VERSATILE

CHAPTER FOUR

Sat in a quiet corner of the library, Anna chewed the bottom of her lip in slight frustration as she looked down at the poem that made no sense. Her teacher had asked them to make interpretations on the hidden meaning behind the lines but how could she guess the deeper meaning behind words she didn't understand? Letting out a slight growl, she rubbed out a word for the fifth time and was just about to give up when a large shadow loomed over her.

"Can I help you?" Anna muttered, not looking up from her paper. Whilst she liked to think of herself as polite, she was not in the mood to be bothered by other students.

"I was hoping you could. I seemed to have missed a study session and was wondering if I could copy your extremely detailed notes." The buttery voice piled on the compliments and pleasantries, smirking when she glowered up at him. Someone is clearly in a happy mood, Emmett thought.

"Feeling better?"

"Much," he responded, sliding into the seat opposite her and pulling out his English Lit folder.

Wordlessly, she pushed her notes across the table towards him but her eyes never left her essay; a task that proved most difficult when she saw his arms flex. Gripping her pen, Anna attempted to pretend as if this scenario was completely ordinary. However, she was sort of having a meltdown inside. Since the Cullens had moved to Forks, they had made no effort to interact with their peers, usually ignoring people if spoken to or offering short responses. And now, Emmett Cullen was going out of his way to talk to her and was even spending his free period with her. For no apparent reason.

"Are you going to pretend I don't exist for the whole hour?" Emmett asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

His light smirk deepened when she began blushing and stuttering, trying to act as if that wasn't what she had been doing. Apologising for the fifth time, Anna's breath stopped short once she'd realised that the muscular man had shifted his seat closer, his pale arm brushing against her and making the hair stand on end.

Every nerve in her body seemed to awaken and heat coursed through her. Once more, there was that warning signal in her head, screaming at her to run. Emmett's eyes darkened at the contact, her blood calling for him to feast on. The sweet scent of her blood sang to him, begging for him to have a taste.

"What's your favourite colour?" Emmett asked, breaking the awkward silence in an attempt to know his mate better.

"Grey. But, a light grey, kind of like fog. You?"

"Ominous. The dark green of a forest."

"Deep. Favourite food?"

Instead of giving a true answer, as Emmett didn't eat, he said the first thing that popped into his head. Luckily, it happened to be Anna's favourite food and she let out a noise of glee.

"Do you read?" Emmett asked, already knowing the answer to that one. He had seen her tucked into a corner of the library so immersed in her book that she was had no clue what was happening around her.

Emmett was able to tell that she had pulled herself into the literary world she was reading about, falling in love with the characters as if they were real people. He enjoyed the way she gasped at something shocking, smiled when something amused her, and cringed when a character did something embarrassing.

"I've been told I'm a bookworm," she frowned, eyebrows furrowing together.

"Like it's a bad thing? Don't listen to them. I think a woman who reads is highly attractive."

Emmett loved the way she blushed yet still looked shocked.

"Could I possibly ask you a question?" Anna fiddled with the bottom of her lip, a tell-tale sign that she was anxious.

"Of course."

"Why now? Uh, I mean, why are you only just coming to classes?"

"I kind of need to attend my classes to pass them, so that I graduate." Emmett said plainly.

"Then it would've made sense for you to attend them at the beginning of the year." Anna shot back.

"Probably. But, if I had then I wouldn't have had the chance to befriend you." Emmett winked, bumping her shoulder.

Immediately, he knew that was a bad decision when he felt his fangs jut into his bottom lip. Slowly, he was beginning to realise why Edward had opted to stay away from his bloodsinger.

Unfortunately, fate was cruel and both brothers were stuck in close quarters with the sisters. Knowing he had to get out, he turned his face away from Anna and quickly gathered his things. Making up some excuse about how his stomach was feeling queasy, he rushed from the room.

All he left behind was a fallen piece of paper and a stunned girl.

•.•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•

"Edward, how do you do it?" Emmett asked, bursting into his brother's room. "How do you stay away from Bella?"

Flopping down onto the black sheets, Emmett groaned as he recalled his earlier interaction with Annabella Swan. The poor girl probably hated him now after the way he ran away from her. Being near her was torture, every instinct begging him to just take a bite.

On the other hand, being away from her was worse. All he wanted was to see her, talk to her, make her smile. After years of watching his siblings be with their mates and wanting his own, he was starting to wish he had never met his. After all, she had only proved to be a distraction and a serious lesson in self-control.

"Honestly, Emmett? I don't. I tried and it was just worse for me, and her. It made me miserable and it makes her think I hate her. The friendship you've begun forming with Anna, is the right way to do this. Don't push her away just because it's difficult for you now, because it becomes more difficult when you do."

"Thanks, man. And, you should probably try making amends with Bella. I'm sure she doesn't hate you for treating her like shit." Emmett teased.

His retreating form was hit with the book that had previously been in Edward's hands.