I have to thank my a fantastic trio of friends for helping me with this: m0t0b33, teamalltwilight and Pyejammies! ;)
As always, I don't own anything Twilight related or anything else you might recognize in my story. I DO own the idea.
We'll just call them Hot Mama and Jailbait. :) Check the pictures in my FB group: Addicted-to-romione-bedward Fanfiction (link on my profile)
Just so you know...we're in April now. ;)
Edward's POV
As time passes, Bella starts acting like she's crazy or something.
I swear she's giving me whiplashes.
The first time she started acting odd was at the end of March.
She refused to allow me to kiss her good morning until I brushed my teeth. It has never been a problem before.
Then she stopped cooking grilled meat claiming it stinks. Didn't it "stink" before? It used to stink good, but apparently not anymore.
She snaps at me a lot – over anything – like when I tell her that I'll take the garbage out later because I have homework. Bella starts yelling that I'm irresponsible and that it takes only one minute to take out the bag…then she bursts in tears. Before I can grasp what just happened, she runs to her room and slams the door.
Fish stayed once my project was over, but apparently Bella hates him lately. She was all for it, cooing at it in the beginning. Now it stinks apparently.
Everything seems to stink to her.
And when it's about just us…yeah. Not that much sexing because she's tired every night.
I'm sure she's tired of me and has no idea how to break up with me.
Two weeks in April, I get to school early, having left fuming from home. Now my after shave makes her sick.
Seriously?
I'm going to have a talk with her when we get home tonight, but before that, I decide to ask for Emmett's opinion.
He arrives a few minutes after me, looking worried. I sent him a text when I left the house telling him we got shit to talk.
He comes in my car and looks at me confused. "What's up, dude?"
"Bella," I mutter, glaring at the steering wheel.
"Bella's up?" he jokes.
"Em, I'm not in the mood for joking! She's either getting tired of me…or she's crazy!" I exclaim then start explaining Bella's behavior to him.
Emmett looks deep in thought once I finish my story. Then he shrugs. And I feel like fucking busting his face.
"Nothing to say about this?" I groan.
"Dunno what the fuck crawled up her ass, man! You live with her. Maybe it's that time of month?" he suggests.
"That lasts a few days…not a fucking month! I'm gonna talk to her tonight."
"Yeah, maybe she has problems at work or something. Adult shit."
True, Emmett's right.
Bella could have problems at work. She rarely talks about work, saying that she leaves her work problems locked at the clinic. I always tell her about my shitty high school day.
I'm going to have a long talk with her about this when we get home.
Though, my plan goes out the window when I arrive home after seven pm, having stayed at Emmett's after school and worked on our homework together.
Bella's on the couch with another woman…or girl. I can't really tell from where I'm standing and she looks tiny. But it looks like she's pregnant and Bella's fussing over her.
Now she's bringing patients home?
"I'm home," I say from the doorway, unsure how to act.
Bella glances at me then looks back at the person on the couch, whispering something before coming to me. "Hi, honey." She kisses me quickly. "We need to talk. That's Alice, my best friend from high school."
Funny. I never heard of any Alice. Ever.
"No shit?" I mutter before I can catch myself.
"What was that?" Bella hisses, narrowing her eyes at me.
Not again.
She was all sweet and nice a moment ago.
"High school friend? Are you fucking with me?" I shout. "I've never heard of any Alice! Ever! And you've been so fucking hot and cold lately you're making me dizzy!"
"Don't raise your voice at me!"
"WHY? It's not like you're my mom or some shit! Seriously, get your shit together, woman!"
Her palm connects with my cheek so fucking loud the sound echoes in the narrow hallway. "Go to your room right now!"
There are tears in her eyes and I feel guilty, but I won't listen to her. I'm not a fucking kid to listen to her.
"No," I grit out and brush past her, stepping into the living room.
Her friend is watching me worried.
"Well, who are you?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her, seeing her for the first time.
Her black hair is kind of chopped, not equally trimmed…maybe it's fashion. Women… But then I see the bruises – they're big and purple on her cheek, on her arms and there are definitely fingerprints on her neck.
"You must be Edward," she says quietly, standing up, a little wobbly. "I'm Alice. I'm sure you don't know of me because I lost contact with Bella after high school ended," she explains.
"And whose fucking fault is that, Alice?" Bella hisses, advancing to us. "I told you so many times to just end it, or when I came to Seattle…he'd have allowed you to come! Dad was a cop! We could've made it work! You would've been safe! Sit back down." She pushes against her friend's shoulder. "So damn stubborn."
"I don't get it," I mumble.
Bella sighs and plops next to Alice. "Time for a story. Take a seat, make yourself comfortable," she tells me. "Is it okay to tell him?" she asks her friend.
She nods, looking at her linked hands on her lap.
"Okay." Bella takes a deep breath. "I met Alice when high school started. We became tight friends within the hour." She has a faraway smile on her face. "We worked amazingly together, she was that piece of puzzle that missed to make me complete…and I mean that in a friendship kind of way."
"BFFs," Alice whispers, giggling.
"Something like that," Bella agrees, taking her friend's hand. "Then, in junior year a new family arrived. No one knew much of them, but the parents were hardly ever home so the spoiled brat had tons of parties, was drinking, doing drugs. You get it."
I nod, letting her know I'm paying attention.
"Then one day, at the end of junior year, he had a huge party and everyone was invited. Through a look at Alice we agreed to go and see what the fuss was about his parties."
"Yeah, besides him fucking everything in sight and drinking until he passed out," Alice adds quietly.
"I started a bet with Alice after hearing him saying something about picking a girl and having his way with her that night." Bella gulps. "I told her that the weakest of them all would end up in his bed."
She squeezes Alice's hand as tears roll down her cheeks. Alice pats her hand.
"It wasn't the bed. So technically, you lost. It was the back of his car," Alice says.
"You?" I ask on a scratchy voice. Then I clear my throat.
"Yeah, me. Sometime during the night, I lost sight of Bella and wandered around…then bumped into James. As I talked to him, he didn't seem that bad. At all. He offered me something to drink – it was probably spiked, but I didn't know. I was aware of what was happening, but couldn't protest."
"Roofies- rape drugs," Bella mumbles. "I thought she bailed while I danced with my boyfriend from that time. Apparently, she was still around."
"And? I don't understand how she was holed up in this relationship," I tell them.
"Uh, James didn't want to let me go. I became his girl. True, he never fucked anyone behind my back, but I had to be there whenever he wanted me. It was traumatizing and…he was abusive. But no one knew this side of him, because when he met my parents, he was the most angelical person on earth. Right after high school ended, we got married and when I tried to go to my parents after a rough beating, he locked me in our room. Just a few days later…both sets of parents – mine and his – had an accident on their way to Seattle. I knew I would never escape him."
Crap.
I can feel the hairs standing up at the nape of my neck.
How can a man do that?
What kind of brute can he be?
"And now? How did you…escape?" I whisper.
"He drunk himself stupid and I took the opportunity to leave. It was my only chance. I hitch-hiked a ride here and I knew where Bella worked. Because of that time when she came for her dad's funeral, James told me everything about her."
Bella's sobbing now and I don't really care if her friend knows about us or not, but I can't stand to see her like that. I quickly go next to her and wrap her small frame in my arms. She presses her face to my chest, her shoulders rocking.
"But I'm safe now," Alice says loudly. "Right?"
"You're NOT!" Bella moans. "He'll come after you! Alice, you're crazy. I'm sure you know him better than me."
"Do you think he'll come after me? Really? I didn't think of that," she says worried. "Oh, no! I dragged you into this."
"I have a friend that can help…but I haven't talked to him since college," Bella mumbles, wiping her eyes.
The rest of the evening is spent on the phone, Bella talking with this friend of hers. Alice helps me make the bed in the guest room, interrogating me. She is shocked to hear I'm with Bella, because apparently the guy who was in their hometown with Bella was older and blond. I explain to her that he was my Dad and the unfortunate events from last year. I'm impressed with myself when I don't crumble.
I'm showing her Fish when Bella appears in my room.
"There you are!"
"Hey, come here." I open my arms for her. She snuggles in them immediately, smiling at Alice.
"When I got over the shock that you're sleeping with your kinda but not really step-son…You're cute together," Alice compliments us.
Bella beams at her then tilts her head to kiss me quickly.
"And can I ask…if I'm not intruding or something…" Alice adds quietly.
"You can ask anything, Alice. At least, you accept this," Bella whispers, squeezing my hands that are on her stomach.
"How far along are you?"
What's that? I frown.
But before I can voice my question, I feel Bella sagging in my arms.
Whoa!
She just fainted.
I meet Alice's shocked eyes then I pick Bella and put her on my bed. We wake her after a few tries, then all hell breaks loose.
Hold the stones. I will update this weekend. :) Just a few more days...right?
A lot of you realized this was a strong possibility. Here we are.