AUTHOR'S NOTE:

CONTENT WARNING! This is a very dark and very disturbing story, featuring a Darkward with absolutely ZERO redeeming qualities. In this story, Edward IS the monster he always claimed to be.

IF YOU HAVE RAPE OR RELATIONSHIP ABUSE TRIGGERS, DO NOT READ THIS STORY!

There is a graphic rape scene and I do not fade to black. There is also character death, and an HEA, as strange as that sounds.

Please do not leave me negative reviews about the rape scene. I know that alot of readers think we should not write about that topic in fanfiction, but I strongly disagree. Just because I write about it does not mean I condone rape, am insensitive to rape victims, or am glorifying it. This story is fiction, the characters are fictional, and no real people were harmed in the writing of it. If you trigger, do not read it.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

This one shot is based on the song, Every Breath You Take, by The Police, which I have always considered to be one of the scariest songs I've ever heard about stalking and abusive relationships. *shivers*

Every Breath You Take

January 18, 2005

EDWARD...

Another lovely day in the eternally boring town of Fucks, also known as Forks to the people who actually liked living here. What the hell was Carlisle thinking bringing us to this backwoods shithole? And making us go back to high school? I stared down at the nauseating mess on my lunch tray and wondered how I was going to make it through the rest of the day without killing someone.

The cafeteria doors swooshed open. A short, slender girl with long brown hair walked in, nervously hanging onto the coattails of Fucks High School's Bitch Squad, also known as Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory.

Rose whispered, "There's the new girl. Isabella Swan."

Five sets of golden eyes followed her across the tiled floor and to a large round table in the middle of the cafeteria, where a bunch more of Fuck's Finest were already sitting.

"Good God," Alice sneered. "Who picks out her clothes?"

"Looks like we got ourselves another Walmart Gold Card holder," Rose snickered with disdain underneath her breath.

"I don't know, she's kind of cute, for a human. Looks a little breakable, but still…" Emmett added with a leer of approval.

"Well, Edward? Come on, give us the goods. We want to know all of her dirty and disgusting little secrets," Jazz demanded softly with a crooked grin.

Trouble was, I couldn't "hear" her. I was practically staring a hole in the back of her head, but was getting nothing out of her mind. Nada. Zilch. A big fat fucking zero. Interesting. So I concentrated on their conversation instead.

Angela, the drippy sweet one that made me want to gag, whispered to the new girl, "Oh my god, Bella. Edward Cullen is staring at you."

Immediately, this Bella person whipped around and searched the room for me. Her brown eyes latched onto my golden ones, and stayed there.

"Bella," Mike hissed. "Cullen's a creeper. You need to stay away from him." But Bella's eyes stayed locked onto mine despite the warning.

Note to self: kick Newton's balls up his asshole the next time we have gym.

"He can creep up my pantyhose any time he wants. The guy is freaking gorgeous," Jessica purred. "And he's available."

Yeah, right. Like I was going to get anywhere near that human piece of shit. I wasn't that desperate yet.

But, despite my complete and all-encompassing boredom with every fucking thing in the universe, I found myself slowly becoming interested in this new girl, Bella.

"I can't hear her," I whispered quizzically, to my family's surprise. I kept my gaze fixed on her face as I pondered this new development. "I'm getting nothing. I wonder why? So very interesting…"

Then I turned on the charm with that handy little on/off switch I had that made humans actually think I was someone nice. I sent her a small smile across the room, a warm smile with my mouth and my eyes. She smiled back.

"Oh hell, not again," someone swore softly; could have been Rose or Alice. I didn't really care. Bella and I were having a moment.

"Edward." Jazz leaned in close and spoke quietly. "Don't."

"Jazz," I murmured under my breath, still keeping my gaze locked on Bella's. "Shut the fuck up and mind your own business."

Jazz shrugged. "Fine. It's no skin off my back if Carlisle ships your ass back to Alaska. But, you screw up again and you'll never see daylight. "

Yeah, well what Carlisle doesn't know won't hurt him. Plus, every one of my siblings knew what I'd do to them if they tattled. We'd been through this before, after all.

I winked at Bella and smiled again. She dipped her head shyly and grinned before breaking eye contact and turning back around.

Fresh meat.

Things were finally looking up in this ass-wipe town.

BELLA…

Something wasn't right. Things like this just didn't happen to me. More specifically, boys like Edward Cullen didn't happen to me. Never had. Never would. But it had happened. Beautiful light eyes had locked onto mine across the room, a sweet smile, plus a wink just for me. He'd been flirting, with me, Bella "The Klutz" Swan, while ignoring all those pretty girls sitting around me. Like I said, something wasn't quite right in the universe.

Biology class. The only empty seat was beside of Edward Cullen. He smiled warmly at me again. I smiled shyly back and took my place next to him. He introduced himself. I introduced myself. We talked about the weather, about my family, about nothing in particular. His voice was so smooth and soft, like velvet. I was melting, my insides completely turning to mush with every syllable that came out of his mouth.

And his eyes: gold, strange and beautiful. "Do you wear contacts?" I blurted out.

"Yes. My eyes are a drab bluish gray. So I opted for something more noticeable."

"Well, you succeeded." I chuckled softly. "They're beautiful."

The heat of a blush. His searching gaze on my face the entire class period. I wanted to touch him. I longed for it actually, and I wanted him to touch me.

That day, Edward walked me to all of my classes, even though we had different ones. At the end of the day we parted ways briefly to visit our lockers, but when I stopped by the office to turn in some registration papers, he was there.

He smiled down at me and spoke softly with that liquid smooth voice of his. "I changed my schedule. We have all of our classes together now, Bella."

Every single class with Edward Cullen. I couldn't have been happier.

That night, I got my first text message from Edward…

I miss you.

Dream of me.

CYT Edward.

January 25, 2005

Driving to school, daydreaming of Edward Cullen. For the past week we'd spent every possible moment together until the bell had rung to go home: talking at lunch, then talking in the parking lot, trying to delay our separation as long as we could. Driving away from school, I'd see him watching me in my rear view mirror, those warm golden eyes seeing me safely home. Texts flying furiously through the air between us. Late night phone calls. Dreaming of golden eyes and velvet voices when my head had hit the pillow.

Then suddenly, skidding. Not paying attention on an icy road? Not smart, Bella! I spun the wheel in the direction of the skid but still ended up in the ditch. When the truck came to a stop, it was still upright, but listing dangerously to one side. Shit, shit, shit! Charlie was going to be so upset if I tore up this truck. It had been a gift from Jacob Black and it would be horrible if I'd wrecked it before I'd even gotten to thank him for his generosity.

A silver Volvo glided smoothly to a stop behind me. Edward. Thank you God. He yanked open my driver's side door, nearly ripping it from its hinges.

"Bella! Are you all right?!"

So much worry in his face, concern, fear. I put his mind at ease as he helped me carefully from the truck.

"Your hands are so cold, Edward. You need gloves." How silly of me to worry about his cold hands when I'd just nearly killed myself, but Edward's comfort was always in the forefront of my mind.

I mentioned calling a tow truck, but turned out it was unnecessary. Edward pushed the truck out of the ditch like he was pushing an empty glass across the bar for a refill. What the hell? "How did you do that?"

An embarrassed smile. "I may be scrawny, but I'm stronger than I look, Bella."

I bit my lip and grinned. "I like scrawny." He grinned back and winked.

March 2, 2005

There should be a law against dancing. Hell, why stop there? Walking should be included, too. Everyone was obsessing about the upcoming dance, everyone except me. I had my excuse ready, just in case.

Edward hovered over me all day. I was thankful and felt safe against his side, but all it took was a few minutes and a manufactured distraction and Edward was gone. First Eric, then Tyler. Where the hell is Edward? My lame excuse of a shopping trip to Port Angeles seemed to be working. Eric and Tyler skulked away in defeat, but not Mike.

"Thank God those losers are gone." Mike grinned and bounced on his feet while I peered around him looking for Edward. The halls were empty. "Go to the dance with me Bella. It'll be fun."

I gave him my excuse, but he wasn't deterred. "Aww, you can go shopping any old time. Come to the dance with me. Please?"

He laid his hand lightly on my arm as he pleaded with those Mike Newton puppy dog eyes. Then Edward was suddenly there like a bolt of lightning crashing down from the sky.

"She's already told you she's busy." Cold hard voice; not the velvet I was used to. Glares were exchanged between both of them as I watched helplessly. Two guys fighting over me? Like I said, something wasn't right in the universe, but I wasn't so sure I wanted things to be right anymore. I was starting to like the universe the way it was now.

Mike skittered away like a mouse when you turn on the light. I waited for the inevitable. Edward was going to ask me to go to the dance and I was going to have to say no to him for the first time since we'd met.

"So, would you like to go to the dance with me instead?" Sparkling laughter in his golden eyes, a smug confidence that was soon to be crushed.

"I suck at dancing. I really would prefer not to go."

His smile disappeared in an instant; his eyes lost their sparkle and went flat. I had a sinking feeling that I'd made him very angry, but it was just a stupid dance! Surely it didn't mean that much to him?

"It's just that, I would embarrass you Edward. I'm klutzy. Falling down all over the floor and stuff? Not cool." I laughed nervously to try and smooth things over. "It'd be safer for everyone if I just stayed home and read a good book."

Slowly, the golden warmth seeped back into his eyes. A small smile. "I understand. Maybe next time."

We very, very slowly said our goodbyes in the school parking lot with promises to text and call each other later.

His goodnight text before I went to sleep:

Is it tomorrow yet?

See you soon, my love.

XO Edward

My love. He'd called me his love.

EDWARD…

My lovely Bella.

I stood quietly over her bed and watched her chest rise and fall with sleep. So petite, fragile, vulnerable, and clueless as all fuck.

I reached down and lightly brushed a strand of hair from her face, and then trailed my fingers across her breast. I gently squeezed that soft mound of warm flesh through her gown, not hard enough to wake her, but hard enough to make her murmur in her sleep. Sweet dreams, Bella. Dream of Edward Cullen fucking your brains out. No sweeter dream than that, baby.

Her sweet smell was so mouthwatering. Soon I was going to taste those lips while inhaling the scent of her blood deep into my lungs. Very soon. I was a patient creature. I enjoyed the game as much as the prize at the end, but Bella "The Tease" Swan was making the waiting this time very hard for me, in more ways than one.

I sat down in the rocker in the corner and watched.

After awhile, my mind wandered back to the events today at school, the long line of Fuck's Finest pricks asking Bella to the dance. Eric and Tyler were harmless idiots. It was Mike who'd needed a little more illumination in regards to Bella's current "status". After Bella had driven off in that piece of shit truck of hers, I'd cornered Mike behind his car and filled him in on how things were going to go down from there on out.

"Newton, if you ever, ever touch Bella again, I'll rip your dick off and stuff the puny little thing down your throat. Do we understand each other?"

I'd laughed at the fear in his eyes as he'd wrangled himself away from me and scooted, trembling, into his car. He'd left the parking lot with no doubt whatsoever in his mind that I'd do exactly as I'd promised. He now knew that Bella Swan belonged to Edward Cullen. By tomorrow morning, everyone at school would know it. Bella might as well wear a sign on her back from now on that said "Edward Cullen's Property. Keep the Fuck Off."

Dawn was approaching. Shit. Time to go. Time sure flew when you were having fun. I slipped out of her room and down the stairs, across the hall to the front door and out, quiet as a fucking church mouse.

A shadowy figure awaited me at the edge of Bella's lawn where it met the forest.

"You're doing it again, aren't you? You sick fuck."

I waited until we got far enough away from Bella's house before slamming Jazz's ass up against a tree. "I told you once to mind your own business. Don't make me have to tell you again. This is your last warning. Stay. The Fuck. Out of my life! Oh, and don't forget, I know all about the twisted stuff you and Alice do behind Carlisle's back, so you'd better keep your mouth shut or Daddy will get an earful. Then I won't be the only one being shipped back to the Alaskan funny farm." I let go of his shirt.

"That was only one time, Edward. One time! You do this shit everywhere we go!"

We glared at each other for a long time before Jazz finally gave ground. "You're going to get us all in trouble, Edward. We'll have to move because of you…again!" he spat, and then blurred off into the forest towards home.

March 5, 2005

BELLA…

I really didn't want to go, but there was no way out of it. This was a Swan/Black family tradition as important as that holiday with the fat man in the red suit. I hadn't been to one since I was little. Charlie was being insistent.

I'd much rather have spent my evening curled up with Edward on my bed, but that was just a silly daydream of mine, wishful thinking. Edward was a perfect gentleman, almost too perfect to suit me. We hadn't even kissed, not even the hint of a wandering hand. Nothing.

Sigh of resignation. I got dressed, grabbed my jacket, picked up my phone to send Edward a text, turned around and there he was, standing right in front of me.

"Edward! You scared the crap out of me! What are you doing here?"

Those flat eyes again; all the warmth gone from the gold. "Where are you going?" His tone sounded a little strange. Not angry, just off somehow.

"A… a fish fry at La Push with my dad's friend, Billy Black," I stuttered. "It's kind of a family tradition thing. You know, big bonfire, storytelling, eating tons of fish?"

He stared at me in silence for far too long. Something was wrong. It almost felt like he disapproved of me spending time with my own family. Surely he didn't feel that way.

"You can come, Edward, if you'd like. I'm sure the Blacks wouldn't mind me bringing someone."

Then he smiled warmly, and everything seemed back to normal. My imagination was running away with me. "No thanks. I'm not much on fish, or fires." He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "You go on and have fun. I'll call you later."

"There's no cell service at La Push. It's one big dead spot. You'll have to wait until I get home."

Jaw twitch. Smile slowly fading. Edward definitely wasn't happy, but this was my family and my friends. He'd just have deal with it.

"I suppose I will," he said softly.

"Bella Swan! Hey!"

A dark haired boy, all white teeth and smiles, trotting in my direction through the wet sand. Oh my god! It couldn't be! Could it?

"Jacob Black?!"

"That's me, all grown up, just like you." A blush spread up his cheeks. Edward never blushed. I found it to be quite endearing and strangely attractive.

"Made any mud pies lately?" I asked, grinning.

"Hey, I've worked my way up to fish now. Watch out Emeril!"

It turned out to be the most pleasant evening I'd had in a long time: sitting around a blazing fire, the smell of fish, onions and potatoes frying in skillets, and stories, so many stories, ancient tales of the Quileute tribe. Jacob sat beside me, listening attentively, the flames flickering across his dark profile. So handsome, so warm, his eyes always dancing with good humor.

"So, you have a boyfriend?" he asked, turning his attention away from the fire and the stories.

"Kind of," I answered. Talking about Edward to other people, especially Jacob, felt a little strange. Thing was, I didn't know why it felt strange, it just did.

"Kind of?" He chuckled. "You either do or you don't, Bella."

"We're just talking right now. It's not like we're engaged or anything. I mean, he hasn't even …" Bella, shut your mouth. I was pretty sure Jacob didn't care whether Edward had kissed me yet or tried to put his hands in places they shouldn't be.

"So, who's the lucky guy anyway?"

I hesitated. Why? I didn't know or understand the reason behind my hesitation. Jacob waited patiently.

"Edward Cullen," I answered finally.

His eyes went black, just like his last name. The smile left his face like a light switch had turned it off.

"Stay away from him Bella." I watched his face, searched it for a clue. Was he jealous? He couldn't be.

"Why? He's been nothing but kind to me. He's attentive and sweet. Very protective at times, but I think it's nice."

Jacob refused to say any more on the subject. No amount of prodding on my part could get him to elaborate on his warning. He just kept insisting that I should stay away from the sweetest and cutest guy who'd ever paid any attention to me, a guy who was always there for me, no matter what.

"But, since you're not engaged or anything and you're just talking…well…that means I'm not out of the ball game yet." His good humor and toothy smile were back, along with some boyish swagger to go along with them.

"I wasn't aware there was a ball game." I chuckled.

Crooked smile, warm brown eyes sweeping over my face and settling on my mouth. "Oh yeah, there's definitely a ball game," he said softly. "And right now, Edward Cullen is sitting the bench, and I'm up to bat."

Heat spread through me, chill bumps raced, heart all aflutter. Muscles clenched deep between my legs. Before tonight, Edward had been the only one to cause such disruptions in the inner workings of my body. Not anymore. The universe had just become even more bizarre than it had been this time yesterday.

Suddenly the atmosphere around the bonfire changed. The stories stopped. Laughter stopped. Jacob's body tensed. All eyes around the fire began moving and searching the darkness. For what, I had no idea. Jacob scooted closer to my side. A strong, protective arm swept around my waist. A silent nod from Billy and two shadows separated themselves from our circle.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Jacob. He shushed me, and scanned the inky darkness with his black eyes.

"What is it?" I asked insistently. I didn't feel scared, just curious. The tension around the fire was thick enough to cut with a knife, and I burned to know why.

The howl of an animal pierced the night air, echoing long after it'd stopped. The tension around the fire eased after that. Not completely, but a little.

"Probably a bear coming a little too close to people," Jacob assured me with a smile. "Happens all the time."

A little later, the two shadows slid from the surrounding darkness and back into the light of the fire. The one I remembered being introduced to me as Sam spoke into the silence.

"It got away."

A shiver down my spine, a ripple of fear that hadn't been there before. I snuggled closer to Jacob, which seemed to please him and me for reasons I didn't even want to think about right then.

March 7, 2005

My first day without Edward. Hell. Nothing else to call it.

He'd texted me late the night before. He was sick, contagious. Couldn't come to school for at least two days, which was a shame because the sun had decided to shine for once. We could have had lunch outside in his car. Instead, I carried my phone in my purse, which stayed in my lap in every class except gym. We texted each other almost constantly during the day, and glued our ears to the phone at night.

He called me just before I went to sleep. A strange conversation.

"You know I care very deeply about you. Don't you, Bella?"

Lust, shooting straight down my chest into my stomach and then finally down between my legs. His voice, so smooth, so soft, so quiet and seductive.

"Yes, Edward, I do."

"Do you care about me the same way?"

"Of course. You know I do."

"This is more than "talking", Bella. Much more."

Such a simple statement, but it ran chills down my back.

"Bella? We're doing more than "talking"…right?"

I swallowed nervously. Why does that question bother me so much? "I'm not sure. I mean, you haven't even kissed me yet. So, maybe we are just talking at this point."

Soft laughter on his end. "So I have to kiss you to convince you that this is serious?"

"It would be nice." I chuckled nervously.

"Your wish is my command, my love."

March 8, 2005

Another day without Edward spent texting and wishing I could look into his golden eyes. Hell. No, even worse than hell, because he was going to be out of touch with me for a few hours tonight. He wouldn't say why and I didn't push.

Jessica and Angela tried to cheer me up by dangling a shopping trip in front of my nose. Wrong choice of bait, girls. Nothing in Port Angeles interested me unless it had golden eyes, drove a Volvo and turned my insides into jelly when it spoke.

"Prom dress, Bella! Hellooo! All the good ones will be gone if we wait," she whined. "We're going and you're going with us. No arguments. Call your Dad, get the go ahead and we'll leave straight from school."

I didn't care one whit about prom or a dress to wear to the damned thing, but with Edward sick, there was nothing more exciting to do than go home and do laundry. So, I agreed, got permission and steeled myself for a long evening of torture. And torture it was: endless hours of trying on this and trying on that, matching an accessory to this, and an accessory to that. Glazed eyes and a growling stomach had me looking for an escape.

"I'm going to go check out the bookstore, you guys. Have fun without me." We agreed to meet up at the dress store in an hour and a half. Plenty of time to explore the book racks.

Darkness was creeping in fast. It was later than I'd thought. Unfamiliar streets, fuzzy directions from the Internet. It all came together in one ominous word: lost. I was lost, and it was dark now. An uneasy fear washed through me. It felt like I was being watched. A look behind, nothing. A glance over my shoulder, again, nothing. My feet picked up speed. I raced toward the lights of the main street in the distance. You have to get out of the dark! Self-defense 101 here! A dash around a blind corner and straight into a hard object. I screamed and jumped back.

"Bella, love! It's all right! It's me, Edward!"

Relief came crashing down on me. My racing heart slowed. First my truck, now this. My hero with the golden eyes. Who needed Superman or Spiderman when you had a tall, good-looking Cullen in your corner?

Wait. Edward shouldn't be here. He's supposed to be sick. "What are you doing here?"

Soft laughter as he pulled me into his arms. "Misdiagnosis. Turned out it was nothing serious. Alice overheard your conversation with Jessica about the shopping trip. I cancelled my prior plans. Bella, Port Angeles is no place for you to be alone. Anything could happen. There are some very disturbed people out there just waiting for a helpless victim to stumble into their path."

Disturbed people didn't scare me, not while I was in Edward's arms. We were standing there in the middle of the street hugging and freezing to death, but I didn't care. This was the closest I'd been to Edward since we'd met. One strong arm wrapped around my waist, a palm cupping the back of my head, fingers threading into my hair, then the kiss.

Oh God, the kiss, our first kiss. His lips were chilled from the cold air, but it was still wonderful. He pulled away much too soon.

"So, are we doing more than talking now?" A self-satisfied smirk, and then a laugh.

I smiled up at him and thought to myself, Oh hell yeah, Edward Cullen. We're doing a lot more than talking …finally.

He offered to take me to a restaurant for dinner, but I refused. I didn't want to share him with anyone, let alone strangers, and not even long enough to eat. We found Angela and Jessica waiting at our rendezvous spot. Edward informed them that I was with him now. They could go home, he'd see me back safely. They trusted him. They had no reason not to. Neither did I.

I was excited at finally getting a chance to see the inside of his Volvo. From what little I'd been able to see through the tinted windows, it looked luxurious, a far cry from my battered Chevy. I sank into the leather seats with a sigh and belted in. He laughed.

"We're not going to wreck. I have mad driving skills…among other things." An enigmatic smile that set my hormones to swirling and spinning madly, like fall leaves caught up in a tempest.

We drove nearly halfway home before he abruptly pulled off the main highway onto a gravel road.

"Where are we going?"

A small smile, but no answer.

"Edward?" A glimmer of unease started to grow down deep in the pit of my stomach.

The car skidded to a stop, headlights off, eyes adjusting to the change in light. Now, the moonlight illuminated a small clearing just beyond the car's hood. Edward scooted his seat back as far as it would go and turned to face me. He reached out a hand. The automatic locks engaged. Their loud click sounded like the doors of a prison slamming shut, a leather Volvo prison.

"Edward, what's going on?"

"I thought we could have some time alone. Take off your seatbelt, Bella." There was nothing threatening in his soft voice. So why was I trembling inside?

"No, I'm good. We need to get home. Charlie will be worried."

"Fuck Charlie."

I froze. Edward had never said anything even remotely vulgar in my presence. I was shocked, too shocked to even speak for a few seconds.

"Edward, take me home. Now." Trying to sound strong and in control, failing. The shakiness in my voice was giving me away.

"Nope. Not yet, my precious Bella. We're taking this relationship past the talking stage, right here, right now." An arrogant smile. This wasn't my Edward. I didn't know this guy leering at me like I was a piece of meat.

One quick yank of his hand, and the seatbelt ripped out of the hard molded plastic beam beside me. Another yank and the mechanism at the floor came loose. The whole mess ended up crumpled on my feet in the floorboard.

"You're a tease, you know that? A fucking tease. And I'm sick to death of walking around with a hard dick while you sleep like a baby at night in your nice little twin bed with the purple comforter and matching lace pillow."

"How do you…?"

"I've been watching you. I've watched you sleep every single night since you shut my ass down. Remember? 'It'd be safer for everyone if I just stayed home and read a good book.' I just wanted to take you to a dance, but no. So, I settled for watching you sleep. You're beautiful when you sleep, Bella."

A cold hand slid across my neck and back beneath my hair. I needed to get out of there, but I had nowhere to go.

"I've touched you when you're asleep. Did you know that? Your breasts, your cunt, my fingers all over your body, and you had no clue. You're so incredibly stupid."

Bile rose up in my throat. I wanted to vomit. He'd touched me, something I'd longed for since that first day in Biology, but now the thought of it made me sick. I felt violated, betrayed, and yes, stupid.

His other hand snaked up underneath my blouse. Cold, grasping, pushing at my bra, squeezing.

"Edward, no!" A choked protest stopped by his mouth closing over mine, crushing, suffocating me, sucking the breath from my lungs. His tongue, also cold, thrust deep into my mouth, nearly choking me as it probed deeper and deeper. I needed air. I felt like I would die if I didn't get air.

That was when my sanity cracked; instinct took over, the need to survive took over. I fought him. Kicked, screamed, clawed at his skin, ripped at his clothes. I cursed him. The foulest words I'd ever said aloud poured from my mouth. I fought him with every ounce of strength I had. I fought him. I fought him. I fought him so hard. He dragged me out of the car and threw me down onto the cold ground. I kept fighting him. I kept fighting. I never gave up. But it was all for nothing, just wasted energy.

He raped me.

Brutally.

"Get in the car."

I was curled into a ball on the ground, my panties and jeans bunched down around my ankles, my shirt and bra pushed up to my neck. Sticks and leaves poked into my skin, but that was a mild discomfort compared to the pain between my legs, and the agony in my soul.

I ignored his order, so he picked me up and rearranged my clothes. I stood like a zombie from one of those cheesy horror movies. I was just a doll to him now, a plaything to dress and do with as he wished. I offered no resistance. He shoved me into the car and shut the doors, engaged locks.

"I think you'd enjoy it more if you didn't fight me, Bella. Maybe next time you can try to relax a little." A soft chuckle in the darkness of the car.

Next time? Rape was a one-time thing, wasn't it? He wouldn't do this again? No one could be that cruel.

The engine started. We were moving, going home. A hot shower, I needed to be clean. I wanted my bed, my pillow. But then I remembered he could get into my room, like he'd done every night, without me knowing it. That was when the silent tears started streaming down my face and dripping onto my shirt.

"It goes without saying that you're going to keep that beautiful mouth of yours shut, right?" He threw me a glance. The lights from the dashboard cast a soft glow on his chiseled features, features I used to think so beautiful. "You say one word, one fucking little word, to anybody, and I'll carve Charlie into a million pieces. You know I will. And the same goes for your new little friend over in La Push. Jacob Black, right? I'll crush that motherfucker like a bug if you so much as breathe a word of this to him. He's out of the game, Bella. He's struck out and now I'm the one up to bat." Laughter, sick laughter.

"You're crazy."

He grinned over at me. "I'm not crazy. Not at all. I'm just fucking mean. There's a difference. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I'm also a vampire." A wide grin in my direction.

Vampire? Yeah, whatever. I didn't care what delusions he had, I only wanted him to go away and let me get back to my life, if such a thing were even possible now. "I won't say anything, I promise. Just leave me alone. Just leave me alone," I whispered into the quiet night.

"No way, baby. You belong to me now. And you can rest assured, I'm going to be watching every single move you make from here on out. If you call anyone, I'll know. If you go anywhere, I'll know and I'll be right behind you watching. If you so much as fart, I'll know about it." A chuckle. "And another thing, when I want you, you will give yourself to me. No more fighting, Bella."

He stopped the Volvo in front of my house. Charlie wasn't home. For once, I thanked God that some police emergency had kept him out late. Edward reached across my body and pushed open the door.

"Make sure you cover the bruises, Bella. Be smart." A smile and a wink. "And don't forget, I'll be watching you."

I forced my body to move, and got out of the car. He sped away leaving me standing in the driveway, cold and alone. I bent over and vomited onto the ground until nothing was left in my stomach but clear bile. I let myself into the house, showered until the water ran cold, scrubbed my skin until it felt raw, crawled into my bed, covered my head…

And cried.

The next day to…whenever.

Time no longer had any meaning to me. Coldness defined my existence. I belonged to Edward Cullen, and everything in my life revolved around him. He never left me alone for an instant during the day. The shiny Volvo followed me to school and back home, stuck on my ass like a cheap bumper sticker that wouldn't peel off. If Charlie wasn't home after school, he came and sat with me in my truck until he arrived.

Threats, always the threats of who he would hurt or kill if I told anyone.

I had no life, no freedom, no sense of time, and more importantly, no hope.

Evenings weren't any better. He called me frequently but randomly, texted me and expected an immediate response. I'd been stupid enough once to try and call Jacob on the house phone. Immediately, my cell vibrated. A new text message:

Bella, love.

Who are you calling?

Hang up.

XXOO Edward

A week after Edward raped me, Charlie announced he was going to Billy's for the evening to watch sports on TV. I asked to go, practically begged.

Charlie laughed. "You hate sports."

At that exact moment, Edward sent me a text.

Leave the window open 4 me my love.

Remember, no fighting.

XXOO Edward

I expected a repeat of the brutal rape, but it was nothing like that. I didn't fight him this time. I took his threats very seriously. I lay passively on the bed and watched him carefully put on a condom. Was the bastard actually concerned for my well-being? I should have known better.

A leering grin. "Knocking up humans is a big 'no-no' in Daddy's book. Been there, done that, and bought the fucking t-shirt. I'm very careful now."

When the coldness of his body invaded mine, Bella Swan left the building. He had sex with an empty shell.

Every day at lunch, same routine: I sat across from him and picked at my food, he forced me to listen to him go on and on about being a vampire. Presented me with the evidence, waited for a reaction. What did he want, me to run from the cafeteria screaming? I just stared silently back at him. Vampire, ghost, werewolf, demon, Satan, Edward Cullen? It didn't matter to me which one he was. They were all the same thing to me: monsters.

One day, his cold, hard voice, jerked me out of my listless daydreams. I'd been picking at my lunch and thinking of Jacob and the one evening I'd spent with him. Had it really happened? If it did, it seemed like another lifetime ago.

"Pay attention when I talk to you, Bella!" A hard, velvet hiss of anger.

I gave him as much of my attention as he was going to get: my silent empty stare.

"I've made an important decision. You're going to the prom with me, and don't even think you're going to pull the same shit you did with the last dance. You're going, and you're wearing one of Alice's dresses. And after the prom, I'm going to change you. I'm going to make you like me. Bella and Edward together forever."

Together forever? At that very moment, something in me snapped. The listlessness that had completely taken over my life evaporated as soon as Edward had said the word 'forever'. There was no way I was spending forever with this soulless monster. I made up my mind right then that I would find a way to get away from him. Either I'd get someone to help me, or I'd end this nightmare myself by my own hand. One way or the other it was going to be over…soon.

My life had a purpose now: freedom. Every spare moment I had, I thought about how to get away from him. I made plan after plan, and examined them from all angles. One-by-one I discarded them, too many holes, too many opportunities for failure.

Edward watched everything I did, listened to every word I spoke. The key was to find a way to fool his eyes and his ears. It took me a solid week of constant thinking, but I finally came up a plan. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best of all that I'd considered. If it failed, then there was always Plan B: razor blades.

That night, after talking with Edward on the phone, I ran a bathtub full of water. Knowing that Edward was outside my house listening, I told Charlie that I wasn't feeling well and was going to soak in the tub. I got my gown from a drawer. With my back to the window, I slipped a piece of notebook paper between the folds. As I passed the desk, a pencil found its way into my pocket.

I waited. No text, no phone call. He hadn't seen.

In the bathtub with the door closed and locked, I began to write:

Jacob,

I'm sorry I haven't returned your phone calls, but I couldn't. You were right. I should have stayed away from Edward Cullen. I need your help, but I'm so afraid for you to get involved. Edward told me he would kill Charlie and you if I went to either of you for help. But I have nowhere else to turn. I'm desperate. I need to get away from him. He's a monster. The problem is that he watches everything I do. He never leaves me alone for very long. He's outside the house right now, watching and listening. I can't stand this anymore, Jacob. Please help me.

Bella

I folded the letter and stuffed it underneath my gown before I returned to my room. I walked past my desk, grabbed my math book and settled into bed with it lying on my bent legs. I pretended to be looking at homework, flipping through pages, pencil between my teeth, deep in thought.

My bedtime text message arrived:

Bella love,

Lose the fuck- ugly gown.

XXXOOO Edward

In the confusion of tossing around my comforter, lifting my gown and shifting my body to a more comfortable position, the letter made its way into the pages of my math book. I'd worry about the envelope and stamp tomorrow morning. For now, it was safe and hidden from prying eyes. Naked, I turned out the light and waited for Edward to come to me.

"Why so quiet this morning?"

Charlie was getting ready for work. I sat at the table with my math book open and papers spread all over the table, the pretense of last minute homework. Among the papers was the letter to Jacob, neatly folded in an addressed and stamped envelope. I pointed at my throat and wrote him a note.

Sore throat. Hurts pretty bad.

A package of lozenges appeared on the table as Charlie went on and on about taking care of myself. "Give your throat a rest today, honey. No unnecessary talking, okay?"

Another note.

Can you mail this for me? At the post office? It'll get there quicker. And don't you say a word, Charlie!

I pushed the letter across the table. I smiled crookedly and gave him a pointed stare as he read the note. He knew what I meant by not saying a word. He'd been steering me in the direction of Jacob Black since that night of the fish fry, dropping hints that Edward Cullen wasn't the only fish in the ocean. Normally a teenager cringed when parents started matchmaking, but at that moment, when Charlie silently took the letter with nothing but a smug smile on his face, I thanked God in Heaven for my precious father.

Now all I had to do was wait and hope.

It didn't take long. Two days later, Billy called. He wanted company for dinner, adult company. Talking to a teenager, he said, left a lot to be desired. An understanding laugh from Charlie, and an invitation to me.

"Why don't you come with me, Bella? I'm sure Jacob will be hanging around there somewhere. You two can catch up." Charlie couldn't even imagine how much I yearned to go, but I'd never be allowed to. And sure enough, a text message arrived almost simultaneously with his request.

Don't even think about it.

I want u 2 nite.

XXOO Edward

I politely refused. Charlie left shortly after that, leaving me trembling and alone on the living room sofa, holding my breath, waiting for Edward's arrival and the inevitable invasion of my body that would follow.

Then a series of howls pierced the night, animal howls much like the ones I'd heard at La Push. Fear shot through me. I raced over to a window, but the light from inside the house kept me from seeing.

A banging on the front door. Oh god! Edward! And he's angry!

"Bella! Open up!"

It was Jacob! A dash across the room, fumbling with the doorknob, and then there he was, standing in the open doorway. Jacob crushed me into his arms and hugged me tight, asking me over and over again if I was all right.

"Get a jacket. Hurry!"

I sat behind Jacob, my arms wrapped tightly around his waist, the cool night wind whipping my hair in all directions around my face. The hum of the motorcycle beneath me was my freedom song, and Jacob was my savior.

Jacob and I left Charlie and Billy alone to talk and went to Sam and Emily's place. There were lots of bodies crammed into the tiny kitchen, mostly all males and all tense and focused. Emily, a dark-haired beauty, despite the scar on her face, smiled warmly and welcomed me.

"You're safe now, Bella. Everything is going to be all right."

Jacob pulled me to a chair in the corner, away from the conversation going on around the table.

"Emily's right. You're safe here with us. But, you should have told me about this sooner."

Then I explained about Edward: his smooth seduction, which had somehow transformed into an obsession, the constant phone calls and texts, his stalking my every waking moment. I left out the late-night visits to my room, both while I was awake and while I was asleep. I also left out the rape.

"He's going to come after me, Jacob."

Jacob smiled confidently. "He won't come onto our lands. We take trespassing very seriously here. If he even tries, we'll stop him."

I didn't' believe him. Jacob didn't know Edward like I did. He had no idea how just how crazy he really was.

"I made something for you. I want to give it to you while I have the chance. Think of it as a good luck charm." He dug into his pants pocket and drew out a small chain, a bracelet. A tiny wolf charm dangled from one of the links.

"You made this?" I smiled and poked delicately at the little wolf. "It's beautiful! I love it!"

Before I could stop him, he grasped my wrist and pushed up my sleeve so that he could put it on me. He saw the bruises sprinkled up my forearm. Black, angry eyes rose up to meet mine.

"Did he do this to you?"

I nodded silently and fought against the tears that were beginning to sting my eyes. Jacob pushed up my other sleeve. His eyes darkened even more.

"Are there more that I can't see?"

I nodded again, fighting as hard as I could to keep it together.

"Did he do…did he…? Oh my god, Bella, did he hurt you in any other way?"

I knew what he meant. The floodgates opened. "Yes," I whispered, and then the whole sordid story gushed out of me: the rape and the repeated demands he'd made on my body, the rough way he'd used me which had always left me bruised and in pain. I wondered if Jacob would want anything to do with me now. I was damaged goods, after all.

Jacob's eyes burned bright with fury. His body trembled. "Sam!" Jacob snarled. His sudden outburst startled me.

Sam approached the corner. Jacob showed him the evidence of Edward's cruelty. "He did a lot more than this, Sam. A lot more." A silent communication between two sets of angry, coal black eyes.

At that moment, the kitchen door burst open and then slammed shut, letting in another dark-haired muscular boy who, strangely enough, was shirtless and in shorts, despite the cold night air.

"Sam, there's one at the extreme northern tip of the perimeter! Not Edward. It's the blonde male and he says he wants to talk to Jacob Black, and that it's urgent!"

"That's Jasper, Edward's brother," I gasped in surprise.

Sam barked an order. "Jake, go with Quil. See what the leech wants."

Leech? I didn't have time to think about Jasper being called a leech, because Jacob was leaving my side, and I didn't want him to.

"Seth, stay with Bella. Protect her." At Jacob's quiet command, a tall, lanky boy rose from the table and took his place at my side.

"With my life, bro." Seth nodded and scooted closer to me.

Before they left, I watched curiously as Sam and Jacob locked eyes. Then, a soft demand from Jacob that I didn't understand. "She needs to see to believe…before he burns."

Sam nodded. The room emptied out until only Emily, me and Seth were left. A boyish smile in my direction. "Don't worry, Bella. We've got your back."

Nothing to do now but wait. Seth chattered constantly and kept me entertained despite my nervousness and dread. He was a pleasant boy, quick to smile and full of youthful laughter. He showered me with funny stories: motorcycle stunts gone bad, cliff diving naked (not his best idea, he admitted with a small laugh), practical jokes played on Jacob, and on and on and on. Before I knew it, I was laughing with him, forgetting temporarily about the drama unfolding outside those four walls.

Suddenly, a series of howls echoed in the night. Seth and Emily grew quiet, as if they were listening.

"What is it?"

Seth smiled and relaxed. "Everything is fine. Jacob will be here soon to explain it to you."

Not five minutes later, Jacob was standing inside the doorway, bare-chested, a pair of cut-off jeans hanging loosely on his hips. "Come outside with me, Bella. You need to see."

What did I need to see? Seth murmured comforting words of encouragement behind me as I made my way across the room to Jacob. A strong arm slid around my waist. Jacob nestled me against his side while we walked a few yards from the house and into the woods. My questions to him went unanswered, just assurances that I was safe.

"Don't be afraid of what you see up ahead. You're safe here in La Push. Remember that." Jacob was making me nervous now. What was I going to see? What shouldn't I be afraid of? We pushed through a thicket of brush and trees into a small clearing. It was then that I saw…

I gasped in shock, but Jacob was there to comfort and assure me that I truly was safe. Huge wolves stood like sentinels around the edges of the clearing, in the shadows. A fire had been built in the center, but for what reason I didn't know.

"We're shape shifters," Jacob stated in a proud voice. "We protect the lands of our ancestors with the strength and courage of the noble wolf. The Cold Ones, vampires like Edward, are our enemy. Our purpose is to protect humans from them, and kill them if it becomes necessary."

Oh my god?! A vampire?! Had Edward been telling me the truth all along? I hadn't paid that much attention to his rantings because I'd thought him completely crazy.

Jacob nudged me forward with him until we were only a few feet from the now raging fire. A very large wolf broke away from the shadows and came to stand before me.

"This is Sam," Jacob informed me. "Our Alpha and leader. And this…" Jacob kicked at a pile of debris on the ground with his foot, debris that I'd failed to notice before. "This is Edward Cullen. What's left of him."

I stared down at the ground in disbelief. If he hadn't have told me I would have never known what I was looking at. Body parts, piled in pieces, and oh God, some still twitching as if they were still alive! Then I located Edward's head in all of the mass of limbs, that beautiful bronze hair, the sculpted features that had caught my eye from the beginning, his eyes staring up at me…

I gasped in shock. "Edward's eyes were gold! This isn't Edward! It isn't him!"

Then Jacob patiently explained to me that Edward's crimson eyes meant he fed from humans. He must have been wearing contacts to fool everyone. The rest of Edward's family had been seen feeding from animals by members of Jacob's pack, but not Edward. Jacob went on to tell me that the recent spate of hiker deaths in the area thought to have been the work of bears had actually been Edward. They'd been watching him for awhile and were just getting ready to take action against him when my letter for help had arrived.

"I wanted you to see with your own eyes, Bella. I wanted you to know that he's dead, that he won't ever come back to hurt you."

Then Jacob picked up the still-moving pieces of Edward and threw them into the fire. A still silence fell around the clearing as we watched them burn.

"He's gone. You're safe." Jacob's soft whisper broke the silence. He pulled me close against his side as I watched the monster who'd completely taken over my life, burn into ashes.

I was free.

"So, what do you say, Bells?" Jacob was staring down at me eagerly, like an overgrown puppy with its tongue hanging out.

"No, Jacob. Please no," I moaned.

"Awwww, come on, Bella. It won't be that bad. Please?" Begging now, those big brown eyes tugging at my heartstrings.

"I can't dance. I swear it's the truth. I really can't."

"Neither can I. What's the worst that could happen? We'll just fall down together," he said, answering his own question with a chuckle.

"Jacob, awww, please don't make me do this." I whined, but I knew I'd lost. He was simply too sweet to turn down, but I let him make one last plea before giving in.

"Isabella, please? For me?" he pleaded softly.

"Oh, all right!" I laughed as he scooped me up into his arms and swung me around in circles.

Good Lord. Bella Swan was going to the prom with Jacob Black.

In what strange parallel dimension would I ever have gone to prom of my own free will? There was only one explanation: Jacob Black.

He was so handsome in his black dress pants, white shirt and black tie. His short hair stuck out all over his head in the most endearing way. I was wearing a borrowed blue dress from Angela. A bit of makeup covered up the last lingering bruises pretty well, but the bruises on my soul were slower to heal, and were still tender to the touch.

Stares and whispers followed us as Jacob and I worked our way around the room, carefully skirting the edges of the dance floor. Gossip had been rampant since the night that Edward had suddenly disappeared from Forks. Only after it was all over had Jacob told me the details. Apparently, Jasper had decided that enough was enough. He'd betrayed his own brother to Jacob and Quil, telling them exactly where Edward was going to cross over into their lands and exactly what he'd planned to do to me and the rest of them for snatching me away from him. With Jasper's help and that of the rest of the pack, capturing Edward had been child's play. Jacob refused to tell me who had dealt Edward his final death blows, but I was pretty sure I already knew.

Later that night, Carlisle, Edward's father, had approached the boundary of the reservation and had asked to speak to Sam. He'd apologized profusely for what Edward had done. He'd confessed to knowing of Edward's cruelty but had thought him improved. Edward had fooled his own family, just like he'd fooled me. The rest of the Cullens had left town the next day. The coldness had finally left my life.

Now, I was all about warmth and Jacob Black.

"Let's get out of this crowd." Jacob grasped my hand and pulled me behind him until we managed to squeeze out of the French doors and onto an expansive back lawn. The music from inside filtered outdoors through hidden speakers. A beautiful gazebo stood several yards out away from the building. We both saw it at the same time.

"Wanna dance?" Jacob grinned mischievously.

"You mean, do I want fall down? Sure, why not." I grinned back and took his outstretched hand.

The song changed. Flightless Bird, American Mouth started playing softly in the darkness. "I love this song, Jacob."

We hurried toward the gazebo. Jacob took me into his arms, carefully keeping a distance between us. We shifted our bodies from side-to-side, which was about all two klutzes like us could safely manage.

Midway through the song, he stopped swaying. His hand slid along the side of my neck. We stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like a very long time, until he began to inch slowly closer. He was going to kiss me, and I didn't know what to do. I'd been so cruelly used by Edward that I had no idea how I was going to react to the feel of his mouth on mine. Would I cringe away from him in disgust and hurt his feelings? Jacob didn't deserve that.

I didn't know what to do, so I did nothing. I just waited until his lips were almost touching mine. His warm breath blew across my skin and it was so different from the icy chill of Edward's, so different that I knew I was going to be all right. I closed the tiny distance. Our lips touched, hesitant at first and then more urgent. I pulled away first, but was careful to smile up at him, letting him know that everything was okay.

"Bella, we can take this as slow as we need to. You set the pace."

I nodded and smiled. "Slow is good." With Jacob's patience and understanding, I felt confident that the wound in my soul would heal much faster and eventually disappear forever.

"Bella, I want you to know that with every breath you take from this moment on until you stop breathing, I'll be by your side. As long as you want me."

Yes. My life was all about warmth now, all about Jacob Black.

** The End **