Chapter 6

Bella wasn't dead.

Bella wasn't a vampire.

Instead, Bella was in a hospital bed and in pain. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to be alive. It was almost over. Her horror was almost over, but she should have known they wouldn't let her get away that easily.

Bella opened her eyes and looked around the hospital room. Thankfully, she was alone. She wasn't sure if she could do this anymore. Not without losing herself to them and becoming what they were molding her to be. Not without losing control and ending her own existence because that's all she wanted right now. She wanted to die.

Tears ran down her face and she closed her eyes tightly.

"Bella? Are you alright, my love?" she opened them and looked at Edward. When did he come in? Then again, did it matter?

Nothing mattered anymore.

"Sshhh it's okay now Bella. James is dead and you never have to worry about him ever again." Edward leaned down and kissed her forehead.

His cold lips seared through her skin.

"Bella?"

Bella looked up into Edwards eyes. They were darkened slightly. Was it lust? No, it couldn't be. Anger for not answering? No, she didn't think so. Perhaps, he hadn't fed in a while? They were in a hospital after all and the blood had to be stroking his thirst. Coaxing him into doing horrid things.

God, when did her thoughts get so morbid?

"Bella?"

Oh that's right.

"I'm okay. Just a bit shook up. What hospital are we in? Where's Charlie? Does he know?" Bella tried to sit up a little, but Edward pushed her back down gently.

"Charlie just left a few minutes ago. We are in Forks at the hospital. If anybody asks you tripped down the stairs and fell out of a window. Thankfully, we have a doctor on the staff." Edward winked at her in amusement.

Bella's lips curved slightly out of reflex, but she definitely wasn't amused.

-Time skip-

You didn't think Bella would have to attend prom with a broken leg, but alas, she did. Alice would have killed her if she didn't. She had whined about finding the perfect dress to go with Bella's cast.

Jesus, Bella couldn't even get a break when injured.

At the moment Bella was on enough prescription pain killers to kill an elephant. At least, that's what it felt like to her. It kind of made the dance pleasant. She honestly, considered keeping herself on the pills, but Edward and the others would smell it in her system. No escaping reality for her.

What was she doing at the moment? She looked around. Oh, she was dancing with Edward. Man, those were some good pain killers. She didn't feel cold in the least.

"May I cut in? Just one dance." A voice called from behind her.

Edward frowned and then released Bella.

"Just one dance." He repeated, but he didn't look happy.

Bella turned and blinked in surprise.

"Jacob?" she hadn't seen him since the day on the beach when she flirted the Cullens secret out of him. God, she wished he had never told her. She wished she had never wanted to know.

"Hi, Bella." Jacob smiled at her. The song changed this one slower. Jacob moved in closer to her and they began to sway slowly.

"How've you been Jake?" Bella asked genuinely interested.

Jacob's eyes lit up.

"Great! I've been working on the rabbit, but its slow going. You? Well, never mind I can guess." He glances at her leg.

Bella snorted. He had no idea.

"Actually, Bella it's nice dancing with you and all, but I'm afraid I have ulterior motives." He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially.

A flash of lust cleared the fog from Bella's head.

'What the hell was that?!'

"And these ulterior motives are?" she whispered back.

Jacob sighed in embarrassment.

"My dad wants you to stay away from the Cullens. He thinks they are bad people." Jacob shrugged.

Bella froze.

-Time skip-

Bella was home alone. Charlie was working the night shift because of the prom and Edward was gone.

Edward went to hunt with his family after dropping Bella off at home after the dance. After Jacob relayed his father's message Edward cut back in without giving Bella time to speak. He kept her by his side the rest of the night even when Jacob left for La Push.

Bella wrapped her cast carefully so she didn't get it wet. She turned on the shower as hot as it could possibly go and she stepped in.

She starred at the tile of the shower.

'Stay away from the Cullens…they are bad people.'

Billy knew. He knew and warned her when it was already too late.

Bella laughed. She laughed until she began to cry. Her cries turned into sobs and then into screams.

Bella had finally hit her breaking point.

-time skip-

Life after breaking was different. Days sped by and she lost track of the days of the week. Luckily, Edward and Alice had made her a schedule that she had to follow. If she didn't follow it bad things happened. Things she didn't like to talk about.

Sometimes Charlie would begin to notice, when that happened she had to pay attention to the world again. She couldn't go back inside and hide and let the days slip by. She had to be mentally there. Those weren't fun days. She was always afraid of those days, afraid of the fear returning and consuming her. Those days dragged by slowly. When Charlie was satisfied she would slip back into herself and the fear was gone again.

The days she was awake she stayed with Charlie and never the Cullens. She couldn't be around the Cullens. She would lose herself in fear. The days where she was in her safe place she could spend with them.

Bella wondered if they noticed that she wasn't all the way there.

Then again did it matter?