Like a Skyscraper

“You should have listened to me,” Alice mumbled on their way into the school building. Emmett sighed and nodded for the millionth time.

“I know, Al. But I never thought Rosalie would threaten me like this… I can’t get how Kaelyn looked at me out of my head. She hates me now…” Emmett trailed off and pulled his backpack up a little higher on his shoulder. Alice frowned, hating to see her brother like this.

“Emmett, I’m sure we can think of something to do. Rosalie can’t actually kill Kaelyn; Carlisle would never let her do it,” Alice tried to tell him, but in the back of her mind, she thought this might be for the best considering Kaelyn would die soon… And she hated herself for thinking that way.

“Don’t bother… She’ll never take me back, not after what I put her through. I chose Rosalie and told her that to her face,” Emmett whispered and walked alone to his class. Jasper appeared by his wife’s side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“How’s he doing?” he asked even though he already knew the answer by sensing the emotions rolling off Emmett in waves.

“Worse than I thought. He truly cares about Kaelyn. Should we tell him about her disease?” Alice asked her resolve about the situation breaking.

“You said yourself that Kaelyn didn’t want him to know, and it’s not our place to tell him if Kaelyn chose not to,” Jasper answered softly. Alice nodded and let Jasper walk her to class.

~*~

“Thanks for letting me stay over today,” Kaelyn said as she lounged on Paul’s bed. The shapeshifter nodded and rolled onto his side to face her.

“Are you ready to tell me what happened with Emmett?” he asked giving her his full attention. Kaelyn hesitated before looking out Paul’s bedroom window at the forest.

“I gave him my virginity,” she whispered, “We were going to be together, but something happened and he changed his mind last minute. He told me it was a mistake to sleep together, that it never should have happened,” she choked trying to get the words out. Paul just reached over and pulled her close to him as they laid down together.

“He’s an idiot,” Paul grumbled feeling pissed that Emmett slept with her and then threw her aside like she was nothing to him. Kaelyn wrapped her arms around the man next to her and tried to calm back down. No use in getting worked up over split milk. They were quiet for a few more minutes.

“I don’t want to go back to school and see him,” Kaelyn admitted under her breath. This caused Paul to chuckle.

“You have less than a month of school left. Just ignore him and look forward to leaving,” Paul advised her. Yeah and dying, Kaelyn thought morbidly.

“Thank you for everything Paul. I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have you as a friend,” Kaelyn whispered and snuggled closer to him. Paul blushed slightly at their closeness.

“Uh, are you hungry?” he asked trying to clamp down on his shyness. Kaelyn nodded and let Paul get up from the bed. He held out his hand to her with a smile that spread across his face. Kaelyn couldn’t help but return it.

“Let’s go raid my kitchen then,” he added and pulled the blonde into his kitchen. This is just what she needed; a day away from all the drama in her life. Paul was just the person to help her clear her mind of everything that was bothering her. Why couldn’t she love him like she loved Emmett? It would make everything so much easier…

~*~

The final bell rang signaling that Emmett could leave school. Kaelyn didn’t show up all day, and Emmett couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. He wanted to see her desperately, but he didn’t know what to say once he did or how she would react to seeing him after what he did.

Emmett was almost to his Jeep when he felt a thin, cold hand place itself on his shoulder. He immediately tensed when he smelled who it was. He managed to stay away from her all day, but now she had to track him down.

“What do you want Rosalie?” he growled while opening the driver’s door to throw his backpack into the vehicle.

“I was thinking that we could have some alone time tonight,” she purred running her hands over his shoulders slowly. Emmett turned around and glared at her, but Rosalie didn’t let it faze her.

“You got your way, but that doesn’t mean things are going back to how they used to be,” he snapped. Rosalie frowned and dropped her hands to her sides.

“Don’t forget what—“

“I know exactly what you said! I thought I knew who you were, Rose, but I was wrong. You’re a horrible, vile woman who only thinks of herself. I love Kaelyn! And you forced me to break her heart all because you were too jealous to see me happy with someone other than yourself. Well listen closely because I won’t say this again. You may have won in making me push Kaelyn away, but if you think for one minute that I will ever look at you or touch you affectionately again, you are sorely mistaken,” he growled lowly before getting in his Jeep and leaving Rosalie behind in her shocked silence.

“Karma is a funny thing, isn’t it?” Edward asked coming to stand next to Rosalie. She whipped her head around to glare at him.

“This is none of your business so stay out of it,” she hissed. Edward pushed his hands in his pockets and looked up at the cloudy sky.

“Rose, you made this everyone’s business the minute you threatened her life. The wolves are already itching to attack us for any reason. If they hear of this, it will be difficult to stay here. Carlisle won’t let you be so selfish,” Edward added before getting in Volvo to go see Bella. Rosalie stalked off into the trees and let her anger out on anything in her sight…

Emmett made his way home and ignored everyone so that he could have peace and quiet in his room. It looked like Esme wanted to ask him how he was doing, but she held back and let him walk up the stairs.

Emmett moved most of his things into a spare room to get away from Rosalie so he went into his new room and sat down in one of the chairs. He brought his hand up to his chest felt for the dog tags that were hidden underneath his shirt. Emmett chuckled wryly. He was pathetic…

“I can’t even face her to give them back,” he grumbled and slumped down in his chair while closing his eyes. Emmett got up a while later and went over to his stereo. He grabbed a CD and placed it in the player and skipped to a certain song.

“You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.”

Emmett moved back to his chair and closed his eyes still listening to the song. He just wanted to wallow in his own self pity before anyone could knock some sense into him.

"Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.”

“Goodbye, Kaelyn,” he whispered sadly and clenched the dog tags in his hand.