Bella's Point of View

When I woke up, panic instantly shot through me. I quickly turned to the clock. I've been asleep for a good three hours. I didn't mean to sleep that long. I got up in a mad dash to get myself ready. Emmett would be stopping over some time in the evening, I wanted to make sure that I at least looked decent. I practically ran from my room into the bathroom, I tripped a few times and ended up smashing one of my toes against the door of the bathroom. Of course I would find a way to injure myself.

I cleaned up, did my hair and put a modest amount of makeup on. I wasn't quite like other girls around my age. I wasn't skilled with makeup, I didn't know anything about contouring, or sculpting, or anything that requires a precise and delicate touch. I did the bare minimum. A cream colored eyeshadow, nothing too noticeable, and light brown eyeliner. Again, nothing that would bring too much attention, but something to subtly improve my overall appearance. I used a light nude colored lipstick. It nearly blended in with my skin tone, it was just a few shades darker. A soft peachy hue.

Don't ask me why I was putting so much effort into this. It was Emmett, I'm sure he wasn't stopping over for anything, other than fill me in on his conversation with Rosalie. But I couldn't help it, I couldn't wait to see him again. I made my way down the stairs, taking my time so I wouldn't trip. My toe was still aching from hitting it in the bathroom. Just as I reached the bottom step the doorbell rang.

My heart leaped out of my chest as I quickly went to the door and flung it open. Standing there, in all his glory, was Emmett. He looked handsome as usual. Even in the more casual clothing that he wore. A dark gray top, the three buttons at the top were opened, with a thinner pristine white top underneath. His dark denim jeans were nearly form-fitting, showing off some definition to his toned legs. It struck me again that I had actually slept with this man. Me. A complete plain Jane. While Emmett was something closer to a model. He stood with a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Emmett, it's nice to see you." I said nervously, my face instantly warmed.

His eyes danced to my cheeks and lightly he reached his hand out to cup my face. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I thought I'd come over to talk."

Electricity jumped between us, causing my heart to start beating a bit faster. Even as he let his hand drop back down to his side, I still felt the sparks lingering against my cheek. I took a step to the side to let him walk in. It was raining outside, as usual. So this conversation would have to be inside.

"You know, you didn't have to buy me a whole new bed set, or those nightstands and desk." I sighed as I walked over to the couch to sit down.

Emmett plopped himself down the couch next to me with a huge grin. "Well to be honest, I felt bad for wrecking the bed. So I got one with a bit more strength, I was told that particular model can withstand a tank."

"What would I possibly need something like that for?" I said, shaking my head.

"Well, I mean… I figured you would need something better than what you had. In case you found someone… you wanted to… you know… have sex with." He seemed to have an extremely hard time getting out what he wanted to say. His expression had gone blank now as he watched for my response. He was so still that I thought he might have even stopped breathing.

"I'm not really interested in finding some random guy to be intimate with. Believe it or not, I'm not that kind of person. That whole thing.. With you. Well that was my first and only time I've ever done that."

Emmett hung his head in defeat. "You mean, I took your virginity?" He looked up at me with a mixture of conflicting emotions. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't apologize, I mean, it was wonderful. One of the top five best moments of my life." I admitted with a blanket of blush covering my cheeks.

I really didn't think we would even have this conversation. When he left me that day, I didn't think he wanted anything to do with me. I thought he would just become a memory. But here he was, going into the finer details of our one-night stand. Being completely open and honest. I really admired him for that.

A soft smile came to his face. "I'm honored to be the first one. That's more or less what I've come here to talk about."

I raised a brow as I chewed my bottom lip. "What does that mean?"

"Well, my family was considering moving out of Forks, in the near future." He said hesitantly.

It felt like my heart just got ripped straight out of my chest. My breath caught in my throat. "What? That's a joke, isn't it?" I felt tears start to sting in my eyes. I didn't understand why this hurt so much. It was more than painful; the feeling was indescribable. A torture, that would have brought me to my knees.

Emmett shook his head, a frown coming to his face. "Afraid not, with the whole thing with Rose. And you. The only way to keep you safe from her… would probably be to leave Forks completely."

I anxiously reached out to grab his arm, without thinking. He flinched slightly, not expecting my touch. But he didn't move his arm away. He just continued to watch my face.

"I don't want that. I can put up with Rosalie. Just don't leave." I begged.

He sighed, again reaching out to stroke my cheek, his fingers sweeping my tears away. "My family is thinking about moving. But I didn't plan on going with them."

Surprise highlighted my face. A lump formed in my throat. "Really, you aren't going with them?"

"If they do decide to leave. I won't follow them. I can't." He admitted quietly. His hand lingered on my cheek. "I'd miss seeing that blush of yours, too much."

My heart squeezed hard in my chest, making it hard to breathe. My body trembled slightly as my face warmed. His topaz eyes peered through me. He had a completely serious expression on his face. He wasn't joking this time. He meant what he said. But I still couldn't believe it. I hadn't realized that he really cared for me, in that way. Emmett didn't want to leave me behind. What does this all mean? Am I thinking too far into this? There is no way that he could be interested in a person like me. I wasn't anything special.

I felt lightheaded. In fact, I was overwhelmed by his words. I dizzily leaned back in my seat, trying to wrap my head around it all. "What does it all mean Emmett? Come straight out and tell me. Because I don't want to make any assumptions on how you feel… about me." I replied after a short silence.

He paused, slowly withdrawing his hand from my face. A more natural smile came to his face now. As if the answer was so obvious. "I care about you deeply. And I don't plan on leaving your side. Until you tell me to get lost." His smile was vibrant.

I didn't think my heart could take much more. I smiled at him in response. Almost giddy at his remark. "Well at least I was able to make one friend, so far." The word friend was a bit of a stretch for me. I didn't think it described my feelings towards Emmett accurately. I liked him. Well, I more than liked him. It was a deeper connection than friendship. But I wasn't about to tell him that. He would just find a way to make fun of me.

Emmett made a face, there was a strange mixture of pain and humor clouding his eyes. He folded his arms across his chest. "I wouldn't call us friends. I don't think that's the right word for it."

"Alright, so how should we label this relationship?"

"Let's decide that at a later date. But for now. Let's just take some time to get to know each other. I'd like to spend more time with you. If that's alright?"

I nodded quickly but tried to downplay my eagerness. "That would be fine. What did you have in mind?"

"Let's just keep things casual. And see where it goes."

Well, I hadn't expected that. Emmett wants to spend more time with me. He wanted to know who I was. Understand my wants and goals in life. We spoke in great detail for hours. He had a lot of questions for me. It seemed never ending. But I didn't mind. We mostly stayed in the living room. I ended up talking about a lot of different things. From personal things, such as my childhood and my parents' divorce, to light topics such as my favorite color or favorite flower. Most of the questions seemed harmless. But I noticed that he didn't enjoy answering most of the questions that I had for him.

I hadn't realized how guarded Emmett was with her personal life. By the time the sky started getting dark, Emmett decided it was time for him to go. But he promised to return tomorrow, to finish our conversation. I hated to see him go. But I knew Charlie would be on his way home soon. I really didn't want Charlie getting the wrong idea and start asking questions that I didn't have the answer to. It's best if I keep Emmett and I's relationship on a need-to-know basis. At least until I figure out what our relationship even is at this point.

I stood on the porch with him for a moment. He hesitated, reaching out to take a strand of my hair and run it through his fingers. He watched me closely, inhaling slowly, before exhaling. His breath trickled over my head. The smell was fresh, like mint.

"Good night Bella," He said gently, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Good night," I breathed.

He turned away from me and walked slowly to his Jeep, parked in my driveway. Like his siblings, he peeled out onto the road like he was out of his mind. The tires squealed under the force. Soon, I stood all alone. My heart ached watching him leave. But I held onto the fact that he would return tomorrow.

Just as he was leaving, Charlie was pulling in. The timing couldn't be more perfect. Charlie greeted me with nearly a dozen trout that he and Henry caught today. He was proud of his efforts. So, I decided to fry up some of the fish for him for dinner. It would be a late dinner, but Charlie admitted that he didn't eat more than a few beef sticks all day today. I was hungry as well. So much happened today, first with the Cullen's showing up with my new bed set, then the intense afternoon chatting with Emmett. I had forgotten to eat.

I stood in the kitchen, dodging the splattering grease from the pan as I fried up the fish. Charlie was seated at the table, sipping at a can of beer while he cleaned out his rifle.

"How was your day, Bells?" He asked, glancing up at me with a content smile.

"Not bad at all. I didn't get as much done as I'd liked to. I just ended up sleeping most of the day away." I said, shrugging my shoulders. I didn't make eye contact. Charlie was very observant. I was afraid if I did look at him, he would see through me. Would he notice I was leaving out some crucial details?

"Nothing wrong with getting some well needed rest," He bobbed his head. "I guess Henry wants to head back out early tomorrow for more fishing." He trailed off, glancing at me with a bit of a nervous twitch.

"That sounds like fun." I said with a tentative smile. "I also have plans for tomorrow. A friend from school is dropping over." I wasn't a fan of keeping secrets from Charlie. I wanted him to at least be aware that Emmett will be hanging around.

He paused what he was doing for a minute to lock eyes with me. "Well, that's great, I knew you would end up making some friends. What's her name?"

"His name is Emmett Cullen,"

Charlie's eyes widened for a minute, surprise colored his face, before turning to a more suspicious look. "Cullen huh, he's a bit old for you, isn't he?"

"Just a year older, he is a senior. But it's nothing like that. We are just … friends." I frowned slightly. I knew Emmett didn't agree with that. I didn't either. But it was the closest title I could give him at the moment. Anything else and Charlie wouldn't quite understand.

"Friends," Charlie repeated with a thoughtful look. "So he is coming here? To do what exactly?"

"Talk, do some homework together, nothing too exciting," I turned my eyes back to the fryer. This conversation started to feel more like an interrogation.

"Well, I trust you'll call, if anything happens." He continued. "But the Cullens are a bunch of good kids. I don't think I'll have much to worry about. Their father, Carlisle, is a doctor up at the hospital. He's a good man. Don't listen to what the other towns folk say."

My shoulders stiffened as I turned back to Charlie. "What do the townsfolk say about them?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "The people around town just aren't that welcoming to different types of people. That family is pretty reserved. They tend to stick to themselves. So, some people with time on their hands like to make up stories about them. They are just people, like you and me."

I guess that made sense. But I couldn't help but get the feeling that Charlie was avoiding the subject a little on what exactly was being said about them.

"So, what exactly are people saying about them?" I repeated.

"Well, if you spend any time in La Push, the locals there have some of the wildest theories about the Cullens. But here in Forks, it's mostly about their wealth. Like they own private jets, or they are a family of trained assassins, or spies working for some other country. It's ridiculous."

I chuckled a little. That did all seem a bit far-fetched. Sure, there was no doubt in my mind that Emmett and his family were wealthy. But I could hardly believe they were some kind of super spies.

"That does sound ridiculous," I nodded in agreement.

The fish was ready, so I began to set the table. Charlie watched me carefully. Muttering a thank you as I brought the fish to the table. He didn't hesitate to start eating. We sat in silence for a while, just enjoying our meal. I could see Charlie was really enjoying the fish. He picked the bones clean.

"If you think that is funny, you should hear what the La Push people think of the Cullens." Charlie sighed, wiping his mouth as he finished up eating.

"What do they say?"

"Well, it's actually a pretty big secret. They aren't supposed to tell outsiders, because this is actually part of their legends."

I raised a brow. "The Cullens are included in their legends?"

Charlie nodded. "I guess their ancestors had a run in with some La Push people."

"Well, how do you know about the legends? You aren't part of the tribe."

"No, but I'm very good friends with many of them. They tend to let things slip over the years. I think I've pieced together the whole story. But they are just old wise tales. Scary stories."

Of course, Charlie wasn't dumb. He has been spending time in La Push all his life. He was friends with the locals. And with his background, he tended to be very observant. It wasn't surprising that he managed to hear some of the legends.

"Well, I'd like to hear some of it."

Charlie paused, scanning over my face. "Alright, but this is just between you and me. It may be make-believe to us, but the locals take this very seriously. We have no right to judge their beliefs, even though it is all hogwash."

I nodded slightly. "Alright,"

"Well, from my understanding, the people of La Push, think the Cullens are vampires,"

A/N: Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying this new idea for a story, let me know in a review. Thanks again!