CHAPTER 10 Epiphany

BELLA

Bella pulled up in front of Jacob's house. He was sitting on the ground waiting for her. She put the truck in park and took a couple breaths. She was trying to compose herself and prepare for the worst. When she finally got the courage to get out, she walked up to him and said hi. Her voice wavered slightly.

He looked up at her and she saw the anger in his eyes. It was so intense, for the first time in that month, Bella actually feared for her life. She fought the urge to run back to her truck and go to Edward but knew it wouldn't do her any good. If he wanted her, he would just come get her. She didn't want to cause that kind of trouble for the Cullens, not after everything they had done for her.

He got up without taking his eyes off her.

"Come on." he practically growled and headed in the direction of the garage. She followed not saying a word. Her hearts was pounding twice as hard. They spent inside and Jacob closed the door. "So, once again, you did something I told you not to!"

"Well, if you hadn't raped me, I wouldn't have had to heal! Which I couldn't do in the hospital because of what you are!" she found herself yelling at him even though she was scared to death. "Carlilse was afraid people would ask questions and then you'd all get exposed!"

"Shut up!" he yelled and backhanded her. She fell from the force. "If you would've stayed here that day, they wouldn't have found out!"

She looked up at him from the floor.

"Did you really think I'd stay after that?" she asked.

"Yes, because as your boyfriend, it's my right to take what I want when I want it!" he replied and kicked her in the stomach. She gasped to get her breath back.

"No! You don't have a right to anything involving me!" she gasped out. He kicked her again, this time in the ribs. She swore she heard a couple crack.

"Jake, calm down." she gasped out.

Her grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back so she was looking at him. He pulled so hard, it felt like he was trying to pull the chunk out of her head.

"I give the orders around here, not you!" he spat. "Now get up!" He released her hair.

She crawled over to the wall and used it to stand herself up. Once she was up, Jacob had closed in the gap between them and she was trapped by the wall.

"So tell me what happened between you and the bloodsucker?" he said right there in her face. She knew which one he was referring to by the way he said it.

"Nothing. He helped the family take of me, that's it." she replied her voice shaking. He stared her in the face and she stared right back. She hoped nothing in her eyes told him that she realized she still loved him. Or that she found out he still loved her.

"I don't believe you!" Jacob yelled after a minute of looking at her.

"It's the truth!" she yelled back.

"Your eyes say different." he replied.

"Damn it!" She thought but continued to stare at him.

"So what happened between you two?" he asked. She didn't say anything. He could hurt her all he wanted but she wasn't going to give him the fuel to hurt Edward.

When she didn't answer, he clamped his hand around her neck and squeezed. She had to gasp for air. She didn't even have enough to beg him to let her go. So she used her hands to try and pry his off her neck. He was to strong for her. The more she fought the tighter tighter his grip got. She needed air but he wouldn't let go. Tears were falling from her face.

As she fought Jacob and the darkness that threatened to overcome her, flashes of face were running through her mind. Renee, Charlie and Phil, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and the rest of the Cullens. In that moment, she realized her family had been telling her the truth. She didn't deserve any of this. She deserved to be loved and taken care of. She deserved someone like Edward who would go through the worst kind of pain just to see her safe. She realized that it didn't matter that her family would gladly put themselves in danger to keep her safe. And she realized the pointlessness of her coming back. She wanted to protect her family but they were quite capable of taking care of themselves.

She wished, in that moment, that she had stayed with Edward that morning instead of trying to be noble. She laughed ironically at herself as she gave up the struggle. What she just realized and wished for didn't matter because it would all be over in a second anyway. Then just as she was about to give in to the balckness, Jacob released her. She fell to her hands and knees gasping for air.

Jacob walked to the other side of the garage and slid to the floor. Once she got her breath back and was sure he wasn't coming back over, Bella used the wall to stand again. Jacob was in the corner looking like he had just made the worst mistake of his life. If it hadn't been for everything he had done to her in the past month, Bella would've felt sorry for him. It was silent for a minute then Jacob looked up and said,

"I'm so sorry, Bells."

Bella just looked at him and shook her head. She wasn't going to fall for it anymore.

"You don't even know what that means anymore, Jake." she replied coldly. "Besides, I'm done playing your little game. I'm sick of being your punching bag. I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some kind of prize. I'm done. It's over."

She finished her little speech and tried to make for the door. Jacob was back in front of her before she even took two steps. He pinned her wrists above her head in an iron tight grip. It hurt so bad, she didn't even try to struggle.

"You aren't going anywhere." he said in a deadly whisper. "If you don't want me, I'll be damned before I let him have you back. So you can just stay here for awhile. Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Bella heart was pounding so hard. She was hoping to get out before his senses caught up with him. Now, he had her and there was nothing she could do to get away. She did the only thing that she could, she begged.

"Jake, please, just let me go." she cried the tears falling down her cheeks. She had no idea what he was going to do.

"It's okay." he whispered and then forced his lips on hers. She tried to turn her face away from him but there was no way she could turn. He would have just forced her back anyway. She tried to move her legs and get in position to knee him again but that didn't work either.

He notice trying to move so he repositioned himself so he was pinning her legs against the wall to.

"Nice try." he whispered in between kisses on her neck.

"Please, Jake." she pleaded again. She felt him smirk into her neck before he bit her collar bone. Bella close her eyes praying for help.

A second later she heard the door crash open. She didn't want to look. Then she heard a loud frightening voice,

"Jacob, let her go, now!" It was Sam. Bella had never heard him in alpha mode before and she prayed it never happened again. She felt Jacob release her and she slid to the floor. The tears pouring down her cheeks. She heard a small scuffle and Sam cursing. She opened her eyes to see Jared and Paul standing in front of her.

"Bella," Sam was walking toward her. "Are you alright?"

She just stared.

"Did he hurt you?" Sam tried again.

She still didn't respond there was only one thought on her mind at that moment. She needed to see Edward and once she did, everything would be okay. Sam words meant nothing. Finally, just to shut him up, she voiced what she needed.

"Edward." she whispered.

Sam seemed to understand. He looked at Jared and Paul.

"Jared, take Bella and her truck to the Cullen house. Paul follow in Jacob's car and bring Jared back here." Sam told them. "I'm going to gether the rest of the pack and start a search for Jacob. I want to make sure he can't hurt her anymore. I'll call Carlilse and let him know you're on the way."

Jared and Paul nodded. Paul ran into the house. Jared picked Bella up off the ground and carried her to the truck. After sitting her in it, he said,

"I need the keys, Bells." she reached into her pocket with shaking hands and pulled them out. She curled herself into a ball on the seat and continued to cry as Jared drove.

ALICE

The family was now sitting on the funiture in the living room. The spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out how to keep Bella from going back to Jacob. They had come up with nothing that wouldn't end in Bella hating them. Alice was ready to just give up, like Edward. After an hour of silence, Carlisle's phone rang.

He looked at the screen then answered.

"Hello, Sam." he said. Alice's ears pricked up. She needed to hear every word.

"Carlisle, I caught Jacob with Bella today. She won't tell me what happened but I think that he was trying to rape her again." Sam explained. "I got there just in time to stop him but he got away from me. Jared's on his way over with her. I don't know if she's injured. I think she's going to need Edward. His name is the only thing I can get out of her right now."

"Thank you, Sam." Carlisle answered.

"Just make sure she stays safe until we find him." Sam replied.

"We will." Carlisle replied.

Sam said goodbye and Carlisle hung up the phone. He said,

"Jasper, call Edward, tell him to get home, Bella needs him." Jasper pulled out his phone. "Alice, go get some sweats for her to change into."

Alice did what he said.

BELLA

Bella cried the entire drive to the house. Jared didn't try to get her to talk about what happened. Instead, he just focused on driving and didn't say a thing. All Bella could think of on the way was seeing Edward. Once she was with him everything would be okay. She would be safe.

When the reached the house, it was Emmett who lifted her out of the car. She remembered hearing Jared tell Emmett that he put the keys under the seat. Then Jared was in the rabbit with Paul, driving away.

Bella was still crying as Emmett carried her into the house. She looked up and saw the concerned faces of every Cullen, except one, on her.

"Where's Edward?" she choked through her tears. Emmett laid her next to Alice on the couch. "I need him!"

Alice stroked her hair and said,

"He left after you did but we called him. He should be back any minute."

Bella nodded and continued to sob.

A/N: There you all finally got what you wanted. It's not over, yet though, so don't worry.