The Stages of Love
By: Fangirl12
Chapter: Stage 1- pt3- Hate
Disclaimer: Okay, so Stephanie said that she might strike up a deal. Naw I'm just kidding. I still don't own Twilight. Nor do I think I ever will. There won't be any deals either. (So sad)
A/N: Sorry about the wait. I got way more reviews than I asked for, and it makes me super happy. You guys review super fast. I can't even get a chapter written. Geez! Don't get the wrong idea, I absolutely adore your reviews, and I would like to send a special thanks to those who review. I need time to write so I am going to only up date one day a week. It's going to be random days when I finish the chapters, but I am going to at least try to up date one day a week. Okay now on to the story.
(BPOV)
"Bella does Chief Swan hit you?" Edward asked. I felt the horror spread across my face. Shit, shit, shit! I can barely handle what was on my, now this.
"I…uh…um," I stuttered. Please somebody save me, and right on cue Angela came back from the bathroom.
"Do you not understand the words leave me alone when you hear them?" Angela asked annoyed, as she glared at me. Edward looked at her and then back at me.
"This isn't over," he said only for me to hear. He then left without looking back.
"Are you alright, Bella? Did he do anything to you, because if he did, I'll –
"He knows," I whispered tragically.
"What?"
"He knows Ang; he knows that I didn't fall down the stairs. He knows that I got this from Charlie," I said totally breaking down into sobs.
"How could he possibly know that?!" Angela demanded.
"I don't know. He must've heard us talking or something," I replied. Angela didn't say anything. "Well, any ideas?" I asked.
"Bella, let's just skip our last two classes and go home." She suggested.
"No that's going to make him more suspicious!"
"Bella, we need to figure out what we're going to do, and you look like a mess anyway. We don't have to go home. We can get to Seattle in like thirty-five minutes in my truck. We can go and get some coffee or just sit and talk, please."
"Okay, okay, let's go," I said feeling slightly better.
A/N: Now we're going to Edwards POV because it's more important in this chapter.
(EPOV)
For the rest of the day, I just wallowed in my guilt. I never knew she had so much to deal at home, and then me at school. I was so selfish. We avoided each other on Friday. I was too ashamed of myself. Saturday, I laid around in my room until Esme called us for dinner. Whiled everyone was in the midst of conversation, I was deep in thought,
What was I going to do? I can't just do nothing, the guilt is eating me alive. I let out a sigh, slouched further down in my seat, and leaned my head on my fist. I looked up from my untouched food to see everyone at the table staring at me.
"What?" I asked.
"You alright, Edward? You haven't been yourself lately," Alice asked
"I'm fine."
"You sure? You know you can tell us anything. We're your fami-
"Alice I said I'm fine!" I snapped, rising in my seat. They looked just as surprised as I did. "I need go I said taking my keys out of my pocket, but when I got to the door I threw them to the couch, walked out the door, and started sown the long drive that lead to the highway.
(BPOV)
I the rest of the weekend contemplating on what I was going to do about Edward. In the end I decided to let the chips fall where they may. That was only because in my hours and hours of though, I came up with nothing. It was Monday again, and I was ready for him, but he wasn't there. I looked for him everywhere that I went, but still no Edward. At lunch his chair was empty and his family… Theirs faces were so, so sad. What happened to Edward? I found myself worried.
Edward did show up Tuesday. He looked different. Changed in some sort of way. The emotions he held in his eyes were so unreadable. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was different there. It was after lunch when he approached me at my locker.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked.
"You're talking to me now," I said back
"I'm serious." I looked up at his face. His smoldering green eyes took me by surprise.
"Wha…what?" I stuttered. How embarrassing.
"I want you to skip class with me." He said. I must admit that also took me by surprised. His eyes mad me want o say yes, but I kept my resistance. "
"I skipped last week with Angela." He sighed in frustration. He then looked back into my eyes and squinted his.
"You don't trust me," he said it like it was the most unbelievable thing.
"No I don't."
"Why?" he asked looking kind of hurt. I gave him a I know you're not asking me that question look.
"I guess I'm not the most trustworthy person to you."
"You think," I retorted. "What do you want to talk to me about, because if it's what I think it's about then I'm not interested." I said. He looked away from and sighed "By the way it's none of your business either," I added.
"None of my business!? It's my fault you're like this. If I wouldn't 'have gotten you suspended, you wouldn't be a hunk of bruised meat. I… I want to help you," He said with a pleading look in his eyes.
"I don't want your help nor do I want it."
"Oh yeah, you're just hunky dory and everything's fine." Then he did a very bad imitation of me. "Charlie's not beating me like a damn punching bag." I just glared at him. "You have to let me help you, Bella. The guilt is literally eating me alive. Do you understand that?"
"So that's it huh? You feel guilty. Well I don't want your damn pity!" Our voices rose as we continued t argue.
"You always come to the wrong conclusion. This isn't the only thin that I need to talk to you about. You are ten minutes late for class, and I know you don't have an excuses. You are coming with me whether you like it or not." Now I was totally pissed. Not because of what he said, but because I knew he had won. I slammed my locker shut arms stood there with my arms folded.
"Well!" He smiled.
"I will earn your trust Isabella Swan, if it's the last thing I do." He said.
(EPOV)
After I helped Bella into m Volvo, we were off. I spent ten minutes thinking about the walk that I took, and the n decided that this was the right thing to do.
"Where were you Monday?" I heard Bella ask.
"I went for a walk Saturday, and came back Monday around midnight. I need sometime to think, and answer some questions, of myself."
"So that's why your siblings were looking so depressed.
"Yeah."
"Alright spill, what do you want to talk to me about, that's so important?" Of course, right to the chase, I thought. We already went through this, just spit it out Edward.
"When I left, I was gone so long because I was thinking. I felt so guilty, and I didn't know what I was going to do. I knew that I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself. I met an old woman. I swear I've never met her before, but I as I was passing her she said, "Do you what you think is best." I didn't know what the best thing was, but when I finally realized it I came back. After that I was different, changed, and I knew that I was." She had a sharp take in of breath.
"So Bella from the bottom of my stone hard heart where there is some warmth, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. I'm sorry for being a nuisance, I'm sorry for causing you problems and giving you troubles. I'm sorry for giving you worries. I'm sorry for making your life hell. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, and that's all I can be. I understand if you don't want to for give me. I do, but you will never know how sorry I truly am."
The tears were thick in my voice, and by know I stopped the car in the middle of the road, because my vision was so blurred. She could never know how sorry I was. I heard her unbuckle her seat belt and start moving around.
Then I felt two small, warm arms around me. I picked up my head from the steering wheel to see Bella hugging me. My shoulder felt wet, and I could hear her sniffing.
"I forgive you Edward. I forgive. Stop beating yourself up. You don't have to feel guilty anymore, because I'm hear now, and I forgive you. It's okay." I sighed at her, and wrapped my arms around her. How she was able to forgive me, I don't know, but I know that I'm grateful. We stayed like that a little while longer until someone blew at us. I quickly helped her back to the passenger seat, and did a sharp U turn back in the direction of the school.
"I bet you feel like a girl, crying and letting out your feelings," Bella joked. I laughed. I drove into the parking lot. Surprisingly, my spot was still there. I helped Bella out of my car. The bell rang, and she mad her way to Angela's truck, as the students began filing out of the school.
Emmet, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie, came to the car together.
"Yo, Ed, where were you after lunch?" Emmet asked.
"I…I was being a better person," I replied. That statement puzzled them, but they would understand in the future. I looked back over at Bella, and caught her eye. She had a small smile on her face, and I knew it was for me. Maybe it is time for us to grow up. No, it is time for us to grow up.
A/N: I freaking crying, and phew! I am so tired and sleepy. It's like 1:00 o'clock in the morning, but I had to finish this for you guys because I got so many reviews. Thanks a million for them. They make me so happy. Stage one is finally done and we're moving down up to stage 2, but I really think you're going to like stage 3 of the story. I'm going to go know, I'm just babbling. Ha-ha. I know what you want, and you know what you have to do to get it. REVIEW!!!!!
Love,
Fangirl12
