Charlie held me for a long time as we cried together. Eventually, we settled down and wiped our moist faces.
He kissed my cheek. "You okay now?" he queried.
I sniffed. "A little," I replied. "You?"
Nodding, he turned to Carlisle. "May I have a description of her injuries, please?"
Carlisle bent forward, lifting my chin so that Charlie could see my face. "The left side of Bella's face has bruises shaped like hand prints. Her left eye was swollen closed last night, but it opened this morning. Of course, it is still bruised. The knot on the right side of her forehead was from when she flew into the car's window. There are also bruises on her neck, arms, stomach, and legs. Fortunately, there are no broken bones, sprains, dislocations or fractures."
Gazing at my face in horror and sadness, Charlie's eyes welled up with more tears. "Did..." He cleared his throat. "Did you take pictures of her bruises?"
"No, but I will do so if you like," Carlisle remarked.
Charlie inclined his head. "Please do. I need them to help our investigation. Oh, and...was Bella a...a...virgin? Is there any damage to her...?" he faltered, unable to complete his question.
"The answer to both questions are no. I am...Isabella's first. Nevertheless, the skin of her vagina was moderately raw. It did not have any rashes or cuts, though. But I treated it, and her bruises." Carlisle looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. If he could have blushed, he would have been doing so right then.
It was obvious that Charlie had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he was relieved. And on the other, he was not happy about Carlisle and I having sex. The latter was to be expected, however. If I was a dad, I wouldn't be either.
After a moment, Charlie nodded slowly. "Well...that's good. At least she did not get...too hurt down there."
"Wrong," I proclaimed dismally. "It hurt very badly."
He bowed his head in despair. "I'm sorry, Bells," he whispered.
I grinned weakly. "Don't worry, Dad. It's okay; none of this is your fault," I assured him, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Carlisle wrapped an arm around my waist. "I supposed that we had better take those pictures now. You may wait here while I do; it shouldn't take long."
"Okay. Go on," Charlie stated, sitting down on the loveseat.
I turned to look behind me. "Alice? Rose? Could you sit with me while he takes them?"
"Sure," Alice replied.
"Of course we can," Rosalie added.
They followed us upstairs to Carlisle's room, which was brightly lit. The first thing that he did was make me remove my t-shirt. Then he took several photos of my face, neck, arms, and stomach. Next, he proceeded to take pictures of my thighs and legs. I found it humiliating to be all exposed like that, but Carlisle, Alice and Rosalie's presence soothed me.
After a few minutes, Carlisle hooked his camera up to his laptop. He sent the photographs to it before printing them out.
When he was finished, he smiled at us a little. "I'm done. We can go to the family room now," he declared.
Nodding, I slid my jeans on before heading back to the aforesaid room with them. Charlie was speaking to Emmett and Jasper, but looked up as we approached.
"Here you are, Charlie," Carlisle stated.
"Thank you," he returned, taking the packet that he was offering him. He pulled out the pictures, and when he saw them, it looked liked his heart broke all over again. My heart broke for him; I despised the fact that he had to see them. It was destroying him. In addition to that, he was outraged. "That son of a bitch! I can't believe that he did this to her!" he growled through clenched teeth. Moments later, he slid them back into the packet. "Thanks again, Carlisle. I appreciate your helping me, and for taking care of Bella when she needed it. I better take these photos down to the station, so that I can file a report."
I lifted my hands. "Okay, but hold on. Did you eat before you came here?" I queried.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, I did. Don't worry about me, kiddo. Are you going home or are you staying here?"
"I'm going to stay here. I think that it would be best if I...spent most of my time here. Move in, actually."
His jaw dropped in alarm. "Are you sure that that's a good idea? I thought you were going to leave for Alaska," he remarked in a skeptical voice.
"No. We are postponing that for a while. But it is fine, Charlie," Carlisle interrupted. "Isabella's right; it will be easier for me to keep an eye on her. Plus, I can give Isabella the help that she needs; she will have to go through some therapy, but I will be giving it to her personally. It would make her uncomfortable to speak to someone she does not know, and she would not likely be very open or responsive. Rosalie can assist me as well. It won't be any trouble at all."
When Charlie gazed at Rosalie, she said, "I'll explain at a later time."
Charlie inclined his head. "All right, then," he began slowly. "If you think that it's best, you can live here and have Carlisle give you what you need. Oh, and before I forget, did you give Bella an STD test?"
"No, but I can. The results won't take to long to receive. I don't think that we need to worry, though; Edward does not have any STDs, and neither does the woman that he cheated on. I know her personally," Carlisle implied.
Raising an eyebrow, Charlie demanded, "You do? Well, who is she? Do I know her?"
Carlisle shook his head. "No...she was...one of my cousins. Her name is Tanya."
He was speechless with fury. "He cheated on Bella with your own cousin?!" he hollered.
Nodding morosely, I muttered, "I caught them making love in his bedroom."
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah. You heard me correctly."
Charlie ran his fingers through his hair, grumbling to himself. "I can't believe this shit," he hissed. "Well...make sure that she gets an STD and an STI test anyway, just in case. I want the results. I have to get going now, so I will see you later. Call me if anything, please. Oh, and Bella, you don't have to worry about dinner. I'll take care of it."
My brow furrowed. "Are you certain? I don't want you to burn the house down." I attempted to joke.
"I won't. I was thinking of ordering pizza. Come here," he ordered gently, opening his arms. I walked into them and he embraced me. "Be safe, Isabella, do you hear me? I don't want anything else to happen to you, especially if it's something else that you don't deserve. If you need to talk to me, know I am always available for you. I love you, baby."
I reached up to peck his cheek as tears stung my eyes. He rarely got so emotional; I could feel his love radiating off of him. "I love you too, Daddy. So much. I'll be careful. You be careful too, all right? I don't want anything to happen to you either."
"Don't...don't forget to tell Renée. I know that I tell you not to talk about certain stuff with her. And I know that you do too, but this is something that you have to tell her. It's very important; You can't not tell her about something like this happening to you. She's your mother, remember. If you don't tell her, you know that I will."
I groaned. I had been dreading making that particular phone call, and I was considering not to do it. Nonetheless, Charlie was right. She was my mother, and I couldn't keep this from her.
With another sigh, I nodded. "Okay, I'll call her. But it's going to be so hard to talk to her about it."
"I know, honey. I know. But you have to do it. If you want, I can come back later and help you tell her, after my shift."
"If it's all right with Carlisle."
I turned to the aforementioned person, who kissed me on the temple. "Of course it is, my dear. Your father is always welcome here. We can help you too," he whispered.
"Thank you," I murmured back. In a louder voice, I announced, "Yes, it's okay. I guess I'll see you this evening, then?"
"Uh-huh," Charlie responded, hugging me once more. "I love you, Bells. And thanks again, Carlisle, everybody, for being here when she needs you. Look after her for me and keep her safe." He held his hand out to Carlisle.
He took it firmly. "We plan to, Charlie. Don't worry too much," he added.
"I'll try not to. Good-bye, Bella. Good-bye, everyone."
"Good-bye, Charlie," we chorused.
Carlisle went downstairs to let him out. I sat down wearily and massaged my temples. This was going to be a long day.
I felt a cold hand on mine and I jumped. I looked around so fast that I cricked my neck. "OW!" I yelped.
"Sorry!" Rosalie cried, as Carlisle ghosted into the room in alarm. "I'm so sorry! I did not mean to frighten you. I just wanted to know if you had a headache. I was going to give you some aspirin."
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Carlisle demanded with a worried expression on his face, laying his hand on my neck to soothe the ache.
"Yes, I fine," I replied. "I don't have a headache. I just know that this is going to be a tiring day."
They nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. But everything will be fine. You know that we will be here with you."
Alice leaned towards me and spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. "Is there anything that you would like to do today?" she questioned.
I thought about it before shaking my head. At the same time, I could not understand how she could ask me something so...so normal. Life could never be that way for me again after what Edward did to me.
She exhaled deeply. "Okay. Let us know if you change your mind."
"I will if I do. But I just want to go upstairs and lay down. I'm tired."
Carlisle stroked my hair. "Would you like for me to join you, or do you want to be alone?"
"You can come, if you like. I don't mind."
"All right, then. Let's go."
He led me back upstairs to his room. I slumped onto the bed and he curled up on the spot next to me. I rested my head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around me. He did this gently so that he wouldn't hurt me.
Neither of us talked. We mostly just laid there in each other's embrace.
I stared ahead listlessly, trying not to think of anything. However, my brain did not want to help. It kept reminding me of the phone call that I had to make.
Carlisle noticed that something was up. "What's bothering you, sweetheart?" he queried.
Burying my face in his chest, I responded, "I don't know how I'm going to tell Mom what happened, that's all. Her reaction will be worse than Charlie's...she's going to be overly worried and erratic! She'll try to cart me off to a shrink!"
"She does have a right to be worried. You are her daughter. She loves you, and I know that she hates it when something terrible happens to you. What Edward did to you would make any mother overly worried and erratic. Could you blame them for feeling that way?" he inquired.
"No, I don't. I would feel the same way if something like this happened to a child of mine," I admitted grudgingly.
"As would I. Even though I wasn't there when it happened, I still feel worried and angry about Royce King and his friends did to Rosalie. I hated that she had experienced all of that pain. If Alice experienced a similar crisis, I would feel the same way."
"I know what you mean. But it's not only that. The whole town will find out what happened too. Charlie will tell someone about it, and he or she break the news to somebody else. I don't like being under public speculation. Everyone will pity me, and I don't want that."
Carlisle rubbed my back. "Well, it is kind of obvious that they will find out. After all, your father wants to find Edward in any way that he can. Of course, we both know that that won't happen. However, people will want to know why Charlie is searching for him, and he will explain his reasons. But don't fret, my love. It will be all right in the end, Isabella. One day you will get past all of this. I will make sure of that. All right, ma Belle?"
I sighed, but inclined my head. "All right. But I really don't want to go to a shrink."
He tapped my nose and grinned. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you will never have to."
Not long after, it was time for lunch. I was not hungry and did not have an appetite. However, I knew that I couldn't skip a meal. Carlisle wouldn't let me starve myself, not that I planned to do so.
He kissed me on the temple before sitting up. "Is there anything in particular that you would like to eat?" he asked.
"Um...no, not really. But I know that you're going to make me eat something anyway," I pointed out.
Smirking, he remarked, "Yes, that is most certainly true. Well, I will see what I can whip up in the kitchen. Let's go."
I trailed after him and sat down behind the kitchen's island. Pretty soon, Carlisle had fixed me a ham and cheese sandwich. As I began to eat it, he placed a glass of orange juice in front of me.
"Thanks," I muttered.
"You are welcome," he returned.
I tried to proceed with the meal, but my throat wasn't cooperating. It felt extremely dry, and it was hard to swallow my food. Drinking my juice did not really help. By the time I was finished with half of my sandwich, I was ready to give up.
Carlisle looked up from his newspaper when he noticed how quiet it was. "Are you done?" he queried, looking at my partially eaten food.
"Yeah. I can't eat another bite. My throat seems to have closed up on me," I grumbled.
"Oh, I see. Well, I will make you a bowl of soup later. Perhaps that will help," he stated.
"Maybe."
I washed the dishes and tried to think of what to do next. I was not in the mood to watch anything, or play a game, so I headed back upstairs. I quickly found a book to read. After a few pages, though, I grew drowsy. I tried to stay awake, but I just couldn't. The novel slipped out my hand, and I was out like a light before I knew it...
Suddenly, it was dark. I glanced around me, but I was unable to see anything. My eyes could not pierce through the impenetrable blackness. I could not hear a sound; everything was still and quiet.
However, I knew that I needed to leave wherever I was. Something felt horribly wrong and out of place.
Reaching out my hands so that I would not crash into anything and/or fall, I tentatively made my way forward. Thankfully, nothing was in my way, but I still could not see. The darkness did not lighten, even when I had walked for what seemed like a half an hour.
Before I knew what was going on, I collided into something. It was ice-cold and hard, very much like a statue.
I touched it to make sure that I wouldn't bump into it again when two golden eyes appeared slightly above me. Very familiar golden eyes.
"Bella," its dark, velvety voice crooned. To my horror, I realized that it was Edward's.
My jaw dropped as I backed away from him. "G-Go away. Leave me alone," I whispered.
The eyes moved closer with each step that I took. "Come here, Bella. You know that you want to; you crave me after all. You always have," he implied.
"NO, I don't! Just...just leave me alone!" I said louder.
"Come here, Bella! Now!" he demanded.
"NO!" I shouted.
Edward's eyes narrowed, and then I was slapped hard. I fell to the ground.
I was grimacing from the sting in my cheek when the eyes lowered until they were inches from mine. My arms were thrown back, and my wrists were pinned to the ground by unseen hands. His cold breath whooshed into my face. I tried to struggle away from him, but he was holding me too tightly.
"Do not lie or pretend that you do not desire me. It will get you no where. Do not act as if you have not wanted me to fuck you either. You have been craving for me to do so for months," Edward hissed.
"Please, Edward, NO! Don't do this. Don't do this to me! Please," I begged.
I was struck once more, and abruptly, it felt as if my vagina were being split in two.
I cried out in agony. "EDWARD! STOP!" I bellowed.
"NO! You wanted this, remember! I am giving you what you have always pleaded for me to give you. There is no turning back now!" he retorted.
Then he continued to force himself on me, moaning in pleasure. I wept and screamed with every thrust; the pain was so unendurable. It was as if his dick were a knife or a fireplace stoker.
Edward laid a palm on my mouth to stifle my cries, but I twisted my face away. Then I threw my head back and yelled as much as possible.
"CARLISLE! HELP ME!" I hollered in vain.
"Shut up! It's just you and me. Don't try calling for help when you know that you are craving this," Edward growled.
I refused to listen to him. "CARLISLE!"
"Isabella!" another, more gentle voice called to me.
"CARLISLE! HELP ME! EDWARD IS HURTING ME!"
"Baby, wake up! It's just a dream. Edward isn't here, remember? Come on, sweetheart, wake up," the voice murmured.
With an enormous effort, I opened my eyes. I was breathing hard, as if I was running. My face was soaked with tears.
I looked around before spotting Carlisle, who was perched on the bed next to me. He looked worried and concerned. He did not say anything, just wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his shoulder and wept.
He rubbed my back soothingly as he cradled me back and forth. "It's okay, Isabella. Everything is all right. You will never have to worry about Edward hurting you again," he whispered.
"I know, but the dream was so real. The pain was just as terrible as it was when he had...when he had forced himself on me. How could you say that he will never hurt me when he still does...mentally?" I sobbed.
Drawing back to peer at me, Carlisle sighed gloomily. "You have a valid point there, unfortunately. I wish that I could go back in time and make sure that this never happened to you. I hate seeing you go through all of this undeserved pain," he stated, his eyes glistening.
Fresh tears slid down my cheeks. "I know, Carlisle, I can see it in your eyes. I wish that this never happened too. I don't like to see you going through pain either. It kills me inside," I remarked earnestly.
Carlisle pulled me into him and embraced me again. "It's going to be alright, Isabella. One day, you will get over this for the most part. It won't hurt you as much as it does now. As I told you before, I will help you get through this, and so will everyone else who cares about you. Do you believe that?"
"I could believe anything that you tell me. You have never lied to me, and I know that you won't start now."
"Of course not, my dear. I would not ever lie to you, even if I wanted to do so."
Truly smiling for the first time that day, I leaned up to kiss him on the lips. After that, I hugged him tightly.
(Later)
Charlie had returned to the mansion just before dinnertime. I had not done very much since Carlisle woke me up. But remembering that Charlie was coming for another visit, he chose to give me that STI and STD test. He collected a urine sample and drew blood from me. Afterwards, I rested some more.
When Alice told us that Charlie was a few minutes away from the house, I quickly set out the meal that I had prepared. Then I went downstairs with Carlisle to meet him.
It was a couple of moments before the police cruiser rolled in view. Charlie parked it and walked over to the door.
"Hi Dad," I greeted softly.
"Hey, Bells. Are you okay?" he queried. He kissed me on the cheek and hugged me.
"Yeah," I replied. "I made dinner for us if you're hungry. Once we are finished, I'll call Mom."
Charlie fixed a stern gaze on me. "I said that you didn't have to worry about it. I was going to order pizza when I had gone home."
I waved my hand dismissively. "It's okay, Dad. I'm not fragile; isn't as if I will shatter into pieces if I cook something."
He exhaled wearily. "All right, if you say so. But I am hungry. Let's eat. We will probably be able to deal with Renée better on a full stomach."
We went upstairs to the kitchen after he said hello to Carlisle and the others. I laid a plate of fettucini alfredo before him while I had a bowl of tomato soup. It was easier to swallow than the ham sandwich. Neither Charlie or I talked, but it was only because we had a lot on our minds.
Once we had finished our meal, I put the dishes in the dishwasher. Next, we headed for the living room, where Carlisle was sitting with the others again.
I lowered myself onto the spot next to him. This time, Charlie sat beside me instead of Rosalie.
Carlisle patted my back. "Did you eat well?" he inquired in a low voice.
"Yes. Well, I suppose that I had better get this over with. There's no point in holding this off," I grumbled.
I took out my cell phone. Just as I was in the middle of dialing Renée's number, I froze. Then, without knowing that I was going to do it, I burst into tears.
Both Carlisle and Charlie embraced me. "Sweetheart, what is the matter?" Carlisle demanded worriedly.
"I'm...I'm scared," I cried into his neck. The other groaned in sympathy.
"Oh, Isabella." He held me tighter and kissed my forehead. "I understand how you feel. Give yourself a few minutes. When you calm down, and you may try again. All right?"
Nodding, I sobbed until I was able to get a hold of my emotions. Carlisle wiped my tears away with his thumb.
This time, I succeeded in dialing Renée's number. When the phone rang, I put in on speaker.
"Hello?" Renée said when she answered my call.
I gulped. "Hey, Mom, it's me," I responded, my voice trembling.
"Oh, hi honey! Is everything okay? Are you in Alaska now?" she questioned.
Clearing my throat to answer her, I declared ruefully, "No, I'm not in Alaska. And no, everything is not okay."
"Why not, sweetie? What's wrong?"
"Um...I, uh..."
I turned to Charlie, silently asking for his help. He seemed to understand because he nodded and leaned forward.
"Hi Renée, it's Charlie," he announced.
There was a pause. She probably wasn't expecting for him to be with me. "Hey, Charlie. What's wrong?" she repeated.
Charlie's jaw worked before he answered her question. "Something terrible had happened last night."
Renée gasped. "Oh, no! What? What happened, Charlie?" she demanded agitatedly.
When it was clear that he would not reply, I decided to take matters into my own hands. "Um...M-Mom..." I stammered.
"Bella? What is it, honey? You can tell me," she urged in a gentle voice.
I exhaled before mustering up the courage to pour out the whole story. I cried some more while I did, but I noticed that it was easier to tell it. Carlisle and Charlie put in their two cents by explaining my injuries. As predicted, Renée was frantic by the time I was finished. She wept so much that she could barely talk.
"Oh, my God! My baby has been raped! My poor baby. My poor baby," she sobbed. "I'm coming to Forks right now."
"No! You don't have to do that. I'm fine," I declared.
"Bella, you are not fine! Edward had hurt you! I'm coming whether you like it or not. I'll talk to Phil, and then I will get on a plane as soon as I can," she announced stubbornly.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Mom, you really don't need to come. I'll be okay. Carlisle will take care of everything. He's going to give me therapy sessions at his house, and in time, I'll get better. I really will."
"I understand that, baby, but I'm still coming. I want to be there for you, and so will Phil when I tell him. Do you hear me, Isabella?"
Realizing that she wouldn't budge, I sighed. "Fine. When are you leaving Jacksonville?"
For a moment, it was quiet. Then she responded, "I don't know, but it will definitely be soon. I'll call you when I find out."
"All right. I'll see you soon, then. Love you."
"I love you too. And take care of yourself. Make sure that you are accompanied by someone if you go anywhere."
"Don't worry, Mom. You know that I will."
"Watch over her, Charlie. You too, Carlisle. Please."
"We will," they proclaimed in unison.
I said good-bye to her and hung up the phone. I felt worn out all of a sudden. "I guess that's that."
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Charlie stayed a little while longer before going back to his place. I went upstairs, desiring sleep and a shower. I was beginning to feel Edward's hands all over me again.
Once I had finished washing up, I prepared myself for bed. Carlisle stepped into the room as I pulled the blanket over me.
"Hey," I mumbled.
"Hi sweetie," he returned quietly, making himself comfortable on the spot next to me.
I shifted over to lay my head on his chest. "Do you think that Renée's visit will be helpful?" I whispered. I doubted that it would. She would fret over me so much that it would just likely cause me to feel worse about what happened.
Carlisle wrapped an arm around me. "I have no idea, but perhaps it may."
"Yeah, maybe. Well, I'm going to sleep. 'Night."
"Good-night, Isabella. I will see you in the morning."
"Okay."
I relaxed as well as I could. However, I knew that the nightmares were coming, so I was unable to get settled.
Carlisle noticed this immediately. "Would you like me to put on some music? It may help you."
I bobbed my head. "Sure."
He turned on the radio before laying down next to me again. I cuddled him.
The music really had done me some good. It-and Carlisle's humming-made me feel drowsy. Before I could fall asleep, however, I heard the door open with a CRASH.
I sat bolt upright. "What the hell is going on?" I yelped.
"Oh, Bella, I'm sorry. But I need to talk to you guys about something important," Alice stated as she rushed over to us.
"What is it?" Carlisle queried, his brow furrowing.
She gazed at him with wide eyes. "Tanya...she's on her way here," she responded.
