Places| A Twilight Fan Fiction|

Chapter 8

Emmett

Waist-deep in the clear water of the secluded lake, surrounded by a ring of towering trees and a grassy meadow of sorts, I watched Marley and Rose as they cheerfully planned a shopping trip with Alice, all of them lounging on a picnic blanket in the sand. Marley had marveled over the diamond-like sparkle of our skin, and now was absently rubbing her bare foot up and down the length of Rose's glimmering calf, laughing over a remark Alice had made.

I'd seen and ogled Rose in a bikini hundreds of times. Her slim and toned stomach, the swell of her breasts, the firm ass...But Marley's curves added a different kind of appeal. She wore a red top, contrasting Rose's white, and black thong-style bottoms. From my vantage point, as she laid on her stomach tanning, I had the perfect view of her enticing ass. They were both just so beautiful, so carefree in the warm sunlight; if I had a working heart, I knew it'd be skipping several beats.

"What a picture." Jasper had swam up beside me and stood to watch the girls, a sly smile on his mouth. Alice was wearing a one piece in a shade of burnt orange. It's geometric cutouts did wonders for her otherwise flat features. She was pretty, and had a good sense of humor, but was not really my type. Still, I had to agree that the three of them laying together was a stunning sight to behold.

"I'm envious," Edward muttered, coming to stand between us. "Their love for you is absolutely undeniable." Though I found his sullen demeanor to be a bit of a buzzkill on most days, nothing could drag me down on such a perfect afternoon.

"You'll find someone," I told him. I hoped it was true; though depressing and a little bit prudish, he truly was one of the most genuine people I knew. His answering smile, to my words and my thoughts, was crooked.

"Marley is thinking about a certain bet you made earlier. I can't believe you'd do that, now she's only going to try to prove you wrong." Laughter erupted from my chest at the memory of Marley's cherry-red cheeks and wide eyes as we'd discussed vampire orgies.

"You could let her, you know. A little sex wouldn't kill you," I said, punching him in the arm. He winced theatrically.

"Maybe I will, just to see you lose $10,000." He didn't appear to be serious, but I cast him a sideways glance anyway. The thought that he might actually try to engage in sex of any kind, with any of us, was laughable. We knew how he felt about saving himself for marriage. "That's becoming a bit outdated though, isn't it?" he mused in response to my thinking. "I mean, Marley is a girl of this century, and she didn't mind not waiting."

"Thank god for that," I laughed. Jasper chuckled under his breath, eyes still glued to Alice. She had dipped into the lake and was beckoning the girls to join her.

"I swear it's not that cold!" she cried to Marley, who was staring dubiously at the water.

"I don't trust you for one second," she retorted. Rose grabbed her hand and gave it a little tug, dragging her closer.

"Come on, my love. It'll feel good." It was a very nice day for Forks, especially in September, the temperature approaching a nice 72 degrees. The blazing sun warmed my back.

"5 bucks says Marley pushes Rose in," Jasper said suddenly, watching the conversation between my Mates with amusement.

"10 says she does, but Rose pulls her in with her." Edward had the advantage of reading minds. I decided that I didn't want to bet against him. Sure enough, Marley went to shove Rosalie into the lake, but Rose was too quick; she wrapped her arms around the full-figured redhead and dragged her under the water.

"Ah! Fuck, shit, fuck!" Marley cried, spluttering as she frantically surfaced. Rose let out a loud peel of laughter, skin glittering in the sunlight, and held Marley tighter to her chest.