DISCLAIMER!
I do not own any rights to the beautiful world of Twilight other than my own original characters.
The beautiful world of Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer!

Authors note:

I'm sorry it has taken me over 3 months to post a new chapter. Life has been hectic, and I am just getting better from having Covid-19. I hope everyone enjoys this latest chapter and stay safe out there! Thanks to everyone for their reviews! It really means a lot to me for everyone to tell me how they like the story, or even criticize my work. I appreciate being told that I'm wrong, or something doesn't sound right.

"Just let me go, Charlie," there was a long pause. I can only imagine what Dad is thinking. I believe she is saying to him what Mom said all those years ago when she left. I think to myself, Bella, what are you doing? "It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!"

A few moments later I hear the slam of the truck door and the engine roaring to life. Then I finally manage to stand and walk down to Dad, I know he must be devastated. I make it down the stairs and over to Dad, he slowly turns to look at me. For the life of me, I have never seen my father cry, and here is my 6'2" strong as an ox father crying because of Bella leaving. Dad reaches up and wipes the wetness from my right cheek with his thumb. That's when I realize I'm crying as well, dumbfounded at what just happened. I take a deep breath, letting it out before I lean into him managing to only say one word.

"Daddy…"

Forty-Five minutes later and I have refused to move from my spot just inside of the front door. I am convinced Bella is upset and will eventually understand the ridiculousness of the situation. She claimed herself that he didn't harm her in any fashion. All my attempts at understanding her reasoning are in vain. Apparently, I will not be privy to such sordid details. Heck, it has been months since we have spoken openly, honestly to one another. Taking off like a shot in the night, especially by herself, is not a smart decision and all I can do is pray no harm befalls her. A hand squeezing my left shoulder brings me out of my stupor.

"Sarah, she's not coming back tonight. Head on up to your bed, you have school in the morning," Dad tells me. With my back to him, I roll my eyes. Rationally, I know a parent cares about the well-being of their child. Irrationally, I contemplate if he indeed cares. He just allowed his 17-year-old daughter to walk out of the front door and drive off in the middle of the night! This decision has me questioning us moving here in the first place. Does he only see us as a burden? Did he want us to move in? Are we more of a hindrance than he originally thought we would be?

Not wanting to admit defeat I stand my ground, not giving up my last shred of hope. I know she will come back through that door any minute now. I'm not giving up on Bella, she's simply scared and will see reason before too long. Earlier, Dad and I clung to one another in this exact spot. I was a blubbering mess and unable to hold myself up. Once my legs were able to bear my weight, Dad stepped away from me to shut the door. I only then realized how much of a trembling mess I was from the cold, March air. Once the door had closed, Dad made his way over to the couch. Sitting down with his head in his hands, that was where he remained until just now. Every second he sat there, he didn't move or utter a word.

"Dad, we can't just let her go like this!" I plead, "besides it's not safe for her to travel this late." The panic starts to settle in, and I grab onto his shirt yelling at him. "What if she gets stranded? Or worse, what if she gets kidnapped? We have to go after her Dad, this is ridiculous–"

Grabbing onto my shoulders, he raises his voice above mine, "Sarah! Bella's a smart young lady. She can take care of herself." Pulling back, he sighs before continuing, "plus, I'm not forcing her to stay here if she's not happy."

Not liking what he had to say I yell back in his face. "Don't you care about her safety Dad? We need to bring her home right now! It's not safe –" I'm unable to continue speaking because I'm once again consumed by gut-wrenching sobs. Hanging onto Dad's shoulders, I allow myself to mourn once more for Bella's absence. Certainly, I am worried about her safety. However, I'm mourning the loss of my sister as well. We have always stuck together. Regardless of us not speaking in recent weeks, I still love Bella and I'm devastated to see her leave in such haste. She may have run away from Dad, but I was also left behind in the dust.

Pulling me into another hug. Dad argues back, "Sarah, I am just as upset as you are with Bella, but I know she's not in the right frame of mind to be reasonable right now. I'm not dragging you out in the middle of the night to chase her down! It's not happening! She will come home when she is good, well, and ready!" He continues to stroke my hair absentmindedly while we argue.

"W-w-what – if she – d-do-doesn't wa-want – to come back?" I stutter in between hiccups.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Bella is a smart young lady and will be able to handle her own. Please go up to your bed and try to rest, you have school in the morning." Dad tucks some flyaway hairs behind my left ear with his right hand.

"Fine," I huff breaking out of his grasp and stomp over to the staircase. Pausing on the bottom step, I glance at Dad to see his forehead bent down in his hands. Taking his devastation into consideration, I call out, "I love you, Dad," hoping to offer some semblance of comfort.

"Love you too, Sarah. Now try to get some sleep and not worry about Bella." I can see tears glistening in his eyes. I don't know how he has managed to hold himself together so far. With a final glance, I rush up to my room. Getting ready before the episode with Bella, I'm able to go straight to bed. Unfortunately, this gives me more time to obsess over my thoughts and as I'm lying there in my bed, I send up a silent prayer, pleading for the safe return of Bella.

Walking into the kitchen the following morning, I see Dad standing beside the phone, leaning back against the cabinets. Only being able to hear Dad's side of the conversation, I don't know who he is speaking with until I hear him speak Mom's name, answering a question. I wonder if he has already informed her of Bella's departure. I was already aware that Bella hadn't come back home in the middle of the night. Her empty bed, and no truck in the driveway told me all that I needed to know.

"No, Renée," Dad answers one of what I'm certain will be many questions. I'm certain Mom must be going crazy with worry and about to fall apart, I wouldn't blame her if she did. This whole situation was nuts.

….

"What could I do?" He answers another. By this point, I imagine Dad is dreading having to give Mom the news. When I glance in his direction, I see him squeezing his hair in his fist.

….

"No, I haven't heard from her." Dad is beginning to some more aggravated with the conversation with Mom. They have always walked around on pins and needles when having to speak with one another. Bella could have at least called to let us know she was okay. I grumble to myself while gathering what I need for a bowl of cereal. She had to have understood we were beside ourselves with worry.

Dad, nor I, slept well last night. No matter how upset I may be with Bella, I still love her immensely. We have had our ups and downs, but we continue to remain considerably close. The audacity of her leaving without any warning or actual explanation just baffles my mind. It is extremely uncharacteristic of her to behave in this manner. I'm feeling extremely guilty and second-guessing my assumptions about Edward, and their relationship. Did something about his personal life frighten her? Is he dangerous? Could she just be scared? This is her first serious relationship after all. Why didn't she just come and tell me if there was a problem? I could have helped her. The only conclusion I can come up with is that she is throwing one huge fit, for no reason. Maybe if I can contact her, I can attempt to get her to talk to me. Unfortunately, neither of us has a cell phone, never really seeing the need for one. We'll have to wait for word from Bella herself. The drive alone can take 2 to 3 days in a more high-way friendly vehicle. With the truck, I bet it will take her at least 3 days, if not 4. That's if she's driving straight, and not making several stops.

"Yes…she's here. Okay, hold on." I hear Dad speak into the phone, breaking me out of my reverie. Dad has his hand over the microphone, he whispers to me "hey, kiddo, your Mom wants to speak with you."

"Okay," I mumble as I put down the jug of milk for my cereal, then shuffle over to the phone. "Hey, Mom," I speak into the phone.

"Oh, sweetie! Are you okay? Do you want to come home?" I'm able to discern Mom's worry over the phone. If she's good at anything, that is worrying.

"I'm okay Mom, and I'm staying here in Forks. Regardless of what Bella chooses, I want to live here with Dad." I don't plan on conceding to Mom's demands this time. Bella's decisions will no longer affect my life if I have anything to say about it. I love my sister and want her to stay here with Dad and me, but I'm not leaving with her.

"Sarah…I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to. I just want to be sure you're happy," Mom explains sounding defeated. I'm certain Mom would prefer for me to pack my bags and move home this instant.

"I am happy, Mom." I make my best attempt to sound cheerful, hoping she'll drop the subject.

"Okay, baby. Are you sure?" Her tone has changed to a more complacent one. I breathe a sigh of relief because she is giving in and will hopefully quit trying to convince me that home is with her and Phil, not Dad. It's not that Mom doesn't trust Dad; I just feel she has a hard time without Bella or me with her like we have been our whole lives up to this point.

"I'm sure."

"How are you holding up?" Mom asks. "This is completely out of character of Bella, and I'm sure you must be devastated as well." I silently agree with Mom, I would never have thought that Bella would be the one pulling these antics.

"I'm doing okay, Mom. I'm just worried. I wish she would have waited until this morning to decide if she wanted to leave." I answer her question, hoping to steer this conversation to an end.

"Me too, baby. Listen, I hate to cut this short, but I need to head out for an interview, and you need to get ready for school. I'm worried about you and want to let you know that I'm only a phone call away. Call me any time of day. Tell your Dad to call me when he has an update and take care of yourself. I'm here, whenever you need me. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Mom." Placing the phone back into its receiver, I look over to see Dad sitting at the table with his fingers wrapped around his coffee mug. He looks like he has aged at least 10 years overnight, he's a wreck and I don't know how to help him.

"Dad, are you going to eat?" I ask while pouring my milk into my bowl of cereal.

"I ate earlier," he replies while staring into his coffee. He's quiet until I'm sitting down about to eat my breakfast, then continues, "since Bella has taken the truck with her, I'll be taking you to school this morning and I can come to pick you up this afternoon."

"Don't worry about me, Dad, I'll figure out rides for now with my friends. I'm sure that Stacy and Tracy wouldn't mind taking me back and forth for a few days." I'm hoping to alleviate some of his stress because he already has enough to worry about on his plate.

Drawing in a deep breath Dad continues, "still, I need to figure out another vehicle for you, just in case."

I put my spoon down looking up at Dad and argue back, "Dad, Bella will come back."

Heaving a sigh, Dad looks up at me meeting my gaze. "We don't know that. She may be gone –ˮ

"She's coming back! She has to!" I interrupt once again effectively cutting off any further conversation about Bella. I'm extremely close to breaking down again and I'm certain he can see that.

I finish my cereal, clean my dishes, then follow Dad out to the cruiser. I'm not particularly happy about riding with him in the cruiser, but there's nothing I can do about it this morning. Everyone knows my Dad is the Chief of Police. So, it shouldn't be that out of the ordinary to see me climb out of a police cruiser. However, in my young impressionable teenage mind, the embarrassment of being seen in the cruiser is enough to set off my anxiety. We travel in relevant silence to the school. My thoughts stray to Bella. Hoping that wherever she is, she's safe and ready to come home.

Pulling up to the curb, Dad chooses this moment to finally say something, "Sarah, if you're not happy here with me, you can move back home with your mother as well. I want you both here, but I'm not forcing you to stay."

"Dad, I want to live here with you! My home is here! No matter what happens, I'm staying! Okay?" I could almost wring Bella's neck. Dad has been nothing but exceptionally accommodating to us since we arrived. Her lack of consideration of his feelings is most definitely not deserved on his part.

"Okay," he replies, sounding defeated. He looks ahead of him out of the windshield, squeezing his hands on the steering wheel.

"I'll see you at home later. I love you, Dad." It's extremely odd for me to be this affectionate towards Dad. But I'm scared and I want him to understand just how much I appreciate him. Dad glances over to me raising his right hand from the steering wheel.

"Love you, too, Sarah," he replies giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Pushing the cruiser door shut once I get out, I look up and see my good friend Candace standing several feet from me. I can see the concern on her face as she returns my gaze. I quickly wave goodbye through the window to Dad, then trudge over to her.

"Sarah? Are you okay?" Candace asks me. Her obvious concern touches me, and I find it extremely difficult to maintain my composure. I start from where I had left her house yesterday morning, and I explain in detail what had just occurred in the last 24 hours. "I don't know what to say, Sarah. If I were you, I would be devastated," she explains after I finish.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do or think right now, Candace. This is so out of character of Bella, and I'm terrified that I won't see her for a long time, or possibly ever." When I'm finished, Candace has pulled me into her arms and allows my face to rest in my hands on her shoulder. With our noticeable height differences, I'm impressed that Candace is not falling over with my added weight. Too soon, the warning bell is ringing, and we rush to our first class.

Initially, no one was aware of Bella's disappearance. The questioning started during Spanish when Jessica attempted to extract some answers out of me. Unfortunately for her, I'm neither stupid nor do I feel obligated to give her an explanation. During lunch, I noticed that not only Bella but Edward and his family were missing as well. Several red flags were raised when I noticed this. I found it extremely suspicious that they were all missing today. There could be a perfectly good explanation, but my gut was telling me that something was off about this whole situation. My friends were extremely supportive, telling people to leave me alone and that my life is none of their business. The two worst culprits were Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory. Both were relentless, and I doubt their concern was genuine. I'm sure they're just digging for some juicy gossip.

One person that surprised the hell out of me was Brandon. Up until today, he had avoided me like the plague. That all changed during World History. Mr. Kramer was called out of the classroom in the middle of his lecture. He quickly explained for us to review our notes for our oral presentations on Wednesday, and to remain seated before making a quick departure. I had my head down, reading over my notes when I felt a tap on my right shoulder. Twisting my head to look to my right, I see Brandon looking at me. I was about to speak when he beat me to it.

"Hey." I didn't respond, I only looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "I just wanted to talk and see how you're doing. I've noticed you've been upset the last few days and am starting to worry." Touched by his concern, I quickly let him know what was happening with Bella. I only gave him the cliff notes version, compared to what all Candace knows. Brandon was extremely thoughtful and kind to offer for me to speak with him anytime that I needed to. He quickly explained that he had time to think about what I had said when I gently broke things off with him. It took him a few days to think it through, and he realized that he was appreciative of my honestly and would prefer for me to end things the way I had. If I had led him on any longer, he would have been even more hurt, and unable to trust me. With having Brandon back in my life, a heavyweight felt like it had been lifted off my shoulders. With one less worry, I could breathe a little easier.

By Tuesday evening I had stressed myself until I was a complete mess. My track coach graciously excused me from attending the out of town track meet that day due to the situation at home. Thankfully, she was understanding of why I was unfocused and extremely anxious. In fact, I was given a doctor's excuse to miss any practice or game as needed for the rest of the week. Tammy, my therapist, insisted on reducing any potential stress in my daily life. Dad had called her on Monday evening, explaining the situation and how it was affecting me. I was experiencing nausea and abdominal cramping by that point. She changed me as needed medication to once daily, for the time being, hoping to hold off on me having an anxiety attack.

Dad left early from work on Tuesday picking me up from school. Billy and Harry Clearwater came over to watch the game. The main objective was to cheer Dad up, or that was their excuse anyway. Jacob came as well bringing along Seth, Harry's son. Seth was a cute little kid, a few years younger than me. He is very charismatic and full of life. With Seth's company, I managed to forget all about the stress in my life for the evening. The boy hardly stopped talking, which helped to pass the time. Harry even made his famed fish fry, which I appreciated because I wasn't in the mood to cook.

We woke up on Wednesday morning, and still no word from Bella. My anxiety was through the roof, and I was unable to keep any food down. If not for the crucial mid-term exam in Algebra Ⅱ, and my oral presentation in World History, I would have stayed home in bed. It seemed that Bella had fallen off the face of the earth. Dad used his connections on Monday and Tuesday to check in with several police jurisdictions to see if there were any reports of the truck being involved in any traffic accidents or possibly abandoned. Fortunately, there had not been any reports, meaning she was not hurt or kidnapped as far as we knew. At this point, we were praying for any word.

Coach Clapp pulled me off the court in the middle of gym class later that day informing me I need to change and immediately report to the office. No explanations were given, causing me to think the worst. I no sooner walked into the office, then Dad pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. While attempting to comfort me, he explained that Bella had been found. She was currently in emergency surgery at a hospital in Phoenix. According to Dr. Cullen, she lost her footing on some stairs in a hotel and fell rolling through a window, landing in the shrubbery outside. Dad didn't know the extent of her injuries, but she was supposedly in rough shape.

Due to the shocking news, I ended up having a mental breakdown in the middle of the office. Heart-wrenching sobs overtook me, and Mrs. Cope graciously offered us some privacy by locking the door to the office and stepping out for a few minutes. After I managed to calm down enough to leave, we made our way to the cruiser. Back at home, I managed to get a small nap, while waiting for news. When I woke up later in the evening, dinner was ready. Sue, Harry's wife, graciously dropped off a meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Dad managed to heat some green beans and carrots to go along with. I needed to remember to repay their kindness later after our troubles have passed, they were extremely kind and supportive.

Four broken ribs, a broken right tibia and fibula, and severe blood loss were the most serious of Bella's injuries. The list of injuries sounded plausible for someone to have from falling down a flight of stairs. However, I began to formulate in my head different scenarios of what may have actually occurred. My anxiety was running away with me and the worst I imagined was that she and Edward had been arguing and the argument turned physical. This resulted in him physically attacking her, and then he threw her down the stairs intending to cover up what damage he inflicted. I sincerely hope that was not the case, but my imagination was getting carried away. We didn't know Edward extremely well; this could have been why Bella had run. I don't recall seeing any bruises before she left. However, they can be easily covered up.

Bella was a naturally clumsy person and has tripped or stumbled on stairs before, so I may have been completely out of line. However, my gut was telling me something was completely off about this whole scenario, but Dad and Mom easily accepted the explanation. Until I could rule out that Edward was a danger to us, I plan on keeping a careful eye out. Men who abuse women are monsters in my eyes, and I'm not going to allow my sister to be abused in any fashion if I can help it.

According to Dr. Cullen, Bella arrived in Phoenix late Tuesday evening. She stopped at a motel in California to sleep Monday evening and drove non-stop the rest of the way. Dr. Cullen and his family arrived on Wednesday morning, intending to speak with Bella. Hoping to convince her to come back to Forks. Edward and Alice were the ones to find Bella, fortunately, they had heard the commotion when they were on their way to grab some lunch.

Mom left on Wednesday, planning to stay with Bella in the hospital. If not for the impending trial on Friday, Dad and I would be heading down as well. I wasn't privy to the details; I just know that Dad's testimony was paramount to the prosecution's case. The trial was likely to continue into next week, and Dad was needed on standby in case he was called in to answer further questions. Dad detested Edward remaining down there with Bella but understood there wasn't much he could do about it. He reasoned with himself that nothing inappropriate could happen while Mom and Dr. Cullen were there to supervise.

Bella finally regained consciousness on Friday evening. On Saturday she was coherent enough to call home. Dad answered the phone and spoke with her for a little while. She wanted to apologize to Dad, stating she didn't mean anything she said and wanted to continue living with us in Forks. I was only able to hear Dad's side of the conversation, but I listened as he explained it might be best for her to move to Jacksonville with Mom. If she wasn't happy here, she didn't need to be here. Eventually, Dad gave in and agreed to have her come back home once she was released from the hospital. I assume Edward and Bella made up while she was in the hospital, and that was the true reason why she wanted to come back to Forks. Bella was so hung up on Edward, it utterly scared me for her well-being.

When Dad hung up, I realized she hadn't asked for me. This simple act of her not speaking with me left me even more devastated. Here I am sick with worry about her, and she can't even speak with me. Before moving up here we were extremely close. We both took care of each other and were open with one another. I don't care what Bella had to say, Edward's presence in her life was pushing Bella and me apart. Once she's back in this house and away from Edward, I'm going to speak with her. I've had enough of someone who has only been in her life for 2 months to have precedence over me, her sister.

The following Thursday, Bella's attending physician overseeing her care released her from the hospital. It was decided that it would be best if she traveled by airplane. The long hours in a car would do more harm than good. We never anticipated Dr. Cullen's generosity. He not only stayed with Bella at the hospital, overseeing her care; he also paid for her airline ticket and the tow truck to tow the truck home. Dad, of course, attempted to persuade Dr. Cullen to allow Dad to pay for the airline ticket. He also suggested that Edward and his sister, Alice, should drive the truck home. Hoping to avoid a hefty bill for that length of a tow. Dr. Cullen insisted on paying, he preferred his children to not drive on their own and that they needed to get home as soon as possible to work on their schoolwork before going back to school next Monday.

"Flight 173 from Phoenix, Arizona, is scheduled to land in 20 minutes, and will dock at Gate F14." The announcement is made overhead while I'm sitting here at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport waiting on Bella and the others to arrive. Dr. Cullen offered to drive Bella home from the airport, but Dad insisted on being there to get her off the plane. Dad was eternally grateful to Dr. Cullen for his generosity to stay with Bella, but he was concerned about Bella's relationship with Edward. Anyone could see that it wouldn't be considered a healthy relationship. In fact, at my appointment, last Friday, Tammy agreed that things appear to have become too serious too quickly and then proceeded to offer her services to Bella if wanted. Typically, therapists aren't supposed to make judgments without speaking to the individual in person. However, I feel that my observations must be decently accurate if Tammy is willing to make a clinical judgment and is offering her services just based on what I have to say.

Growing up I could always depend on Bella. She was like a second mom to me. Always making sure everything I needed for school was in my bag. Before I could cook, she made sure there was something edible for dinner, continuing to cook on nights I wasn't able or didn't feel like it. Mom tried her best, but if we wanted something that looked and tasted edible, we learned that we would need to prepare the meal. Bella was my confidante. Before coming out of my shell and standing up for myself, she was there to scare off the bullies. I'm not sure when, but the roles flipped at some point and I was quick to defend Bella. Of course, I didn't wait for Bella to defend herself, I just took charge.

Before I started therapy at age 9, Bella was my therapist. Her kindness and loyalty have remained constant since then. She was that go-to friend, the one everyone confessed their problems in life too. Heck, she was the first to explain all about the birds and the bees to me when I was 11. Mom had just sat her down to speak with her about it because the middle school had shown a video and Bella had a million questions. After they spoke, Bella came running into my bedroom excitedly telling me all about what she had just learned. Mom wasn't too happy with Bella for telling me. Yet, Mom knew I would eventually need to learn as well and didn't punish Bella.

Thinking of our history, I contemplate when we started drifting apart. She went off to middle school and began making new friends. As we started hanging out with different groups of people, we didn't have much time for either one. However, we would be there for one another in a heartbeat. When that boy attempted to grope me in the movie theater, Bella was who I talked to afterward. Mom was there for me, but I knew I wanted to talk with Bella. I felt embarrassed and thought Mom was ashamed of me and what happened. It wasn't until later that I found out that Mom wasn't upset with me at all.

One of my hopes for this move to Forks with Dad was for Bella and me to become even closer. She'll be a senior next year, and off to college before we know it. With her brains, Bella could get into just about any college she chooses. That's one of the many reasons why I resent Edward Cullen. Ever since they have started this whatever you want to call it relationship, Bella has rapidly pulled herself back from me and everyone else. No longer do we confide in one another. She's hiding secrets from me, and her demeanor has even changed. Before Edward came into our lives, Bella had never spoken to anyone or about anyone like she did that day with Billy. Granted, if someone deserved it that's different. Billy's an old family friend, and just looking out for us. Instead of respecting his concerns, she behaved in such a despicable manner, speaking to him like that and forcing him to be uncomfortable enough to leave. Edward Cullen has turned our lives upside down and I agree with Dad. He's not good for her and Bella needs to end their relationship.

"I see your sister," dad says pulling me out of my reverie. I look down the hall, past security, and see Bella being pushed by Edward towards us in her wheelchair. Dr. Cullen on their right and his sister, Alice, on their left. I've seen her a few times in school but have not had a chance to see her up close. She couldn't be above 5 feet tall. Her body structure is tiny and the way she carries herself reminds me of a little fairy.

Following the sound of a deep sigh, I chance a glance up at Dad and if looks could kill, Edward would drop dead right there. Dad has his arms crossed, glaring daggers at Edward. As they got closer Bella gave us a timid smile.

"Hey, Dad…Sarah," I hear Bella greet us. Meanwhile, I look over at Alice and curiously notice her eyes closely resemble a coal-black in color. I quickly glance at the other two and am intrigued to find their eyes are almost the same shade of black. The realization stunted my breath for a millisecond because I specifically remember Edward and Dr. Cullen's eyes being a beautiful butterscotch topaz. I am quick to look away from their faces to Bella, hoping that I wasn't noticed checking them out. I reflect on that day in the hospital when Bella and I were listing different attributes or abilities we noticed about Edward and his family. Like a lightbulb turning on I pull from my memory Bella explaining about Edward's eyes being coal black the day they met. Then a week later his eyes were a beautiful topaz. I know for a fact they were a topaz like his adoptive father because I saw their eyes myself. Knowing that it will just open a whole can of worms, I make the split-second decision to put off the questioning for now. Dad is the first to hug Bella, also reprimanding her straight from the gate.

Meanwhile, Alice dances her way over to me and is the first to speak. She has an easy smile on her face, making it easy for me to see her pearly white teeth.

"Hello…I'm Alice, Edward's sister. You must be Sarah. It's nice to finally meet you," she introduces herself to me. I'm quick to note she doesn't offer her hand to me.

"Yes, I'm Sarah," I respond attempting to remain polite. It wouldn't do me any good to be rude. At least, not until I have a tangible reason.

"I understand you are planning to help Bella with her personal and hygiene needs. I want to offer my help when you will be away for practice and such. I don't mind in the least, plus it gives Bella and me a chance to hang out. Edward likes to keep her close to himself." She finishes with a light giggle. That last statement catches my ear, if he didn't sound like an abuser before, he certainly does now. His sister was the one to give me what information I needed to know. Of course, it may have been an innocent little remark. However, my mind is coming up with any excuse for their behavior.

"Oh. Okay?" Her generosity has caught me off guard. Noticing my questioning gaze, she is quick to reassure me.

"I honestly don't mind. I know you have track practice after school most days, and you also have a fair amount of track meets to attend here soon. I promise I won't hog Bella all of the time." She finishes with a small smile.

"Okay, that's fine with me. We just have to work it out with my Dad first," I relent. I find it difficult to say no to her. In all honesty, I could use the help, and I'm hoping that she is being genuine with me.

My attention is pulled away from Alice as I see Dad step away to speak privately with Dr. Cullen. I take my opportunity to hug Bella. Surprisingly, she embraces me in a tight hug and is the first to speak.

"I'm so sorry for running off. I know you must have been sick with worry." That did the trick, immediate waterworks start, and I can't help it when I begin to weep into her shoulder. "Shh, shh," Bella attempts to soothe me, rubbing circles on my back. "It's ok, I'm here. I'm safe."

I pull back to look in her face chastising her, "don't you - ever - do anything - like that again." I manage to choke out my words in between sobs.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I promise I won't scare you like that again," Bella attempts to soothe me again.

"You had better not." I finally stand up, waiting for Dad to finish his conversation with Dr. Cullen so we can leave.

The only acknowledgment Dad has towards Edward is a subtle nod before grabbing the handles of the wheelchair. I offer a polite "Thank You" to the trio before hurrying to catch up with Dad. I may not be particularly happy with them, but they did help my sister. Edward was generous enough to help load Bella into the back of the cruiser and offered to follow us home to help her up to her bedroom. Dad must have realized it would be better on his back to allow Edward to help because he agreed.

This was one of the few times I didn't envy Bella. From the moment we started for home, until the moment we pulled in the driveway, Dad was tenacious in his probing of Bella's time away from home. His investigator skills came in handy for this conversation. I was rather impressed with Bella, she managed to keep her temper in check. Anytime he said anything I thought would push Bella over the edge, she would respond in an indifferent tone.

I had to physically bite my tongue quite a few times during the ride because her story seemed outlandish to me. I just can't wrap my head around it. The fact she tucked tail and ran for the hills all because she was beginning to have strong feelings for Edward doesn't seem the likely reason. Being sucked up into the fantasy and then crashing down in the reality I can understand. However, I can't fathom that being the reason she ran away from Forks like it was on fire. I believe deep down in my soul that there is more going on than she is letting us in on.

With Edward's help, Bella made it without incident up the stairs and to her room. She'll be staying upstairs for at least a few days until her ribs are feeling well enough to use her crutches on the stairs. I will be tasked with bringing her meals and helping with her toiletry and bath needs. I made a soup last night to reheat for dinner today. Bella no sooner ate her bowl, before she fell asleep. She must have been exhausted. The trip home was not only long, but it also lasted most of the day.

The next day I pounced at the opportunity to speak with her. Dad was at work and Edward wasn't due to come over until later this evening when Dad was home. It was one of Dad's conditions for them to continue seeing one another. Peeking into the room I saw Bella sitting up with her back against her headboard reading a book.

"Hey, Bella," I called out while knocking lightly on her doorframe.

"Hey," she replied.

"Mind if I come in for a minute?" I asked then bit my lip in anticipation.

"Sure." She closed her book sitting it down on her lap. I made my way over and sat in her desk chair. Bella spoke first, "do you need something?"

"I just wanted to talk for a few minutes," I answer her. She gives me a quizzical look, and I then jump into it. I'm not wanting to dance around the subject and just go for it. "What is the real reason that made you want to leave Forks like a bat out of hell?" I know I have caught her off guard because she is silent for a few moments before she recovers to finally answer.

"What are you talking about?" She questions me, rather than answer my question. I know she knows I'm not stupid. She really should have expected this questioning out of me.

"Don't play dumb with me Bella." She is quick to retaliate.

"I'm not playing dumb, Sarah! I don't know –ˮ having enough of her trying to dance around the real subject I interrupt her while rushing to stand to my feet.

"Yes, you are Bella!" That shut her up, she sits there gawking at me as I continue, "you lied about the reason for why you rushed out of here and you know it! Quit taking me for a dumb idiot and do the decent thing and tell me the truth for once! I'm not Mom and Dad. I refuse to believe the ridiculous lies you have fed them!" I must have shocked her with my interrogation, it's a full minute before she clears her throat and finally recovers enough to feed me another line of crap.

"I don't know why you think I'm lying to you, but I'm not. I had a momentary freak out about dating Edward and ran. Simple as that, nothing to it," she responds with a shrug of her shoulders in total defiance.

"Bullshit!" I yell, leaning over to rest my hands on her footboard, glaring at her.

"Bullshit?" She questions me.

"Yes! Bullshit! I call bullshit because you're lying to cover up for Edward and you know it. He's got this control over you, and you can't see it for what it is, Bella!" I finish by yelling at her.

"Sarah, I honestly don't have a clue of why you think Edward is controlling me." She truly does appear clueless, but I'm not letting her get away with it this easily. For all I know, she could be trying to appear clueless for her benefit.

"Quit lying for him, Bella. All the signs are there. You two only hang out with one another. You're being more secretive these days. We have argued more now, than we have ever argued, Bella! You have changed, and it's been ever since you started seeing Edward." By this point, I can see that I am finally starting to irritate Bella.

"I'm not lying for Edward, Sarah! Nothing is going on –ˮ Now I'm pissed and tired of her lies. Unable to hold it in anymore, I'm quick to interrupt once again.

"I know you're lying for him! Nothing adds up! Do you remember when you were so concerned about him the day of the accident?" I pause allowing for her to respond. Her face changes from one of anger, to one of concern or fear. I'm not able to distinguish any better than that. However, she remains silent. "Prior to me being released from the hospital, you were extremely critical of Edward. The following day, it's as if you didn't notice anything funny about him. Then you end up gallivanting off to Arizona for no apparent reason. The only reason you can give is that you feared your budding relationship with Edward. This isn't normal! None of this is normal, Bella! What are you hiding?" Several seconds pass before Bella responds.

"Sarah, I know it seems weird and doesn't make sense. But it's the truth. I implore you to listen to me without interrupting." There are several things I would love to retort, but I bite my tongue and let her continue, "Edward has never harmed me, in fact, he and Alice were the ones to rescue me. I could have bled out if they hadn't acted as quickly as they did. I was wrong about my observations of Edward before getting to know him. He is a good person and cares about me. He would never harm me, you, or Dad. I beg of you to drop these silly notions you have of Edward. He's a normal human being, and I care a lot for him. Please? There is nothing for him to hide, I promise you." This is the first time I can recall Bella begging me to listen. I'm not happy with her at all, she is shutting down anything and everything I have to say. I can see now that there is no way I'm going to make her understand and believe me. I'm just about to argue back when I hear the doorbell ring. Without another word I walk out of the room, down the stairs, and in my anger, I throw the door open. The face on the other side of the door has me stopping in my tracks.