Chapter Twenty-Nine

I was hyper aware of every move Bella made. Whether it was the sound of her laughter drifting throughout the room, or watching her dance with what seemed like everyone but me.

I particularly found my attention drawn to her when she was surrounded by other men, all eying her with lustful eyes. I should have never let her out of her house looking like that. A pair of flannel Pj's would have been fine.

I sighed. Okay so now I was getting ridiculous.

"You're actually getting more pathetic to watch," Emmett laughed from beside me. Both Emmett and Jasper already knew how I felt about Bella. Apparently I wasn't hiding it as well as I thought I was.

"I know," I agreed and forced myself to look away with another moan.

"You know the only way out is to just tell her how you feel, right?" My brother added for the fifth time tonight as if he thought I hadn't heard him the first time. He was enjoyed my pain, taking pleasure in teasing me. Maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on him about Rosalie.

"I know that too," I muttered under my breath. I grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray just as a waiter walked by. I gulped it down wishing that they had something stronger.

Without cause I glanced over and caught Bella gliding out the room, her head to the floor. I couldn't tell from where I was but it looked as if she'd been crying. I turned to where she'd disappeared earlier with my sister unto balcony and saw Alice eyeing me angrily before she then again vanished back outside.

And somehow I caught James out of the corner of me eye. He was standing, surrounded by a few people but he clearly wasn't paying them any attention. In fact he was staring off to where Bella had left a few minutes ago. Our conversation from earlier flashed in my head.

I'd been standing alone briefly when my sister came and swept Bella away without so much as two words to me. James approached me then, staring calmly after Bella.

"I knew it wouldn't be long before you got to her," He grinned.

"I mean she is quite beautiful when you really look at her. I have to say a far fetch from your usual though." he continued. "but I'm not one to judge." He turned to me. I slipped a hand into a pant pocket and commented.

"I'm not sure what you're getting at but Bella and I are not together, just good friends." I hated admitting it. Even more so to James. Ever since college he had a habit of turning everything into a completion. I never competed because frankly I never cared but he'd come to resent me anyhow. But James, like me was always professional and would never let his distaste for me come in the way of make more money.

He turned to me quite surprised. "So you and her have never, well you know?"

"Like I said, we're just good friends." I announced dryly. Man, I wondered how much more irrigated could I get tonight. Every man that even mentioned Bella's name made a heat rush through my veins but James was taking the cake. What business was it of his whether Bella and I had done anything which we hadn't. Nothing more than a few accidental kisses which could harder count as anything. However, never in the years that I'd know James did he ever talk to me about my personal life. So why was he starting now? And what I really wanted to tell him was to mind his own god damn business. But he was still a client, so I'd have to keep the fake smile on my face a little longer.

"But you like her don't you," He stated. I was almost too annoyed to answer. Really what was up with him?

"It doesn't matter whether I like her or not," I sighed.

"Believe me, it makes all the difference," I glared over at James who was grinning off across the room. I really didn't like the way he was looking at Bella, it wasn't normal. Way to sinister. Or was I just making it up in my head to have a reason to dislike him. Either way there was nothing I could because Bella wasn't mine. Yet. I just had to keep James from getting to her first.

I blinked and the memory vanished and so had James. I stretched my neck to locate him but he wasn't anywhere. My heart skipped a beat and didn't know why. James clearly wanted Bella, which made my stomach sick for more than one reason. However he didn't just want her, he wanted to do something to her. It was that something that propelled me across the room.

"Hey Edward where are y-" Emmett called but I was already dodging through the sea of people. Scanning the room again, I found that James really wasn't in here but I did spot Laurent nearby and went to him. He saw me coming and turned to greet me.

"Edward," it was the first time I'd seen him tonight but I have time for greetings.

"Have you seen James?" I asked. I wasn't worried about my approach. He appeared taken back for a moment before he noticed how serious I was.

"I believe he went to the restroom, why?" He barely finished his sentence before I was heading in that direction. I believed the downstairs bathroom was just off the foyer near the kitchen.

Bathroom….bathroom….I taunted as I searched the restroom. He wasn't there. But without missing a beat I pulled aside a young waitress.

"Is there another bathroom open to guest?"

"I don't believe so," She shook her head right before her face lit up.

"But I did notice a women heading up stairs. Also a gentleman followed her shortly after."

The wheels in my head began to turn and suddenly everything clicked.

"Thanks,"

I dashed up the stairs, taking two at a time. I wasn't sure why I felt this heavy cloud hanging over my head, but I prayed that all this anxiety was for nothing. I was hoping I'd find Bella alone and that would be the end of it. But for now all I knew was that I had to find her, had to make sure that all of this was indeed for nothing.

I was breathing heavily when I reached the top and began searching every door I came too. I actually began to ponder why one person needed so many rooms.

Bella was in none of them and each room I found empty made my heart beat rise just a little more. I opened the last door on the hall and slammed my fist against the door frame in frustrating. She wasn't here either. I was panting now and it had nothing to do with me being out of shape.

Maybe I was doing this for nothing. Maybe I missed her downstairs somewhere. Maybe she was back in the ballroom dancing her night away while I was up here going crazy. I turned to head back downstairs when I heard a loud yelp.

"Bella!"

I raced to where I'd heard the scream and came to a door. A door that I'd missed because it was hidden behind a large grandfather clock in the hall.

"Bella, " I yelled. I tried the handle and found it lock. I could hear her on the side, whimpering. Damn it. She really had been in trouble. Damn that James.

I swore to God if he touched her, I would kill him. I didn't think twice before I stepped back and ramped my foot at the lock as hard as I could. It came loose but it didn't open all the way so I kicked it again and the door swung up.

"What the hell," James stammered as I flooded into the room. I was immediately drawn to them across the room and for a moment I couldn't move.

That son of a bitch was on top of her, her dress hiked up pass her thighs so that her orange underwear was exposed. He was holding her down. James look crazed as he turned to me. But my eyes were on her. She scared of course and very surprised. Was she surprised that someone had found her. Or that it was me.

That took all of a second before I was across the room and the next thing James of under me as I proceeded to pound the shit of his face.

"You son of a bitch," I spat. How could his filthy hands touch her? Bella who was as pure as the snow on the ground. I was crazed with rage. I was beyond angry. And with every hit I gave and just couldn't seem to pound out the image of him on top of her out of my head.

"Edward stop!" Bella cried but I couldn't stop. Not until James was dead. He deserved to die and killing him might actually make me feel better. I'd never believed before today that I was capable of this, I was always so in control of myself. Well that was until Bella had walked into my office one summer morning.

"Edward please. You'll kill him." She yelled, and grabbed at me. I turned to her then. I could see the fear in her eyes and I knew that it nothing to do with James anymore. She was scared for me, of seeing me this way. I turned back to James. Surprisingly he was still conscious, but his face was beaten badly enough.

"Let him go. It's not worth it." She said. I thought about it before I dropped him and got to my feet. But she was wrong. She was worth it. I turned to Bella. I hesitated as I reach my hand to her as if if I touched her too fast she'd break. My hands were shaking. Out of fear. What if I had been too late? What if I hadn't come at all?

"Are you okay?" I asked caressing her face. She looked fine, but I needed to hear her say it.

"I'm fine." But tears began to pour out of eyes. I pulled her to me, holding her. She was trembling, hard. I couldn't imagine how scared she must have been. How alone she must have felt.

"It's alright. You're safe now." I rubbed her head resting my chin on the top of her head.

"You're safe."

I saw James sit up and wipe his bloody mouth on the back of his shirt sleeve.

"I'm terminating our contract. You and I are done." I began to pull Bella towards the door.

I heard him laugh. "You're going to terminate a 40 million dollar contract." I kept walking.

"What? For her?" He continued. Bella eyed me. "You're a fool Edward,"

That stopped me.

I had to clench my jaw to control my rage. "No James you're the fool if you ever think that you'll work in this business again. When I say you're done. I mean it. You're done." I left then, taking her quickly down the stairs. We had to leave. Bella was too distraught to stay here and I was too angry. I h honestly couldn't remember the last time I had been so angry that it made it hard to concentrate. And sooner or later someone would find James and I didn't want to subdue Bella to that. I'd put her through enough as it were.

Lucky for me my Dad had just pulled up and was currently helping my mother from the car. Esme noticed us first.

"What happened?" She eyed us. I ignored her.

"I'm taking your car," I stated as I passed my father who seemed quite shocked as well. I pulled my keys from my pocket and tossed it to my dad. I hoped he'd understand.

"Edward," Bella started but instead I just helped her into the passenger seat. I jogged around to the other and glanced at my folks just before I slipped in behind the wheel and sped off.

The last thing on my mind was the speed limit as I raced down the dark, curvy road from the Mayors home. The angry was literally eating away at me. I wanted so much to go back and finish what I'd started with James. To pound at him and keep pounding until I could get the image of Bella's tear filled eyes out of my mind. But I had to keep myself moving forward.

"Edward," I heard her whimper and I was so caught up in myself that I almost didn't hear her.

"What?" I barked.

"Are you alright?" she asked and I glanced over at her. Was she seriously asking that? Honestly, Bella was a little slow sometimes.

"Of course I'm not alright Bella; James that piece of shit almost raped you. How the hell would I be okay?" I snapped and instantly regretted it. I sighed. I wasn't angry at Bella so there was no reason I should take it out on her.

The one I was truly angry at was me. I shouldn't have left her. I should have been there. The one moment she needed me the most, was the one time that I was too late. Well almost too late.

I slammed my fist against the steering wheel and I saw her jump from the corner of my eye. I wondered what she thought of me seeing me this way. Most people didn't even know I was capable of this and even fewer people were able to push me to this extreme.

But when it came to Bella, I just couldn't seem to get it right. I think that was the thing that made me the most upset. I heard Bella gasp as I turned into a sharp turn. I was in perfect control but she still held her breath.

"Edward could you please slow down or at least put on your seat belt."

Wow. I laughed mentally. I wondered if she was even aware that she had never quite buckled her own seat belt. She was still clinging to it with both hands. I guessed I'd sped off so fast that she'd become too scared to move.

I chuckled even when I didn't want too.

"Maybe you should put on your seat belt."

I saw that she didn't move so I released my foot from the gas and we slowed down to the speed limit.

"Better?" I asked, glad for the small distraction.

She relaxed a little and clicked her seat belt. "Yes?"

We were silent from then. I was stuck in my head, going through the night trying to find out where everything had gone wrong. To be honest I just didn't see how everything had turn so upside down.

"You know it's not your fault," her small voice cut through the quiet night.

"Bella…" I began but she stopped me.

"It really isn't. It's not even my fault?" I was glad that she realized that but I wondered if she could hear herself. These should not be the words of a woman who had almost been taken advantage of just ten minutes ago. I knew that Bella had no self-awareness when it came to danger but this was crazy. She was way to calm to have just been through what she'd been through. I mean here she was again alone with a man, granted that man was me but most women wouldn't have wanted to be alone with a man after that. I glanced over at her and she turned to me.

"What?" She didn't look phased in the least. I slammed on the breaks stopping the car in the middle of the dark road.

"Edward, what are you doing?" She eyed me like I was the one that was crazy. Honestly, I just didn't get Bella. I didn't understand her. Not one bit. And every time I believed I had figured her out she would surprise me and I would have to start all over. She really wasn't like anyone I'd ever met. And maybe that was the reason why I was so drawn to her. She was unknown, a mystery.

Bella never gives the reaction I expect and she's totally honest even if she didn't want to be. She truly was the only person that I felt that I couldn't read and yet she was so predictably at the same time.

I loved her so much it felt like I had intentionally stepped into an everlasting maze with no sense of direction. And what was worst, I was completely infatuated with the girl that pushed my sanity to its limit.

I sighed then, giving up. What little I actually knew about Bella was that I should never expect from her what I expected from others. So if Bella wasn't lying about how she felt then I knew that she would be okay.

"Be honest, are you okay?"

She eyed me for a moment before she turned silently to peer into this darkness around us.

"I am now. I have to admit I was scare out of my mind. I kept thinking why me. Why did he want me? In my head I kept seeing your face and somehow I knew that I you'd find me. I remember calling your name and the next I knew you were there."

She hesitated for a moment then turned about to me. "It was from that moment on that I knew that everything would be alright." She gave me a small smile. I could tell that it was her way of thanking me.

I turned back to the street and ease my foot unto the gas. This woman whom I loved more than life it's self-had just given me something that I had never been giving in my life. I suddenly understood what it meant to be truly happy.

"Thank you," I stated.

"What for?"

I glanced over at her. "For having faith in me." She nodded and leaned back against the window to stare up at the stars.

Hope you liked it... A little sad, but I promise everything will get back to being the way it was... PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!