"Bella." Someone says gently and I open my eyes confused and meet the eyes of Jasper. "Come, you need to eat. You have been asleep for almost 18 hours, are you feeling okay?" He says and helps me stand up carefully. I stretch a little and then I take his offered arm as we walk towards the fast food restaurant.
"I don't get much sleep…" I say and he nods sadly. "I'll go to the bathroom, order something for me?" I say and he hesitates, I chuckle. "I'm not going to run away this time Jasper." I say and he smiles slightly at the memory and then he nods.
"I'll go and order. Emmet is talking with Rose about the wedding." He says and I look surprised at him.
"What about it?" I ask and he sighs.
"He's postponing it for a few months." He says and I shake my head.
"No, he's not. There is no reason to give Rosalie more reasons to hate me. They can have the wedding and I'll stay away for a while. I'm sure I can find someone to do in New York." I say and he looks shocked and slightly angry at me and I burst out laughing. "I'm sorry Jasper, it was just so tempting to say that. What I was going to say was that I can go to the library or the movies or something." I say and he relaxes.
"Are you sure you are okay with this? We want you to feel comfortable." He says and I roll my eyes and walk towards the bathroom.
"Hey Bella! We are here to kidnap you and bring you across the country so you feel comfortable. That's such a vampire logic." I mumble sarcastically under my breath and I hear Jasper laughing. I smile at him over my shoulder and then I walk into the bathroom.
When I walk out of the bathroom I find Jasper and Emmet quickly. They look so incredibly relieved that I came back. I laugh at them as I sit down at the table and they roll their eyes.
"Bella, can we ask some questions?" Emmet asks as I start eating and I nod. "Boyfriend?" I shake my head. "Drugs?" I chuckle and shake my head. "Alcohol?" I shake my head again, looking amused at them. "Is someone threatening you?" He asks and I sigh and nod. "Tell us about it?" I sigh deeply.
"Not in here, I might tell you in the car." I say and they nod understandingly.
"Abuse?" Jasper asks and I quirk an eyebrow and look at where the covered up bruises are on my arm.
"Apparently." I say and he smiles sadly to me.
"Do you want to get out of it?" He asks and I hesitate.
"Of?" I ask and he sighs.
"Everything, your… jobs, where you live, what you do." He says and I bury my face in my hands.
"I- there's-..." I try, finally I take a deep breath. "I'll tell you about it in the car… I don't think you understand how bad it really is." I mumble under my breath and then I focus quietly on the food.
"But you would want to if you could?" Emmet asks gently after a while and I sigh and nod.
"I would." I whisper, then I shake my head slightly and look up to meet their worried eyes. "Can we stop somewhere on the way and pick up some clothes and stuff for me?" I ask and they nod.
"Can we continue asking things?" Jasper asks as I continue eating. I nod again.
"Do you have any friends?" Emmet asks and I grimage.
"Coworkers?" I say and he sighs. I smile a little to him and then I get up. "I'm done, let's go." I say and they look at my half eaten hamburger and almost half of the fries are left as well.
"You should eat more." Emmet comments and I sigh.
"This is more than I have eaten in the last month put togheter." I say as I grab the tray and throw the rest out. They follow me quietly back to the car and as we get seated Emmet lays his arm around my shoulders.
"You need clothes. Anything else?" Jasper asks, I hesitate.
"What is it Bella?" Emmet asks and I sigh.
"A phone?" I say and they just nod as Jasper drives to a mall.
"Why though?" Emmet asks after a while.
"You don't want to know." I mumble as he walks me into the mall, Jasper goes to get me a phone.
"Why?" He asks again and I sigh.
"Um… what my master meant as punishment will be worse if I don't… um… talk with him every day." I say and he looks confused at me so I sigh deeply and look away from him. "Phone sex, Emmet." I mumble under my breath and I see him tense slightly as we walk into a store. I buy some normal pants, and a few tops plus shoes that aren't my 'stripper shoes' and then a thick winter jacket. Emmet also tells me to buy a nice dress for the wedding, I am apparently going to attend. We barely talk as we shop and finally I sigh.
"What is it Emmet?" I ask and he sighs and turns to look me in my eyes.
"What does he mean with punishment?" He asks and I lower my gaze and shake my head as I walk past him to the register.
"I'll explain in the car." I mumble quietly. Emmet pays and then we meet Jasper at the car again and he starts driving us again.
"So?" Jasper asks and I sigh.
"He has a lot of different punishments, most often it's starving or working more for his friends. Sometimes his friends get me during the day and he has me during the night… and sometimes it's abuse instead. He has become quite… creative recently." I say and they growl angrily and I flinch slightly when Emmet hugs me gently.
"Why did you panic yesterday?" Emmet asks as he lets me go. I sigh and decide to get it over with.
"The vampire that killed my parents rapes me once every month to try to get me pregnant. He always holds me down forcefully. I freaked out because of the cold skin mixed with the strength and got a flashback." I say quickly and they growl loudly. I hear the steering wheel groan under Jasper's vice- like grip.
"Pregnant?" Jasper almost growls and I sigh.
"He met a vampire in Africa… I think… and he had managed to impregnate human women and get a half vampire- half human baby. He chose me because of my connection with all of you and he thought that if anyone could carry a vampire baby it would be someone that already knew about vampires and… " I let it die out and take a deep breath. "I think I can't become pregnant since I'm already mated with Edward…" I wince at the pain. "I think some kind of thing makes me unable to carry anyone elses child." I say and they look confused, angry, sad, upset.
"Why do you think that? Because the vampire can't impregnate you?" Jasper asks and I sigh.
"Because I have been working as a hooker for almost a year and don't use any birth control and my clients certainly don't use protection during…" I say and they look so uncomfortably at me and I chuckle. "Should we change the subject?" I ask and they nod quickly. "What have you been up to the last few years?" I ask and Jasper takes a deep breath.
"The family fell apart. Edward fell apart. He still loves you. He left you so that you would be safe from us… it apparently didn't work. He feels a pain similar to your's, not as severe but quite close. Everyone has been so sad since we left you… that's why we can't let you go back to your life… we need you in our family Bella. We will protect you and make sure you are safe and cared for and-" He rambles as I try to manage the pain in my chest.
"He… left… to… keep… me… safe?" I manage to get out and Jasper nods. I break down in tears, shaking my head violently. Suddenly I throw myself at Emmet and sob into his shirt as he hugs me quite tightly.
"Do you love him?" Emmet asks and I nod desperately as I cry into his shirt.
"I wouldn't have… if I knew he still…" I sob and Emmet just rocks me gently. After a few minutes I have calmed down slightly but is still clinging onto Emmet.
"Bella, what wouldn't you have done?" Jasper asks gently.
"I thought he didn't… I thought I wasn't…" I sob and then I take a deep breath. "I would have found another way to live if I knew he still loved me… I thought I wasn't good enough and I couldn't care less what happened to me… I wouldn't have become a hooker or even a stripper if I had known." I whisper and Emmet rocks me comfortingly.
"It's okay, Bella. He loves you no matter what." Jasper reassures me as he sends me calm and a brotherly love through his gift. "Would you let me make you fall asleep?" He asks as I continue sobbing and I nod against Emmet's shirt. I quickly feel a wave of tiredness and I let the sleep claim me.