"Ladies and Gentlemen, please note that the pilot has turned on the seatbelt sign. We will be landing in a few minutes in Seattle, Washington. Thank you for riding with Jet Blue."

The intercom fizzed out and I was thrown back into the silence that was engulfing me for the past five and a half hours. I couldn't believe this was actually happening. I was moving across the country. East Coast to West Coast, New York to Washington, Manhattan to…

Forks.

What a great name to give a town of almost four thousand people.

And what a change from a city of more than a million people.

I just couldn't wrap my head around it. My father was dragging me and my brothers across the country. My brothers lost so much… Friends, girlfriends, everything. They were stars at our high school, playing sports and being involved in plenty of clubs. I knew they would resent my father for this. But I also knew they would resent me, no matter how many times they assured me otherwise.

For starters, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bella Swan and I am 15 years old. I have two brothers, Emmett and Jasper Swan, and a father, Charlie Swan. My mom, Renee, left the picture when I was five, running off to be with a minor league baseball player. His name is Phil Dwyer, and the last I heard of them, they were "happily married."

My father never really got over my mom leaving him with three young kids if you ask me. He never took the full responsibility of being a father either. Growing up, my brothers were the ones who took care of me; made sure I had food and went to school. When I turned twelve, I began cooking for the entire family. After seven years of eating take-out or going to the diner to eat, we were finally having home cooked meals every night, thanks to me. Charlie didn't make it any easier for me either. Working as a police officer in the city was no joke, but he made it no joke if dinner wasn't on the table by the second he got home. He never hit us; he would just get really upset.

My brothers… How would I describe them…Well, as overprotective fools. They never let me out of their sight. Ever since we were little, they would always be right around the corner every time I looked. When they were both in high school and I was stuck in middle school alone, I branched out a little bit. Having my share of boyfriends and kisses. But of course, nothing ever got past the walls of the hallways. My brothers would escort me to school every morning and I would be picked up right after my bell rang.

"Bella," said someone, shaking my shoulder. "The plane's landed. We need to get off."

I opened my eyes groggily, blinking my eyes a couple of time to adjust to the overcast light coming through the plane window. I turned my head to see Jasper watching me intently. He shook me again to make sure I was awake and I slapped his hand away from me.

"I'm up," I croaked.

I stood up and followed Jasper to where Emmett was waiting at the exit of the plane. They both walked on either side of me, protecting me from any onlookers. I pulled up the hood of my baggy sweatshirt, embarrassed by the feeling of being surrounded by deadly secret service agents. My brothers were far from government agents, heck, they haven't even finished high school yet. But with their looks and reflexes, they might as well be drafted early. Is there even a phone number I can call to recommend them?

We arrived at baggage claim shortly after. Our dad was waiting for us there. He already had his only suitcase next to him and he tapped his foot impatiently as we walked up to him.

"I need to go pick up the car. Meet me outside in 10 minutes."

We all nodded and he was gone before we could turn to get our bags.

If you asked me, my dad was too excited about moving across the country. Now I don't mean excited like 'let's jump up and down in a cirls holding hands,' but the sneaky kind of excited. He arranged our move faster than I've seen anyone do it before. Before he even told us we were moving, he already packed up the whole living room and kitchen. And like I mentioned before, being a cop in NYC was no joke, especially the hours he had to work. It was just…fishy.

"Bella, you missed your bag again." I shook my head to clear myself of my thoughts, just in time to see my bag disappear into the wall.

"Oh, sorry."

Emmett shook his head. "Don't miss it next time. Charlie is gonna be upset if we're not outside in the next three minutes." He walked off into the crowd of people, Jasper following him with a shrug.

I turned, tears burning in the back of my eyes. This was my fault. Emmett's life was ruined, Jasper's life was ruined, Charlie's life was ruined. Everyone close to me got hurt because I was a naïve child. It hurt me so much that I had to live through this, and bring down everyone around me. But the master that I was, I held back the tears and sucked it up. If this was my fault, I had to deal with it like an adult.

With my new found resolution, I spotted my bag coming around the belt again. I grabbed it by the handle and tugged with all of my might, but the bag didn't move an inch. It dragged across the belt with my hand still gripping the handle. I started to panic. I was already cutting our time close, and I didn't have my brothers here to help me.

"Here, let me help you." A pale hand reached out and took the bag from my hand and off the belt with ease. I felt slightly jealous at this stranger and his strength. I felt my cheeks redden from embarrassment and rage. I was ready to tell this person to mind their damn business next time…

But I was silenced by kind, beautiful green eyes.

"Here you go, Miss." He set the bag at my feet, but I remained silent. He gave me a weird look and cocked his head to the side.

I snapped myself out of it. "Thanks," I squeaked. Yeah, great way of telling him off, Bella.

"I'm Edward. I've never seen you around here before…"

"Bella. I just moved here."

"Cool. Well, I'll see you around then."

I nodded at him and he walked gracefully out of the airport. I turned and walked out as well, straight into the wrath of my brothers and my father.

"Who was that you were talking to?" asked Emmett as soon as I slipped into the car behind him.

"No one, just the person who helped me with my bag since you both ditched me."

Jasper turned to me. "Bella, it's dangerous to talk to strangers. He could have done something to you."

"Not every boy I come into contact with is gonna hurt me, Jazz." I rolled my eyes and looked out the window as my dad began to pull out of the airport.

"Forget about that!" My dad looked at me through the rearview mirror. "How about the fact I told you to be outside in 10 minutes and you were here in 15? Does that not matter?"

I didn't even answer him. Something you learn quickly about Charlie is that you cannot argue with him about anything. He will never let you win, let alone get any words in. Even if you make a great point, he shuts it down so fast you feel the heat from his speed. There was just no use in arguing, just to waste my energy.

On the drive home, Charlie wouldn't shut up about everything our lives now consisted of. He told us we started school on Monday, and that we arrived just in time for the first day of school. The police department was in urgent need of more officers and so he had already renewed his license to officiate in Washington. The car we were currently in would be Emmett's, since he would receive a police cruiser from the station. Our old car, which had been shipped to Forks ahead of us, would be Jasper's. It was the first time I saw my brothers smile in a long time.

For me? I didn't get a car, or any other cool things. I just had my own room. I had to share a bathroom with my brothers, since my dad claimed the room with a private bathroom on the other side of the hallway.

Walking into the house, you were already a part of the living room. The stairs were crammed in between the living room and the kitchen which led to the kids' side of the hallway. There was a smaller staircase in the corner of the kitchen, which lead to my dad's side of the hallway. It was homey, and I knew there was no way Charlie, my father, could have chosen this house. He had to have some type of help. My dad would have picked a two bedroom house with only one corridor.

I walked up the stairs and straight into my bedroom. All of my boxes were already piled up inside, as well as all of my furniture and other bags we shipped in ahead of us. I dropped the bag in my hand onto the floor. I just wanted to keep myself and my hands busy with unpacking so I could cry myself to sleep.

"Dinner will be ready at 6," I yelled before I slammed my door shut.

By 5:45, I had unpacked my whole room and dinner was almost ready, I just had to finish up the salad. It was a relief to finally keep my mind completely occupied with organizing and reorganizing my room. I even went full out for dinner, making steak and potatoes with salad and dessert.

The only thing that scared me now was thinking.

My brothers came down first, helping me set the table. They tried to make some conversation with me, but I wasn't having any of it. I kept my eyes on my task and my mouth shut, determined to keep myself from thinking about why we were here, why I had subjected my family to this nightmare.

I could only accomplish this when my mind was busy with a task, like organizing my room, or cooking dinner. I even focus extra hard of chewing my food into really small bites so I wouldn't have time to endure the eerie silence at the dinner table.

I could only do so much.

But I couldn't do anything when I was asleep.

That night, after I cried myself to sleep, my dreams haunted me with the reason.

**Flashback**

It was late June and everyone was excited for the end of the year party that was being thrown at Josh Thomas' house. To say that it would be the party of the year was an understatement.

It was an unusually hot summer in New York, the temperature being higher than normal. So when I got out the shower that evening to get ready for the party, I remember my hair already beginning to frizz up. I dressed in what I normally would for parties, considering my brothers had opted out to going to a senior party. It was a waste for them. But I was only a freshman, so I was never invited to their kinds of parties. It's not like my father cared either, so I dressed in a skin tight, purple thigh high dress. It looked great on me, so said my best friend of five years, Kassie. I never thought that it would be this very dress that got me into huge trouble.

I was dressed and ready, my brothers leaving ahead of me together. I waited patiently in the lobby of my building for my boyfriend to pick me up.

Yeah,I had a boyfriend. Of two years, for your information.

Jacob Black.

Jacob and I were perfect for each other, and I could totally see myself being with him for many years to come. He was about eight inches taller than me and he was lanky, a little bit awkward if you asked me. He was just trying to adjust to his body changing, just like all the boys in high school. Of course it was hard to see each other with my protective brothers always in the way, but we made it happen.

"Hey, Bells." Jacob was the only one who called me Bells. My dad used to, but ever since my mom left, he'd stopped.

"Hi Jake." I gave him a quick peck on the lips and he grabbed my hand.

"I have enough money to pay for a cab. You have the number?"

"No, I left it in my wallet upstairs. Just hail one."

While Jake tried to catch a cab, I texted my dad, telling him I would be home late, and he responded with an unenthusiastic 'okay'. Like always.

"Bells, c'mon." Jake led me into the taxi and got in himself, quickly reciting the address to the driver.

The party was held in Josh's house, in the quieter side of Manhattan. When we got there, the party was in full swing, and we didn't hesitate finding our friends.

"Hey, guys," said Josh when he spotted us.

"Hey Josh. Great turn out man." Jake gave him a slap on the back.

"Definitely." He handed Jake a Red Solo cup and then handed one to me. I watched Jake curiously. He was staring at the contents in the cup with a skeptic look.

"Hey, don't be a whimp." Josh laughed. "Are you trying to tell me you never had a beer before?" He laughed again and so did a couple of other people around us.

"Pshh," said Jake, joining in on their laughter. "I have this every night for dinner." With that, he downed more than half of the beer in one long gulp. His face contorted for just a second, and I was sure I was the only one who saw.

"That a boy." Josh praised him and we were all thrown back into the party.

I remained silent. I was too nervous to speak.

And it was because that was the first time Jake had even tasted beer.

He didn't take it lightly. He had about five beers of which I could see. Who knows how many he had when I wasn't looking? Could have been ten or fifteen. When it was around one in the morning, I told Jake I wanted to leave.

"Bellsy, c'mon. Party ain't over." He was drunk.

"It is for you, let's go." I tried to pull him toward the door, but he wrenched his arm out of my grasp violently. I turned to him shocked.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." He grabbed my arm. "I just don't want to leave yet."

"Fine. Then you can stay here, but I'm leaving." I turned to go, but he just grabbed my arm harder.

He blinked hard to try and get his thoughts together. "Josh said I could crash in his guest room. I'll take a quick nap to sober up and then I'll take you home. I don't want you going alone."

I was skeptical. I didn't know the effects alcohol had on Jake. "Alright," I finally conceded.

He led me up the stairs and to an empty room. Just as we were going in, Josh passed by.

"I see you took my advice." He looked me up and down in a creepy way, his eyes glazed over with the effects of alcohol. "If I were you, I wouldn't turn it down either." He gave me another look and gave Jake a pat on the back before disappearing down the hallway.

"What was that all about?"

"Shh," Jacob said, as he closed the door behind him. He turned and grabbed my hips, pulling me to him. He quickly kissed me, but it wasn't our usual kisses. It was sloppy and frenzied. Like if he had something he had to accomplish in the next five minutes.

I pushed him away.

He grabbed me, kissed me again, but I couldn't escape this time. I was pushed against the wall.

"Jake," I mumbled against his lips.

I tried pushing him away again. "Jake, what's gotten into you?"

"Bella, I love you so much." He kissed me again, but this time his hands roamed to the hem of my dress. I squirmed away from him, but he wasn't having it. His slipped his fingers under my dress.

I pushed him back with all my might and he actually stumbled a step backwards. I wasted no time, and brought my palm to his cheek quickly, the slap resonating the silence in the room.

When he looked back at me, he was gone. He was no longer my Jacob.

This Jacob was the one that scared the crap out of me. And did the unthinkable.

He grabbed me, throwing me on the bed. I bounced, my head hitting the headboard. He grabbed my legs and pulled me to him, kissing me again, but restraining my hands and legs. He used his other hand to lift up my dress. I was exposed to him, and I knew what he was doing now. I shook my head and squirmed underneath him. He released my lips to look me over.

"Jake, please don't." Tears were already falling down my cheeks and into my ears. I continued to plead.

"Quiet," he growled. He pulled down my underwear and I cried harder.

I pleaded with him the whole time. Whispering 'stop', 'please' and 'don't' over and over again. They eventually mixed into my sobs. I don't remember every last detail of what happened. I was in shock that this was happening to me. I've heard about it on the news and rumors in school, but I never thought it would happen to me.

I was raped…

Jake had raped me.