Full warning this is a tough chapter that deals with abuse and violence. Read at your own risk. I'll give trigger warnings before (it is a short scene but mentions are throughout the chapter).


I wonder how you treasure

What anyone would call a flaw
You say a pearl without the pressure
Wouldn't be a pearl at all
When my demons come a-calling
You don't even bat an eye
I don't scare you and I guess that's why

You didn't save me
You didn't think I needed saving
You didn't change me
You didn't think I needed changing
My wings are frayed and
What's left of my halo's black
Lucky for me
Your kind of heaven's been to hell and back

To Hell and Back-Maren Morris


March seemed the dwindle by, which meant Edward's season was creeping closer by the minute. As I backed out of my parking space, I switched on my hands-free option on my car as I pressed Alice's contact.

She tried to call me earlier during my lunch, which ended up not being a true lunch because I was called in for a student emergency. A student was in distress in biology class. I sat down near the student on the floor as the student hyperventilated. The teacher and I managed to de-escalate the student with dignity. I grabbed a spare granola bar out of my purse. I kept a stash of granola bars for this reason alone. It was almost dusk outside with the desert hills looming in the distance.

"Alice," I greeted as I heard her pick up. She let out a sigh as she returned the greeting.

"I'm sorry I missed you earlier, I didn't end up having a chance to sit down and eat," I chuckled, as I turned onto the main road. I heard Alice let out an audible huff as I could imagine she was rolling her eyes at me.

"What happened? Whenever you don't eat, something usually went down," she asked curiously. I peered through the street lights as my peripheral vision caught sight of an old Honda sedan behind me. There was a man with long blonde hair hidden by a black nondescript baseball hat that somehow managed to hide any identifying features.

Figuring he was just a run of the mill creep, I turned my attention back to the light which just turned green.

"Bella?" Alice called me, as I shook my head to shut the alarms going off in my head.

"Sorry, there's just this weirdo behind me who clearly has no idea how to drive," I murmured, huffing at the way he was way too close for comfort to my bumper.

"What an ass," she admonished. I shook my head as I turned onto the road which would connect me to the highway. I took a deep breath before shaking my head as I turned my focus back to the road.

"A student had a panic attack during biology class today, so I got called down to help the student de-escalate," I replied, with a shrug. I was just lucky this time the student wasn't throwing chairs or pencils this time.

"Did you eat lunch afterwards?" She asked.

"Back to back sessions," I shrugged.

"Bella," she scolded.

"I will eat lunch, mother. So talk to me, what were you so excited to tell me you didn't leave a girl a text or a voicemail?" I asked, a smile playing on my lips.

"Alice," I greeted.

"Bella, I'm freaking out about wedding planning," Alice said excitedly. Leave it to Alice to immediately jump to the situation at hand.

"Hello to you too, Alice. What's going on?" I asked as I turned out onto the main road. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black Dodge Durango pull in behind me and get dangerously close to my bumper. I decided to ignore him, as I drew my attention back to the road in front of me.

"Well, we've been going back and forth for a date since I don't want to get married during the season," Alice said, as I fiddled my fingers on the steering wheel for a moment. I could understand why she wanted to wait until the season was over.

"Is it in the next year?" I asked curiously as I stopped at a red light. She let out a sigh before she answered.

"Next year probably," Alice replied. I chewed my lip for a moment as I nodded.

"That's great, you have some time to plan. Setting on a date is the first step, Ali. Do you have an idea where you want to get married?" I asked her. Since he was based in Texas, she could also getting married there.

"His contract is ending, which means he and his agent are going through offers from other teams. I just don't know..." Alice answered. The guy behind me was still on my tail as I turned onto the highway.

I rolled my eyes, as I cursed under my breath.

"Sorry, Alice, this guy is really getting up close and personal with my bumper," I sighed.

"What an ass," she admonished.

"Agreed. Are you thinking Arizona or Texas?" I asked, my fingers gripping the steering wheel tighter as he accelerated to get on my tail more. Now, this was obnoxious. I wasn't sure if he was tailgating me because I only chose to go five above the speed limit, my I did feel my antennas go up.

"Phoenix or Mesa, there's some cute places in both," Alice replied, which made a bright smile spread on my lips.

"See? You already have a plan and I'm sure Esme is more than willing to help," I assured her. Esme had been waiting on the moment for another child to get married. With Alice, she had more say in the event than with Emmett.

"I know, it's just..." She said, I started to tune her out when I looked behind me to get a good look of the guy. He was hard to make out with the tinted windows. He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt with sunglasses and a baseball hat, which made him look unremarkable.

As I began to pull off on the exit, he followed me.

"Bella?" Alice called.

"Sorry, Alice, this guy is still on my ass. I'm hoping he'll get off of it in a minute," I explained. He took the same turn as I did. My heart rate started to increase as he continued to be centimeters away from my bumper.

"Alice, are you home right now?" I asked, trying to keep my breath from shaking as I was seconds away from pulling into our parking garage. Maybe he was just following too closely, but my stomach twisted. I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"No, my flight doesn't get in until later tonight. What's wrong?" She asked, concern lacing her tone. As I pulled into the garage, I pulled up to the level closest to our apartment building with the shortest elevator ride.

"This guy just pulled into our apartment garage," I muttered, my voice breaking. I pulled over, feeling my heart rate accelerate quicker as I quickly locked all the doors of my car.

"Okay, I'll stay on the line, " She assured me, her voice staying calm and grounding me. The car stopped about three cars away from me, but the driver of the car remained seated. I drew a breath of relief as I got onto the elevator before almost crying when I saw my apartment door.

"I'm in the apartment Alice, god that was terrifying. I'm sorry about that," I rushed out as I triple locked the front door as I felt my heart rate begin to slow down.

"Don't apologize, Bella. I'll be home in a couple of hours okay? Call me if you need me again," she ordered and I bobbed my head. I opened the fridge to find the vegetables I planned to roast in the oven tonight along with the ground turkey for the skillet.

"I will, thanks Ali." I murmured. We said our goodbyes as I began chopping the broccoli and the brussel sprouts before coating them with dressing. I started preheating the oven before I retreated to the bathroom to wash my hair.

Finally, I managed to regulate my breathing once I let the shower water trail over me. As I was drying my hair with a towel, I heard a loud crash from the back of the apartment, and I reached for my phone.

"Ali, just heard a loud crash in our apartment. I think someone broke in. Call cops!" I texted as I heard footsteps before they got farther away. I knitted my eyebrows together as I put on my clothes. Alice of course texted back immediately promising she did. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat on the toilet, waiting for the footsteps to stop. I waited around five minutes before I opened the bathroom door.

Violence starts here

I walked into the kitchen and felt the blood rush out of me as I saw James, dressed in all black smiling at me. I held my hands up, with my heart beating staccato in my chest.

"James, what are you doing here?" I questioned, struggling for my voice to remain calm. A sardonic smile spread across his lips as he tapped his chin.

"Just when you thought you were safe, Isabella," He murmured as he took two steps closer to me. I stood on the other side of the kitchen island as my mind frantically went into survival mode. I had to stall him until the cops arrived.

"No," I said vehemently.

"Go, James," I added, and he just smiled as he shook his head.

"Oh, Isabella, why do you make this so difficult? I just want you to come home with me," he murmured in the loving voice that used to hold so much power. I gulped as I braced myself against the island.

"Home isn't with you anymore, James," I reminded him. I knew I was making him angrier, but if these were my last moments I wasn't about to shrink down. I could see a flicker in his eyes that made my stomach jump.

"That's where you're wrong. This is hardly the greeting I was expecting," he replied, with a harsh chuckle that sounded more like a bark.

"James, I have a restraining order on you. You know that, and you've broken it. If you leave now, I won't tell anyone about this," I bargained with him. A sinister smile crept across his lips as he shook his head.

"You moved on, Isabella, didn't you? You're not even wearing my ring anymore. We can finally be together again and this is the kind of greeting I get?" He asked, his blue eyes blazing with mine. Anger crept in his tone as he hit his fist against the granite of our kitchen island. I took a steadying breath as I looked towards the kitchen knives which were too far away.

I didn't warrant his words with a response as I backed towards the door, cursing at myself for triple locking it. Within seconds, he tackled me to the ground as I hurdled towards the ground. A scream echoed through my lips as I felt the glass shards scrape against my face and arms from the glass table behind me. My head was ringing as it hit the glass from the table. .His arms roughly grabbed and before I knew it, I was pinned on the ground. I opened my eyes and saw him above me.

I could feel blood pool behind me as my vision grew fuzzy. He grabbed the buttons of my jean jacket as I felt the fabric rip.

"No," I whimpered, shaking my head as pain radiated from the back of my head.

"And a whore. You were almost easy to find, Isabella. You have a boyfriend, the dumb ass from the softball game junior year. I knew he wanted you, and you just had to open your legs for him. You belong to me," He said as my feeble fingers clawed at him.

He was wrong, I never belonged to him. He took a piece of myself I could never replace, but that didn't mean I was damaged goods. I wasn't his anymore and I felt a small smile creep across my lips.

"How did you find me?" I asked, wanting to him to hold off for longer. A Cheshire cat grin spread across his lips as he answered.

"You didn't move far enough away for me. I have buddies out of the prison. I just don't understand how you could think I was hurting you like that," he murmured, shaking his head as anger radiated through him.

"I spent more time in the emergency room because you took out your anger on me like a punching bag. You raped me when you were drunk," I replied harshly, my words slurring as I felt hot liquid pour from my head.

"You liked it," He said as his hands spread across my neck. I shook my head vehemently.

"No, you asshole," I said with as much power as I could as I used my knee to knee him in the balls. He moved back, shocked as I managed to wobble to a standing position. He looked at me once before he lunged at me again. I could see a knife in his hand as he lunged at me. His fist imprinted on my eye as I felt pain radiate from my eyes and cheek.

"Get off of me," I protested as I shrugged myself from underneath him. My head was pounding at this point as my vision swirled. He reached for the sweatshirt I had on as he ripped it over my head.

I let out a scream resembling a banshee, hoping our neighbors could hear. His fingers found my bra before he reached for my cotton shorts. I fought against him, hating the feeling of him on top of me. As I protested, he laid the knife against my neck.

"Do as I say and you'll live, Bella. If I can't have you anymore than no one can," he chortled as he pulled my pants off before he attempted to reach for my breasts. I spotted a shard of glass from the broken coffee table that looked sharp enough.

If I had a second of mercy, I could get him well enough to shock him to let me go. I relaxed for a moment, letting him know he won. Darkness started to cloud my vision like it did before I went into the space of my mind I afforded myself when he raped me. However, this time, I blinked the darkness away.

As a menacing smile crept across his face as he unbuttoned his jeans, I waited until I felt his slimy lips trail down my neck as he murmured 'I miss you.' His breath felt hot against my skin as he unsheathed himself. I grabbed the uneven shard of glass before I reached my hand around to stab him in the back.

He let me go, stunned by the pain as I rolled myself over, feeling the bruises already spreading on my skin. I managed to get myself upright as I found the glass vase on the table along with darting for the kitchen knives.

I needed to get away, I couldn't let myself go down without a fight. As my vision began to have spots my thoughts grew desperate. What if I never saw Edward again? Would he forgive me for leaving him like this?

My sobs picked up as I thought about Charlie and leaving him behind. He came at me moments later calling me a hundred names under the sun. He pulled me close for another blow, but I beat him to it. With all the strength I had, I used the butt of my knife to hit his head hard enough to take him to his knees.

"You don't own me anymore. I belong to myself, jackass!" I screamed at him as I saw his body crumple. I felt my sobs pick up as my chest felt like it was ripped open. I looked around at the destruction from the ruined coffee table to the glass strewn all over the floor. Moments later, I heard a brisk knock on the door before the door opened. The police took sight of the remains before us before the female officer came over with a blanket to cover me.

"He's not dead," I murmured.

"Ms. Swan, an ambulance is on its way, okay? Can you tell me what happened?" She asked, her kind face studying me for a moment before she urged me to sit down near the kitchen table.

"He tried to rape me again," I sobbed. I felt tears pool in my vision as my body pulsed with pain.

"Ms. Swan, can you tell me who did this to you?" She questioned her brown eyes meeting mine with intensity.

"James Witherdale, my ex husband," I responded with as much strength as I could. EMTs came through the door before one of their eyes landed on me as they helped me onto a stretcher.

Violence Ends Here

"I feel really dizzy," I commented as my vision swirled. One of them started to wrap my head as I felt pain erupt from my abdomen. My hand went to cover the offending part of my abdomen as sticky red blood coated my fingers.

"I'm bleeding," I murmured in shock as a single piece of glass stuck in my abdomen. Immediately on EMT put pressure on as we raced to the hospital. I felt tears float in my vision as I thought of Edward, Charlie, Rose, and Alice.

I let myself drift off for a moment. When I blinked open my eyes, my gurney was racing around the emergency room as a doctor stitched my abdomen.

"Ms. Swan, you're in the hospital and going to be okay. I'm finishing up the stitches on your abdomen before we go get a CT scan on your head okay?" The doctor's kind eyes met mine, and I merely nodded before my vision swirled again.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," I murmured before the doctor promptly gave me a waste basket before I emptied the contents of my stomach. I knew I had a concussion from the swirling in my vision although I didn't feel as much pain this time around which meant they gave me a dose of pain medication.

"Ms. Swan, we're going to do a CT scan to look at your brain, okay?" She asked as she wheeled me into the radiology lab. As I had the CT scan, my mind drifted to Edward who was over a hundred miles away. I was hoping he wouldn't freak out and decide to drastically drive down for this.

Tears flooded my vision again as they wheeled me into a room equipped with a plastic chair, which meant I would probably be admitted. A nurse came to check on my IV as she looked at me for a moment.

"Ms. Swan, we have a special nurse and doctor here who can help you with a rape kit if you choose to do one," she murmured compassionately. Blinking my eyes a few times I slowly nodded.

"He didn't...umm...penetrate me, but he tried," I murmured. She nodded, promising me we didn't have to do the internal part of the exam. I let my mind go elsewhere as they poked and prodded and took pictures of the bruises and cuts along my body.

I held my breath as they took pictures of the bruises along my thighs before moving the camera to my neck. Once the torture ended, I felt my eyes begin to flutter close before the female police officer from earlier came in.

"Ms. Swan, do you think you can answer some questions for me?" She asked as she pulled out her notepad. I bobbed my head as she approached my bed as my fingers fiddled with the covers.

"Is he okay?" I blurted out. I didn't want him to be hurt badly, I just wanted to get away from him. Confusions swept her features as she blinked once before she nodded briskly.

"He has a bump on his head and a few stitches, but he's fine. He will be taken into custody, Ms. Swan," she assured me. I let out a gust of air as I bobbed my head before I leaned back against the hospital bed.

"Can you explain to me what you remember happened tonight?" She asked, her eyes questioning.

"I was on the phone with my friend driving home from practice, I coach at Center High School. There was a black Dodge Durango, late nineties, that followed me. The driver was male and very hard to get any distinguishing features except he was wearing the same black jacket, black shirt James wore tonight. He followed me home and I got into the elevator. I was cut up vegetables and preheat the oven before taking a shower," I began, my fingers threading into the sheets.

"I heard a loud crash coming in from the back of the apartment, the fire escape, and I sent a text to Alice to call the police because someone was in the apartment. I heard footsteps and stayed in the bathroom. I came out a few minutes later and saw him over in my kitchen. He smiled at me and started to attack me. He pushed me on the floor, which made the glass coffee table break. He tried to take off my shirt, he hit my face," I murmured, my fingers trailing to the painful bruises on my cheek.

"He took off my shirt, bra, and pants. His hands went around my throat before I grabbed a shard of glass from the broken table and stabbed him in the back. I shrugged out from underneath him and he tried to grab me again. I hit him with the butt of my knife," I said, tears pooling in my eyes.

"Thank you, Ms. Swan," she murmured as she left.

"Am I..." I started, but the words died on my lips.

"Ms. Swan, you were protecting yourself from someone who came into your own home and broke their restraining order," she reminded me before she shut the door. As I laid in silence except for the sound of the heart monitor, I leaned my head back.

Truthfully, I was grateful to be alive. Hopefully this time I was finally free from James. Even though my body felt like I had been hit by a truck because the adrenaline wore off, I was one of the lucky ones. Many women weren't as lucky as me after they left their abusive partners.

I heard a tiny knock before a man who I assumed was my doctor came in. He gave me a small smile as he stood beside my bed before reviewing my chart.

"Hello, Ms. Swan, I am Dr. Mullin, you have a concussion, Ms. Swan so we are planning on having you overnight for observation. You had a deep gash on your abdomen which has six stitches which you will have to return to remove. Your head wound was what worried me the most as that was fairly deep. We were able to give you stitches and some mild swelling on your brain which should resolve with IV fluids, rest, and some medication to help bring down the swelling. You do have some shallow cuts and bruises and a sprained ankle," Dr. Mullin said almost robotically.

"Thank you," I murmured before I heard a gruff 'you're welcome' before the door shut again leaving me to my thoughts. I still felt somewhat nauseous so the idea of dinner wasn't pleasant. I heard the door open moments or seconds later before a very anxious Alice raced in.

She studied me for a moment nervously before she bounded over to my bedside. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears as she wrapped her arms around me which made me cry out.

"Crap, sorry, Bella! I was so worried, Bella, the hospital called me and it was a good thing I wasn't flying the damn plane." Alice said, rushing out her words as she pulled up the plastic chair beside me.

"I'm okay, Ali. How is our apartment?" I asked, which resulted in an epic eye-roll from her as she shifted in her seat.

"Our apartment will be fine, Bella. The table can be replaced. What matters is you, Bella," she said, squeezing my hand in hers.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized imagining all the blood soaked into the carpet. She shook her head vigorously as she gently placed a hair behind my ear.

"No, Bella, you don't have to apologize for anything. That asshole broke into our home and hurt you. Thank you for surviving. Thank you for kicking his ass, I am sorry that you had to do it all alone," she murmured, a frown punctuating her lips.

"Did you call Edward?" I asked, and she nodded.

"He's on his way. You scared the shit out of all of us, B," she murmured as she wiped back some tears. My lips threaded into a grimace as she squeezed my hand as she cleared her throat.

"Rest, Bella, I'll be here reading wedding blogs and The Knot reviews," she urged and I protested before my eyes began to close from sheer exhaustion. With a deep sigh, I let myself drift.


Pre-season was a pain in my ass. Not only was I away from Bella for so long, but they weren't even part of the regular season. As I sat on the bench to take off my cleats, Emmett sat beside me.

"Em," I greeted.

"You played like shit out there," he replied. He wasn't wrong, I went o for three, with one strike out. In the field, I made an error which was rare for me. All I could think about was Bella, she spent more time at my house since James was released from jail. She put on a brave face, but I knew she was terrified. I hated that she was scared and I hated the bastard plagued with her nightmares. I witnessed her nightmares every night this week and they left me feeling powerless.

I couldn't protect her from her mind, as much as I wanted to. The entire game I was thinking of all the ways I would beat the hell out of the sack of shit who made her life a living hell for two yers.

"It's Bells, isn't it?" Emmett asked, clapping a hand over my shoulder. I sighed. There wasn't a part of me that didn't want to protect her. I hated leaving her alone even though she called and texted me.

"Did Rose tell you?" I asked, drawing out a breath. Emmett nodded solemnly before anger crossed his features.

"I never met the asshole and I've wanted nothing more than to get my hands on him," Emmett seethed. I didn't think it was possible for one person to put the damn stars in the sky and simultaneously tear me up. Even though she was hurting, she insisted taking care of me somehow. She hated being taken care of, mostly because besides Charlie no man had ever bothered. Hearing her sobs in the shower ripped me open.

"Bella has been terrified all week with the worst nightmares," I explained.

"Rosie has them too sometimes," he nodded with a grimace and a wince.

"How do you get through them?" I asked, almost pleading with him. I could see his shoulders sag as he lugged his bat bag over his shoulder. I finished unlacing my cleats before throwing them against the wall in frustration. All I could see the terror in her eyes when she woke up screaming after a nightmare. I held her hair every time she threw up after a nightmare.

"They happen less and less with time. I went to therapy with her once, which helped me a lot," he replied as he swiped his hand across his face. He picked up my cleats before handing them to me. I looked at him apologetically before I put my cleats in my bat bag.

"I just hate seeing her like this," I murmured, tears in my eyes. Emmett enveloped me in a sideways hug before he sighed. Her cries ripped my heart straight out of my chest. I could protect her from someone who came through the door, but I couldn't protect her from her mind.

"I'd take being hit by a pitcher every damn at bat I have versus seeing her in pain," I added, screwing my eyes shut.

"I know, man. So you seeing her tonight?" He asked as we walked together to the parking lot. I nodded stoically as I hit her contact before I heard the phone go straight to voicemail. My stomach ran cold as I gulped.

"Edward?" Emmett asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Her phone went straight to voicemail," I explained, my voice breaking. His expression twisted into concern before his sympathetic eyes met mine.

"I'm sure Bella just didn't charge her phone, she forgets her charger everywhere," he consoled me. He was right, Bella left her chargers around my house like candy. Usually a mention of Bella would make me smile, however my stomach flipped nervously as Alice's name popped up on my screen.

Emmett nodded his head for me to answer it.

"Alice," I greeted tensely.

"Edward, I need you to listen to me," Alice's voice sounded urgent and she let out a sob. My blood ran cold as I could feel tears blooming in my eyes. I wiped away a tear as I took a breath.

"I'm listening, Ali," I assured her, my voice breaking.

"Bella called me on her way home from practice, Edward, and she said someone was following her. She got to our apartment and texted me to call the police because someone broke in," Alice explained her voice heavy with tears. I could feel my knees buckle as Emmett pushed me back up. A million possibilities raced through my mind.

My head pounded with each possibility that made me sick to my stomach. My worst fears were coming to light and I was a hundred miles away. Tears invaded my vision as I wiped my tears away.

"Alice, is she hurt? Is she..." I trailed off, not even able to finish my thought. I heard a sharp intake of breath before she answered.

"Someone roughed her up. The police were at our apartment, I haven't been back yet. Edward, she's alive, okay? She's at the hospital," Alice murmured. I felt slight relief that she was alive, but my stomach twisted at the thought of someone hurting her.

"I'm on my way, Alice," I said, before I hung up. I couldn't even see anymore, there were so many tears coming out as Emmett guided me to his SUV before ushering me into the passenger since I was no shape to drive.

"Edward, I texted Rosie she's coming too," Emmett said as his voice broke. He kept his eyes on the road as we rode in silence. He easily went ten over the speed limit and I was grateful he was speeding. My whole world was in some hospital.

My life I could separate into two parts: with and without Bella. I met her in sixth grade and she was there since. There were those two years with James I kept out of my memory, however I couldn't imagine the thought of Bella not on this Earth anymore.

The woman was my whole universe, and I hoped she knew it. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I was going to marry her. She was my forever girl, and the thought of our forever ending like this made me sick to my core.

Once we reached the hospital I practically threw the passenger door open as I raced to the hospital doors. I ran all the time, but somehow I was out of breath from running those three hundred yards to the desk.

"Bella Swan," I said to the receptionist. The kind receptionist typed in her computer for a moment before she pushed her glasses over the bridge of her nose.

"Room 6. Floor three," the receptionist responded. I nodded at her before sprinting to the elevators. My heart was practically pounding out of my chest as I hit the tiny button on the elevator.

My eyes traced the waiting room before I met Alice's gaze. Her eyes were red rimmed as fresh tears filled them. She had a wad of tissues in her hand as she raced to give me a hug.

"Oh, Edward," she sobbed. I hugged my sister back before kissing her forehead.

"How is she?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper.

"She has a really bad concussion, Edward. She lost a lot of blood. She was up and talking before she fell asleep, Edward. She's beat up," Alice informed me. Each one of her injuries felt like a punch to the gut.

"Can I see her?" I asked.

Alice nodded once as she took my hand in hers before leading back to her room. Alice turned to me, blocking me from the door.

"She's really hurt, Edward so she doesn't look herself. Just brace yourself," she warned me before she opened door. The room like sterile with crisp blue walls and I heard the beeping from the heart monitor. The room was mostly dark except the light illuminated from the thousand monitors.

Her arms had light bandages as her ankle was in a cast. Her hands were covered in smaller bandages except for her left hand which was bare. Her abdomen was covered in bandages and I saved her face for last.

Her hair was caked in blood as a large bandage was wrapped around her head. Her face had smaller cuts all over as the entire vision of her had me hit my knees as tears fell down my face.

Seeing her like this brought images Alice described when she saw her four years ago in the emergency room. I swore that I wouldn't let that happen to Bella again, and I failed epically at protecting her. I couldn't imagine how scared she was in those moments.

"She fought really hard, y'know?" Alice replied feebly.

"Who did this? Did they find him?" I asked venomously.

"It was James. Bella knocked him unconscious," she replied. My hands went into fists and my jaw clenched at his name. I was proud of her for fighting him.

"She saved herself," I muttered. She always had. Somehow, Bella always managed to survive. She was tougher than anyone else I ever knew, and she had the strength I could never have.

"She always does," Alice said with a sad smile before she patted Bella's hand. She turned to me before bobbing her head. I took my place at her side, lacing her left hand in mine. She was cold, so cold when usually she was my little furnace. I kissed the back of her hand, the only real uninjured part of her.

"Jesus, B, you scared the shit out of me. I'm so incredibly sorry I wasn't there to protect you, I feel like I've failed you," I said, as if she was my altar. I kissed each one of her fingers before I looked at her face. Her lips were somehow not swollen as her eyes were shut. Even though she was beat up and a hair away from death, she was still utterly beautiful to me.

"You must have been so scared, sweetheart. I swore I'd protect you, and I failed. You're safe now, B, and I know you must be hurting really bad. But whenever you want to open your eyes, I'd love to see them. You beat him, B, he can never hurt you again. The police got him because you fought him. Now all you have to do is heal and come back to me," I murmured, my voice shaking.

"I love you so much, darling girl. I'll be here when you wake up," I promised her. As the hours past, I sat beside her until a grumpy nurse through me out. It tore me up to walk away from her As I walked back to the waiting room to be enveloped in a hug from Rose.

"She's going to be okay, Edward, she's exhausted," Rose reminded me as she squeezed my hand. I took my place in a chair in beside her bed, knowing this was my bed tonight.

"She'd want you to go home and come back with a shower," Alice said with a huff. I rolled my eyes at my sister, the last thing I wanted to do was leave Bella. A shower and new clothes could wait.

"She'll be here in the morning, Edward," Rose agreed. I hissed as I moved around in the plastic chair.

"I don't want to leave her alone, she hates it," I murmured. A wan smile spread across Alice's lips as she ruffled my hair. I wasn't leaving this chair, they'd just have to live with it.

"Is Charlie on his way?" I asked, curiously.

"Yeah, he's coming later tonight he couldn't get out of his shift," Alice replied. I let out a sigh of relief, this wasn't the way I wanted to see him again after all these years but Bella needed as many people in her corner as possible.

I couldn't get the picture of Bella lying in that tiny hospital bed out of my head. I could see the vivid bruises around her neck where he held her down. Before Alice turned around to leave, I called after her.

"Alice," I called and she whipped around quickly. Every atom in me was heated as I met her gaze. I didn't want to ask the question, but I knew I had to. Bella's physical wounds were extensive and already ripped me up inside. However the thought of her being violated in that way made me sick to my stomach.

"Did he?" I asked, not able to ask the question. She shook her head as a relieved smile sat hesitantly on her lips. Bella defeated her demons all by herself, even the physical ones. As much as I hated she had to fight him or even be put in the situation I was proud as hell of her.

"No, not that the police could tell. She got away in time," she replied. I let out a sigh of relief that she didn't have to endure that enough. I knew Bella wouldn't come out unscathed emotionally from this. However, Bella was survivor and I didn't doubt her fire and incredible strength would get her through this if she let others around her help her.

"You gonna wait for Charlie?" Alice questioned. I nodded, my lips in a line.

"Good. Text me throughout the night with updates, okay? I'll be back here tomorrow morning with a coffee and new clothes for you," she informed as she threw her arms around my neck.

"Love you, Ali, thank you for getting here," I murmured.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, brother," she muttered before she turned around to walk through the double doors to the elevator. Rose and Emmett shot out of their seats as she bounded over to me.

"She's gonna be okay, Edward. She fought like hell and won," she murmured in amazement. I wasn't surprised Bella put up a hell of a fight, people didn't give her enough credit for her strength.

She was a division one college athlete, of course the woman had incredible strength. She was a spitfire and could easily out run me on a softball field. I bobbed my head as I sat back down in the worn plastic chair.

"We're gonna head home, Edward, but call us okay? We'll be here tomorrow morning," Rose said, her somber eyes meeting mine as she squeezed my hand once. I nodded before Emmett gave me a hug.

I tried to pass the time waiting, but I ended up pacing against the waiting room floor. I wasn't sure how I didn't etch a permanent stain from my shoes. Sometime later, I heard a gruff chuckle as a red eyed Charlie greeted me.

His eyes studied me for a minute before he shook my hand.

"Bells..." he trailed off, and I managed to get myself in check before I answered him.

"She's in rough shape, Chief. She's stable, but she's got some injuries, the worst is her concussion. She had some swelling..." I started, and my voice broke as I fought to continue.

"On her brain, they ran some CAT scans to see the damage and it was minor," I said, keeping my voice stable. He shook his head as he brushed his hand down his face for a minute.

"Did they get him?" Charlie asked, venom in his tone.

"Bella knocked him out, she got away," I replied, wiping away my own tears as I saw a hint of a smile on his face.

"That's my girl," he murmured as he came around the bed to wipe some errant hairs back from her forehead before he kissed her head. She moved slightly, quirking an eyebrow before she fell back into deep sleep.

"Are you gonna stay with her?" He asked after he kissed her forehead. I bobbed my head as a smile crossed his lips for a moment.

"I'm glad she has you, Edward. You're good for her," he murmured as he patted her tiny hand before turning to me. A wide smile broke across my lips as I nodded, unbelievably grateful she gave me a space in her life.

"I love her, Chief," I murmured and he gave me a brisk nod with a hint of a smile.

"I know, and she loves you. You always have, Edward. Carlisle and I were just wondering when it would happen. She's been through a lot in her life," he murmured, a grimace on his face at the end.

My lips went into a frown, shaking my head at the awful moments she endured. If I could turn back time to that softball game her junior year and the sickening feeling in my gut, I would have.

There was a part of me that wondered if I could have saved her, and the days I found out after all she endured I hoped I could. However, I can remember Rosalie confronting me after I sent flowers to Bella.

"Edward," Rosalie greeted as I opened the door of my house to her. I raised an eyebrow at her, it wasn't like her to just show up at my house. In fact, she had a grim frown on her face.

"Rose," I greeted, offering for her to come inside as her heels clicked on the hardwood floor. She clasped her hands in front of her as she pursed her lips. Rose was helping Bella get back on her feet again after she left James.

"Edward, I almost called you but I figured we should talk about this in person," Rose said as I took a step back before leaning against the bannister. I combed through my mind about what she was talking about, but came up empty.

"It's about, Bella," she said, answering my unspoken question. I nodded in acknowledgement before I gestured for her to continue. She shifted a hair nervously behind her ear as she tried to find the words.

"Rose, you're never scared to speak your mind. Whatever it is, just say it," I urged her, and she sighed before she let out a huge breath of air.

"Don't send her flowers anymore, okay? I know you've been hopelessly in love with her for years and that's wonderful. But she's hurting right now, Edward, and the last thing she needs right now is for you to save her," Rose confessed, and I nodded.

She was right, there was a part of me that wanted to swoop in and save her. However, I knew she'd been through a lot these past years and endured things I couldn't imagine. As much as I love her, I couldn't save her. She had to save herself, which was a hard pill to swallow.

When I saw the photos at the trial from that night it took every damn atom in me not to charge the stand and beat the shit out of that sad excuse of a man. When Bella took the stand and ran through every detail of the constant abuse I felt as though my heart was being ripped open. She looked different than the girl I saw on the field two years ago.

"I understand, thank you Rose for looking out for her," I said, nodding my head. Rose reached up to my shoulders for a hug before she pulled away.

"I'm still rooting for you guys, okay? I just worry..." she murmured before I cut her off. I put my hands on her shoulders. I did understand, as much as I wanted to spend more time with Bella, I knew the timing wasn't right.

I had to earn a spot back into her life, and I needed to be her friend first. I had to realize that she was different than the girl I grew up with, and I couldn't fall in love with the idea of her.

"She doesn't need a relationship right now, she needs friends and I'm happy to be that when she's ready," I assured her which earned a wide grin before she embraced me once more.

"I'll leave you two," I murmured before Charlie nodded appreciatively. I watched as he talked to her from the glass on the other side of the door. The clock ticked on as I nodded off in the chair sometime later.

I peeked in through the glass to find Charlie gone and Bella sleeping peacefully. With a sigh, I opened the door before settling in the plastic chair beside her bed after kissing her uninjured hand softly.

Sun streamed in through the cheap blinds as the sun practically gave her a halo behind her head. I smiled at the image, since she was an actual angel in my world. However, it wasn't until I heard her lovely voice that I was able to relax.

"Is the vinyl digging into your ass?" She asked, her voice slightly hoarse as her warm brown eyes blearily met mine. I jumped out of my seat, which made her let out the cutest giggle.

"B!" I nearly exclaimed as I kissed every part of her face I could in gratitude that she came back to me.

"How do you feel?" I asked her, placing my hands on either side of her head. She quirked an eyebrow as her expression shifted to thoughtfulness for a moment before she answered.

"My head feels like someone ran it through a grinder and my throat hurts a little," she said with a shrug. My eyes moved to the handprint bruises on her neck as I blinked back rage.

"I'm so sorry, B. I'm so sorry you were alone in dealing with that, I'm so sorry that you got hurt like this. It's killing me, seeing you here in the hospital bed..." I muttered. If I was there I would've pummeled the guy.

However, I wasn't there and the bruises scattered on her body reminded me of that. At this point, I wasn't above insisting she was in my direct line of sight the entire time from now on.

"Edward, this wasn't your fault. He's been following me for weeks. He would've found a way," she argued weakly. My jaw tightened as I blinked a few times, trying not to show the anger I felt.

"B," I began, but she cut me off, squeezing my hand.

"It could've been so much worse and this time I beat him, Edward," she murmured, a slight smile at the end. She was right, she gave the guy a concussion for goodness sakes. There was a part of me that felt like doing a fist pump in the air that she won. However, I didn't want there ever to be a next time. Another time like this could take her away from me, and I couldn't imagine that possibility.

"There can't be a next time," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Edward..." she began, but this time I cut her off.

"Bella, I need you. He almost took you away from me, and dammit do you know how terrifying it was driving her and wondering how I was going to find you? Then finding you on a hospital bed felt like my guts were taken out," I shook my head, my voice breaking. I wasn't a poet and I knew there were a thousand more romantic ways for me to tell her that I needed her or describe what that pain felt like.

But she knew, I knew she did as she reached to grasp her little hand in mine. I met her warm gaze as she squeezed my hand three times.

"He's not going to get away with this, Edward," she murmured. Her light brown eyes met mine as I saw tears flood them. Without missing a beat, I sat on her bed and enveloped her in my arms. I cursed under my breath before I let her go, not wanting to hurt her.

"You're not hurting me, idiot," she said using her arms to wrap mine around her again. She leaned her cheek against my chest as she let out a sob. I stroked her hair gently as I kissed her forehead.

She was my entire solar system and all my stars. She completely owned my heart it scared me sometimes. Truthfully, it terrified me how this tiny strong woman could completely change me in the course of a matter of months. She challenged me and constantly made me a better man, thanks to her love alone.

"I love you so damn much, Bella Swan," I muttered in her hair, partly in thanksgiving of still having her in my arms.

"I love you," she replied her voice muffled. There was a question pulling at me for hours and I needed for her to set the record straight. Her physical wounds were hard enough to stomach, but the thought of him hurting her sexually ate me alive.

"Did he?" I questioned, searching her eyes for a moment. Recognition flooded her as she vehemently shook her head, which made me let out the gust of air I was holding back. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, he tried...Is he okay? I didn't mean to hurt him seriously, I just..." she muttered, shaking her head. She did what she had to survive and if it were me his injuries would've been much worse.

"You survived, B. He's got a headache and a few stitches," I replied. She sighed in relief, which astounded me considering I was having a hard time not going to the jail and beating him senseless.

"Am I going to go to jail?" She questioned her big brown eyes meeting mine. I almost wanted to laugh at the suggestion, but I knew she was completely serious.

"No. He broke into your apartment Bella and tried to kill you. He's in jail right now and he's getting charges pressed against him," I assured her. She nodded, her eyes filling up with tears again.

"I'm so sorry, Edward, that he popped back into my life like this...I know this isn't what you signed up for," she said with a frown. In true Bella like fashion, she was blaming herself again.

I wasn't sure what other languages she had to hear for her to understand that I wasn't leaving her. I could never ever imagine loving her any less. She was a survivor, a woman who endured hell and back.

"This is exactly what I signed up for. We are partners, B, I signed up to be there for you. I signed up to love you when you're at the top of the world and when you feel like the world is crumbling. Plus, your'e in my arms right now and it's going to take a hell more than an ex husband for me to let go of you," I reminded her, shifting her in my arms again before I kissed her forehead. I felt her head bob on my chest in acknowledgement as she pulled away to meet my gaze.

"You have training camp to go back to," she realized. If she thought I was gonna leave her in a hospital bed to go sweat my ass off she was wrong. I already called me coach who told me I could come on Monday. There were some advantages of pre-season.

I knew she would blame herself, her heart is too big for her not to. A sad smile tugged at my lips as I shook my head.

"Bella, please don't worry about that right now. The only thing you need to worry about is getting better," I reminded her. Her eyes grew wide as I searched her eyes for signs of pain.

"The apartment, oh my god, it's trashed," she exclaimed. I soothingly rubbed her shoulders as I shook my head.

"Replaceable things, love. You are not," I reminded bloomed in her cheeks for a moment. She did have a point though, and the last place I wanted her to be was in her apartment right now.

"Alice is staying with Jasper right now while the landlord works on the apartment. If you're comfortable, love, you can stay with me. I have too many bedrooms," I offered and she thought for a moment. I knew how much she valued her independence and I also knew that her moving in was temporary.

She made it clear a few months ago that she didn't want to move in until marriage, which I respected. She had an independence streak, one of the many qualities I fell in love with her.

However, having her with me for now would let me dream about what it would be like to be with her forever. I always dreamed of her in that house with me. She wasn't ready to move in with me, but a man could dream.

She also didn't know that I planned on getting down on one knee in a year. I already bought the ring a few months ago, and I just had to plan out the moment to propose. I knew she needed more time before we took that step.

"Okay, just until our apartment gets fixed," she agreed.

"Will you be okay moving back into the apartment after all that's happened?" I asked her, I didn't want her to relive that night every single time at her apartment. Her landlord could pull some strings to have her in a different apartment.

"He doesn't get to take that away from me," she whispered, with a half smile.

"He won't touch you again," I vowed to her. The thought of his hands on her had me question if I was going to vomit or chuck something at the wall. However, her calming brown eyes met mine.

If she thought I was over protective before this happened, I knew I would grow even more protective now. He almost took her away from me, I could have lost her. The mere thought of losing her again made me sick.

"I know," she nodded as I wiped a tear from her cheek. Before I could go on, a doctor knocked hesitantly at the door. She curled away from my arms before I sat back in the chair, keeping her hand in mine.

"Ms. Swan, you gave us quite a scare. The concussion worried us the most, but we will discharge you today with some pain meds. I do advise you to avoid rigorous physical activity for a week. Please come back if you have any signs of losing consciousness or confusion. Please return in three days to remove the stitches in your abdomen," he said gruffly before nodding at the nurse.

"Thank you," she murmured, placing her free hand in her lap. The nurse smiled brightly at her as she began to remove Bella's IV from her arm along with the wires criss crossed along her.

"You will be sore for a few days, and resting your ankle is important so think rest, ice, and elevate," the nurse with large brown rimmed glasses smiled kindly at Bella before the hospital discharge worker came around for paperwork.

"I'll go get my car around to come pick you up," I murmured into her hair. She quirked an eyebrow and I knew that meant she was going to protest.

"I can walk," she argued feebly. I rolled my eyes at her stubbornness.

"Humor me, B," I nearly begged her. She huffed before she sat up in her bed. I kissed her hair before I ran to the parking lot to grab my car. As soon as I entered my car, I sent out a group text that Bella was discharge.

I knew Charlie was into quick calls, so I dialed his number as I pressed my fingers into the arch of my nose. Of course, he picked up on the first ring.

"Charlie, it's Edward. Bella is being discharged, and I asked her to stay at my place while her apartment gets fixed," I informed him as I switched the call over to Bluetooth as I backed up out of my space. I heard an intake in breath.

"Thank you, Edward. Can you have her call me when you get back?" He asked, relief clear in his tone.

"Yes, sir." I said, nearly at the main entrance.

"Edward? Thank you for taking care of her," he murmured in gratitude. I felt a smile on my lips as I nodded.

"It's an honor, sir," I said as I parked my car before putting on my warning blinkers. I nearly sprinted to her room, where she was beginning to get up. This woman was going to give me an embolism.

"Bella," I chastised as I saw her on her feet. She grimaced for a moment when she put her injured foot on the ground. Her foot was wrapped in a heavy bandage with her toes peeking out. I grabbed the bag containing her shoes before I enveloped her in my arms.

"Edward!" She complained as I pressed her closer to my chest. I began walking us out of the room, feeling grateful to even hold her in my arms after the past twenty-four hours. I could finally breathe again as I kissed her hair.

"You shouldn't be on your feet, sweet girl," I reminded her softly as I walked out of the sliding doors before tucking her into my passenger seat. I made sure to gingerly place her, watching for any signs of pain. Luckily, the hospital refilled a prescription for pain meds, which we could pick up on the way back to my house.

"You talk to Alice and Rose?" She asked, leaning her head back against the headrest. Alice had already arrived at my house to help Bella get comfortable with fresh pairs of clothes and shoes.

"Alice called me first when she found out you were in the hospital. They got there before Em and I did," I replied, squeezing my eyes reflecting on those hellish two hours when I was terrified she wouldn't come back to me.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her lips drawing into a frown. I didn't even keep count on how many times she apologized at this point. A sad smile spread across my face as I turned to her.

"Don't apologize for what he did, Bella. Alice, Rose, and Em were worried sick but they were worried because they love you," I reminded her softly. She didn't realize how important she was to all of us. Alice almost loved her as much as I did.

"I know, but you and Em were at training camp and the last way you wanted to spend your Friday was in a..." She began, and I shook my head as she cut me off. I would make the drive again knowing that she was safe in my car right now.

"Finish that sentence and I'll be in a jail cell. I love you, Isabella Marie Swan and there is no fucking ocean I wouldn't cross to be there with you," I reminded her, wincing at the language I used. She batted her eyelashes in shock as she cleared her throat.

She never understood how much she meant to me or how much power she had over me. Watching my person go through hell was shit for me, but she made it out. There was a part of me that knew the next couple of weeks would be a different version of hell because of what she endured. However, I was going to be there for her because she meant too much to me to let go.

During these next weeks, even if she complained I would tell her how much she meant to me. She was uncomfortable with me expressing my love to her because I knew me simply being next to her was enough for her.

A piece of me was sad that no one ever told her how incredible she was, how beautiful she was even bruised, how she managed to take my breath away as she drifted to sleep in my passenger seat, but dammit I would.

As her eyes fluttered close once we reached the house, I gently closed my car door before coming around to open her door. She fidgeted in my arms as I walked us to the door. When the door opened, I walked us to one of the guest bedrooms. As much as I wanted her to be in my bed, I didn't want to push her.

Alice came over a few hours earlier to help get my guest room set up. There were already neat piles of clothes on the dresser along with towels on the bed for her. Shifting the towels over, I laid her beneath the covers before propping her foot up on pillows.

Once I heard her adorable soft snore, I closed the bedroom door as I paced in the hallway dialing Alice's number.

"Alice," I murmured.

"Edward! How is she? Are you home yet?" She asked, worry in her voice.

"We're back. Thank you for your help. She's asleep in the bedroom," I replied, letting out a breath of air.

"Good. Can Rose and I come over later?" She asked.

"You know I'll say yes. She was apologizing on the way home so I'm not sure where her head space is. I'll ask her when she wakes up," I answered. I worried about where her mind would take her these next weeks.

I've been witness to her nightmares and they terrified me as she woke up screaming. I could hardly imagine what they were like experiencing them. I scrunched my eyes closed as I heard Alice take a breath on the other end.

"Of course she's going to feel guilty about getting hurt, this is Bella Swan we're talking about. Edward, you're doing everything right, okay? I know you're probably beating yourself up right now. Text me if she wants us to come over tonight," she said as I reached the kitchen.

"I will," I agreed as I fished out ingredients for chicken soup tonight. I didn't want to make her something that would upset her stomach as I began to prep for the soup. Sometime later after I assembled the soup I heard commotion upstairs.

Booking it, I practically flew up the stairs before almost ripping the door off the handle. When I opened the bedroom door, Bella was gone. The bathroom door was shut with light illuminating underneath it.

With a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

"B? You okay?" I asked her, trying to mask my anxiety. Silence greeted me as my heart beat loudly in my chest. I waited another painful two minutes before trying again.

"B, I'm giving you another sixty seconds and then I'll open the door," I urged, my hand knocking gently on the door again. However, all I heard was the rumbling of the fan in the bathroom.

"I'm coming in," I announced before I opened the unlocked door. The sight that greeted me broke my heart. With tears in her eyes, Bella stood in front of the mirror in a towel as she stared at her reflection. Her eyes didn't even scan mine as I entered. I came up behind her as she stood motionless. Most of her head was covered in her hair except for one piece in the back which had two stitches.

"I look horrible," she whispered so softly I had to crane my head to hear it. I shook my head at her deduction as I wrapped my arms gently around her. She was a survivor, she endured hell.

"No, baby, you just went to hell and back," I replied. Hot tears trailed down her face as her eyes went to the prominent bruises on her face and neck. My blood boiled as I saw the handprint bruises on her neck.

"I'm missing burns I think," she murmured, mustering a half smile. I raised my eyebrow at her before she chuckled darkly.

"Hell has flames," she explained. I rolled my eyes at her dark humor.

"Do you want to take a shower? I can help you, or I could call Alice over," I offered. She thought for a moment before a smile spread across her face. My heart tugged that she smiled for the first time in a long time at me. Did I just win the lottery?

"Can you help me?" She asked, her big brown eyes reaching mine. As if I could tell her no.

"Yes," I murmured. Usually, seeing her naked made me want to immediately take her over my shoulder and find the nearest bed. However, this wasn't the time for that. She needed me to take care of her, and we had plenty of time for sex after she was better.

I turned the water on to warm, making sure it wasn't too hot before bringing her with me under the water. I remembered from the doctor that she could use some soap on her head, but she had to be careful.

As I washed her hair, I felt small shards of glass come out along with dark blood. My stomach rocked as I kept my eyes on her the entire time. Her eyes would fill up with fresh tears as I took my time washing the rest of her.

Without taking my eyes off of hers, I kneeled down in front of her to wash her legs before gently washing her purple and blue ankle. Watching for any signs of pain or discomfort, I came back to standing as I washed her back.

Once I had her facing me, the tears she kept at bay finally spilled over as I heard a soft sob come out of her mouth. I supported most of her weight as I shifted her so I was the one getting mostly drenched as I held her securely in my arms.

One of my hands trailed to her chest right where her heart was, to reassure myself she was still with me. In response, her tiny hand touched my heart which pounded out of my chest for her.

I let her sob, without saying a word as I let the stream of water flow over us. As her hand rested on my chest, I prayed with each beat of my heart she could hear what my thoughts said as I squeezed her hand three times: I love you, I love you, I love you.

Once I managed to get her out of the shower, I dried her off before dressing her in one of my big sweatshirts she loved so much. Her hair fell in plaits behind her as I laid her on the couch downstairs.

"B," I murmured as I sat with her in my lap. She strained her head to hear me.

"Charlie wants to talk to you. I'll be right in the other room, heating up the soup," I informed her as her fingers clutched her phone. She nodded mutely before kissing my cheek.

"You made soup?" She questioned, curiously. Her voice was still rough from crying.

"Chicken noodle soup with the star shaped pasta you like," I answered. A tiny grin spread across her face which made my heart leap in my chest. She squeezed my hand three times just like I squeezed hers in the shower.

My heart took off in my chest as I slid off the couch to give her privacy. I heard her greet her dad as I warmed the soup up on the stove. I heard her hold back tears as she recounted to Charlie.

I had to focus on the fact that she was here and alive with me. Thankfully, her injuries weren't extremely serious, even though they were unacceptable to me. Moments later I heard the conversation end as she tried again to get off the couch.

"B," I called to her before I swept her up in my arms.

"Edward, I have crutches you know," she reminded me. I rolled my eyes as I situated her on a stool.

"It's an excuse for me to carry you which you almost never let me do," I argued. She pursed her lips before shaking her head. Her eyes studied the bowl of soup.

"This looks amazing, I'm surprised you remembered the star noodles I like," she commented. When we were in middle and high school whenever she stayed home sick which was almost never, I always brought over a packet of the star soup she liked.

The past hour I found a recipe for chicken noodle soup and located the star noodles to add.

"I have a fantastic memory," I hedged as she took a sip of her soup.

"It's better than the box," she agreed with a smile. Her eyes studied me for a moment before recognition dawned on her face.

"You have a game tomorrow," she murmured.

"Yes, I'm driving to the training complex tomorrow morning first thing. I'm only an hour away and I asked Rose and Alice to come by," I started but I already saw the frustration bloom on her face.

"So they can babysit me?" She asked, venom seeping into her tone. I really wasn't trying to be overbearing but I was already panicking about leaving her alone in the house. What if she got the bold idea to take a walk? Or try to get down the stairs by crutches?

"They're not babysitting you, they're taking care of you," I said as I slipped a pain med to her. She was due for one, anyway even if she protested that she didn't need them.

"Edward," she murmured in disgust. I reached to lay my hand on top of hers.

"Please let me take care of you. You scared the ever loving shit out of me and I don't think you realize or have a clue how much I need you," I murmured, her hand shaking slightly in mine.

"I know you're uncomfortable with me telling you how much I love you or how much you mean to me, and that's okay. But B, I lived two hours wondering how I was going to find you or if you were gonna come back to me. I need you well and safe and you spent a night in the hospital. I know you're independent and strong as hell, but it's okay to need help sometimes and have someone take care of you," I reminded her.

She opened her mouth to fight me before she let out a sigh. Maybe now she was finally understanding that I wasn't doing this to hold her back to restrict her. She was too damn precious to me to have her get hurt in my house.

"I don't like it," she muttered before her eyes met mine.

"I know," I murmured kissing her forehead. She shifted the conversation to my game tomorrow. She promised she'd get updates from ESPN or whatever sports network she could find since she couldn't be there in person.

Once we finished eating and I turned down her helping me with cleaning up she leaned back on the couch.

"Alice and Rose offered to come over tonight to see you," I told her softly as I sat next to her. Contemplating, she squeezed my hand in hers as she nodded.

"It'd give you a break from watching me breathe." She said snarky. I rolled my eyes as I texted Alice and Rose who agreed to come over within ten minutes. I laid with her in my arms until I heard a knock on the door.

As soon as I opened it, Alice and Rose practically sprinted to Bella on the couch. Rose touched her hair gently as Alice fussed over the bruises on her cheeks. My heart swelled that she was around such good people, even if I was biased.

"Scaring the shit out of us should be your instagram handle," Rose commented as she examined Bella.

"She gave him hell, so that might be a better one," Alice argued. Bella gave me a knowing smile before I went in to my office to watch film for the next game. Sometime later, I heard the click of crutches down the hallway as the house grew quiet in the absence of Alice and Rose.

In the dim hallway light, I saw Bella's shadow illuminating the red highlights in her hair as it fell in a braid on the side of her head. With a sheepish smile, her eyes met mine. Quicker than a shot, I darted over to her.

"Edward?" She asked, and I watched her face for a sign of discomfort. However, her warm loving eyes meshed with mine.

"Yes?" I asked, one of my hands snaking around her back.

"I think I've made a grave error on my end," she murmured, with a hint of a smile. I ran through my head, wondering what she meant.

"In my shit, I didn't tell you I love you and thank you for taking care of me," she answered. I smiled the first genuine smile all day as I safely crushed her to my chest.

"I love you, Bella Bad-Ass Swan," I murmured into her hair. A giggle escaped her lips as she shook her head.

"You come up with that?"

I chuckled as I shook my head.

"Em did, but the sentiment is the same," I assured her as I lifted her in my arms, letting the crutches fall to the ground before making our descent to the stairs. As I reached the guest bedroom, she mumbled in my chest.

"Your arms tonight please," she urged, exhaustion in her voice. My smile widened as I carried her to my bedroom before placing her gently under the covers. I fixed her pillows under her foot before she snuggled in to me.


Whew, what a chapter. Next chapter is what we call falling action, where we have the court case and time for our couple's first dating anniversary. Leave me your thoughts below!