A/N: Okay, so here's the actual update. I have been listening to Taylor Swift's White Horse all day trying to figure out how to end it. I think I have a pretty good idea now. Like I said, it's going to be roughly five to six more chapters, maybe less. I'm not sure. We'll see how it flows with my muses but I do have an ending direction now. Woot! Antway, warning this is probably going to be a tissue chapter. I'm not quite sure. I have my ideas but it's all going to depend on how the dialogue flows. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
BELLA
The sight of Jacob's rabbit sitting in the driveway as Alice and I pulled in made my heart soaar. I felt ten times better knowing that Jacob was waiting for me. I aleady began to feel safer and happier just knowing thatb we were within a hundred feet of each other. He was sitting on the porch and I jumped out of the car mere seconds after Alice put it in park.
As I ran toward him, I felt more hysteria bubbling up. Jacob spread his arms open and I collapsed into them sobbing harder than ever into his chest. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back as I cried.
"Shh, baby." he whispered. "It's okay. You're safe, I'm here. I won't let him hurt you ever again. I promise. Just calm down and breathe."
That was easier said than done. Though I felt safer and much better being in Jacob's arms, I hadn't gotten over the shock of what happened to completely deal with it. Now that I was, the whole thing was scarier and more painful to think about.
It was hardest to realize that my thought of Edward as my knight on a white horse was shattered. He was nothing like what he made me believe. I thought he loved and understood me. I'd really thought he'd do or sacrifice anything for me.
I think that I knew on some subconcious level that he was nothing like the angel I had thought he was. I just made myself believe that he was perfect. It was much easier to lean on that precious illusion than to face the facts about him. Now that the proof of his true nature had been shoved in my face twice, I had no choice but to believe it. As much as I didn't want to.
I wasn't sure how I thought about the loss of my image of the perfect Edward. Most of me hated the new Edward and wanted nothing more than to never forgive him. However, there was a small part of me that wanted nothing more than to forgive him for everything and just move on like nothing had happened. That was the part of me that couldn't let him go.
I figured it had to do with my want to be happy. Edward was the first man, other than Charlie and Jacob, to make me feel loved and whole since the day my mother died. Those man had destroyed any faith I had in the male sex. However, Edward brought it back to me. He made me believe that not all men are vile and disgusting like those men. He made me see that they're were still some in the world that wouldn't hurt me.
In the course of twenty hours, however, he had destroyed any faith that he restored. Now, all I had to believe in were my male friends and my father. Which would be great except for the fact that I didn't think I'd ever be able to trust a man with more than friendship ever again.
Unless, of course, it was Jacob.
Woah, where'd that come from? Jacob was my best friend and the big brother I had always wanted. No way, did I want more than friendship with him. I mean, we've known each other since we were in diapers. There was no way I could feel anything more than brotherly love toward him.
Yet, here I was in his arms after being hurt by someone I trusted with my life. I felt safe and loved here. It was one of the best feelings that I had ever had in my life. I wasn't sure what I was feeling, honestly, I just knew that whatever the feeling was, I didn't want it to go away.
I felt Jacob's arms tighten around me as I continued to sob into his chest. He continued to stroke my hair and rub my back.
"It's okay. My Bella." he whispered. "He's not going to get anywhere near you again. I promise."
The words my Bella caught me off guard, even if they did send shivers down my spine. Wondering what he meant by the words, plus the loving way he said them, calmed me off to pull away. I didn't realize my mistake until it was too late.
I saw pain and anger flash across his face as he got a good look at mine.
"I'm going to kill that bastard!" he yelled and try to push me away.
"No Jake please don't!" I begged wrapping my arms around him.
"Bella, look what he did to you!" he shouted trying to pry me off of him. "He doesn't deserve to live after this."
"I know." I cried. "But you can't hurt him, please. I don't want anything to happen to you. Besides, I need you here with me right now. I don't know why but you just being makes me feel safe and not so vulnerable anymore. Please, stay, please."
I found myself sobbing into his shoulder again. He stopped fighting my embrace and wrapped his arms tightly around me.
"Okay, okay." he whispered. "I'm here honey and I'm not going anywhere until you're better. I won't give him the chance to do this to you again, I swear."
He kissed the top of my head as he couldn't to comfort me. I wasn't sure where Alice was at the moment. I assumed that she had stayed in the car to give us some privacy. I had no idea why but she did. Seriously, we had had so many moments like these in her presense so why did she feel the need to walk away right now?
I didn't have much time to ponder the answer to that question. Jacob pulled me away after only a minute or two. He studied my face for a long moment then he did something that shocked me beyond words. He leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on the bruise just above my cheek bone. Before I could say anything about his odd behavior, he pulled me back to his chest and asked,
"So what exactly happened?"
"Not now." I replied pulling away from him. My voice was hoarse from the crying that I had just done. "Rose and Em should be here soon. I want to wait to explain it to everyone at once. I don't think I could handle telling it more than once."
"I understand.' He whispered and pulled me back into his chest.
I could tell by the sound of his voice that he really did understand. Which was something that couldn't be said for Edward. He never understood anything about me. Jacob, however, always understood everything. At first I had thought it was simply because we had been friends for so long but in that moment, I had a feeling it was something else completelty.
He held me to his chest as he continued to stroke my hair and whisper comforting things until Emmett and Rosalie arrived fifteen minutes later.
ALICE
The minute Bella saw Jacob's rabbit in the driveway, I could feel a slight lift in her mood. Jacob was on the porch waiting for her. I barely got the car in park before she whipped the door opened and ran to him.
I was too far away from the porch to hear anything, but I could tell by the way Bella was shaking in his arms that she was crying. Jacob was doing his best to comfort her. He rubbed her back and stroked her hair. I could tell that he was trying to say the right things in her ear.
I stopped watching after a minute. I wanted to give the two there privacy. I had witnessed many scenes like these between the two of them. However, this one felt different. It was a moment that felt like it should remain private. I wanted to do my best to keep it that way. Besides, after what happened the night before, I was pretty sure the two would be needing many more of these private moments in the near future.
I had known for quite awhile that Jacob harbored more feelings for Bella than he let on. I didn't know how I knew, though. I suppose it was just in they way he talked and acted around her. He was always there to take care of her, no matter what the sacrifice was on his part. He understood why she did and said everything she did and said. He was essential in helping get through what happened to her mother. He listened whenever she wanted to talk about it and changed the subject when she didn't.
In short, Jacob was everything that Bella thought Edward was. The only difference was Jacob wasn't acting. His feelings were genuine and I knew that Bella would be in good hands with him. I just wished I could be sure what Bella felt towards him.
I knew she was still really upset about what happened with Edward. However, before she met Edward, I had the feeling she was beginning to look at Jacob as more than just a friend but she was't all the way there yet. Now, maybe, after what Edward did, Bella would be able to find more than comfort in Jacob's arms.
I prayed that Jacob would play his cards right. Maybe then, Bella could truly be happy with her life.
I sat there lost in my thoughts about Jacob and Bella. I was careful not to look at them, though. I didn't want to ruin the moment or embarass either of them. So I just kept my eyes trained on the spot in front of me waiting for Rosalie and Emmett so we could all find out exactly what happened.
Emmett looked worse for the wear. He had a black eye as well as a split lip. A few buttons were missing from his shirt and his jeans were ripped in several places. He did, however, have a smile spread across his face as he crossed the street to my car.
I raised my eyebrow at the smile on his face. He chuckled slightly as Rosalie caught up with him.
"You should see James." he stated when they reached the car.
"What do you mean?" I asked with a smile.
"Let's just say, Victoria will no longer be interested in him for his good looks." Rosalie laughed.
Emmett and I joined in.
"So how much trouble are you in?" I questioned once our laughter subsided.
"Not much." he replied still smiling. "I've been suspended for three days because I was simply trying to defend Rosalie. At least fifteen witnesses stayed to state that they saw James sexually harassing Rose and that I was just doing what any gentleman would do. He was suspended for a three weeks and Rose was given the option of pressing charges."
"I chose not to." Rose added. "The beating he took from Emmett was punishment enough."
"Well, I'd have to see him to let you know if I agree." I responded.
"Believe me, you will." Rose replied.
"How is she?" Emmett asked suddenly. I looked over to see him staring at Bella and Jacob sitting on the porch in each other's embrace.
"Better now that Jacob's here." I replied with a smile in their direction.
"Has she told you what he did yet?" Rose questioned.
"No, not yet. She wanted to wait for you guys so she wouldn't have to repeat the whole thing." I answered some of the worry I felt in the car resurfacing. "From the looks of the bruise on her cheek, though, he hit her pretty hard. And that worries me."
"Yeah, me too." Rose replied with a small smile. "I really didn't think he'd go that far with her."
"Yeah, there isn't much he wouldn't do." I stated.
"We can see that now." Emmett answered.
We watched Jacob and Bella sitting on the porch for a few more miunutes. None of us were to keen on interuptting them. Bella needed those few moments with Jacob. He made her feel better and safer. Rose, Em, and I didn't want to take that away from her.
It was another five minutes before Jacob or Bella acknowledged our presense. Which was something that didn't bothered any of us. Bella probably needed some time to process what happened and we were all willing to give her that time.
JACOB
I held Bella in my arms for a good twenty minutes just thinking. I thought about what I was going to do to that bastard the next time I saw him. How dare he mar my sweet Bella's beautiful face like that? He deserved nothing less than a slow painful death.
I also thought about what I had just done to Bella. I couldn't believe I had actually gotten the courage to kiss her like that. Granted, we kissed each other on the cheek on numerous times with the ocassional peck on the lips. However, this was something totally different. It was the equivalent to meb kissing her full on the lips with tongue and everything.
At least that's how I felt about it. I wasn't sure how she felt about it and she was in no state for me to ask her. I hoped she at least knew that it meant that I wanted to be the one to kiss all her pain away. I really did wish one simple kiss could help her now. However, it was going to take so much more than that.
When I finally looked up, I saw Rose, Emmett, and Alice standing at Alice's car, looking determinedly away from Bella and I. I appreciated that they were attempting to give us our privacy. Hell, I wished I could stay in that bubble of privacy with her forever. However, I knew that Bella wasn't going to get any better if she wasn't able to talk about what happened.
"Hey, Bells, Rosalie and Emmett are here." I whispered and she looked up with a groan.
I knew this was something that she didn't want to do. It was probably going to be one of the hardest thing that she's ever had to do but she needed to it. For herself. If she didn't tell anyone what had happened then nobody would be able to help her. I didn't want her to have to spend the rest of her life dealing with that fucker. She deserved so much better than that.
She stood up after taking a moment to collect herself. I followed her lead but refused to release her hand. I wanted her to know that she really wasn't alone. Besides, her warm hand around mine made my heart soar. I wasn't ready for that contact to end.
"Hey, guys." she called as she wiped her eyes with her free hand. "Let's go inside and talk. It's getting a little chilly out here."
The others walked toward the house. I could tell they were all very sober and meloncholy. I noticed Emmett had a couple bruises too. His clothes were ripped in several places but he had a half smile on his face as he wrapped his arm around Rosalie's waist.
Bella lead all of us up to her room. Emmett sat in the rocking chair and pulled Rosalie into his lap. Alice made herself comfortable in Bella's desk chair. And I lead Bella over to the bed. She sat down but curled herself back into my chest. I smiled as I storked her hair. I loved being this close to her, regardless of the reason.
"So Bella, what exactly happened with Edward, today?" Alice said sounding truly concerned.
Bella looked at the bed and took a few breaths before answering.
"He and James planned the fight. Edward knew that if James tried harrassed Rosalie the way he was doing, Emmett would get pissed and hit James. That would, of course, start a fight and everyone would be too concerned with breaking it up to noticed me." she explained.
"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry." Emmett exclaimed. "I didn't think about that. If I had I wouldn't have hit him."
"Don't say that, Emmett." Bella replied shaking her head. "You did what any boy would do if their girlfriend was threatened. You defended her. I couldn't have asked for anything less of you. Besides, a one on one meeting with Edward was unavoidable. He would've found some way to get to me, even if it met attempting to hurt someone else I cared about."
Emmett nodded but still looked like he felt he had done something wrong.
"Go on, Bella." Rose whispered after a minute.
"Well, after everyone got caught up in the fight, Edward grabbed me and pulled me into the locker room. I can't remember much of what we said. He wanted me to forgive him but I refused and called him stupid to think that I would ever imagine forgiving. He didn't like that answer very much. He ended up slamming me into the lockers twice and backhanding me."
She stopped as if unsure if she should continue with the next bit or not. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she took a couple more deep breaths. She looked back at Alice imploringly.
"Before I go on, I need you all to promise me that you won't overreact to what I'm about to tell you." she stated.
Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and I looked at each other. I knew not a single one of us was prepared to make that promise. We all needed to know exactly what happened so that we could discuss what we were going to do about it later. However, we knew that Bella woudn't continue unless we promised.
"We'll promise not to overreact," Alice stated, thinking quickly, like always. "But we reserve the right to take the necessary precautions to keep it from happening again."
Bella thought about this for a minute and seemed to decide that it was all right. She took another deep breath before she continued,
"When I told him that it was over and I was done with him, he moved clser to me making sure that I couldn't get away. I wasn't sure what he was going to do but when bent down and put his lips to my ear, I paniced and kneed him in the balls."
Anger that I had never known before in my life engulfed me. I wanted nothing more than to go to Edward's house and rip his throat out. How dare he try something like that with her? I had to keep telling myself that Bella didn't let him do it. And there was a slight possibility that he wouldn't have done anything. Somehow, I doubted that, though.
There was only one thing that kept me from tearing out of the room. It was Bella. She was still in my arms looking around as if waiting for one of us to explode. There was a solitary tear rolling down her face. She was no doubt think the same thing I was.
"Did he do anything sexual to you?" I asked.
"No," she stated looking at the blanket. "I didn't give him the chance."
"Good." I replied.
"What happened after you kneed him?" Alice asked.
"He dropped and I ran." Bella finished.
Alice nodded. She looked around at the others in the room. Bella buried her head back into my chest and I could feel the distinct wetness of more tears. I ran my fingers gently through her hair and tried to whisper comforting things.
Nobody spoke as we sat there lost in our own thoughts. I don't think any of us realized just how serious the situation was until that moment. Sure, Alice had told everyone the night before how dangerous Edward is when he was angry. However, none of us wanted to believe that he would ever hurt Bella like that. We thought that with his claiming to love her and his want to hold on, even after he did the unforgivable, that he'd never hurt or attemt to hurt her like that.
Yet, here we were sitting and contamplating what could've happened if Bella hadn't thought so fast. Horrible images of that monster doing those terrible things to my sweet and beautiful angel was heartbreaking. It took every ounce of self control I had to stay on that bed. Once again, Bella sobbing gently into my chest is was held me there.
After several long and painstaking minutes, Alice spoke,
"We need to stop him before he tries to hurt her again. If he did it once, he'll do it again and it'll just get worse every time. We need to stop it before it gets that far."
"We know that, Alice." I stated frustrated that she kept saying we needed to stop this from happening but giving any suggestions as to how. "But that just puts us right back where we were yesterday. How are we going to stop it from getting that far?"
Alice sighed.
"Well, I think that we could revisit the restraining order idea." she replied. "I know it wouldn't do much good in keeping him away but if he steps over the line, that'll give Charlie sufficient evidence to lock him up."
"No!" Bella all but yelled as she pulled herself away from me. "We can't get a restraining order because that means we'll have to tell Charlie. I don't want Charlie to know about any of this. He'd just blow it all out of proportion."
"But Bella," I cooed running my finger over a stray tear running down her face. "If you don't tell Charlie then Edward is just going to keep hurting you because he knows that he can get away with it. If you tell Charlie and get something done about, he'll think twice before he goes after you again."
"But Jake, how I can I tell my father that I allowed another man to hit me?" she looked at me imploringly.
The look in her eyes broke my heart. She looked so sad and fearful. Did she think that Charlie would think less of her, if her knew? She should know him well enough to know that he's not like that. In the seven years since Renee's death, Charlie had never thought anything less of her for what those men did. In fact, he thought of her as a better woman than most because she did what she did to protect her baby girl.
I was sure Charlie wouldn't think anything less of Bella. Especially if she was making the effort to stand up for and protect herself. Still, she was daddy's little girl and it was only natural to feel that her father would feel differently about a potential weakness on her part. I knew that Charlie was not like that at all. He'd just be happy to know that she didn't get hurt any worse than she had.
"Bella," I grabbed her chin between my forefinger and thumb and held her gaze with mine. "He's your father, he'll understand. And I know he'll do everything in his power to stop it from happening again."
"But Jake, I can't." she whispered as a few more tears ran down her bruised cheek. I wiped them away gently with my fingers. "What if..."
"Yes, Bells, you can." he cut her off. "He's you're father and he loves. He'd want you to tell him. I think you know that."
She was silent for a long time as we stared into each other's eyes. Her eyes held nothing but pain, sadness, and fear. I hated seeing those emotions in her beautiful eyes and I wanted to kill the man that put them they. However, Bella still needed me here and that was the only thing stopping me from leaving the room.
She broke her gaze from me after a minute and looked down, defeated.
"I can't do it alone." she whispered to the mattress.
"You won't have to." I replied. "I'll be right there with you."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course. Don't you know that I'd do anything for you. I love you."
"I love you too, Jake." she said wrapped herself back into my chest. "You're one of the greatest friends I've ever had."
I wrapped my arm and her a sighed. When would she ever understand how much I loved her?
A/N: I hope you like this chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out. I started it last night but my two year old sick nephew stayed the night and I had to help take care of him. Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait and you all enjoyed it. Please, review.
P.S. On a completely non related note; I just started to get into the T.V. show The O.C. I know the fans of the show are going to laugh at me for this but I started watching it in the middle of season three because of Nikki Reed, Cam Gigandet, and Jackson Rathbone. The first full episode I watched had all three of them in it. This was last week and I've been watching whenever I can since. I have to say that I am now an addict to the show. Unfortunately, due to work and other commitments, I will be unable to watch the show for awhile. So I was hoping that one of my readers was a fan of the show and could answer one question for me. Do Seth and Summer get back together after Seth does what he thinks is the right thing about Brown? If someone could answer that I would appreciate it. Thanks.
