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Chapter 17

Love Forever

Bella

When I woke up, I felt Emmett's strong arms wrapped around me.

"Good morning, Bella," he whispered in my ear.

I turned around and gave him a kiss.

"Morning."

I swung my left leg over him and lay down on his cool body.

Ow ... I felt like I had spent ten hours in the gym. It didn't really hurt; I was just very tight ... like I had sore muscles everywhere.

I laid my head sideways of his chest.

"Why didn't you tell me I was holding you too tight?", he asked as he pulled my arm toward him and eyed it.

Huh ...? How did he come up with that?

"What do you mean by that, Emmett? You never hurt me. Not for a second was I in pain," I said honestly.

I raised my head a little and looked at my arm. I saw a bruise.

"Emmett, don't worry about it. You know how clumsy I am. A few bruises more or less are not so bad," I said and gave him a kiss on the mouth, so he could not discuss further.

I lay back on top of him and my thoughts were on last night.

It was perfect.

I smiled.

"What are you thinking about?", Emmett asked.

"Last night ... and you?", I whispered.

"Yeah, me too," he replied, stroking my hair.

We were silent again for a few minutes, indulging our thoughts.

I never thought Emmett was that sensitive.

"Bella?"

"Umm ...?"

I turned my head, propped my chin on his chest and looked into his golden warm eyes.

I almost lost myself in his eyes. When he said nothing, I tilted my head a little and looked at him questioningly.

"What do you think? About us, I mean?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

I knew how I felt about him. I loved him. After last night, at the latest, there was no longer any doubt about it. But what did he feel for me?

"I like you ... a lot," I answered hesitantly. 'Like' was really an understatement.

"How much do you like me, Bella?" he dug deeper.

I averted my eyes from him and rested my head sideways on his chest. I felt my cheeks grow warm and I blushed. I'm sure Emmett felt it, too.

"Probably more than you like me," I said meekly.

That's when he started laughing, and that's when I got shaken up on his chest.

"Bella, that's completely ruled out!", he said with amusement.

How did he mean that now?

I propped myself sideways on my elbows and looked at him in confusion.

"Why is that ruled out?", I asked, still confused by his laughing fit.

He became serious again.

"Sometimes you're really slow on the uptake, kiddo," he said so softly I wasn't sure he'd really said it.

He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye.

"Isabella ..."

It was the first time he used my full name.

"I love you. I have always loved you. But I have held back because of Edward - and because I had Rose."

He said it with such fervor that I completely lost the thread. Could this really be? Why had I never noticed anything about it? He was still looking me in the eye and that's when I realized I should answer something. But I was too stunned by his confession.

"I love you too, Emmett," I said happily, giving him a kiss. "I didn't want to admit it at first because it happened so fast after Edward left. But I just fell in love with you," I confessed, and a huge smile spread across Emmett's face, and I saw his dimples.

Emmett

If I still had a heartbeat, it would have done somersaults in that second! Could it be that she really loved me too? Could I be so lucky in misfortune?

I wrapped my arms around MY fragile little Bella.

It felt like her warmth was spreading throughout my whole body.

I kissed her effusively in every place I could reach.

I loved her so much and she loved me too. I wanted to hold her in my arms like this forever. I faltered at the thought. Forever. Bella was human. I had no idea if she wanted to share eternity with me, if she wanted to become a vampire. Edward had hated the thought of it. Would she be shocked if I asked her?

While I was indulging my thoughts, I didn't even notice at first that Bella's chocolate eyes were looking at me.

"Emmett?" she began hesitantly.

"Umm ...?"

"Well, so ... I thought about it for a moment. And I would understand if you didn't want me to ... Anyway, I've been thinking about us ... And I'm human, and I'm going to get older, and I'm going to die one day. If you don't want me forever, then I would ..."

I pressed my hand over her mouth as I realized what she was trying to say so she couldn't keep stammering nonsensical stuff. I had to smile a bit because apparently we had just thought the same thing.

"You want to become a vampire?"

"If you want me forever ..."

I rolled my eyes.

Had she not listened when I had told her I loved her?

"Of course I want you forever, my Bella," I promised her.

"When?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

It took me a moment to understand what she meant.

I wanted her to be an immortal by my side as soon as possible, of course, but there was school and her friends and, of course, her father ...

"Let's wait until graduation," I recommended.

She thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

She was probably thinking the same things I was.

"Yay ... I knew it, I knew it!", we heard Alice cheering and warbling below.

We looked at each other, rolled our eyes at the same time and laughed together.

She came scampering up the stairs and ran into my room. Like a hyperactive elf, she hugged Bella.

That we were naked under the blanket, she cared quite little. I didn't care either, but maybe it was unpleasant for Bella.

"Oh Bella, you will be a beautiful immortal!"

And already she dashed away again.

Little monster.

I rolled my eyes and started kissing Bella again.

I grabbed her waist with my hands as she jerked briefly. I threw the blanket away from us and sat her up straight.

There was also a bruise on her lowest ribs on the right side ... and on her left hip bone. But otherwise she looked unharmed. Good, I had myself relatively well under control, even if it was hard.

A thought occurred to me, and I had to laugh a little.

"What's so funny?", she asked.

Oh ... her cheeks would glow.

I leaned over to her ... next to her head.

"I made you a woman!", I murmured in an exaggerated porn voice next to her ear.

And already I could feel the warmth boiling in her cheeks.

I laughed out loud, and she pushed me onto the bed.

So ... I let myself be pushed. After all, it had less force than a feather.

"Don't be like that. I've yet to take advantage of it. Soon I'll never see your cheeks glowing like that," I quipped.

"Fortunately!", she dramatically groaned.

I kissed her.

She is mine.