the wall. The foundation seemed to groan under the pressure and a fissure shot up to the ceiling.

"No!" I yelled, springing up off the couch.

"Stay back, Bella!" Emmett growled fiercely, never taking his eyes off Edward.

"But Emmett-"

"Please!" he cast a desperate look over his shoulder. "He's too volatile!"

"You son of bitch!" Edward bellowed. "I'll kill you!" He belted his brother in the ribs with what should have been a bone breaking blow. Emmett faltered and Edward broke free, pouncing on the bigger man. They both went down with a resounding thud, Edward forcing Emmett's shoulders to the ground. I couldn't stand there and watch him try to kill his brother. I ignored Emmett's warning and raced toward the brawling vampires.

"Edward Stop! Please don't hurt him!" I shouted and stupidly jumped on to his back. He snarled viciously and threw me off. I sailed across the room and crashed through the coffee table, landing hard on my left arm. I cried out, more from the shock of being thrown than from pain, and suddenly both men were rushing to my side. Edward reached out first, but Emmett tossed him back into the wall and assumed a defensive crouch in front of me. A low rumble erupted from his chest as he shielded me from his outraged brother.

"Get away from her!" Edward shouted. "Back off or I swear it, I'll kill you!"

"You have yet to make good on that threat, brother," Emmett growled.

"You're trying my patience" Edward hissed.

"Bring it," Emmett beckoned with one hand.

"Don't think I won't! Now get the hell away from her!"

"She's not your property, Edward!"

"Nor is she yours!" he shot back. "You have no right to touch her! None!"

"She is still here," I snapped as I sat up. "Stop referring to me in the third person." Pain radiated up my arm and I winced. I wasn't sure if it was broken, but it sure felt like it was. Edward started toward me but Emmett stopped him with a harsh glare.

"Step off, Em, I swear to God," Edward narrowed his eyes.

"Or what?" Emmett scoffed. "How much can you care if you were so willing to throw her aside to settle your own selfish rage?!"

"Screw you!" Edward spat, then turned a worried expression to me. "Bella, please, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't. Just don't, okay?" I pursed my lips and waved him off. I cradled my throbbing arm to my chest and scowled at Edward, who looked ashamed and completely disgusted with himself. I sighed and allowed my expression to soften. "There's something you should know."

"What is it?" his brow furrowed.

"Em, would you help me up?" I asked, to which he obliged by scooping me carefully from the floor and depositing me back on the couch. He sat down next to me and placed a protective arm around my shoulders.

"Stop touching her!" Edward shouted.

"Edward, wait…" I began and held up a warning hand.

"Bella, I told you I'd kill him if he ever laid a hand on you," he reminded me.

"I know but -"

"And what I just saw was so far over the line," his eyes went dark and he glared at Emmett.

"Wait-"

" Bella he kissed you! He can't expect to get away with that! I -"

"Stop!" I yelled. He ceased his rant and looked down at me. It was now or never. "You can't kill him."

"What?! Why?!" he snarled.

"Because…" Emmett squeezed my shoulder gently. "He didn't kiss me. I - I kissed him."

Edward's eyes went wide as he shifted his gaze from me, to his brother, then back to me again. He smirked and shook his head.

"Not likely," he snorted.

"What do you mean, 'not likely' ?" I frowned.

"I don't believe you," he shrugged. "You guys have done nothing but fight since we met. You hate him. He had to have forced you into it , because there's absolutely no way you would willingly do that. None."

"He didn't force me" I sighed. "I wanted to."

Edward could only glower at me. I took his silence as my cue to continue.

"I - I've been fighting this feeling for a long time," I shifted my arm. "And I couldn't take it any more."

"Bull shit," Edward growled. "You'd never cave. Least of all to him."

"I didn't cave into him," I said as calmly as I could. "I caved into myself. It was too much for me Edward. I can't hide this from you anymore."

"Hide what?" he asked through his teeth.

"Em," I turned to Emmett and looked into his eyes. "Open your mind."

"Are you sure?" he laid a hand aside my cheek. I nodded. "Everything?" he asked. I nodded again. He touched his forehead to mine briefly, then turned his attention to his brother. He closed his eyes and I watched Edward's expression shift from disbelief, to utter horror, then to outright rage.

"How…" he said so softly I almost couldn't hear him, "How could you take advantage of her like that?!" He lunged at Emmett, who leapt off the couch and met his brother half way. They stood nose to nose, glaring at one another.

"I never took advantage of her," Emmett growled. "I am not that callous."

"She was hung over, Emmett! And then…and then you…" Edward turned his head away in disgust. "How could you do that to her?! You could have killed her!"

"He would never hurt me," I protested from the couch.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Edward sniped at me. "He could have lost control and killed you, Bella. "

"But he didn't, Edward," I pushed myself up and stood unsteadily. "Look, whatever happened between Emmett and I was completely mutual," I made my way over to them and placed and hand on his chest. "I had just as much a part in all of this as he did."

"You weren't yourself," Edward refused to believe what he was hearing. "You'd never let anyone touch you like that"

"How would you know?!" I cried. "You never touched me!" When he opened his mouth to protest I continued. "After I told you about my past, you stopped any and all contact with me. I was devastated, Edward!"

"But…but he…" he couldn't finish his sentence

"He wasn't afraid to show me how much he cared," I felt my eyes well up again. "He held me, and touched me in ways I only dreamed you would. But you never did."

"You never said anything, if I had known…" he feebly tried to defend himself.

"I can't count the number of times I tried to tell you!" I shouted. "You were completely oblivious!"

"Bella I was afraid," he confessed. "I was afraid that if I touched you you'd break down and I'd lose you. It was never supposed to make you feel that way. It doesn't mean I love you any less."

"This is hard enough as it is, please don't make it any harder," I begged.

"What is?" the anger returned to his tone.

"Having to choose! Do you know how hard it is being in love with two people?!" my throat went dry as I said it out loud.

"You love him?" he choked.

I looked up at Emmett. I felt the joy bubble up again as he gazed back down at me.

"I think I do," I smiled softly. His eyes brightened, but he never flinched to show his emotion. "But if I don't explore this further, I'll never really know."

"You've done more than enough exploring," Edward mocked me.

"Don't go there…" Emmett hissed.

"Why not?" he scoffed. "You did!"

" Stop! Both of you!" my voice became strained and I bit back the tears. "Edward please, I still love you!"

"Don't patronize me," he spat and backed away. "It's insulting"

"I'm not!" I grimaced as new pain shot up my arm.

"I can't…I can't believe you're doing this to me," he glared at me.

"Edward wait," Emmett began.

"You shut your mouth," Edward pointed a shaking finger at his brother. "This is your fault." He turned his attention back to me "Bella, I thought what we had was real."

"It was…it is, Edward. But I need to do this. You have to understand… sometimes your heart can lead you in another direction," I started to follow him, but he held up a warning hand.

"I guess I'll never know," his voice took on a sad note. "Because I have no heart."

"No-" I reached out to him but he backed further away.

"I'm just sorry it has to end like this," he cast one more desperate glance my way, then turned and leapt out the broken window and into the night. I tried to run after him but stumbled and fell, crying out again when I landed on my now swollen arm. I felt Emmett slip an arm around my shoulders and one around my waist. He helped me to my feet, and I struggled to free myself.

"Edward!" I screamed into the night.

"Bella, don't," Emmett said softly and tightened his grip on my waist.

"Let me go! Please! I can't let him leave like that! Don't go, Edward!" I cried and fought helplessly against Emmett.

"Stop," Emmett pulled me to him, being careful of my injury. "Bella he's gone."

Emmett smoothed my hair gently with one hand until I was calm. I relaxed a little in his embrace and craned my neck to look at him.

"What have I done?" I asked. He kissed my forehead and was about to respond when Alice came bounding through the window, followed closely by Jasper.

"We got here as fast as we could," she tip toed through the shards of glass over to us. "But Edward just took off before I could really explain my vision…wait." She looked around, first at the broken window, then at the crack in the wall, and then back at Emmett and I. "Where is Edward? What really happened here?"

"What did you see?" Emmett asked.

"You can't answer a question with a question," she frowned.

"I can't answer yours until you answer mine," he shot back.

"Fine," she grimaced. "We were out hunting, and all of a sudden it hit me. I saw broken glass, you and Edward fighting and Bella shouting 'Edward Stop! Please don't hurt him!' He didn't even wait to see if there was more. He just took off."

"Was there more?" Emmett raised his eyebrows.

"No, that was it," she studied us for a moment. "Now it's your turn. Where is Edward? What is going on?"

"He found out, didn't he?" Jasper sighed. "I told you to be careful. What happened to your arm, Bella?"

"Found out what?" Alice's question went unanswered as Jasper stepped closer to inspect the damage.

"I tried to stop Edward and he threw me," I bit my bottom lip at Jasper's admonishing glare. "I landed on my arm."

He picked up my arm and gingerly ran his fingers over it. The pain was intense.

"What were you thinking?" he asked quietly.

"I wasn't. I didn't want Edward to kill Emmett ." I cringed as he carefully placed it back against my body.

"What's going on?" Alice chimed in again, only to be ignored.

"You should have this looked at," he stopped and subtly sniffed the air. "Carlisle should be home with Esme momentarily. We'll have him take care of it. Why don't you take her into the dining room, Em."

"Dammit!" Alice all but growled. "Somebody tell me what the hell is going on! What did Edward find out and why is the living room destroyed?"

"He found out about us," I said evenly.

"Us?" she turned to me.

"Yes," I stood up as straight as I could. "Us. He found out about Emmett and I."

"I…did I miss something?" Alice looked crushed that she didn't see this coming.

"We'll answer everything as soon as Carlisle and Esme get here," Emmett instructed and guided me into the all but useless Cullen dining room. He sat me down at the banquet-style mahogany table and placed my arm on it's cool, smooth surface. Jasper disappeared briefly and returned with a bag of ice, which he placed gently on my broken appendage.

"Ow," I muttered and shifted uncomfortably. Emmett offered a sympathetic smile and kissed the top of my head. Alice plopped into a chair across from us and stared in utter confusion. Jasper only shook his head.

The front door creaked open and soft voices could be heard from the foyer. Carlisle and Esme had returned from the hospital's New Year's Eve gala. I prepared for the hailstorm in reaction to the war zone in the living room. It never came. I peeped an eye open and the two beautiful vampires were gliding into the dining room. Esme's face was filled with concern, and Carlisle's expression was very calm and reserved.

"Alice, what happened?" Esme crossed the room to where Alice still sat, perplexed. Alice looked up at her and shrugged. Esme turned her attention to her boys. "Jasper? Emmett? Why does my living room resemble a battlefield?"

"Can we tend to Bella's arm first?" Emmett gestured toward me. "We're pretty sure it's broken."

Esme 'tsked' slightly and shook her head. She looked to Carlisle, who still maintained a very composed demeanor.

"We'll explain everything," Emmett promised.

"So you shall," Carlisle closed the distance between us and sat down next to me, prodding and examining my arm before carefully before placing it back on the table. "Well, it isn't broken. But your wrist is severely sprained. Would you like to go to the hospital?"

"No," I shook my head vigorously. "Can you take care of it here? I don't want Charlie to worry."

"I can," he nodded to Jasper, who left the room to retrieve Carlisle's medical supplies. "Would you care to tell us how all of this came about?"

"It's…" I looked up at Emmett, then back at the doctor. "It's kind of complicated."

"We've got time," he responsed.

"Carlisle…" Emmett protested, but stopped when Carlisle held up his hand.

"Emmett she was injured in our home. Therefore it involves us all," he said firmly to his son. He held out a hand to me. "Bella, please proceed."

I swallowed hard and glanced fleetingly at the faces around the room. Esme looked on in uneasy apprehension, and Alice in bewilderment. Jasper closed his eyes and shook his head, and Emmett rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. I finally locked eyes with Carlisle, who smiled encouragingly. I breathed in slowly and exhaled through my nose.

"It all started in the fall…" I began.