Edward's POV
What should have been nice and painful...did not even exist. I looked back at Carlisle with sharp eyes, tuning into his thoughts. Stop, son. You can't drop down to his level. Emmett and Jasper can take him. You get Bella to her room. Tell her to grab some clothes. Esme will have a room for her as soon as we get home.
I clenched my fist, blinking- almost blankly- as his thoughts rolled over me. I wanted to spray blood and, Heaven forbid, death. James deserved nothing less. Seconds passed in silence, and I felt the sharp strings of hatred surge through me as I listened to the steady beating of the monstrous man's heart. It was too loud almost. It needed to stop. I clenched my hand hard, and my lips curled upwards at the corners at the delicious sound.
Unfortunately, the sadistic smirk I wore faded as I began to hear the frighteningly obvious gasps releasing from Bella's form. I looked down on her, eyes softening immediately. She was curled up against the wall, her eyes fluttering over us earnestly as she tried to follow what was happening. Her eyes met, and I saw the pleading through the crystallized nature of the glistening tears that threatened to fall. Slowly, she blinked, lashes meeting skin, and one diamond molded and rolled out, lining her ivory cheek with shimmering liquid.
Blinking, I glared at James with all the hatred I could muster. His tiny speck of intelligence must have made its presence because he finally showed some semblance of fear. I quickly shrugged Carlisle's hand from my form and grabbed the collar of James' shirt tightly. His eyes widened as I shoved him against the wall.
"She is mine," I whispered, close to his face. "You are to never speak of her, never look for her, never even think of her. If you do, I will kill you, and I will bring down all of Hell's fury upon you, my fury. Understand?"
His eyes flicked to Bella, and she cringed, still gasping. Now, the tears fell relentlessly. I shook him. "Do. Not. Look. At. Her." Each word was exaggerated by a shake of his body.
His gaze strayed downward. "Understood."
I nodded once stiffly, pushing him out to Jasper and Emmett where Chief Swan materialized, quickly handcuffing the bastard. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the name of the law and court."
James smirked, eyes flashing over me and Bella as I knelt beside her, pulling her into my arms. I glared back as Bella nestled into the contours of my button up and jacket. The warmth of her flesh permeated through my clothing as the tears peppered over my tie.
"I plead the fifth."
With that, he was led away. The onlookers slowly scattered as Bella turned her face into the curve between my neck and shoulder. Her eyelashes fluttered over my skin with the titillating softness of breezing air. The people moved away with the rush of breathed rumors floating among them like a wildfire. I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of human nature.
I shifted once as I felt Bella move against me. She leaned back against the wall, head down, and wiped the tears away. She placed a hand on the wall and stood before me. I watched her silently as the rest of my family dispersed, flowing down the stairs.
We will be on our way, Carlisle's thoughts informed me.
Jasper and I will wait in the car for you both, Alice said in silence.
I bobbed my head, watching Bella move around me and down the hall. Before rounding the corner, her eyes caught mine over her shoulder. "Edward..." she prodded, waving a gentle hand for me to follow her.
I moved after her, stopping a foot or so away as the paused in front of a light mahogany door that stood around the corner. The knob clicked in the silence between us, and the door swung open to reveal a disturbingly bare bedroom with blue chipped walls. Two doors rested on the left wall, the bed on the joining one, and a plain wooden dresser rested on the right wall. I followed Bella through and pushed the door shut behind me. I stood awkwardly, watching as Bella began to rummage through her closet. She reappeared with a night bag, her eyes meeting mine with a sense of shock permeating within them. I lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
Her lips curled and she smirked lightly, tossing the bag onto the edge of the bed. "You don't have to stand there, you know," she murmured, disappearing in the bathroom.
I blinked, settling on the edge of the bed. I sat in silence, watching as she stuffed toiletries into the bag, followed by clothing and undergarments and everything she would need. That was, until Alice got a hold of her. Not that I would let that happen soon. Bella needed break, and I'll be damned if she doesn't get it. She threw tops and pants onto the bed, as well as some dresses. What caught my attention, however, were the copious amounts of medical supplies that thumped over the bed. Gauze, band-aides, clips, stitching needles...
"You won't need those," I stated, watching as her eyes flashed to my lips. I really would need to ask about that. How could she have known I had spoken without her eyes straying towards me? She had been focused on folding, and suddenly I had her attention.
She sighed softly, so quietly I almost missed it. "That may be true for you, but I'm still using them." She gathered them and swiftly shoved them to the bottom of the bag, eyes moving from mine.
I closed my eyes minutely, reaching a hand out to grab one of her pale wrists. She stopped moving, and her eyes flashed to meet mine. Her brows furrowed when she glanced down at where our skin met. Unlike most humans, Bella had little to no true color hidden in the particles of her skin. She was just has pale as I was- like a bed sheet. Were her eyes a different color, she would fit in as a vampire perfectly. The thought was almost alarming, but I did not give it time to harbor a horror within me. My emotions on that matter were loose at best and now was not the time.
"Bella," I breathed, lips shuddering as her gaze fell to them, "when was the last time he hurt you?"
She blinked, almost blankly, with a trembling air. "You mean, before today?" I nodded silently. She exhale heavily, and I noted how old she suddenly seemed. This stunningly young, seventeen year old woman was sitting with the mind and weariness of someone mature enough to have known the world. Yet, Bella knew two places at best, and this one could not truly count, as it was. I wanted that teenage fire in her eyes. She deserved it.
"Two days ago," she stated quietly, shifting around the bed so she stood near my legs. Her head was tilted downwards, hair fanning over her shoulders to block some of her face from my view. "I don't know completely know what caused it. He had been easier to be around recently. He didn't want to set the guests off at the party by me being covered in bruises." The hand not on her wrist curled into a tight fist. "I was in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes from dinner, and next thing I know, he's there, shoving me across the room. Me, being the klutz I am, I lose my footing and skid into the wall. I knew he was shouting, but I couldn't figure out what he was shouting about." Her head shook loosely, her eyes dimmed and reminiscent. "I stayed on the ground, submissive. That's what I always do when he attacks me. That's what's kept me alive this whole time. Submission, always submission. It tends to soften his anger and the blows. This time, though, it didn't seem to work. Lying there, I slowly realized the true trouble I was actually in. He turned away and grabbed the largest knife off the counter, flaunting over to me."
Shrugging my hand away, she turned her back to me, reaching back to pull all of her hair over one shoulder. My eyes widened as I took in the sight of her shoulders. They were crossed with the loose indentations of cuts upon cuts. Some were beveled and lifted, others even had dried blood over them. How had I missed that before?
"He came at me, hacking away with everything in him. I screamed and pleaded for him to stop, but it all fell on deaf ears." She chuckled humorlessly at the bittersweet irony. "When it became too much, I started fighting back. Submission wasn't working, and, for once, I actually thought of myself and the position I was in. So, I kicked him as hard as I could. When he scooted away enough, I got up and began punching for all I was worth. Soon, he pushed me back against the counter and left me alone in the room. After that, I quickly tended to the wounds and went to bed. Since then and today, he hasn't touched me." She sighed,dropping her hair so it covered her shoulders again. "I guess some things never change."
I blinked hard before reaching out, gentle hands cupping her petite waist. She gasped lightly as I carefully spun her around to me. Slowly, she moved with my hands, stepping up until she stood between my legs. "Things do change," I whispered, wishing she could hear me. Her eyes fell to my lips. "I'm going to protect you, Bella, no matter what. Will you let me do that?"
She hummed softly, beautifully. "I don't know," she remarked, humor leaking into her words. "Being taken care of by a strong and handsome man? I don't know how I'll be able to handle such a thing." She exhaled dreamily before falling serious again. "I would love for you to take care of me, Edward. Besides, anything is better than this; this life I have here. I-I'm so tired of fighting for everything in me to keep my heart beating." I traced her eyes as the scent of salt hit my senses. The cinnamon irises glistened. "I'm tired of fighting him." She began to gasp. "E-E-Edward, please...please don't let him hurt me again." She sobbed relentlessly. "Please!"
"He won't, Bella, I swear to you. He'll never hurt you again." I pulled her close, breathing in the scent of her as she released some of her sadness in the form of liquid diamonds.
I closed the door behind me, shuffling over to the bed withheld in the bedroom of gold and blue and silver. Esme never does cease to amaze me with her abilities in decoration. The room was very much Bella, subtly so. In my arms, Bella's weight and warmth pressed against my chest. My body had long since burned straight to the core of my being, lit and licked with flames of heartbeats that have long since silenced. Bella cuddled even closer to me, mumbling unintelligible words, before sinking in my embrace. I traced her face, porcelain and beautiful, as I wandered to the cushion. I pulled back the covers before gently laying her down. Without looking too closely, I stripped her of her dress before drawing the covers up over her shoulders. Her hair fanned over the silver pillowcase, drenching the case in melted chocolate. I smiled softly and gently dropped her bag by the door before leaving her be for the night.
I rested my back against the pillar among the expansive windows on one wall of my room. The room was flooded with deep, soulful piano music which soared throughout the room, interrupted only by the fluttering of a heartbeat from across the hall. I smiled as the sound reached me, and my eyes moved to the outside world. The stars glittered with life, but the moon was well aware of its beauty tonight. It glowed brightly, stark against the darkened background of the night sky.
The peace and echo of a quiet home resounded about me. It was clear that my family, for once, was more than happy to enjoy the neutral territory that had entered with Bella's presence.
Little did I know how quickly that peace could be shattered into a million tiny shards.
Edward, go!
I was up and out the door before Jasper even finished the thought. I knocked lightly on Bella's door as her scream melted away. "Bella?" I questioned, knowing I should not simply barge in on her. Not that she would hear.
I heard the minuscule whimpers that released from her beyond the door. "Bella?" I called again, about to throw caution to the wind and go in. She would never hear me.
Suddenly, silence fell. Everyone in the house froze. No thought was released, no one moved, no one breathed.
"EDWARD!"
The door flew open, clicking closed behind me as I rushed to the bed. Bella was restless, quivering and rolling beneath the rumpled sheet which covered her. The comforter hung to the corner of the bed as if its life depended on it. One good kick and it would all be in the floor. Her hair was a mess, her forehead covered in a sheen of sweat. I smelled the salt of tears.
I grasped her shoulders, shaking her softly. Even if she could not hear me, I still spoke, still whispered words of safety and love. They were all I could give. Her eyes popped open, wide and frightened and confused. I never released my hold. Finally, she took in the sight of my face beneath the light of the moon which filtered through her windows. We stared at one another before her chest heaved with a gasp, and she flew into me. Her face buried itself in my chest as she curled herself over her bent legs. I awkwardly folded my arms around her to the best of my ability.
"Oh, Edward, I was so scared!" she mumbled into my shirt.
I leaned down, pressing my lips to her hair. "I've got you," I whispered, knowing the words were simply floating in the air.
She cried herself away into my shirt before slowly pulling away and gazing up at me with a question burning in her eyes. I nodded slightly, letting her know I was prepared for anything she had to say.
"W-will you stay with me t-tonight?" she asked, her voice just shy of true existence. "I need you to fight off the nightmares."
I nodded without speaking, lifting her in my arms carefully. I felt her eyes on my face as I laid her down before laying down beside her. I pulled the covers over us, then I wrapped my arms around her. She nestled into my chest, her face pressed into the crook of my neck. A minute or so passed and, mindlessly, I began to hum the lullaby I had written for her before I found out about her deafness. I felt her lashes flutter against my neck before her head lifted. I continued humming as her eyes traced my face. Her hand moved over my face gently, coming to rest on my lips. I paused in my humming to press a kiss to each one of her fingers before continuing with my melody. Bella succumbed to her tired body, falling back onto me.
"I wish I could hear you," she whispered, her breathing evening out.
I exhaled, holding her close.
...Maybe one day she would.
Decimation is one sale on Amazon! If you would like to purchase a copy, please take the link on my profile!
Anyway, hope this was worth the wait! I have been ridiculously busy recently. Though, that's not an excuse, it's the best I've got. Still, I did try my best to bring out a good, solid chapter.
Hope all of you have been doing well! Please, review! It means the world to me!
Until next time...
Much love,
~Zoe
Author of The Chosen Trilogy: Decimation
