Phew…I made it through the week from hell…oh…that might have been in bad taste.
Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts…the outpouring of love was overwhelming. I can't tell you how much it meant to me.
Questions answered in this chapter…and more thrown at you.
I didn't put the weight tally up there since it is the same day... Edward might have lost a few ounces
Huge love to SexyLexi who was dealing with a TON this week and managed to get this chapter back to me in an hour. I hope things settle down for you, sweets.
Melanie was my rock this week…sending me messages even though I was hiding and making sure I had love and support to get me through. Without her, Sandy, Born, Dally and Yummy I don't think I would have survived the week.
Important A/N at the end…
"What the hell are you doing?" I yell, pushing past the wall of on-lookers, as I try desperately to get Jake out of here before the cops show up.
"This ass-munch made a comment about my way with the ladies. I needed to set him straight!" Jake slurs, falling all over me as I pull him to his feet.
The guy is lying sprawled out against the wall, his nose now just oozing blood instead of the gushing fountain routine it was doing earlier.
The girl Jake had been taking into the bathroom to do God- knows-what with is standing against the bar; her shirt covered in red splatters.
What a clusterfuck.
"We need to get you out of here…now," I growl into his ear, my biceps and delts protesting as I drag him out of the club.
I didn't know I could lift that much dead weight.
Once outside, I steer him over to where my car is, and lean him up against the trunk while I fumble with the keys.
My hands are shaking from the leftover adrenaline and I can't seem to get them to work.
"Did you see the rack on that chick? And I was gonna motorboat the hell out of those titties…while I was balls deep. But then that douche-fucker had to go and insult me," he grumbles, and I swear, for a second I go blind.
He was actually going to go through with it?
He was going to fuck that random girl in a dirty bathroom when he has an amazing woman like Bella waiting for him?
The jingling of my keys hitting the pavement is the only warning he gets before I pounce.
"What the fuck, Edward!" he wheezes, as my forearm presses against his throat.
"If you ever disrespect Bella like that again, I promise that I'll make you wish you were never born," I snarl fiercely, spit flying out of my mouth and hitting him in the face.
For a second he looks dazed…but only for a second.
The next thing I know, I'm on my back; my head hitting the ground so hard, I can feel my brain sloshing inside my skull.
There is a stranger leaning over me who looks a lot like Jake…but completely foreign at the same time.
"You think you can tell me what to do? You're her little pet; the sad, fat little dog she leads around by the collar. I'm the one in her bed…inside her," he leers, his hands fisting my shirt and his eyes frightening as he stares down at me.
He releases me and slowly weaves his way out of the parking lot, toward the street.
It takes me a while before I'm able to sit up, and even then, my head is swimming.
There's a buzzing in my pocket, and I blindly grab for my phone.
"Edward? What's going on? I got a weird phone call from Jake, asking me to pick him up. I was just getting back from Alice's house when he called. What happened?" she asks, frantic.
"Bella…I think I need to come over," I rasp, my head pounding like a motherfucker.
"Yeah, come on over. I called a cab for Jake and told them to bring him here," she says, and for a second I think I misunderstood her.
"I'm sorry; Jake is on his way to your house…right now?" I demand, knowing I'm scaring her, but I'm pretty damn scared myself.
"Yes, Edward. He sounded messed up. I didn't want him going home and having his father see him that way," she replies, ever the caretaker.
"Make him stay outside, Bella. I mean it. When he gets there, you make him sit on the porch until I can get to you. Do you understand me?"
There's a muffled sound in the background, like someone pounding on the door.
Bile bubbles up into my throat, but I ignore it and push myself to my feet, stumbling toward my car.
"Bella!" I yell into the phone, as I pick my keys up and struggle with the lock.
"Edward, Jake's here. I live over on Ash, the only red house on the block," she says quickly, before the line goes dead.
I yank the door open, sliding in and throwing the car into reverse before I even have the door closed.
All I can think about on the drive over is that movie they used to make us watch in my high school health class.
The one about how steroids can affect your emotions and how you interact with other people…
And as I turn off of Campbell and onto Ash, those images flicker through my mind in slow motion.
I find Bella's house easily, not even bothering to turn off the engine as I sprint up to the door.
It's open slightly and I push it so hard, it slams into the wall behind it.
Bella is standing with her back up against the living room wall, Jake's massive fists on either side of her shoulders, caging her in.
There are tears in her eyes as she looks up at him, but it's the completely vacant look in his eyes that is the most disturbing.
"Jake, you need to step away," I say, all nice and calm.
His head turns in my direction, but his eyes never leave Bella's face.
"And YOU need to get out of here, Edward," he says quietly, menacingly.
"Come on, Jake. You had too much to drink. Why don't I just take you home, so you can sleep it off? Everything will be better in the morning," I soothe, trying to talk him down.
I feel like I'm dealing with a wild animal, and I have no idea what might set him off.
I've managed to inch my way over to them, so that there are only a few feet between us.
The tears have spilled over Bella's lashes and are now flowing freely down her face.
It looks like she is watching a friend die right in front of her.
I guess in some ways, she is.
Jake's eyes slowly meet mine.
"That guy sure did cockblock me tonight, huh?" he laughs tightly, as he pushes off the wall and wraps his thick bicep around my neck.
I look past him and watch Bella slide down to the floor, her head in her hands.
I need to take care of her.
But first I need to get Jake far, far away from here.
Phew…a ton of you had figured that out already…kudos to you!
So do you really think that Jake and Bella got busy? Or was he just full of shit?
Edward and Bella will have a NICE long talk next chapter.
Roid Rage Info…
When people use anabolic steroids, a dangerous practice for many reasons, they are essentially placing extra levels of testosterone in their bodies. This hormone can at first have positive effects on the psyche, which later turn negative. Steroid users at first may equate steroid use with feeling well, unconquerable or very happy. Continued use of steroids may result in much greater mood and behavior change. People may become more aggressive, more hostile, or they may manifest symptoms of various forms of mental illness, like schizophrenia, mania, and deep depression. Anabolic steroid use is linked not only to roid rage and sudden mood changes, but also to a higher incidence of suicide than in the general populace. Alcohol use increases those hostile behaviors and can have deadly consequences.
See you next week!
MWAH!