Thank you guys so much for the reviews on the last chapter! You guys gave me some really great advice, and I thank you for that.(:

I would like to thank two reviewers in particular, though: Just A Suggestion(anon reviewer) and GirlInTheMagicClouds. Just A Suggestion, I really liked your idea. I wish you had an account so I could send you a message with my thanks, so I will just say it here: thanks a bunch for the advice! I am happy that you think that.(:

Also, I have been listening to different music artists lately, and I found a song that I think is a good song for this story: A Cure For The Pain by Jon Foreman. If you haven't heard it before, you should listen to it.(:

Okay, I will get on to the chapter, but I want to say that the idea for this chapter came from GirlInTheMagicClouds, so thank her for the idea, not me.(:

I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT.

Jake's Point Of View

I can't believe Bella risked getting me found out, I thought, furious at the thought of anyone ever finding out what I did to Bella. Sure, I knew it was bad, but for telling, she would be six feet under before anyone knew what was happening.

Something about her story had felt wrong to me. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, though. I guess I would have to just keep it to myself. Bella was an honest girl. I had trained her to be. In the beginning, if she lied, she wouldn't get it easy. But that was in the past, and now Bella told me the entire truth.

Somehow, thinking about the Bella's honesty—even through the beatings—made me think of why I felt the need to hurt her. When we had first met I had felt nothing but love towards her.

Then, the memory came back, making me dizzy.

Flashback (These would be the thoughts he was thinking at exactly that time)

Bella and I were sitting on the bench made out of the tree trunk that had fallen in my backyard a month earlier. Bella was my best friend, though I wanted so much more. There was a year between us; she was 13 and I was 14, but that didn't matter to me.

We talked to each other about everything, no matter what it was. I couldn't think of something I couldn't tell her (other than the fact that I loved her).

"Hey, Jake," she said in that quiet voice of hers. I turned my head to meet her face. "I want to tell you something." Her voice was shaky, like when she wasn't sure she was making the right decision. But I gave her an encouraging smile, telling her to go on.

She smiled back, and continued. "Well, don't laugh or anything, because it's taken me just about forever to finally get the courage to say this. But, I think that…I…like you. And…not just like a friend…" She trailed off, not sure how to end. "I understand if you don't feel the same, but I had to get it out in the open and-" I cut her off with my lips, hoping she would get the picture, and it seemed like she did.

We both pulled away smiling, happier than ever before. Just then, her cell phone beeped, indicating she had a new text message.

"Wow," she said. "I'm surprised Charlie found out how to text me." We both laughed, then she read the message, sighing before turning to me before saying, "He says he's at your house and he wants me to come back over so we can head home."

I sighed, too. I never wanted this moment to end. "Okay. But, before you leave, I have something I want to ask you." She looked into my eyes, happy and sad all at the same time; happy to have her secret out in the open and sad that she had to leave. I understood her completely, but had to ask her anyway.

"Bella," I started, my voice shaky. Since I didn't know how to word it, I decided to come out and say it, plain and clear. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Her face now was one of pure happiness. "Jake, I'd love to be your girlfriend!" she replied, throwing her arms around me.

"Thank you," I whispered into her ear. "We should probably get back to my house, now. Your dad is waiting."

&&&

After Bella and her dad went home, I decided to walk around town. I couldn't stay cooped up in that house. I was so happy to finally have her as mine. It seemed as though the smile plastered on my face would never disappear.

As I turned a corner into the woods, I heard some leaves rustling in the slight breeze. Or were they from footsteps? My mind reasoned. I decided to shrug it off and go a little bit further before turning around and going back home.

Just then, a kid from my school—Paul, if I remembered right—walked into the middle of the road. He looked like he was out for blood. I just hoped it wasn't mine.

"Hello, Jacob," he said in what seemed to be a kind voice. But he walked toward me with a menacing stance holding his body.

Suddenly, I remembered that he was known around school for his violent ways of beating kids up. He would do it randomly, too. I was now scared for my life.

For the next five minutes, him and his two friends pushed me around, punching me sometimes, though it always hurt really bad. But I held it in, hoping he would stop. And eventually, he did.

For the next six months, he would occasionally find me, doing the same time, but he made it hurt more and more each time. And every time, I would hold in all my anger. Then I started holding in all my anger form anywhere.

One night, I couldn't hold my anger in any longer, and I took it out on Bella. She cried so hard that night. I told her I didn't mean it, that I was sorry, but secretly, I felt like hitting her made me feel better. So I didn't stop after that night. Whenever she would visit me, I would do some kind of damage to her, afterwards saying I was sorry. But each time the apology became less and less sincere.

Bella was a strong girl. I knew she wouldn't tolerate much more of me. So I started yelling at her, telling her she was ugly, that everyone hated her, including her father, and that she was lucky I put up with her. She was afraid of leaving me then, thinking no one else would love her.

Then, it became necessary to hit her all the time. I told her what would happen if she told anyone about this, and she nodded her head before scuttling out of the house and to her truck, pushing it as fast as she could towards her house.

End of Flashback

I wished that I could go back to that time when my apologies were sincere, when I still loved her as much as I did. But I couldn't, and I knew of no other way to control my anger, so I had to continue.

And I wouldn't ever stop.

Yay! I hope you liked my look into Jake's head. It's pretty hard for me to write this stuff, because I had none of this chapter planned, it just came out. I'm a fan of Jake, so it was kind of weird starting this story to find out it was him that was hurting Bella. But this explains it all.(:

I hope you liked it. And, again thank you so much to GirlInTheMagicClouds. You gave me the idea for this chapter, so I think it should be dedicated to you.(:

You guys are amazing fans. Thanks everyone for your advice and criticism. I really appreciate having you guys to tell me what I could do better. You're helping me develop as an author.(: Which brings me to thanking 'Just A Suggestion' again. I really like that you think I can write well. And thank you for telling me all of that.(: I am starting to come up with story ideas now, so you really helped me.(:

-Erin :D