Chapter 3: Like Ice

6 Days Ago

EPOV

I woke up to the sun shining brightly through my windows. My body had its own alarm clock, and the minute the sun had risen, I did too. I rolled over to my nightstand and picked up my phone, unplugging it from its charging cord.

No new messages.

Bella hadn't replied to my message since last night after our phone call. She must have gone to sleep shortly after. I shot her a quick 'good morning' text, put my phone back down and sat up lazily, rubbing my eyes.

I felt tired; last night I didn't sleep very well, I couldn't stop tossing and turning. A nice hot shower might help to wake me up, I thought to myself.

I stood up and walked into the master bathroom, turning on the shower to a comfortable temperature. As I took in my own reflection in the mirror, I realized I needed to shave. Bella loved my beard when I let it grow for a few days, but it had been more than a few days. It can wait until later, I decided; I was impatient to see Bella.

I stepped into my walk-in shower and relaxed at the feel of the hot water running down my body. Some people prefer showering at night, but I was a morning person. It never failed to relax me and at the same time wake me up and get me ready for the day. It also gave me time to think and plan for the day ahead of me.

There wasn't anything exciting planned, I was just going to get ready, head over to Bella's and spend the day there. Probably make breakfast and go for a walk. We were both trying to be more active, but it wasn't easy in the small town of Forks. There was nothing at all to do here.

After wasting some more time in the shower enjoying the hot water, I finally turned off the tap and stepped out. I tried myself off and wrapped the towel around my waist. Noticing the mess on top of my hair, I tried to tame it a little, but there wasn't much I could do without gel. I sighed and left it, making a mental note to pick some up later.

I exited the bathroom and walked into my closet, picking out a pair of black cargo pants and a black t-shirt. Bella loved it when I wore all black, not that she had much choice in the matter because it was also my favorite color on myself. Grabbing my phone off my night stand I headed downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen and eyed my coffee pot, questioning if I had time or not. Realizing Bella still hadn't answered my message, I decided to wait until I got to her place, I could brew us both a pot. She must really be tired, it was almost 10 in the morning. She never slept in, it made her feel like she was wasting her day, even if we spent the entirety of it in bed.

I picked up my phone and decided to give her a call, see if she was up yet.

Holding the phone to my ear while looking for my car keys, I spotted them on the kitchen table.

I hung up my phone after four rings, clearly she wasn't up yet. Sliding it into the pocket of my pants, I heard it go off. Chuckling slightly to myself, I pulled it back out ready to read the message from Bella.

I was disappointed to see it was only from Emmett.

What are you up to?

I quickly typed out a reply, I'm on my way to Bella's, why what's up?

Unlocking the door to my car, I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. I hooked up my music to the Bluetooth stereo and started the short drive to Bella's house. I thought about bringing up moving in with each other again. It only seemed to make sense; we were always at each others house, rarely spending the night alone, with last night as one of the exceptions.

It's not that last time I brought it up she said no, it was just one of those subjects that needed to be brought up again so we could come up with a plan and do it. I knew we both wanted to, it was just a matter of acting on it. I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, and I am 100% sure that she feels the same. The first step of building a future was, in my opinion, sharing a house together.

I had finally pulled onto Bella's street. I parked my car in front of her house and checked my phone again. No new texts from Bella, but one from Emmett. I decided his message could wait and I left my car, keys in hand.

The fact that both Bella and I had keys to each other's houses was just another reason to move in together, we had practically been sharing every part of our lives with each other as it was.

I waved to her neighbour who was out mowing the lawn. She was a sweet old woman named Betty and she adored both Bella and I. She was constantly keeping herself busy taking care of her lawn and garden; always outside weather permitting.

Walking up the steps to her house, I took out my key and put it in the lock, twisting it to the left. It didn't move. Hmm, strange, why wouldn't she lock her door if she's asleep? I questioned it but shrugged it off, she must have really been tired.

I opened the door without any noise and stepped through the entrance. Something felt off; the air in the house was heavy.

"Hey babe," I called out, "You up?" I paused, waiting for a reply. "Bella?"

No response.

I looked to my right, there was a lamp on the floor. It was broken. My heart skipped a beat and I called again, a little louder. "Bella? Where are you?" I walked over to her bedroom, the door was shut.

I paused outside her door, pressing my ear against it, listening. Nothing.

Something felt wrong, something felt very wrong. I cautiously brought my hand to the knob on her door, resting it in my hand. My mind was screaming at me to open it, and I did.

Nothing could have possibly prepared me for what I was about to see.

There was my Bella, lying naked on her bed, restraints on all her limbs. My hand gripped the door knob so tightly my knuckles turned white and my legs gave out from under me, sending me crashing to the floor. There was blood all over her. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I sat there on my knees clutching the door while nausea threatened to overcome me.

Her body was black and blue. There wasn't a single part of her that held the porcelain skin I had known to recognize and love. A sob racked my body and I screamed bloody murder.

"Bella! No! Oh my god someone help me!" I didn't recognize my own voice. I didn't even know the sound had come from me until it jolted me back to reality. I attempted to get back on my feet and run towards her, but my legs wouldn't work. I fell back to the ground and crawled over to her as fast as humanly possible.

I screamed for help again, praying to God someone would hear me and help me. I pulled myself up grabbing her nightstand, and I moved so fast I nearly fell on top of her. Tears were streaming down my face as I reached my hands toward her, cupping her cheeks softly. Her eyes were closed, she would almost have looked peaceful if she didn't look like she was dead.

I grabbed a small blanket from under her bed and covered her exposed body. The shock was starting to wear off and I was beginning to remember some of the basic medical training my dad had given me. I pressed my two fingers just below her jawline, desperately trying to find a pulse.

At the same moment, the neighbour Betty burst through the door. My bloodshot eyes shot towards her and her face froze at the sight in horror. "Call 911!" I screamed, when she didn't move from her spot my voice got louder. "Betty NOW! I can't find a pulse!" Her mouth was permanently stuck in a soft O shape and when she finally recovered, I threw my phone in her direction. She bolted and I could hear her in the other room talking with an operator.

My eyes went back to Bella's face, she had been beaten to a pulp. I could no longer keep my nausea at bay, and I threw up in the garbage bin beside her nightstand. Shaking on the floor my eyes darted to the knife in the corner of her room. I dry heaved again and grabbed it. I didn't have time to feel my emotions right now, she needed help. "Please Bella, don't be dead, you can't be dead!" I sobbed. "I need you to be alive do you understand me? You can't die on me!"

I stood above her and began cutting the restraints from her body. "Betty!" I yelled, my voice shaking. She ran back into the room, phone still at her ear. "She said the ambulance will be here in three minutes, is she breathing? Is there a pulse?" Betty questioned me. "I can't find a pulse, oh god, please hurry!"

I finished cutting off the restraints, but I didn't know what to do next. I was scared to move her, scared to touch her. I didn't want to risk injuring her further.

The sound of sirens brought my back to reality. "Betty! Go stand outside and flag them down! Hurry!" She rushed out of the room and I could hear her yelling outside. "Over here! Please help us we are over here!"

I grabbed one of Bella's hands, unable to do anything else except sit there and stare at her. She was almost unrecognizable. Almost. My heart felt like it was being crushed. It was getting hard to breathe. How could someone do this to her? How could someone do this to anyone? She was an angel, everybody adored her. She didn't have one bad bone in her body. She was everything anyone could ask for. She was all I ever wanted, and now I might lose her. I may have already lost her.

NO. You can't think like that, you need to be strong for her. She will live and she will get through this, she's a fighter and she's fighting to live, and you need to help her do it.

I jumped at the sound of footsteps running through the house. "Over here! Hurry!" A team of paramedics rushed through the door, stretcher in hand.

"I couldn't find a pulse, she can't be dead, please save her, you need to save her!"

"Out of the way sir, you need to move!" A paramedic gently grabbed me by the shoulders and my hand slipped from hers as I was pulled to the side. Her hand was so cold, no living person has hands that cold.

NO. Stop it!

I brought my hands to my face as I watched them carefully place her limp body on the stretcher and run out of the room.

There was blood on my hands. Bella's blood. My stomach lurched again.

The paramedic who was comforting me started to lead me behind them. I couldn't think, couldn't move. I just let him lead me.

We made it outside and I was blinded by the bright light. Betty was standing off to the side talking with one of the officers. I barely noticed the crowd of curious neighbours forming around the house. When Betty noticed me, she rushed over to me. "Edward dear, are you okay?" She had tears in her eyes, but she was doing her best to keep herself composed.

"I need to be with Bella. I-" I walked away without finishing my sentence and watched them place Bella in the ambulance. "I need to be with her, I need to come. She's scared and I can't leave her alone. Please." One of the paramedics helped me up and I moved to the front of the vehicle, sitting near Bella's head.

My hand reached out and gently stroked her hair, it was matted with blood.

The door to the ambulance closed, and I felt us start moving. The paramedics got to work immediately. "There's a pulse, it's weak but it's there." I watched as an oxygen mask was placed over her face, and they began assessing her injuries. "Her wrist is broken, and there are obvious lacerations around her neck." A stethoscope was pressed to her chest.

"I can't hear a clear breath. There may be fluid in her lungs. I suspect pulmonary edema, but we will need a chest x-ray to confirm." The sound of a weak heartbeat suddenly filled the vehicle, and I let out a gasp of relief at the confirmation she was alive.

"Call the hospital and have Carlisle waiting. Tell them we have an aggravated assault and suspected rape victim with life-threatening injuries. They need to be ready with an OR the second we get there."

At the sound of Carlisle's name, I spoke up, "Her name is Bella Swan and I am her boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Carlisle is my dad. Tell him it's Bella, he needs to know it's Bella. He needs to save her…" My voice drifted off as I looked back towards her face.

The comforting sound of the beat of her heart paused, we all froze and looked towards the machine.

Her heart beat again, and then there was nothing.

"Oh God, Bella! No! Don't you dare die on me!" I called out to her, my heart racing.

"Her chest is distended, there's internal bleeding! She's going into cardiac arrest!" One of the paramedics started CPR, after a minute of no change, he called out, "Get the paddles!"

The other paramedic turned on the defibrillator machine, "Charge to 100! Clear! Clear I said!" Realizing he was talking to me I pulled my hand away from her head. He shocked her and we all stared at the screen, there was nothing.

"Again! Charge to 150! Clear!" He shocked her chest again and looked to the screen. "Dammit! Come on Bella don't do this. Don't you dare die on us!" The paramedic said to her.

I watched on in horror as Bella's heart beat never returned.

This can't be happening. This cannot be happening. Please Bella please come back to me. I can't live without you.

"Come on!" The paramedic shouted, "Bella don't give up! Charge to 200! Clear!" My eyes squeezed shut as they shocked her for a third time. The tears were pouring at this point. I was feeling like I was going to pass out or throw up, probably both.

Beep.

My eyes burst open to the machine that was reading her rhythm.

"She's back, we got her back son." The paramedic squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, but I barely felt it. All I could do was stare at the screen and pray to whatever God was out there that her heart would never stop beating again.