6

"Storm seems to be letting up a bit," Emmett said, pulling back the curtain on the window and peering outside. "Still gonna be a while before I can take you into town, though. Probably gonna have to sit it out until morning."

He released the curtain and turned back toward Bella. "Sorry. I'm sure you didn't plan on spending your night in this place or with me."

"It's fine," she told him with a wave of her hand. The throbbing in her head had finally gone away, but her body was sore and stiff. "Rather be here than stuck on the side of the road in my car, which I will have to call the rental company about in the morning."

"Where were you headed, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Houston," she replied. "For work. Supposed to have meetings first thing in the morning, but I guess I won't be there in time. My flight was canceled, so I had the bright idea to drive. Pretty stupid, huh?"

Emmett laughed. "Yep."

"Glad you agree!" she exclaimed, smiling from her position on the bed. She tugged the blanket up under her chin, unable to keep from shivering.

"Getting cold?" Emmett didn't wait for a response before he was on his feet and adding more wood to the fire. The increased warmth wrapped around her, snuggling her in its embrace.

"Tell me about your wife." The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and the way his shoulders tensed had her regretting her invasion immediately. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's . . . it's fine," Emmett added one more log to the fire before he moved back over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Rosalie and I met in college. I was a senior, ready to finally have my degree and be a real man. She was a freshman, just getting a taste of adulthood. She was beautiful. Soft, silky blond hair, bright blue eyes, the sweetest smile, and her laugh . . . her laugh was mesmerizing. The first time I saw her in the library, I was in awe. For weeks, I found myself watching her. She was the highlight of my day, even though I didn't want to admit it to myself. I was there to get my degree, not fall in love. After a few weeks of unshameful watching, I finally got the nerve to approach her. She was in the middle of a deep study session, so I thought maybe she'd want to grab a bite to eat."

"And did she?" Bella asked.

"No," Emmett laughed. "She didn't even look at me as she waved me off and told me she was busy. I won't lie: my pride was injured. So, I said maybe another time and retreated back to my table and my work. But I still watched her every day. Guess I sound like a stalker, don't I?"

"Little bit."

"Well, maybe I was. A couple of weeks after she turned me down, I was coming out of my economics class when I saw her surrounded by several football team members. I couldn't hear everything being said, but I saw her shake her head and try to leave. But they grabbed her arm and pulled her back. I lost it and rushed to her. I managed to pull her away from them and said if they ever came near her again, I'd beat them into the ground with my bare hands. And I meant it, too. I would have fought to the death for her."

"You already loved her," Bella said.

Emmett nodded. "I did. Of course, I didn't realize I had fallen for her, but I had. I escorted her to the student center and bought her a coffee and a donut. She thanked me and asked why I came to her rescue. I couldn't tell her how I felt. Didn't think she'd like to hear about me stalking her." Emmett laughed. "So I told her how my momma hadn't raised me to stand by and let boys torment a lady like that. She thanked me again and headed off to her next class. My instinct was to follow her, but I didn't. Later that night, I was in the library studying again when she came in. She paused inside the doors and looked around, smiling when she saw me sitting at my usual table. I gave her a tip of my head, but I never expected her to come over to me. Yet, she did. She sat down and didn't say a word as we studied. Every night for the next month, we studied together. She told me bits and pieces of her life, about her daddy and how he raised her after her momma took off with another man. She loved to read, loved kids, and wanted to be a kindergarten teacher."

Emmett paused once more, bringing his hand up to his mouth. Bella felt the weight of his grief, the heaviness of the loss he had suffered.

"The night before Thanksgiving break, we'd gotten a nasty ice storm, so the library closed early. I didn't want her out alone, so I walked her back to her dorm. She insisted I come inside and warm up before I headed to my own room. I couldn't refuse her, not then, not ever. She made me a cup of coffee, and we sat in the lounge and talked all night.

As the sun rose the next morning, she grabbed my hand and asked, "Are you ever going to ask me out again?"

I was shocked, dumbfounded. She laughed and said, "If I'd known you were the one asking me out that night, I would have said yes." I told her I didn't think she liked me and didn't want to lose her by asking again. She called me silly and said she had fallen for me. From that night on, it was me and Rosalie.

"We were married a month after she graduated. She got pregnant a few months after our wedding. Everything was perfect until she woke up in pain. Twenty-one weeks was too early for the baby to be healthy. I rushed her to the hospital, but the strain was too much for her. She passed, Mary Alice passed, and I was left with my memories."

"I'm sorry," Bella whimpered, tears flooding her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Emmett stood up and tossed another log into the fire. "I miss them every day, but one day, probably sooner rather than later, I'll be with them again. When I am, I'm going love them for eternity."

Bella nodded, unsure of what to say. He spoke with so much conviction, so much truth and passion that she didn't doubt he would spend all of eternity loving his wife and daughter. At that moment, a pang of envy hit her: would Edward love her like that?

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews and to Sunflower Fran for being an awesome beta and friend.