A Bruised Heart
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-set after the honeymoon in BD.
Prologue
"Stop acting like I'm not a monster for having agreed to this."
"Edward." Bella whispered faintly. "Don't ever say that."
He turned his head away as if he couldn't bear to look at her. His jaw locked tight.
"Look at yourself, Bella. Then tell me I'm not a monster."
Wounded, Bella recoiled away from him. Her body felt strange, sore, as if she was somehow disconnected from it. Disorientated, she was confused to find herself covered in some strange fluffy white snow that clung to her skin. She shook her head slowly, and a cascade of white drifted out of her hair. She managed to grab some of the downy stuff, realising it was a small feather.
"I don't understand."
"Look, Bella!" Edward almost growled. He took her hand-very gingerly-and stretched her arm out. "Look at that."
Now she could see why he was so upset. Under the dusting of feathers, large purplish bruises were beginning to blossom across the pale skin of her arm. Her shocked eyes followed the trail they made up her shoulder, and then down across her ribs. She pulled her hand free of Edward's to poke at a discolouration on her left forearm, watching it fade where she touched and then reappear. It throbbed painfully.
So lightly that he was barely touching her, Edward placed his hand against the bruises on her arm, one at a time. His golden brown eyes were filled with self-loathing.
"I did this. And this. And this-"
"Stop!" Bella cried. "Just stop!"
"I'm so sorry, Bella." Edward whispered as she continued to stare at the bruises littering her skin. "I knew better than this. I should not have-" He made a low, revolted sound in the back of his throat. "Jacob Black was right." He finished cuttingly. He threw his arm over his face and became perfectly still.
Bella sat for one long moment as she tried to come to terms with what had happened. Her memories of last night were hazy at best. Maybe it was her mind's way of protecting itself. She didn't know. She took a deep breath and winced at the soreness, she was really feeling it now. Swallowing thickly she tried to stand. Her legs wobbled like jelly.
"I need the bathroom." She whispered hoarsely.
Edward didn't respond. He kept his gaze averted from her like she was some contaminated thing that would burn his eyes if he dared look in her direction. With a quiet sob, Bella padded across the thick, lush carpet and disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
Bella stared at her naked body in the full length mirror behind the door and gasped in shock. There was a faint shadow across one of her cheekbones, and her lips were a little swollen and sore, but other than that her face was fine. The rest of her was decorated with patches of blue and purple. She concentrated on the biggest, the ones that would be hardest to hide-her arms and shoulders. Stifling her sobs by pushing a balled up fist into her mouth, Bella backed away from her reflection and sank onto the cold tiled floor.
The honeymoon was over.
Charlie Swan woke up with a cloud of depression hanging over his head. He went about his usual morning routine as he got ready for the day. But everything seemed pointless now. He stepped out of the shower and rubbed a towel over his short hair. One glance in the mirror showed a wreck of a man. He hadn't shaved in days-not since the damn wedding-dark circles made purplish bruises under his eyes. He sighed, turning away and stomping down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. As was his custom these days he grabbed a beer out of the fridge for breakfast and sat at the table in his lonely house, hoping the alcohol would numb his brain enough so he could function like a normal person.
The phone ringing made him cuss under his breath. He scowled, raising the beer to his lips as he took a long gulp. He had half a mind to ignore the call, but his sense of duty already had him walking toward it. It was probably work. No one else but Billy would bother contacting him at home.
"Chief Swan." He growled into the phone.
"Oh, Charlie." Renee said breathlessly. "Thank god!"
"What do you want, Ren?" Charlie muttered irritably. The last thing he needed was his ex wife squawking down his ear. "I'm busy."
"It's Bella." Renee lowered her voice to a whisper.
"What about Bella? Have you spoken to her?" Charlie didn't bother disguising the hope in his voice.
"She's here, Charlie." Renee revealed hastily. "She turned up late last night with Edward. He dropped her off and the left straight afterwards. I haven't managed to get a word out of her."
"They're supposed to be on their honeymoon." Charlie's suspicions were raised at once. He felt sick to his stomach and wished he had avoided drinking the beer so early in the morning. "What the hell did he do? I knew this marriage was a mistake."
"You should see the state of her." Renee was close to tears. "She's covered in bruises, Charlie. I caught her getting changed in the bathroom. She slammed the door in my face when she saw that I'd seen her skin. I don't know what to do to help her." She wailed. "I'm out of my depth here."
"I'm catching the first flight out. Do not let her out of your sight until I get there, Ren." Charlie warned her.
"I promise." Renee said meekly. "But please hurry."
Jacob threw himself on his bed. He was tired. He hadn't slept since his last patrol-but knew he wasn't going to get any sleep. His head was too crazy. His mind buzzing like a swarm of bees. The waiting was driving him insane. It had been almost four weeks. Charlie had disappeared to Florida after getting a call from his ex-wife. The police chief had phoned Billy in a blind panic, telling him that something had happened to Bella and he had to cancel their fishing trip.
It was a ruse. It had to be. Jacob had been sick to his stomach when Billy had told him about the call. Any day now he expected another call from Bella's father sobbing on the phone-Bella killed in a freak accident. A car crash? They had enough cars to spare and enough money to make it look authentic. His own mother had died that way. How sickening if Bella agreed to that plan.
Or would the murderer come home alone, unsuccessful in his attempt to make her one of them? Or maybe not even getting that far. Maybe he'd killed her in his attempts to get some? Because her life was less important than his own sick pleasure...
These morbid thoughts tortured Jacob every night and every minute of every waking hour. He was in constant torment. And because he couldn't stop thinking about it, his brothers were forced to share his pain.
The waiting was driving him mad. Why couldn't Charlie call and put him out of his misery for good?
Jacob curled onto his side and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He was swimming against the tide of his own despair and drowning in it. Maybe the Cullens wouldn't bother to fabricate a story at all. Charlie had gone to Florida, though. That was odd. Why would he need to go there if something happened to Bella? Jacob's teeth ground together as he tried to dismantle his fragmented thoughts.
Then the phone did ring. Jacob's heart soared high before it dipped and nose dived into his stomach. He was out of his room and lunging for the phone before Billy had a chance to reach it.
Some instinct told him it was...
"Charlie?"
Jacob didn't recognise the sound of his own voice. He held his breath, waiting tensely for the older man to speak.
"Is your Dad there, son?" Charlie's deep voice was heavy with exhaustion.
Jacob answered Charlie with a question of his own. HIs chest felt tight. His heart aching. "Where's Bella?"
There was a beat of silence before the police chief responded with. "She's here with me."
"Alone?"
Jacob's whole world hinged on his answer.
"Yes."
Jacob's chest eased up. If Bella was alone with Charlie it meant she was still alive. He didn't realise how much difference it would make to him knowing that she was still breathing. He had been thinking of her as dead all this time. He had been practically mourning her.
"I want to see her."
"No, Jake, that's not a good idea." Charlie said cautiously. "She's been through a rough time. She needs time to heal."
"Heal? What did he do? What did he do?"
Jacob could feel his body vibrating. He was going to shift. Dammit, he couldn't stop himself. He turned to find his father behind him. Billy Black looked at him warily and held out his hand for the phone. Jacob scowled as he flung it onto his father's lap and bolted out of the door.
A/N-thanks for reading!
