Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter Ten

The Slippery Slope

"It is difficult, when faced with a situation you cannot control, to admit that you can do nothing."

Renee stood in the corner of the room, her stance casual, her expression concerned, compassionate. But her eyes, they told the real story. Like icy daggers they remained fixed on Isabella as she fidgeted with the hem of her blanket, gazing unblinking at her hands.

Phil sat in the chair beside her bed, his face pinched with worry and possessive need. His mind twisted with anxiety when he thought of what he may learn this morning. He knew Charlie was the one who beat Isabella, he wasn't stupid. And Isabella wasn't naive, she didn't believe for one second that Phil didn't know who the real monster was in this scenario.

But Phil didn't care about who was to blame, he wanted Edward named as the assailant for his own selfish needs, his own desires. But he was also afraid, because the barely contained jealousy simmering in the pit of his stomach bubbled and gurgled, pockets of heated rage popping like bubbles as he considered how intimate Isabella and Edward had been.

A nurse bustled around the room, the thick tension in the air making her skin prickle and rush through her duties to get out of its oppressive confines. When the door clicked shut behind her all false pretenses were gone. Isabella was once again reminded of the funhouse mirrors, how they could turn something beautiful to ugly and twisted while masking the corrupt for caring.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, Isabella. I gave you two options, which one can you live with?" Renee taunted, her ire blazing at the thought of Isabella not conforming to her demand.

Isabella remained silent, her mouth stuck and unmoving. She tried to speak, to say something, anything, but it was like it'd been glued shut, refusing to spill such horrid lies about Edward.

Renee stepped forward, her cool, cruel facade melting away as her temper ignited.

"Listen, you little bitch, if you think you're going to put your father in jail because you chose to sneak around like a whore you're out of your mind," she seethed, grasping Isabella's calf and digging her nails in the pliant flesh.

"Renee," Phil barked, his own temper flaring at the mention of Isabella's possible promiscuity.

Her head whipped to the side, startled by the sharp bite in his voice.

"That's enough. We're never going to get anywhere if you continue on the way you are. Go outside and have a smoke, let me have a little chat with her." He turned his gaze to Isabella and softened his voice, his tone low and comforting and completely insincere. "I'm sure she's more than willing to cooperate, she doesn't want someone like that boy roaming the streets...alone."

Renee covered up her jealousy for the way Phil looked at Isabella by letting a hateful smile spread across her face. "No, we certainly wouldn't want that. Someone could get...hurt."

Isabella's eyes burned with unshed tears. She knew what she had to do, and still her heart refused to cooperate. She remained silent as Renee stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind her.

Phil studied her, trying to look for a change, something that would give him a clue. Was she still worth the effort if she'd been tainted? Was she every bit the spitting image of her mother, not just in looks, but in spirit, too?

Phil shook his head. No Isabella was different. She was just confused. She didn't know how he felt about her, that she was meant to be his. He would be her savior, and she would be his forever.

With a calming breath he pulled Isabella's hand into his. She recoiled from his touch, her disgust and hatred for him almost as much as what she felt for her parents.

"Now, Isabella, is that anyway to treat someone who only wants to help?" he chided softly, his jaw ticking in anger at her reaction.

Her body tensed with resentment as the word 'help' rang in her ears. Suddenly her lips were no longer molded together and suffocating her words.

"Help? You don't want to help me, you care nothing about me." She spat, the chains that oppressed her all her life pulled taut, on the brink of snapping. She no longer cared about punishments or threats, because these monsters were trying to take away the only thing she'd ever loved. Let them punish her, let their black souls coat her like the blood they spilled from her body. Let them break her until flesh tore from bone and the vessel that housed her soul finally freed her from it's tortured prison.

Phil's hand twitched at his side, part anger, part arousal at the fiery way she glared at him. Sweet, little Isabella, who was always so timid, so docile, was now a burning bright inferno of indignation.

That boy had changed something in her, and he wasn't sure how deep those changes went, but he would break them, each and every one.

"Have I not always tried to protect you from Renee's drunken tirades?" he asked calmly, placating. "Have I not offered to take you away from there, give you shelter and security?"

Isabella stared at him, her eyes searching his face, little pieces to a terrifying puzzle slowly clicking together, piece by petrifying piece.

"Why?" she breathed, her throat tight.

"Because I want to help you, of course." He smiled, thinking Isabella's reaction was out of amazement, not horror.

She licked her lips, her heart thudding inside her chest. "It you wanted to help me," she began slowly, cautiously, "then why do you allow them to do it? Why not arrest them? Why didn't you call Child Services to remove me and Alice from that house?" Isabella tried to let the fear that had overcome her anger hold tight, to keep her temper in check, because suddenly Phil had just become a whole lot more frightening.

Phil's sharp eyes caught the change immediately. He saw the way Isabella's hands shook as she clutched the blanket, how her narrowed, angry eyes were now wide and cautious, her voice softer, aware.

Phil shook his head and sighed, realizing that little Isabella had figured out more than he'd wanted her to right now. But with recent events, maybe it was best to let her know where things stood now rather than later.

"Because if you left that house, there was no guarantee I would be able to find you again. I needed to keep you close, so when the time was right, nothing would stand in my―in our―way."

"In our way for what?" Isabella asked, already knowing the answer, but unable to believe what she was hearing. Unable to comprehend that the man who had an affair with her mother for as long as she'd been alive thought that she would be with him, in that way. She wanted to vomit.

"Don't be coy Isabella, you're much more intelligent than I gave you credit for. I tried to be careful, keep my intentions hidden, but you've grown so much, turned into such a beautiful woman that I could hardly contain myself." Phil bit down harshly on his tongue, wondering just how much of a woman she'd become―but he'd save that for later―because soon they'd have all the time in the world. But right now they had some complications to remove.

"You're insane," she choked. Sharp pains shot through her temples almost as if her mind was fighting against the information she'd learned, trying to expel it from memory.

"Don't be rude," he scolded, his entire body radiating disapproval. "Now we have other matters to discuss."

Isabella stiffened, her fear for Edward's safety increasing ten fold.

Phil smiled as he reached for the folder on the table and pulled out an official police report, already completed, except for the victim's signature.

"Now, I understand this must be difficult, which is why Renee and I took the liberty of filling in the details for you, in case you were a bit fuzzy. All you need to do is sign it and justice can be served."

"Justice?" A strangled laugh caught in her throat as her eyes widened with incredulity, the shock of his words momentarily eclipsing all other emotions. "How can you call charging an innocent man with a crime he didn't commit justice?"

"There are many types of crimes, Isabella. I can assure you, he is not innocent."

"What could he possibly be guilty of?" Her voice was high and panicked as she wondered if there was something else they intended to accuse Edward of.

Phil's patience was strung tight, Isabella's defiant defense of this boy was pushing him to the edge of his control. "He took something that doesn't belong to him," he hissed, inching closer and closer to falling off the knifes edge.

Tears sprang to Isabella's eyes as the full extent of how screwed up every person in her life was became clear. "Edward didn't take anything that didn't belong to him." Her voice was thick as she choked of tears of despair.

Isabella watched as Phil's angry face smoothed and his shoulders relaxed. She thought back to what she'd said and had to fight to hold back her grimace of disgust. Suddenly her chest cramped, trapping the air in her lungs. The pain caused her face to pinch as the throbbing in her head increased, a feeling akin to glass cracking in a million different directions crawled over her scalp as if her brain was slowly coming undone, tiny fissures webbing their way through her mind.

Isabella turned her head until her gaze locked with Phil's. Flat, glassy, brown eyes stared unseeing, like she was somewhere else, with someone else. When she spoke her words were soft and gentle, a sweet smile on her lips. "Edward didn't take anything that didn't belong to him," she repeated, "because what he took was already his and I was glad to let him have it."

Phil's entire frame locked, his hands curling into fists as Isabella's words sank in. She's slept with that boy, she'd let another man have what he'd had no right to. "So you are a whore. Just like your mother."

Isabella laughed quietly and shook her head. "No, I'm nothing like that woman. I love Edward. I'm in love with him, and he loves me."

Isabella blinked, confused as to why Phil was laughing, she felt strange, disconnected, like the button on her pain medication drip had been depressed too many times.

"You think you love him? Is that what this is? Oh Isabella, you know nothing about love, about sacrifice. But you will." He pulled a pen from his pocket and slid it into her hand before standing and leaning over her with the paper.

"Sign it." He demanded.

"No."

His jaw clenched as he sucked in a deep breath. She was confused, that boy had brainwashed her, fed her lies to take advantage of her. He just needed to help her see, and he needed to remove the object of her affliction.

"You'll never see that boy again. Do you want it to be because he's jail, or because he's dead. Because I'd be happy to make either of those possibilities a reality. Now sign the fucking paper, Isabella."

She looked down at the paper impassively, her eyes welling with tears as she was suddenly jolted back to reality, the momentary sanctuary of her own mind torn away as she was thrust back into the pits of Hell.

"Please," she gasped, hoping that his twisted fondness for her might grant her some kind of reprieve. "Don't make me do this to him, please."

"I'm sorry, Isabella," Phil soothed as she girl in front of him once again resembled his Isabella. Timid, shy, broken. "But I can't make this go away." And he didn't want to make it go away, because that boy would pay one way or another for all the trouble he caused.

"Now, I've told you your options, make your decision now."

Isabella wanted to scream and cry and hit something. His tone was so casual, so easy going, as if he were talking about the weather and not about either putting her boyfriend in prison or killing him.

Buy us some time. Time. Time. Time.

Edward. He needed time, he asked her to do this for him. She couldn't let him down. With a shuddering breath she raised the pen to the paper and signed. It felt like she'd just made a deal with the Devil, and for all intents and purposes, she had.

"Good girl." Phil smiled.

Isabella turned her head to the side facing away from him, wanting nothing more than for him to get away from her. She'd done what he wanted, what they all wanted. Now she needed to call Edward, and pray that he'd done all the things he needed to, because they were coming for him now.

With one last fleeting look Phil stepped out into the hall and closed the door. Renee stood by the elevator, her face blank as she watched him, wondering what had transpired behind that closed door while she was forced to wait outside.

He lifted his eyes to hers, and with a subtle dip of his chin she knew everything had turned out the way it should. She mirrored his motion and pushed off the wall, keeping her smile hidden from the watchful eyes of the nurse nearby.

Without a word Phil brushed past her and into the elevator, his phone already clutched in his hand so he could call the department and let them know he was enroute to make an arrest.

Isabella picked up the phone and dialed, it didn't even ring fully before Edward was whispering her name into the receiver.

"I did it. I did what you asked. Edward, please tell me you have a plan, that you know what you're doing, because I'm scared. I'm so scared."

"I do. I promise. But I'm sure they're on their way so I need to go, I need to leave, but I will talk to you soon, okay? I love you. This will all be over soon."

A choked sob stuck in Isabella's throat as she nodded, her "I love you, too" no more than a breathy exhale.

Carlisle looked over at the clock on the stove, startled by the loud pounding on the front door. Esme yawned sleepily and waved her hand for him to answer, in no mood to have a conversation with someone before eight am and her morning cup of coffee.

Phil squared his shoulders and loosened his face, making him appear solem and neutral.

"Can I help you?" Carlisle asked, confused as to why an officer was at his door.

"I'm looking for Edward Cullen," Phil stated formally.

Carlisle's eyes widened at the mention of his son, but only for a fraction of a second before his protective instincts kicked in.

"What's this about?"

Phil sighed internally, he knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Mr. Cullen I have a sworn statement that your son is responsible for a vicious attack on a young woman that occurred sometime in the early morning hours this past Sunday."

"What?" Carlisle asked baffled. "Who?"

"Isabella Swan." Phil said flatly.

"What's going on?" Esme asked, coming around from behind Carlisle and hugging her robe close to her body. She'd only caught the very end of the conversation, but the way her husband's voice had risen and was tinged with panic had her eyes wide with concern.

"Your husband can explain things to you, but right now I really must insist that you call your son down here."

"What―Carlisle, what is going on?" Esme insisted, panic beginning to bubble in her chest.

"Everything going to be fine. There's been some kind of misunderstanding. Wait here, I'm going to get Edward."

Without another word Carlisle turned for the stairs, his mind unable to comprehend what he'd just heard. He knocked softly on Edward's door before pushing it open his eyes scanning the empty room.

"Edward?" he called, moving inside the room, his brows drawn in confusion.

His eyes landed on a folded piece of paper propped on the dresser, 'DAD' scrawled across the front. He hurried across the room and snatched the paper into his hands just as Esme's voice rang out from the stairs.

"Officer, you can't just barge into my house!"

Carlisle looked over his shoulder before shoving the note into his pocket and turning to face the door just as Phil walked into the room.

Phil scanned the room, his eyes narrowed with suspicion as he took in the empty space.

"Where is he?" Phil demanded.

"I don't know," Carlisle responded, his back straightening and his defenses rising at the angry tone of the man in his home.

"Are you lying to me?" Phil asked, his voice low and dark. "Because obstruction of justice is a serious crime. Do you really want more trouble than you already have?"

Esme moved to the window, her heart both sinking with dread and fluttering with relief. "Carlisle, his car is gone."

Phil swore under his breath and wiped a hand down his face; more complications, more road-blocks, more delays standing between him and the things he wanted.

"I'm going to have someone watching your house. I expect to be contacted the minute you hear or see from him, is that understood?"

"I'll have my lawyer contact you," Carlisle answered causing Phil to grimace slightly.

More complications.

After collecting Edward's vehicle information Phil backed out of the room and moved down the stairs, his face devilishly twisted with the idea of finding Edward alone. It'd been a long time since he'd gone on a manhunt. This might not be a bad thing after all.

"Carlisle, what is that?" Esme asked, watching him pull a sheet of paper from his pocket as the police cruiser pulled away.

Carlisle fell heavily onto Edward's bed, tears welling in his eyes and he read Edward's letter.

"Carlisle you're scaring me," Esme pleaded.

He looked up at her with glassy eyes and reached out for her hand, pulling her on the bed beside him. "Esme, our boy is in trouble."

"Hello," Victoria mumbled into the phone, blinking sleepily as she tried to squint at her bedside clock. It was only six in the morning.

"Vic," Edward whispered, setting the note for his parents on the dresser and moving down the stairs. He'd pulled all the cash he had stashed in his room and taken his mother's cell phone, he'd need someway to stay in contact with them when they found his note.

Victoria sat up in bed immediately, her mind and body fully awake as she picked up on the tone of her brother's voice.

"Edward? What's going on? Are you okay? Mom? Dad?" She asked, tugging on James' sleeve to wake him. His only response was a grunt as he pulled a pillow over his face and rolled over.

She rolled her eyes and shoved him in the back, nearly knocking him off the bed.

"What?" he croaked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Edward," she hissed pointing at the phone, her eyes wide.

James' brow knitted in concern as he moved closer to Victoria so he could listen.

"Mom and Dad are fine. But...um...I'm in a little bit of trouble," Edward confessed, sliding behind the wheel of his car and backing out of the drive, not bothering to look back as his house disappeared from view.

"What kind of trouble? Edward tell me what's going on," Victoria demanded, her voice shaky.

With a heavy exhale Edward did what he'd wanted to do since the day he met Isabella, he told someone everything. The weight on his chest giving a little at the relief of saying the words out loud.

Victoria's eyes burned with hot tears as she listened to her brother recount how he met and fell in love with a girl, only to learn that she was living in a nightmare. James' fists tightened and his jaw set as Edward explained how Isabella's parents abused her. How she'd been beaten so badly she was hospitalized and how she'd been coerced into framing Edward.

"What the fuck kind of town are you guys living in?" James spat, not bothering to cover his anger. Victoria's family was the closest thing he'd ever had to a real family, and the thought of a bunch of small town freaks messing with them caused his blood to boil.

"Jay, calm down," Victoria hiccuped, trying to get a hold of her emotions.

James let out a heavy breath nodded as he pulled Victoria into his side. They eyed each other as Edward told them about his plan to get Bella out of town, and away from those people. He explained how Isabella was too scared to go against them while her and Edward remained in the same town because of the police's involvement.

"So can she stay with you while we get this fixed?" Edward finally asked, his voice low and pleading.

"Of course she can, Edward," Victoria answered immediately, "but you have to come too. I won't have you going back there until those people are all rotting in jail. And probably not even then," she added under her breath.

"Not even then," James agreed.

"So Mom and Dad know what's happened then?"

Edward sighed and looked at his watch. "Yeah, by now I'm sure they do. Either the police have showed up, or they found my letter."

"But you didn't tell them where you are or where you're going?"

"No, I didn't want to take the chance of the police searching my room, I told them what I'd been accused of, and that I had to leave. I don't want any of those bastards knowing I plan to take Bella out of the hospital or they'd never leave her side."

"I just don't understand why you told her to say you were the one that hurt her, Edward. How did that buy you any time if they're already looking for you?" Victoria asked, frustrated that she was so far away when her brother needed her so much.

"It had nothing to do with buying time, Vic. I needed Bella to cooperate with them. I truly believe that had she not, they would have hurt her again. Maybe taken her from the hospital before I could get back to her and I just couldn't take that chance. I just couldn't." Edward stressed, trying his best to make them understand.

And they did, to an extent. Both Victoria and James were upset that Edward had kept this to himself, but they also understood he was afraid and had no idea what to do in this kind of situation.

"But as soon as you have her you'll call them, right? And you'll call me?"

"Yeah, I promise, as soon as we get out of town I'll call you guys."

"Edward I'm going to be a wreck until I hear from you, please be careful," Victoria begged, her hands shaking as James squeezed her tight.

"I will. I've gotta go, but I promise to call you soon. Thanks Vic."

Edward blew out a huge breath after he disconnected the call and pulled his car into the old garage a few blocks from the hospital. He had to stay out of sight until he could get to the hospital and get her out of there.

He looked down at his phone, realizing it was just after after ten in the morning. There would be a shift change at noon, he needed to call Isabella and tell her the plan, let her know when he planned on coming and what she would need to do. But he was worried about calling her. What if someone else answered the phone? It didn't matter, he'd just hang up but, he had to try.

Edward fidgeted while he waited to be connected to Isabella's room, wanting nothing more than to move things along, to have Isabella with him in the car and on their way out of town. Away from this place and away from these people.

"Edward!" Isabella hissed, her voice laced with panic.

"What? Bella, what is it?" he demanded, his heart leaping into his throat.

"They're trying to take me home! The nurse just came to check on me, she said my mother was speaking with the doctor about getting me out of here, now," she stressed, her hands shaking at the thought of returning to that house, to her father, who had remained away from the hospital since she'd been admitted.

"You can't go home, Bella," Edward shouted, his breathing accelerated. "That will ruin everything. You have to figure out some way to stall them, anything. Do you have a pen? Bella, grab and pen and write down this number, okay?"

Edward rattled off the number while Isabella scribbled it furiously onto the paper, her hands shaking so badly she could barely read the numbers.

"Okay, I've got it," she said shakily, her voice trembling. She folded the paper and shoved it under her pillow and out of sight.

"If anything else happens, call me. I don't want to call you again in case someone is in the room with you. I don't want them suspicious, okay?"

"Okay."

"Bella, baby, don't let them take you home. Promise me," Edward begged, his heart hammering as a dark sense of foreboding started to press into his chest.

"I promise, I promise, I promise," she chanted, her nerves fraying and splitting at the seams.

"Hey," Edward murmured, tamping down on his own fears to soothe hers. "Everything is going to be fine. I have so much to tell you, so many good things. I talked to my sister, she's going to let you stay with her. She lives in Seattle. Bella, you're going to love Seattle, it's so beautiful, and I'll be there with you. We're going to hike in the park, and walk through the market, we're going to go on real dates and we're going to be safe. Free. We're going to live, really live. Me and you. I love you Bella, we just have a little longer, baby."

Isabella stared blankly at the wall in front of her, her body suddenly numb, the muscles in her neck twitching, causing her head to jerk to the side slightly.

"Okay," she agreed, her voice strangely monotone.

"Bella?" Edward questioned, the tone of her voice making something twist inside of him.

"I'm okay. I won't let them take me, I promise. I'll be waiting for you when you come, and we'll run away from here. I don't care where we go, as long as I have you I know I'll be okay. You make everything okay. I love you so much," she choked, blinking back the weird sensation coursing through her body.

"I love you too, Bella. Forever."

"Forever," she echoed before dropping the phone onto the receiver, images flashing through her mind quickly. Bright colors, unfamiliar corridors, flash bulb pops, pitch black darkness. Over and over the images cycled through: her mother, Edward, her father, Edward, her sister, Edward, Phil, Edward.

Edward, Edward, Edward.

Always Edward.

Forever Edward.

With glassy eyes, Isabella let her head fall back onto the pillow, her body suddenly weightless. She blinked again, trying to make the images come into focus, become clearer, sharper.

"Well it looks like your vacation is over, Isabella." Renee smirked, letting the door shut behind her.

Isabella hummed in response, her eyes fixed on the ceiling above her.

Renee felt a shiver creep up her spine when she looked at Isabella fully, her pale skin covered in dark bruises, her drooped flat eyes and stringy hair making her appear inhuman.

"I'm just going to um...wrap up your paperwork," Renee stuttered, backing out of the room.

Isabella smiled when the door closed and reached for the side rail of the bed. With a wince she lowered the metal railing and clicked the button on her bed to raise it as high as possible. When it reached as high as it would go, she pulled in a deep breath and rolled off the bed.

The IV attached to her arm ripped immediately, the tape tearing at her tender flesh. The moment her body collided with the hard tile floor she screamed in pain, her chest exploding in agony as her broken and cracked ribs slammed into the unforgiving surface, her head smacking against the tile.

Moments later two nurses came rushing in, their eyes wide with shock as they took in the girl writhing in pain before them.

"Oh my God," a nurse gasped, rushing to Isabella's side. "What happened?"

"I―I wanted," Isabella gasped, her pain both real and exaggerated. "I needed to use the bathroom."

"Oh honey," the nurse soothed, reaching to lift Isabella from the floor. She wrapped her fingers around Isabella's wrist to lift her arm over her head causing Isabella to scream in pain.

"What? What is it? Where does it hurt?" The nurse asked, frantic to understand what she'd done.

"My wrist, I think it may be broken."

Renee stormed into the room as Isabella spoke, her eyes narrowed as she took in the scene around her. "What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Isabella fell from the bed. She's injured her wrist. I'm afraid we're going to have to get her x-rayed before we can release her," the nurse sighed, hating the thought of Isabella having more injuries when she left than she did when she was admitted.

"She's doesn't need x-rays. She's coming home now," Renee spat, in no mood to spend anymore time in the hospital.

"Isabella," the nurse whispered, "do you want us to x-ray your wrist for you?"

Isabella smiled. "Yes, I'd like that very much. And could you please ask my mother to leave?" she asked sweetly.

The nurse, completely fed up with Renee's behavior smiled brightly before turning to Renee. "Ma'am your daughter has asked for you to leave. Please respect her wishes and leave now, or we'll be forced to call security."

Renee's mouth fell open in shock as she stared at Isabella. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her voice incredulous.

"I need to have my wrist examined mother. You don't mind do you? After all, you only want what's best for me."

Renee looked to the nurses who were watching the interaction closely, her anger reaching levels she'd never imagined. "Of course." Renee smiled. "Just call me when you're ready."

Renee turned without a moments hesitation and took off down the hall, pulling out her phone and dialing her home before she even reached the elevators.

"Hello?" Charlie grumbled, annoyed at the interruption of his nap.

"Send Alice to the hospital now. There's been a situation," she spat before disconnecting the call. She didn't know what Isabella was up to, but she would fail, and she would pay dearly.

Edward climbed out of the car and bounced from foot to foot before pulling his hood over his head and tucking his chin. He took off in a jog toward the hospital, wanting to arrive at shift change, when it would be the easiest to get Bella out of her room.

He lingered in the parking lot for a moment, his heart thundering in his chest as he watched Isabella's mother exit and cross the parking lot to her car. He waited for her to pull away before a smile broke across his face.

He walked into the hospital unnoticed and strolled casually to her room, his entire body vibrating with fear and excitement. He peeked in through the glass before pushing the door open and slipping inside, his heart sinking when he noticed the room was empty.

A nurse walked in, just as Edward spun on his heel, both of their eyes widened with surprise.

"Can I help you?" The nurse asked, trying to remember if she'd ever seen the boy in front of her before.

"I'm, um...I'm looking for my...cousin, Isabella." Edward stammered, hoping the nurse didn't know too many details about Isabella's admittance, because he was sure his name would be listed somewhere.

"Oh really? And you're her...cousin?" the nurse asked, her eyes narrowing.

Edward swallowed thickly before answering. "Yeah, my uncle Charlie, he's taken this whole thing pretty hard. He asked me to come check on her since my aunt had to run home."

The nurse eyed him, remembering that she'd seen Isabella's mother leave a few moments earlier. With a sigh she shook her head.

"Isabella fell from the bed. She's having a couple of x-rays done right now. She may be gone for a bit longer than usual since it's the middle of shift change."

Edward swore under his breath, happy that she found a way to stay, but undeniably antsy that he wouldn't be able to get her out of here right now.

"Okay, that's no problem, I'll just wait here if that's okay."

The nurse nodded and grabbed the chart she came in for before exiting. Edward exhaled in frustration and paced the length of the room. It was way too risky for him to hang around the hospital while she was being x-rayed. He'd have to come back. He walked over to the side of her bed and pulled out a small pad of paper and pen.

His fingers traced the outline of his phone number that dented into the paper before taking a deep breath and pushing the pen in his hand to the paper.

Bella,

I missed you. But that's okay, because you found a way to stay you crazy, beautiful girl. I'll be back at the next shift change, I'm going to stay hidden until then. Only a few more hours until this nightmare is over.

I love you,

Edward

He pulled the piece of paper free and slid it into the pillowcase, counting on her to be able to feel it or hear the paper crinkle when she laid her head back. With one final look around the room Edward moved out the door and down the hall, knowing it was only a matter of time before he'd be making this same trip with Isabella at his side.

Alice watched with hateful, jealous eyes as Edward glided down the hall and away from Isabella's room. Anger and envy burned like acid in her veins as she contemplated all of the reasons he was there.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting her eyes drift over the empty room. She walked slowly around the bed, letting her fingers trail over the top of the bedding. Lifting the pitcher from the bedside table she poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down before snatching up the television remote.

With a heavy sigh she crawled on the bed and flopped back onto the pillow, her ears perking when she heard something crinkle. She sat up and looked down at the pillow, noticing a small lump when she smoothed her hand over the case. Slipping her hand inside she pulled out a small scrap of paper, her eyes narrowing as she read the note.

A cruel smile slid across her face as a tear dripped from her eye. She swung her legs off the bed and lifted the phone from it's cradle before dialing the number for her house. Surely, she thought as the phone rang, this would be enough for her to avoid any more punishments until Phil was able to get her out of that house forever.

"Hello," Renee barked.

With a deep breath, Alice ruined everything. "I know what Isabella is up to. I know what she's planning."

A/N

Freaking Alice. Ugh.

Hey, hey, hey, just wanted to remind all of you lovely readers that this story is labeled horror. From here on out, I earn that label. Things are about to get...messy.

Raggdoll of Twilight and DarknNerdy, please never let anyone pull our internet search history, we may be taken in for an evaluation. Or for questioning.

Thank you guys so much for your continued support, your reviews make my day. I can't find the words to describe how far out of my comfort zone I am writing this story. LOL

See y'all tomorrow!

~Liv