Chapter 14

June 2002

Bella is 18

Edward is 24

His parents have been away since they came up for his graduation in May. He traveled back home alone as they went to Europe. It was nice to have the house to himself. Charlie gushed about Bella graduating high school. He smiled and looked at each photo burning it into his mind.

"Why haven't you answered these?" Charlie holds up the acceptance letters.

"I'm not going that's why" Bella mumbles kicking off her shoes.

"Bella they have deadlines don't fool around"

"Dad" Bella sighs. "I can't afford to go, I'll just get a job, and an apartment"

"A what, and what?" Charlie says all while shaking his head.

"I'm not living here for the rest of my life" She speaks of Masen Manor. "I'll find something in the city, I don't know yet"

"Isabella Swan what is going through your head?" He wonders if he is getting the horrible teenage years now. This is not the time for fooling around, gambling with your future. He stares at her. "Pick a university" He demands.

"We can't afford it"

"Mr. Masen and Mrs. Masen have already spoken to me about paying for"

"No" Bella shakes her head; her eyes stare at a spot on the floor. "No, I'm not letting him"

"Bella, don't be proud" He cups her cheek and feels her flinch away but he holds her firmly. "I want more for you" He says. "You are so smart, you can continue your first class education"

Bella bites her lip and shakes her head.

"What?" Edward says to Charlie.

"She is not going, what is in that girls head?" He wonders aloud. "I know you two, something" He shakes his head. He doesn't know what is going on with them. What has been going on with them. But Edward can reach her when no one else can. "Talk to her for me?" Charlie pleads.

Nodding he picks up some wood as he and Charlie move it to the trunk. "Of course" But he intends to speak to his father as soon as possible before hand.

"Where is your lovely girlfriend?" Edward Sr. asks his son. He and Esme got back two nights ago from a wonderful European vacation. He expected to see the lovely Charlotte with him. His son is a full accounting graduate. He doesn't know his plans yet. He needs to ask Charlotte for her hand. And move back to New York fulltime.

Edward stands in the large library. "She is flying down in a few weeks"

"Good, when are you going to pop the question?"

"Did you know Bella was not planning on going to school?"

Edward Sr. looks at his son. "I heard that rumor" Esme found out through Susan Black. He is pretty sure Susan and Charles Swan are sleeping together. He doesn't care as long as they keep it under wraps.

"Did you, any reason why that is?"

"No clue, I think she should re-consider, if she is worried about paying us back, she must know that is not necessary"

Edward eyes his father carefully, he watches for any truth in what Bella accused. "You have no idea why she would deny something she has been planning for years?"

"No idea, at all" Edward Sr. says rather forcefully. "Talk her into it"

"Now you want me to talk to Bella?"

"To get her to go to school, there is no reason for her not to"

"No?"

"None at all" Edward Sr. states firmly. "Now I am very busy here" He dismisses his 24 year old son.

"You told Edward" Edward Sr. finds her.

Flinching at his presence.

"He didn't believe you" Edward's behavior was telling the other day when he was bombarded with his questions. "Did you think he would, and then run away with you, a fairytale?" He stares at this young woman before him. "It is not going to happen, as much as Edward thinks he hates me…I am his father and you are just a handyman's daughter, now a liar"

"I will distance myself from you and your family" She wants nothing to do with any of these people; they are the worst kind of people.

"Don't be a silly, the best thing is for you to take this chance we are so kindly offering and go to school"

"I want nothing from you" She hisses out. For him to stand before her like nothing happened. She rubs her head and steps further away from him. His presence is sickening. Maybe Edward is right, maybe nothing happened. Bella watches him wink at her and retreat the same way he came.

Bella squeezes her eyes shut, she thinks about her mother, father, Jacob, Edward. She can barely breathe, tears leak from her eyes at how brutal Mr. Masen is being with her, but tender also, it is so wrong and awful. Her hands come up shaky and push his shoulders. 'Just stop' She mutters turning her head away from his mouth. It is not right, nothing about it feels good. It feels good with Edward and he thought that was wrong, but this doesn't feel good certainly is wrong. 'Please' Bella whispers out before his mouth takes her again.

But something did happen.

"Charlie told me you aren't going to university, you got accepted to all that you applied to and you aren't going, what are you planning on doing?" He is fuming, so mad. He hasn't spoken to her since he left her in her room after she told him that his father raped her. But he had to intervene when Charlie asked him. He was hoping to get lucky the entire summer and stay out of Bella's way. It was better like that, things didn't hurt. The distance didn't hurt as much.

Bella stares at the still lake. "Go away"

His father told him to talk her into it, and by damn he will. "No, no" Edward tugs her arm making her look at him, or through him whatever she is now at least facing in his direction paying somewhat attention to him rather than being so rude and closed off. "You are going"

"I'm not"

"Yes you are even…" He growls in her face unable to control the anger pouring through him. She claims his father raped her, now she is not going to school; he stayed away from her so that she would go and then maybe they could have something, as adults, their own controlled friendship, she would have her education it is only 4 more years.

"Let me go" Bella tugs her arm away. "We have nothing to say to each other ever"

"What, how do you think I feel, you accuse my father of such a horrible thing, and now this, don't you get it?"

"I get that someone I thought we my best friend in the world thinks I am a liar, I don't" She pauses thinking. "I'm done; you want to know what I am doing?"

"Yeah, I want to know what you plan to do with your life"

Bella tugs her arm free. "I am getting the hell out of this place"

"Is this about us, me not being with you like you want, Jacob told me you are in love with me"

"Fuck you Edward, just, I'm done" She throws her hands up and turns to go before she is roughly pulled back again. "Ooo stop" She shoves him. "Stop it"

"If you want me to give you something that will make you go, make everything I have done worth something tell me, what do you want, a kiss, sex, what?"

"You make me sick" She shoves him away as he holds her close around her body pressing her against him.

Edward doesn't even feel her rough assault as he just stares at her. "Bella, take the money"

"No" She wants nothing more from the Masen's. Nothing.

"Just take it, go to school far away if you want, but take his money" Pushing her away, staying away from her so that she will get the best will all be for nothing. Nothing, if she doesn't take his parents money and go off to school and become something amazing. He knows she will be.

She feels like a common whore, taking his money as a repayment for the sex he took. She wants to laugh at it all. And cry. Turning her head away as she is still against him, his arm around her body. "When I do" She sniffs.

Edward looks at the top of her head.

"I'm not coming back"

"If that's what would make you happy"

"It is" She admits. She wants to be far away, her father will be fine, Jake will be fine, she will never have to see Mr. Masen again, and Edward, well he has always been fine without her.

Edward holds his arm around her body still, holding her close; he can feel her silent sobs erupt in her body. He is not sure he would be happy without knowing she is at Masen Manor, or will be back during vacations there.

"Let me go" She says, not just her body he is holding but everything he has of her.

"Bella"

"Just let me go, I can't take much more" Her hands touch his chest and she tries to push away from him once again.

Edward stares at her face and he is aching inside for some reason. He knows if she holds true to what she is saying she will be gone come the fall, for good. He knows she wants to leave because of him. He hopes she didn't say this about his father in an attempt to keep him or get him with her. He can't see that, but he also doesn't see any other reason for it. His other hand reaches up and touches her cheek.

"Just" Her tears flow freely, it feels amazing to be in his arms and she wishes he would give her what she needs, and she doesn't even know what it is, but, she doesn't have it from him yet.

"I didn't push you away because I wanted to, I did it for you, just take his money, okay"

Nodding her head she sighs softly looking down now, her eyes are on his chest but she is not looking at it or anything, just a staring off gaze.

"Okay" Edward whispers to her, he presses his lips to her forehead before letting her go, and in the next second almost before he could open his eyes from the tender forehead kiss she is gone.

September 2002

Bella is 19

Edward is 24

"I think I only feel okay because you are in Washington" Charlie says looking around Bella's dorm room. "Because your Great Aunt Violet is 30 minutes away, and you have her number" He doesn't know why Bella picked a university across the country. But she said this is the best arts program she saw. He doesn't know whether to believe her or not. But she is the one that got accepted into all these schools. So he trusts her.

"I will be fine"

"I know" Charlie touches his daughter's face. "I just worry, I will be in New York and you will be all the way up here" He looks around his hand still on her cheek. You're 19" He grins.

"See a big girl"

"A young woman, have fun, not too much" He warns her with a laugh. "But enough. Call, at least once a day"

"No, twice a week"

"Three times"

"Deal" Bella smiles.

"You will do something I never got, I am so glad you did this, I don't know what Edward said to you, but he is a miracle worker" Charlie smiles he knows the two of them haven't spoken all summer, something is going on, has been for a few years now. He figures they will be okay.

"He didn't say anything I needed to hear" Bella says softly.

"Well, you are here, and you will be wonderful"

"Thank you"

Edward is officially home for good. He got a job easily, but didn't start until the fall. Sitting at his desk he looks at his computer. His mind wanders around, mostly he is thinking of Bella. How is she doing, when he speaks to Charlie at the house he is upbeat and happy to say that Bella is wonderful. This is from what he hears more than twice a week. Charlie passed along her number to him.

His finger scrolls over his screen. He looks at her name in his contacts. He has picked her maybe a dozen times, he has yet to press call. For some reason his chest hurts with wanting to call her. The past few years have really been hell, hurting her as he stayed away from her. Now her moving so far away, he is back and honestly he thought she would be going to school in state.

His finger taps again lightly over the call button; he presses it down before swiftly hanging up. He holds his cell for a few moments before resting it down.

December 2002

Bella is 19

Edward is 24

Jacob is 22

"You are ridiculous for not coming here for Christmas, Charlie is so not happy"

"Oh I got an earful, and every time I have spoken to him since I told him what I was doing, I've gotten an earful" Bella sighs shrugging to herself. "I love it here" She really does, the weather is different. Piss poor. But being away, not feeling trapped, hurt, and angry. Not feeling it over powering her is what she loves. Forgetting, she loves that too.

"I miss you"

"I miss you too Jake" Bella smiles. "You need to come and visit me"

"You come and visit us, everyone is here" He points out.

"Yeah" Bella agrees everyone she doesn't want to see. "We'll see, but have a great Christmas okay?"

"You too"

"I want to know what is going on with the pair of you" Jacob questions him.

"I want to know how she is" Edward glares.

"You want to know, call her and ask"

"She doesn't want to talk to me"

"Good then you don't need to know how she is" Jacob turns to walk away.

Edward grabs him by the shirt on his shoulder.

"Get off me" He shoves Edward.

Edward shoves him back. God he hates Jacob, and there is no valid reason, Bella has always and will always be between them.

"Bastard" Jacob punches him, out of line slightly for no reason.

Edward slams him in the face right back. "How is she?" He yells.

"Fuck you" Jacob hits him again.

"You little shit"

"You have a" They are tousling around now grabbing each other's clothing and trying to trip each other up with feet. "-freaking girlfriend, leave Bella alone"

"I don't need to leave her alone, how is she?" Edward jabs his knee up against Jacob's stomach, causing the man to gasps for breath.

Jacob slams his hand into Edward's face again once he regains his balance knocking him to the floor. "Screw you, you wanna know, call her up" Jacob walks off leaving Edward on the floor.

NO Edward doesn't end up calling (he's a little shit)

BUT up next we have:

Bella getting some help

*US* Finding out what is on the tape he gave to her years ago

And some flashbacks. These are actually flashbacks so I may do them in italics. But the date and ages will be there to guide you so no one is confused.