A/N:To all my readers - new and old - who have been so kind and left me reviews so far, thank you all so much! I really wish I had the time to respond to all of you.
OoO
BPOV
I was standing outside the bathroom, pleading with Edward to open the door, and was met by nothing but silence from the other side. Forcing back a sob, I wondered what the hell just happened, because it made absolutely no sense to me. One moment I had been sleeping, having the most amazing dream, and in the next, I was jolted awake as Edward all but flew out of bed and bolted from the room.
At first I thought maybe he'd had another nightmare, but that didn't explain why he would refuse to answer me now when I called out for him. So, was it me, then? Was it something I did, or said, maybe in my sleep? I rested my forehead against the door, feeling tears burning in my eyes.
And here I thought things were finally okay, hell, even better than just okay. Edward and I had been talking, really talking, and when he actually told me he loved me, I had been over the moon. And now... I just didn't understand what went wrong. Why did he run like that? Why wouldn't he talk to me?
"Bella? What's the matter?" I was startled by a low male voice coming from behind me and spun around, only to find Emmett standing in the doorway to his room, at the other side of the hallway. When I couldn't bring myself to respond, he started towards me, a concerned look on his face. "Edward?" he asked me, nodding at the closed door leading into the bathroom.
Fighting back the tears, I nodded. "I don't know what happened, he just..." I shrugged helplessly, biting my lip. Then I watched as Emmett quickly strode up to me and pounded his fist against the door.
"Hey Edward, are you okay? What's going on? Open up!" No response. My heart sank, although I couldn't say I was surprised. Emmett kept knocking and calling out Edward's name a couple of times before he gave up and turned to me, carefully grabbing my arm and pulling me a couple of steps away from the door. "Okay, what the hell just happened?"
"I just told you - I don't know!" I folded my arms defensively across my chest. "We were sleeping - or at least I was - when suddenly he just panicked or something and took off. And now he won't talk to me." I sniffled.
"Sleeping?" Emmett raised a brow, skeptically. "In the same bed?"
"Yeah, so?" I glared at him. "Do you have a problem with that?"
He immediately raised his hands. "Of course not, I never said I did. I just..." His voice trailed off as he got a thoughtful look on his face. "Um, okay, don't punch me for asking, but you guys didn't happen to... sleep," he let out a somewhat nervous chuckle, "...in any, um, intimate position, did you?" I just stared at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Was there any - I can't believe I'm saying this - groping?"
"Emmett!" My cheeks turned bright red. "I can't believe you'd ask...!" I furiously shook my head, too embarrassed to continue.
It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I'm not asking to still my morbid curiosity, if that's what you think. But I might have an idea what's going on. I could be wrong, but-"
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, interrupting him.
Emmett sighed. "Listen, he'll have to come out of there eventually. Do me a favor and go wait in Alice's room while I talk to him."
I stared at him like he had just grown a second head, and snorted. "Yeah, right, not gonna happen."
"Bella..." He closed his eyes for a moment. "You really don't trust me at all, do you?" he then asked in a frustrated voice.
"I'm sorry - I want to." I lowered my eyes. "I want to believe that you care about Edward, and a part of me knows that you do, at least on some level. But it's kind of hard, especially since I just keep hearing you telling me that first day in the cafeteria how Edward's not really your brother."
"Are you...?" He stared at me in disbelief. "I can't believe you'd bring that up after all this time! I was having a bad day. I was pissed off."
"At Edward?" I gave him an expectant look. He didn't respond. "So you do think of him as your brother, then?"
He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "Yes, of course I do."
This was hardly the right time, and I knew I wasn't being fair, but I couldn't help myself as I went on, "Is that why you kept telling him he shouldn't mess with you, or your parents would send him back to Chicago?" Anger welled up inside me as I remembered Emmett's confession a couple of weeks ago.
Guilt flashed across his face. "We were just kids! I didn't mean it. It's not like it would've happened, anyway."
"Well, he didn't know that!" I was fuming now. "And back when we first met? You said you were having a bad day. You must've had a lot of bad days, then, because every time I saw you, you were always provoking him, putting him down."
Emmett's face fell, and he was quiet for a moment. "I've done some things I'm not very proud of," he finally admitted, quietly. "But that doesn't mean..." He stopped and cocked his head to the side, listening. I frowned, following his gaze to the bathroom door, and realized I could hear the faint sound of the shower running.
"Look, Bella," he continued, suddenly looking very tired. "I realize I didn't give you a very good first impression of me. But I need you to trust me on this. Just give Edward some space. I'm not asking you to leave the house, just that you go into Alice's room and wait there for a while. I'm honestly just trying to help." He looked me right in the eyes.
My face softened at his words, because while a part of me was still upset with him for the way he had treated Edward in the past, I knew deep down that Emmett and I wanted the same thing now - we were on the same page. Glancing at the closed door again, I quickly wiped away a tear. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"
He shrugged, suddenly appearing to be a little embarrassed. "Just guy stuff," was all he offered in explanation.
I wasn't satisfied with the answer, but decided to just do as he said. As much as I wanted to refuse and just stay right there on the spot until Edward came out, something told me he had run away from me for a reason. He obviously didn't want to see me right now - for reasons completely unknown to me - and I knew I had to respect his wishes. I could only pray that Emmett wouldn't make things even worse.
If that was even possible. Letting out a defeated sigh, I reluctantly nodded in acceptance and headed for Alice's room.
I already knew she wouldn't be there, remembering how she and Jasper had decided at the last minute to spend the night at his place. For a moment I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. I didn't feel like being alone, but I also knew Alice was still a bit freaked out about what happened the other night in the kitchen. No need for her to get even more worked up and worried about Edward.
Slumping down on Alice's neatly made bed, I tried to listen for any sound coming from the hallway, but so far, there was only silence. I figured Emmett was still waiting for Edward, and I had to admit I was impressed by his patience. Maybe I shouldn't have judged him so quickly, but whenever Edward was involved, it was like I lost the ability to care about anything else.
That was probably something I needed to work on.
Lost in my troubled thoughts, I nearly jumped a mile when the silence was suddenly disrupted by a loud crash and what could only be described as a roar of anguish. I scrambled off the bed and rushed out of the room, my heart beating so hard I thought it might burst right out of my chest.
I flew through the hallway and barged into Edward's room without hesitation, only to freeze dead in my tracks at the sight that met me.
A chair was knocked over - or judging by the crash I heard, possibly thrown across the room - but that wasn't the main reason for my rising panic. Emmett was standing in the middle of the room, white as a sheet with his fists clenching at his sides. There were traces of tears on his face. And Edward was nowhere to be seen.
"Emmett?" I gasped, feeling like my head was spinning as I took in the scene in front of me. "What...?" My voice trailed off when he raised his head and our eyes met.
His mouth opened and then closed again. For a moment, he just looked at me, and the pain I could see in his eyes shook me to the core. Then he swallowed hard. "You knew," he finally stated, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"Knew what? What are you...?" I stopped, my eyes widening as realization hit me.
Oh my God.
"You. Fucking. Knew!" he repeated, his voice now hard and accusing.
I just blinked, having no idea how to respond. "Where is he?" I whispered, suddenly feeling nauseous.
"He left. I don't know where he..." Emmett stopped, and I watched how his shoulders slumped. It was like - all of a sudden - all energy just left his body and when he spoke again, he didn't sound hostile anymore, just pleading, "Tell me it's not true, Bella. Tell me he wasn't..." The word got stuck in his throat.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I then clapped my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle a sob. I didn't know how Emmett had found out - if Edward had told him straight out, or if he figured it out by himself - but I supposed that wasn't important right now. What mattered was that Emmett knew, and he seemed to be only seconds away from falling apart.
And where was Edward?
"I mean, I knew he was... that someone..." Emmett inhaled shakily. "His stepfather, right? Mom and Dad said... But I thought... Fuck!" I could only watch helplessly as he went on babbling, "I always assumed the guy was just hitting him or something, not... I mean, hell, that sucks, but... oh God!" His already pale face turned into an unhealthy shade of green, and his hand flew up to cover his mouth.
The next thing I knew, he pushed his way past me and bolted out of the room. I felt like the whole world was moving in slow motion as I silently followed him back out into the hallway, already knowing where he was heading. As he didn't have time to close the bathroom door properly behind him, I clearly heard how he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet.
Strange as it may sound, the disturbing sound of Emmett retching and gasping a few feet away turned out to be what I needed to snap out of the shock. A little voice inside my head insisted that I didn't have time to stand here - I had to find Edward. He needed me, now more than ever. I couldn't even imagine how he must be feeling right now.
But I had no idea where he was, or even where to start looking for him. I hadn't even heard him leave his room and run down the stairs. Some girlfriend I turned out to be. A choked sob escaped me and I dropped to my knees right there in the hallway, burying my face in my hands.
I couldn't be completely sure, but I didn't think more than a couple of minutes had passed before I heard the sound of flushing, followed by the sound of water running. I raised my head. A moment later, Emmett emerged from the bathroom, still looking worse for wear. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly.
He let out a bitter laugh, grimacing as he closed the door behind him. "Hell, no. Can you blame me?" I could only shake my head. Watching me for a moment, he then slowly made his way over to me on somewhat wobbly legs, sinking to the floor next to me. "You should've said something," he mumbled. "I would've..." He stopped, shaking his head.
"Would you have told me?" I gave him an expectant look. He rolled his eyes.
"Not the same thing. Fuck, he's my brother! We're family. I deserved to..." he closed his eyes for a brief moment, then shook his head again. "No, I wouldn't have told you, because it hadn't been my place to tell."
"Exactly," I nodded in agreement. "Emmett, you have to understand-"
He cut me off, "Don't fucking tell me I have to understand! I don't. I don't understand anything. I mean, how can people...?" His voice cracked. "I need to call Dad," he choked out, jumping to his feet. I jumped up as well - so quickly that I felt a wave of dizziness come over me - and grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No, you can't." He gave me an incredulous look. I sighed. "If you'll call your parents now, when you're this worked up, you'll only scare them half to death. You need to calm down..." I stopped myself when I realized I had to sound like a real hypocrite, telling Emmett to calm down when I was only moments away from crumbling myself.
The skeptical look on his face and the way his eyes narrowed told me he knew exactly what I was thinking, but to his credit, he didn't call me on it. Instead he slumped back against the wall without a word. I hesitated a little. "Look, I need to... Would you just wait here, please? We should talk, but... Just stay - I'll be right back."
Not waiting for Emmett to respond, I rushed back into Edward's room, my eyes darting around desperately until they landed on my cellphone next to the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was a good thing I had Edward on speed dial, because my hands were all sweaty and shaking so badly that I didn't think I'd be able to dial the numbers correctly.
Pressing a button, I then waited and waited as the signals went through, trying not to let the fear overwhelm me. I inhaled shakily as I only got the voice mail, forcing myself to speak as calmly as I could into the phone. "Edward, where are you? Please call me back and let me know you're safe. I love you so much, baby, everything's gonna be okay, I promise. Just..." I choked back a sob. "I love you."
Then I hung up.
Struggling not to give in to total despair, I went back out into the hallway - my phone in a tight grip in case Edward would call - and was relieved to find that Emmett was still right there where I left him. His eyes searched my face for something, I wasn't sure what, and I knew he'd heard me make the call. "Nothing?" he asked quietly. I shook my head, feeling how my bottom lip started to tremble.
"He'll be back soon." Emmett tried to sound assuring, and I wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince me, or himself. "He takes off like this all the time."
True, but I couldn't help but think it was different this time. Edward had been keeping the painful truth about his past from his brother and sister all this time, and now the secret was out. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind right now, he had to be completely mortified. And he was all alone, with no one to tell him he had absolutely no reason to be. Tears started trickling down my face.
Forcing myself to take a couple of deep breaths - breaking down now wouldn't help anyone - I then turned my attention to Emmett. He seemed to be deep in thought. "What-what are you thinking?" I asked, afraid of what the answer would be.
"Makes sense now, how he doesn't want people touching him." Emmett's voice sounded hollow. He glanced at me. "So, I guess Mom and Dad knew all along. What about Alice?" I knew what he really wanted to know - was he the only one who had been kept out of the loop? I realized I felt genuinely bad for him.
"No." I shook my head, swallowing. "He was too ashamed, blaming himself. He didn't want... anyone else to know."
"But he obviously didn't have any problem telling you." There was a slight hint of accusation in his voice, and I knew I shouldn't blame him for feeling hurt and left out.
Still, I couldn't help feeling defensive. "You don't know anything about that."
"You're right, I don't." His eyes were dark, haunted, reminding me so much of Edward's in that moment. "There seem to be a lot of things going on around here that I know nothing about." I opened my mouth, then closed it again, lowering my eyes.
"Look, Bella..." His voice softened. "I'm not really mad at you, I'm mad at myself. You were there for him - I wasn't. If I had acted differently, been a better brother, then maybe he would've trusted me as well. It's something I'll just have to live with. I don't mean to take it out on you."
I nodded in acceptance, about to tell him it was okay, when his eyes widened and he stood up straight. "Wait a minute, did you say...?" He shook his head, as if to clear it. "He blames himself? Why?"
"Well..." I hesitated, biting my lip as I glanced at my phone, willing it to ring. A part of me felt uncomfortable discussing this subject with Emmett, but at the same time, it seemed important that he would understand.
But before I got the chance to continue - and I still didn't know what to say - Emmett went on, heatedly, "Never mind, it doesn't matter why. It's fucking insane, how can he think...?" His face darkened. "His stepfather. Where is he now? Still in jail?"
I shook my head. "In a hospital. I think Edward said he was shot by the police or something. He's in a coma."
Emmett clenched his fists. "Which hospital? Somewhere in Chicago?"
I gulped, somewhat intimidated by the pure hatred I could suddenly see in his eyes. "Why? Does it even matter?"
"Damn right it does!" He glared at me, and I had to remind myself that his anger wasn't really directed at me. When he spoke again, I noticed he was shaking. "I could fucking kill him, Bella. And I swear to God, if I ever come across that son of a bitch, I will."
As much as his words frightened me, I believed him. Because I felt exactly the same way. So I just nodded in understanding, only hesitating for a second before I carefully placed my hand on his arm. He looked slightly taken aback, but then raised his own much larger hand to cover mine, and gave me an almost pleading look. "I can still make it up to him, right? I understand now. I can make things right."
He sounded so hopeful, so determined, yet more vulnerable than I had ever heard him before. I felt my throat tighten, unable to bring myself to respond.
That was when my phone buzzed in my hand.
OoO
End notes:I know, no Edward in this chapter. Sorry. But I promise you all EPOV the next time.
