Chapter 28

On my back are several scars from when I was hit with a wire hanger. I stand there waiting for her to react and when I don't hear anything I turn to see what she's doing. She's standing there staring at me and her eyes are completely black. I swallow hard and go to lower my shirt but she stops me.

I jerk when I feel her cool fingers trace a scar.

"Shh. It's only my Abigail." She whispered.

I stand stock-still and let her trace several more scars.

"Was it your Aunt and Uncle?" She asked and I hear a bit of anger in her voice.

I was a bit concerned at how well she was taking this, though.

"A cousin." I murmured.

"The one you talked to earlier?" she bit out.

"No. He found out and…made it stop."

"How?"

"He beat the shit out of Thomas. He broke three ribs, a collarbone, and several facial bones. Not to mention ruptured his spleen."

"It wasn't enough." She whispered.

"He's in prison now, so…" I trailed off.

"He's still alive and that's more than he deserves."

She leans her head against my shoulder and brings one hand around my waist to my stomach while the other traces a scar on my lower back. I want to pull away but her hand on my stomach pulls me to her instead.

"I should have found you sooner and taken you away." She admitted.

"You couldn't have. The story said I had to be raised by my father's family."

"I could have stopped it from happening. I would have kept an eye on you and prevented anything like that from happening."

I stand there and contemplate what she said. I'm not sure it would have worked or if she could have stopped it. From what momma's personal assistant said, there were 'things' out there trying to twist my mind and that they had people from inside my family helping them. Was Thomas their agent? Or was he as twisted on his own to do this to me? If she stopped him, it could've been someone else.

I feel the tickling in the back of my throat and try to clear it but that's when the coughing starts. It starts off as a small cough but escalates enough to make my whole body shake. Tanya squeezes me a little harder and rubs my back, still bare.

"Let's get you some food and then bed, Love." Tanya whispered and kissed my neck.

Nodding, I let her lead me out of the room. I made a pit stop by the bathroom before going to the kitchen. It was quiet in the house. Once we were in the kitchen, Esme was there heating up some stew she made earlier. The only light on was one over the island. She was also cooking something that smell strongly of onions.

Sitting at the island, I rubbed my face a couple times to wake up more. After doing that and scratching my head I looked at Esme and she gave me a small smile. I'm pretty sure she heard everything I told Tanya in the room and I think she's trying to reassure me that I was okay.

"Where's everyone at?" I whispered.

I don't know why considering that only five people in the house sleep regularly.

"Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Kate and Garrett went hunting. The others are keeping to themselves." Esme replied.

"Oh."

I sat there watching her strain the onions from the syrup she made. I know what she's doing. My aunt used to make the stuff for us kids every time we got sick. If one kid got sick, it would go through the whole house and everyone would get sick.

She made onion syrup to help with the congestion and it actually worked. She would put a teaspoon in a cup of hot tea for us to drink. As I was thinking that, the microwave beeped. Esme opened the door and placed a steaming bowl of stew in front of me with a couple pieces of bread. She, then, placed a huge mug in front me too. Hot tea. Apparently, she knew the recipe.

I took the bread in pulled apiece off and bite into it. Homemade!

"Homemade bread?" I asked.

"Yes." Esme said giving me a look of concern. Like she was asking if I liked it.

"I haven't had homemade bread in forever. It's delicious." I murmured between bites.

"Thank you, Abigail." She answered.

Nodding, I dug into the stew. It was just as good. Not paying anyone attention, I was a bit surprised that Tanya excused herself and left my side. Watching her walk away I couldn't help but stare. Turning to see Esme give me a small smirk, I lowered my head and continued eating.

She walked around the island and took Tanya's seat.

"Mind if I talk to you for a bit?" She asked.

"No." I replied.

"I want to apologize first of all."

"For what?" I asked.

"I overheard you and Tanya talking upstairs."

"Oh."

"Please forgive me."

"You're forgiven. I'm sure everyone will probably hear it eventually." I admitted.

I'm not happy by that but; I think they have the right to know why I act so weird around people.

"I want to talk to you about my own past. We are alike in so many aspects, Abby." She explained.

"Really?" I asked. How could we be alike?

"Yes, Abby, we are."

With that she went on and told me about her human life.

When she was sixteen, she fell out of a tree and broke her leg. The town doctor wasn't in that day but Carlisle was. She remembers seeing him and instantly fell for him. She only saw him the one time but it left a mark on her. Over the next several years, she compared the men who tried to woo her to the handsome doctor and no one measured up.

She asked her father if she could travel out west and teach. It was something she dreamed of doing. He told her no and that it wasn't something a young lady of her stature was entitled to. That was the time when women did as they were told to.

Instead, her father introduced her to a close friend of his and set them up for a date. She was the only one of her siblings to not marry and that was unacceptable. The man, Charles, was almost twice her age and she only accepted the date out of duty for her father. Shortly after that, the two were married and that's when things went downhill.

To the public, Charles seemed nice and affectionate, even courteous to everyone. But, once everyone was gone and the curtains closed, he turned into someone else. The beating she took over meaningless things weren't as bad as the verbal abuse. She could never do anything right around him. He commented about every little thing she did. And, when that wasn't enough, he would rape her and tell her she deserved it.

I sat there dumbfounded. When I wouldn't take a bite to eat, because I was so involved in her story, she would tap the countertop and make me eat before she would continue her story.

She asked her father if she could move back in and explained what was happening but he refused. He told her that she had to put up with it and learn to deal with being a dutiful wife. It's sad that that sort of thing still goes on in today's society.

When the United States entered World War I, Esme's husband went off to fight. She said that it was the happiest of her life. She had almost two years of peace and quiet, but that all changed when he returned. She said that he was a different man and that he became more violent.

She left him when she became pregnant. She didn't want to bring a child into a house like that. She moved to Milwaukee with some cousins but left when he found out where she was. A cousin was tipped off when he was asking if anyone seen her around. She moved to Ashland and gave birth to a boy but he only lived a few days.

The baby was the only thing that kept her going and when he died she had nothing left to live. She tried to commit suicide but when she leapt from a cliff nearby. She didn't die right away. However, the men who found her took her to the morgue and that's when Carlisle found her.

He changed her when he saw that it was the same young woman he met several years earlier. He, himself, had never forgot her and was sadden by the turn of events her life had taken.

"Abigail. It took me a long time to trust Carlisle and even Edward. I knew they both loved me, but it took a long time to realize that and accept what happened in the past was in the past. I had to let go of that part of myself to start living again."

I sat there looking at her. She has no idea how similar we both are.

"I'm telling you this to let you know that Tanya will do whatever it takes for you to realize that she isn't going anywhere. Neither are we. I hope you realize that sooner rather than later."

"It's hard." I croaked. I cleared my throat and continued. "I've been told my whole life that I wasn't worth loving or that I if did find love that it wouldn't last long."

"And, you believed it?" She asked.

"Not until Cody died, I didn't." I admitted.

She cups my face and looks me in the eyes.

"Those that hurt and abuse us had control and power over us. That's all it was. At some point in their lives, they lost that and took out what they lost on us. It took me a long time to figure it out. Carlisle is a saint. He never lost patience with me and I doubt Tanya will either. Let her in and talk to her. The more you don't talk about it, the more you're letting him control you."

I tried to look away but Esme kept me from it.

"It's going to take some time, I know, but we are all here for you."

I slowly nod as the tears stream down onto her hands. She doesn't move them either. She takes her thumbs and wipes them away. Then leans over and hugs me. No one has ever told me that before.

My aunt attempted to keep Thomas away and protect me, but it was a poor attempt. I could understand though. Who to protect, your son, whom you gave birth to, or the niece that landed on your porch after her mother left?

My uncle, on the other hand, blamed me for Thomas' reaction. He told me that if I hadn't been around, then Thomas would have been good. I was to blame for everything that happened in that house.

Josiah and William tried to shield me from the backlash I was receiving but they couldn't stop everything. I cried when they both left for the military, one to the marines the other to the army. I knew without them, it would be open season. Elizabeth and Jeremiah paid little attention to me and never showed their affections towards me.

When Esme broke the hug, she pulled back and looked at me.

"I can tell your temperature is rising. Why don't you go back up to Alice's room and I'll have Carlisle come up when he gets back. Did the tea help any?"

"Yeah. It did. I don't feel as congested. Thanks." I replied.

"Good."

"You know, my aunt used to make that all the time when I was growing up. When one kid got sick, we all did. I was the worst. Had bad allergies and was always congested. So, I knew what you were doing." I admitted.

"It's an old remedy and works pretty good." She stated.

I nodded and before I could stand up, Esme had my mug full of hot tea again.

I go to leave but stop and look at her.

"Esme." I said.

"Yes, hon."

"Do you still think of your son?" I whispered.

"All the time." she answered and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Thanks for telling me. It helped." I replied.

"Don't think anything of it, Abby. We're here for you now and no one is leaving you."

I nod and take off back up stairs. When I get to the second set of stairs, Rosalie and Emmett are making their way down. Rosalie stops and gives me a hug. Then kisses my forehead. Emmett ruffles my head and causes me to glare at him.

"Hey, Snot, how ya doin?" He asked with a huge smile.

"Who told you that?" I asked, miffed by my nickname.

"Jamie." He said cheerfully.

That boy!

"Leave her alone Emmett." Rosalie stated with a glare of her own. "Carlisle is almost here and wants to see how you're doing, Abby. I must admit you look like crap."

"Thanks. I feel like it too." I replied continuing up the stairs.

When I reached the top I see Tanya standing by the bathroom, waiting for me. I hand her my mug and go inside.

"Are you going to tell me how you got that nickname?" She asked with a smile of her own.

"No." I said and shut the door.