10

"I killed them," whispered Bella.

"There you are, Edward," sighed Esme, coming out of the school. Bella took a deep breath and looked away.

"I'll see you in class," whispered Bella.

"Bella, wait," I called as she stood up and took off into the school.

"Edward, what the hell happened in there?" asked Esme, sitting down next to me.

"I didn't start it, Esme," I said. "Newton threw the first punch. Then his dickless friends tried to gain up on me. I was just defending myself."

"So I heard," said Esme. "But I would like to know what they said to provoke you to fight back."

"It doesn't matter," I sighed as the bell rang. "I had better get to class."

"Edward-"

"Just don't worry about me, Esme. I'm fine," I said, standing up.

I left her sitting on the bench and headed into the school. Bella was standing by her locker. She looked up at me as I came in. She stood there for a moment before she turned and headed down the hall. I shook my head softly as I went over to my locker and pulled out my books.

"Hey, Man, you ok?" asked Ben as he and Garrett came up behind me. "That was a pretty nasty fight."

"I'm fine," I muttered, slamming my locker shut.

I turned and headed down to my classroom, leaving them standing there. I walked down to my classroom and went inside. Bella was sitting on her stool with her iPod on, scribbling on her notebook. I went over and sat down next to her and just looked at her but she didn't look up at me.

I pulled out a piece of paper from my notebook as Mr. Banner came in and started his lecture about flatworms.

Talk to me. I slid the paper over to Bella. She looked at it and sighed softly before she wrote me back.

Can't, middle of class. We'll get in trouble.

I don't give a shit. You can't say what you said and not explain.

This isn't the time or place.

Bella, do you trust me? Bella looked up at me after she read my words. She slowly nodded her head. I pulled the paper over to me and wrote, Then trust me enough to tell me what happened. No matter what you tell me, I will still be your friend.

You can't promise me that, Edward.

Yes, I can.

Bella just shook her head and went back to her notebook. I crumpled up the paper and dropped it into my backpack. The rest of class seemed to just drag on. Bella never looked back up from her notebook. What did she mean that she killed her parents? I couldn't believe that Bella, the girl who clung onto me last night, was capable of killing anyone. Finally, after what felt like forever, the bell rang.

"We need to talk," I said as Bella stood up.

"We can't talk here and we can't skip class again," sighed Bella, gathering up her stuff. She looked up at me. "I…"

"After school then," I said, throwing my books in my backpack.

"Can't, we have training," muttered Bella

"Bella, you have to explain what you said to me," I hissed, grabbing her arm.

"Please let me go, Edward?" she whispered. I let go of her arm. "I'll explain but not here, ok?"

"Ok, after our workout then," I said.

"Maybe," she muttered.

Bella pushed past me and headed out of the classroom. I sighed as I followed her out. We made our way down to the gym and into the separate dressing rooms. I quickly changed and headed out to the gym. Coach Clapp came out and broke us up into teams for volleyball. Gym went by nearly as slow as my morning classes did.

Finally, Coach Clapp dismissed us and we headed back to the dressing rooms. I quickly changed back into my school clothes and headed down to my locker. I threw my books inside and practically ran out to Esme's car, where Bella was waiting for us. She was tapping her foot nervously on the ground. She looked up at me and I swear, I saw fear run across her face. Was she really that afraid that I would run from her?

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," she muttered. "So gym was…fun."

"Oh, yeah," I snorted. "Nothing like forced team work, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much sucks," sighed Bella. "That's why I like boxing, only have to rely on yourself."

"Me too," I muttered.

"You two ready?" asked Esme, coming up to us.

Bella and I simply nodded our heads before we climbed into the backseat of her car. She climbed into the front seat and took off. Bella just stared out the window the entire time. Esme pulled the car up in front of the gym and shut off the engine.

"Are you staying?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, avoiding my eyes. "I want to make sure you don't take off or something."

"Yeah, right," I mumbled. I knew the real reason, even if she wasn't willing to admit it to herself. She had a crush on Carlisle. "Let's go then."

The three of us climbed out of the car and headed inside. Bella and I each went into our separate dressing rooms to change. I quickly changed and headed out to the front, where Carlisle was talking Esme. Jasper and Emmett were sparing in the ring. Carlisle looked over at me and narrowed his eyes.

"What the fuck happened to you?" he asked, coming over to me and grabbing my face. I winced as he hit a sore spot on my jaw.

"He got into a fight at school," explained Esme. I rolled my eyes at her.

"What about?" asked Carlisle.

"It doesn't matter," I said as Bella came out of the girl's locker room.

"I think it does matter," snapped Carlisle. "Fighting outside of the ring is really stupid."

"He was defending me," said Bella. Emmett and Jasper stopped fight as they, Carlisle, and Esme looked over at her. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Newton, Crowley, and Yorke were badmouthing me and our friendship and Edward defended me after Newton threw the first punch."

"Is that true?" asked Carlisle, looking back at me.

"Yes," I muttered.

"Well, I guess that's different," mumbled Carlisle. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine," I said.

"That's, um, good," muttered Carlisle. He cleared his throat as he looked around. "Well, let's get started on the speed bags."

"Ok," I muttered.

I followed Carlisle and Bella over to the speed bags. Carlisle had Bella and I work on the speed bags for about half an hour before we moved on to the punching bags. As much as I hated to admit it, because I wasn't sure I like him or not, Carlisle really did know what he was talking about. He showed me how to improve my technique and form.

After we worked on the punching bags, I watched as Bella and Jasper sparred together. Watching Bella in the ring was like watching a lioness take down her prey. She was completely focused on her goal. She was quick but smart. She didn't waist time throwing needless jabs or punches.

"You see how she conserves her energy?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes," I said.

"By keeping her arms in tighter and waiting for the right moment, she makes them do all the work. They get tired and then she can clean up at the end. That's what you need to learn," said Carlisle.

"She's quick," I observed.

"That she is," sighed Carlisle. "Don't hurt her."

"Excuse me?" I asked, looking over at him. He sighed and sat down next to me.

"Look, Bella's had it rough over the last couple years," explained Carlisle. "She's a bit of a bitch and doesn't let anyone close to her, except for you. I don't know why she feel so comfortable around you but she does. She needs a friend like you and if you hurt her, I'll have to kill you. I really don't want to go to prison. Orange isn't my color."

"Um, I won't hurt her," I said. "I need a friend like her, too."

"I suppose you do," sighed Carlisle. "Anyway, go change. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok," I muttered.

I made my way over to the dressing room and quickly changed. I had just pulled my shirt on when the door to the dressing rooms opened. I looked over to see Bella standing there. She pushed the door shut and flipped the lock.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked.

BPOV

I stood there in the front of the door watching Edward watch me. I wasn't sure how to start this conversation. I've never told anyone but my brothers what happened with my parents and I wasn't sure how Edward would take it.

"I…" I trailed off, biting my bottom lip. "I need to explain about my parents."

"Ok," said Edward, stepping closer to me.

"Don't," I said, putting my hand up to stop him.

"Ok," he said, stepping back from me. I slid down against the door. Edward slinked down to the floor and looked at me. I pulled my knees up to my chest. "What did you mean when you said you killed them?"

"I mean it was my fault they died," I said, through my tears. "My parents owned one of the best training gyms in Arizona. People came from all over the state to have my father train them to fight. About three years ago, a man by the name of Aro Volturi came into our gym one afternoon while I was sparring with my father. He and my father went into his office to speak. I moved over to the speed bags and started working but a few minutes later, I heard my father start to yell. He stormed out of his office yelling that Aro could go to hell and that he wouldn't be working for him no matter how much money they offered him. Aro just smiled and looked back at me before he left. All my father would tell me or my mother was that we were to stay away from that man. We both agreed and it was forgotten. Over the next few months, my parents started acting very strange. They were super protective of me, more than normal, and every time the phone rang they would jump. Then one night about two years ago, we were sitting around the dinner table when the phone rang again. My mother answered it and screamed. She said 'They're coming.' A few minutes later, someone started beating on the front door. My father looked back at me and told me to go hide in the crawl space in my closest. He always called it my special place. I didn't want to leave them, Edward, because I knew something bad was going to happen but he made me. So ran up the stairs and hid while two men broke into my house and killed my parents."

"Bella, that's not your fault," whispered Edward.

"Yes, it is," I cried. "I hid instead of helping them, Edward. I heard them raping my mother, while she screamed for them to stop. I just sat there and listened to them killing my father."

"You were a kid, Bella," whispered Edward. I hadn't realized that he had slowly made his way over to me. He lifted me up and set me in his lap. I laid my head on his chest. "They were trying to protect you."

"It took the police two days to find us," I whispered. "By the time, they found me in my crawl space, I was practically catatonic. One of the police men reached out and grabbed my arm and I lost it, Edward. I started screaming at him to leave me alone. I started hitting him and kicking him. It took four officers to restrain me. They strapped me down to a stretcher and took me to the hospital. When the nurse tried to touch me, I flipped out again. They strapped me down to the bed. They sent someone from psych down to talk to me but I couldn't… I didn't know what to say."

"Where were your brothers?" asked Edward.

"They were at school in Seattle," I whispered. "I'm not really sure when they showed up, I was so out of it. All I really remember was them climbing into my bed with me and holding me while we cried together. The next day, the shrink from the hospital went to the judge and told him that I was mentally instable and that I need to be placed under his care. My brothers tried to fight him but after I went crazy on that cop, the judge issued the order forcing me to spend thirty days at Arizona State Hospital. I didn't even get to go to my parent's funerals. After a month there, where they thought it would be better if I was just drugged up all the time, they let me out. So once the judge finally ordered my release, I moved to Seattle with my brothers. They decided to move us here a few months later and they opened the gym."

"Did they ever catch the men who killed them?" asked Edward.

"No," I whispered. "The police called it a random act of violence. However, I know better. I think Aro Volturi killed my parents after my father refused to work for him. When they were…the men made comments about making better choices in their next life."

"Bella, none of that was your fault," he whispered.

"I should have tried to help them," I whispered, clutching on to his t-shirt.

"Why's the fucking door locked?" grumbled Jasper, pushing on the door. I rolled my eyes and climbed off of Edward's lap. "Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is the door locked?" demanded Jasper. I rolled my eyes and stood up. Edward stood up and I unlocked the door. It fell open when Jasper pushed in it again. He looked up at me then at Edward and growled. "What the fuck is going on here?"

"We were just talking," I snapped.

"Why was the door locked then?" growled Jasper as Carlisle, Emmett, and Esme came up behind him.

"WE WERE JUST TALKING," I screamed at them.

I pushed through them and ran up to our apartment. I went into my room and shut the door behind me. I went into my bathroom and took a hot shower. I shut off the water and dried off. I went back into my room and pulled on my pajamas. I had just laid down on my bed when the door to my room opened. I didn't need to look back to know it was my brothers. I felt the bed dip down as they sat down.

"We were just talking," I said.

"We believe you," said Carlisle.

"Are you sending me back to that place?" I asked.

"We don't want to, Bella, but you aren't dealing with what happened with Mom and Dad, either," sighed Emmett.

"I'm trying," I said.

"How are you trying?" asked Jasper. "All you do is run or train. Then you take off last night and end up in the bed of some kid you don't even know."

"Edward's my friend," I said.

"That's great, Bella," said Carlisle. "But you just met him."

"I know," I muttered. "But he…"

"He what?" asked Emmett. I shook my head softly. "Come one, Belly Bear, talk to us."

"He doesn't care that I'm crazy," I said softly. "He defended me when those asses called me a whore. He stood up for me when Lauren threw that coke in my face. He makes me feel…better."

"Ok, but you can't go off like you did last night," said Carlisle. "Cause you really scared the shit of us. We don't want to lose you too, Bella."

"I'm sorry," I cried softly. "I just can't go back there."

"We know," whispered Carlisle, laying down next to me. "I'm sorry I threatened you like that."

"I miss them," I cried.

"Me too," whispered Carlisle.

"I do too," whispered Jasper.

"Me too," sighed Emmett, laying down next to me and Carlisle. "Dad would have hated it here."

"He would have said it rained too much," said Jasper.

"Mom would have loved it, tough," said Carlisle.

They continued to talk quietly as I cried myself to sleep in my brothers' arms. I dreamed of Edward all night.