Runaway by Kibibe

Revelations

Edward led Bella into his room and she glanced around. It looked different than his room back in Forks. It had a darker edge to it. But it fit him well. There was his precious music collection of course and an exquisite sound system. No bed but a leather sofa and an antique looking desk buried under piles of notebooks. "Working on something?" She asked curiously. He shrugged smiling mysteriously. Bella huffed. So he didn't wanna tell her.

She sat down on the sofa and he joined her. "Music?" He asked picking up the remote. She nodded and he turned it on. It was a classical piece. She relaxed leaning back while he eyed her closely. "You want to know something." She stated and he nodded confirming her assumption. "Go ahead." She encouraged him. "How do you feel about … everything?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Define 'everything'."

He sighed running a hand through his hair. "Everything about us leaving and being back in your life now … " He trailed of looking nervous. She took a moment to think about that while he grew more and more anxious. "About you leaving … It was devastating. I had a hard time coping." She grimaced. He nodded slowly his expression sullen. "It was a thin line to walk … scared to remember – terrified to forget." Her expression was far off and he frowned. It was quite an accurate description. He had felt much the same.

He gulped. Would she have it in her heart to forgive him? Did he deserve her forgiveness? He was afraid of her answer but he had to ask. "And … and now." She concentrated her attention back to the present eying him closely as she answered. "Now … now it feels like coming up for air." She smiled this seemed to have taken him by surprise. He must have expected something else. But he didn't look disappointed. So she continued.

"Lately life was starting to get a little easier again. Since I was at Juilliard my life had some kind of purpose again. I wasn't just surviving anymore. I was doing something for me. But now that you're here I think I might have just fooled myself. Now there is light again and there is people who know who I really am. Some connection to my former life. People I love."

One single thick traitorous tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. It took his breath away. Had she ever looked more beautiful? He reached out and brushed the tear away. She leaned into his touch. Inside he was jubilant. She had said 'love' – 'People I love'. Present tense. This was more than he ever could've hoped for. He wasn't naiv enough to believe that he had won her back already. But there was chance.

The next day the family was assembled in the living room – except for Rosalie who was in the garage working on her car still sour about the Jenga-thing. Emmett and Jasper were engaged in an epic battle of chess against the team of Emse and Carlisle. Bella was watching from the couch along with Alice and Edward, who weren't allowed to play. Emmett insisted that that they'd cheat. Esme argued that the chances would be even if they played on different teams but Emmett wasn't having any of that.

That's when Bella's phone started to ring again. Emmett glared at her. It was the fifth time already. Bella had checked the number again and decided not to answer. Again. It was one of her clients. She would probably have some serious explaining to do if they picked up something from the conversation. She had considered turning the phone off, but she was still anxiousabout how Roxie was doing. She had to be attainable if something was wrong.

„Bella, are you sure you don't wanna answer that? Maybe it's important." Esme was concerned. They had noticed her uneasiness. "Yeah, he's been calling you like what? A 100 times. It's gotta be freakin' urgent." Emmett growled. The ringing was disrupting his concentration.

Bella made a face as Alice shoved the phone into her face. She gulped as she took the phone and pressed the green button. Maybe she could find a way to make this short an inconspicuous. She had to try.

"Hello, Nathaniel." She greeted warily.

"Lux, finally! I called you like a 100 times. What did you do?" That sounded quite normal. She reassured herself.

"I was kind of busy, sorry."

"Well alright. I just wanted to know if you were interested in a new client. Cause a friend of mine just got cheated on by his wife and now he's desperately in need of some comfort." So much for inconspicuous. She gulped glancing at the confused and shocked faces staring back at her. She had their undivided attention now.

"Ahm … well the thing is … my schedule is kind of full at the moment. I can't say anything right now."

"Oh. OK. Good for you … if business is going great." She cringed at the word business.

"Yeah."

"So how about next weekend? Are you still free?" He asked sounding hopeful.

"Well actually yeah, but I'm kinda' stuck here in the middle of nowhere, because of all the snow? And I probably won't make it back to the city before New Years. So …" She trailed off.

"Oh, that's too bad. I would have really liked to see you again. I missed you." He sounded slightly disapoited.

"Yeah, well sorry. But happy New Year and I'll see about your friend." She quickly steered the conversation to an end.

"Great, happy New Year. Bye Sweet cheeks." She cringed again at the endearment. That wouldn't be very well received by her audience. And sure enough she saw Edward clenching his fists in her peripheral vision. Carlisle put a hand on his shoulder restraining him.

"Bye."

She hung up the phone waiting for the ambush and fidging nervously. Edward was the first to speak. His expression bewildered. "Who was that Bella?" He demanded. She gulped loudly avoiding his gaze. "A client of mine." She whispered. They had just gotten closer again yesterday. That progress seemed lost now.

"What kind of a client are we talking about here exactly?" He urged impatiently. Still hoping for her to refute his suspicion. Although it was fairly obvious. She twitched glancing up helplessly. Did he really have to make her say it out loud. In front of his whole family. Not that they couldn't guess by now, but still.

"God Bella? Please tell me that I've got the wrong impression and that my imagination's just running wild here!" He raised his voice a little and it had an exasperated edge to it. She just shook her head and whispered almost inaudible. "I can't." He threw up his hands and grabbed his head. "Why? Why, Bella? WHY?" He shouted and she jumped. She was trying really hard not to break down in tears right now.

"Because I need the money." She locked eyes with him. "You can't pay for college and everything on waitressing job." She tried to explain her voice weak. He looked away from her gaze struggling with the words. "… But THIS?!" He gestured. "How could you do this? The Bella I knew, would have never –" "Things have changed Edward!" She yelled at him fighting back the tears. "Am I really so much different to you than I was like 30 minutes ago? Just because of this?" She sobbed.

"Just because of this? JUST because of this!?" He laughed humorlessly. His Eyes were pitch black now and he turned away. "It's like I don't even know you anymore." He spat as he turned to leave and added in a low whisper. "I'm sorry I can't be near you right now."

That certainly stung and the tears she had tried so hard to hold back spilled over. She could still feel all of their eyes on her and she just wanted to escape. She wanted to get away but she was stuck. She looked around the room desperately searching for an escape. She didn't wanna go upstairs to Carlisle and Esme's room after this revelation. She couldn't go to the garage, because that's where Rosalie was.

She felt like a caged animal and She felt dirty. He had made her so feel dirty. Dirtier than she had ever felt before. So she turned for the door but was held back by Alice. "You can't go out there like that." She was right. "Come on." She took Bella by the hand putting her arm around her back and leading her upstairs to her and Jasper's bedroom, closing the door behind them. She set Bella on the bed cradling her and waited for the tears to subside.

When Bella was calmed down enough she had to ask. "So you do what exactly?" Bella sniffed meeting her gaze. "My clients pay me for having sex with them." She stated matter of factly. Alice nodded with a serious look on her face. Before yesterday Bella had been sure nothing could bring that quirky little pixie down. She knew better now.

"How did you end up like this? I mean is someone like … I don't know forcing you to do this?" Bella shook her head. "No I'm my own boss. I don't have to answer to anybody." She paused and Alice waited patiently for her to continue. Bella decided to start at the beginning again.

"Like I told you yesterday I needed a new identity so Victoria wouldn't track me down. And I told you that these kinds of things are quite expensive." She paused and Alice nodded. "So like I said it took all my savings and the girl's money but it still wasn't enough. So I worked as a waitress to pay my debts. But I also had to pay for the apartment and food and ... and there just wasn't enough money. So this friend of mine suggested I could dance at a club. She taught me how and I became a Stripper."

Alice sighed sadly and Bella looked down ashamed. "One day she dragged me along to that audition for Julliard and they offered me a place. I found a club in New York that hired me and I danced my ass off to pay for it ... I ended up at the hospital because of exhaustion. That's when this girl from one of my classes, who wanted to retire offered me her client list. At first I didn't want to do it, but she convinced me, that I couldn't go on like this. Going to college and working all night. Every night. She was there the first few times. Introduced me to the clients and helped me through it. It's getting easier with time." She grimaced wondering what that must sound like to Alice.

As she glanced at her again Alice looked shaken. She was crying again. "I'm so sorry. All of this just because we left you." Bella was stunned for a moment. Alice was blaming herself? "Please don't." She whispered embracing her.