Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters.
I was woken up early the next morning. I didn't want to face life. But someone was shaking me and yelling.
"Come on Bella! Wake up! Me and Charlie are hungry!" Jacob yelled. He sounded like a whining child.
I got up slowly and made them breakfast. I didn't want to make them unnecessarily mad. They ate their mean quietly but didn't comment on anything. Occasionally they would smirk at each other. I waited for Billy to get home and to finally be able to leave.
Once they were finished I took their plates into the kitchen and washed up. I looked at the clock and it was only 7am. Billy wasn't coming back for another four hours.
I turned around and saw Charlie and Jacob standing there looking at me. I could tell they were thinking about what they could do to me.
"You thought I would let Jake here have all the fun did you?" Charlie asked.
"N-no, dad I didn't I swear." I answered, afraid to say anything else.
"Haven't I told you it's not polite to swear?" Charlie asked.
"You also told me once upon a time that it's not nice to hit others." I don't know where that came from but I hoped that this strength lasted. I saw Charlie's face get redder. I knew I was in trouble now.
"What did you say!?"
"That you once told me it's not nice to hit someone! Especially someone you are meant to love and take care of!" I yelled back at him. I could tell this shocked him, I'd never yelled back at him before.
He advanced on me and pushed me onto the floor. He started kicking my stomach, so I pulled my legs up to my chest in an attempt to make this less painful.
"I don't love you! And I certainly don't want to take care of you! You are nothing but a filthy whore! No one will ever love you!" He continued kicking me until he grew tired of it and got a better idea.
"Jake, why don't you come here for a second," Charlie asked and Jacob joyfully walked over and waited for Charlie to tell him what to do. "Pick her up," Charlie instructed and I could fell Jacob's strong hands pull me up by the shoulders. "You are still too gentle with her Jake... her hair hurts her the most..." taking the hint Jacob switched and pulled me up by my hair till I was standing again.
Charlie picked up a knife and held it to my stomach. "Misbehave like that again and I won't go this easy on you." He said as her pulled my shirt up to reveal my bruised torso.
He cut the skin and I screamed in pain. Charlie and Jacob were laughing while I screamed and cried in pain. I tried to get away but it was no use. Jacob kneed me in the back to stop me moving. I felt numb, I stopped moving, I stopped caring, and I stopped feeling.
Charlie noticed this. He didn't like it, he wanted me to feel the pain to scream in pain, he wanted me to live but only so he had a punching bag. "Jacob why don't you get the Betadine so these cuts don't get infected?" oh god, this was going to hurt. Jacob let go on my hair and let me fall to the floor. I looked at my torso and saw all the cuts; they weren't deep enough for stiches but deep enough to make me scream. Blood soon covered my whole torso area.
Jacob returned with a bottle of Betadine. He handed it to Charlie and he took the lid off.
He didn't even just tip a small amount on and rub it in like you are meant to. He just tipped the whole fucking bottle upside down and let it all wash over my cut torso. I screamed as the Betadine got into the open wounds. It stung like hell!
They left me there on the floor. I got up and went to the bathroom. I was glad I'd brought a bandage with me. I wrapped my torso up to keep it from getting infected.
Once I was cleaned up I went back to the kitchen and got to work there. There was no sign of what had happened in the kitchen by the time Billy got home. We left soon after he got home. I was thankful to finally be able to leave.
Once I was in my room, I re did the bandages with proper stuff from my first aid kit. As soon as that was done I went and got my mobile phone. I sent Edward a text, because he was no doubt worried about me. I am actually surprised he wasn't here waiting for me...
Edward, I'm home and I'm still alive... but don't come over please. I just need to be alone for the weekend... I guess I'll see you Monday. Bella
I pressed send and lied down on my bed. I didn't want Edward to see this and I was thankful Alice couldn't see werewolves because that meant she hadn't seen this happen. I didn't want to be touched again. I felt horrible; I wasn't worth his worry, any of their worry. I didn't deserve it. Maybe Charlie was right after all. No one will ever love me.
My phone buzzed when I got Edward's reply.
Bella, please let me come over. I need to see you! I'm practically dying here without you. Please!
I read the message over again. Why did he care so much?
I'm fine, I just need to think. And you are technically already dead... don't worry about me, I'm not worth it....
I pressed send and turned my phone off; I didn't want to read the reply.
I spent the rest of the weekend doing my homework and whatever Charlie told me to do.
On Monday I packed a spare shirt just in case the cuts started bleeding again. I drove to school and was met by and anxious Edward. He ran over to my truck, at human speed, and pulled me out of the driver's seat and into a hug.
"Don't touch me," I said to him. He pulled away looking hurt so I continued, "I'm not worth touching, I not worth anything. Charlie has always been right..." I turned and left and headed inside, out of the light rain that was now falling over the rainy town of Forks.
"What do you mean Bella? You are worth it all! Nothing Charlie says is the truth! Especially anything he says about you." He was running after me but I didn't listen to him.
"Bella please, tell me what happened."
"You shouldn't have to see it or hear about it. No one should... and no one will!"
Edward followed me as I walked down the hallways until I came to the secluded cafeteria. I say at my usual table waiting for the bell to ring. I knew Edward was sitting next to me, but I didn't acknowledge him.
"Bella, please look at me," his musical voice called. I just shook my head, and continued to look at my lap. I felt Edward's cold hand snake under my chin and lift my face up slowly and gently so I was looking at him. It was nothing like what Charlie and Jacob do. He was more careful, he cared about my life.
"Bella, you are worth it. You are worth everything in this world. Just because you've had a bad life so far doesn't mean you are no longer worth anything, or no longer deserve anything. Yes, you've been hurt in ways that would give most people at this school nightmares, but you, Bella, you're strong! You're not broken, or dirty, or whatever else it is you might think about yourself." Edward paused letting me take in everything he has said in his little rant. I knew he wasn't finished though, I could tell by the look in his eyes.
"You are smart, beautiful, brave, strong and independent. You have done nothing to deserve this life and it isn't your fault." Edward finished and took a deep, unnecessary breath. He was waiting for me to say something but what did he expect me to say?
I've only ever heard one other person say anything like that to me and she was my mother. Only difference was, mum had said 'I love you' numerous times.
"How can you say that, you've only known me a short amount of time? I've known others longer but they thought I was a freak then and they still think that now."
"They think me and my family are freaks too Bella, it may not be because of the same reasons but the thought is still there. I care about you Bella, more than you'll ever realise. Just please share some of your pain with me so you don't have to deal with it on your own?"
"Fine... but I can't show you here... there are too many risks... I'll come back to your place after school, and I'll take my truck again, Charlie will get suspicious otherwise..."
Edward just nodded once and we stayed there until the bell rang signalling that it was time for our first class to begin. I enjoyed the silence. Not many people did but I liked not having to talk to fill the gaps of silence, because the silence wasn't awkward...
The day passed and Edward kept looking at me worriedly. It got a bit annoying at times but I knew or hoped it was only because he care and was truly worried about what had happened to me.
I followed Edward back to his house... it took me longer because my truck couldn't go as fast as Edward's but I still got there with plenty of time to spare. Esme was home, and she said hello to me, she was always so welcoming it feels like such a long time since I've been greeted like that when I get home. I'm guessing Edward had told her I was coming over because she didn't ask any questions.
"Do you want to come up to my room Bella? I'm guessing you don't want everyone to see, seeing as it was so hard for me to convince you..." I nodded and followed Edward to his room.
Edward's room had a large shelf along one of the walls a large stereo system on another, books were piled up in a mess on his desk and he had a black leather lounge with a golden rug on the floor, covering most of the cream carpet. Edward sat on the lounge and I followed him. He didn't rush me he let me take my time... I took a deep breath in and started to lift my shirt.
"Bella –" he started to say but I cut him off.
"I'm not taking it off Edward, just lifting it up so you can see what happened..." I lifted my shirt up so he had a clear view of my stomach; I started to take the bandages off so he could see the scars that were forming. They were starting to heal thankfully.
"What happened to you Bella?" Edward asked. His eyes were wide, and he was looking straight into my eyes.
"I answered him back... told him that he once told me that it wasn't nice to hit people especially the people you are meant to love and care for... actually I yelled the second time I said that... I don't know where it came from... I just got so angry and... He pushed me onto the floor and started kicking my stomach but I pulled my legs up to protect it... He laughed and so did Jacob. He got Jacob to pull me up by my hair so I was at eye level with Charlie. Jacob held me while Charlie cut, they both laughed when ever I screamed. And then when Charlie was done Jacob let me fall to the floor and poured Betadine all over my stomach... the whole bottle... it stung a lot... and they left me to clean up the blood..." I had to take a deep breath, to calm myself down. Tears were already spilling over my face and staining my cheeks.
Edward had pulled me into a tight hug, and as I breathed in his scent I found myself calming down. I looked at Edward's clock it was just past 4pm. I'm going to have to leave. I looked up at Edward. His topaz eyes were shinning with both sorrow and anger. I knew he hated the way Charlie and Jacob treated me. I stood up because I would have to leave now if I wanted to get home in time to make Charlie dinner. I looked down at Edward just has he turned his head up to look at me; and our eyes locked. I didn't want to break his gaze.
"Please Bella, stay here. Don't leave,"
"I wish it were that easy, but it isn't. Nothing in life is. I'm sorry, I have to go." As I left his room I didn't look back. I passed varies member of his family on my way out; they turned to look at me and I knew by their expressions that they heard what I had said to Edward. The tears spilled over my cheeks as I got into my truck. I drove home just wanting to get rid of their pained faces from my mind.
I made Charlie dinner and waited for him to finish before I ate mine. I did the washing up and laundry before I went upstairs to get started on my homework.
I was almost finished trig when I heard Charlie walking up the stairs. I shut my book and put everything apart from my lamp and a few pieces of paper because I didn't want there to be too much for him to throw at me.
"You told someone! I know you did so don't bother trying to lie to me!"
I chose to lie, it would be better than telling the truth... I used to be a horrible liar but I got better when I was younger and while I was in Phoenix. It's almost second nature now. "I never told anyone. Who would I have to tell? Mum thinks you've changed and is too busy with Phil and everyone in town thinks I'm a freak! I have no one to tell!"
"Oh yes you do! That stupid Cullen Boy!! He rang here just before to see if you were okay!!! He said you didn't look to good at school!!! Why the fuck did you tell the Cullen's??!!"
"I didn't tell them Dad! His father is a doctor he was probably just curious and being way too observant!"
Charlie pulled me off my seat and threw me onto the floor. He pulled me up by my hair and pushed me onto the wall. I was sandwiched between the wall and Charlie. He had his left hand firmly on my shoulder, and even if I could move at the moment it wouldn't be worth it. He hit my face, arms and chest but stayed away from where he had cut. He let me drop on the floor and laughed when I whimpered as I hit the cold wooden floorboards.
"You better hope he doesn't know Isabella. I'd hate for his life to end prematurely..." Charlie whispered in my ear and it sent a shiver down my spine. Even though I knew Charlie wouldn't be able to kill Edward I still didn't like the thought of it happening.