Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all recognizable characters and situations contained therein. All original content contained in this story is property of the author. Story is rated M and chapters may contain graphic language, violent content, mild to moderate drug use, descriptions of domestic violence, and sexual situations.

Warning: This chapter is going to deal with some hard themes including pre-cursors of domestic violence. It is not an easy chapter. Domestic violence is NOT okay, it is NOT romantic, and it is NOT love. If you are in a relationship that sounds like this one…I hope you get out before it escalates. Talk to someone, a friend, a counselor, someone you trust, do not suffer in silence.

A/N: Just to let everyone know that this chapter is going to be a lengthy(rare) Bella POV and is going to re-hash some of the previous chapters. Any of you who know me know that I do not like to rehash whole chapters in other characters POV's, b/c for the most part I feel that it is unnecessary and jarring to the flow of the story, but I really feel that in this story it is a necessity as it will provide a lot of detail to Bella's character, as well as her and Emmett's relationship.

**BPOV from Emmett's locker area just after his loss**

Dad and I approach the locker room with Em's name taped on the door. All I can hear is Carlisle yelling. Dad wraps a comforting arm around my shoulder, and hesitantly reaches out to knock on the door.

Peter opens the door, "Bella. This isn't a good time. He'll meet you back at the hotel."

He starts to close the door, and Dad holds it open with his forearm, "She's not going to any hotel. I told Carlisle that I wasn't comfortable with it when he told me about it. She wants to see him. Ask him if he wants to see her."

Peter looks uncomfortable, and turns around clearing his throat, "Ahem…uh, Carlisle…"

Dad cuts him off, "I meant for you to ask Emmett."

Em's face snaps around to look at the door, and my breath catches in my throat. Oh my God. It's all I can do to stop myself from running at him and wrapping my arms around him. He looks so upset, so torn down. Peter's voice breaks into my thoughts, "Emmett, do you want to see Bella?"

He attempts a smile, wincing at the pain, his face is bruised almost beyond recognition, his eyes are puffy and beginning to blacken, his nose is smashed and still bleeding if the cotton wadded in his nostrils is any indication, but still he gives it his best shot at sounding upbeat, as he says, "Of course I want to see my favorite girl! C'mon over here, Sugar."

I laugh at his attempt to copy Jasper's accent, and rush forward flinging myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He winces and lets out a little moan, "Easy, Baby, I'm a little broken here."

My eyes fill with tears, as I fuss over him, smoothing his sweat soaked hair back and out of his eyes, "I'm sorry, Honey. I didn't mean to hurt you."

He laughs a little, and the sound fills me with warmth, "You didn't hurt me baby, that Quileute wrecking machine did. I'm so sorry that I let you down, Baby Girl."

Bending down to kiss his forehead, the only place on his face that doesn't look swollen, I whisper, "You have never let me down, Em. I love you. It doesn't matter to me if you win or lose."

He reaches out, brushing his hand lightly over my face, "Are you coming to the hotel?"

I shake my head sadly, "Dad isn't comfortable with it, I'm gunna go home with him. I'll see you at LAX next week when I come to visit."

He nods, "I'll miss you every second that you're away from me. Maybe I'll get up to you sometime before next week."

Smiling at him, I carefully kiss his lips, he sucks lightly on my lip before letting me break away, "I'd like that."

Charlie clears his throat, and addresses Em, "I'm sorry that you lost, Son. I know you did your best though, you'll get him next time."

Em smiles wanly, "Thanks, Chief. It means a lot that you came."

Dad nods, "Well, I wanted to be here for Bella, she was mighty upset watching you take that beating."

Groaning in embarrassment, I say, "DAD!"

He shrugs, "Well you were."

Em traces the curve of my cheek with his finger, "I'm sorry you were upset, Honey. Trust me, I know I look a little worse for wear, but I'm okay. I promise."

Carlisle clears his throat, "I think the two of you had better go, I have to set my sons injuries. It was good of you both to come. Thank you."

His tone is frosty, and it's clear that his request is more of a demand. I give Em one last kiss, "I'll see you soon. Love you."

He nods, "I love you too, Beautiful. See you soon."

Dad takes my hand, and guides me out of the locker room, and out of the arena to where the cruiser is parked, "You ready to head home Bells?"

I nod, "Yeah, I'm tired."

**Time Skip**

By the time we pull up at home it's almost 2:30 in the morning, I stretch in the front of the cruiser. Dad gets out of the car, and I follow him back into the house. He turns to me by the steps, "You okay Bells?"

I nod, "Yeah Dad. I'm alright. I knew going into this that there was a chance that I'd have to see him take a beating. I just, I wish it didn't bother me that he was hurt. He's doing what he's dreamed of doing for a long time. I should be happy he got the opportunity, instead I'm just sad that he's hurting and disappointed."

Dad nods back, "I understand what you're saying Bella, and for what it's worth, I don't think Em did a bad job. You were right about the crowd too, I could see that Dixon was feeding on their energy, it helped him a lot. I have to say Bells, I think that half Emmett's problem…is Carlisle."

Feeling a little uncomfortable, I ask, "What do you mean?"

Dad sighs, "Bella, honey, quite frankly, the man is an asshole! The way he was screaming in Emmett's face between rounds, totally contradicting Peter's instructions. I understand that the man is a doctor, and he is Emmett's father, but I think that Peter needs to tell him to shut it and let him do his job!"

Dad's right, I've been thinking it for a while. Whenever I would go to the gym and watch Emmett sparring with Garrett or Jasper, Carlisle would always be there, running over everyone. If Garrett clipped Em a good one, Carlisle would berate him, accuse him of trying to take Em's spotlight, and he'd make Em spar with Jasper instead. Jas is much smaller than Em, but he's crazy fast, and has a good amount of wiry muscle, and I had seen all of them spar on one of the rare occasions that Carlisle wasn't there, and with his speed and agility, he was able to duck almost all of Em's punches, while inflicting a decent amount of damage.

Mostly though, when Carlisle was there Jas would evade for a while, take a few soft shots, and then let Em land a punch and knock him down. I wondered sometimes if Em knew that the 'lucky fight' that J had when Carlisle wasn't there was really his actual ability level.

Emmett was good, don't get me wrong, he was great actually, but he didn't get half the workout he would get if Peter really had the reigns. Dad sighs, "Maybe if you talked to him, Bells. He'll listen to you. I love you, and you love him, and that father of his is going to drive him into the ground, Bells. The way he was screaming at him when it was over…it turned my stomach, Baby Girl. I felt horrible for him."

Nodding, I reply, "You're right. I'll say something when the loss has settled a little."

He nods, "That's probably a good idea. Let it all settle down. I love you, Baby Girl. Sleep tight. I'll see you in the mornin."

**The Next Evening**

My phone beeps, and I check it, I have a message from Emmett, 'Hey there, Beautiful. What do you say to goin out with me tonight? We'll go down to Port Ang, go to the club?'

That's weird, he's supposed to be in LA. Texting him back, I reply, 'What do you mean? I thought you were home?'

The doorbell rings and I run downstairs, I know Dad was expecting something from UPS so I figure that's it because it's about 7 o'clock. Opening the door, I'm almost numb with shock to see Emmett standing there. Even all bandaged up he makes my knees just a little weak, he's wearing a white wife beater that clings to his abs, and I can see the tape wrapped around his upper torso, keeping his ribs in place. Over top of the wife beater, he's wearing a deep red short sleeved button down over black slacks.

Once I get done ogling him, I exclaim, "EMMETT! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have cooked something!"

Coming in the door, he laughs, though it obviously pains him, "Well I couldn't wait to see you. So I figured I'd come up and we'd go out!"

Looking at him in disbelief, I ask, "Seriously? Em you just had a fight last night! You're hurt, and you wanna go down to the club? Why don't we just chill here? Have a quiet night in?"

His eyes darken slightly, "What? You don't want to be seen with me? I look too grotesque for you?"

Frowning at him in confusion, I ask, "Em. Why would you say that? You're gorgeous honey. I just, I know that your ribs got cracked, I don't understand why you want to go to a crowded club and chance having assholes jostle and bump you."

His face clears a little, "Oh. I just want to have a good time, Baby. I want to show you off a little. So sue me."

He pulls a bag out from behind his back, saying flatly, "Alice sent these for you, she said to tell you to wear them, and don't argue."

I expect the easy grin that I've always known, for him to smile at me, wink, and tell me he doesn't care what I wear and that he'll tell Alice that I wore what she sent anyway to keep her off my back. It doesn't come. He continues to hold the bag out, and I take it with trembling hands.

He smiles, it doesn't reach his eyes, "Go get ready, we're burning time."

Heading upstairs, I go into my room, and shut my bedroom door behind me. Pouring the bag out onto my bed, I'm a little disgusted to see that Alice had even gone to the trouble of throwing in a bra and panty set. Yeah, definitely not wearing that.

The door clicks open behind me, and I turn, as Em comes in. He looks at me funny, as though he's mad, "I picked out the underwear. It's brand new."

Biting my lip, I reply, "Oh. Uh, thanks? I think."

His face clouds, "are you gunna get changed?"

Emmett, and I had seen each other naked before, it isn't like I'm a virgin or anything, but Em isn't acting normally. Frankly he's making me nervous standing there staring at me, and looking angry for some reason that I can't place. I know he's had a tough loss, I don't blame him for being down, but something else is going on here and he's honestly kind of scaring me.

The door opens downstairs and let a sigh of relief escape my lips as my dad calls up, "Bella! Is Emmett up there with you?"

Emmett scowls, "What is your dads' fuckin problem? I've known you for almost 6 years! We've been together for almost that entire time! I put a damn ring on your finger, and still I get treated like a fucking skell every time I set foot in your bedroom. Does he still think you're some lily white virgin Bella? Is that it? Daddy doesn't want to believe that his little angel would spread her legs for her fiancé?"

Staring at him in disbelief, I call down to my dad, "Yeah Dad. He is. He'll be down in a minute."

Turning my attention back to Emmett, I flounder for the right words, "I just, I can't believe that you would say that, Em. Baby I love you, and my dad has no problem with you as a person, or as my fiancé. That being said, this is his house, and he makes the rules, and if you have a problem with him, or with me, then you can leave. I'm really not feeling like going out tonight anymore anyway."

His face darkens again, his eyes glare at me so hard I can barely breathe from fear, then, in an instant, it's like the switch flips, his brow smoothes out, and he takes a deep breath, "Bell. Honey, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said those things. Dad has me taking some new supplements, I must just be moody from the adjustment. Please, please come out with me? You might even have fun."

He crosses over to me, and wraps his arms lightly around my waist, "Please, Honey?"

Brushing my hair away from my neck, he leans in, running his lips softly over my skin, bringing goose bumps to the surface, and a moan to my lips, "hmmm. Okay. Not too late though, okay?"

He nods, "Sure, we have to catch the jet in the morning anyway. My parents are expecting us for lunch."

I'm about to ask what he's talking about, but he turns, and goes out the door. Going back over to the bed I sink down onto it, letting out a ragged breath. What the fuck is going on with him? He's behaving completely erratically. This is not the Em I know.

I had met Emmett back when I was just 13. It was summer after seventh grade, and I was at the diner waiting for my dad to come pick me up, when in walked the most out of place family I had ever seen in Forks. The dad was blonde and perfect, the mother caramel haired with a heart shaped face, a scowl on her lips, and obviously expensive designer clothes. The twins had been 12 at the time. Alice was the first one I met. She came up to me with her haughty attitude, "Have you ever shopped at an actual store before?"

I had looked at her like she was an alien, and Emmett had come over, "Don't mind Alice, she doesn't have a filter. It's nice to meet you, I'm Emmett, Emmett Cullen."

Alice just shook her head, and went back to her mother. Em had stayed, "So you live here? Like all the time?"

I looked at him funny, "Yeah. Did you just move here?"

He nodded, "Sort of. My parent's bought a summer place here. So what's your name?"

Smiling at him, I replied, "Bella Swan."

He smiled, "That's real pretty. Like you. How old are you?"

I remember feeling star struck that he had called me pretty, as I told him I was 13. He told me he was 15, and asked me if maybe we could hang sometime, I could introduce him to some people. My dad had pulled up then, and I had to say goodbye. Em had grabbed a pen off a nearby table, he pulled a napkin out of a dispenser and wrote 'EmMC1535 on aol. Hit me up.'

That was how it started. Dressed now in the purple leopard print skin tight dress, I look back to the bed and see shoes that the clothes had been covering. Fuck. 4 inch fucking heels. Fucking skank BITCH Alice! She knows I HATE heels! She KNOWS I can't walk two steps without stumbling in them, so what does she send me? Fucking heels.

Sitting down on the bed, I sigh a little, it's partially frustration as I strap the 4 inch purple stilettos onto my feet. Mostly though, it's plain old sadness. I don't understand how everything could just change so fast. The Emmett I knew was always full of smiles, especially for me, now he's just angry, cold, he goes from laughing to scowling in the time it takes me to take a breath. His mood is all over the place, and I feel like I'm sinking in quicksand.

Grabbing my long black duster jacket I put it on over the barely there dress, buttoning it down to my knees. The less my dad sees of this outfit the better. I grab my purse and head downstairs, taking the stairs very slowly, holding onto the railing tightly as I make my way down. Emmett and my dad are watching a ball game, they're talking and joking just the way they always do, and I feel my heart lighten. Maybe he's snappin out of it, just needed to spend a little time with a supportive male role model.

God I hope that's it. He smiles at me, and it even reaches his eyes this time, "There's my girl! Come gimme a kiss, Babe."

Walking as steady as I can I trip my way over to the couch and sink down next to him. My dad eyes the shoes, "Alice?"

Emmett laughs, "Yeah.", he turns back to me, "You didn't have to wear those honey, you know I would have just told her you did anyway."

I give him a funny look, but play along, not wanting him to go back to angry brooding Emmett, "Oh, I thought maybe I'd give them a try this time."

He smiles, "That's cool."

Standing up he takes my hand and pulls me up off the couch, "C'mon, we should get goin.", he turns to my dad, "Later, Chief."

Dad looks at me, "Bells, honey why didn't you tell me you were goin down to LA for two weeks starting tomorrow? I'm not going to tell you that you can't go, but next time, please just let me know ahead of time what your plans are?"

I nod, feeling dazed, "Sorry Dad, I'll make sure that I keep you informed next time."

LA? Two weeks! STARTING TOMORROW? What the hell! While my thoughts are racing, Em is practically carrying me through the house and out the door to his rental car. He opens the passenger door, and practically throws me into the seat, before slamming the door closed.

He comes around, gets in, and starts the car. He seems agitated, and edgy as he gets on the road to PA. Looking at him, I venture quietly, "Em?"

He grunts in response, "Hm?"

Biting my lip nervously, I make sure to keep my voice even, as I ask, "LA for two weeks? That was a, uh, nice, surprise."

He nods, "Mom and Dad figured that since Charlie was such a wet blanket about the suite that we could use some time. They're giving us one of the guest houses to use while you visit. It'll be like we're married already. I'll go out every day to train and stuff, and you'll have dinner waitin on me when I get back. It'll be great. Mom, Alice, and Rose will keep you company during the day. Maybe we'll have dinner up at the main house a couple of times."

He goes on like that for a while, I tune him out as I think about how fun the next two weeks are not going to be. Alice, Esme, and Rose will spend the entire time trying to change me into a "proper" lady. They're going to torture me, and probably enjoy every minute of it. Right now, even knowing that I get to spend two weeks in Em's arms at night isn't doing much to make me happy, instead I feel like I'm trapped with a stranger in my fiancé's body.

Finally we get down to PA, it's around 11:30, the club is already packed. Em pulls into the parking lot, and finds a spot. Getting out, he comes around, and I've barely gotten my seatbelt off when he's pulling me out of the car. He sets me down on the pavement, and locks the doors, "Come on."

He walks away, and I'm forced to try to keep up with him in the ridiculous shoes. Quickly I fall behind, "Em. Baby wait up!"

He stops, his whole body tenses, and he snaps, "Ya know if you wore decent shoes more often you wouldn't be so damn slow!"

Picking up my pace, I do my best not to fall. Coming up next to him I walk by him, and he grabs my wrist a little harder than I would like, as he harshly whispers, "Don't you walk away from me."

I stop in my tracks, and look pointedly at his hand on my wrist. It tightens painfully, and I let out a little cry. That seems to snap him out of it, he looks at his hand on my wrist as though he can't figure out how it got there. Pulling away as though I burned him, he runs his hands through his crop of black hair, "Shit. Baby I'm sorry, I don't know why I grabbed you that way."

He takes my arm very gently and strokes his hand lightly over my wrist, "Are you okay?"

Tears are in my eyes, not from pain, but from fear, he hadn't really hurt me, it had been like a sharp sting but the second he had released it the pain had gone away. I blink away the tears, not wanting to ruin the tiny bit of makeup that I had on, "I'm okay. I know you didn't mean it. It's been a rough 48 hours."

Nodding in acknowledgement, he wraps an arm around my waist, keeping me steady as we make our way to the door of the club. Dami, the clubs bouncer knows us, he knows that neither of us are 21, but Em generally slips him a couple hundred bucks to get us in.

Em shakes his hand, I see the flash of a bill, "Dami! How's it goin man?"

Dami grins at him, "It's going well, Mr. Cullen. Mrs. Cullen you look beautiful tonight as always."

He always calls me Mrs. Cullen, the first time we had come here had been just under a year ago for my 18th birthday, just after Em proposed. Emmett had slipped him 200 bucks, and told him we were a newlywed couple to get him to let us in. It was kind of a joke now.

My response is lost when Emmett pulls me lightly through the door of the club giving Dami a harsh look. He takes me to the coat check, and puts the ticket in his pocket. Heading into the main area of the club Em guides me towards the bar. Halfway there he stops short, and his arm goes almost painfully tight around my waist.

Looking around to see what could have caused his agitation, I see the man I know to be Paul Dixon at the bar. Shit. Of course he would be at this club. He's from La Push and this is really the only nightclub that you can go to around here unless you want to go all the way to Seattle.

My eyes lock with his, he has beautiful eyes, right now they look like a brown, but in the ShoWare Center they had been a deep green. Knowing that if Em catches me staring at Paul 'Dire' Dixon that he's going to have a freak out of epic proportions I drag my eyes away. Leaning in to Em, I say, "Em, Honey, you're hurting me a little, and I have to go to the ladies room."

His face softens, as he releases his hold on my waist. Moving away from him I head quickly for the ladies room, thankful that by some miracle there is no line. Leaning over the sink I stare at myself in the mirror. The dress leaves very little to the imagination, the push up bra that Emmett had supposedly picked out had pushed my girls up and out leaving me with a substantial amount of cleavage.

Honestly, in my opinion I looked like a very expensive hooker, which I guess is how 17 yr old Alice dresses down in LA. Closing my eyes I can't help but think just how badly I want to go home. I don't want to go to LA, he hadn't even invited me, just said 'we're going'. He's going to leave me with his mother, his sister, and Edward's nasty bitch girlfriend almost the entire time I'm there while he trains, what's the point?

Taking a breath I really feel like crying, but I know that if I embarrass him here he's going to be mad, and I really don't want to do anything to set him off again. I can see a faint bruise coming in where he grabbed my wrist. Digging around in my purse I find a black bangle bracelet that I had thrown in a couple of weeks ago and forgot about, it's wide enough to hide the bruise and I slip it on.

Taking one more deep breath, I steel myself for anything, and head back out the door. As I step out into the club, a man nearly runs me over, he grabs my arm to steady me, and I recognize the warm rough voice as he quips, "We have to stop meeting like this."

A smile plays on my lips, I bite my lower lip to hide it, as I breathe out, "Sorry. I should be looking where I'm going."

He keeps his hand on my arm, his touch sends little waves of electricity through me. It scares me a little. His voice is low, sexy, and rough, as he asks, "Is everything okay? You look like something is upsetting you."

Realizing that Emmett could come looking for me at any minute, I pull my arm away from him, and my voice is much more timid than I would like as I reply, "Look, I really shouldn't be talking to you. Em wouldn't like it."

His head tilts in confusion, his green eyes boring into me, I feel like he can see my soul as he asks, "Do you usually let him tell you who you should and shouldn't speak to?"

Shaking my head, the meekness is still in my voice as I answer, "No, he doesn't. I just meant, I have to go."

I start to walk away, he reaches out, I guess to stop me? Whatever the reason, that's when it happens. Em's voice angrily yells my name, "Bella!"

He stomps over, getting in between us, and getting up in Dixon's face, snarling, "What did I fucking tell you about talking to my fiancé? What? You haven't got enough skanks to fuck between here and the Reservation?"

Trying to avoid a fight breaking out I grip Em's bicep, exclaiming, "Em, please! He wasn't saying anything to me, I just almost knocked into him on my way out of the bathroom. Come on."

He jerks out of my grasp, sending me off balance, I teeter on my heels knowing that I'm probably going to fall on my ass. I'm surprised to feel a pair of hands on my back and shoulder, steadying me. Turning I see another man of obviously Native descent, he must be a friend of Dixon's, and he looks at Emmett with anger in his eyes, as he snaps at him, "You just almost hurt your fiancé, Cullen! Paul, come on, lets go! It's starting to get late."

Emmett's gaze snaps to me, I can see worry in his eyes, and also a flash of anger before he turns on his heel and stomps away from us.

Dixon nods at the other man, and tells him "alright.", answering some unspoken question.

The other man is in front of me now, he opens my purse and sticks a small white card in it, "If you need anything, a safe place to go, a ride, anything, use the number."

What is he saying? It takes me a second but I get it. He thinks Em is abusing me. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Sure he's been angry and moody tonight, but he just lost the biggest fight of his career! Who wouldn't be acting like he is?

Feeling a bit of anger, I snap my face up to meet this strangers eyes, how dare he assume that I would stay with a man who hurt me, "Emmett has never, and would never hurt me. I don't even know you people. I just, I have to go."

I make my way hurriedly back over to where Emmett is at the bar. It takes longer than I want because I stumble every other step in these stupid shoes. Finally I get back over to him, placing my arms around his shoulders as I whisper in his ear, "Please don't be mad at me? He really wasn't saying anything to me. He almost ran me over on my way out of the bathroom. He was just apologizing. Emmett you know that I love you!"

He relaxes a little, turning to face me, "I know. I love you too baby, just, I don't want him talking to you. He's a scumbag, a womanizer, he's not good enough to talk to you."

He downs his drink, and gets up, pulling me onto the dance floor. Hopefully things are going to be okay. We dance for a while, and then some idiot taps Em on the shoulder, "Can I cut in?"

Em's face darkens and he shoves the guy, "No you can't fucking cut in, you piece of shit! The fuck out of here!"

The guy has obviously been drinking, because he steps to Emmett, "Hey man, that was pretty fuckin rude! I just wanted to dance with her! She's so fucking hot man!"

Em has been ready to blow all night, and this guy is just the last straw, he punches him, and people around us start screaming. Dami runs in, and it takes him, and both the other bouncers to drag Em off the floor.

Dami looks at him in disgust, "What the fuck man! I'm probably gunna get fired for this shit! Get the fuck out of here, and don't come back!"

Em looks like he's gunna fight, Dami just shakes his head, "Unless you wanna be here when the cops show up, I suggest you and the Mrs. go on home!"

The woman from the coat check comes up with my coat looking apologetic. I take it from her feeling embarrassment rolling through me. We make our way back to the car silently and head back to my dad's. Em will sleep on the couch and maybe in the morning all this shit won't look as bad.

**One Week Later**

As I feared, being in LA sucked hardcore. Em left for training with his dad, and the guys at 5am every morning. Promptly at 9 Esme and Alice would invade the guest house. They would bring clothes, shoes, and various styling tools, and spend the next 2 hours playing what I now termed 'Bella Barbie'.

When they weren't changing my outside, they were trying to change my insides. Esme telling me all the things she felt a proper wife would do. Alice telling me that I was too nice. That I wasn't selective enough in my friends, that my standards were low.

It was all very upsetting, but I did my best to take it with a smile. Emmett was no help at all. When I complained he would tell me that I should be happy that his mother and sister were taking an interest in me. He was also pressuring me to move in on a permanent basis. I kept telling him that my dad would never allow it, his response was that I was almost 19 now, and what Charlie said really didn't matter. He also spent a large amount of time bad mouthing Charlie, and his 'old fashioned' rules.

We hadn't even had sex all week, not that I had really wanted to, but I thought that maybe it would improve his attitude a little. His dad apparently had told him that in ancient times athletes would abstain from sex while in training. He suggested that I was draining Emmett of his masculinity and strength… This crap from a DOCTOR!

The guest house had 2 bedrooms, and after the fifth night of trying and failing to get him to pay some attention to me he had suggested that I move into the other room, and take care of myself since I so desperately seemed to need a release.

Partially in anger, and partially because I just didn't want to be in the same room as this stranger wearing my fiancé's skin anymore, I had moved into the other room. Since then my contact with Em has been minimal. I'm not allowed in the gym anymore to watch him train, and frankly I don't even know why I'm here anymore.

**Another week later**

The past week had gone much the way the first had, and truth be told I was more thankful than anything to be getting the fuck out of Los Angeles. City of Angel's my ASS! City of Asshole's would be more appropriate.

Esme had tried to throw all my own clothing away, I had successfully snuck out and rescued it from the trash after everyone had gone to bed though. My bags were packed and we were getting ready to head to LAX.

Or I was, Em was sitting on the couch. A car beeped outside, and he turned to me, "Your ride is here."

Looking at him in shocked confusion, I ask, "My ride?"

He nods, "Dad rented a town car to take you to the airport."

Feeling anger building inside of me, I ask tightly, "You're not coming?"

He shakes his head, "Nope. You don't want to live with me, why should I waste my time going back and forth from the airport just to say goodbye to you when you should be staying here with me?"

My face twitches in anger, and I clamp down on it. Sighing, I reply, "Oh. Look, I'll think about it okay? I just, don't know how to tell my dad. Give me a few weeks to figure out the logistics?"

His face lights up, "Seriously?"

I nod, and he scoops me up, hugging me tight, "Awesome! I'm sorry that the last two weeks haven't been fun for you, Baby Girl. When you move in, I promise, everything will be different."

Faking a smile, my rational self is screaming in the back of my brain. Em kisses me, I force myself to kiss him back. This is normal, we're both adjusting, Em's been dealing with a lot. The least I can do is cut him some slack. Right?

He comes out to the car with me, loading my bags into the trunk, wrapping his arms around my waist he pulls me close, kissing me tenderly, "3 weeks Bella. You have 3 weeks to tell your dad that you're moving in with me, even if only for the summer. Otherwise, I'm coming up, and telling him myself."

He hands me my ticket, "I love you."

Forcing myself to smile in return, I reply, "Love you too."

**4 days later**

Pulling into the parking lot of the beach at La Push I rest my head on the steering wheel. What am I doing here? In my guilt over the whole moving thing I had agreed to spend the day with my dad, Uncle Billy, and Jake at the beach. Shit. Jake and I haven't hung out since we were 16! Talk about awkward.

When Em and I started hanging out we mostly hung out with Jake, and his best friends Quil and Embry. Jakes older sisters were Em's age, but they were usually at Leah's. By the time I was almost 15, things between me, Jake and the boys were changing. They would argue over who got to spend the most time with me. Of course, when Em was in Forks I would spend most of my time with him, which I thought was only fair since he wasn't around for the rest of the year.

When Emmett asked me out for real the end of the summer before my 16th birthday I had of course said yes. Jake and the guys hadn't been happy. They spent every minute I was with them after Emmett left to go back to LA trying to convince me that a long distance relationship was stupid. That it was okay to go out with one, or all of them because chances were Em was living it up in LA.

When I told Emmett when I talked to him, he told me that if they couldn't respect our relationship that I shouldn't hang with them anymore. As a result Jake and I started fighting a lot. Quil and Embry didn't bother me as much, they knew that I was serious about not talking to them if they kept it up so they backed off pretty quickly. Jake was the one who couldn't take no for an answer, and eventually I just stopped going down to La Push altogether, and Jake stopped coming with Billy when he came up to hang out with Charlie.

Letting out a deep breath, I get out of the car and head down the beach. I see my Dad and Uncle Billy right off, as I approach them I realize that Jakes older sisters are there as well, and I exclaim, "Dad! Uncle Billy! You didn't tell me Rach and Becca were home!"

I don't know if Dad or Uncle Billy replies, because that's when I notice him. Standing not 2 feet away from me is Paul 'Dire' Dixon, he turns to face me and I get caught up in his eyes, breathing out in barely a whisper, "Hey."

Shaking myself a little to break the spell he seems to have over me, I joke, "I guess this is a better way to meet then our usual."

He laughs, and it sends a shiver up my spine. His voice is low and a little gruff as he replies, "True. I don't think we've ever actually been introduced. I'm Paul. Paul Dixon."

Smirking a little, because duh, I know who he is. I stick my hand out, as I reply, "It's nice to meet you Paul. I'm Bella Swan, I see you've met my dad already."

I notice that no one but Rachel is really paying attention to us, a fact I'm grateful for when instead of shaking my hand, he raises it to his lips and kisses it gently, the stubble on his upper lip scratches lightly and it takes all of my willpower not to shiver as he replies, "It's nice to meet you Miss Swan."

Faking aloofness, I raise an eyebrow at him, continuing to let him hold my hand until Rachel practically screams, "OH WOW! That is some ring Bella, honey! Who's the guy?"

I roll my eyes a little, as I pull my hand sharply away from Paul's. She knows perfectly well who my fiancé is, yet I respond politely, "His name is Emmett, Emmett Cullen."

Rachel never was the brightest bulb in the box, but her fake show of confusion really takes the cake. She asks, "Didn't he just have a fight with Paul here?"

Feeling the dismay on my face, I can't help thinking about the fight and how much my life and my relationship has changed in just the last couple of weeks.

Shrugging it off, I reply, "Yeah, he did, dad and I were there. We watched it from one of the skyboxes, it was at the ShoWare Center."

Out of nowhere I hear the grating voice of Leah Clearwater, "Oh, one of the skyboxes, that must have been really nice for you! It's too bad that your man lost."

I recognize the man standing next to her as the man from the club the night after the fight, he gives Leah a warning look, and apologizes for her, "Don't mind her, she's hormonal. Leah, honey, lets go back over to Kim and J."

Taking in the way that Leah has her hand over her lower abdomen I can guess what he means by hormonal and I respond sharply to both of them, "Don't apologize for her, she was a bitch way before you knocked her up. I seem to remember it being a chronic condition for you Leah. Yes, my fiancé lost his fight, but he tried his best and that counts for something in my book."

That said I spin on my heel and storm off down the beach. I definitely don't want to spend the day with Leah asshole Clearwater. Even less Rachel who was glaring at me and pouting the whole time that Paul was paying attention to me. He's the wild card… I can't deny the physical response that I have to him.

It's more than that though. I can't explain it, I'm drawn to him in a way that is completely and utterly terrifying. I'm an engaged woman. I should NOT be having these feeling about another man, especially a man that my fiancé can't stand!

I see the old driftwood tree that Jake and I used to sit on when we would come down here at night when we were just kids. Sitting down on it I try to relax, and watch the ocean.

I'm not sure how long I've sat here by myself, but at some point I went from watching the ocean and trying to relax to watching the ocean and wallowing in my upset confusion. A voice startles me a little, "Hey. Are you okay?"

Looking up, blinking away the wetness in my eyes, I see Paul Dixon standing over me, his hands in his pockets. Trying to look and sound nonchalant I answer, "Hi, yeah, I'm fine. It's weird for me, being here."

He looks a little confused for a minute, and then for some reason he sighs, as he asks, "Why?"

I know what he's asking, but I don't really want to get into it, especially not with him. So I'm careful to keep my face blank as I respond, "Why what?"

He rolls his eyes, which are a striking greenish blue today, and asks, "Why is being here weird for you? Your dad seems pretty comfortable being here."

I can't help the laugh that escapes me, "Oh yeah, he loves it here. He'd move down here if he could, I wish he could, he'd be happier. He'd be so much closer to Billy and Harry, and I wouldn't have to worry about him being alone."

He looks pointedly at the space beside me, thinking about it for a second I gesture towards it, indicating that he can sit beside me. He sits down and I guess he's a bit bigger than he looks because his hip and thigh press firmly against mine.

Staring out at the ocean in silence, I let myself relax for a minute. He breaks the silence, "You didn't answer my question."

Sighing in exasperation, I snap at him a little, "Why do you care?"

We continue to stare out at the ocean, the silence stretching on between us, letting out a small mirthless chuckle, I break the awkward silence before it can drive me insane, "Stumped you huh? I should be getting back."

Getting up I start to walk away. His hand shoots out and grabs my wrist gently but firmly. He only has to look up a little to meet my gaze. Watching the color of his eyes shift from green to aqua, and back again, I listen as he speaks, "You didn't stump me. I care because I can see something in your eyes, and apparently I'm the only one seeing it. Something's got you spooked girl. You've looked borderline frightened every time I've seen you, and either it's me, or it's something else. And if it's me then I'm sorry, and I'll get up and leave you alone, and if it's not me I'm not going to pry, and I'll just tell you that I care because at the very least, you look like you need a damn friend Bella."

He takes a breath and I'm not sure what to say, if anything. Fortunately he doesn't give me a chance to formulate a response, "Look, I know that you don't know me from Adam, and I know the things that Cullen's probably told you about me aren't very nice, but I really am a pretty nice guy, and you seem like a nice girl, and I'd like to be your friend, because you honestly seem like you need one."

Anger wells up in me, how dare he be so…right. Shit. Letting out a sigh I run my free hand through my hair, and dump my biggest problem right now in his lap, "Emmett is pushing me to move in with him at least for the summer…In Los Angeles. Sort of a dry run for when we get married. My Dad…I don't even know how to bring it up. I don't want to bring it up. I know he's going to freak, and I dunno I'm just..."

Taking a ragged breath, and running my hand through my hair again, I continue, "It doesn't really matter, Emmett is under a lot of stress, and I don't want to make it worse on him, so it's probably going to happen."

Paul looks me straight in the eye, and shakes his head, "Honestly Bella, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. He's stressed out so you're going to move in with him to try and make him feel better despite knowing that it's not what you want?"

That's honestly the most accurate description of what I'm feeling that I've heard lately. Unfortunately it doesn't really matter, so I just shrug, "Well when you put it that way it sounds stupid, but I'm his fiancé. I should live with him! Shouldn't I?"

He shrugs back at me, "No. I don't think you should. Not if you know in your heart that you aren't ready for it."

Letting out a deep sigh, I acknowledge that he's right, even though I know it doesn't mean anything, "I guess that makes sense… Look I don't know you, I'm really sorry that, for whatever reason we keep running into each other, and that apparently, I look frightened when I see you. You don't scare me. I've heard good things about you from my dad, Billy, and even Jake likes you and he's never voluntarily told me good things about a guy I asked him about, but Emmett is my fiancé. I've known him for a really long time. He's one of my best friends, and I love him very much. I also know that he wouldn't like me sitting here with you. So I'm sorry but we can't be friends."

Shit, I hope he doesn't catch that I asked Jake about him. That had been one of the most awkward conversations I'd had in a while. He had come up to Dad's with Billy thinking that I was still in LA. They had got to talking about the fight, and I had heard the glowing things that Uncle Billy had said about Paul. So I waited till Jake went to the bathroom, and caught him coming out to ask him what he thought of him. Jake was surprisingly complimentary.

If he caught it though he gives no indication, he releases my wrist as he stands up, "Why can't we? Because I'm a guy and you're a girl who has a fiancé? Leah and I are friends. She has a husband, why is it okay for her and I, and not you and me?"

Sitting back down I shake my head sadly, and shrug at him, "Her husband is your friend. My fiancé would be just as happy to throw a punch at you as he is to say hello to you. That's the difference. I'm sorry."

This is just getting awkward now, and I realize that I've been gone for a while, and Dad must be getting worried. Standing up, I turn from him as I say, "Maybe we'll run into one another again sometime. I have to get back to my dad."

Walking down the beach I pass Leah Clearwater who glares at me as she heads in the opposite direction, towards Paul. Getting back to my Dad, I say, "I'm not feelin so hot dad. I think I'm gunna just head home."

Turning to Uncle Billy I say, "Sorry to put a damper on the day Uncle Billy."

He hugs me tight, leaning in to whisper in my ear, "Engaged ain't married Bella. If you're unhappy, you don't have to go through with it."

Sighing heavily, I just pretend I didn't hear him. He's right to an extent, engaged isn't married, but it was a commitment that I made, and one I intended to stick with. Emmett hadn't cheated on me, he hadn't hurt me intentionally, he was under a lot of stress. This whole thing is going to even out. It has to. Right?