Chapter 3

(Don't own anything.) R&R Please

Bellapov

I think about Emmett and everything he told me. I roll over into my pillow feeling as though I might still somewhat be in shock. For nearly two years? I think over and over. Ever since that day? Everything seems to replay over and over in my head. The alarm eventually sounds and I know I've not slept not even minute.

"Ugh!" I throw the sheets off me.

I get in the shower and remember my father's reaction to seeing Emmett at the door. Something about it makes me laugh. I think he was nearly as shocked as I. I scrub down and wash my hair wondering where were the Cullen's? I mean obviously they had to still care about Emmett and wondered about him? Rose and his parents especially the entire idea actually rather pissed me off. How could they not care? Its Emmett they have to. "They didn't come back for me either…" chills me to no end. How is that possible? And what did "he" think of all this? How did "he" feel about leaving his brother behind? I close my eyes on this thought getting angrier by the moment.

"Lip looks better." My dad says as I grab some orange juice.

"Um yeah."

"Bella how many times do I have to tell you to hit the deer never swerve! You're lucky you know that?"

If only he knew just how lucky I really was.

"Yes dad I'm sorry I panicked and I didn't want to hit the deer."

"More people are injured from trying to save the deer's ass rather than their own. I think it's safe to say your life matters more than any stupid animal Bella."

I nod and grab my bag heading out the door.

"Drive safe."

"I know dad."

"Are you sure?"

I roll my eyes and head towards my truck and go to school.

I drive into the parking lot and my jaw drops. I see an all too well familiar jeep and Emmett leaning against it eyeing me. I park the truck as my heart skips a beat.

I look around then back to Emmett.

"Um hello?" I narrow my eyes a bit and shake my head.

"I get bored during the day so thought I'd finish out the year with you if that's cool."

"Um sure."

"Are you? If this is too much I."

"Yes it's really too much."

"Oh well."

"Oh come on Emmett."

I grab his wrist pulling him along. I look back to him and see an odd expression about him.

"Are you ok?"

He smiles.

"Yep."

Emmettpov

These feelings are eating away at me. I find myself wanting to put my arms around her, hold her hand, kiss her something anything but I refrain out of fear of what she'd think. Bella's been through enough she needs a friend not a pervy teenage vampire with immoral thoughts lingering about much less her ex's brother. It felt good to be in contact with someone again. Even felt nice entering these school walls again even if I must admit it feels a bit foreign without my brothers and sisters but with Bella I knew I'd fine. It's just as well now that Bella knew about me I couldn't bare another day in that cabin alone or up in some tree waiting for her to get home from school.

We enter the classroom though and the guardian in me is still there. It's as if I can't help it now. The first thing I find myself doing is looking for any immediate dangers and pulling Bella behind me. The class looks to me rather oddly before I catch what I'm doing. I clear my throat and Bella smiles at me shaking her head.

"Sorry…" I mutter but know I can't really control that part of me now.

That part will always be there when it comes to her.

I sit beside her and barely make out a word the teacher has said. I spend more time glancing upon Bella off and on and trying to make her laugh by making silly faces. At one point she tosses a crumbled piece of paper at my face and goes back to her notes. I succeed in making her smile and that's all that matters.

A pang of sadness hits me though as we enter the cafeteria and I glare upon the table that used to be where we sat. It now seats Mike and his buddies. Bella must have taken notice of this as she takes my hand and leads me another table. Her friends Jessica, Angela, Eric and some others join us.

"So Emmett's back?" Jessica says smiling upon me.

I nod.

"You could say that."

"Wow so… well like where are the other's?"

I swallow and Bella takes over.

"They're in Alaska. Emmett hates sushi."

They all laugh and Bella winks at me. She pats my shoulder and bites into an apple.

"So are you two like…" Bella starts to choke a little on her apple.

I look to her curiously.

"Are us two what?" I egg Jessica on wanting to see Bella's reaction.

She blushes and shakes her head.

"Oh… well it certainly looked that way."

"Have to admit I thought that too." Angela says.

Something about that felt disappointing. What did I expect for her to jump up and say hell yeah he's mine? Then I can't help but to be mad at myself for feeling disappointed. I'm such a chump. This is Bella she's off limits I remind myself over and over whilst checking her out only further proving how truly dense I can be.

Once school is over I walk her to her truck. I look to her concerned as she looks as though she could cry.

"Hey you ok?"

She nods with a smile. She reaches up and pecks me on the cheek.

"Thank you."
"For?"
"Being you."

I swallow on this and feel all tingly.

"Say um could we maybe you know hang out this weekend or something? We could go to a movie perhaps?"

"I'd like that actually."
"Cool."

"Um Emmett I do have to ask…"

I look to her worried she's about to ask if this is a date.

"Yes?"

"Are you still stalking me?"

"You'll never know." I tease and head to my jeep.

Bellapov

What the hell was that? I try to focus on the drive home but feel all weird. My stomach is fluttery, my palms sweat and I feel anxious. No fucking way… I say to myself and suddenly pull over and hit the brakes as I put the truck in park. This is silly and so, so, so very stupid. I break into a smile and start giggling. Ah shit…

I shake it off and start the truck. I can't feel this way it's wrong. This is Emmett. He's like my brother… I roll my eyes knowing that wasn't true. There was more to Emmett no matter how much I wanted to try to convince myself otherwise. But I think of Rose and Edward and know it's wrong. Rose would massacre if she ever found out and Edward well. I close my eyes in thought and realize I actually don't care what Edward thought. But I did care about Emmett, his feelings and what he thought. Therefore I know I can't act on my feelings there's just no way. Yet I think on how they never came back for him.

"Assholes." I find myself saying as I turn into my house.

But then I know the truth deep down and really realize just how much I screwed up poor Emmett's life. I feel as though I've robbed him of everything. He's a big tough vampire but inside Emmett was complete mush and I knew that. He was one of the most loyal, softest, caring person or vampires I'd ever met. How does someone like that get punished to serve 2 years alone?

"Bitch!" I say as I think of Rose then covered her mouth in shame and scolded herself. How could I say that? Emmett probably still loves her with all his heart. How dare you Bella you big jerk! I'd no right to think such things. I won't be like the Cullen's no! Emmett's deserves better. I will be there for him the way he was for me even if I didn't know it at the time. I will be whatever he needs I owe him everything.

"Bella?" Are you coming out of that truck or not?" Charlie calls knocking me out of my internal battle that wasn't really going anywhere if I'm being honest.

It's Friday now and I pace my room wondering how the hell to dress for this. Too dressy says date, too laid back says eh' and Emmett always dresses nice. I nod on this fact and go with something that's midway. So I put on black slacks and boots with a black and gray striped cashmere sweater. Enough to be dressy if needed but not too much I leave my hair down and grab my jacket.

"You've got to be kidding." My dad says looking out the window.

"Did you trade in the slice of bacon for the slab of beef?"

"Dad!"

"Just saying might not want to keep dating inside the family."

"OMG Dad stop it." I say in a panic hearing Emmett come closer to the door and I remember what great hearing they have and wish Charlie would shut up.

Emmett knocks on the door and I feel nauseas. This is just Emmett I remind myself. My dad opens the door and Emmett smiles at me but then nods to Charlie respectfully. My dad sighs shaking his head and holds the door open as I head out.

"No funny business." He says to Emmett.

"DAD PLEASE!"

Emmett laughs to where only I can hear.

"Yes sir."

We get in the jeep and my dad stares us down as Emmett drives away.

"Wow your dad makes me kind of nervous."

"That's just Charlie he makes everyone nervous."

"So what did he mean by funny business?" Emmett teases.

I shake my head on this but can't help but to laugh.

"I would like to take you to eat to if that's ok? I mean I know I don't eat but…"

This felt way too much like a date now. I look to Emmett.

"Are you sure about that?" Wondering if he even realized that himself.

"Well of course I would like to take you where you want to go."

Emmett pulls into a rather pricy restaurant.

"Um Emmett."

He says nothing simply parks.

"Stay put." He says and gets out and walks around opening the door for me.

He takes my hand and leads me into the restaurant. I swallow nervously. I even feel my heart jump a bit and I knew Emmett hears it as well as he turns to me.

"Relax Bells."

Once we get seated Emmett has me pick out what I want then he orders some "pretend" food for himself.

"Is it good?" He asks halfway through my meal.

"Yes thank you very good."

He nods.

"You need anything else?"

"No actually I'm pretty good I'm already getting full."

I watch as Emmett picks at a piece of bread but looks nervous for a vampire that is.

"Um is everything ok with you?"

"Yep."

Emmett then looks to me and then looks around.

"Look Bella I want to tell you something."

I put my fork down and look to him.

"I'm not sure what I feel or how to react or what to do with all this."

I swallow and sip on my tea but nod.

"Ugh I mean. How do I say this?" He shakes his head.

"Bella I've spent two years basically alone. During those two years though of protecting you, seeing your life hang in the balance one too many times, getting to know you in ways I never thought I would, even experiencing some jealousy issues when you were dating that Jacob kid, the way it felt when you dumped him…" Emmett laughs nervously. "I can't hide it anymore I've tried and I can't even begin to tell you how many internal wars I've had about this. But I know I can't go another day without telling you I've feelings for you. I'm not sure what they all are but they are strong. About Rose, all I feel about her now is pain because she wouldn't stand by me and she never came back. You might not even feel the same way and if so nothing changes for you and I Bella. I'm not going anywhere."

My stomach flips and my heart feels as though it's to leap out of my chest. Emmett looks to me.

"Please say something."

I bite my lower lip in thought.

"Actually Emmett I've been fighting the same sort of feelings."

He leans back as if relaxing a bit.

"You're not just saying that now right?"

I softly laugh.

"No, in fact I wasn't even sure how to dress tonight." I admit.

"Well you look gorgeous you always do though."

I blush as he takes my hand across the table.

"If I do something stupid you tell me."

"That might keep me pretty busy…" I tease.

"HEY!" He breaks into a smile.

Once I'm done Emmett takes my hand and leads me back to the jeep.

"What would you like to see?" He says opening the door for me.

"I don't really care."

He shrugs.

"Me either guess we'll figure that out when we get there."

As he heads to the theater he turns to me.

"I hate to ask but feel I need to know. How do you feel about my brother still? Be honest you won't hurt me I know there's history I can't touch."

I sigh.

"Emmett I know he's your brother but if I'm being honest I've washed my hands of that. He hurt me and it's a kind of hurt I know I may one day forgive but I could never forget. I could never have those kind of feelings for Edward again especially after what he did to you as well."

Emmett nods and pulls into the theater.

Emmett and I decide on some sort of romantic comedy.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"Ugh I'm still sloshy from dinner."

He laughs well you don't look it. Emmett puts his arm around my waist as he hands the guy the tickets and we go into the theater. A gitty sort of feeling comes over me as he continues to lead me to our seats. We sit down and he grabs my hand. I put my other hand to my mouth automatically feeling slightly dizzy… He lets out a nervous laugh.

"You felt that too?"

I'd never seen Emmett so nervous and it felt even odder that I was the reason. I think about how much of a knock out Rose was and can't even begin to imagine that I could make Emmett feel like this. Halfway through the movie I bravely lean into Emmett's shoulder and a certain comfort comes about. A comfort I'd never felt before like a meant to be type of thing. This right here just felt right and as though something had been missing all along until now. He puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head and I swore I was going to literally start floating.

On the drive back we're both quiet but smile to one another off and on. He pulls into my driveway.

"Can I walk you to your door or will Charlie come at me with a gun?"

"You're a vampire time to toughen up."

He smiles on this and nods.

Emmett walks me to the door and takes my hand.

"I had a great time Bella."

"Me too."

I see the black upon his eyes and remember that's the sign of needing to hunt.

"Catch a big grizzly for me."

"But of course…" He kisses my hand and I watch him drive away.