BPOV
"You sure you don't want me to go in with you?" Edward asks, pulling into a space at the hospital.
"This is something I need to do myself, I think?"
Rosalie can't talk, but she can communicate, that's what Mr. Hale told my dad. I wasn't sure what she wanted to say to me or what could be so urgent that I needed to see her tonight.
Before I exit the car I lean over to give Edward a kiss. He smiles but I can see it's a struggle for him to have to wait in the car.
"Remember if you need me, text me," he says with one last kiss.
I nod.
I make my way into the hospital, going up to the fifth floor where Rosalie's room is. Once I step off the elevator I see Carlisle at the nurse's station.
He looks up from a chart smiling at me. "Well Bella, it's nice to see you," he greets.
"We got a call from Mr. Hale saying Rosalie wanted to see me," I explained coming to a stop next to him.
"Did your dad come with you?"
"Edward brought me."
"Ah, I see," he says with an even warmer smile. "I believe Mr. Hale is in Rosalie's room," he tells me, jabbing his thumb back to the door behind him.
"He said she wants to see me—" I get out with a sigh. "But isn't her jaw wired shut?"
He gives me a look of understanding before he leans over reaching for a tablet. "For non-verbal patients, we have these," he explains.
He fiddles with the tablet for a moment before it says "Hi Bella".
"Oh," I say lamely.
"I think you'll both be just fine," he says, patting my shoulder.
I nod but feel anything but fine.
At her door, I knock softly and hear muffled come in.
When I open the door, Mr. Hale is sitting beside a scowling Rosalie.
Her bruises have turned yellow, all her stitches have been removed, other than a few scars she looks almost like the Rosalie Hale I grew up with.
Her father looks tired and disheveled in his suit. His tie is loose around his neck and his usually styled blonde hair is a mess from what I assume is him constantly running his hand through it.
"Uh, I can come back if it isn't a good time," I say, feeling that I'm not welcome.
Rosalie picks up her tablet. "You can go," the tablet says.
I frown but turn to leave.
Carlisle glances over his shoulder at me looking concerned, I take a couple of steps forward.
"Bella," my name is called behind me with the click of the door. "I'm sorry for her attitude back there," Mr. Hale says, coming to stop in front of me.
"She doesn't want me here," I tell him.
Carlisle has turned around, watching me worriedly.
"She doesn't know what she wants," Mr. Hale sighs.
"Why am I here Mr. Hale?"
"Rose doesn't want to press charges against Royce," he confesses.
"She's a minor, you are the one that makes the decision, right?"
"You're correct, but she refuses to give a statement," he explains.
A feeling of dread washes over me, Rosalie could ruin this for all of us. I let out a breath feeling a little dizzy.
"Let's move this to my office," Carlisle says, guiding us to the end of the hall.
He helps me into a chair while Mr. Hale sits beside me. When Carlisle moves to leave, I grab his forearm. "Can you stay, please?" I all but beg.
He nods hesitantly but takes a seat at his desk.
"Why won't she give a statement?" I ask, trying to find my words.
Mr. Hale eyes me then Carlisle, who I have a good feeling knows all about Rosalie and her soul-crushing decision.
"Please answer my question," I say.
"She says she loves him and it was a misunderstanding," he says roughly.
I blink.
This can't be happening.
"A misunderstanding?" I ask in a murmur, rolling it over in my mind. "A misunderstanding?" I roar finally.
"Bella," Mr. Hale says calmly.
I cut him off not wanting his sympathy or calm or whatever the hell it is he's trying to convey.
"He not only raped her, but ten other girls. He not only raped her, but shared it with others. Does she not understand that if something isn't done to stop him, it will just keep on happening. If he gets off, then he can go away to college and hurt even more girls," I rant.
I feel out of control at the possibility that she could want to save him.
Both men were also at a loss for words at my outburst.
Once I'm able to gather my thoughts I realize why I was asked to see her. It was Mr. Hale who wanted me to see Rosalie, not her. "You are the one that wanted me to talk to her. She had no idea I was coming here tonight, did she?" I said accusingly.
"I just thought if you'd talk some sense into her, she might listen," he says calmly.
I look at Carlisle who looks disgusted with Mr. Hale.
"Bradford, could you give Bella and me a moment?" he asks.
Mr. Hale looks unsure but stands with a sigh.
Carlisle waits until he leaves to speak. "I would like to apologize for this, Bella."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"He said Rose wanted to speak with you, I had no clue that he had lied and that she didn't want to press charges against Royce," he explains.
"Rosalie despises me," I tell him frankly.
He shakes his head. "I think high school is rough, I know when Tanya came out to us we worried how she would be accepted at school," he says honestly.
I think back to when Tanya first walked into school hand in hand with Maggie. We were in tenth grade and it was almost like she was daring someone to say something to her. No one ever did and Tanya had paved the way for other LBGTQIA students at our school.
"We shouldn't have ever doubted her though, because she thrives at school. That's the thing as a parent, you know how the world is, you know how dark and unaccepting it can be," he says.
I remember the shame I felt after what Royce did to me, what my silence did. After talking to Detective Diaz, it was like a weight had been lifted. I had a support system and people who would do anything for me. It is true that I will have to live with the guilt of not reporting him immediately. I'm not sure if I could have saved any of the victims that came after me, but in hindsight, I wish I had been stronger.
Rosalie needs to know the truth. She needs to know what not providing a statement can cost. She needs to know that her silence will not only serve to cause Royce to feel vindicated, but it will tragically affect all of his future victims.
"I think I need to talk to Rosalie," I say finally.
He nods with a sad smile.
Mr. Hale is waiting outside of her room when we approach. He looks anxious but agrees to let me talk to her alone.
Rosalie only watches me as I enter her room.
"I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through," I start. "The night of Homecoming is something I wish I could forget."
There is silence until I see her reach for her tablet.
"Royce told me all about you."
"Oh, did he now. Did he tell you that he tried raping after Prom, and Jasper caught him," I say raising an eyebrow. "Did he also tell you about Alice, and what he did to her? And about the other eight girls that have since come forward."
She blinks at me.
"I can tell you what I know about Homecoming. Jasper and I were out in the hall talking when Riley, Tyler, Demetri, and Royce left the locker room. I went in to use the bathroom in the locker room once I was done talking to Jazz. I heard wheezing and that's how I found you. You were bloody, beaten, and left for dead on the floor," I say pointedly. "You had no underwear on, you laid there naked and exposed for anyone to see."
"He wouldn't humiliate me like that."
"I wouldn't lie about something like that," I bite back. "I found you, but I wasn't the only one in the locker room. Tanya and Maggie found me trying to help you and Jasper and Brady followed.
If you don't believe me, ask Detective Diaz for the witness statements. They did a rape kit on you, Rosalie, did you know that? Did they tell you the results of the test? They found three different DNA strands inside you," I say bluntly.
A tear slips down her cheek.
I should be more tactful in my delivery of this, but I feel like she needs to be scared straight. She needs to hear what he actually did to her.
"I'm not sure why you have all this animosity toward me, but I'm not the villain. I've been trying to clean up the pieces of my life since Prom. I was so broken at the beginning of last summer, it's only now that I'm finally on the other side of it."
I watch her wipe her tears.
"I urge you to tell Detective Diaz what happened to you, as of right now you are the last girl he's done this to," I tell her. "If he is let go, he could and more than likely will, do this to more girls. You not providing a statement gives him the impression that what he has been doing to all of us is okay, that he can get away with anything. And if he walks free from any punishment for what he has done, he has the opportunity to hurt others. Maybe the next victim won't have anyone to find them in time. Your silence will just make it easy for him to line up his next target. I know this because of what my silence cost not only me but others."
I don't want to pressure her but she needs to understand the severity of the situation.
"I'm going to let you rest, I really hope you find peace," I say before twisting the handle of the door and backing out.
I hadn't realized I was crying until I'm out of her room.
I can see Mr. Hale is sitting in a chair in the waiting room. When my eyes land on the nurse's station I see Edward standing next to his uncle.
"I thought you might want this one up here when you came out," Carlisle says, giving me a shoulder squeeze before he goes down to his office.
Edward steps forward brushing my tears with his thumbs. "Are you okay?" he murmurs.
"I'm not sure, but I think I will be," I answer, wrapping my arms around him.
"You will be," he says knowingly, lips against my temple.
"I'm ready to go," I tell him, giving him one last squeeze.
"Let's get you home," he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and leading us out to his SUV.
After saying it, I realize that it was an honest thing I said to Rosalie, about being on the other side. I hope she can get there one day too.
AN: Please remember to review. Thanks to CoppertopJ for her edits this chapter.