Bella's POV

After Paul left I stared at Jacob for a long time. I'm not sure what to do, I felt torn. I enjoyed Jacob's kiss but was it enough to reject Embry and crush him when thing were clearly leading to more.

"I umm, Jake I'm confused. I need time to think about things and you can't keep kissing me like that. It will only make me push you away more."

"What do you want Bella?" Jacob stares at his feet.

"I think in the past we could've had something but it's too late now. I won't make my decision until Friday at the bonfire. I want to be sure, don't kiss me either unless I demand it." I walk toward the house to go talk to Charlie, and explain why I can't stay at the Black's with Jake.

"Dad?" I call.

"In here Bella." Charlie calls from the living room.

"Dad, I'm sorry about not telling you where I was staying. I want you to know I wasn't at Emily and Sam's just to sleep around, they've become my family now. Embry is just one of Jacob's friends I'm getting to know, nothing serious." I take a deep breath, "But right now I need to clear my head away from Jake, and Embry; I'm asking your permission to stay at Emily's. I promise to call everyday and talk to you, and it's just temporary until Friday." I finish my speech up.

"Can you at least stay until dinner and spend some time with your old man?" He looks at me obviously considering everything I said.

"Of course daddy, so can I stay with Emily and Sam?" I ask.

"Yes, I don't see why not. If you don't call though I will bring you back immediately." I laugh and hug Charlie. For the rest of the day I watch TV with him, we don't talk just enjoy each others company. I make dinner for him and Billy since Jake is god knows where. Billy pretends to be sick for Charlie's sake to keep him in La Push and from going home.

I grab my stuff and load it into Charlie's car. He drives me back to Emily and Sam's giving me a kiss on the cheek before I get out. I walk inside to find everyone sitting around the table looking at a very panicked Paul.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"Have you heard from Nicole recently?" Paul jumps up waiting for a reply.

"No, not since this morning, why?" I get a little nervous.

"We got into a fight and she drove off with that bastard. I've tried calling her cell and she doesn't answer. I just need to apologize, I need to get her away from that scum bag."

"Calm down, I'm sure she's okay. It's late though, I'll call her tomorrow and see where she is. There's nothing we can do now." I state.

"And if the red headed leech gets her?" Paul asks more panicked.

"Paul, Bella's right we just need to stay calm and wait to hear from Nicole. I'm sure Bella will hear from her soon, you're the last person she wants to talk to." Sam tells Paul.

Paul grunts and walks out of the house, we hear a tree snapping in half seconds later. He back to his usual self without Nicole around I guess. Although he seemed nicer back then than he does now. I can't image what he'd be like if she accepted the imprint. Emily looks at me obviously wondering the same thing. We say good night to the boys as they head out to calm Paul down.

"Well I've had a lot of emotions whirling around today I think I'll go to bed." I tell Emily.

"Goodnight Bella, sleep tight." She hugs me before going into her and Sam's room.

*Next morning*

I take a shower and head downstairs to find everyone there again except Jacob and Paul. I say good morning before grabbing a muffin. Embry stares after me not saying a word, just giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Where's Paul and Jacob?" I ask ignoring Embry.

"Charlie called Jacob about Nicole and Paul demanded he go to. We're not sure what happened yet." Emily tells me. I look at the guys to see them all look down at the table, even Quil.

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

"All I know is she might have to go to the hospital. Her concert tonight is canceled." Emily responds.

I look at the clock realizing it's 1pm and not the morning at all, I slept in late. I look at my cell phone but I have no missed calls from anyone. I try to call my dad but it goes straight to voice mail. Next I call Nicole, nothing; then Jake, nothing; I even try Paul, nothing.

Paul's POV

Jake is the only one that can stand being around me as I fuss over Nicole and not knowing where she is. Around 11 o'clock Jake gets a call from Charlie and it's about Nicole and she's hurt from what I over hear. Jake calls Sam and tells him that he's going with Charlie to pick her up, I stop him mid sentence to tell him I'm going too. We get in my truck and speed over to Jake's house to meet up with Charlie.

"Why is Paul here?" He asks.

"The press think I'm her cousin." I shoot out quickly in a hurry to save Nicole.

"Alright get in my cruiser," Charlie and Jake take the front and I go in the back, shockingly I've never been in a police car before.

Charlie drives to the La Palace hotel and parks right up front. This is the priciest hotel in the area, there's no surprise she's here. I should have guessed that last night, but I was too stressed out to think. We go inside and Charlie explains to the front desk who he is and why he needs a key to Nicole's room. The receptionist makes a call and shakes her head.

"There's no Nicole Wolff staying here and there's no Nicole Silvermen. You must have the wrong hotel."

"No she's here, what about a Liam? She's staying with him." Charlie explains.

"Sir I can't give you that information." She responds.

"I'm a police officer and I have reason to believe this girl is in trouble, now give me the information before I have you arrested for obstruction of justice."

"The penthouse suite." She replies looking down at the desk.

I run to the elevator pressing the up button over and over. "How did you know something was wrong?" I ask Charlie when he comes over waiting for the elevator.

"She called me cause she was having a panic attack. Something happened that triggered something from her past. It was bad enough that she called off her concert for tonight." Charlie explains as soon as the elevator opens.

Nicole stands there shaking and crying as she clutches herself against the wall. When she sees all three of us she slides down on the ground sobbing harder.

"Nicole, shhhh it's okay we're here. I won't hurt you." I walk into the elevator and kneel down in front of her.

"Paul." She chokes out as she wraps her arms around me and buries her head in my neck.

"Paul bring her to the car, I'll go up the room and see what's going on up there." Charlie says as Jacob follows him. Charlie hands me his keys and a jacket. I pick up Nicole and wrap the jacket over her so no one will see her. "Careful she's having a panic attack" Charlie tells me as the elevator shuts behind me. I carry her to the car and lay her in the backseat before climbing in and resting her head on my lap.

I sit there playing with her hair as another cruiser pulls up and Charlie walks out with that Liam guy in handcuffs. Nicole starts to come down from her panic attack, "It's okay Nicole they caught him." I whisper to her.

"Who?" She whisperers.

"That Liam guy." I tell her.

"It wasn't him, it was my father." She whispers before she starts crying again.

"You better tell them before they arrest your boyfriend." I suggest.

"He's not my boyfriend," She whispers in between sniffles.

"What?" Now I'm confused, what is this chick talking about.

"Please I'll explain when we get home, I promise." I nod my head as she cries herself to sleep. I just hold her to my chest rubbing her back as Charlie drives us to my house, leaving my trucks at Jake's, I just cant let go of her when she's vulnerable.

"Charlie she said it wasn't the man you arrested but her father." I tell him and Jake.

"That's not possible her father died in prison two years ago." Charlie looks at me weird.

"What the hell did he do?"

"It's not my story to tell but hers. You're not really her cousin are you?" I shake my head and he nods, "I didn't think so with the way you look at her. Just let her explain and she'll warm up to you fast I'm sure." I carry Nicole in after thanking Charlie and lay her on the couch right as she wakes up.

"Paul?" She asks looking for me until she meets my eyes.

"Yes?"

"Thank you, I guess I should explain what happened, my therapist told me it's good to get it out and tell someone I trust." She looks at me.

"I promise Nicole you can trust me. No matter what you need me to be, I can do it. You'll see on Friday." I smile at her and she smiles back.

"I heard Charlie tell you about my father. He was a bad man, he used to abuse me when I was a teenager. He was even worse to my mom sexually abusing her and then selling her body to drug dealers in exchange for drugs. The worst was when my mom was out grocery shopping and I came home early from cheer practice. The dealer decided he wanted me from now on and you know what my father did? He ripped my clothes off for them to see and to give his approval to do with me as they pleased." A few tears slipped out of her eyes, before I realized I was crying too. "As the guy had me pinned to the ground Charlie came to my rescue. He arrested all the men there and my father, my mother was able to help him catch the other guys."

"Nicole... I'm so-"

"It's ok, there's nothing you can do to change the past. I thought I had moved on with my career, knowing my father can never do anything like that to me again. But last night Liam got me drunk and took advantage of my intoxicated state to have sex with me. When I realized that this morning he grabbed me from behind pulling off my robe and that's when the flashbacks started. That's why I called Charlie to get me." She curls into a ball under my arm.

"What did you mean by he's not your boyfriend? Because that's what you told on the beach."

"Our agents set the whole thing up, as a career promotion for both of us. It'll get more attention to my new album and more to his new movie. The whole thing is fake I just met him yesterday." She explains.

"Nicole I promise your secrets are safe with me." I kiss her forehead.