Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's Note: Hey, I don't have much to say today. Sorry it took me so unbelievably long to get this chapter out. I'll be better. Thank you to all who read and reviewed chapter six. I hope you will enjoy this one.

Chapter Seven

I looked at Charlie. His face was a mixture of grief, pain, and disappointment. I felt sick with apprehension as my eyes met his. I knew I had to answer his question. My mouth tasted like pennies and I felt as though I might vomit. "Dad," I said, attempting to sound more confident then I felt. "Dad, you've got to let me explain."

"Explain what, Bella?" Charlie demanded. "Please, don't explain anything. This picture has already told me everything I need to know. I understand why you were so desperate to go to Seattle University now. You want to be with...with him." Charlie pronounced this last word as if it had left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't even bring himself to say James's name. Guilt overwhelmed me at that moment. I knew I could try to lie some more, to deny my affair with James, but it would be futile and pointless. I had never been particularly good at lying, the only person who had ever really bought my lies in life was my mother, Renee, and frankly, Renee believes anything anyone tells her. I love her, I really do, but she has never been the most observant person. Charlie wasn't either, but he had always been far more observant than Renee. Aside from that, he was very much like me and that more than anything kept me from lying to him. It was useless. Even if Charlie didn't immediately find out what was wrong, he was always able to recognize when something was bothering me. I knew I couldn't lie to him about my relationship with James anymore than I could lie to him about anything else.

"The picture isn't real." I managed at last. There was nothing false about that statement. James had not once stood in my room, not even with his clothing on.

Charlie rolled his eyes in exasperation and I knew at once that he did not believe me. I gulped, waiting for what Charlie was going to say next. I could feel the principal's eyes on me also, burning a hole in back as I gazed at my father. Finally, Charlie spoke. "How long?" he asked, his voice nearly cracking.

I knew without having to ask what he meant by that. He wanted to know how long I had been with James, how long we had been involved with one another. "Um, almost nine months." I confessed. I kept eye contact with him. There was no use hiding from the truth, not anymore.

"You were already eighteen when he seduced you then." Charlie said, his voice flat. "You were legal."

I gasped. I realized in that instant that Charlie had planned to get James arrested. He was trying to convince himself that James was responsible for our affair, that I had been an unaware, naïve child who had walked right into James's trap. He didn't want to acknowledge that I could be every bit as responsible as James, that I had wanted him as badly as he had wanted me. I wasn't going to sit there and let James take all the blame for our actions together. He didn't deserve that. He deserved more than I would be able to give him. "Dad," I snapped, my voice colder than I had intended to make it, "Don't you dare blame James. I wanted it as well, you know. I wanted it every bit as badly as-"

"Enough!" bellowed Charlie, "I've heard enough, Bella." I froze, waiting to hear what he would say next. I could practically feel his anger now. It was electrifying, horrid. I watched as his face became progressively angrier, at last, when I could stand it no more, I spoke.

"What? What is it?" I demanded of him. "Say something!" My outburst pushed Charlie over the edge.

"I have nothing to say, Bella!" he shouted, raising his voice to a pitch I had not ever heard him use before. "You've made a spectacle of yourself, you've become James Brun's harlot! Are you not ashamed? Well know that, even if you're not, I certainly am. Your behavior is inexcusable. Not only have you allowed a grown man access to your body, you have lied to me about it all year long. I just can hardly believe I was so stupid. I believed you when you told me that you were going to James's to get help with your homework. I didn't suspect a thing! How stupid I was. Bella, Bella, my child, how could you let him do this to you?" Charlie's voice was cracking and he looked as if he might break down into tears at any second. I know I should have pitied him, he was right about so much. But as I have said before, I was young and often made very rash decisions. That day, with Charlie in Principal Weaves office, I made the worst mistake I have made in my life. I chose James over my father.

"I'm not a child!" I exclaimed, allowing my fury to take me over. I don't lose my temper very often, but when I do, there is no stopping me. "And I didn't 'let' James do anything to me. I wanted him and he wanted me. He loves me, it doesn't matter our age. You're one to lecture me about my love life, Dad, considering the shape yours is in. You think I don't know you still love Mom? I see the way you look when I mention her, I've seen your wedding picture in your bedroom countless times. She got over you ages ago, Dad, and she's happy. She has Phil now. You know what I think, Dad? I think you're jealous. I think you resent the fact that Mom left you in this hellhole of a town and never looked back and you're upset that I have found love and happiness. Dad, you're being incredibly selfish and I feel very sorry for you. Grow up and get a life."

I stopped to catch my breath and waited for Charlie, Principal Weaves, or both to say something. When neither did, I started to speak again, my voice low, and breathy. I was still uncontrollably angry, but I didn't feel like yelling anymore. "Let me take my finals." I hissed at Principal Weaves, "Let me take my finals and get out of here. After this week, you won't see me anymore, either of you. You won't have to deal with me. I am a woman now, Dad, I'm as much as an adult as anyone else. After this week, I want to move in with James. I'm an adult and he is an adult. We're equals and we should get to be together. It's only right. Dad, you married my mother right out of high school. You considered yourself an adult. Allow me the same privilege." I stopped talking. I had said all I needed to say.

Charlie still didn't speak, he seemed unable to. At last, Principal Weaves said, "All right, all right, Bella, I'll get you your tests. You can take them all today if you want. In fact, I'd prefer it if you did take them all today. It would make things easier on everyone else. If you stick around here even a day longer, people will start saying bad things about this school. I would not be doing my job as Principal if I didn't relieve this student body of all the trouble makers I can. You, Bella, are a trouble maker and I must deal with you like all the rest. You can take your finals in the conference room. I'll expect you gone by three-thirty this afternoon, that's all the time you'll have. Then, you can consider yourself graduated."

"You mean she can't even go to graduation?" Charlie asked incuriously. The sound of his voice surprised me, even though he had been sitting there in the room the entire time we had been having this conversation. It had been so long since he had spoken that I had pushed him out of my mind.

"I'm afraid not, Chief Swan." Principal Weaves replied, appearing somewhat apologetic. "Your daughter's conduct reflects badly on the school. Once she passes her finals, I'll hand her her diploma and she'll be free to go."

"But plenty of students do stupid things while they're in school." Charlie protested, "They usually get to graduate alongside their class anyway."

"I'm sorry, Chief Swan." Principal Weaves said, his eyes sad but his voice steady and firm, "I truly am."

"I'm not." I said. They both looked up. Principal Weaves looked furious and Charlie seemed to be holding his breath. I went on, ignoring their reactions to my outburst. "I'm glad James and I don't have to hide away from the world anymore, I'm thrilled that we don't have to be a secret. I don't care what people say about me, I never really have. Really, I ought to thank whoever was taking pictures of me last fall, they've freed me from having to confess my feelings for James sometime in the future. That was inevitably going to have to happen at some point. I'll be in the conference room, waiting on my tests." With that, I walked to the door, opened it, and slammed it behind me with a bang. Neither my father nor Principal Weaves attempted to stop me from leaving. I thought I heard the sound of the Principal trying to console my father, but I couldn't be sure. In any case, I didn't think it mattered. I was through with them and glad to be so. All I wanted was to take my tests, go back to the house and gather my things, and make my way to James's. That was all that mattered. James, with his handsome smile, his, strong muscular body. James who would hold me all night if I wanted him to. I wanted him, I felt as if I needed him. Just thinking of him got me excited. Thoughts of James occupied me until Principal Weaves finally arrived with my tests. He said nothing to me and, likewise, I said nothing in return. I was through wasting my time with people like him.

Hours later, after I had completed my exams, I made my way into the parking lot, hopped into my old truck, and starting driving home. I knew Charlie wouldn't at the house when I got there and I was grateful for that. I didn't want to experience anymore awkwardness than I already had that day. Once I arrived at the house, I immediately rushed up to my bedroom, packed the things I felt were necessary and left. It couldn't have been simpler. Within thirty minutes of arriving at my own house, I was making my way to James's. I knew he wouldn't be home yet but I planned to be there to surprise him. I had taken a few food items from the kitchen when I had cleared out my room and was planning to make a really delicious dinner for James to celebrate my freedom and the real beginning of our life together. I had a key to James's house, he had given me one months earlier, so I had no worries about getting into his house. I drove into his driveway, a sense of excitement and nervousness over taking me as if always did when I reached his house, whether he was home or not. I unpacked the truck and walked toward the door. I placed the key in the lock and turned the knob almost simultaneously. I had never been so excited to walk into James's sitting room. In my mind, it was no longer just James's sitting room, it was mine as well. Like an excited child, I pushed my way inside. It was then that things started to go very wrong.

There, on the couch in James's sitting room, was James. James was home in the middle of the afternoon on a Monday. He was supposed to be in Seattle, practicing law. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that James wasn't alone….at all. In his lap, was Victoria. She was every bit as breathtakingly beautiful as I remembered her being. She was half dressed and her skin was alabaster, like snow on a quiet winter's morning. This glorious skin contrasted well with her wild dark red hair which cascaded down her back. She wore upon her face a charming, unpredictable look. She was confident and didn't seem at all concerned that I had entered the room. It took me a moment to actually register what was going on. James was holding the half naked Victoria in his arms. He himself was entirely naked. Victoria was sneering at me, her plump, pouty lips forming a wicked looking smile that lit up her exquisite features. James 's expression was one of shock, terror, and fury at once. Although I couldn't see it, I was certain that my own expression was doubtlessly one of dismay. I had been betrayed by the person I had thought loved me the most of anyone I had ever known. There was already a sort of bitterness inside me that I couldn't put into words. I wanted to speak, to shout at James for betraying my trust, for cheating on me, but I found I couldn't speak. I could feel tears building up behind my eyes and I knew that, if I started to express my feelings, I would start crying. Victoria's bell like voice cut through the silence. "Hello Bella." she said, as if we had just run into one another on the street, "What are you doing here?" Hers was not a genuine question. It was only too apparent she was mocking me. I didn't answer her.

"That's a good question Victoria." James said, starting to sit up on the couch. "What are you doing here, Bella?" His voice sounded ferocious and in spite of myself, I was afraid.

"That's a question I ought to ask you." I snapped, at last allowing my anger to take me over. I didn't want to cry, James didn't deserve to see me cry, to know how badly he had hurt me.

"Well, it's not your business." James retorted, his voice lowering, changing into a tense growl. He was irritated and for a split second, he reminded me of all wild animal. "If you know what's good for you, you'll walk out of here right now. You can come back later."

I was appalled. He was practically telling me that I was going to have to share him with Victoria. We were going to have to take turns. Right now, the turn was hers. Well, I wasn't going to stand for that. "I'm not your whore, James. I'm not some plaything you can use whenever you want to and throw away whenever you don't. You love me, James! You've told me so. Please come to your senses. I really care for you, I love you and want to see you succeed. I doubt this…this hussy cares for anything but your body. I can't compete with her looks but I can promise you that no woman loves you as much as I do. Please, please, don't do this to me."

In response to my pleas, James laughed. "Bella," he said, "Bella, you stupid child! You are so trusting, so innocent. I really ought to feel sorry for you, but I don't." He lowered his head and kissed Victoria's throat in a way that was so erotic, so sensual that, in spite of my dire circumstance, I felt aroused. My arousal didn't last long, though. I quickly noticed that Victoria was holding a sharp looking silver dagger in her left hand. It gleamed brightly in the dimly lit room. I couldn't help but notice that the tip of the knife was covered in dried blood. I was so mesmerized by the knife that I almost didn't hear James whisper in Victoria's ear, "Get her, Tori, my sweet." Quick as a wink, Victoria had leapt off the couch and within seconds, she was holding that sharp, silver knife no more than an inch from my neck. I had never been so frightened in my life. I knew that, if James gave her permission, Victoria would not hesitate to slit my throat.