Chapter 9: Offer

Nessie's POV

An ice cold hand gently caressing my face was one of the first few things I became aware of the next morning. The events of the previous day were a little hazy in my memory. Although I remembered the suicide attempt with excruciatingly accurate detail. I also remembered my foster dad making an appearance at some point later in the day. But I had fallen asleep again soon after he left.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times before Edward came into focus. I still found it a little odd, unnerving even, how much he looked like the character my mother had depicted in her stories. I remembered him being here last night and now he was here again? Had he stayed here all night?

"I haven't been here all night if that's what you're thinking. Visitors are promptly kicked out at 9PM," he answered as if he had read my mind. Just like the Edward of my mother's stories. My stomach dropped at the thought of him reading my mind. I quickly brushed the feeling aside. Mind readers didn't exist. Just in my mom's stories. My books.

He smiled at me as if he were laughing at some kind of inside joke. Or maybe I was still feeling all the after affects of the drugs I had taken. His face fell.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. "Surely you have much better ways to spend your Saturday then here at the hospital with some girl you barely know,"

His face fell and his expression became unreadable. Had I offended him somehow? Although I was not sure how what I said could be offensive in any way.

"I thought we were past being strangers by now. We have been talking all week haven't we?"

I had to admit the guy did have a point. Though I wouldn't say that we knew everything about each other. I could at least say that we were friends. Even if he still seemed a bit strange to me.

"Fair point," I admitted. "But I still think there are better ways you can spend your weekend then here with me,"

"You think there are better ways for me to spend my weekend then to be with my friend at the hospital," he emphasized the word 'friend' for some reason.

"I just," I couldn't even finish my own sentence.

"Where exactly do you think I should be instead?"

"I don't know. The beach, the movies, the mall. There's a lot more interesting things to do around here then stay at a hospital with me all day,"

"Nessie there is nowhere else I would rather be then here supporting my friend,"

I was about to say something else when I heard someone else enter the room. My heart skipped several beats when I saw the doctor. I remembered him from yesterday but that didn't lessen the affect that he had on me. Dr. Cullen. If I remembered correctly.

"Oh Nessie you're awake. I was just coming to check in on you are feeling?"

"A little sore right now Dr. Cullen is it?"

"You can just call me Carlisle. No need to be so formal,"

Carlisle Cullen. Just like the guy in my mom's stories. The very Carlisle Cullen who is quickly becoming one of the most beloved characters in my book. This was all so weird. I publish a book and now all of a sudden people with the exact same names and descriptions start to actually appear in my life? This was getting way too weird. Actually, scratch that, we passed way too weird a few days ago. This was just plain scary now.

"Nessie did you hear me? I asked how you were feeling?"

"Oh sorry," I shook my head. "I kind of zoned out there for a minute. Just feeling a little sore. Not really sure why though,"

"I'd be more surprised if you weren't a little sore. Nessie I have analyzed all of your injuries and how you have made it this long without needing a hospital is still something I am trying to understand,"

"I'm afraid that I don't understand,"

"I mean that you have cracked ribs, bones that were once broken and healed incorrectly, severe head injuries, bruises all over your body, even your lungs are bruised. Kid how much pain were you in before coming here?"

"None really,"

"The truth Nessie,"

"That is the truth. Well sorta. I think I just kind of, well, got used to the pain. So much so that I barely noticed the pain anymore," It was my emotional pain that hurt me the most I added in my head but didn't say out loud. Edward's eyes snapped to me as that last thought entered my head.

"Who has been abusing you Nessie?"

"How di-I mean what makes you think I'm being abused?"

Carlisle just looked at me and shook his head in disapproval. "I have been a doctor longer than you can possibly imagine Renesmee. I know the signs of abuse. You can't tell me that all of these injuries, as well as your suicide attempt, are all the result of a happy loving environment. Now you need to tell me the truth. Who has been hurting you?"

"I-I can't say," my voice trembled now. "I will get in a lot of trouble if I do,"

"Nessie the only one who is going to get in trouble is the person that has been hurting you," Edward added.

"It was my foster parents," For a second I thought about adding Justin but then I decided against it. Now that I knew he had been abused before, and that he was only hurting me because they were forcing him to, I couldn't get him in trouble. In fact I was actually worried about what they would do to him when I wasn't around.

"Please don't tell them that I told you. They'll kill me when I go back,"

"You're not going back," Carlisle said.

"I'm not?"

"No you will not. Your foster parents will be arrested for what they have done to you. I can assure you that they will pay for highly for what they have done,"

"But then where will I go?" What if I ended up somewhere worse? I was better off on the streets then with another foster family at this point.

"Well," Carlisle began. "This is something that my family and I have been discussing. As you probably already know my wife and I already have five foster kids of our own. We would love to add another one to our family. So would you like to come and live with us once you are able to leave the hospital?"

I was shocked by Carlisle's offer. Why would he want to take on a depressed suicidal girl like me? Was this all just a ruse? Did he just want me to be a slave like my last family? A punching bag?

But then they were so nice. Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and now Carlisle had been so nice to me. Besides if I said no I would still end up with another foster family as I was still underage. There was always a chance of a repeat experience. If I was going to take a risk I'd rather take it with the Cullens.

So I said "Yes I would like that,"

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