Sorry for the late update. I made myself very sick and honestly, breathing has been a struggle let alone thinking straight. Hopefully that won't be an issue now.
The song for this chapter is Geronimo by Sheppard.
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Disclaimer: I'm only doing this for a friend. I don't get anything from it but her undying appreciation. I certainly don't get to have fun with Emmett and the boys in my head.
Chapter Eight: Geronimo
BPOV
I woke up the next morning to a text from Alice promising to have someone come help me. I sat up stiffly, regretting my decision to sleep on the couch and not in my bed last night.
"Morning, sleepyhead," an amused voice came from somewhere behind me. I twisted quickly and saw Rosalie standing behind me, examining the pictures of me hanging on the walls, documenting my years of awkwardness Charlie insisted on showcasing. She looked as incomparable as ever whereas I was pretty sure I had a drool trail on my cheek and my hair was a ratty nest of chaos.
"Hey, Rosalie," I said awkwardly, rubbing at my hair to attempt to get it under control. "Whatcha doing here," I asked pointedly. She was unfazed by my attitude and smiled at me. God, she was even prettier when she smiled. I could get a complex just by looking at her.
"Alice asked us to come hang out with you today. She said Carlisle has you non-weight bearing on that foot and we're here to be your not so humble servants. I nodded and then stopped, frowning.
"Wait, we?"
"Well yeah! Couldn't let Rose have all the fun skipping school," a deep masculine voice said behind her as Emmett came strolling out of the kitchen, holding a citrus reamer. I flushed as he grinned at me, winking. He was handsome as the day was long with thick, rich brown curls and his chiseled features. He had two deep dimples and he smelled of mischief and trouble.
But he was no Carlisle.
"Is this a sex toy? What kind of kinky stuff is your dad into, Swan?" I rolled my eyes.
"It's to juice lemons and limes. But if you want it shoved up your ass, I'd be more than happy to oblige," I offered sweetly. He immediately let out deep belly laughs, clutching the doorway for support. Rosalie grinned at me.
"Yeah, I definitely like you," she said, walking over to sit by me. Emmett finally got himself together and joined us, sprawling across the recliner.
"I like you, too," he announced. "You're quick." I placed a hand on my heart.
"It probably feels that way when you're so slow," I placated and he beamed at me. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Rosalie. "You guys don't have to ditch for me. I can take care of myself."
"Nope," she said, popping the 'P'. "Alice said you'd say that and to remind you that if Carlisle has to fix your foot again, he'll get into his grumpy mood where he gives you a long lecture about listening to your doctor followed by the long list of possible negative side effects of not listening to your doctor. Trust me, we're saving you from a snoozefest." I warmed at the thought that Carlisle would care that much. Then I mentally slapped myself and rolled my eyes at myself. Carlisle was a doctor: he cared because it was his job.
"Aren't you going to get a lecture for skipping school," I taunted.
"Nah, Carlisle is pretty great about letting us make our decisions. As long as it doesn't become a habit," Emmett reassured me.
"Sounds like Charlie," I muttered, then remembered my father's call last night. "Oh crap, Charlie," I exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. As soon as I put my weight on my foot, I hissed in pain and my legs buckled. Rosalie was at my side before I could fall, sitting me on the couch.
"Charlie has come and gone. Alice said he got in around two and was gone by eight."
"Oh."
"Now," Emmett announced, heaving himself out of Charlie's recliner with more grace than I would expect from someone his size, "it's time for breakfast. I have made you a marvelous feast. Be awed, mortal, for I do not bless many with my spectacular culinary gifts." He walked to the kitchen while speaking before coming back with a tray of food. He set it in front of me and I froze, unsure what I had been expecting. There were runny scrambled eggs, burnt bacon, nearly raw sausage, lumpy oatmeal and orange juice.
"It's, um... " I searched for a polite way to compliment the hot plate of salmonella and E. Coli in front of me.
"You idiot," Rosalie laughed, knocking Emmett on the back of his head with her hand. "I told you you didn't know what the hell you were doing! Are you trying to poison her?"
"Trust me, I'd take poison over this," I said dryly. Emmett laughed.
"It didn't seem that hard."
"Emmett, my darling, my dearest," I crooned. "I love you from the bottom of my heart. But I one thousand percent do not trust your cooking. Stay out of my kitchen." He started laughing again, throwing his hands up in concession. "Thank you for the effort but I can make myself something," I said. Rosalie sighed dramatically.
"At least use these this time," she offered, grabbing a set of crutches from the entryway and offering them to me. I grinned at her, grateful for some level of independence. I grabbed them and heaved myself off the couch.
"Need help," Emmett asked, pulling out a sports magazine Charlie had shoved in the pocket of his recliner.
"Nope. Crutches and I go way back. Thanks though. Can I get you guys anything?"
"Nah, we ate before we came." I shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and spoon. I turned to grab a box of cereal out of the cupboard. When I turned back to my bowl, it was gone and I looked around until I noticed Rosalie sitting at the table with it and the milk. I sighed.
"Guess you two weren't kidding about the servant thing," I said. She shrugged.
"We promised. Sorry not sorry." I slid into my seat gracelessly.
"Could be worse I guess," I muttered. I ate my cereal while she flipped through a car magazine I was guessing she'd brought with her. When I had finished, she jumped up and grabbed my dishes before I could move. "This is going to be a very long day," I complained.
"Come home to our house then. You'll be less inclined to do anything and Emmett won't accidentally break anything."
"That happened one time and you promised not to mention it ever again," Emmett whined from the den. I chuckled.
"It'll be fun," Rosalie sing-songed. I scowled at her before sighing.
"Fine. Let me go get dressed and semi-put together at least."
It took me all of ten minutes to get ready. I was tempted, for just a moment, to go all out so I wouldn't be so obviously in a different league than Rosalie. Then I felt extremely silly. Rosalie was beautiful but her beauty didn't diminish my own even if I felt like a sack of potatoes next to her. Instead, I brushed through my hair, braided it and threw on a red waffle-knit shirt and a pair of black leggings. It felt weird not worrying about school. I wasn't sure how I was going to keep myself occupied for the next two weeks without it eating up six or more hours of the day. As soon as I was back downstairs, Rosalie and Emmett met me by the door.
"Ready," Rosalie asked and I nodded. I followed them out of the house and locked the door behind me. Rosalie was climbing into the passenger seat of a huge red Jeep. Emmett was waiting for me next to the open door of the backseat. I swung myself over to him, careful to watch for slick spots the crutches would slip on and tossed the crutches on the floor of the Jeep, eyeing the step up and trying to figure out just how I was going to get in. Emmett gripped my waist and lifted me into the Jeep gently. I thanked him quietly, face flushing. I was no stranger to injury but I wasn't used to having quite so much help. I fumbled with the complex harness system in place of the seatbelt while Emmett climbed into his seat.
We drove through town and then out towards the edge of town. Emmett turned off on a driveway I would have missed but for the mailbox sticking out before the road. Their driveway was long, the house set at least a half a mile back from the road. The tunnel of trees opened up to a clearing and I took it in.
Carlisle's house.
It was a large, graceful house, rectangular and well-proportioned, painted a faded white. It stood three stories tall, with a deep porch that wrapped around the front of the house and was painted white. It was picturesque against the backdrop of trees and the distant mountains. The front yard was made up of the driveway circling in front of the house and connecting with a large outbuilding that appeared to be the garage. There were flowers and shrubs in front of the porch. Emmett pulled up in front of the walk to the door and parked. Rosalie hopped out and then pulled my door open, grabbed the crutches and helped me slide from the seat.
"You're stronger than you look," I complimented her and she smirked.
"Don't let the face fool you. I throw around cars in my spare time." She led me up the front steps to the porch, opening the door for me while Emmett moved the car into the garage. I could vaguely see the outline of several shiny cars, one of which I recognized from a James Bond movie Charlie and I watched together.
"We all have our favorites. But mine is the shiny red one," she said proudly. I whistled as I looked over the car she spoke of. "I completely rebuilt the engine. I don't get to drive it as much as I'd like."
"Wow. It's beautiful." She beamed proudly and I felt like I was getting a view of the real Rosalie Hale. Not the shallow, stuck up beauty that Jessica had described, the Rosalie that she displayed for the town and the world. This was Rose, a car enthusiast and talented mechanic. And I had no doubt that if she had tried to talk shop with any of the guys at school, they would have heckled her right out the door. "That's really cool, Rose. I don't know if you've seen the beast of a truck that I drive but I clearly know nothing about cars and I still know that you have to be kick ass to rebuild anything." She softened for a moment, staring at me with what might have been relief.
"Well, I have seen your truck and if you ever need any work done on it, I hope you'll bring it to me," she murmured, almost shyly. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Are you kidding? You're the only one I will trust with that rust bucket." She laughed and led me further into the house as Emmett came jogging up the porch steps.
I looked around the room we were in, awed by the high ceilings and simple but tasteful decor. The whole back wall was windows, letting in all the daylight and making the room bright. A shiny grand piano sat off the entry and I wondered if any of them could play it or if it was just for show.
"Hey, Bella, you want to play some video games," Emmett asked as he came into the house and kicked off his shoes.
"I don't know. I'm not really good at that kind of stuff," I said hesitantly. He scoffed at me and all but carried me over to the couch before pulling out a sleek gaming system and some controllers. Rose grabbed one and sprawled across an armchair, long legs hanging over the arm. Emmett settled on the couch by me and handed me a controller. I took it with a mumbled thanks. He loaded up a shooter game and we all selected our characters. The game started and I immediately began pressing the buttons, moving through the virtual world, looking for targets. When I found Emmett and Rosalie's characters, we began to engage in combat, shooting at each other and throwing grenades. I got Emmett between the eyes and he gave me some side eye while he respawned. I bit my lip in concentration, hiding behind a wall to avoid Rose's attack.
Five minutes later, Emmett threw down his controller.
"You're a lying liar that lies," he accused, pointing at me. "You lulled me into a false sense of security and made me believe you didn't know how to play! That is the EIGHTH time you've taken me out and I've only gotten you ONCE!" I laughed riotously.
"I was killed more than you and you don't hear me complaining," Rose said.
"You aren't getting your ass handed to you by… by…"
"By a girl," I asked with a saccharine smile and Emmett narrowed his eyes at me.
"This is war, Swan."
"Oh, you tease me so."
"I don't know, Bella, Em is pretty relentless. You don't know what you've unleashed," Rose warned with a laugh. I shrugged.
"I'm down for a little feud. Might liven up the next couple of weeks."
"Especially with Alice gone," Rose muttered but I heard anyway. My good mood evaporated.
"Wait, Alice left? Where did she go?" Rose and Emmett exchanged a loaded look with each other.
"She's just taking care of some family stuff," Rose said offhandedly.
"What family stuff? She was at my house just this morning!"
"She's in Alaska," Emmett said, sticking another game in the console.
"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed.
"What? She's smart. She would have figured it out eventually," Emmett defended.
"Alaska? Isn't that where Edward…" I trailed off, piecing all the information together.
"Yes. She's gone up to knock some sense into him. Or recruit him. Or both. No one ever really knows what Alice is doing," Emmett said.
"What exactly is his problem," I asked in frustration. "Does he have uncontrollable anger issues or what?"
"Edward has been having issues with his emotions," Rosalie said boredly. "He had a less than pleasant experience with a girl where we lived before and we all thought he was over it. But apparently, he's still struggling with it. Alice is going to see if he's doing any better."
"You said she's recruiting him. Recruiting him for what?" They shared another brief glance.
"Alice is having a disagreement about something and she's hoping that if she gets Edward to side with her, she'll win."
"Who is she arguing with? And why would Edward make a difference?"
"Okay, Cullen Family 101," Emmett said, turning to face me. "Alice has very specific ideas about how things should be. Normally, we all just go with it. She's usually right anyway. But she's trying to talk Carlisle into something and in a shocking move of defiance, he's not going along with her. She's hoping Edward will make a difference since Edward and Carlisle are tighter than my asscheeks and Edward can talk him into almost anything." I frowned at him.
"So Alice can just jet off to Alaska to get Edward?"
"You don't know just how headstrong Alice can be. When she makes up her mind about something, nothing deters her. She'll be back soon. Meanwhile, you get to hang with us."
"Can I just ask one question," I asked after a few minutes.
"Shoot."
"Has Edward ever… hurt anyone?"
"No. I wasn't kidding when I told you he was boring. Honestly, I think that his breakup was worse than he let on. Just some unresolved issues," Rosalie assured me. I nodded, unsure what to make the Edward they described and the one I had encountered. "I'm done with video games. Bella, why don't I do your nails?"
"Um, okay. I've never really been one for having my nails done but if it'll make you happy," I said lamely. She jumped up and ran up the stairs. I could hear shuffling before she came back down with a makeup box.
"Let's go into the dining room." I followed her on my crutches and she led me into a room off the front room, past a large, white kitchen. There was a huge wood table taking up most of the space with about a dozen chairs around it. We sat at the end near the doorway and Rosalie began to spread out a towel and several terrifying looking tools followed by nail polish.
"So how long have you and Emmett been a thing," I asked while she prepped everything.
"It feels like forever. I don't really like to think about what my life was like before him."
"Bad ex," I guessed and her face darkened.
"The worst," she said darkly and I felt a shudder race up my spine. "We were pretty serious but I discovered too late that he wasn't who I thought he was. It changed me," she admitted. "When I met Emmett… I wasn't necessarily looking for love but something about him… it just clicked with me."
"The dimples," I whispered conspiratorially and she laughed.
"Definitely the dimples. But it was also deeper than that. Seeing him, he sort of just settled into my heart where I didn't think there was any room and took root."
"Awh, that is so sweet."
"What about you? Did you leave a boyfriend behind in Arizona?" I snorted out a laugh.
"Hardly. There wasn't really time for that kind of thing while I was taking care of my mom."
"What about before your mom got sick," she asked, taking my hands and starting to work on them.
"No. No one ever really caught my interest. I guess I'm just looking for something special, like you and Emmett."
Someone like Carlisle Voice-Like-Molten-Chocolate Cullen.
I blushed as I thought about it. Something about Carlisle did the exact same thing to me as Emmett had done to Rose. There was just something about Carlisle that had planted itself inside of me and refused to relinquish its hold.
And I knew that I shouldn't want to nurture that piece of me.
Because he was older than me.
He was friends with my dad.
His daughters were fast becoming my best friends.
But I still wanted nothing more than to start a garden in my heart where love bloomed.