Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Fourteen – Truth

Car overheats

Jump out of my seat

On the side of the highway baby

Our road is long

Your hold is strong

Please don't ever let go Oh No

I know I don't know you

But I want you so bad

Everyone has a secret

But can they keep it

Oh No they can't

"Secret"(song) by Maroon 5

Carlisle Cullen

I stared at my mother's ring on the floor of my room in shock. I had said the wrong thing. Why had I been so stupid? I should have known better than to say something like that! Esme was just joking with me. It was that stupid remark that made her leave, and leave the ring behind.

I'll see her at work tomorrow, I thought, nodding to myself. It'll be just like last time. I'll go there, we'll make up, and everything will be fine… my child could be inside her, and I can't leave her with that man.

But things didn't turn out the way I had planned. I went to work the next morning so see Rosalie and Alice behind the counter. Alice was admiring the diamond ring on Rosalie's finger when I entered. Alice looked up, her eyes suddenly anxious. "Carlisle, have you seen Esme?" she asked.

I sighed sadly. "No. We… we had a little… altercation in our relationship," I admitted.

Both girls gasped and went back into the kitchen, then out to me. They began asking me a bunch of questions, which I answered as vaguely as possible. "She left last night… I am so stupid!" I said kicking a leg of the piano.

Rosalie opened her mouth to say something, but the buzzing of her phone stopped her. She looked at it. Her mouth dropped. "It's… it's a text from Esme," she whispered.

My head snapped up. I went over and got behind Rosalie so I could see. On the phone was a bunch of different letters looking as if they'd been accidently pressed on all at once, but I could read one word in the midst of it all. The text read:

helpaklhsfdgnslkfuriure09he

Despite all the other letters, I only focused on the word "help".

I hopped in my car and sped to Esme's house. I knew I was breaking many traffic laws, but I could care less. I floored it whenever I had open road. I made a sharp turn into Esme's driveway and parked the car as quickly as I could. I looked up at the house and took a deep breath. Leaning over to the glove-compartment, I opened it and took out a small switchblade and unsheathed it. Either Charles or I was going to die today, and I wanted it to be Charles.

Exiting the car, I didn't take my eyes off the front door. I walked up cautiously and got the key out from under the mat. I was lucky that I remembered Esme had told me that or else I would have had no way to get inside. I opened the door and let it swing open slowly with a creek. The moment the door opened, a heart-shattering screech erupted from the basement. I knew it was Esme.

"ESME!" I shouted without thinking and ran toward the noise not knowing what my wait for me. I stumbled down the basement stairs to see Esme, naked and curled up in a ball on the floor. Blood trickled from wounds in her back. Charles hovered over her, a horse whip in his hand. He cracked it one, and it sliced across her arm, making it bleed. HE looked up at me and glared. His mouth opened in a disgusted, angry snarl.

"You," he spat with hate. He threw the whip at Esme, who covered her head, and walked up to me. He pulled his arm back, and let it fling forward, but I grabbed his fist in my hand, and twisted his arm.

Charles howled in pain and kneed me in the groin. Esme gasped as I fell down. My core throbbed with pain, as I fought the desire to curl up into a little ball. It was at that moment I really hoped that Esme's child was mine, because I after that I was worried we wouldn't be able to have another. I aimed my foot at Charles ankle and kicked him in the shin sending him stumbling toward Esme.

Esme rolled out of the way just as Charles collapsed. She tried to crawl toward me, but Charles grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. Growling I willed myself to stand and went to Charles. I gently moved Esme away from him and kicked Charles hard in the ribcage. While Charles winced in pain I looked at Esme swiftly. Our eyes met for a moment. "Run," I told her just before Charles tackled me to the ground.

We wrestled on the floor, fighting to see who would dominate the fight. Charles won. He pinned me beneath him leaving me barely enough room to struggle. He punched me hard in the nose, making Esme scream. A liquid trickled down from my nose and into my mouth and around my face. I tasted the salty, metal-like taste of blood, and I knew my nose was broken.

Charles punched me once in the ribs before climbing off me. There was a loud click, and I saw Charles standing in front of me, pointing a gun directly at my chest. Esme screamed, but Charles didn't even look at her. "Move and lover boy dies!"

Esme went quiet, but I could hear her sobs. "Please," she whispered.

"Shut up, you fucking whore!" Charles yelled.

I growled and went to get up.

Charles took off the safety, and shouted, "move and I'll put a bullet in your head, pianist!"

Freezing, I looked at Esme who was staring at me. "I'm sorry," she mouthed.

"You deserve to die you filthy piece of garbage!" he snarled, kicking me in the leg. "You're a worthless playboy that can only get married women—"

"Esme is the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth, and you're a monster! You abuse her like she's your property and she's not! She's a human being and she deserves a better life and a life with you!" I growled defiantly.

Charles pointed the gun away from my face and down to my crotch. "Dangerous words, pianist," he snarled.

For a moment, I was a little scared he would actually shoot, but Esme came up and shoved him. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she yelled and tried to kick Charles. Charles grabbed her ankle and pulled her off her feet and to the cement floor. During the struggle, the gun slid out of Charles's hands and across the floor.

Not thinking about the gun, I dove into the fight and tried to pull Esme away from him. Blood still dripped from my nose and was getting everywhere. I landed a few good kicks and punches on Charles, but he was stronger than I was.

Somehow, we got to our feet during the fight. I threw a punch at him, only to have him duck. He grabbed my collar and launched me into a nearby wall. I turned around to see Charles standing there again with another gun, but not the same one as before. This one looked more like a hunting rifle with a wooden butt that looked like it could knock you unconscious.

He aimed it right at my chest. "You're a dead man."

I sunk down so I sat against the wall, and stared at the gun, waiting for him to pull the trigger. I looked around for Esme to see her watching us in horror, appearing to be frozen in fear. "Carlisle, I love you!" she yelled, her voice twisted in pain.

"I love you too, Esme. Run! Get out of here! Save yourself!" I shouted, trying to save her life if I couldn't save my own. I had failed, and now I would die.

Charles wasn't listening to our conversation. He took off the safety again and fixed his finger around the trigger. I sat there, and closed my eyes. A waited a few seconds for the pain, but still none came. There was no shot, until finally, a loud bang split the air. I sat there, my eyes clenched tight, waiting for the pain. None came. He must have shot me in the head. I didn't feel anything, so I guessed it was the best way to go.

I dared to open my eyes to see Charles lying dead at my feet, with his gun still in his arms. Behind him stood Esme, with the handgun still pointed at his limp body.

A/N: Ding Dong the evil man's dead! :D R & R please!