Chapter 18 Explanation
Billy repeated the question, incredulity turning into anger. "Jacob Black! Why the hell is Bella sleeping in your bed?"
Jacob closed his gaping mouth and shook his head clear. His father was sitting in his wheelchair in the door, slowly escalating into a fit of anger. Jacob glanced down at Bella who was curled up next to him, completely oblivious to what was going on.
"Did you have sex with her?" Billy finally asked, laying the question down on the table.
Jacob flushed heavily and shook his head furiously. "No dad! I didn't sleep with her."
Billy wheeled himself into the room and stopped once he was in front of the bed. Reaching out, he shook Bella awake roughly and the girl nearly cascaded to the floor.
"Don't kill her!" Jacob nearly screamed, catching Bella before she collided into Billy's wheelchair.
"Wake up!" Billy slapped the sides of her cheek and Bella's eyes snapped opened in horror.
"I didn't do it!" she screamed, scrambling to get away from Billy's hands. Billy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Please don't beat me." she sobbed, not seeing the room but being overtaken by a memory.
Edward pushed Bella down and struck her across her cheek. "Why did you do that?" he screamed in her face. "You ruined my dinner party!"
Bella rubbed her cheek in horror. She'd noticed Edward had been drinking at the party, but she didn't think he'd actually get drunk. She was sorry to see he was an angry drunk.
"I'm s-s-sorry Edward. You know I didn't mean to-
Another slap to her face caused her eyes to prickle. She didn't want to cry, but it was her body's natural reaction to the pain in her face. "Edward, please stop hitting me." she murmured softly, wincing when he loomed over her.
"You ruined it!" he snarled, wobbling slightly. "This was important to me!" Edward grabbed her roughly by her shirt collar and made her stand eye to eye to him. Although it was quiet uncomfortable for her. She had to stand on tip toes just to keep his grip from tearing her shirt.
"I-I-I-I just thought t-t-t-that the people w-w-w-would like the c-c-cupcakes." she admitted softly.
Earlier that day, she'd baked dozens of colorful cupcakes for Edward's business dinner/dinner party. But he didn't like them and called them childish. At first she was hurt and was going to dispose of the cupcakes. But then her friends convinced her to bring them anyway and prove Edward wrong. So, she boxed up all of the cupcakes and brought them to the dinner party.
After setting them up on a table, many of the guests laughed at their color and dubbed them adorable. They were consumed and enjoyed by many. But a few select people did find them inappropriate for the dinner party's elegance. Those people had left early and frazzled Edward with their comments. He'd turned to drinking and before Bella knew it, the party was over and shed become Edward's punching bag.
"You fool!" he slammed her against the wall and Bella cringed from the impact on her back. "Stop interfering with my life!" he snapped in her face.
Bella felt the first of many tears sprout from her eyes and tumble down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." she whispered, feeling his grip on her slacken.
"Whatever." he grunted, releasing her and letting her sink to the ground. Shuffling away, Edward left Bella to cry alone in the room.
It was the first time he'd ever hit her. Normally it was accident but this, this was serious. She knew she couldn't tell anyone, because he was only drunk. It was just his drunken self acting out. That's not how he really felt or would act towards her. So it was okay. She'd keep this their secret and hope that in the morning all would be forgotten and things would go back to normal.
"Bella it's okay. Calm down." Jacob cooed, trying to shake her back to reality.
Billy forgot for a moment the situation and looked apologetic. "I didn't know she was traumatized." he mumbled, wheeling away from her and towards the girl.
Jacob looked into Bella's eyes and still found them glazed over. She had not returned to the present yet and her body was trembling uncontrollably. "I didn't mean to!" she screamed, covering her face as if to protect it from being hit.
"I'm sorry!" she screamed again, still convulsing.
Billy eyed the girl in horror and Jacob rubbed small circles on her back. "Bella, it's okay." he whispered. "Hey. It's okay."
Rachel took that moment to enter. With her hangover in full effect, she'd woken easily from the noise emitting from the room. "What's all the racket-
Upon spotting Bella, Rachel frowned, then looked at Bella's curled up position on the bed. She had her back against the wall and Jacob was trying to comfort her. The girl looked like she was having a seizure from the way her body was convulsing.
Rachel then looked at Billy and frowned. She guessed that Bella had fell asleep in Jacob's bed and Billy now knew. "Oh, so Bella slept walked in here again?" Rachel asked her brother. Jacob and Billy both looked at Rachel with wide eyes. Rachel yawned and scratched her head. "I was looking for her. I thought she was kidding when she said that sometimes she sleep walks."
"Sleepwalking?" Billy repeated dumbly. Rachel nodded, stifling another yawn. Fixing her gaze on Jacob she spoke again.
"Yeah, Bella told me she does it often but I didn't know she was serious." Jacob smiled at his sister, relief clear in his eyes. He mouthed 'thank you' to her and Billy returned his gaze to Jacob.
"Is that true Jacob?" Jacob nodded, eying Bella who was calming down and returning to the present.
"I was wondering why you were accusing me and I guess I grew speechless because it's not often I wake up and find a pretty girl sleeping next to me." Jacob flushed lightly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"I'm pretty?" Bella asked, eying Jacob with a small smile.
Jacob didn't respond but flushed harder. Billy laughed and wheeled himself around so he could leave. "I thought I was going to have to lecture you boy. Well, now that that cleared up, I'm going to make me some breakfast."
Once Billy had left the room, Jacob's shoulders sagged wearily. "Man that was close." he grumbled, scratching his head.
"A little too close, Jakey." Rachel chastised, massaging her temples. "What would've happened if I hadn't been here to lie for you?" Jacob shrugged, glancing over at Bella.
"I don't know." he answered seriously. "But hey, the storm has passed. We're in the clear." he flashed his sister a smile and Rachel rolled her eyes.
Turning to Bella, Jacob wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a gentle hug. "You had a memory flashback didn't you?" he asked, referring to her memory from earlier. Bella shivered as the memory wormed it's way back into her brain.
Wiping her face, Bella rubbed against her bruised cheeks and winced. "You okay?" a concerned voice asked. Bella looked up sadly and saw Emmett standing before her with an empty glass in his hand.
"I'm f-f-fine." she stuttered, getting up quickly and preparing to run to her room. Emmett reached out, and grabbed her arm, gingerly.
"What happened?" he asked softly. Bella looked up at him with teary eyes and wondered if she should tell him. Deciding against it, she just pointed to the floor.
"I t-t-tripped." she lied, shaking his hand free of it's light grasp. Emmett quirked an eyebrow but didn't press her for the truth. He knew that she was lying and she knew that he knew as well.
"I know this might sound like I'm coming onto you, but I swear I'm not." he smiled briefly. "I'm here for you, you know that right?"
Bella smiled a watery smile and nodded slowly. She could feel a headache forming. "I know, and thank you." He leaned over and gave Bella a quick hug.
After releasing her, Bella hurried to her room where she could cry the rest of her frustrations in peace.
Looking up into Jacob's eyes, she shook her head. "It was nothing too important. I can barely remember it now." Bella's smile didn't reach her eyes and Jacob vaguely wondered if she were lying.
"Well, what are your plans for today?" Rachel asked, breaking the weird silence.
Bella shrugged, then remembered Jessica's 'request'. "I'm going to Jessica's place later to cook."
Jacob looked at Rachel's somewhat annoyed face happily. "Oh, looks like you won't be able to spend all day with Bella. Oh well."
Rachel stuck her tongue out at Jacob and Bella laughed. "She can come along and help me if she wants." Bella suggested, causing Rachel to beam at the now gloomy Jacob.
"And it's too bad Jakey can't come. He has work!" Rachel said enthusiastically. Jacob glared at his sister, then sighed.
"I hope you burn your food." Jacob cursed under his breath.
A/N: So I learned in English 1010 today that when people speak, you have to separate their lines and it can't all be in one paragraph. That's why this chapter's structure was different. Anywho whatcha think about the chapter?