"Excuse me?" I gasped stepping back. "I think you have me confused with someone else."
"Edward Cullen, Forks High School tight end varsity team. Older brother, Emmett, quarterback," she detailed making points on her fingers.
"Yeah," I paused not knowing what else to say. "Were you at a football camp or something?"
"Give the man a gold star," she huffed looking up at me. "The Future Football Stars Of Washington. It was in Seattle. July of last year, ten days. I was a water girl. One of only four girls in the camp. Ringing any more bells?"
"A little, but I'm sorry there is no way I would ever rape someone," I continued to take in what she was telling me. That camp is a blur in my memory. I remember there being a few crazy nights of drinking and hooking up with some of the local girls, but nothing dramatic or anything out of the ordinary. "I remember some partying and kick ass football workouts, but nothing too wild."
"That may be your memory, but what I remember is a huge end of the summer blow out with Bacardi 151 that ended with me being held down on a bed while you and your football buds took turns fucking me," she rattled in one breath. Her eyes grew in size, but she didn't cry.
"Look, I'm really sorry that happened to you, but I assure you I was not a part of what happened to you," I stated looking her dead in the eye.
"I remember your friends cheering you on, by name, and your face. I may have drank a little too much, but, unfortunately, I didn't blackout. Through the pain, tears, and my objections," Denise continued looking down at the ground. I was starting to feel sick to my stomach hearing this girl recount her horrible experience.
"I'm really sorry," I continued almost reaching out for her, but decided that would not be a good idea. "But I would never. Bella is waiting for me. I have to go." I turned on my heels as fast as I could and made my way to the car. I had broken out in a clammy sweat as I reached for the door handle. I did not remember the exact night Denise was talking about, but if Bacardi 151 had been involved that wasn't a surprise. I couldn't believe what this girl had been telling me. I know things had gotten crazy in the past, but not gang rape. I would never. I could not tell Bella what that girl had said. I quickly got in the car and started the car without saying anything to Bella.
"Those fajitas were really good. Weren't they, Edward?" Bella smiled as the sun dipped down under the horizon. There was a moment of silence. "Edward?"
"Yeah, they were great," I commented picking up speed back to Forks. I wanted to get Bella back to her house so I could call Emmett. I had no idea how to navigate this situation.
"I'm glad we got to hang out with them tonight," Bella smiled, so over the moon that tonight had went so well. "Jacob and Denise are the sweetest. I'm so glad he found an awesome girl."
"Yep, she's great," I sighed trying to get my mind off my conversation with Denise. Bella chatted most of the way home about school stuff and how great everything had been going. I pulled up in front of Bella's house to let her out when she pulled my hand into her lap.
"So, I was thinking that since my dad is going to be gone all weekend that maybe you could stay and keep me company tonight," she proposed looking down at our intertwined hands.
"You want me to stay the night?" I asked still a little bit on edge.
"Yeah," she smiled a little, looking up at me.
"I don't know if that would be such a good idea," I started as Bella began to run her fingertips over my cheeks.
"The couch folds out in to a bed so we don't have to share my single bed," she explained running her fingers through the tips of my hair and my ear. Her touch calmed me so much.
"Well, when you put it that way," I chuckled kissing the inside of her wrist. "But I need to run home real quick."
"Ok, I forgot to get the mail so I'm going to do that and I'll just be inside. You can let yourself in," Bella continued on. She kissed me quick and jumped out the car for the mailbox. I slowly pulled away and grabbed my phone from the cup holder. I called Emmett, but he didn't answer.
"Look, Emmett, I need you to call me back now. This is an emergency!" I rattled off in a panic as I hurried home. I thought about calling one of my senior football buddies, but I did not want anyone to get wind of what this girl was saying. Her words kept echoing in my brain. How could I not remember what this girl was talking about? While I enjoy drinking, I know my limit and I certainly never drank enough to hurt my performance in the bedroom. If I had been blackout drunk there was no way I could perform at any capacity. I dashed upstairs to grab a change of clothes and my toothbrush. I could hear Jasper's speakers blasting from his room as I hurried downstairs to find a parental unit. Odds were I would only find one of them.
"Dad? Mom?" I called hurrying around the downstairs.
"In here, sweetheart," I heard my mom's voice echo from the living room. I walked in to find her and my dad cuddled up on the sofa in the dark with a movie on. This was a little surprising, even though therapy had been going good over the past couple of months, they still weren't back in the same bedroom. "What's up?"
"I'm staying over with some of the guys to prepare for the big game tomorrow," I lied trying my best to get out without spooking them.
"Really?" dad popped back arching an eyebrow. They had been keeping a closer leash on me since Emmett moved out, but nothing I couldn't work around.
"I swear. No alcohol. The parents are home. Not the whole team, just a couple of seniors," I continued bouncing on my feet.
"Ok, but text in the morning before school starts. Got it?" dad smiled softly. He and mom looked so at peace just hanging out like when the boys and I were kids. You never would have known that two and a half months ago they had been going over divorce papers.
"Absolutely," I smiled in return, hurrying out the door. As I started the car my phone started ringing in my pocket. Thank God it was Emmett calling me back.
"Hey, man, what is up?" Emmett blasted on the other end of the phone.
"Emmett, do you remember football camp last summer in Seattle?" I rattled off pulling out of the driveway.
"Oh, yeah. That was an epic week. We partied and fucked so hard," he chanted in my ear.
"What about on the last night? Was there like a crazy blowout or something?" I continued to question Emmett.
"Of course, it was the end of the summer," he replied laughing a little. "Why are you asking about that camp?"
"Do you remember exactly what I did that night? It's really important, Emmett," I stressed pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Why would I remember exactly what you did that night? What the hell is up, man? You sounded freaked in the voicemail," Emmett snapped back as I drove through town, back to Bella's house.
"Look, what I'm about to tell you stays between us. I don't need dad and mom finding out right now," I explained, not sure how Emmett was going to react to what I was telling him.
"Trust me, they aren't the only ones that can keep a secret," Emmett scoffed, still bitter about the situation with my parents.
"Good. So I met this girl tonight when I was out with Bella. She claims that my football buddies and I raped her at that big end of the summer party," I spilled out all at once. "I don't really remember anything about that night. She said everyone had been drinking really strong drinks, but that we held her down and took turns raping her."
"Shit, man! She can't be serious," Emmett stated in disbelief. "I mean, I know we like to fuck around with a lot of girls, but we've always fully understood consent. Right?"
"I thought so until this evening," I admitted wanting to bang my head against the steering wheel. "She knew me by name and you, too, but she didn't say you were in the room when it happened. She did say that she remembers guys in the room saying my name and she remembers my face. Emmett, she is dating Bella's best friend and she just started at Forks High School. She is going to see other guys from that night. It's only a matter of time before she confronts the other guys too."
"She never reported it or anything?" Emmett asked trying to help me figure out what to do.
"It would appear not, but she remembers what happened that night. I don't," I breathed trying my best to sort through that summer, but it was over a year ago. "Nothing about what she is saying about that night sounds familiar. Drinking and hooking up with a girl, I can believe that no problem, but I have never been a part of the group sex scene."
"Yeah, until that video," Emmett snapped as I pulled up in front of Bella's house. That video did not sit well with Emmett or Jasper. We had done our best to put it behind us, but things just weren't the same and I couldn't blame them for it.
"Thanks, but this was over a year ago," I replied shutting off the car. "Look, Emmett, what if I did do something really bad that night? Like what that girl is saying? What do I do?"
"Edward, I think you should talk to one of your football buddies. Someone that would have been there with you, that night," Emmett advised as I gripped the steering wheel trying to get a hold of myself. "I also think that you should talk to Carlisle."
"Emmett," I groaned not even wanting to consider that idea.
"I get that you don't want to do that for many reasons and even though the old man and I haven't spoken lately, Carlisle really is going to be the best person to help you navigate this situation," Emmett continued as I got out of the car with my stuff. "Edward, this is kind of serious situation. You need to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. Got it?"
"I got it," I agreed slowly walking up to Bella's front door. "Thanks, brother."
"Any time, brother," he said and I could hear him smiling through the phone.
"I'm about to walk into Bella's house so I'll call you in a couple of days," I explained putting my hand on the door knob.
"You do that," he agreed. "And, hey, I'd hold off on telling Bella about this until you get it sorted out, but don't keep it from her forever."
"Oh, for sure," I stressed saying goodbye to Emmett and opening the front door. "Bella?"
"In here," her voice echoed from the kitchen. "Did you get everything you needed from your house?"
"Yep," I smiled quickly kissing her on the cheek.
"Edward, I got this really weird piece of mail," Bella started picking up an envelope and a piece of paper. "I thought it was strange, because there wasn't a stamp or a postmark, but I opened it anyway."
"Isn't it illegal to put unmarked mail in someone's mail box?" I asked picking up the envelope to study it. It just had Bella's address written on the front. No name or return address.
"I don't think that is really a priority who ever took these," Bella responded taking the envelope from my hand to take out two photo prints. " 'The beginning is the most important part of the work.' "
"What?" I stated, crinkling my brow.
"It's a quote from Plato, written on the back," she continued, "These photos are from the beginning of the summer until a few days ago."
"This one says 'An infection never seemed so sweet until I was infected by you,' " I read from the back of the second photo. It was a photo of us walking on the beach in La Push back in June.
"What is going on, Edward?" Bella questioned handing over a note from inside of the envelope. It read: 'His past will always come back to haunt you. I will make sure of that.' Was this related to Denise and what she had said to me tonight or is this someone else coming after me? Who would want to come between Bella and me, now? The quote about beginnings got me thinking back to when I first got interested in Bella. It all started with a bet.
"I have no idea," I mumbled studying the writing. It did not seem familiar to me. I could not let on about why I had initially pursued Bella. It would crush her and ruin everything we had worked so hard for over the past few months. "Do you think we should show these to Charlie?"
"Uh, most definitely not!" she exclaimed gathering up the photos and shoving them back in the envelope. "You know, I've been keeping our relationship under the radar with him. He doesn't ask and I don't tell. This will only raise more red flags."
"But if this has to do your safety," I began as she cut me off.
"It's probably just some townie that needed something to do and thought it would fun to mess with the Chief's daughter and the son of the richest doctor in Forks," she remarked taking the letter upstairs to her room as I followed on the heels.
"I don't think we should take this lightly, Bella," I continued as she put the pictures in a shoebox at the top of her closet.
"Look, if something like this happens again, I will tell Charlie." She smiled placing her hands on my chest after she closed her closet door. "It's a little freaky, yes, but I doubt it was anything serious. Now, let's forget about it and enjoy the rest of the evening."
"What did you have in mind?" I grinned a little pulling her against my body.
"How about we pull out the sofa bed, get in our PJs, and watch a movie?" She suggested looking up at me through her think lashes.
"I think that sounds like a perfect way to end the day," I replied kissing her on top of the forehead. "I'll go downstairs and get my toothbrush. You can have the bathroom first."
"Well, thank you, kind sir," she giggled breaking our hold and walking over to her dresser and getting out what I suspect were her pajamas. Bella was folding out the sofa be when I returned from the bathroom. She looked irresistible in a loose fitting tank top and booty shorts. I could tell she wasn't wearing a bra, because her nipples were pulling against her top. That little peek made my body react just slightly. Was I ready to just sleep in a bed with Bella?
"So, what are we watching tonight?" I asked pulling my attention back to the present.
"I was thinking either a comedy or a horror movie," Bella responded plopping the pillows on top of the bed.
"A pretty big difference there." I chuckled sitting down on the bed next to Bella.
"Unless we find a funny scary movie," she remarked pulling her hair up into a high ponytail. "Do you want any snacks or something to drink?"
"I think I'll be fine," I answered pulling her onto the bed.
"Here's the remote," she passed it to me and I scanned through the options on Netflix. We decided on the classic, Jaws, and Bella laid back in my arms as we got comfortable. She smelled delicious. A light floral scent mixed with her toothpaste. As we laid here I tried to keep my mind in the moment, but it kept racing back to Denise and the photos Bella had got in the mail. "Are you falling asleep on me?"
"Oh, no, of course," I mumbled looking up at the TV.
"Because I could think of a thing or two we could do to keep you awake," she flirted licking her bottom lip.
"Really? What would some of those things be?" I asked coyly pulling her closer to me. Bella pulled me into a hot, passionate kiss. Her desire was so alluring. I rolled myself over on top of her and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I pressed my body softly down on her, spreading her legs open a little. My kisses travel down her jaw line and to her neck. Her breathing became deeper and sharper as my hands moved over her waist and up to her breast. Her body molded against mine perfectly.
"Edward, I want to touch you," she whispered, her breath tickling my ear. A knot formed in my throat as her hands moved to pull down the waistband of my basketball shorts. Bella had become so special to me over the past couple of months and part of me was nervous that taking this step would ruin things between us. Part of Bella's appeal was the how we kept playing chicken about taking things to the next level. I guess now was the time to pony up or shut down.
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