Chapter 7: Leaving

I woke up to the bright sunshine filtering in through the porthole.

I got up and stretched, smiling as I remembered last night. I put on some shorts and a t-shirt and went up to the deck. Everyone else was already up, and I saw Bella sitting near the front of the boat, talking to Jasper with tears running down her face.

"No!" I heard her yell, but I didn't go over there.

Instead, I went inside the dining room and saw Alice, Edward, and Rosalie eating. I looked at the clock, and it said 11am. They were all speaking with each other happily, completely oblivious to the argument going on outside. Or they just chose to ignore it. Bella and Jasper walked in about ten minutes later, and Bella just looked at me, then looked back down, new tears forming in her eyes. She walked over to me and sat in my lap, not looking at my face again.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing, Em. I'm okay," she answered.

"I should've let you sleep in my room last night," I said, mostly to myself.

"Don't blame yourself for my tears, okay? Never do that. Jasper just told me something, and it made me sad. Don't worry. Let's have fun," she replied, forcing a smile.

I nodded and kissed her forehead. "I love you. Want something to eat?"

"I love you, too. And yes, I would love that. Do you have any fruit?"

"Of course," I voiced, sitting her down in the chair I was in and walking to the mini-fridge.

I pulled out a fruit tray, complete with vanilla yogurt, and set it in front of her. I sat back down in the chair next to her and let her eat. When she was done, I put the remaining fruit in the fridge and grabbed her hand.

"Let's go watch a movie," she said.

I smiled and nodded, standing up and pulling her to the movie theater on the yacht.

"What do you want to watch?" I asked.

She twisted her hands in my shirt and laid her head on my chest. "Dawn of the Dead."

And so we did. But there wasn't the laughter filling every silence. There was only the tension in the air, like what we had wasn't going to last. Like it was all going to be taken away in a matter of minutes.

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her closer into my side, kissing the top of her head over and over. She smiled up at me every once in awhile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She said she had to go to the bathroom, so I paused the movie and waited for her to come back.

She came back about ten minutes later. She was wearing my big brownish-red hoodie with a pair of jeans on. Only one thing came to mind.

"Bella, let me see your wrists," I said.

"They look the same as they did before I left," she replied.

"Bella, let me see your wrists," I repeated in a louder voice.

She held them close to herself, so I grabbed her hand and pulled it to me.

"Ow, Em. Stop…"

I loosened my grip and, despite her struggles, managed to pull the sleeve of the jacket up to her elbow. I gasped in both anger and concern when I saw little cuts up and down her forearm. There were four cuts of different sizes, and I dropped her arm. I stood up and ran to the front of the deck again. I saw Jasper laughing at some joke Edward said and pushed him against the wall of the dining room.

"What the hell did you say to Bella, you dickhead?!" I yelled in his face.

"I didn't say anything to her! And if I did, it wouldn't be any of your business, asshole!"

He tried to break free of my grip, but I just tightened my hands on his shoulders. Tears were streaking down my face.

"What did you say?" I said in a quieter voice, afraid that if I spoke any louder my voice would break.

Edward put a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, and explain what happened."

I let go, unable to hold on for any longer, and fell to the floor. I leaned against the wall and put my head in my hands.

"It was all my fault," I murmured, the sobs shaking my voice.

Rose came and sat down next to me. She wrapped her arms around me and whispered, "You can tell us. Tell me…"

My voice was almost silent. "Bella…she started cutting herself again."

She gasped and ran to the theater.

"It's all my fault…" I muttered again.

"Damn right, it is. You knew she couldn't handle it, yet you fucked her anyway," Jasper growled.

I looked up at him. "Instead of chastising me, why don't you go check out your sister's bloody wrists."

His eyes widened, then took off to the theater as well.

I sat like that for thirty minutes, as well as Alice and Edward. Bella finally came back out.

"Bella, honey. Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded, then went downstairs. I guessed that she was going to her cabin. I decided to leave her alone.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"She wouldn't tell us anything, but I have a feeling that the blonde-haired prick has an idea," Rosalie growled.

"Yeah, I do. Your fucking brother fucked my fucking sister while she's fucking hurting underneath her fucking happy act," he replied angrily.

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, I think I fucking got that. But this isn't Emmett's fault. It's yours. I could see the fear and hatred in her eyes when she looked up at you. I can't believe she got stuck with you for a brother. You don't even love her."

"Yes, I do," he replied quietly. "I'm just trying to protect her from bastards like Emmett."

"Hello. I'm sitting right here," I said.

"Hello. I don't care," he retorted.

We all steered clear of each other for the rest of the day. I swam laps around the pool to pass the time, but it got old after about two hours. I went to the on-board gym to work out. I unleashed a lot of my anger and pain for Bella on the punching bags. I stayed for three hours, working on different parts of my body. I finally decided to just call it a night. It was already eight o' clock, anyway.

I went downstairs and showered, taking my time. I threw on some pajama pants and went to sleep.

For some reason, I felt like this was the last time I'd see Bella, but I dismissed the thought because there was no way she could get off the ship.

I fell asleep thinking only of my love and concern for Bella Swan.

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I woke up late the next morning. It was 12pm.

I turned on my lamp and saw a note on the nightstand in Bella's handwriting.

Emmett,

I love you so much. Never forget that. I guess it's time for us to take a break. Jasper's getting a small boat from the captain, and we're leaving. He's taking me somewhere with Charlie for the rest of the summer. When he said to watch him take me away from you, he meant it. I'm going to miss you. I'll see you in the fall. It's only 53 days away. I'll probably be gone by the time you wake up, so don't bother looking for me. Here's a present for you. Cherish it always. Once again, I love you, Teddy Bear. I'll only be thinking of you these next few weeks.

Love always,

Isabella "Bellaboo" Swan

I could see where her tears stained the paper. I looked at a table across the room, and sure enough, there was a gift box setting on it. She probably got it from the gift shop on-board.

I opened it, and in it was another box and a hoodie. I looked at the note inside.

I hope you like this present. This hoodie…It helped me through the rape and deaths of my mom and Phil. I've had it sense middle school, and I always thought it was lucky. I'm pretty sure you can't wear it, but it's the thought that counts. Now, hurry up and open the box. Rose and Alice helped with that one.

-Bella

I did as the note said and opened the rectangular box. Inside was a framed picture and others that weren't.

The framed one was a picture of me holding her and both of us laughing. I was kissing her forehead in the next one, and she had her eyes closed, smiling. The next picture was of her in my big hoodie, smiling as it swallowed her. Then, there was an image of me with my eyes closed and head thrown back laughing. The last one was of us kissing, her arms around my neck and mine around her waist.

We looked so happy in all of them, so carefree. I went to set the pictures back in the box when I notice a poem at the bottom.

Loving you was no chore;

I know you're meant for me.

Each and every day, I'll miss you more,

But you'll still be at sea.

The boat's arrived, my time has come;

I must leave you, now.

In fifty-three days, I hope you're not done,

And that you'll still love me somehow.

The weeks ahead will be full of pain,

For I'll only be thinking of you.

But knowing that I'll see you again

Will help me make it through.

Now, you know why I was crying, why the tears wouldn't stop,

And I couldn't look you in the eye.

Now, a part of me's dying, you're haunting my thoughts,

But I still depart with a sigh.

I love you, my dear Teddy Bear,

And know that I always will.

I'll keep in mind your loving stare,

And how, with a kiss, our love is sealed.

I was crying at how beautiful it was and how she had been taken away. I reread the poem over and over, and I couldn't help but think how right I was.

I was right when I thought yesterday would be the last time I saw her, that our love would be abused by some third party.

And the third party was Jasper.

My best friend, her brother…

He did this to us.