9

Bella and Jasper stayed at his shop for the rest of the day. Bella made two more cookie sheets of scones before he taught her how to make donuts, cupcakes, and let her ice her very first cake. It was a disaster that now sat in the backseat of her truck because it was too deformed to sell. Now they were on their way back out to the ranch and Bella could feel herself trembling.

Edward had called three times, even after Jasper assured him that she was fine, that she needed to collect herself before coming back. Bella hated that Edward hadn't rushed to her side the minute he realized she was gone. Instead, he was still at the ranch, still with them. Guess he didn't realize how much she needed him.

"You okay, Bella?" Jasper asked and when she looked over at him, she saw him clutching the door handle like his life depended on it. It was then that she realized she'd been driving almost ninety.

"Sorry," she murmured and slowed down.

"It's all good. Just saw my life flashing before my eyes. Kind of pathetic, to be honest."

Bella tried to smile, but her nerves were getting the best of her and she knew it came off as more of a grimace than a smile. Jasper didn't call her on it, either. She knew he would just reassure her that everything was going to be okay, that Edward knew what he was doing. Well, she wasn't as sure and she was tired of being told how awesome everything was going to be.

As she pulled up in front of the house, she shifted into park, but didn't turn off the engine. Emmett's truck was still in its usual spot, as was Rose's Yukon. Her heart was racing and her hands trembling. She fought the urge to cry, to scream, to lash out at Jasper. She didn't want to hurt him, but the urge to take her anger out on someone was strong and he was there. That scared her most of all.

"Come on, darlin. Can't keep putting this off."

"Why not?" she asked, shifting her attention from the front of the house to him. In that moment, she could picture herself leaping across the seat with a knife in her hands and plunging it into his chest. Swallowing hard, she turned from him, trying to get the image out of her head.

"Because you're a good person and if you run now, you'll never forgive yourself."

Bella released a sardonic laugh. "Forgive myself? Who said I wanted forgiveness in the first place?"

But before Jasper could offer her more words of wisdom, she cut the engine and climbed out of the truck. He followed her up the front steps, to the front door, but when she reached for the handle to open the door, it was yanked open from the inside. Bella tensed as she found herself face to face with Leah.

If Jasper hadn't been standing right behind her, she would have turned and ran, but she couldn't. She was trapped. Her hands curled up into fists and she fought the urge to fight her way to freedom, which was silly. She wasn't being held against her will. She was already free — wasn't she?

"Hey," Leah said, smiling.

The past year hadn't changed her much. Her hair was shorter than she'd normally wore it and she hadn't gained back the thirty pounds she'd lost during her time under Carlisle Cullen's cruel thumb. Bella swallowed against the lump in her throat and tried to greet her old friend, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. Tears filled her eyes and she felt frustrated and weak.

"Leah, honey, let her into the house," Jake came up behind her, his arm sliding along her waist, but Leah shrugged it off and moved out of the way. Bella saw the hurt in his eyes, but found herself unsympathetic. Did he think she'd still love him after being treated like a whore? "Hey, B."

Bella slipped into the house, her eyes shifting from him to Leah to Seth, who was seated on the couch with his arm braced on his chest. The three people who had brought Leah to her home were seated on the coach next to Seth. Emmett and Rose were seated in front of the fireplace while Alice and Aro were nowhere to be seen. Edward stood in front of the picture window. Clearly he'd been watching her and Jasper in the truck. He didn't trust her to be alone. He'd had people spying on her for a year, after all.

"Bella," Edward said, drawing her attention to him. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I . . . I'm fine," she whispered, unsure who all could hear her. "I'm . . . I'm . . ."

But what she was, she never stated. Instead, she shuffled through the living room, dining room, and into the kitchen, where she found Aro and Alice. He had his young, fragile granddaughter in his arms. Her knees were pulled to her chest and Bella could see the cracks in the carefully built armor she kept around herself.

"Oh, hey," she murmured, biting the inside of her lip.

"Hello, sweetheart," Aro said, trying to give her a pleasant grin, but he was tired and looked it. "Did you have a nice day with Jasper?"

Bella nodded, shifting her attention to Alice. "We made a cake. For . . . for you."

"You did?" Alice asked, her eyes widening. "Where is it?"

"Oh, um, I left it in my truck." Bella turned back to the doorway of the kitchen, wondering if she had the courage to walk back through the lion's den or not.

"I'll go, sweetheart." Aro stood and left the room without another word.

Bella walked over to the table and sat across from Alice, who watched her every move. "What'd you do today?"

"I, um . . ." Alice paused. "I was going to go to the barn, but . . . She was in there, so I came back into the house, but they were in here, so I . . . I just . . . did nothing."

"They scare you, too, don't they?"

Her eyes widened as she nodded. "Mistress liked her. Said she was a good slut. I wasn't a good slut. I made her angry all the time. That's why she had to punish me."

Alice rarely talked about her experiences with Esme Platt, or her time inside the dungeon, and Bella never asked. There were parts of her life that she didn't want to talk about, either. Luckily, before Alice or Bella could say anything else, Aro strolled into the kitchen with Jasper and Edward following him. Aro was carrying the cake that Bella had frosted. While Jasper moved so that he was seated next to Alice, whose smile lit up the room, Edward stayed next to the door, almost like he was trying to keep her from being able to escape.

"What kind is it?" Alice asked, tilting her head toward the cake.

"Chocolate of course," Jasper scoffed, placing his hands in the table. "It's your favorite, isn't it?"

Alice nodded.

Aro cut her a big piece of cake and placed it on the table in front of her, but instead of giving Bella a slice, he pulled a plate from the microwave and peeled the foil off. "You can have dessert after you've had your dinner, sweetheart."

Bella laughed softly and accepted the plate of meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and garlic toast. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Aro winked at her before helping himself to a small slice of cake and taking his seat next to Alice again, who was taking her time with her dessert. "Is it good, dolce nipote?"

Alice nodded, licking the chocolate frosting off her lips. "Delicious."

Bella spared a glance at Edward, who was staring intensely at her. It both thrilled her and made her fearful. Had she lost his respect? Had her inability to accept Leah's arrival cost her the man she loved? She wanted desperately to believe otherwise, but she didn't. Edward no longer wanted her as his wife — that much had become painfully clear.

Pushing her half-eaten food away, Bella stood and said, "I'm sorry," before rushing upstairs to her bedroom. She tried to close the door behind her, but when she didn't hear it close, she turned and found Edward following her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door. "Don't be sorry."

"I am, though. I'm sorry I'm not strong enough for you, that I'm making you mad by not wanting them here. I'm . . . I'm just sorry."

Edward walked across the room so that he stood in front of Bella. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he brought his hands up to her face, placing one on each side. "Don't be sorry. Especially when you've done nothing wrong."

"But —"

"I'm the one who is sorry, Bella. Me."

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, quietly.

"Because I didn't listen when you said no. I forced Leah upon you, I made you feel unsafe in your home, and for that I am truly, honestly sorry."

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Edward nodded, tiling his head just slightly to the left. "I thought I was doing what was best for everyone. Keep Leah close so she doesn't implicate you in the death of your father, maybe try to help her deal with everything, but maybe it's too late. Maybe . . . maybe we have to let Leah go."

"You'd do that?" Bella asked.

Edward nodded. "To be honest, I don't want to. She's dangerous and if we let her go and she hurts someone, I'll never forgive myself. But I can't lose you, Bella, and if keeping her here causes you to leave me, then . . . Well, they can leave tonight. We'll give them enough money to get settled, but then we'll be done with them."

Bella blew out a deep breath and took a step backward, needing to put some space between them. "Leah was my best friend, Edward. She . . . she taught me about boys and make-up and when I got my first period, she bought me tampons, for fuck sake. She was older than me, but never looked down on me, never treated me like a dumb kid. When she and Jake got engaged, I was so happy for them because they're the real thing, you know?"

"I do," he said, quietly and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"And then one day she changed. She pushed everyone away, told us to fuck off, said she didn't love us anymore. I watched as her rejection brought Jake's heart, as Seth and Sam and Emily and everyone else who loved her crumbled in pain, but I knew there was something wrong, something going on with her. I . . . I should have helped her sooner, I . . . Fuck, I don't know, I should have stopped Cullen from selling her to my . . . to him, from letting him turn her into his version of me," Bella cried. "She was my best friend and he raped her. How am I supposed to look her in the eyes after that?"

"I don't know," he said.

"She'll never forgive me," Bella wept, wrapping her arms around her torso. "Never."

"Then I'll send her away." Edward stood and stretched his hand toward her. "But you need to sit down and talk to her before I do."

"Why?" Bella asked.

"Because you'll never forgive yourself for turning your back on her now if you don't."

"Why do I always have to be the one to save everyone?" Bella groused. "Nobody's saving me!"

Edward dropped his hand to his side, his eyes widening. "I kind of thought I was."

"Then why were you here with them today instead of with me?"

"Because Jasper assured me that he had you."

"But he's not the one who is supposed to be in love with me," Bella wailed. "He's not my husband! You promised to always love me, Edward. In good times and in bad."

"And I do, but I can't come running every time you have a meltdown," he said, almost seeming to regret his choice of words immediately. "Shit, that's not what I meant."

"Sure you didn't," Bella muttered. "Just go back downstairs. I'm sure she needs you to make everything all better."

"Bella," Edward started, taking a step toward her, but stopped when Bella swung at him. "Jesus fuck, Bella!"

"LEAVE!" she screamed. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

Though Edward looked like he might argue with her, he turned and walked out of the room. Bella crumbled to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest. Her hands were still clenched into tight fists and her heart was racing. What had she done?