|- 246 -|
I realize I haven't scared Emmett away when I feel the cushions next to me sink with his weight.
"Emmett, I don't know what you want from me."
"I don't know either, Edward. It's just …we all thought …"
I know what they all thought. I thought it, too. Right before I blew it being the possessive asshole I'd promised not to be.
"Fuck, Em, it's not like we declared our undying love for each other."
He turns to me and there's nowhere to hide from his piercing gaze. "Don't give me that crap. You shaved your balls for her."
-o-
I attempt deflection with a sarcastic tongue, "Actually, she shaved my balls, if you want to get technical about it."
"I don't," he answers quietly.
"If you're trying to cheer me up, it's not working. In fact, you suck at it, BIG TIME."
"It's not my job to cheer you up. It's my job to get your ass up off this couch and back in Bella's arms, where it belongs."
"Well, then, I guess you suck at that, too."
He regards me again, and must see the defeat in my eyes, because seconds later, I see it mirrored in his.
-o-
Without another word, he stands and packs up all his empty containers, grabs the handles of the bag, and heads for the door.
I owe him an apology but he feels too sorry for me to demand it. Instead, he finds a way to make me feel even lower. "You know, for a while there, I was really starting to enjoy being in your company."
He shakes his head sadly, turns the handle and leaves.
.
.
.
I flip the little white card over and over. It's nothing fancy, no spiffy graphics. Just a good old-fashioned offer of help.
Dr. Nathan Banner.
-o-
I barely recognize myself in the bathroom mirror. I look like I've been living in the wilderness for a week without benefit of a comb or razor, and somewhere along the way, was attacked by a wild cougar.
A small part of me is happy Bella hasn't responded to my texts or voice mails. My outward appearance only mimics the decline within, and I'm not fit to even consider groveling at Bella's feet.
Pulling out the distinctive can of Mystique shaving gel, I lather up my beard. The razor glides through the dense forest and soon, I'm smooth and exposed.
A/N: Attacked by a wild cougar...*grins* XXX ~BOH