Dear Emmett

Chapter Twenty Three - [Fruit Thief]

"Charlotte, baby, let's get you upstairs."

I had been crying on the couch for a good twenty five minutes. The minute I'd sunk into the couch, he'd pulled me into his arms and consoled me. Rubbing my back and whispering comforting words to me.

His words were gentle, but firm. There was no room for argument. In my current state, I knew that he knew what was best for me. I let him pull me to my feet and lead me up the stairs. I felt so tired. Mentally and physically, I was exhausted.

"Do you want to take a shower?" He asked.

I almost said no, but when he said it I realized that I wanted to take one. It sounded soothing, so I nodded.

"Go hop in, and I'll bring you some fresh clothes."

I did as he said, turning on the water and stripping off my clothes. I wasn't in there two minutes before Emmett knocked on the door, bringing in the clothes that he promised.

"You holler if you need anything, okay? I'm just going to be in the bedroom. I'll hear you."

"Okay," I answered, my voice coming out rough and hoarse. My throat hurt from crying, and I was sure that I looked like a complete mess. I was glad that he suggested the shower. I spent a good amount of time under the water, letting it wash away the last of my tears.

I washed my hair, face and body almost methodically, prepared to go to bed. I hoped I could fall asleep quickly. I shut off the shower and grabbed the nearest towel. It was warm, and I realized as I wrapped it around myself. Emmett must have thrown it in the dryer and snuck in here. The door was still cracked open. I got dressed and brushed my hair and teeth, then washed my face. My eyes were still a little bit red, as was the tip of my nose. I tied my hair up and hung up the towel before joining Emmett in his room.

"How are you feeling, Charlotte?" He asked as I approached the bed.

"I'm exhausted."

"Come here, sit on the edge of the bed," He said, patting my side of the bed. I followed his instructions and he sat cross legged behind me. My back was to the bedroom door, and I could see the moon and the night stars out of his window.

His warm hands made contact with my shoulders, and I was nearly about to tell him that I was not in the mood when he began to massage them firmly but gently. His rough hands felt amazing on my tense muscles.

Emmett brought out lotion I hadn't seen him grab and squirted some into his hand. The cool, smooth texture of the lotion was a direct difference to his rough hands. It was a contrast that only proved to relax me more.

I sighed in relief.

"And you thought I was fixin' to try to sleep with you," He said, a teasing in his voice I couldn't help but giggle back.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"I read body language well."

"I just can't believe that she came here like that. Acted like that."

"Shh, baby. We can talk about this another time, okay? Right now, you need to relax and calm down. It's not good for the baby for you to be stressed out like this."

"You're right."

He leaned down, and I felt him kiss my shoulder and the back of my head. I closed my eyes, tilting back my head.

"Why don't we lay down? You should probably get some sleep."

"Will you turn the fan on?" I asked as I crawled under the covers.

Emmett crawled in beside me, and I turned onto my left side so I was facing him. He kissed me on the lips, and I rested my head on his shoulder as he laid on his back. He was running his hands through my hair next.