Sharing the Secret

How would Edward react when he saw the purple bruise covering her cheek? And most important of all, what would she tell him when he asked her?

Would he get angry or would he laugh at her for being so stupid? No, he wouldn't laugh. Friends don't do that.

Bella winced where she walked towards Forks High School. Did she see Edward as a friend? Her friend? The thought brought a smile to her face, but it didn't take long before it vanished. She wasn't a hundred percent sure that he cared enough for her to be considered her friend. She had figured out that he cared at least a little for her, otherwise he wouldn't have hugged her a few days ago.

But she didn't think his feelings were that deep. Not as deep as hers and that was just plain stupidity. Why did she, the homeless girl, have to fall in love with him, the rich, popular boy?

Suddenly she heard a voice call out her name. She turned around and found herself face to face with Edward.

He gasped. "Bella! What happened to your face?" His eyes were glued to the discoloration on her left cheek; a perfect print of the unknown man's fist.

Bella gulped as quietly as she could. Should she tell him the truth or lie?

Edward made the decision for her. "Don't you dare try to lie to me," he warned, his eyes narrowed.

"Someone hit me," she blurted out, as if his reaction would be less severe if she did so.

His expression darkened. "What do you mean, someone hit you?" His voice was amazing – velvety, yet menacing and dangerous.

"I don't know who he was. I've never seen him before," she explained, her eyes nervously flickering from side to side. "And he was drunk," she added as to explain why it had happened.

"If he was drunk or not has nothing with this," Edward said irritably.

Bella shrugged. "Maybe not. Did you want something special?" she asked politely, hiding her nervousness and growing nausea. "I don't want to be late."

"You're not going to school today with that bruise," he said brusquely. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to a silver Volvo parked on the other side of the road.

"But I need my money!" she protested and tried to make him let go.

He whirled around and glared at her. "What were you going to tell the others in school about the bruise?"

"That I tripped and fell. It's not something unusual for me."

He snorted. "No one's going believe that. Everyone will see that someone hit you. They're going to bombard you with questions and they won't stop until they're satisfied with your answer. And what would you say? You can't say that someone's abusing you."

"Why not?"

"Because I doubt that the one who 'abused' you would let you out of the house looking like that."

Bella lowered her gaze, ashamed, and her pointless struggles ceased.

Edward blanched when he realized what he had said. "Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't," she mumbled, but she was still hurt.

"Please, Bella, let me help you," he whispered. "I know you said that you don't want to rely on charity to survive, but please, please, let me help you."

What? He remembered that? "Why? Why do you want to help me?"

He let go of her arm and gently pressed his palms against her jawbones, careful not to touch her sore bruise. "You mean something to me," he murmured, and his eyes were burning with intense sincerity.

Her cheeks colored. What did he mean by that? Did he consider her as a friend of his, or something more? She was confused, both with her feelings and Edward's words.

"You mean something to me, too," Bella whispered. "And I guess that…that you could help me a little bit. But not after graduation."

He smiled. "I'm glad. Let's go home now. We'll stay there till tomorrow and see what happens, okay?"

She nodded slowly, hesitantly.

They climbed into the car. Edward turned the car around while Bella looked around, astounded and misplaced. What was she doing here? She didn't belong in his car, in his world. Yet he welcomed her with open arms. What was he thinking? He didn't make any sense.

They drove in silence. There was no need to break it with words. The both of them were content in each other's presence. Bella, however, was nervous. What if someone was at home and he or she wouldn't like her?

"Edward," she said in a low tone of voice, "will there be anyone in your…house besides us?"

"Yes, Mum's home. How so?"

"Well…I thought that maybe she wouldn't like me," she confessed; her cheeks red.

Edward chuckled. "I'm sure she'll love you. In fact, I've never met a person she doesn't like."

"Oh." The blush on her cheeks deepened. It made her bruise sting and it looked weird. "What's your mother like?"

"She's very kind, affectionate and understanding. She always lets me make my own decisions. If I'm happy, she's happy."

As much as it hurt her inside, she was starving for details about his family and their happiness. "What about the rest of your family?"

He looked at her. Her eyes shone with curiosity and she leaned towards him in eagerness. He smiled, albeit somewhat sadly. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

He inhaled deeply. "Dad's a doctor at the hospital. He supports me in everything I do, but still tells me what he thinks about the present matter. Both my parents are very caring."

Bella nodded fervently. "Go on."

"Emmett, my brother, is two years older than me. Sure, he gets on my nerves sometimes, but he's a really great person and brother. Then there's Alice, and she's a year younger than me. I guess you could say she's my best friend. We're really close, but we don't everything together."

"Doesn't your mother work?" she wondered.

"She's an interior designer. She loves her job as much as Dad does, but she works a lot at home. She says she feels best that way."

"Where are Alice and Emmett?"

"Emmett goes to college together with his girlfriend Rose, but they're here right now and Alice spent the night with her boyfriend Jasper, so she got a ride from him."

Bella sat still and silent, taking in everything he'd told her. "Your family seems lovely. I can't wait to meet them."

"They're going to be thrilled," Edward assured her as they turned onto an unpaved road which Bella guessed led to his home. He chuckled when he saw the look on her face. "You're surprised?"

"It's huge," she breathed. She knew the Cullens were rich, but she never could have guessed they were this rich. She held her breath as they entered the white mansion. She didn't know where to look.

"Edward? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to school?" a female voice said.

"Hello, Mum," Edward greeted. "Something came up."

"What would that be?" Edward's mother gasped when she saw the contusion covering Bella's cheek. "Oh, dear, what happened to you?" she asked worriedly and walked over to the poor girl.

"Someone hit her," Edward answered instead of Bella.

"You poor thing," the woman said sadly. "Carlisle!" she called over her shoulder. "Come down here quickly, please!"

"What is it?" A blond, slender man joined his wife's side. His eyes widened. "That's a big bruise. It looks like someone hit you."

"That's what happened," Bella confirmed.

"Come on, we have to put some ice on that," Carlisle said and held out his hand for her to take it. When she accepted, he added, "Edward, take care of her bags. Esme, do you think you could find her some new clothes?"

Edward and Esme nodded. Edward freed Bella from her bags and then walked up the stairs with his mother.

"Now, would you come with me, please?" Carlisle asked. It was pretty obvious he was a doctor.

"I'm Bella. Edward told me you're a doctor. He told me about his family and how important you are to him, too."

Carlisle looked mildly surprised. "Why did he do that?"

"I asked him to."

They walked into the kitchen. Bella sat down on one of the chairs while Carlisle walked over to the freezer to get the ice, which he wrapped up in some cloth, then gently pressed it to her cheek. "Why?"

Since Edward knew and she probably was going to stay here for a while, she might as well share the secret with the rest of his family. "I'm homeless and an orphan," she explained. "Last night a drunk hit me when I didn't want to follow him back to his place."

"You made the right choice," Carlisle praised her. "But why did Edward bring you here?"

"He wanted to help me and this time I let him. He's promised to help me through high school, but I don't want any help with college. I don't mind if I can't go."

Carlisle smiled. "You're a brave girl, Bella, and independent. Most people in your situation would gladly accept any help they're offered. How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Wait a minute," Edward's upset voice said. "You told me you were seventeen."

"I lied. That was before you knew, and it just would've been a bother to come up with a reason why I'm older than the rest in my year."

Edward, who realized she had a point, shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"Here you go, dear Bella," Esme smiled warmly and handed her a heap of clothes. "They're all mine, so I'm afraid they're a bit big."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Cullen," Bella thanked sincerely.

Esme laughed and pushed a few strands of her curly caramel-colored hair away from her heart-shaped face, her dimples showing. "Please, Bella, call me Esme. Mrs. Cullen makes me feel so old."

Bella blushed and it created a weird sense of feeling against the ice. "Esme."

She smiled brightly.

"Well, Bella, I think that's good for a while. Why don't you take a shower and change your clothes?" Carlisle suggested. "I'd like to discuss something in private with Esme."

Bella was a little worried, but Carlisle's smile soothed her. "Sure. Edward, will you show me the way?"

"Of course. Just follow me."

Carlisle and Esme shared a warm, loving look at the sight of their beloved youngest son together with Bella. "By the way, Bella, what happened to your parents?"

"They're dead," she answered curtly and picked up her borrowed clothes.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. There's nothing you can do."

"You're right," Carlisle said slowly, but there was an unknown undertone in his voice she couldn't name.

Edward led Bella to a bathroom upstairs. "You'll be okay now, right?"

"Yeah. I just…I just need to catch my breath a little. It's a bit overwhelming, this," she said, stumbling slightly over her words.

"Yeah. You'll be all right. We'll take care of you." He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then he put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her forehead. "I'll take care of you," he whispered with clarification.

Bella looked up at him with wide eyes. She smiled at him when the corners of his mouth twitched. "Thank you," she said, then went into the bathroom and closed the door. If she had waited another second, she would have seen the look of longing on Edward's face.

What could it be that Carlisle wants to discuss with Esme? You'll know in the next chapter, which will be posted sometime during next week, maybe as soon as on Monday.

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