Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, just the plot bunny. Please don't take without asking.
AN: I again failed to send out teasers, but between getting the chapter done and finishing my No Kids Hungry piece, I didn't get much time. But I did read and appreciate each and every one of them.
Thank you to Ginnie and Cecile who helped make this all pretty. Prettykittie has been supper busy lately so she hasn't seen it. I love and appreciate each of these women.
My lunch hour is just about finished and know there must be more but I can't remember… Enjoy.
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Bella looked around the room warily, noticing that not only her father, but Edward and Alice were in the room as well. "Isabella, please come in and have a seat. There is something we need to discuss with you."
"What's going on?" she asked, refusing to sit until she had some answers. "Why is Alice here? Daddy, why are you here? Is everything okay with Seth, Sue, Leah, Jake?"
"Bella, everyone is just fine. I'm here because Mr. Cullen, Edward," he amended when he saw the look of unease on Edward's face. He wanted to reassure him that he was comfortable with him. "He asked me to be here."
He extended his has in invitation for her to sit with him. Bella hesitated, her nerves spiking thinking about why Edward would ask Charlie to be there.
"Bella, do you trust me?" Edward asked when he saw the amount of worry on Bella's face.
His soft tone helped to put Bella somewhat at ease.
Finally taking a seat next to Charlie she asked, "So is anyone going to answer my question?" She looked at the three people in the room in turn waiting to see who would answer her.
Since, technically this was Edward's idea, the others let him begin. "I asked your father and Alice to be here today because I thought it best you had some emotional support. I have something I'd like to tell you, but it will not be easy for you to hear, and, as you know I always have your wellbeing in mind."
The more Edward spoke, the more nervous Bella became. Just sitting in the chair suddenly became too much. The need to run out of the room was overwhelming. The only thing keeping her rooted in her chair was the look in Edward's eyes. It was a look full of dominance and authority; the warning clear. He would be extremely displeased with her if she moved out of her seat. She knew that he was about to tell her was something she was definitely not going to like.
As she desperately tried to work out what it could be, Edward gave a sideways look to Alice and a slight nod to Charlie. As they'd agreed before, each moved to their positions. Charlie prepared to catch Bella in case she bolted, Alice stood behind her in a show of support, and Edward squatted down to kneel in her direct line of sight.
"I did some digging and I've found Marcus Volturi."
The words were barely out of Edward's mouth when the panic set in. She couldn't think clearly enough to care about the fact that Edward would be upset with her, all she could think is that she needed to get away from there. She jumped to her feet, but didn't get too far. Edward was quick to his own feet and, being so close to her, instantly wrapped his arms around her.
"No," she gasped. "No, No, No... Please... I have to go... I can't. I just... I can't... He can't find me. Daddy, you have to promise me you won't do anything. I can't let him take you away from me. Please, Daddy... Please... promise me... Please!"
Charlie moved to stand in front of his daughter, gently putting his arms around her and essentially pushing Edward out of the way.
"It's okay, baby. I'm not going anywhere. He isn't going to hurt me. No one is going to hurt us again. It's fine. Please, Bella just calm down. Listen to what Edward has to tell you. We are here to help you, baby girl."
It was as if something Charlie said triggered Bella. She suddenly remembered that she was in Edward's office and he'd somehow had gotten Marcus' information.
"How do you know his full name? I never told you that information. I've never told anyone that information."
"I hired a private investigator after you told me what happened to you. I can't just let this man," he spit the word out like it was dirty, "get away with what he did to you. It goes against everything that I am."
"So you went behind my back and got the information? You want me to trust you and this is what you do?"
"Bella, Edward was just looking out for you. I know you're upset, but take a moment and listen to everything he wants to tell you." It was as if Alice speaking reminded Bella she was even in the room.
"And you... Aren't you violating some kind of medical rule by discussing this with them?" Bella pointed between her father and Edward so it was clear who she was talking about.
She somehow managed to get out of Charlie's embrace—her anger and fear overriding the panic that had been present just moments before—and began to walk towards the door. She needed to get out of that room. She needed to get away from the realization that the three people she trusted most had betrayed her.
"Isabella, stop!" When she didn't follow his command, Edward went on. "I'm going to file a civil lawsuit against him on your behalf. I'd press criminal charges if I could."
Angry, scared, and hurt, Bella turned around and slapped Edward as hard as she could. "How dare you. You want trust, but the first thing you do is go behind my back. I want nothing to do with you. I quit!"
Edward was stunned at Isabella's actions. Not only had she slapped him, but she stood up for herself. She showed a confidence he'd never seen, and most likely will never see again, since he was sure she'd just walked out of his life for good.
The three stood around staring at the closed door long after sound of it being slammed died away.
"Edward, are you alright?"
"What was that?"
Charlie and Alice spoke at the same time once they remembered where they were. Edward still didn't say anything; he just continued to look in the direction Isabella went.
Turning to Alice Charlie asked, "Is she going to be okay? Should I follow her?"
"Honestly, Charlie this was never a reaction I expected from her. I thought she would completely shut down. Never would I have imagined that she'd actually become physical with anyone. Her previous actions have to always shown her to be self-destructive. I don't know what to make of it."
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Bella left the office not caring about getting any of her personal possessions. He could keep them for all she cared at that point. She walked aimlessly for a while until she found herself in the middle of the Tulip Garden at the park. There were thousands of Tulips in every color imaginable. The concrete paths gave her a direction to walk in, even if it was in a circle. The smell of the flowers that the gentle breeze carried helped to ease her irritation somewhat. The down side to that is that it left room for fear to creep in. His words to her slipped out from the once closed door in her memory.
"You may not care so much about Mommy being with me, but I'm sure you'd care if your dear daddy knew. Both of us know that if he knew my hands had caressed and touched your dirty body that he would be mad at you. He would find you dirty and disgusting, just as he should. You don't want him thinking that now do you? He'll leave you; go away so you will never be able to talk to him again."
Bella's breaths became labored, her mind aching to let loose all the memories she'd been able to lock up, all the feelings that she kept trapped in the deepest part of her mind. She was scared to let them out, to give them a voice, because she knew if they had one, she'd never be able to bottle them up again. In that moment, she regretted ever letting Edward take her make-up bag away. He'd not only taken the only thing that let her release all those feelings, but because of his betrayal, she'd also lost the alternative he'd offered her.
Suddenly, she fell to the ground crying. She had no one. She was completely alone. Edward Cullen had taken everything away from her. He'd enlisted her father and Alice. There wasn't a soul she could call to help her. There was nobody to hold her while she cried and raged.
As if God and the heavens had crawled into her mind and manifested her feelings in the clouds, they let loose all the rain that weighed them down. Within minutes Bella was soaked to the bone, the cold seeping into her skin and reminding her she was still alive.
By the time she thought it smart to leave the park and head home, she was numb, not only physically but emotionally as well.
"Oh Bella, thank God your home," Sue cried, quickly enveloping her step-daughter in a hug. She could feel her trembling. Her clothing was sopping, dripping wet. She directed Bella towards the shower to warm her body.
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The second Bella was in the shower, she ran to call Charlie. "She's home."
"How does she look? Is she okay?" The worry and fear for what condition Bella might be in was clear in his voice.
"She is completely soaked, as if she'd been in the rain for hours. She hasn't said a word either. There is a distance in her eyes. It's as if she isn't even acknowledging, or aware of, where she is. I've never seen her this way. I'm actually a bit scared."
"She shut down. At least this is a reaction Alice taught me how to deal with. I will call her now and head home." Charlie ended the call with his wife to quickly dial Alice's number.
"She's made it home, Alice. Sue said she is unresponsive. I think she's shut down. I'm on my way home now. I can meet you there," Charlie rushed out as soon as she answered.
"I'll be there as soon as I possible. I need to get Edward home first." Alice had already called Jasper and Emmett to come give her a hand.
Not long after Bella walked out of the office, Charlie made to run after her. Alice stopped him explaining that it would be best to give her some time to absorb everything that happened and let her come back to the house on her own. The moment the rain began to fall Charlie refused to wait any longer and went in search of his daughter.
In all that time, Edward had yet to move. He just continued to stare after the door as if he were waiting for it to magically open up with Bella on the other side. Alice had never seen a reaction like that from him. When Charlie finally left, it snapped him back to reality, but instead of talking to anyone, he picked up his keys and headed out of the office. Alice followed behind him only to find that he went to the first bar he could find. He sat on one of the stools and ordered the most expensive bottle of cognac that they had available, telling the bartender to just leave him the bottle.
Half the bottle later, he was still completely silent, and Alice found herself trying to stop him from doing something stupid. The bartender had long since taken his car keys away, not wanting liable for his patron getting into a drunk-driving accident, but that didn't mean his eyes weren't telling Alice exactly what he wanted to do.
"Edward, do you want to lose her forever?"
"Move out of my way Alice, I have to go to her. She is hurting. She needs me."
"I know she is, but if you go to her right now, she will never forgive you. Don't push her when she is so vulnerable and looking for someone to lash out at. She already feels like you've gone against her."
Alice hoped with everything in her that he understood. She knew he would always have a need to help her, but the fact that Bella didn't react the way everyone expected her to at the beginning was enough to make Alice wonder what she was really thinking and feeling.
"Let me at least go and check on her first. After that, you can go and see her if she is up to it."
"I lied to her. I told her that I was going to file a lawsuit even without her consent, but as much as I wish I could do that, I legally can't." Edward drowned another few shots of his drink; all he was looking for was to get to that point where it wouldn't hurt anymore. The memory of another submissive walking out on him played in his mind. The difference was that this time he did something that pushed her out the door. He didn't think he would ever be able to get anyone's trust back, or give his trust to anyone for that matter.
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Bella sat on the floor of the tub, the heat of the water bringing her back to reality; reminding her that she was hurting inside; bringing the memories of the afternoon back to her; resurfacing the need to cut that the cold had been able to suppress.
No longer caring who had what, or why she shouldn't do it, she curled her hand into a fist and stood from her curled up position. She then pushed the shower curtain out of her way and slammed her fist against the mirror.
The sound of the shattering glass must've alerted someone in the house because a few seconds later, she heard screaming from the other side of the door. Ignoring the noises coming from outside the small bathroom, Bella picked up the largest piece of mirror she was able to find.
Wrapping her fingers around the jagged edges of glass, she could feel the sting of it digging into her tight palm. Relishing in the feel and the sight of the crimson colored blood trickling down her arm, she sliced the inside of her thigh just as someone slammed into the door. On the second slam she heard the splintering of the wood that would allow whoever it was in the bathroom.
"Oh, God! Bella! Sue, call 911!" was all she heard before the world went dark.
***TCBS***
AN: I know I promised rec's this chapter, but again Ive run out of time and if I don't post this now I wont get a chance to post it for another couple of days.
So look for them next chapter…
If you find it in your heart to review I would squeal like Alice on pixie sticks.