CHAPTER TEN

I sat up with a start and stared around the unfamiliar room, drawing the covers tighter around me as the chill air caressed my flesh. My hand automatically reached for my phone, which I always kept close at hand, but it was not there. Having no idea what the time was, I slowly got up from the bed, as I remembered where I was; Edward's apartment. Embarrassment coursed through me, as I remembered falling asleep on him on the sofa and I wondered how I had ended up in bed. Glancing down, I saw that I was still fully dressed and sighed. Great; I hadn't packed anything other than what I was wearing and now it was creased and smelled of sleep. But at least he hadn't embarrassed me further by undressing me.

Sighing, I headed to the bathroom, taking my toothbrush and a towel with me. After a quick shower, I cleaned my teeth and then pulled the bathrobe around myself, heading through to the kitchen. There was a clock on the wall and I saw that it was nine o'clock. It was doubtful Edward would emerge for a few hours yet. I knew he wasn't much of a daytime person; Emmett had told me that several times. Edward had a tendency to stay up all night and then sleep through to midday.

I rooted around in the cupboards, searching for coffee and then realised Edward didn't have any instant, just a complicated looking coffee maker, which made me nervous just looking at it. There was a reason that I was better waitressing than in the kitchen. No coffee for me then. Finally, I located some tea bags and sighed and took one out. Better than nothing, I reasoned and I liked tea. I managed to find a cup, milk and sugar and then leaned on the counter while I waited for the kettle to boil.

I sat down at the dining table, my hands wrapped round my cup. Edward's apartment was quite chilly and I wondered if he didn't feel the cold. I was always cold; Rosalie and I had always had the heating on low in the winter and an electric heater as backup for the especially cold days. Usually I took a hot water bottle to bed with me at night too. I know, ridiculous, but I guess it was a comfort thing. Rosalie didn't need a bottle; she had Emmett to snuggle up to.

Heat spread through my body as I remembered his harsh words when he walked into the apartment; he clearly had not been delighted to see me there. I shivered, holding my cup more tightly and then sipping the scalding tea. Edward had not told him the real reason I left Rosalie on her own in the apartment though; he had respected my wishes. And for that at least I was grateful.

A familiar sound filled the room suddenly and I shot up from the chair. It was my ringtone. Searching the room with my eyes, I finally saw my phone on the arm of the sofa and crossed the room to pick it up. It was an unknown number. Why did I answer it? You would think I would have learnt by now, but I was shocked when a familiar voice came over the line.

"Bella? It... it's Leah." She sounded strange, her voice shaky and muffled.

"Leah? Are you ok?" I asked.

"Jake asked me to call you. He's at the hospital with Mike."

"Mike? Is Mike ok? Has he been hurt?" I asked.

"No... it's Jess." Leah broke off and I heard her sob.

"Leah, what's happened?" I asked.

"She finished her shift a bit later than Mike. He was supposed to be walking her home, but he got a call from one of his buddies and went for a drink. Jess set off on her own... Oh God, Bella, some maniac stabbed her..."

I sank down onto the sofa, my ears ringing, all of the blood draining from my face.

"B... Bella, you still there?"

"Yes," I managed to whisper. "Is... is she..." I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Barely. She's in intensive care..." Leah broke off and paused, before speaking again, quietly. "Bella, be careful if you're walking home from work. Don't go on your own; have one of the others walk with you. I've got to go. I just got to the hospital."

"Give Mike and Jake my love. Take care, Leah," I murmured and then slid my phone closed. I don't know how long I sat there, staring straight ahead, pins and needles prickling at my hands, my breath coming in short gasps, my chest aching, but suddenly there were strong arms around me, holding me, as I started to sob.

XXX

My hand was shaking as I took the coffee from Edward. He had woken to hear me crying and came to see what had happened. When he spotted my phone, he assumed it was another phone call from the stalker. When I was finally calm enough to explain what had happened, he sat down, his own face whitening, his features shocked.

"When?" he asked.

"Last night, just after midnight," I replied, softly.

His eyes widened and then he got up, going through to the kitchen, where he made us both a coffee. As he sat back down beside me, I glanced across at him.

"Edward, Jessica was stabbed because of me," I said, after a long, tense silence. He glared at me.

"Don't even think that, Isabella," he said. "Jessica was stabbed because of some complete freak who gets his kicks frightening and hurting women."

"Why Jess though? Oh yes, because she knows me. I... I should never have agreed to come back here with you..."

"You didn't exactly agree," he replied. "I more or less kidnapped you."

He took his empty cup back to the kitchen and then leaned against the counter for a moment, before taking a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and walking across to the French doors which opened onto a balcony. I watched as he lit up and then crossed the room to stand by the doorway. He was leaning on the railing, facing away from me, but glanced over his shoulder as I joined him on the balcony.

"Surely now you see we have to go to the police?" he said, eventually, as he stubbed out his cigarette and carried the end back into the apartment. I watched as he put some cold water over it and then place it in the trash.

"But if I do, who will be next? Mom? Dad? Rosalie? You? Me?"

I needed for him to see that it wasn't an option, but Edward just looked vaguely irritated.

"Isabella, he has stabbed Jess. She could have been killed... she still might... well you know. We are not dealing with someone who is rational here; we are dealing with a psycho! Has it occurred to you that by not going to the police, you are actually putting everyone in more danger, because he is still out there? The police could catch him..."

"Edward, my dad is a cop. I know how it works. There was a girl, years ago, when I was about twelve. She was being stalked and my dad was the officer in charge of the case. She'd had all these phone calls and letters. It had been going on for over a year, but no one got hurt. As soon as the police got involved, people close to her started getting hurt. It was like an ever decreasing circle, until there was only her left. Her parents were burgled, her brother got beaten up in a club and then her boyfriend was shot. They put her in a safe house in the end, gave her a new identity..."

I broke off, swallowing nervously. I hated how this story ended. But then I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye.

"They found her, six months later, dead. She had been shot. The man who did it had shot himself. The note he left said that if they'd left well alone he wouldn't have hurt anyone. It took my dad years to get over it... in fact I don't think he ever got over it. He blamed himself. How do you think he would react if he found out the same thing was happening to his daughter?"

I started to move away from him, but Edward stopped me, a hand on my arm. There was a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Have you told many people this story?" he asked, suddenly. I looked up at him.

"No, why would I? It's a horrible story!"

"Was it reported, in the press then?"

"Of course, it was headline news for weeks after it happened. Dad had to issue a statement about what happened."

"Who was the girl?" asked Edward, his brain obviously going into overdrive. I looked at him, puzzled.

"She was called Shauna. Shauna Grey," I replied.

"And the man?"

"They never identified him. He had nothing on him and no distinguishable features. There were no dental records or anything like that. It was as if he didn't exist." I shivered at the recollection of my dad sitting down, a whiskey in his hand, Mum's arm around him, their voices hushed as he told her what had happened.

Edward sighed and then stood up a little straighter.

"What happened to Shauna is not going to happen to you, Bella," he said, suddenly. "I will make damn sure of that." He walked away from me, heading for the front door, my phone in his hand. "You stay here. I'm going out. I'll be a couple of hours, tops. Don't answer the door or the phone to anyone. Keep all the windows shut; in fact stay away from the windows. When I get back, have your shoes on ready and anything you might need packed in your bag. Do you need me to get you anything while I'm out?"

"Well, these are the only clothes I have with me..."

"Don't worry about that. With where I have in mind clothes are not going to be an issue. "And he rolled his eyes, before sighing at the lost expression on my face. "Come here." He held his arms out to me. I hesitated for only the briefest moment and then let him enfold me in his arms. He kissed the top of my head, gently and then held me at arm's length. "Remember what I said. Don't answer the door, don't go near the windows and I'll be back soon."

It seemed an eternity before Edward came back. While he was gone, I paced a while my nerves frayed, trying to avoid the windows, though who would see me this high up was anyone's guess. Edward had taken my phone with him and I felt completely cut off and isolated. When the door finally opened, I started violently, relieved that he was back.

"Put these on," he said, handing me a carrier bag. I took it and looked inside curiously. There was a blonde wig, baseball cap, shades and a baggy grey tracksuit. I gave him a quizzical look and he smiled. "If anyone sees you, I don't want them to recognise you."

He walked through to his bedroom and came out wearing cut off jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt, baseball cap and shades. No one would have recognised him. He picked my bag up from the floor, carrying both in one hand, as he grabbed my hand with his free one after locking the apartment. He took the stairs to a couple of floors below and then called the lift. He took me down to the ground floor and we exited to the main doors, not the car park.

He led me to a Volvo XC90, opening my door for me and then throwing our bags onto the backseat before he climbed in beside me. Giving me a small smile, he put the key in the ignition and then set off.

"Wow," I said. "You thought of everything."

He glanced across at me, but didn't smile, his hands tight on the wheel.

"You should know that I would do anything to keep you safe, Bella. Anything at all." He paused. "Jessica is through the worst. They were operating this morning. She's going to pull through."

"Thank God," I breathed. He nodded and gave me a tight smile.

"I don't want you to get upset now," he said.

"Why, what have you done?" I asked, immediately stiffening.

"Bella, I needed to make sure that you would be safe. And in order to do that, I had to break a couple of promises. I'm sorry for that, but you just can't handle this on your own... well, if I'm honest you weren't handling it at all. You were carrying on as if nothing had happened and it just wasn't working. Would you have let him control you for the rest of your life?"

"I... I guess I didn't think about it; I just thought he would probably get bored..."

Edward gave an exasperated sigh and I glanced away from him, nervously. We were silent for a moment and then he cleared his throat.

"Bella, I want you to know, everything I have done is for you..."

"What have you done?" I asked, nervously.

There was another brief silence and Edward raked a hand through his hair; I had never seen him so nervous and then he spoke, in a small voice.

"Promise me you won't hate me, Bella. I couldn't stand it if you hated me."

"Edward, just tell me," I said.

"Ok," he sighed.