AN: Hello my pretties. Sorry for the wait. Enjoy!

8. My Confessions

It had been 2 long weeks since I've seen Emmett. I mean well, I've seen him and even spoken to him, but he wasn't my Emmett. Not the Emmett I've come to know. He's been cold and distant, and every time I see him he gives me a very stiff " ." and scurries away as if I've got some sort of terminal illness that he is afraid to catch.

Despite not being able to "see" Emmet, my days have been filled with a joy that almost measures up to what I feel with Emmett, for the Count has visited me almost every day. He is quite charming and I've come to care for him a lot. I could definitely see myself falling in love with him but for some peculiar reason I just could not. It was like there was something inside of me holding me back from it. From him.

"Genevieve are you alright? You've been quite silent for a while." Stefan whispered to me. We were out in the town today and he had taken me to a candy shop.

"Of course, Stefan I am quite well. I was just thinking of the past few days." I smiled.

"In fondness, I hope." He said somewhat shyly. It was adorable how he switched from being completely confident to betraying his true feelings with his bashfulness.

"Of course sir Count I don't see how anyone could ever think upon your company with anything other than fondness." I teased and he smirked at me, then he frowned when he checked the time on his watch and sighing he said,

"I think it is about time we get you home I have a few business meetings to attend and I am sure you'd rather not be bored by them." He smiled.

"Oh yes, of course, your chivalry is beyond compare." I giggled and he rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.

"Come on lets go." He offered his arm and led me back to the carriage.

"It was lovely to see you again Stefan." I smiled.

"It was absolutely incredible my dear and I shall wait with baited breath until the next time we meet." He kissed my knuckles and I blushed deeply.

"Until then sir Count."

"Yes until then ." and the carriage rode away leaving me in front of my home. I walked in and Aro took my coat immediately. I smiled and thanked him as I walked up to my room.

I had dinner with father later but was unable to take Emmett off my mind the entire evening. I should confront him, right? I should demand that he tell me what's going on. I am so desperate to find out. How could he not see that? How could he not see that his silence was killing me? I just couldn't bring myself to understand it, and I spent the better part of the evening trying to figure out what to do.

It was well into the night, probably early morning, when I made my decision. I was going to confront Emmett. Tonight. The house was asleep so I would have no problem sneaking out, all I would have to do is be back in bed before everyone awoke. Before I could lose my nerve, I threw my covers back and stormed(quietly) out of my room, down the stairs, and out to the stables. Once I made it to his door I stopped, took a deep breath in, and gave it a light tap. I waited. And waited. And waited, until, finally, he opened the door.

"Genevieve?" he said my name like a question, rubbing his eyes sleepily. I took in his shirtless, heavily muscled torso and suddenly my confidence had disappeared. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I, uh, I came for answers." I said as sternly as I could manage. He finally opened his eyes wide enough to actually look at me and they widened in shock almost immediately.

"Where are your clothes?!" he exclaimed as he took in my appearance. That's when I remembered that I was in nothing but my nightgown, which was so white it was almost transparent. I blushed deeply as I watched him trying, and failing, to look elsewhere. "Genevieve, go back to bed. This is extremely inappropriate."

"I am afraid I can not do that until I get what I came for." I said calmly. He poked his head out the door and looked around.

"Fine then," he huffed "at least come in before someone sees you." he stepped aside and allowed my entrance then shut the door tight after me. I took a second to observe his home...if that is what you'd call this humble shack. There was a mat on the floor in one corner by a window, a chest where I assumed he kept his clothing, a small table with two even smaller chairs, and a tiny fireplace where he did his cooking.

"Alright Genevieve. Talk." he said. I stayed silent for a moment, just staring, trying to decide where to begin. Finally, I just decided to just get it out.

"Why have you been avoiding any actual conversation with me this past fortnight?" I crossed my arms and lifted my chin, he didn't need to know how nervous I was on the inside. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I have no clue what you could be going on about Miss."

"Do you take me for a fool Emmett? You know exactly what I am speaking of. You have been cold, and short, and you refuse to look me in the eye. Even now." I ranted on "Ever since the Count came to visit me that day you haven't said a kind word to me. Forget kind, you haven't said ONE word to me. Always 'Hello Miss.', 'Yes Miss.', 'Goodbye Miss.' I thought we-" I stopped short refusing to say what was sitting on my tongue.

"You though we what?" He cocked an eyebrow. Right before that though I could've sworn I saw a glimmer of something. Hope? But it was gone just as soon as it came. Instead of embarrassing myself beyond recovery, since he couldn't possibly feel the same, I settled for a different word.

"I thought we were becoming friends." I looked down toward the floor to hide the true feelings that I knew were brewing in my eyes.

"Friends huh? It sure didn't feel like 'friends'" he muttered.

"What?" I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Nothing. Just forget I said anything at all." he waved it off.

"What did you say Emmett?" I pressed on.

"I said forget it Genevieve." He all but growled. "Now go back to bed."

"I refuse to leave until you've answered me Emmett." I remained stubborn.

"Genevieve."

"No Emmett. Answer me!" I demanded.

"DAMN IT WOMAN!" He cursed. "What is it you want to hear Miss!? Please do tell! Perhaps you want me to tell you how I am tired of being the lowly stable boy. The poor man who has nothing to offer a wife. The simple Bastard who can't support a family. Did you want to know how it is killing me to have you in this damn shack? How it is killing me to have you actually see how I live because I find myself falling in love with you and I have absolutely nothing to give. Do you want to know how I absolutely loathe that damned Count, not because he loves you, I don't blame him for that, but because he can give you everything I can't...And because of this, I know, beyond a reasonable doubt that you will choose HIM. Not me. Never me. Even if you actually wanted to. So what else was I supposed to do but keep my distance and guard my feelings? But now you know and for that, my measly attempt at protecting myself was all in vain." He slowly slid to the floor with his back against the wall.

I was completely frozen with the shock of his words. I couldn't process it fast enough. He stopped talking to me, stopped having fun with me, all because he was falling in...in love...with me? I couldn't have heard that right, but then...I knew I had. He loves me. EMMETT LOVES ME! And he thought I loved Stefan, or at the very least that I preferred him. But I don't. I don't. How could I? Stefan is an amazing friend and I would be happy married to him. But Emmett, with his beautiful smile, his boisterous laugh, his cocky sense of humor, and his big heart. Oh goodness, I'm not falling. I'm there. I'm already there. I am in love with Emmett and, if I am being honest with myself, I have been for quite some time. And now I was here. Here with him. And he was waiting for me to say something. OH MY GOD SAY SOMETHING GENEVIEVE.

"You're wrong." I said.

"What?" It was his turn to freeze.

"You are so wrong. How could you possibly think that you have nothing to give. You may not be the wealthiest man, but you have everything a girl could want. Everything I could want. Everything I do want. I want you Emmett. I want your time, your attention, your friendship, and most of all...your love."

"Genevieve-"

"No Emmett listen." I moved to the floor in front of him and took his face in my hands. "I choose you. You Emmett. I love you and have loved you almost since the moment I first laid eyes on you. And if you asked a week from now I'd tell you the same. I love you, I choose you. Forever." Then suddenly his lips were on mine, kissing me with a fervent passion.

My first kiss. Something I'd dreamed of my entire life, and it is finally happening. Contrary to his hard, strong body, his lips were soft and the way they molded with mine suggested that his lips were always meant to kiss mine. I held on tight to his neck and shoulders with the fingers of my right hand tangled into his curly locks, and we kissed for what felt like hours but I knew it to only be a few minutes.

"I love you." He whispered against my lips.

"I love you too." I smiled and kissed him again.

AN: Please review and let me know what you think.