TAKING A STEP OUT, OF THE CAB, I took a deep breath.

     My hands were shaking, I could feel how clammy they were.

     Not the most encouraging feeling in the world.

     I looked down at my outfit, wondering for the millionth time if it was good enough to possibly meet Emmett's parents. I'd kept it simple, wearing a usual loose sweater and jeans combo. Nothing special, the last thing I wanted to do was look silly.

     My eyes wandered over the sight of the house, and I was impressed. It was beautiful, sleek, modern... So unlike any other house in Forks. Honestly, I wasn't shocked that the Cullens lived somewhere so unique.

     As I approached the front door, my grip on the small stack of homework grew tighter and tighter.

     I wondered who would open the door. He did have a big family, so the possibilities seemed endless. I hoped to God that it wouldn't be Rosalie - I think I would've died from embarrassment, right on the front steps.

     Before I knew it, a shaky finger was pressing against the doorbell. My face was probably as white as a ghost. It was times like these that I hated my anxiety. All I was doing was dropping off his work, that was it.

     And trying to confess your feelings.    

     I closed my eyes and tried not to cringe at my thoughts. I couldn't chicken out, I was already there. There was no turning back. Bella's words played on repeat in my head, and I used them as motivation to keep a steady atmosphere.

     I couldn't remember how long it took for someone to open the door. It might've been five seconds or five minutes, but eventually someone answered.

     It was a dark-haired woman. I'd never seen her before, but I soon realized she was Emmett's mother.

     She was just as gorgeous as the rest of her family. She had the same amber-colored eyes and porcelain pale skin. Unlike the others, however, she had a round, soft face. Her features weren't as angular and sharp, but it gave her a sort of angelic, look. She seemed more approachable than the rest.

     She was still intimidatingly beautiful, but her presence was warm. She gave me a curious smile, and I timidly returned it.

    "Hello, can I help you?"

     "Um, hello- uh, I'm a friend of Emmett. I-I brought him some of his schoolwork, from today. Since he was- you know, not at school," I despised the fact that I could hear my own voice trembling.

     "Emmett? How thoughtful of you, I'm sure he'll be grateful. Unfortunately, he hasn't made it home from his hiking trip yet,"

     I felt my heart drop.

     "Oh..."

     "But you're more than welcome to come in. They should be back any minute."

     She stepped aside a bit, holding the door open for me as she motioned for me to enter. Her voice was soothing, and her eyes were kind. I momentarily hesitated before entering. 

     The inside was just as pretty as the outside, if not prettier. I looked around in awe, holding the papers to my chest as a sort of anchor.

     "Oh, wow- you have such a beautiful home, Mrs. Cullen,"

     "Why thank you, I actually did some of the renovating myself, if you can believe it. And please, call me Esme," she held out a manicured hand, and I shook it.

     Her skin was freezing.

     "O-Oh, I'm Evelyn Crawford. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Esme."

     Even though she'd told me to just call her by her first name, I could still hear my aunt nagging at me to be respectful when addressing my elders.

     "Ahhh, I see. So you're the girl that has our Emmett so enamored,"

     My cheeks flushed, and I gulped.

     "E-Enamored? I wouldn't- I wouldn't say that,"

     "Oh, but I would," she shook her head, "would you like to help me with some flower arrangements I'm making?"

     She flowed effortlessly through the conversation as if she'd already spoken every word in existence. She was charismatic, and like Emmett, made me feel comfortable.

Comfortable aside, they were still such a polarizing family. How could they all be so inhumanly perfect?

     "Of course, I'd love to help,"

     "Wonderful. The kitchen is this way."

     I followed Esme, attempting to keep my cool.

     The interior design was minimal and very modern. Still, it didn't feel like a museum, it felt like a home. Everything was light and open.

      I noticed how the southernmost wall was almost entirely made of glass, and the view was beautiful. There was a view of the nearby river and green trees that seemed to go on forever.

     "So, you met Emmett at school then?"

     I snapped out of my thoughts, eyes moving to stare at Esme in the kitchen. I caught up, taking a seat at one of the stools next to her as she stood. On the marble island sat three large vases, two already filled with delicately arranged flowers. I sat the papers down nearby, making sure to keep them neat.

     "Yes ma'am, I did. He's, um- he's lovely-"

     "Is that so? I don't know if I've heard anyone describe Emmett as lovely,"

     She let out a chuckle, and I felt my shoulders loosen up. She handed me a small pair of handheld shears, before beginning to place some of the already cut flowers into the empty vase.

     "Just cut them up to here, then set them in this little pile."

     I nodded, doing as I was told. She had such a maternal aura, one that relaxed me. I could already tell why Emmett had spoken so fondly of her.

     "Alice has also mentioned you. She quite likes you, too," Esme mused.

     "Her and Jasper drove me home once, a while ago. She's sweet. Bella speaks real highly of her - of all y'all."

     Her face lit up.

     "You know Bella?"

     "Yes ma'am, she's a really good friend of mine. We met when I first got here," I explained, eyes bouncing between Esme and the flowers I was cutting.

     "New to town, hm? I could tell you weren't from around here,"

     I blushed, handing her a blue hydrangea.

     "What gave it away?"

     "Any tan like that is a dead giveaway, and of course that little accent you have."

     My shoulders shook as I giggled, and I looked down at the flower in hand.

     "It's that noticeable, huh?"

     "No need to be shy. Who doesn't love an accent?"

     "Thank you, Miss Esme. My brother and I, we're from Georgia, so..."

     "Really? Alice mentioned you were from Houston, just like Jasper."

     I nodded, "I only lived there for a few years, but yes ma'am. We moved to Georgia when I was young."

     We continued like this for a while, Esme asking me questions about me and my life. I told her about Daylin, how he worked with Chief Swan, and always looked out for me. Her energy was so welcoming, and I found myself opening up to her with ease. The conversation came easy.

I remembered how Bella claimed Esme to be the easiest Cullen to talk to, and I now agreed. We'd gotten so deep into our talk that I almost had forgotten why I'd come to the home in the first place.

     However, the second I heard distant talking, I was instantly reminded. And all over again, I felt myself grow nervous.

     The voices grew closer as the rest of the family made their way from what I assumed to be the garage, and within seconds I was met with the sight of a handsome blonde man and Edward.

     "Welcome home you two, where's everyone else?"

     "They're right behind us," The man approached Esme, a look of love taking over his features as he tenderly kissed her forehead.

      There was no doubt, he was the famous Dr. Cullen. He was handsome, like a movie star. Classic, and mature. His hair was light, slicked back with a few pieces hanging loose towards the front. His eyes were identical to the rest of the family's.

     It struck me as odd, seeing the three together. Even though none of them were blood-related, they all had similar features. The eyes, the complexion, the sheer beauty...

     "Evelyn, this is my husband, Carlisle. Honey, this is Evelyn Crawford. She brought Emmett his work from today,"

     "Oh, yes. So you're Evelyn. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Carlisle extended a hand for me, and I was quick to take it into my own. His shake was firm and cold, just like Esme's.

     Maybe I was just overanalyzing everything.

     Carlisle was about to continue speaking when a boisterous voice interrupted him.

     "You are such a cheater, man. I was literally about to win, but you shoved me! Don't even try denyin' it, you know you did!"

     "I didn't shove you, you're just a sore loser."

     Emmett's voice compared to Jasper's made it easy to tell who was speaking, and I felt my cheeks heat up. It was ridiculous that even just hearing him had such an effect on me.

     I kept my eyes trained on the flower I was cutting, growing shy as I refused to look up. I realized where I was, and what I was there to do. I was grateful that Esme had served as such a good distraction, but it seemed that my procrastination was coming to an end.

      "Emmett, inside voice. We have a guest," she hummed, the look on her face resembling that of a mother presenting a gift to her child on Christmas morning.

     "A guest?"

     "This should be good," Edward muttered with a half-smirk resting on his lips. He sauntered to the opposite side of the island from Esme and me, arms crossed.

I finally looked up, turning my head. When I did, I held back a sigh. He looked flawless, per usual.

     He wore a tight-fitting grey t-shirt and dark jeans, and it amazed me how he could dress in something so simple, yet look like he'd stepped off some sort of high fashion runway. His eyes widened at the sight of me, and for a second I grew worried. But that worry dissolved as the boyish grin I'd come to adore formed on his face.

     "What're you doing here, tiny?"

     After not seeing him all day, the nickname didn't bother me as much as it had the first few times he used it.

     "Um- well..."

     "She brought you your coursework, but you were still out so I invited her to help me with my little project. She's been an excellent assistant," Esme seemed more than happy to step in and help me out, and I was glad she did.

       Having five pairs of eyes on me proved to be stressful. I didn't want to mess up my words, in fear that I'd make an idiot of myself. The Cullens were a stunning and well-spoken family, and I felt like the stray cat they pitied and allowed inside.

     Edward snickered, the noise catching my attention. He was already staring at me, and even as our gazes met he didn't rush to look away. Emmett's voice grabbed my attention once again.

     "Look at you, already making yourself at home. I gotta say, I don't mind it," he smirked. 

     If his shameless flirting didn't fluster me before, it certainly did in front of his family. Even so, it seemed to entertain those in the room more than anything.

     "I-I, um," clearing my throat, I quickly turned to Carlisle, diverting the conversation, "how was your hike, Dr. Cullen?"

     "It was lovely, thank you, Evelyn. I'm always so busy at the office, it's nice to get out on the good days,"

     I smiled, my hands playing with the white material of my sweater.

     "Of course, I don't blame you. My brother and I used to go hiking all the time back in Georgia,"

     "Is that where you're from? Emmett mentioned you were southern," Carlisle recalled. He sounded polite, but I saw the teasing look in his eye as he glanced over at his adoptive son.

     Emmett scoffed, moving closer to the rest of us.

      I noticed that Jasper had disappeared, and along with that, a lack of Alice.

     "Were Rosalie and Alice with you?" My curiosity got the better of me - shocker.

    "Rose went to clean up. Not sure about Alice, she's always off busying herself," Carlisle spoke. It was becoming easier to speak to them, thank goodness.

     "Emmett, why don't you show Evelyn around a bit? You need to take that work up to your room and set it on your desk, too. I know you'll forget about it if you don't," Esme gave Emmett a knowing look, her head nodding over towards the stack of work.

     "He doesn't forget, he's just lazy," Edward interjected, still standing there as he observed the situation. He was leaning against the sink, the epitome of cool. His voice was smooth and velvety; no wonder Bella was head over heels for him, he was also perfect.

      His eyes flickered over to me, and I couldn't help but feel like he somehow had read my mind. It sounded dumb, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

     "Shut up, Ed-weird. Hey, c'mon. I'll give you the grand tour,"

     Emmett came up next to me, his hand moving past me to grab the small stack of papers. His body stood close to mine.

     "Sure, okay..."

     As he moved to one side of me, I got up and began to walk with him towards the staircase that led up into the house.

     "Are you hungry, Evelyn? I can always whip something up for you if you are," Esme called out.

     "Yes, the kids and I already ate, but we'd be more than happy to prepare something."

     I decided Esme and Carlisle Cullen must be protected at all costs.

     "No, thank you. I'm fine," I assured them, cheeks red from their generosity.

     "Alright, well if you change your mind, don't be shy. You two have fun."

     I gave Esme a nod, her and Carlisle's hospitality warming my heart. But before I could thank them again, Emmett cleared his throat.

      He was standing at the foot of the stairs, one of his brows lifted in an almost impatient manner. I gave the three in the kitchen one last little wave before catching up with him. He started walking up, and I promptly followed.

     The further we ascended, the more I allowed myself to stare at him. He still left me speechless, my eyes trailing from his face to his upper body. I silently gulped at the sight.

     His shoulders were so broad, and the way his t-shirt sat on his body wasn't fair. I could see every muscle; his deltoids flexed with every step he took, and the sleeves of the shirt hugged his biceps almost too well.

     It should be illegal for him to wear something so flattering.

     "They're pretty great, aren't they?"

     "Huh-? What? I'm sorry, I-I was-"

     "Staring? Yeah, I thought so, You're not very slick, you know,"

     "What were you saying?"

     He laughed, scratching the back of his neck as we reached the top of the stairs. I hadn't realized how slow we'd been moving.

     "I said they're great, Esme and Carlisle,"

     "Oh, yes. Esme, she's so nice."

     He seemed proud, nodding his head in agreement. He turned left, making his way down a small hallway. At the end stood a door, assumingly to his room.

     "You kind of remind me of her,"

     His words caught me off guard, and once it settled into my brain, I felt flattered.

     "Thank you... I think?"

     "Yes, thanks is right," he chuckled.

     My face grew hot, and I took a deep breath to keep myself calm. It was hard since he seemed to love making me flustered.

Opening the door once we reached it, he stepped inside and moved towards the left so I could come in as well.

    I took everything in, just as impressed with the room as I'd been downstairs. I recalled Esme's comment about her hand in renovating the place, and I wondered if she was responsible for the rest of the house, too.

     In the righthand corner of the room was a large wooden shelf. It held all sorts of knick-knacks, books, and magazines. What really caught my eyes was the abundance of large binders. I stared at them, wondering what contents they held. Childhood photos? Vintage Playboy spreads?

     "Baseball cards," Emmett called out, watching me eye the shelf, "I used to collect 'em."

      "Why's that?"

     "It's America's greatest pastime, tiny. Carlisle encourages us to all collect something. Says it a good investment,"

     "What does everyone else collect?"

     He walked aimlessly around his room, humming in thought.

     "Alice likes shoes, and Edward has tons of music. Like, CDs, records, cassettes, you name it. Jasper collects books - he's got a whole study for them," he droned on, "and Rose, she's big on cars. She finds cool old ones and renovates them. Always sells them at auctions, though; she prefers the newest models,"

     He eventually moved to take a seat on a small black couch that sat adjacent to the bookshelf. I turned to hear him speak, leaning against it.

      "Rosalie likes cars?" I part of me couldn't believe it, but the other half could. The Cullens were full of surprises.

     "Oh yeah, big time. She's not as typical as she looks, you know~"

     Embarrassment flooded through me at his words.

      "...I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to-"

      "Don't worry, I know. At first, I didn't think she was the type to be into mechanics either,"

      As I listened, I realized I liked hearing about him and his family. It was nice since I'd never had anyone except Daylin. It wasn't that I was unhappy with just him - I wouldn't have had it any other way. Still, I'd always loved the idea of a big family.

     Looking around, my eyes landed on the distant river that sat outside of his window. It was a beautiful view, one I wouldn't mind having myself. I found myself growing lost in thought when I suddenly felt a cool, calloused hand on my shoulder. My sweater had fallen off of it at some point, leaving the skin bare.

     The touch came out of nowhere and made me instantly shiver.

     "I like how warm you look,"

     Emmett's voice, while normally husky, sounded even lower than usual. I turned my head, looking up at him. He looked lost, eyes roaming my face. My mouth felt dry, and the air grew thick. Being this close to him was intoxicating, but it was his touch that I found addicting.

     "Emmett..."

     "Hm?"

     His face seemed to move closer to mine, somehow in a way that didn't make me too nervous.

     "I need to tell you something," I struggled to admit.

     "Yeah? What's that, tiny?"

     A faint, wolfish grin appeared on his lips, and I inhaled sharply.

     "I-I... well, I just- I wanted you to know, that, uh-"

     "Mhm..."

     My words were jumbled, and it was difficult to say all that had been running through my mind. At that moment, I could only think about the way his eyes explored the features of my face. Like he was mesmerized.

     "Emmett, I really, um- I feel very- well, I feel like,"

     He let out a quiet laugh under his breath, and I hated that he was enjoying my struggle.

     "...this isn't fair," I barely whispered. His lips were inches from mine.

     "Trust me, I know."

     Silence overtook us. The only audible sound was my breathing. He took my hand in his, his grip gently moving to my wrist. He slowly brought my other hand up to his face, placing my palm on his cheek.

     "Your skin is always so cold,"

     "Cold is the last thing I'm feeling right now, Evelyn."

     Emmett stared straight through me and into my soul, the emotions in is his eyes left me weak. Those emotions, I'd been familiar with them.

     Want.

     Lust.

     Longing.

     "...I'm sorry, but I need you, Emmett."

     Within a blink, I was pulling him down. I couldn't hold back anymore, as my lips crashed against his. It was feverish and fast-paced, like one of us was going to disappear any second. His hands moved to my hips, gripping them as he pulled me even closer. My fingers found themselves in his hair, tangling themselves in his curly locks.

     I'd never felt such passion in my life - it was exhilarating.

     Emmett was the first to pull away as I gasped for air. Other than his messy hair, thanks to me, he looked almost unaffected. I knew for a fact that my nose and lips were probably red, my eyes half-lidded as I gazed up at him through my lashes.

It only took him a few seconds before he was walking forward, simultaneously moving me up against the glass. Before my back could even hit the window, his lips were on mine.

     A small moan escaped past my lips, and even though it was embarrassing, no emotion could outweigh the want I felt for him.

     He responded with a low, guttural noise that seemed to get stuck in his throat. His grip on my hips moved to my waist, long fingers digging into the material of my sweater.

However, the pressure became overwhelming. I winced into the kiss, and as my pain grew, I finally pulled away with a quick intake of breath. A look of confusion crossed his face, and I squirmed in discomfort.

     "E-Emmett, that- that hurts,"

     Although my voice had been faint, Emmett didn't hesitate in letting go. His hands balled into fists and he abruptly pulled away from me. I was shocked to see that he still was completely fine, unlike me.

     No shortness of breath, no flushed cheeks, no bruised lips. He looked untouched.

     "I'm sorry. I... I didn't realize I was-"

     He closed his eyes as if he were trying to pull himself together. I could tell he was unhappy with himself by the way he was frowning.

     "Emmett, it's okay... I mean, you're like, giant. It's not your fault that you're strong-"

     "It's not my strength that upsets me,"

     "Oh, um... did you not like that, then?"

     Stepping forward, I looked up at him. I could hear the sadness and curiosity in my own tone, and he caught it too.

     "You think I didn't enjoy kissing you just now? Like that? Don't be crazy, tiny," he reassured me.

     "Then why are you upset? It was just an accident."

     Emmett fell silent, his eyes dropping to the ground. Without a word, he grabbed my hands in his, holding them like they were the most breakable pieces of china on the planet.

     "I know it was an accident... but I know my strength better than that. I mean, I've always been strong, even before-"

     He cut himself off, and I could see him gnaw on the inside of his cheek as he quickly rethought his words.

     "...Evelyn. I can't explain it. I just can't. But I know I can't lose control like that, especially not with you. I don't know what I'd do if I hurt you,"

     I let out a halfhearted chuckle, rolling my eyes.

     "Emmett, you're acting like you're gonna break me. You may be strong, but you wouldn't actually-"

     "Because I could. I really could," his voice almost sounded annoyed as he continued, "Evelyn. There are things you don't know. About me. About my family. And those things, they make you that much more vulnerable, yeah? We're... different. Not like you, or your brother, or your friends."

     His words confused me, and in a way, they scared me. He sounded so ominous. I'd always considered him and his family mysterious, but never in a dark way.

It seemed like I'd been wrong.

     "What are you talking about?"

     "I know this is going to piss you off. Hell, it'd piss me off too, but... I can't tell you."

     He was right - that did kind of piss me off.

     "Well- shit, Emmett," I huffed out, letting go of the breath I'd been subconsciously holding.

     He grimaced, letting go of my hands and backing away. This time, he sat back down on the nearby couch. I could tell it was just as difficult for him.

     From day one I knew the Cullens were rather peculiar, but that wasn't the secret. The secret was that they were truly different, from anyone else in Forks. Their eyes, their looks, their freezing-to-the-touch skin... they were unreal. Inhuman.

     After dwelling in my thoughts for a couple of minutes, I approached Emmett and took a seat next to him. Cautiously, I moved my hand to grab his. Lacing our fingers together, I could tell he was watching his grip. We both stared at the floor, unmoving.

     "...If you can't tell me," I began quietly, "could... could I find out? Like, by myself?"

     His eyes shot up, meeting mine with a curious look. He seemed to give it some thought, his lips pulling into a thin line. Finally coming to a conclusion, he looked down, this time his face brightening a little. He chuckled.

     "You want to try and figure out what my family and I are? Like, an investigation?"

     "You could say that, yeah,"

     He gave me that smile, and my heart melted once again that afternoon.

     "Well... I guess there aren't any rules saying you can't investigate, Sherlock. So, by all means, crack the case."

     I could see a weight beginning to lift itself off of his shoulders, and I was glad that my attempts to try and understand him weren't in vain. It felt as if I was slowly but surely pulling back the multiple curtains that concealed his true self, and this was the last one - the piece of vital information that was keeping us apart. The final layer of mystery that shrouded the Cullens.

     And I was ready to uncover it.

—edited i think lol

༻༺

That right there was one of my favorite chapters I've ever written.

Between Esme+Evelyn bonding time and Evelyn and Emmett's first kiss, I truly enjoyed creating this chapter. I hope you guys liked reading it as much as I liked writing it!

If you'd like to support me and Ethereal, nothing would help more than leaving a like, comment, and adding Etheral to your library! It really encourages me when I'm writing a new chapter, and I always am curious as to what y'all have to say! Much love xoxo

~May