Chapter Thirty-six: Actions and Consequences

Edward's Point Of View

I wake up late the next morning to the sound of my phone vibrating like mad on my nightstand. I try to ignore it, hoping for a few extra minutes of sleep, but when it doesn't stop I sit up and reach across to grab it hastily, already mentally cursing at whoever is texting me so persistently when they know I was out late last night.

I grit my teeth when I see Jesse's face lighting up my screen. I rub my eyes tiredly with my fists and glance at the screen. There's several messages, all from him. Each message gets more and more sinister, proving to me yet again what a complete and utter fucking jackass he is.

Cullen

So you're just going to ignore me? You can't ignore me forever!

Okay this is fucked. Will you answer the god damn phone!

This is ridiculous! So I felt her up a little bit, so what? It's not like anything actually fucking happened

Man fuck you for ignoring me

HELLO

Fine, is this the game we're playing now? You're probably just jealous that I would have fucked that bitch before you had the chance to

There's a few more texts after that one, but I can't read them with my phone shaking in my hands. I feel my whole body go numb when I read that text, and my vision clouds over with red.

"FUCK!" I holler as I sit up straight and throw my phone at my bedroom wall. It slams into a framed picture and lands on the floor in the pile of broken glass. The screen is probably shattered, but I honestly don't give a fuck.

Who the fuck does Jesse think he is to be saying these things about any girl, let alone my Bella? Joking or not, he's gone to far.

I don't think he was joking, though. Not even a little part of me thinks that he was going to stop if I hadn't if shown up and whisked Bella away from him, especially now that he practically admitted it to me in those text messages.

I throw my blankets off and get out of bed as quickly as I can, pacing around my room as I pull at my hair, trying to plot my next move. I can't let him get away with this. I fucking won't, not this time, not anymore.

He crossed the line, and he needs to pay for it, one way or another.

I reach both my hands up to hold the back of my head as I force my eyes shut, trying to think. All my thoughts are a jumbled mess, and I can barely see straight, let alone think.

Suddenly, I hear my bedroom door open and hear my father clear his throat. "Edward?" he says, opening the door wider. "What was all that noise?"

I turn to face him just as he steps into my bedroom and looks around at the mess of broken glass on the floor. When his eyes finally land on me, I watch as he scans over me, his features instantly becoming concerned.

"What happened, son? Is everything alright?"

"No Dad, everything is not okay!" I yell a little too loudly as I pull open my top dresser and get T-shirt so I'm not just standing there in my pyjama bottoms. Once I'm fully clothed I turn and make a beeline for the door, not really sure of where I'm planning on going but knowing that I can't stay here anymore.

I'm stopped abruptly when Carlisle places his two hands onto my shoulders, stopping me dead in my tracks. He shakes me a little, clearly trying to snap me out of whatever erratic daze I'm currently in.

"Edward,what is going on?" he asks, trying to look me in the eyes. I feel bad when I hear how worried he sounds. It's been a while since he's had to deal with my rage - I've been doing so well since I came to live with him and Esme, even though our beginning was rather rough. "You're starting to scare me, son. I can tell something is wrong and you are absolutely not leaving this house unless you tell me what's going on."

"Don't you have to work today?" I snap a little harsher than I mean.

Carlisle dismisses me with a wave of his fingers. "I took the day off for your game, remember? But even if I was, work can wait. My son is clearly upset and that's what most important to me right now."

I focus on taking a few deep breaths to steady myself. A part of me wants to push Carlisle out of the way so I can go find Jesse and give him exactly what I think he deserves (a black eye, a bloody nose, and perhaps a broken bone or two) but there's another, more logical side of myself that's telling me exactly what I need to do. Carlisle was always someone I could count on, always has been. He would always show up when I got in trouble, and never once did he get angry with me. He would just explain to me why he thought I did what I did, and he was right ninety-nine percent of the time. He was my voice of reason when I let my emotions get the best of me, so who better help me navigate through this fucking mess?

I relax my shoulders under his touch, and he takes this as a sign to remove his hands and drop them back to his sides. His face remains puzzled as he gestures for me to sit on my bed. I do, and he sits next to me.

I lean forward, putting my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. "Something happened last night," I begin to tell him. "Something at prom... with Bella."

"Is she alright?" he asks slowly.

I sigh, nodding my head. "She's fine, but only because I found her."

Carlisle cocks his eyebrow. "You've lost me, son. Start from the beginning."

I take a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair. "Last night at prom, when it was soon over and people were starting to leave, Bella's friend came to me and asked me if I knew where Bella was. Apparently she told her friends she had to go to the bathroom, and when she didn't come back they went looking and couldn't find her. She thought maybe I was with her, but I wasn't. I told her friend that I'd look for her, and I searched the whole school with no luck." I take a deep, shaky breath as I get ready to utter the next sentences. I clutch my fists tightly at my sides, trying with all my might not to jump up and punch a whole in my wall.

"Go on," Carlisle urges me with a nod of his head.

"I found her in the locker room. I don't know why she was in there, but she... she wasn't alone, Dad."

"She was with another boy?" he asks. I can tell right away what he is thinking, which is that I'm upset I caught Bella being with another boy willingly.

I shake my head. "No, no, no, not like that. It wasn't just that she was with another boy. She was with Jesse, and he... he..." I stand up again, closing my eyes shut as tightly as I can. I don't want to hear the words come out of my mouth. I don't want to relive that moment ever again, but I know if I want justice for Bella then I'm going to have to spit it out so I turn to face my dad again. "He was pushing her against the lockers, and he was... touching her. But she was begging him to let her go, so I went after him. Punched him in the face and then I left with Bella. He said it was only a joke, but I don't know what he would have done if I hadn't shown up when I did... He's giving me a pretty good idea from those text messages, though."

"Are we talking about Jesse Davis? Waylon Davis' son?"

I nod.

Carlisle and Jesse's dad, Waylon, played football together for two years in high school before Carlisle quit after realizing his dream was not football, but medicine instead. Waylon, however, graduated from Forks High with a full ride football scholarship and has always wanted the same for his son ever since. "Why would Jesse want to hurt Bella?" Carlisle inquires.

I turn to look my adoptive father right in the eyes. "I care about her, Dad. I really, truly do. Her and Grace changed me, for the better. He said he's been seeing that I'm different lately, and I guess he was trying to scare her away so that he could have the old me back and we could focus on football. But I don't want the old me back. I'm finally becoming someone who I can look at in the mirror, and he's trying to mess it all up."

Carlisle takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. "Well, Edward, this is rather serious. What are the text messages are you referring to? Can I see them?"

I stand up from my place on the bed and get my phone from the pile of glass. The screen is completely shattered, but thankfully the phone still works. I sit back down next to him and hand him the device, letting him read each message Jesse sent me since last night.

He hands me back the phone, shaking his head. "It seems his intentions were pretty clear, Edward." He reaches his arm across my back and squeezes my shoulder. "You did the right thing by telling me. Actions like this cannot go unpunished. If he would do something like this to Bella, then he would do it to another girl."

I grit my teeth at my father's words, knowing they're true.

Suddenly Carlisle is standing. "I'm going to go into my office and call your principal. Please don't worry, Edward. This is the right thing to do."

"I know it is," I tell him truthfully. "I just... I don't want Bella dragged into all of this. She's got a lot going on right now... I don't want her to be any more stressed than she already is. I'm sure those text messages are evidence enough."

Carlisle offers me a warm, sincere smile, and then reaches over to squeeze my shoulder reassuringly again. "We will see what happens. Go shower and get dressed, because I have a feeling that your principal is going to want to have a meeting face to face."

AS YOU WISH

Carlisle was right, Principal Green wanted us to come to the school right away after Carlisle explained he had a serious concern that couldn't wait.

The entire drive over I bounced my leg like a madman while looking out the window and nervously rubbed my open palm against the top of my leg.

This is the right thing to do, I keep reminding myself as we walk towards the entrance. Deep inside of me I know it is, but it doesn't make it any less scary, especially now since there was no going back. Jesse is going to fucking hate me for ratting on him, but what the hell am I suppose to do? Let him go on thinking that what he did wasn't completely fucking stupid and reckless? Let him think that acting that way is okay when it's the farthest thing from it?

Principal Green is waiting for us when Carlisle and I arrive at his office. It's not only him there, but Coach Broderick, too. Dad must have told him he had concerns with a football player, because why else would Coach be sitting in this meeting as well? When they see my father, they stand up and stick their arms across his desk to offer Carlisle a firm handshake each.

"Dr. Cullen, it's been too long! How's everything over there at Forks General? My wife says the emergency department has been absolutely crazy these last few weeks," Principal Green begins. His wife, Kate, is a nurse at the same hospital that my dad works at.

Carlisle takes a seat in one of the two chairs across from Principal Green's desk, and I sit in the other one. "You know, same ole, same ole. We always pick up around this time of year. The sun comes out and everyone lets their guard down. Excellent time for accidents of all sorts."

Principal Green chuckles, and then reaches inside his desk drawer to pull out a notebook and grabs a pen from the holder.

"Now," he begins, looking at my father, "you said earlier on the phone you had some concerns regarding our prom last night and a student, Jesse Davis. Correct?"

Carlisle nods. "Correct."

"And that issue is?" Coach Broderick interjects.

Carlisle looks at me. "Will I tell them, or will you tell them?" he asks me.

Principal Green clears his throat. "If Edward was there to witness anything, I'd like to hear straight from the source, especially if the matter is as serious as you claim it to be, Carlisle."

I don't miss a beat. It's now or never. "I caught Jesse Davis in the locker room with a girl pressed up against the lockers," I blurt out, unable to hold it in anymore. "He was trying to touch her... He was touching her... And she didn't want him to."

Principal Green raises an eyebrow at me like he's suspicious of the words I'm saying, but Coach Broderick gives me a knowing look. He's coached us in football since we started playing, and I know he's heard the way Jesse talks about girls most times.

"How do you know she didn't want him to do that?" my principal asks me. "How do you know she wasn't there willingly?"

I clench my fists at my sides at his suggestion. Does he really think I'd make a big deal out of this if I thought she wanted it at all?

"I think she made it pretty clear by begging him to get off of her. I heard her as I walked into the locker room, and then I saw what he was doing to her. He pinned her against the lockers and was running his hand up her leg. If I never showed up... if I never showed up then I can almost guarantee he wouldn't have stopped, despite what he might say."

Principal Green let's out an audible breath of air as he slumps back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Who was the girl, Edward? Please tell me you know. We need to question her, get her side of things. I trust your judgment, but we can never be too sure. These are some pretty serious allegations."

I clamp my teeth shut and grind them together to keep myself from reaching over this table and grabbing Principal Green by the tie. Does he really think I'd go against my so-called "friend" and make up all this bullshit the day of the biggest game of the year? I should be home tossing the ball with Emmett and Jasper right now, but instead I'm here because it's simply the right fucking thing to do, God dammit.

I look Coach Broderick in the eyes when I say. "Bella Swan."

I watch as Coach absorbs my words, his eyes becoming wide. He's one of the few select people who know that Bella is the mother of my child. He knows this hits home for me.

"Chief Swans daughter," Principal Green says with a huff. It angers me that this just seems like one big inconvenience to him. He looks at Coach. "We're going to have to call them in here. We need her side of the story before any punitive actions can occur."

"Son, show him the texts," Carlisle urges me with a nod of his head.

I reach into the back pocket of my jeans and pull out my shattered phone. I click it on and scroll to find the conversation, successfully impaling my fingertip with a loose shard. It draws a bit of blood but I don't feel any pain - the only thing I'm feeling right now is anger.

"Here," I say as I slide the phone across the desk towards my principal. "Read these. It's clear as day how far Jesse was willing to go, if I do say so myself."

Principal Green takes my phone, cocking his eyebrow at me when he sees the smashed screen. He reads each text, shakes his head and hands the phone to Coach, who reads the texts, offering a 'mhmm' or 'oh' as he scrolls.

Finally, Coach hands my phone back to me and nervously glances at Principle Green. "We're going to have to call them in for a meeting, get both sides of the story. But those texts... and it's Jesse. I'm not really surprised."

"Me neither," I grumble.

"I think that's a great idea," Carlisle interjects.

Principle Green let's out an audible huff and stands up, excusing himself from the room to make the required phone calls.

This will either go one of two ways.

One, Bella will be relieved that I took matters into my owns hands in regards to getting that dirtbag the punishment he deserves for ever even thinking of laying a hand on my girl, let alone actually having the fucking audacity to do it. Whenever I close my eyes all I can picture is his hand snaking it's way up her leg, farther and farther, until I burst in and stopped him dead in his tracks.

Or two, she'll hate me for going behind her back and opening up her secrets without letting her know first. I told her I would never lie to her again, and technically I'm not, but withholding this information from her makes me feel guilty that she wasn't part of the plan from the start. But this morning I had lost my cool, and my father was someone who I could confide in. He knew this was for the best, just like I did.

I just really hope Bella feels the same way.

I figured they would need to get Bella's side of the story, but part of me hoped that would be unnecessary and Jesse could be punished without ever having to drag Bella into this mess. Wishful thinking, definitely, but I can still hope.

Coach Broderick escorts Carlisle and I out of the office and down the hall to a large conference room. Carlisle and I take a seat across from Coach. Coach and Carlisle make small talk for a few minutes before Principle Green comes back.

"I just got off the phone. Chief Swan said they'll be here as fast as they can," he announces, and then takes a seat next to Coach.

Here we go, I think to myself.

Bella's Point of View

I wake up the next morning with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm certain it has something to do with the game later on tonight and everyone seeing me with Grace. I'm not ashamed of my daughter, not even a little bit, but I can't help but want to protect her from the stares and whispers I'm sure we will receive. But having her there is important to Edward, and in return it's important to me. I'd made him a promise and I intend to keep it, no matter how anxious it makes me feel.

I give Grace her medicine, grateful that she seems to be back to her normal self. She still has to take the antibiotics for another few days, but I'm so glad that she's back to her usual pleasant self.

Once Grace is fed and changed, and I've ate my breakfast, I decide to take advantage of this beautiful sunny day and take her for a walk. I call Jake to see if he'd like to join, but he's busy packing for his move to Seattle in a few days.

Jake going to Seattle had definitely taken me by surprise, but it made sense. He wanted what is best for Riley, and despite how much he hates Mel for everything she put him and the baby through, he knows this is for the best. She wants to parent her, or at least wants to try. I'll miss my best friend, but he assured me we could still each other over the summer.

I head to the bathroom to freshen myself up for our walk. I have leftover makeup still on my face from last night because I didn't bother to wash it off once Edward dropped me off. I just changed out of my dress, threw on my PJ's and called it a night.

I wash my face with warm water and cleanser, feeling refreshed when all the leftover goo Angela slapped on my face last night is gone. When I take off my long sleeved T-shirt in front of the bathroom mirror, I gasp. There on my left upper arm is an undeniable bruise in the shape of four fingers and a thumb. Had Jesse been holding me that tightly? He must have been, because of the evidence I now wore. The alcohol and rush of adrenaline must have clouded my ability to realize just how tightly he was gripping me last night.

I run my finger along the bruise, wincing at the tenderness. How had I not noticed this last night? Probably because I was wearing my shawl and then Edward's jacket, and I'm sure the little bit of alcohol I'd consumed must have had more of an affect on me than I'd like to admit.

Maybe I didn't realize because I was still on a high from everything happening with Edward and I. I still couldn't believe everything he'd told me last night - that the night we hooked up was not because he thought I was easy prey, but because he thought that there was something about me that the other girls in our school lacked. He thought I was different than them, and wanted to get to know me. We had both let our guards down a bit too much that night and let our attraction to one another in our drunken state get the better of us.

But that was the past, and this is now. He is with me and that is what matters the most.

I get dressed in a pair of black leggings and a tunic with sleeves that reach just above my elbows, long enough to cover the bruises on my arm. I run a brush through my hair and braid my bangs back, securing it in place with a bobby pin, then go back downstairs to head out for our walk.

Once Grace is secured in her car seat I take her outside and click the carrier into the stroller.

I want to call Edward but I know he's probably busy this morning, with the game tonight and all. Besides, it's barely ten o'clock in the morning; he's probably still sleeping since we were out kinda late last night.

Our walk is nice and refreshing, and ends too quickly if I'm honest. I could have spent the rest of the morning wandering the trails with her, but I know she'll want a bottle soon, so I turn around and head back to the house.

I'm surprised to see Charlie's cruiser in the driveway when I return. He's working today, and very rarely does he come home for lunch. He usually hits up the Cavern for a bite to eat if he didn't pack anything, but I distinctly remember Renee reminding him to grab his lunch bag from the fridge before he left this morning.

When I open the door, Charlie is right there.

"Hey, Dad," I greet him, switching the car seat from my left arm to my right. "Why are you home so early? Not feeling well?"

Charlie opens the door for me to step in, and I do. I take Grace out of her seat and hold her close as I walk into the living room to lay her on her play-mat. Charlie is right behind me. "I got a call from your principal while I was at work. He wants us both to come in as soon as possible for a meeting."

I'm a little confused. "You... what?"

"Are you in some kind of trouble, Bells?" Charlie asks, concern all over his face.

I stammer over my words. "I... I don't t-think so..."

"I called your mother. She's left work early to come home and watch Grace while we're gone... Are you sure you're not in any kind of trouble?"

"Why would I be in trouble, Dad? I haven't done anything wrong."

Then it hits me.

Jesse.

Someone must have found out what happened and went to the school about it. But who would do that? The only person who knows is...

Edward.

My breath hitches in my throat, and I instinctively reach my hand up to touch my bruise through the cotton of my shirt. Charlie must see the sudden look of shock on my face because he comes over and gives me a reassuring pat on the back.

"Don't worry about it, kid. We'll go there and figure out what they want. Maybe it has something to do with you going back to class in August? I know you were hoping to go back so you didn't have to do a full year from home. Maybe they want to get the wheels rolling on things."

"Yeah," I choke out. "Maybe that's it."

Suddenly the front door opens, and Renee walks into the house with her brief case in tow.

"I got here as quickly as I could," she announces, coming into the living room and setting her case down on the couch before going over and picking Grace up from her mat. "Hey there, little princess," she coos to the baby before looking at Charlie and me. "What's going on? Your dad said the school wanted to have some kind of meeting with you?"

I shrug. "I guess so. We'll see what they want when we get there."

"Let's go then, sweetie, we don't want to keep them waiting," Charlie says as he puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me out the door.

AS YOU WISH

Principal Green greets us in the lobby when we get to the school. He shakes my dad's hand and then guides us down the hall. I'm a little surprised when he passes his office - doesn't that seem like the logical place to have a parent/teacher meeting?

He opens the door to one of the conference rooms, and gestures for Charlie and I to enter before him. We do, and I stop abruptly when I see Edward and his father sitting at a long table with Coach Broderick.

I turn back to see Charlie's face, which is looking pretty hard at Edward and his dad. No doubt he thinks Edward and I are in some kind of trouble.

"What's this about, Carlisle?" Charlie asks as he steps farther into the room and takes a seat next to Carlisle. I don't move from my spot in the doorway. "What kind of trouble are these kids into now?" I know what kind of "trouble" he's referring to, but he's wrong. So wrong.

"The kids aren't in any trouble, Charlie. We'll let Principal Green explain what's going on."

Principal Green takes a seat next to Coach, and gestures for me to sit next to Edward.

I shake my head, then look at Edward. "Can I talk to you privately for a moment?" I ask, my voice just above a whisper.

Edward nods and scoots himself back from the table before standing up and coming towards me. Charlie watches him like a hawk the entire time, eyes narrowed.

"Make it quick, kids," Principal Green warns. "The others will be here in twenty minutes and we need to fill everyone in before they get here."

Edward grabs my hand and leads me down the hall and around the corner, out of earshot of everyone else.

"What the hell is going on?" I whisper-yell, folding my arms in front of my chest.

Edward reaches up with one hand and grabs a fistful of hair at the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you first, it's just it all happened so fast," Edward says. I'll give him a point for automatically knowing what my issue is.

"You told them about what happened last night with Jesse?" I ask.

Edward gives me a single nod. "I had to, Bella."

"You didn't have to do anything," I tell him, anger dripping from my tone. Edward scratches the back of his head nervously as he shifts his weight from foot to foot. "How could you go behind my back and do this? You said yourself that he was probably just trying to scare me away, that he probably wouldn't have done anything. If he wasn't targeting me before, he definitely will after this."

I can hear the rumours now that would circulate once Jesse would start bragging about our "alone time" in the locker room. He was sick and twisted like that, even though nothing happened. Everyone already thought I was a slut, this would just be the cherry on top.

"That was before I got the texts," Edward says to me, his eyes soft.

"What texts? I saw the texts from last night."

He shakes his head. "These. Here, read them."

He hands me his phone, which is completely shattered. I have to be careful as I scroll not to stab myself with the shards. What the hell did he do to his phone?

As I read the texts, I understand.

Cullen

So you're just going to ignore me? You can't ignore me forever!

Okay this is fucked. Will you answer the god damn phone!

This is ridiculous! So I felt her up a little bit, so what? It's not like anything actually fucking happened

Man fuck you for ignoring me

HELLO

Fine, is this the game we're playing now? You're probably just jealous that I would have fucked that bitch before you had the chance to

I was all too aware of his use of "would have".

I try to swallow back the lump that's appeared in my throat, but have no luck. I can feel the tears start to burn my eyes, blurring my vision, and I shake my head back and forth, willing them to stay put.

Of course I don't succeed.

"I'm so sorry," Edward whispers as he reaches forward and grabs my chin, making me look up at him and not at the ground. "I couldn't let him get away with this, Bella. What was I suppose to do?"

"I... I don't know," I whisper just as the tears start to cascade down my cheeks.

"Please don't cry, baby," Edward says as he steps forward and wraps both his arms around me, hugging me tightly. I allow myself to rest my head on his chest, letting him rub the back of my head with his hand.

I can't help but hiss in pain when he trails his hand down my shoulders squeezes my badly bruised arm. Edward let's go of me quickly and takes a step back, scanning me up and down with a raised eyebrow. Instinctively, again, I reach up to rub my sore arm without thinking.

I don't say anything as Edward reaches over and pushes up the sleeve of my shirt ever so carefully. I watch his eyes become wide when he takes in the fingerprint bruises on my body.

"That son of a bitch!" Edward yells, turning his body and laying a punch to the wall beside us. "He's gonna fucking pay!"

A few seconds later, everyone is standing a few feet from Edward and I, clearly because they heard the shouting.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Charlie says in his chief of police voice as his eyes dart madly between Edward and I.

"Look at what he did to her!" Edward bellows, pointing to my arm, which is still exposed because I wasn't quick enough in pulling my sleeve back down.

Charlie walks over and grabs my arm, studying it, then turns back to everyone else. "Who did this to her? Someone has got to explain what the hell is going on. Right. Now!"

Principal Green motions with his head to the room we had just came out of, down the hall a little ways. "Come sit. We have a lot of talking to do."

AS YOU WISH

"What the hell is with these football players thinking they can just take advantage of my daughter? First Edward, and now this dirtbag!" Charlie bellows after hearing everything that happened last night.

We were back in the conference room, all sitting down. Well except for Charlie, who was now stood up banging his fists on the table.

"Charlie," Carlisle warns, his voice smooth as silk. "Edward did the right thing by bringing this forward, let's not throw him under the bus."

"Carlisle is right," Coach agrees. Principal Green seems confused as to why Charlie would accuse Edward of doing anything to me, but that's only because he doesn't know our situation. Only Coach is in the loop about Edward being my daughters father. "This is a rather serious matter, one that shouldn't be ignored. Edward did the right thing by coming forward, which I know couldn't have been easy considering Jesse is his friend."

Edward scoffs. "Pfft, some friend," he says with an eye roll, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I want him charged! I'll arrest him as soon as he walks into this building if I have to," Charlie continues. "No one lays a hand on my daughter and gets away with it!"

"Dad," I say, almost begging. If Charlie doesn't calm himself down before Jesse and his dad get here then he's going to get himself into a lot of trouble.

"No, Isabella, enough is enough! He left marks on you!"

I'm taken aback by my father's use of my full name. He's called me nothing but Bella or Bells since I can remember.

"You need to keep your cool, Charlie, for everyone's sake. We need to hear him out. This could be one big misunderstanding," Principal Green says, and at that exact moment a part of me wants to lean across the table and slap him in the face.

"It's not," Edward says curtly, causing him to receive a jab and a warning from Carlisle.

"Watch your tone, Edward. They're doing the best they can."

Charlie puts his interlocked hands on the table and leans forward in his chair. "You expect me to keep my cool when I know some sleazy football player had his hands all over my daughter? Left marks on her? Where the hell were the chaperones? How could they be able to be alone together? Tell me, Scott, how the hell would you feel if it was your daughter we were talking about?" Charlie asks, looking my principal directly in the eye.

This seems to hit home a little for him because his face softens sympathetically. He says, "Let's just hear what he has to say and make our decisions after, okay?"

My father nods his head reluctantly.

As we wait for Jesse and his father to show up, I can't help but strum my fingers on my knee nervously as I chew on my bottom lip, looking off into the distance at nothing in particular. I'm only broken out of my trance when I feel Edward lace his fingers with mine under the table. When I look at him, he squeezes my hand reassuringly.

"Everything gonna be okay, baby," he says in a voice just above a whisper. I can barely hear him over the sound of my fathers roaring voice and Carlisle's more calm and reassuring one. I chew a little more on my lip and nod, unable to make any words come out of my mouth, but find myself able to relax a little at his new nickname for me, "baby." I'd never heard him call anyone else that before and I can't help but give him a smile.

He squeezes my hand again and continues to hold it under the table, bringing me back to earth just when I need him to.

I finally find the courage to spit out my fears. "The whole school already thinks I'm a slut, and when they hear about this... I just don't want it to get worse. I was looking forward to coming back to school for senior year," I whisper to him, low enough that none of the adults in the room could hear. They are all talking among themselves as we wait, so it's not like they're paying attention to us anyways.

"No one will find out," Edward promises me. "You think this is something Jesse wants spread around? Don't worry; he'll keep his fucking mouth shut. I can assure you."

I gulp and nod, unsure of what to say. I really hope he's telling the truth.

Suddenly there's a tap on the door and it opens, and in steps Waylon and Jesse. I can tell by the look on Jesse's face that he knows exactly what this about, but Waylon looks exuberant and...happy? He probably thinks this is some meeting about football and scouts and college opportunities, but is he ever wrong.

"Andrew, Scott," Waylon greets with a nod and a hand shake. He glances at the rest of us at the table and pops his eyebrow up. "Dr. Cullen, Chief Swan, fancy seeing you here." He nods his head in their direction, clearly sensing their eyes boring into him.

"Sit, please. We have a lot to discuss, don't we Jesse?" Coach says, trying to look Jesse in the eyes. He won't look at him though, and instead rakes his fingers through his hair as he takes a seat next to his father at the table.

Edward can sense my unease and again gives my fingers a little pulse, letting me know he's here for me. I turn to him and give him a sheepish smile, and he winks at me. I can't help but blush.

"So, you said on the phone that this meeting was of an urgent nature," Waylon begins, sitting back in his seat and folding his hands behind his head.

I can see right away were Jesse gets his cockiness from. Clearly it runs in the family.

Principal Green gets right to the point. "Jesse, did you or did you not corner Bella in the locker room last night?"

Waylon's wide eyes dart to his son, who's now visibly red in the face.

"I... ran into her there, yeah," he admits with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant.

Edward gives me another reassuring squeeze, clearly happy with his answer to that question.

I nervously look over to my dad. He's gripping onto the edge of the table, knuckles white from strain. By the look on his face it seems he might explode - or perhaps have aneurysm. I can tell it's taking everything in him not to jump on Jesse.

"And at any time did you make an advance towards Bella that she tried to stop?" Coach probes.

Jesse shakes his head slowly, trying to play dumb. Is he really this stupid?

"No."

Of course he is.

"He's lying!" Edward yells, slamming his fist in the table. "He's fucking lying!"

"Edward," Carlisle warns him again.

"Jesse, we saw the texts. There's no point to lie," Coach explains to him with a sigh.

Suddenly Waylon is holding two of his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, back the hell up. What's all this about?"

The next voice I hear is Charlie's. "Your little shit if a son put his grimy hands on my daughter against her will in the locker room last night!" he shouts, pushing up from the table. He points his finger directly at Jesse, who's now white as a ghost. "He left bruises on her. Bruises!"

Coach takes a deep breath, and briefly rubs his forehead before continuing. "Waylon, last night Edward caught Jesse and Bella in a... compromising situation in the locker room. It seems Jesse was holding Bella against her will, touching her when she didn't want to be touched."

We all hear Jesse gulp audibly. His father turns towards him to shoot daggers at him with his eyes.

"Jesse, what the hell are they talking about?" Waylon wails.

"I don't know what they're talking about," he says coolly.

I can see him sweating. Everyone can.

"Don't you lie to me, son. It would be the biggest mistake you'll ever make," Charlie warns, acid dripping from his tone. "I'll arrest you for battery and unlawful confinement right now. You think they'll send someone with a criminal record to college with a full ride?" He reaches to his side to jingle the handcuffs on his holster.

"Like we said, we saw the texts you've sent Edward this morning," Principal Green reminds him.

Jesse stretches out the neck of his T-shirt, clearly uncomfortable and unsure of what to say as Principal Green slides the phone toward Waylon so he could read the texts.

Waylon reads them in silence.

Suddenly Principal Green is looking at me. "Did he or did he not hold you and touch you against your will last night, Bella? Was it him who left those bruises on your arm?"

My words get caught in my throat. Suddenly I understand the suffocating feeling that Jesse must be feeling, because it begins it feels like the whole room is collapsing in on me.

"Bella?" Charlie orders forcefully.

I gulp and look at Edward. He had let go of my hand but when he takes in my panic he reaches over, squeezes my knee and gives me a reassuring nod. He leaves his hand resting on me and I instantly relax against his touch.

I turn my gaze back to the principal. "He did, and yes, it was him who left the bruises. I... I didn't want him anywhere near me and I made sure he knew it. I told him to let me go a few times, but he wouldn't let me go. It wasn't until Edward came in and... removed him, that he got away from me."

"You son of a bitch!" Charlie booms, taking a step towards Jesse and his father, finger again pointing at Jesse's stupid face.

Edward stands up quickly and places a hand on Charlie's chest, stopping him from going any further and doing something stupid out of anger.

"It was a joke!" Jesse screams suddenly, making me jump. "Jesus, it was a joke and I was drunk!"

What a moron!

"Drinking? At a school function?" Principal Green asks him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Jesse," Waylon hisses.

Jesse slumps back in his seat, clearly aware of his admission, and claws his fingers down his face. "Practically everyone was drunk," he groans.

"Well no one else has admitted it to me like you just have," our principal points out, and then he looks over to Coach Broderick and nods once.

Coach clears his throat and adjusts his tie awkwardly. "Uh, Jesse, I'm sorry but you're going to have to forfeit the game tonight. You can't play."

"You can't do that!" Jesse screeches.

Now Waylon is laughing this weird, mechanical sounding laugh. He slaps his palms down on his legs. "Let's not jump the gun here, Andrew. You can't just take the game away from him! They've been working so hard. There's going to be scouts there!"

Coach Broderick just shakes his head. "If what Bella and Edward said wasn't enough, then admitting he was drunk at a school function was. The decision is made. He's out."

"This is his whole life we're talking about here!" Waylon speaks as he pushes up from the table and stands up. "You can't just take that away from him."

Principal Green sighs. "Waylon, you're lucky Chief Swan hasn't arrested him," he tells him seriously.

"I still haven't made up my damn mind," Charlie grumbles.

"If you don't let him play, I'll pull him from this school and your team will be missing one of its best players!" Waylon threatens. "My wife teaches at the high school in Port Angeles and I'm sure she wouldn't mind driving him everyday! I'm sure they'd be grateful to have him!"

"Doesn't sounds like too bad of an idea," Charlie spits angrily. "Keep him as far away from my daughter as possible."

Waylon looks at my father with narrowed eyes. "Not my fault your daughter was probably asking for it. I've heard she's known to be a bit... promiscuous, if you will."

Charlie reaches down and unhooks his handcuffs, swinging them around his fingers. "I have enough evidence to arrest him right now, if that's what you want."

"So what? You'll never be able to prosecute him. Right now it's a matter of he said, she said. There's no cameras, no real proof. Sure you got those texts, but there's still no actual proof. Seems like little Edward here got a thing for Bella. For all we know he was the one who left those marks on her and she's covering for him." He motions to Edward's hand on my knee. I figure he's going to move it when all eye focus on us, but he keeps it there and runs his thumb along my kneecap. "Doesn't that seem a bit biased, Chief Swan?"

"Why don't we let the courts decide that one, Waylon?"

"Dad," Jesse pleads. "I'll never get that scholarship with an arrest."

"That's right," Charlie says smugly

Charlie takes a step toward Jesse with his handcuffs in his grasp. Before he gets the chance to close the distance between them Waylon is jumping up.

He holds both his hands out nervously after contemplating what his son said. "Okay, let's think about this before we make up our minds about what we're going to do."

"My minds made up," Charlie spews. "It's either you keep him the hell away from this school and my daughter, or I'll make sure your son never sees the inside of a college or university for as long as he lives."

Suddenly it's Carlisle's voice that I hear. I almost forgot he was here. Leave it to Carlisle to be the voice of reason just when we need him to be. "I would listen to Charlie, Waylon. You should be grateful that he's willing to give your son a second chance, because I can assure you that there is enough evidence here to prosecute your son for assault and battery. Send him to school in Port Angeles. It's the best option you have if you don't want your son to see the inside of a correctional facility."

I watch as Waylon takes big breaths through his nose and puffs them out loudly. He clenches his jaw. He knows Charlie and Carlisle are right.

I don't ever want to have to face Jesse again.

And now, thanks to Edward, I won't.

A/N: Huge thanks to my friend jansails for her help and guidance with this chapter! You are amazing, thank you so much!

Here's chapter thirty-six! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think in the reviews!