Bella

After the police questioned me, I locked myself in my room. I was either sleeping or eating. That is the only time I came out of my room. It's been a week and every time Charlie looked at me, I could see the worry in his eyes. He treated me like I was breakable china glass. He was certain that we were going to find Laurent because he had hired the best lawyers. But I knew that no one would be able to find him. No one ever did.

Two days after the questioning, Emmett came home. I was sitting at the table eating breakfast and he just walked in right past me. He looked exhausted and hungover. It wasn't hard to tell that he'd been drinking and I could guess that it was more than a few sips. I thought he was going to say something to me but at the last moment, he turned away. I watched him walk out of the room and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.

Rose was wrong. Emmett hated me. I never should have said anything. I should have kept my stupid mouth shut. If I had kept my mouth shut then, the police wouldn't have a warrant out for Laurent's arrest right now, there wouldn't be an investigation, and my brother wouldn't be treating me like I'm some sort of disease. Everything was my fault.

"Bella, please come out," Charlie asked for like the fifth time. He wouldn't leave me alone. I locked my door for a reason. I thought that they'd get the message. Apparently not.

"Do you want me to call Carlisle? Because you haven't eaten all day and it's not healthy. I won't let you starve yourself to death."

I pull the covers over my head, hoping that I'd suffocate. But it didn't happen. I was still alive and Charlie was still at the door. I knew he would call Carlisle. I hated that man with a burning passion. I hated all doctors. They didn't care for your health, they were just in it for the money. So many times, the hospital could have helped me. Surely they knew something was wrong but they did nothing. They just let me suffer.

"I'm f-fine," my voice cracks. "I'm just gonna sleep for a bit."

"Bella, you've been sleeping all day. Can you just come out for a little bit and talk to me? I'm worried." He sighed.

I don't move out of bed. I close my eyes and say, "There is nothing to worry about. I just want to be alone."

I finally hear him walk away and I sigh in relief. Maybe now I could finally be alone. Nobody wanted me.

I was in my room long enough to watch the sunset and rise two days in a row. Rosalie had started coming. She pounded at the door and begged me to come out. I just told her the exact same thing I told Charlie: I wanted to sleep. I smelled and looked like shit. I don't remember the last time I took a shower. But I didn't care. I wasn't trying to impress anyone, everyone already thought that I was a whore.

Another day passed. I was starving but I wouldn't leave my room. I just stayed in bed. The curtains blocked the sun from coming and I sunk into the covers. I could lay here forever. Nobody had come to see me today. Charlie and Rosalie seemed to have given up on me. Emmett hadn't spoken to me in a week. I was prepared to go back to sleep when I heard voices coming from downstairs. I would have ignored them but they got louder and louder. Footsteps sounded up the stairs and suddenly they were standing outside my door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Go away," I mumbled. "Rose, I won't tell you again-"

"This is Edward," the voice suddenly said.

Shit! He was right outside my door. He was at my house and wanted to talk to me. Shitshitshit. It didn't help that I looked and smelt like a homeless person. Why was he here?

"I know you haven't been feeling well but I thought that maybe we could talk." I could hear the hope in his voice.

I shook my head. "I'm kinda tired right now. I just want to rest."

He sighs, rather loudly. "You've rested the entire week. When are you not going to be tired?"

"Can you just leave? I don't have the energy for this."

All he does is sits on the ground in front of my door. No matter how many times I tell him to leave, he doesn't. He just goes on and on about random stuff, not giving me a moment of silence. I'm messed up and surely he knows that. I don't know what else he wants with me. If it's to annoy me to death than it is sure working.

Three hours pass and I finally can't take it anymore. I'm tired, hungry, and depressed. I just want to fucking go to sleep and never wake up but Edward is making it impossible to do so.

"Can you just shut the fuck up!" I slam open my door and glare at him. He's sitting across the hallway against the wall, looking smug. I want to slap that crooked grin off of his face.

I could only imagine how I looked: greasy hair, smelly sweatpants, and red and puffy eyes. I had never been attractive and this just went to show it.

"I was wondering when you were going to come out."

He pushed himself off the ground and walked over to me. I'm about to shut the door but he puts his hand in the way.

"Bella, please just listen to me for a moment." His voice turns serious. I focus my eyes on the ground not wanting to look into his mesmerizing eyes. I knew that I would get sucked in. "Everyone is really worried about you. This isn't healthy," he growled, looking me up and down. "Rose is heartbroken. She's trying to help but there's only so much she can do. You can't just shut the world out. That's not how life works."

"Why can't I? You don't control me. This is my life and if I want to let myself suffer than I will." I whisper. Tears clouded my vision and my jaw clenched. I couldn't let myself fall apart. Not now. Not in front of Edward.

"I won't let you fall apart. I'll stay with you all day and night until you are better." I couldn't ignore the passion in his voice. He truly meant it.

"Why do you care? You barely know me."

"You're right. We do barely know each other but what I do know is that Emmett's distraught. He's distraught and angry and frustrated with whoever did this to you. He wishes that he could have taken your place to save you from what you went through. He loves you, Bella, you just need to see that."

I shake my head back and forth. That couldn't be true. Why else would he be ignoring me? I've ruined this family. Charlie and Emmett were happy before I came into their lives. Now it's all screwed up.

"Come with me Bella," he says.

"Where?"

"I wanna take you somewhere," he says. "Trust me, I think you will enjoy it."

"What if I don't wanna go?" I challenge him.

Edward shrugs and the crooked smile reappears on his face. "Then I guess I'll just have to wait outside your room the rest of the day. You can't get rid of me that easily."

That's what I thought.

"Fine," I mutter. I slam the door shut, wanting to show my annoyance. All he does is laugh and I follow him down the stairs.

Jerk.

I flinch away from the sudden touch of his hand. His car his warm and smells like honey. Just like him. Debussy softly plays from the radio. Memories flood my mind of the happier times with my mother. This was our music.

"Bella?" Edward breaks the silence.

I turn my head towards the window. My teeth cut into my bottom lip, as I try hold in the tears that are threatening to spill out. Why did I always cry in front of the him? This was becoming embarrassing. With a shaky hand, I wipe the tears away but they keep on coming.

"Should I change the channel?" he softly asks.

"N-no," I mutter quickly. "I like it. I actually feel something when I listen to this."

Edward's silent with his eyes focused on the road. I would have thought that he wasn't listening but his jaw his clenched and his hands are tightly gripping the wheel.

"It was my mom's favorite. It's the song she and Charlie danced to on their wedding. I always thought that it was beautiful. It was something we could share with each other." I don't recognize my voice as I speak. It's monotone as I try to keep the emotion out. I couldn't let her get into my mind again. I couldn't let her control me anymore.

"I-I'm sorry," I muttered. "You don't have to listen to me. I'll shut up now."

Edward's eyes are sad at what I say. A sigh escapes his lips before saying, "You can tell me anything, Bella. Nothing you say is unimportant. I like to hear you speak."

"The-then can I ask you something?" I whisper, looking down at my shoes. He nods his head, waiting for me to say something.

"Where was Emmett the past few days? Why is he ignoring me?" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. I stare at him, waiting for an explanation.

"He was at my house the past few days. At first, Emmett was really sad about what happened to you. He would go on ranting for hours about how he was gonna kill the man who hurt you. He was so angry that he didn't save you sooner."

This wasn't Emmett's fault. None of it was. It happened to me and I could have stopped it but I didn't. I let Laurent and my mom hurt me for years and I never once to the police. I never told a teacher. I was as much as a slut as my mother accused me of being. Why else would I have let it go on for this long?

"That lead to him drinking an entire bottle of Vodka. You've got to understand that Emmett isn't one to show his emotions, so when he is upset, he turns to alcohol. My parents were out of town so he stayed the entire three days, drinking away his pain."

I shudder to feel anxious. Me and alcohol did not sit well. The strong smell and sour taste leave me gagging. I've seen what it's like to drink too much. I know the effects it can have on yourself and others around you.

"I tried to get him to stop but he wouldn't. He drank more and more each day until I was finally forced to send him back to your house. I didn't want him to end up killing himself." Edward seriously said. "He's not angry with you Bella if that's what you think. He simply just needs time to accept what happened to you. He doesn't want to scare or upset you any further. He wants to be there for you but he doesn't know how to."

"So he cares?" My voice is hopeful. "He cares about me?"

"Of course he does," Edward says shocked. "He loves you."

Emmett loves me. I've forgotten what that feels like love.

"Edward where are we going?" I huff as we hike through the forest. It's only been an hour and I've already managed to trip several times and knew that I wouldn't be leaving without an injury. I was just blessed with clumsy feet, I suppose.

"We're almost there. You're doing great." He replied with a laugh. That's what he said the other five times. All I see is more and more woods. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that we're lost.

"Edward, I really don't feel good. Why don't we go back to the car?" I propose. I lean against a tree feeling dizzy.

"Maybe that's because you've been laying in bed the past week and haven't eaten all day." He takes a large sip of his water before passing the bottle to me. I take it from him feeling little tingles as our hands' touch. I gasp in shock looking into his green eyes that are gazing at me. My heart flutters at the sight of him and I look away before anything else can happen.

"I promise it's not that far," he sighs. "You won't regret walking all of this way when you get there. Trust me on that."

Knowing, that I wasn't going to win this battle, I follow his lead deeper into the forest. This had better be worth it.

Edward was right. Only ten minutes later were we standing in front of a meadow full of flowers. Entranced by its beauty, I gasp in awe. My feet move on their own through the flowers and all I can do is tilt my head back in the sun. I felt so free. I felt so alive. Nothing could hurt me here.

"It's beautiful," I whisper. I sit down across Edward in the flowers. He had a soft smile on his face as he watched me.

"How did you find this place?"

"It was a few years ago when I was hiking. I took a wrong turn and ended up here," he replies. "It's so peaceful. This is the one place where I can be myself. You don't have to hide from me out here, Bella."

I carefully pick the petals apart off the flower. My eyebrows are furrowed in concentration. This was a place where I could be myself. I didn't have to worry about what others thought. I could be me. Edward gave me this.

Edward gave me hope.