𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

We ended up going to Emmett's house to watch a movie. He assured me no one was home, so it'd just be us. I was grateful for that for more than one reason. The first being I wasn't quite ready to face the entirety of the vampire clan. Just because Emmett won't hurt me doesn't mean the other's will show the same restraint. The second reason is because I wanted Emmett all to myself.

"Are you sure this is okay? This doesn't feel like what a first date should be," Emmett chuckled nervously from the passenger seat where he was directing me toward his home.

I smiled and looked over at him, "Em, it's fine. Honestly, the whole fancy dinner date isn't really my thing. I mean, I wouldn't mind it, but this is just as good."

Emmett nodded and then pointed toward a driveway to the left of the road. I slowed the car and turned up the drive, pulling up to the most beautiful home I'd ever seen. It was a huge home set back in the trees, the entirety of the front was glass windows.

"Oh my god, you live here?" I gaped up at the house as I put the car in park.

Emmett let out a chuckle before getting out of the car. I undid my seat belt and went to open the door, but Emmett was already there, holding the door open for me. I opened my mouth to ask how he got there so fast but, shut it as I remembered. Vampire, right.

"Seriously, your house is beautiful," I gushed, my eyes scanning every detail of the home as we walked up to the front door.

"Thanks, I'll let Esme know you love it. She did all the designing after all." Emmett held open the front door for me as well, making me blush slightly at his manners.

The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside. With a clean, homey feel in every bit of the furniture and decor. It kinda looked like a better homes and gardens magazine. Emmett gave me a quick tour of the first floor of the home.

"Do you want to watch something out here or in my room?" Emmett asked, gesturing toward the living room.

I smiled excitedly, "show me your room, I want to see more of this house." I made my way toward the stairs, Emmett quickly catching up and taking the lead. As we came up to the second staircase I gaped.

On the wall was an art piece that consisted of so many graduation caps. I stilled on the stairs, "which row is yours?" I laughed lightly.

Emmett scratched the back of his neck before pointing at the row that was third from the top. "I told you I graduated a lot."

I gave him a nod before we continued up the stairs. We passed a landing that had a hall way with a few doors but Emmett grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the left where there was another staircase. "That floor is everyone else's bedrooms. Mine is on the top floor."

We made it up to the next landing. It was a small platform with a door directly in front of the stairs. Emmett opened the door and gestured for me to enter. The room was large, larger than any room I'd ever seen before, though I suppose that was to be expected based on the rest of the house.

The room wasn't just a bedroom either. To the left of the door was a black sofa that faced a large flat screen TV. The television was boxed in with shelving units that looked to be filled to the brim with DVDs. The right of the room there was a queen sized bed shoved into the corner of the room.

The walls were covered with various items. Signed baseballs, pictures of varying decades. On one wall there was a desk covered in what looked to be bolts and pieces of an engine that was taken apart. Unlike the rest of the house, there was only one window. It was across from the bed and was floor to ceiling in length but only took up a third of the wall.

I walked over to the television's shelves, looking over the disks. Some were DVDs but most of them were video games. So many video games, many that I'd never even heard of. "You have quite the collection," I voiced, my finger sliding along the spine of the cases as I moved.

Emmett moved from the doorway and stopped behind me, I could feel him standing there, the magnet in my chest always aware of his presence. "There's not much else to do when you can't sleep. Jasper and I play quite a bit, sometimes Edward will join in, but he's more into books than anything."

I laughed lightly turning to look at Emmett over my shoulder, "he's perfect for Bella then. She reads more than anyone I know." I moved around Emmett and went over to the desk that was covered in motor parts. "What's all this?" I picked up what looked to be a cooling fan before setting it back down and turning to lean against the desk.

Emmett was still standing over by the couch as he looked down at the desk. "I like to work on cars, I'm building a new engine for the jeep. The old one works fine but I needed something to do." He shrugged.

I nodded, my gaze falling on the bed in the corner. I pushed off the desk and moved toward it, tilting my head in it's direction as I turned to Emmett. "So, why the bed if you don't sleep?"

Emmett smirked slightly, his dimples popping out as he smiled. "It's comfortable and it has more uses than just sleeping."

My cheeks heated instantly at what I knew he was insinuating, flushing a red I knew was noticeable to his eyes. I opened my mouth to respond but Emmett beat me to it. "What movie do you want to watch?"

I let out a breath and smiled, grateful for the change in topic he was so clearly offering me. "What do you have?"

We ended up picking out a newer horror film I had yet to see, Saw. I loved scary movies, the way it made my heart race and my skin prick with fear and excitement. It was the best kind of rush. Emmett and I were sitting on the couch, the movie half way through, and there was over a foot of space between us.

Emmett was pressed against the armrest on the other side of the couch, leaving an excess of room between me and him. Was he worried about scaring me? It was sweet of him to worry but, this was supposed to be a date. And while I don't have much experience on the subject, I knew that dates weren't supposed to be so distant.

My eyes darted from the screen over to Emmett, he was relaxed against the couch, his eyes glued to the screen. I turned my eyes back to the movie, though I really wasn't paying attention anymore. I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted to feel the spark I felt the last time we were alone, when we almost kissed. But I didn't know how to do that without looking desperate.

The other dates I'd been on, the guy had always made the move, trying to get close to me or touch me. But this was different. Earlier today I'd been slightly scared of Emmett, which I'm sure he was more than aware of. He didn't want to scare me again, so that left all the moves up to me, I guess.

Ugh, this would be so much easier if he didn't make me so nervous. Just the thought of touching him made my heart race more than the scary movie on the screen.

My eyes widened slightly as an idea popped into my head. I could just use the movie as an excuse. I watched the movie with a newfound intensity, waiting for a jump scare I knew would happen.

It didn't take long, maybe 5 minutes. One of the guys, Adam, was using the flash of his camera to light up his darkened apartment when suddenly there was a man in the cupboard. My reaction to the reveal was genuine, my heart pounding as I let out a tiny yelp, my hands flying up to cover my eyes.

The deep tone of Emmett's chuckle had my heart skipping. I slowly pulled my hands away, smiling sheepishly at the man. He was looking at me, his golden eyes dancing with amusement. "What? That was scary," I defended, gesturing to the movie that was still playing.

"Or you're just a scaredy cat," he smirked, one of his dimples popping out.

I rolled my eyes in response, shifting on the couch so that I was facing him. "I'm not, but if I was you're not being a very good date," I teased, tilting my head.

Emmett's smile dropped, his face suddenly serious as his brows furrowed together, "how so?"

I couldn't bite back my smile, "well, sitting all the way over there makes it pretty hard for me to hold onto you when I do get scared."

The smile that stretched across his face had butterflies swarming in my stomach and nerves filling my head. What if he laughed, that sounded stupid, didn't it? Ugh, I should've just--

"Good point, princess," Emmett stood from his spot on the couch and moved toward me, sitting down so that there was now barely two inches of space between us. I had to force myself to calm my racing heart as I turned back to the movie. "Is this better?" He asked as he draped his arm over the back of the couch, right behind my head.

I had to swallow the lump of nerves in my throat before I could respond and when I did, my voice was slightly airy and breathless. "Yeah, it is."

It took me a moment to relax, my eyes on the movie but not really watching. Every inch of my body was lit up with awareness, my skin prickling at every point we were touching--our thighs, my arm that was pressed against his side, the back of my neck and shoulders where his arm was draped. It was like electric currents were running through my veins, not allowing me to fully relax.

And that damned magnet. I could feel it pulling in my chest--in my soul--now more than ever. It was like it was going haywire, being so close to the hunk of metal right beside it, pulling me and urging me to get closer still. I'd never felt like this before. Not with anyone, not even Paul, the only boy I'd ever really liked prior to Emmett. This was new territory and it was equal parts exciting and terrifying. But even that fear was exciting in it's own way.

I turned away from the movie as the credits began to roll, and honestly I couldn't tell you a thing that had happened in it. My eyes met Emmett's and I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was already looking at me. His eyes were mesmerizing, I could look into them all day.

"So," Emmett asked, smiling down at me. I shifted in my seat so that I was facing him, my hands in my lap. "Did you like the movie?"

I thought about lying, hiding the fact that he had made me so distracted I didn't retain a minute of what we'd just watched. But part of me had a feeling he was just as distracted by me. That he felt the magnet too, that he was just as aware of the electric pull between us, as I was.

So, I laughed lightly, my cheeks flushing as I revealed myself. "Honestly?" I bit my lip and dropped my eyes from his, "I wasn't really paying attention to any of it." I took a breath before meeting his gaze again, gauging his reaction.

He didn't look surprised, in fact he looked slightly relieved at my confession. Emmett reached his hand forward, his fingers lightly brushing my cheek as he tucked my hair behind my ear. "I wasn't paying attention either, I don't pay attention to anything else when you're in the room."

My breath caught in my throat, my heart racing to the familiar beat it found itself in whenever Emmett was around. It can't be healthy, the way my pulse raced whenever he was around. I'm not sure who moved first, perhaps I leaned forward or maybe Emmett pulled me in by the hand that was resting on the side of my neck, but we were closing in, his lips a breath away.

I held my breath as my eyes fell closed, my heart skipping a beat as his cool lips brushed against mine. It was just a brush, a brush that was just enough to have me pushing forward. I connected our lips in a soft kiss. Sparks exploded behind my eyes and my heart jolted in response, my hands fisted in my lap in an attempted to cool my heating skin.

Emmett pulled back slightly and I opened my eyes to look up at him. He was close enough that I could see the depths of his eyes, the gold that wasn't just gold. It was a pool of honey with flecks of amber and the most mesmerizing bits of yellow that I couldn't quite name.

And as I looked into them I could feel the magnet settling in my chest, burrowing its way into my very being and shaking me with a realization and a knowing I couldn't quite recognize beyond a general sense of him being mine.

It made no sense and it sounds ridiculous but, I could feel it down to the very core of my being. Emmett was mine and I was his in every sense of the word. I'm not quite sure what that means yet, but with the way he's looking at me now, I know he feels it too.

Before I could take a breath, Emmett was pulling me into another kiss, his hand moving to the back of my neck so he could hold me against him more tightly. I sighed into the kiss, my lips moving against his with just as much passion and emotion.

I hesitated for barely a moment before reaching my hands out to rest on his chest. Even through the cloth of his shirt I could feel the icy temperature of his skin beneath it. Emmett's teeth nipped against my bottom lip and I immediately gasped, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

It was odd, how cool his mouth was against my own, it made my lips numb and tingly and I briefly wondered how it would feel to have those cold lips elsewhere. My thoughts were quickly dismissed as Emmett groaned against my lips, his fingers tangling into my hair while his other hand went to my waist, igniting a fire to the exposed skin there.

I was breathless, my head swimming with emotion and I could feel my lungs burning for air but I didn't want this to end. I moved without thinking, wanting to be closer to him. My hands moved up his chest and wrapped around his shoulders, I used the leverage to pull myself up, my leg swinging across his thick thighs until I was hovering over his lap.

The hand in my hair fell to my other hip and Emmett's grip tightened against me, holding me still as he pulled back. I was gasping for air, my lungs having been starved of it. Still, I wanted to kiss him again, I didn't want to breathe when the feel of his lips was so much sweeter.

Emmett's pupils were blown wide and he was looking at me like a man starved. He wanted me just as bad, I had no doubt about it. My fingers dug into his shoulders, my nails biting into his skin. I wanted him to kiss me again. My breathing was slowing, my lungs no longer aching.

His voice was gravely as he spoke, "we should stop."

My lips dropped into a frown, "why?"

Emmett's grip tightened on my hips, his fingers biting into my skin in the best of ways. He leaned forward and his lips attached themselves to my neck. I tipped my head back, allowing him more access as he kissed the length of my throat, and my eyes fell closed. I let out a quiet moan as he found a sweet spot, my thighs tensed at either side of him and if he wasn't holding me off of him, I would've ground down against him.

He pulled back again, his eyes dark, "I could hurt you if I'm not careful."

I met his eyes again, I could see just how much he was restraining himself. His jaw was set and his entire body was nearly vibrating with tension. For a moment I forgot just how much stronger he was than me. I can't imagine how much restraint it must take him to not crush me in his grip.

I took a shaky breath and loosened my grip on Emmett's shoulders, "okay. We can stop. I should probably get home anyways, Billy will be upset if I'm not home by curfew." I shifted off Emmett's lap and stood from the couch.

I quickly grabbed my phone off the coffee table and checked my notifications. I had two missed calls and eight texts. Both calls were from Paul, and 6 of the texts were from him as well, the other two were Billy wondering when I'd be home and then reminding me of my curfew. Paul's messages were a little more intense.

PAUL: Billy is looking for you

PAUL: Why aren't you answering?

PAUL: Are you okay?

PAUL: Answer the phone Olivia

PAUL: Are you with that Cullen boy again?

PAUL: Olivia, I swear to god if you don't call me back in the next five minutes I'm going to tell Billy

I rolled my eyes before dialing Paul's number, knowing he would follow through on his threat if I wasn't careful. "Everything okay?" Emmett asked, looking from me to the phone that was held to my ear.

I gave him a quick nod as the line picked up. "Where are you?" Paul demanded.

"None of your business," I shook my head even though he couldn't see me.

"Billy has been looking for you, your car is gone, where did you go?"

I sighed, "like I said, none of your business. I'll be home soon."

"You're with Cullen aren't you?" I could hear the growl in his voice through the phone and I grimaced slightly.

"I'm not having this conversation with you again, I'll be home soon." I hung up the line and quickly shut my phone off before Paul could dial me back again. I looked up at Emmett who was staring at the device in confusion and I instantly felt guilty for some reason. "Sorry about that."

Emmett nodded , standing up from the couch, "who was that?"

"Paul, he's... we'll he's a friend of mine," I really didn't want to talk about how Paul and I used to hook up but I suppose it was going to happen sometime.

Emmett nodded again before a looked crossed his face, his eyes darted down to my neck for a moment, "the same friend that gave you those hickeys?"

I blushed in embarrassment as I remembered that Emmett had seen the marks Paul left on me the last time we hooked up. "Yeah... but, look, he's not in the picture anymore. Not since before we hung out at Bella's. I haven't seen him in that way for awhile now."

"So, why is he so worried about your whereabouts?"

I bit my lip, hesitating before responding, "he, like most of the reservation, hates you guys. And he really hates the idea of me hanging out with you. To the point that he's threatened to tell my foster dad on me. And if Billy found out I was with you... well... I'd be grounded again."

"I can't say I blame them for hating us, I mean, we are vampires," Emmett sighed, looking away from me. "I don't want to get you in trouble, princess. Especially not over me."

I frowned shaking my head, "what? Emmett, no. I'm not worried about getting in trouble." I took a step toward him my hand going up to cup his face, forcing his gaze on me, "don't you feel it?" I asked, my hand dropping from his face to instead press against his chest, right over where his heart should be.

Emmett placed a hand over mine, his face softening. "I feel it, 'Livia." I nearly swooned at the nickname, a name no one had called me in nearly six years. A name only my mother used to call me. "Just don't get yourself in too much trouble on my account, okay?" He gave me a dimpled smile and I relaxed.

"Okay." I promised.