Chapter One
As Edward cleaned off a table he glanced at his last table of the night. It was a girl from his class, a girl he had a crush on for years now but she had always been in a relationship with this loser. Bella and James were known throughout the school although they weren't friends with anyone. People tended to tease them, James' family came from the ghetto and Bella was not interested in being anyones friend. Anytime Edward said one word to her she gave him the cold shoulder and he got a death stare from her boyfriend.
"you good?" Jasper walked up picking up the salt and pepper shakers to take them to get filled.
"Will they just leave already? I want to go home" Edward pouted as he stopped wiping the now clean table.
"Oh, do I sense some jealousy?" Jasper teased.
"As if, she doesn't like me" Edward said walking back to the server ally.
Jasper followed quickly behind "That's not what I was assuming" he grinned.
"I know what you were assuming" Edward said tossing the dirty rag in the hamper.
"Why don't you go out with that Jessica girl? She likes you, I bet she could get your mind off Bella!" He suggested.
"I'm not going to take a girl I don't like out just to get over a girl that will never like me" he sighed. They both walked back out together to see James and Bella still sitting together at Edwards table.
"Why don't you go home, I'll finish up with them" Jasper offered. He knew it was hard for Edward to sit here and watch Bella and James on a date. They had English together freshman year but James got to her first. They started dating a couple weeks into the school year and Edward hasn't lost that flame he held for her. Jasper approached the table "Hey guys, I'm Jasper, I'll be your server for the rest of the night. Edward had to go home, but if you need anything else please let me know."
Bella nodded and James smiled "Oh that's too bad, we love having Edward as our server" Jasper knew that they requested Edward every time just to get on his nerves. "Can you just bring us the check? I think we're done here."
Jasper went to go cash them out and saw Edward clocking out "They're leaving" Edward rolled his eyes. Jasper went to drop off the check and came back to see Edward talking to the manager. He was explaining that Jasper was taking the last table but they were leaving anyway. Their manager was awesome, Kyle was their favorite manager to work for. Jasper also clocked out and caught up with Edward walking out "Hey, since we're both out at the same time…." Edward rolled his eyes and said "fine, come on". Jaspers car was recently totaled in a hit and run and he'd been bumming rides and taking Ubers everywhere he needed to go. As they walked to the car they saw a red mustang parked in the back near Edwards Volvo. It was James' car, everyone knew his car, it was ugly and obnoxious. As they got closer they noticed the car rocking and Edward started to walk faster toward his Volvo. Jasper grabbed his shoulder and said "Wait, listen". They stopped in their tracks and looked at the car, the windows were tinted but they could hear screaming and the words "STOP! GET OFF ME!" Edward narrowed his eyebrows and started banging on the window "HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE?"
Slowly the window rolled down, he was shirtless on top of Bella with her blouse torn open and her skirt up to her waist "What's wrong Cullen? Jealous?" He teased.
"HELP ME!" Bella screamed, as James hit her across the face yelling at her to shut up. Edward reached in and grabbed him around the throat. Jasper reached in and unlocked the door. He was able to open the door and Edward pulled James out of the car and pinned him to the floor as he began to punch him. It didn't matter if Bella liked him or not, it wasn't okay for anyone to treat anyone like this. Period.
As Edward was beating James, Jasper reached into the mustang and gently helped Bella out of the car and walked her quickly to the Volvo. He pulled on the car door to discover it was still locked "Edward!" He called, he turned to see his best friend blind with rage beating a man that was out cold. He ran over and pulled Edward off of him "He's done, he's done" he repeated trying to bring Edward back to reality. Edward started taking deep breaths and calmed down, he turned to Jasper and nodded a silent thank you then turned to Bella who was holding her shirt together with her head down. "Let's get her home" Edward said walking to the car as he unlocked it. He got into the drivers seat as Jasper opened the back door for Bella. She slid into the backseat silently with her head still down, Jasper walked around and got into the passenger seat. The two boys exchanged a look and Jasper turned to her "Are you okay miss?" Bella just nodded. "Would you like us to take you home?", she nodded again. Edward was getting frustrated, what just happened? He turned to question the events that just occurred but when he looked at her he saw how broken she was. He could see old and new bruises on her arms, tears rolling down her face, she looked so torn apart. He just sighed and turned back around. "Would you like us to tell your dad, Bella?"
At this Bellas head shot up "No, please!" She started breathing heavily and Jasper turned to her again "hey, hey, it's okay ma'am. We won't say anything." To this Edward snapped his head to Jasper with a shocked look. "It's not our business and it's not for us to tell." Bella just nodded gratefully and Edward faced forward yet again this time gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white.
The drive to Bellas house was silent and awkward, Jasper and Edward kept exchanging silent looks that was like a telepathic argument more than anything else. She got out of the car and gave a quiet thank you as she walked inside. They watched her walk in and then started to drive away "I can't believe we didn't tell him" Edward said angrily. "It wasn't our job to tell him. That's between the two of them." Jasper argued. "Bullshit" Edward said. It was silent for a few minutes before Edward spoke up again "What happened?…I mean I know what happened but how…"
"Some guys are just bad guys" Jasper sighed.
"No, I know that, but they always seemed happy. He calls her Princess, they always hold hands." Edward tailed off pondering how there weren't any signs of this prior or how they missed them.
"Maybe it just started, maybe tonight was the first time…" Jasper knew that wasn't the case but he didn't want to think about a man doing horrible acts like that on a regular basis.
"It wasn't. She had bruises that were old and she had fresh ones. All shaped like fingers wrapped around her arms. How did no one see it?"
"He doesn't do it when people are looking, and he did a pretty good job of isolating her, I can't think of one friend that she has." Jasper looked down upset that this had been going on for who knows how long under everyones noses. "School starts tomorrow, what do you think he'll do?" It was Jasper and Edwards senior year as well as Bella's and James'.
"He'll stay away from her if he knows what's good for him" Edward threatened. He was done being silent, he was going to force his way in. If she didn't want to be with him that was fine but he wasn't going to allow someone to hurt her. Edward pulled up to Jaspers house and let him out "Will you need a ride tomorrow?" Jasper grinned at him and Edward shook his head in a teasing manner "Alright, me and Alice will be here at 7am" Jasper smiled and waved good bye as he went inside.
When Edward pulled into his house he sighed heavily. He knew that as much as he wanted to save Bella, she needed to let him save her. He should've called the police instead of beating him unconscious but he went into rage mode and couldn't help himself. He turned off the car and trudged inside. Emmett was on the couch watching ESPN and eating some home cooked fried chicken. "don't you have a dorm room now?" Edward said annoyed.
"Yeah but my roommate sucks and moms food is better than the mess hall." Emmett said not taking his eyes off the TV. Emmett had been accepted to Washington State University on a football scholarship, the campus was a little over an hour away but he still came home very frequently to enjoy moms cooking and do laundry.
"Did Rose come too?" Edward asked, Rosalie Hale got accepted into multiple universities but decided to go to Washington State with Emmett. She was studying fashion design and had Emmett wrapped around her finger. Edward was fine with it though because he loved Rosalie like a sister, she was good for his brother. Kept his mind on track and actually got his grades good enough to keep up in a four year university.
"Nah, said she wanted to be well rested for her first day of classes." He shrugged. This was Emmetts second year but Rosalies first at WSU.
"crazy" Edward said sarcastically as he walked into the kitchen he saw his father reading at the table with a cup of tea indicating that he had already finished his dinner and his mom was doing the dishes quietly while listening to a audiobook. She paused it as soon as she saw Edward and smiled.
"Hi darling, how was work?" She said giving him all of her attention.
"Work was work, made some good money in tips." He shrugged
"Are you hungry? I saved you a plate!" She said pulling a plate out of the microwave, "It's still warm!"
Edward smiled and took the plate from his mom and sat at the table with his dad who closed his book. "Dad." Edward nodded.
Carlisle smiled at him and nodded back. "Edward" He said with a slight laugh. "So senior year tomorrow. Excited?"
Edward just shrugged "I'll be happier on my last day of senior year." He said biting into the chicken.
"Oh come on, there's got to be something you're looking forward to?" Esme said going back to the dishes.
At that moment his little sister walked in "There is, starts with a B" she said as she danced her way over to the table and took a seat next to her dad.
"Alice" Edward warned.
"What don't you like biology?" She teased, Edward glared at her and she rolled her eyes "okay, okay. Jasper just called and told me what happened tonight."
"Alice." Edward warned again, his eyes like daggers.
"What happened tonight?" His mother said as she stepped away from the sink with a glass and rag in her hand.
"Nothing." Edward said sharply
"Not nothing, you saved Bella!" Alice cheered
"Saved her from what?" His father questioned
"Wait, Bella? The girl you used to like?" His mom said carefully.
"Not used to, does. He likes her and now he's saved her" Alice said giving him a huge grin.
"Again, saved her from what?" Carlisle asked starting to get impatient.
"Well, Bella came in with her boyfriend James, or I guess now ex? But at the time her boyfriend James. Well, anyway after dinner, Jasper and Edward were walking to their cars and…"
"ALICE STOP!" Edward barked at her.
Carlisle put his hand up and said "No, Alice continue"
Alice stuck her tongue out at her older brother and continued "So Jasper and Edward were walking to his car and they saw James' car rocking but they heard Bella calling for help." Edward sunk his head down as she continued "Edward yanked him out of the car and beat him down good. Jasper said he was unconscious and then they took Bella home like knights in shining armor."
"Edward is that true?" Carlisle asked
Edward just looked at him confirming with his silent stare. Carlisle sighed and got up "What are you doing?" Edward asked worried.
"I have to call an ambulance to Fins for James. I can't let someone I know is unconscious in a parking lot left to die." Carlisle picked up his phone off the counter and dialed 911. "Hello this is Dr. Cullen. I got a tip from an anonymous source that there is a minor unconscious at Fins restaurant. Can you send someone out to help? Thank you." He put his phone down and looked at Edward "Does Bella's father know?" Edward just shook his head no and Carlisle sighed again lifting his phone back up.
"No!" Edward stood up "She said she wanted to handle it. At least give her that" If Carlisle called her dad she might never forgive Edward for it, then he'd never be able to save her.
Carlisle paused for a moment and then put his phone back down. "Next time you're in that situation I want you to call me or the police. Understand?"
Edward nodded and then spoke to defend himself "In the moment I just…"
"I know. But next time try to stop and think about it. I'm not mad at you, your heart was in the right place but next time you need to call for help. Okay?"
"Yes sir." Edward said frustrated. He stood up and went upstairs.
Esme went back to the dishes and Carlisle resumed his book. Alice went to go back upstairs and got stopped by her eldest brother Emmett. "Hey Alice, what the hell happened tonight?" Alice retold the story to Emmett who was surprised by his brothers reaction "Good for him, I wouldn't think of him as a fighter. I would've done the same." Alice nodded in agreement.