Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 15: Determined
Edward's POV
The day was unusually warm for February. The weather this month had been fickle. Due to the weather, everyone at the station decided to work on the rigs. Emmett and I had just finished. I looked over to see Ben under the engine, tools sitting by his feet. I walked over and squatted next to him.
"How's she looking?" I asked.
"Good," came his muffled answer. "I'm just changing the oil." I cringed when I remembered my botched attempt. "How's your rig?"
"She's great. Emmett did a little work under the hood, and I washed her up. How were your days off?"
"Angela and I went home to see our families. It was a great, relaxing few days. Angela and her mom were able to get some more wedding details hammered out."
"That's not far off, right?"
"It's too far if you ask me. It's about six months away." I just laughed. He had been impatient since the day he proposed. "They're ordering the invitations next week. Which reminds me, can we just send yours and Bella's invitation as one? It would save some money." The thought of seeing our names next to each other made me smile.
"Sure. That wouldn't be a problem at all."
"How is Bella? Angela said she hasn't been at school the past couple of days. Pass the wrench." I picked up the tool and stretched my arm for him to reach.
"She's sick but better than the first couple of days. I took her to the doctor, but he didn't have any answers. They ran lots of tests, and we're still waiting on some of the results."
"You took her?" I could hear the surprise in his voice.
"Yep. Her roommate and best friend called me over to the apartment to talk some sense into her. They had been trying to get her to go see the doctor. She fainted while I was there. She's got a nasty gash where she hit the coffee table."
*****
Edward knocked on the door and Rosalie answered. She huffed while looking frustrated. He could hear Alice's voice floating through the apartment. She sounded on the verge of yelling. Rosalie narrowed her eyes and jabbed a finger in his chest.
"You better convince her to go to the doctor," she said harshly. "She's miserable." She stepped to the side and ushered him in. He walked into the living room to find Bella bundled up on the couch, Alice pacing in front of her. Alice looked up at him and sighed in relief.
"Good," she said and pointed at Bella. "Talk some sense into her." She turned and walked into the kitchen, Rosalie followed. Bella turned to see whom Alice was talking to. Her eyes narrowed at him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked accusingly. Her voice was weak and raspy, causing his heart to clench at her discomfort.
"Hello," he said, walked to her, and kissed her on the forehead. "It's nice to see you, too."
"Hi," she said flatly. "Why are you here?"
"Rose called me. She and Alice are worried about you."
"I don't want you to see me like this." She lowered her eyes from him.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone gets sick, and I'm here to stay. Therefore, I'm going to be here during the good and the bad."
"There's nothing to worry about. It'll go away in a day or two. I told-" She started coughing. It sounded deep and congested. She was also wheezing. He knelt by her head and grabbed the cup of water off the coffee table. When the coughing spell passed, he held the cup to her lips. She pulled the straw to her mouth.
"I understand this may pass, but don't you think the doctor can help you be more comfortable?"
"They haven't done much for me so far." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and held her face, caressing her cheek. He wouldn't let her give up. He made that mistake with Tanya. Not again.
"Baby, you know Dr. Denali wants to see you when you're sick. He can run some tests, see what's going on. Maybe you can get some answers since you haven't seen him before while you're sick."
"I don't wanna." She jutted her lip out into a pout. Edward had to hold in his smile. Her pout was too adorable. He gave her a stern look. She scowled at him.
"If you refuse to go see the doctor, I will treat you here. If you choose that option, I'm going to start an IV and pump you full of antibiotics to start with."
"That's not fair." She glared at him. He could see her hands trembling slightly and a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. He placed the back of his hand against her forehead. He could feel she had a fever. "Will that happen if I go see Dr. D?"
"I'm not sure. I can't speak for him." He ran his fingers through her hair, wanting to make her feel better in any way.
"He probably isn't in the office today."
"He is. I called him before I came over. He's expecting you sometime within the hour." She lowered her eyes then whispered.
"I'm too weak to walk right now."
"I'll carry you." She looked at him for a moment then sighed in defeat.
"Let me try to walk first." He nodded and stood, held out his hand to help, and slowly pulled her to her feet. He held her steady by her waist for a few seconds. She nodded that she was steady. "Will you get my coat from my room?"
"Sure." He turned and walked to her room. When he reached the door, he was stopped in his tracks upon hearing Alice yell. He whipped around in time to see Bella fall; she hit her temple on the edge of the coffee table then crumpled to the ground on her side. They all rushed to her side. "Don't touch her yet. Alice, call 911, and bring me clean cloths."
"Bella, can you hear me?" Rose asked quietly. Bella did not respond. "Isabella Marie, you better answer me!" The gash on her temple was bleeding profusely. He looked to see Alice dialing and scurrying to the bathroom. He needed to get her on her back to assess her further.
"Rose, I need you to help me," he said sternly. "Can you do that?" She looked at him and nodded. "Hold out your hands." He watched to see that they were steady. "Put the heels of your hands against her ears, and spread out your fingers along her neck, so that your thumbs are along the line of the jaw, and your pinkies are touching at the spine, and squeeze gently. Just like this; give me your hands." He placed her hands in the correct position. Alice returned with clean clothes.
"They're on the way," she said quietly. He could hear the quiver in her voice.
"Rose," he said, meeting her eyes. "We need to roll her to her back. When you're ready, count to three. We'll roll her on three. When she's on her back don't move your hands. I want you to maintain c-spine. Okay?" Rose got a determined look in her face and nodded. She counted and they rolled her on three.
Edward immediately checked her airway and breathing which were clear. Next, he checked her circulation. Her pulse was slow but there. He couldn't see any obvious broken bones. He took one of the cloths and pressed it to the gash on her temple. He could hear Alice talking to someone and after listening a few seconds determined it was Jasper. He would be meeting them at the hospital. He had Alice use his phone to call Emmett. He wanted Emmett to call Dr. Denali and give him a heads up. Soon the sound of a siren could be heard.
"Bella," he said calmly. "Baby, can you hear me?" Her breathing began to quicken and slowly her eyes fluttered open. She tried to turn her head, but Rose wouldn't let go, and Edward was quick to stop her. "I need you to stay still."
"Edward," she rasped, "what happened?"
"You fainted. Can you do me a favor? Wiggle your fingers and toes for me." He watched as she did both. "Are you hurting anywhere?"
"My head hurts. It feels like I was just run over by a truck." She moved her fingers again. "My hand's a little numb."
There was a knock on the door. Alice rushed to open it and pointed to the living room. The EMS workers rushed over to help Edward. He relayed the information they would need while they braced her neck and prepared her for transport. Once they loaded her up on the stretcher, Edward told Rose and Alice to meet them at Mason Medical while he would ride with Bella. Rose said she would stay behind and clean the blood off the carpet before leaving so Bella wouldn't have to see it when she got home.
*****
Ben rolled out from under the engine and sat up. He wiped his hands and rested his forearms on his knees.
"Is the head injury serious?" he asked softly.
"No," I answered with relief. "It gave her a major headache, black eye, and needed six stitches, but overall, it's superficial. They kept her overnight, and I took her home yesterday. She fought with me about staying the night," I chuckled remembering how much her angry side reminded me of a riled up kitten, "but she stayed for tests."
"I'm glad she's okay. I should tell Angela when she stops by tonight. She's been worried about her."
"I think Bella's going to call her tonight. She hasn't really been up to talking much yet. Her best friend, Alice, is having a birthday party this Friday. It's dinner and laser tag. You and Angela are invited. Bella's planning on giving Angela the details when she calls. Do you think you two will be able to come?" He finally stood and we continued the conversation as I helped him put the tools away.
"I'm off this Friday, but are you sure? We don't know Alice; we don't want to impose."
"It was Alice's idea. Bella talks about Angela a lot so she wants to meet her. Plus, Emmett's going, and he's never met any of them. The party is to celebrate her birthday, but mainly, this is Bella and Alice's way of getting Emmett and Bella's roommate, Rosalie, to meet. It should be an interesting night if just for that." He laughed at my assessment and promised to talk with Angela.
The rest of the day went slowly. We rolled out with two calls for house fires. The first was a grease fire and no one was hurt. The second was a reported house fire. When we arrived, we found it was a trashcan fire in the backyard. No one was even home. Dinner at 6:00 came quickly. Angela had come to the station while we were at the last call and began cooking dinner for everyone. She made hamburger helper, mashed potatoes, and green beans. A good, hearty meal for us and easy for her to make and clean up from.
"Thank you, Ange," I said and kissed her cheek. "This smells wonderful."
"You're welcome," she answered with a giggle. "I talked with Bella today. Is she telling the truth when she says she's fine?"
"Mostly. There are no complications from the head injury. She seems to be getting better since she started taking medicine, and we're still waiting on results from some of the tests."
"She seemed so blasé about the whole thing. I wondered if she was editing."
"She's hated the attention it's garnered." She just nodded. I made a plate and poured a glass of water. "I think I'm going to head to the back patio so I can call and check on her. Thanks again."
"Stop thanking me. Go eat."
I smiled and made my way out back. I pulled up a chair to the small table. The food was great; I didn't expect anything less from Angela. I hoped they'd come to Alice's party. Emmett and I had always gotten along with Ben. For some reason, we just didn't get together outside of work. Now, with Angela and Bella working together and becoming friends, it would be nice to do more with them. I dialed Bella's cell number and ate while waiting for her to answer.
"Hello," she answered.
"Hello beautiful," I answered. "How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine."
"Bella," I said in a warning tone. We had discussed this and decided those words were not an acceptable answer.
"I'm feeling better. My face is still sore, but the headache and nausea aren't as severe today. I didn't have to take my nausea medicine."
"That's great. Did you take the antibiotic?"
"Yes, doctor." I just smiled at her quip. She didn't like talking about being sick. "How are you? Have you eaten dinner?"
"I'm good. It's been a slow day. Angela came by the station and cooked. I'm eating right now."
"Well then don't let me keep you. I'll still be here after dinner."
"I want to talk to you. I don't mind. Really."
"Babe, it's really okay with me. I was just lying down to nap. I walked down to the store today."
"Bella." I sat my food down and ran a hand through my hair. "You shouldn't be walking that far yet. You've only been home for a day; don't overexert yourself. We don't want you to relapse."
"I would argue with you, but I'm too exhausted. I'll agree with you this time, but don't start expecting it, Mister." I chuckled at her warning.
"As long as you don't do that again. Before I let you go, I talked with Ben today about Alice's party on Friday. He said he would talk with Ange. Did you mention it to her?"
"I did, and she said they would make it."
"Good. Call me later if you feel up to talking. Otherwise, I will see you tomorrow after I get some sleep."
"Alright. Bye." Before I was able to put the phone on the table, it was ringing again. I answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"
"Hi, son," Carlisle's voice said.
"Hey dad. How are you?"
"I'm doing well. Your mom and I were worried about Bella. Eleazar sent me a copy of some of Bella's records. Did she have a fall recently?" I instantly felt guilty. I hadn't called my parents throughout this ordeal. Bella held a place in their heart, and I hadn't thought to include them.
"I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, dad. Bella got sick a few days ago. Dr. Denali said it's the flu. She was being stubborn and refusing to go see him so I went over to try to convince her. She fainted and hit her head when she fell.
"There are no complications from the head injury. She stayed overnight and we're still waiting on some test results. She went home yesterday. I've been so out of it, I didn't think to call. I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize. I would have been preoccupied as well. How is she doing?"
"She's doing better. She's on antibiotics, pain medication for the head injury as needed, and nausea medicine as needed. She's got a black eye and six stitches from the fall."
"You were there when she fell?"
"Yes. I was across the room and couldn't' get to her. I watched it happen." I sighed and closed my eyes remembering it with perfect clarity. "I've dealt with countless falls, much worse than that, and responded to things much more horrific, but I have never been more scared before." I picked at my food; my appetite had disappeared since recalling her fall.
"That's understandable. It's completely different when it's someone you care about. That's why hospitals don't allow doctors to treat relatives. You shouldn't worry so much about it though, son. You obviously did everything you could for her, and she's recovering."
"I know she's okay. I just don't like that I couldn't catch her, keep her from getting injured. I'm also worried she's not doing all she can to fight being sick. It took her getting extremely sick and me threatening to start an IV at her apartment to get her to go to the doctor. She can't give up. You and I both know what happens when hope and fight is lost."
"Edward, Bella is not Tanya."
"I know that."
"Do you?" I pushed the plate away and furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
"What are you trying to say?" He sighed heavily.
"Now don't get defensive; just hear me out. I'm worried you might get hurt."
"Me? I thought you were worried about Bella. How could I get hurt?"
"You loved Tanya; the two of you were very close. You invested much of yourself in her and her recovery. You took so much responsibility for her recovery. You've always done things 110%; it's an admirable quality, but when Tanya pushed you away, you took it harshly." I closed my eyes remembering that last conversation we had. "I don't mean that as a rebuke rather just pointing it out. Now, Bella is sick. It's not cancer, but it's something serious. You can't deny that she reminds you of Tanya. Does she not?"
"Yes. She does." I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees, my head in my hand.
"I'm scared you've thrown yourself into this relationship faster than you should have. I'm not saying you shouldn't have started this relationship. I'm just worried you're moving faster than Bella.
"When you talk about her, I can hear how much you care about her and want to protect her. Maybe she reminds you so much of Tanya you've equated what you had with Tanya with how you feel about Bella. Are you at the stage in this relationship you should be, or are you moving so fast because when you look at Bella, you see Tanya?" I leaned back and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Son? Are you still there?"
"I'm here, dad. I think I can understand what you're saying, but I don't think we're moving too fast. Bella would have said something if she felt rushed."
"Would she?" I was starting to hate his questions. She would.
"I would hope so." Wouldn't she?
"I would hope so as well, but if you're not completely sure maybe you should talk to her."
"Maybe you're right." My thoughts were interrupted by the tones coming from inside, alerting us to a call. "I gotta go dad; we've got a call." I tossed my trash in the garbage can and rushed inside.
"Okay. Be safe. Call me if you need to."
"Thanks. Tell mom I said hi, and I love her. I love you too. Bye." I hung up and ran to the rig. Emmett was waiting behind the wheel.
Friday finally rolled around. It had been an exhausting three days. I had just hung up with Bella, completely frustrated with the outcome of the conversation. She had been recovering well, following all the doctor's orders. Tonight was Alice's birthday dinner and laser tag adventure, and I did not want her going. I didn't want her to miss it; I just didn't want her to do too much and cause a relapse. Needless to say, she was going. My arguments fell on deaf ears. She was determined to be there for Alice and have fun. I just shook my head.
The past three days had also been exhausting, because I couldn't stop thinking about my conversation with Carlisle. Do I like Bella for Bella? Is this the appropriate speed? Those questions and more ran through my head constantly. And my answer? Yes. I like Bella for Bella. Yes. This speed feels right with her. Of course, I still wanted to protect her and make sure she fought, but it wasn't because of Tanya. I just needed to talk to Bella to make sure she was on the same page. I didn't want to do anything to make her uncomfortable or push her away. Maybe we could talk after the game tonight.
"Eddie!" Emmett yelled from his room.
"Don't call me that," I muttered under my breath. "What?"
"What's the plan tonight? What am I supposed to wear?" I forgot I hadn't told him.
"Wear something casual. We're having dinner then going to play laser tag."
"Laser tag ?!" I smiled at his enthusiasm. "She wants to go play laser tag for her birthday? That's so cool. I knew I'd like her. Wait. Won't there be uneven teams?" He walked out from his bedroom and sat on the couch, flipping the television on.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you." I tried to hide the smile forming on my lips. "It won't. There will be eight people."
"Who?"
"Alice, Jasper, Angela, Ben, Bella, you, me, and Bella's roommate Rosalie."
"Cool." Sometimes my brother could be so dense.
It finally came time to leave. Emmett decided he wanted to drive his Jeep. We arrived at Jasper's apartment at 6:15, fifteen minutes after everyone else per Alice and Bella's orders. They wanted to be sure to see everything from the beginning. I pulled the gift I got for Alice from the backseat and walked to Jasper's apartment.
I knocked and the door was answered immediately. Alice stood, her body slightly humming in excitement, a wide grin plastered on her face. I inwardly laughed at her attire. She had on camouflage pants, a camouflage tank, a camouflage bandana tied over her head, and combat boots. True to Alice nature though, it was fashionable. You could tell she had altered it be form fitting. She had black paint under her eyes, just like a football player.
"Hi," she chirped then bounced up to kiss me on the cheek, doing the same to Emmett. "I'm glad you could come."
"Hi, soldier," Emmett said. "It's good to see you again." He handed over his gift. She took it with a confused look.
"Is this a hostess gift?" She looked over to me and smiled. I handed her my gift.
"No. They're birthday gifts. Happy birthday. How old are you? Fourteen?" She scrunched up her face and glared at him.
"I'm 25, thank you very much." Emmett laughed and patted her head.
"I'm just messing with you Pixie." I cringed, knowing she hated that nickname.
"That's okay. Come in, come in." We stepped inside and took off our coats.
"Did you start celebrating early?"
"No. She's just really excited about laser tag," Jasper said as he came from around the corner. He was wearing camouflage pants and a black wife beater. I shook his hand and introduced him to Emmett. We saw Angela and Ben when we walked into the living room. Ben was wearing the same as Jasper. Angela was in the same outfit as Alice.
"Aww, man. Did I miss the memo about this being a costume party? This could have been fun," Emmett whined.
"Actually," Alice said excitedly, "I put both of your clothes on Jasper's bed. I'm pretty sure I got the right sizes. Go change then come into the kitchen. Bella and Rose are working on dinner."
I wanted to go see Bella first but knew never to argue with Alice. Jasper led us to his room so we could change. Alice, in her infinite fashion wisdom, did get the right sizes. We put on the same outfit that Ben and Jasper were wearing then made our way to the kitchen. Bella was wearing a long-sleeved, form fitting camouflage t-shirt, camouflage capris with black leggings, and black flats. Her hair was curled and pulled into a low ponytail. She looked beautiful. I walked over to her, as she was chopping vegetables, and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and leaned back into me.
Emmett's POV
"Actually," the little pixie exclaimed, "I put both of your clothes on Jasper's bed. I'm pretty sure I got the right sizes. Go change then come into the kitchen. Bella and Rose are working on dinner."
Jasper led us into his room. The apartment was on the large side for a one bedroom. I had to laugh at Alice. She was going all out for her birthday. I was stoked to go play laser tag. Eddie better be on the other team. I'm gonna take him down! We dressed in our camouflage costumes then walked into the kitchen. Eddie, of course, went straight to his girl. I smiled and chuckled lightly. She had him whipped and didn't even know it yet. The man was a sappy mess now.
I was going to make a comment on how good the food smelled, but my mouth went dry when I saw the blonde beauty helping Bella chop vegetables. She was tall, statuesque, and leggy with curves in all the right places. She was wearing a low-cut, short-sleeved blue camouflage t-shirt, blue camouflage mini-skirt, and some skin-tight black things; I think I've heard some of the girlfriends at the station call them leggings. At the end of those mile-long legs were a pair of tall, spiky heels. When she smiled, her eyes lit up. She laughed at something that was said. She scrunched her eyes and her smile radiated. She was an angel. I finally tuned in when I heard my name.
"Emmett," Bella said as she walked toward me.
"Bellaboo," I said as I picked her up into a tight hug.
"Can't…breathe." She laughed as I sat her down. "Emmett, this is my roommate Rosalie Hale." She pulled my toward the blonde angel.
"Nice to meet you," I said quietly.
"Pleasure," she said, acting a bit aloof. I just smiled; she was pretending to not care, but I saw the way her eyes racked over my body when she finally took notice of my presence. That's okay. You'll come to in time.
"It sure is." She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the vegetables. I heard Alice, Bella, and Angela giggle, and Edward sighed. My grin grew wider as I watched her.
Conversation resumed, and dinner was put in the oven. Jasper, Ben, Edward, and I went into the living room to play video games. Jasper ended up being a pretty cool dude. He was quite but funny. The women stayed in the kitchen while we played and called when dinner was on the table. We each took a seat around the table. Jasper sat on the end, next to him was Alice, then me, Bella, Edward, Ben, Angela, and Rosalie. Dinner was good, but the angel across the table was better.
Rosalie ate and participated in conversation, but often I caught her looking my way. Each time I just smiled at her and even winked once. Each time she was caught, she scowled, and when I winked, she rolled her eyes. I bumped her foot a few times to see how she would act. The first time she jerked her foot away. Each time after that it lingered a bit longer. The last time, she hooked her foot around my ankle.
"So Rose," Alice said, causing Rosalie to pull away from me. "Have you talked to Rick about not wanting to take over the garage?"
"Yep," she answered. Garage? "He was surprisingly okay with it. I told him about wanting to open my own garage, and he offered to help me when the time comes."
"That's great! Maybe he'll give you some stuff, and you won't have to buy everything. I'm sure those tools and equipment get expensive really fast."
"They do. Gary accidentally broke a compression hose yesterday. I ordered one online, and that baby was crazy expensive. I felt like I was buying someone's first born."
"Garage?" I asked. "As in car garage?" Everyone but Eddie tensed.
"Yes." Her voice was harsh and cold. "Why?"
"That's so cool. You're gonna open a garage? Does that mean if we stay friends I get a discount?" Everyone relaxed. Eddie was smirking and Alice has a twinkle in her eye.
"What do you mean stay friends? We're not friends." I placed a hand over my heart, feigning hurt.
"That hurts, Rosie. Of course we're friends. Don't you like me?" Her eyes narrowed.
"Don't call me Rosie, and the jury's still out." I just smiled at her.
"I'll convince you. Just give me some time." I looked around and everyone seemed to be done with dinner. "What about birthday cake? You have to have a cake on your birthday."
"Oh," Alice said. "I said I didn't want a cake."
"I'll be back in just a minute," Bella said then stood up. "Jasper, can you come help me with something?"
"What are you two up to?"
"We're going to get your presents. Clear the table while we do that." The little pixie popped up from her seat and started grabbing plates. Edward and I stood up to do the same.
"Sit down, Pixie. It's your birthday. Eddie and I will clear the table." She smiled sweetly and sat down. I caught a glimpse on the beauty. She had a tender smile on her face. God, she's beautiful. She caught me looking and turned away. She, Alice, Angela, and Ben began talking about clothes. Well, Ben was listening. We took the dishes into the kitchen and rinsed them off.
"So," Eddie began, "what do you think?"
"About what?"
"Everyone."
"I like Pixie; she's a spitfire. Jasper's a cool dude. They seem complete opposites yet perfect together. It's kind of strange, but it's also right."
"And what about Rosalie?"
"She's," I paused trying to figure out the perfect word. "smokin' hot, sexy, driven, smart, hard working; I mean she's gotta be if she works in a garage. She's also adorable when she gets angry. I love how she cares about her friends, and she's smokin' hot." I heard three sets of laughter.
"You said that twice," I heard Bella say from behind me. I turned to see her and Jasper. She held a cake while he held gifts. She had a tender smile and a hopeful look on her face.
"Is that birthday cake?" I whispered so Alice couldn't hear me. Bella giggled and nodded. "Then let's not torture ourselves any longer." Bella giggled again, then followed us into the dining room.
She sat the cake in front of Alice who looked up at her surprised. Bella explained that she thought it against the law to not have a cake. She also said she had been taking some cake decorating classes for fun and wanted to put them to use. The cake looked so cool. There were two levels. The top level was decorated like the sky. It was a light blue with white clouds and a sun. The bottom level was decorated like a field of flowers. Most of the flowers looked like they were painted on in bright colors. A few of the flowers were sticking off the cake. Bella said they were made with fondant. They were all yellow.
"Bella," Alice said as she turned it in a circle to look at everything. "It's gorgeous." Bella laughed.
"Far from it. I've only taken a few classes. I wanted to do something more elaborate, but my skills are limited at the moment."
"Don't sell yourself short. Sometimes I think you missed your calling." Bella blushed and cleared her throat.
"She's right, Bella," Rose said. "I watched you make and decorate that cake. I also see you cook almost every day. You never look happier than when you're in the kitchen. Well, unless you're talking about or with Edward." She turned lobster red. I looked at my hopeless brother to see his crooked smile stretching from ear to ear.
"I'm glad to hear that," I said while laughing. "I was hoping Eddie wasn't the only one that was smitten." He just glared at me.
"That's enough," Bella said. "It's time to have cake and watch Alice open presents. The top layer is a lemon cake with vanilla bean filling, and the bottom layer is chocolate cake with a semi-sweet, dark chocolate mousse."
"Bella, those are my favorites!" Alice said as she bounced in Jasper's lap. He stilled her by placing his hands on her shoulders. Ben, Eddie, and I laughed.
"I know. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't remember?"
The beauty got a camera and took pictures of the cake before it was destroyed; I mean, enjoyed. Plates were passed around and Bella began cutting into the cake. I took a slice of both, telling her I needed to try both to be a fair judge of the cake as a whole. Of course, I got laughed at. Why does everyone laugh at my airtight reasoning? They just don't understand. The cake was amazing. You can never go wrong with chocolate, but this cake was so moist and fluffy the moose thing, why they would name it after an animal, I'll never know, was mouthwatering. The lemon cake was also moist and fluffy. It wasn't overpowering like I expected and the vanilla bean stuff was melt-in-your-mouth divine. I gave my appreciation through moans and groans, as did the rest of the guys. The girls complimented Bella and laughed at us.
"I'm so stuffed," I said, leaning back in my chair. Jasper, Ben, and Eddie followed suit. "That was great Bellaboo. I think you should make desserts more often." Everyone at the table nodded in agreement. "Now, open your presents Pixie. Don't you want to know what you got?" She began bouncing again, and Jasper had to still her once more.
Rosalie got up and started clearing the dishes from the table. I stood and began to help. I followed her into the kitchen and we rinsed off the dishes. She was trying to act casual, but I could see how nervous she was. Her face was relaxed and aloof, but you could tell she was trying hard to look that way. We stood a foot apart, and she was leaning slightly away. Her body was rigid instead of relaxed. Her breathing was uneven, and she wasn't looking my way. I just smiled and took a step toward her; she took a step away. I chuckled lightly. Her head snapped up and she glared.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" I asked casually, continuing to rinse the dishes as she handed them to me.
"No," she said, her tone clipped and a bit icy.
"Are you sure? You seem to be trying to keep at a distance, and your face is too controlled."
"I don't know what you're playing at, but I am not some bimbo blonde that's going to drop her panties like you're some kind of god."
"I wouldn't expect you to or want you to. I'm not into blonde bimbos. I like women that are beautiful in their own right, classy, smart, driven, fun, and have a sense of humor. I see most of that in you. Well, except for the fun and sense of humor."
"Excuse me?" I smirked, knowing I had hooked her. "I am fun and have a great sense of humor. You just haven't seen it yet. I haven't decided if you're worthy enough yet." I turned off the water and dried my hands. I held the towel out toward her. She grasped it and when she did, I wrapped it around her hands and held them.
"I hope you deem me worthy. I'd like to see that side of you. I already like the others." Her eyes softened a bit, and I squeezed her hands lightly before letting them go.
I walked back into the dining room and took my seat. Eddie looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I just smiled and looked away. She came back in and took her seat, never meeting my eyes. I just smirked again and turned my attention to Alice. She looked at everyone then tore into her first gift. It was from Angela and Ben. They got her a gift certificate to some boutique. She jumped up and hugged them both before opening the rest.
She picked up my gift next, and I smiled knowing it would be the best one of all. She tore through the newspaper I had used to wrap it, laughing in appreciation of my ingenuity. She laughed louder once she saw the gift. I labeled it 'Essentials for a Porsche Owner.' There were things like air fresheners, rabbit feet, and other things to hang from the rearview mirror. Last, there was a steering wheel cover, floor mats, and a seat cover all with a sky design that had a face. She stood and hugged me. She opened Edward's next, which wasn't that good. He got her a certificate to get her car washed, waxed, and detailed.
"Okay," Bella said. "You have to open these in a certain order: Jasper, Rose, and then mine."
"Why?" Alice asked suspiciously. Bella just giggled and pushed an envelope toward her. She picked it up and opened it. She read the card silently and turned to kiss Jasper. She then pulled out a long, rectangular envelope that I recognized as an airline ticket holder. "You bought me a plane ticket to Los Angeles? Why?"
"Open the next one," Jasper said with a knowing smile on his face. She opened it, silently read the card, then opened another envelope.
"Rose, you got me three nights at a hotel. Are y'all giving me a weekend vacation? Are we all going?" She was starting to bounce again, making me feel sorry for Jasper.
"Open this," Bella said quietly as she pushed over the last envelope. Alice pulled out the card, read it silently, and then opened a smaller one. She read something, her eyes darting frantically across what was written.
"Is this a joke?" she asked quietly. Bella shook her head. Alice looked down at the paper then back up. She looked between Jasper, Rosalie, and Bella. I couldn't decide if her reaction was good or not. The she let out an ear-splitting screech.
AN: I'm sorry for the long wait. I was on vacation this last week, and the place we stayed was supposed to have wifi but didn't. I'm sorry. I feel really bad. Buy here it is! And it's long! I hope you enjoyed Emmett and Rosalie's first meeting, and I hope you enjoyed Emmett's POV. It was tough. The next chapter's going to cover a lot of stuff. Get ready for that. I'm moving this coming weekend so I can't guarantee an update on Sunday. I will try my hardest for you though. Review and I'll send you a sneak peek at the next chatper.