Name: The Lion Tamer

Rating: T

Characters/pairings: Bella, Edward.

Author: Lile

Genre: Angst, romance, suspense, hurt/comfort...psh.

Short summary: Bella Swan's life was turned upside-down from her past experiences with a velvet-voiced boy. Four years later, the trams is still very real, but only the estranged pair seem to realise how deep it cuts.

Any warnings: This isn't really "light" and characters will do bad things, but I am a firm believer in happy endings. I will try to be respectful with the subject matter, so I'm sorry if any of it offends ):

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N: A whole new story...begins! I hope you enjoy it d(^_^)b

Today is a Tuesday, one of the worst days of the week. It's the day for my counsellor appointment- and not coincidentally, the day when I feel the worst. I'm usually good at hiding it in front of people, but Alice can tell something is off.

But I'm grateful.

Really.

I need one hour a week where I can admit to the universe that I'm still as pathetic as I was when I was fourteen, so that for the rest of the time I can try to build myself up. The Laboutier Academy of Performing Arts is a place that certainly helps with that. I've made friends here, I've grown.

I'm normal.

"Describe your boyfriend in three words."

The counsellor smiles at me, letting the pause stretch out into an uncomfortable silence. I'm not sure what to say. How can I reduce a human being into adjectives? Especially someone like Mike.

"He's...nice," I fumble with language. You'd think someone with top scores in English would be able to speak more eloquently, but then you'd have to meet me. Bella, the girl who crumbles under pressure. I'm weak and pathetic and that's why I need to go to these sessions. It's not like I can talk to Charlie.

The counsellor raises her eyebrows, her mouth lipstick-locked.

I struggle on, hating how dry my throat feels. "He's always there for me. That's something I appreciate a lot. Charlie likes him."

Charlie hated Edward.

The counsellor nods. I search my memory wildly for her name. Mrs. Parsons. My hands feel numb, and I brush my shirt front straight, trying to stretch out my knuckles, stiff from being clenched.

"Well, I think its great that you're making progress." She crosses her legs. Her voice becomes delicate. "I arranged this meeting to tell you that today is the day."

My stomach drops. "He's out of juvie?" The words run into each other so fast I'm scared she won't understand and I'll have to say it again. Her pause makes my throat tighten. "He's coming back to Laboutier?"

Mrs. Parson smiles and raises her hands. The room feels small and stuffy, the clouds in the sky in league with the walls as they try to push me in. "Bella, you're safe. If he comes into the same room as you, or tries to contact you in any way, he is liable to be taken back into a detention centre. If you feel targeted at all, you only need to tell me, or your father, and we'll take care of it. You are the top priority, and so long as I'm here he won't lay a finger on you." Her voice is strong. Determined. "Bella, you are safe. This might even help you get stronger faster, once you realize that we are one hundred percent behind you and that he can't hurt you, even without bars in the way. Alright?"

I massage my knees. They're all bony and weird. I don't like my legs. White little sticks, really, is all they are. I should eat more. Alice likes my cooking, anyhow, so widening my recipe base will be good for everyone.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" I smile at her and the strong hand of panic grabs my heart and I burst into tears.

The news is around the school like a wildfire. Edward Cullen is getting out of juvie.

No one really knows what happened apart from the police and my councellor. They let me have some privacy, and it turned out I never told anyone the truth about what happened. Because then people would understand how it was all my fault. How could I stand them looking at me and seeing the weakling I am? How gullible I am?

As gullible as the rest of the world.

The school only took him in because of the way he could sing. And I have to admit, I can understand them- watching him perform is the closest you can get to a man emotionally disembowelling himself on stage for you. You feel tears when he wants you to. Shivers. His kind of talent excuses a bit of madness.

But not a mountain of it, surely?

His family kept his crime out of the newspapers. I can't imagine how much money that took, all the bribing. The Cullens are rich- because Carlisle Cullen is a world-renowned surgeon, and his wife has her own landscape gardening company. Their net worth is near a billion.

I don't bear a grudge towards them. I understand that not being able to have kids must have been pretty hard, and I know that Edward can be charming when he wants to.

I get why they adopted him.

And it scares me, but I have to be strong. He can't catch me out this time. He can't.

I won't let him.