I do not own Twilight or any of its' characters

BPOV

Chapter 36

The Party

The next day Angela arrived from the airport, I decided to go by myself to pick her up. I figured she might be more comfortable with that than if Edward, Jasper, Alice and I all went to get her.

Her flight arrived at noon and I stood waiting for her at the gate, my stomach growling the entire time. We would have to stop for lunch somewhere I said to myself, thinking about the hundred I had in my pocket. Her flight arrived right on time and within a few moments, I saw her heart shaped faced and pointed glasses coming around the corner. A happiness filled me that I thought would make me burst with joy as I waved my hands enthusiastically at her. When she saw me, her brown eyes lit up.

"Bella!" She cried, hurrying into arms, "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm so happy you decided to come! Two of Edward's siblings are here too, so he'll have something to do while you and I hang out."

"Really? That's awesome, which ones?" She asked.

"Jasper and Alice," I answered, helping her with her carry on.

"Oh good, they're our age right?"

"Yes, they were in our class, well, Alice was, Jasper's a year older." I explained easily.

"That'll be fun, we can all hang out." Angela said. She really looked wonderful. She was cheerful and confident, nothing like the Angela I had spoken to a few weeks ago who seemed so broken and lost. I wondered if she and Ben were working things out. I hoped so.

"So, do you feel like grabbing some lunch or did you want to go straight home?" I asked.

"I could eat. I'm actually starving."

"Okay, great, I know a place around the corner that has really good salads and stuff."

"Sounds perfect," she said.

We walked out to the car and I felt embarrassed to be driving the Cadillac, I should have taken Edward's car.

"Is this yours Bella?" She asked breathlessly.

"Um, it's Dr. Cullen's. He's letting us use it because it would have been too expensive for me to ship my truck out here." I explained nervously.

"What does Edward drive?"

"He still has the Volvo." A knot was growing in my throat, why couldn't I just live in a dorm and drive a shit box? I felt so out of place being surrounded by all of this expense that Edward draped himself in. The hundred in my pocket mocked me. Maybe I had a twenty on me to pay for lunch.

"That's cool. My parents actually sprung for a BMW for me for graduation. I guess all that hard work had to pay off somehow." She explained. I instantly felt a little better.

"So," I said helping her with the luggage, "what's new and exciting, tell me a story. You seem like you're in a better mood than last time I spoke to you."

"Well, kind of. I'm glad to be away from home and school for a little while, but also, right before I left my parent's house, Ben called me."

"Really?!" I asked, "Angela that's great, what did he say?"

"Not much, he said that he wanted to go out and talk when I got back. So that could either mean this is really the end, or he wants to work things out. I hope it's the latter of the choices."

"That's better than nothing." I said.

"Yeah, I feel a little bit better about things now. Whatever happens happens I guess." She said.

"I suppose that's really all that you can expect." I agreed. I wish my mind was as healthy as Angela's seemed to be when Edward and I had separated.

We had lunch and went to a few stores while we were out and then it started getting close to dinner time. We definitely had to get home. I took the familiar roads back to our house, by the time we got there, it was starting to get dark. The outside of the house was pleasantly lit up and when I pulled into the garage, Edward's car was there and I could smell food cooking. What a perfect thing to come home to, I thought to myself, Alice must have helped him out with the timing.

We entered the kitchen and Edward was hovering over the stove stirring spaghetti sauce, Alice and Jasper were by the island, cutting up vegetables for a salad. I went in before Angela and she followed shyly behind me.

"Hey guys," I said to the room, "you remember Angela Weber right?" My question was more directed to Alice and Jasper.

"Of course!" Alice said pleasantly, coming over and touching Angela's forearm, "how have you been?"

"Great, thanks," Angela said cheerfully enough. Jasper didn't say anything, but gave her a little wave and then went back to his cucumbers.

Edward was the most welcoming of all, mainly because he knew her better than the others. "Hello Angela," he said hurrying over to her and taking her bags like a perfect gentleman.

"Hey Edward, how's it going?"

"It goes." He said with a little smile, "please, come in, make yourself at home, I'll go put your bags away," he leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek, "hello love." He turned and started toward the living room, "Jazz, stir that sauce," he called behind him.

"I hope you like Italian. Edward was stressing all day over what to make for dinner. I think I went with him to like, five grocery stores." Alice said to Angela.

"Edward cooks?" Angela asked.

"Most of the time, he's a culinary major." I explained. "He probably made that sauce from scratch." I said gesturing at the pot on the stove and rolling my eyes.

"He's a bit of a perfectionist." Alice whispered.

Edward reentered the room and Angela smiled at him in reference to Alice's comment.

"What?" He asked innocently. The sauce made a popping sound. He flashed a look at Jasper, "Did you stir it?"

"Not yet." Jasper replied.

Edward sighed loudly and headed back over to his sauce. "Amateurs," he mumbled under his breath. Jasper whipped the end of a cucumber at him in response, hitting him square in the back of the head.

"Real nice," Edward grumbled touching the back of his head where he was hit, "very mature."

"Maybe we should go." I said taking Angela's arm and leading her and Alice out of the kitchen. "Behave," I growled at Edward as I passed him.

"That goes for you too." Alice instructed at Jasper as she followed.

It was nice having our friends around us. I was glad we didn't decide to go anywhere during break, this was so much more relaxing and fun. Most days, Angela and I would go off on our own while Jasper, Alice, and Edward would spend the day together. The five of us went hiking on one abnormally warm day together and at night we would usually eat together or go play pool or watch a movie.

Bodie's party was rescheduled for the middle of break and I had convinced Edward to go, but Jasper and Alice decided against it. By that point during their visit, they needed to hunt and that's what they were planning on doing that night. Angela's visit had been pretty tame, we didn't go out to bars or parties or anything, not that she really could, she was only nineteen. Not that I really could either, but I had my fake id, Angela didn't. Edward didn't really want to go, but he knew there would be alcohol and swarms of people, so I think he was just going to be overprotective. I was going out of curiosity, and Angela wanted to go because she hadn't been to a party in awhile.

Angela and I were just about ready to leave. I went into the bathroom to grab a bobby pin and saw Edward studying himself in the mirror and messing with his hair.

"Are you, are you 'doing' your hair?" I asked him incredulously.

He whipped his head around and looked at me as if he had just been caught in the middle of a shameful act. He smiled crookedly at me, his green eyes sparkling under the overhead light and said vainly, "Bella, please, this look doesn't just…happen."

"Yes it does," I teased him scrubbing his perfectly gelled hair around with my hand.

"Ready to go?" He asked, smoothing his flyaways with his hand.

"Yes sir." I said cheerfully.

He hit the bathroom light and put his arm around my waist and we headed downstairs, "I can't believe you messed up my hair." He whispered playfully in my ear. My only response was a light shove of him into the wall.

Bodie's party was being held at the house he rented that was pushed way back into the woods. I could only imagine how many parties had been thrown here by him and those who came before him. I could only imagine what kind of lewd acts had taken place on this very lawn as Edward dropped Angela and I at the doorstep and looked for a place to park. It was freezing outside tonight and I hoped it wouldn't take him long to park and meet us.

"So, whose house is this?" Angela asked.

"Bodie Ross. He's supposedly this huge catch on campus, but I think he's just a dork." I said dismissively.

"Well, Bella, look who you come home to every day." She teased. "Even the campus playboy's charm can't touch you. But then again, I don't know of many people whose charm could trump Edward's. People are still talking about the two of you back in Forks."

"Really? Who?" I asked, intrigued.

"Oh you know, Jessica, Mike, Lauren, Tyler, you're like the power couple of Forks."

I smiled to myself, the mysterious boy that everyone wanted with the girl from Phoenix, still together and raising eyebrows, I liked it.

"Well, I don't know, Bodie's record is pretty impressive, maybe there's just something wrong with me." I said flatly.

"Here comes Edward," she said. I turned and saw him walking up the path with his hands in his pockets. He really did demand such a presence with his height and face, he walked with confidence and ease and I could see why people were always so drawn to him.

He joined up with us and said, "I'm sorry, I had to park behind the house, it's packed out pretty tight out in the street."

"That's okay." I said. He smiled warmly and gestured for us to go, staying protectively close to both of us.

He had his hand around my waist, and as soon as we approached the house, I felt him tense up slightly. It seemed odd to me, but then I just figured it was nerves. I walked up the front steps and turned the doorknob, Edward's hand suddenly dropped off my waist, I turned to see if something was wrong and the door opened. A blond girl I recognized from one of my classes stood in front of me, "oh, hey Bella, how are you?"

"I'm good thanks. Where's Bodie?"

"He's around here somewhere. Bodie!" she called out looking around for him. I heard his familiar voice growing louder as he approached. "Come on in," she instructed sweetly. Angela and I entered, Edward abnormally close behind me. I turned to look at him, his eyes were darting around the room, and a look of frustration was in them. He was looking for someone, before I could ask him what was wrong, Bodie was in front of me.

"Bella! Hey, you made it!" He had a drink in his hand and looked slightly buzzed already.

"Bodie, this is my friend Angela, she's from Forks." Bodie reached out and shook Angela's hand; Edward's hand was on me again.

"Hi Angela," he said warmly.

"Hi," she said grinning; the spell of Bodie Ross was working on her. He held his gaze with her for several moments; he looked like a thirsty animal that had just found a pool of cool water in the desert.

"Bodie," I said, tapping his shoulder, he turned and faced me, still in a daze. "This is my boyfriend, Edward."

"Well, I'll be damned," he said, his focus immediately changed, "it's nice to finally meet you Edward." He reached out and shook Edward's hand roughly, and it looked like Edward was about to vomit. What was going on with him? I wondered, he was usually very skilled at pleasantries. He swallowed hard and regained his forbearance.

"I'm sorry we haven't met sooner, I'm not usually one for public appearances." He said with his most compelling smile.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it. Come on in, there's plenty of food and the bar's stocked. Which reminds me," Bodie said shaking his empty glass, "I need a refill." He smiled and winked in Angela's direction and then headed to the bar.

"What is the matter with you?" I whispered harshly in Edward's ear.

"Stay close to me tonight." He whispered back, he looked over at Angela who was watching Bodie disappear into the crowd. "Both of you," he added.

"Is something wrong?" I asked alarmed, "Should we go?" Edward was watching Bodie now as well.

"No." He said absently, taking off his pea coat and hanging it on the back of a chair, "let's stay for awhile."

I watched Edward carefully, something was very, very wrong; his warm face suddenly had an edge to it. His face was a mask of calm and ease, but his eyes showed something more, something fiery, he sucked in his cheeks slightly and suddenly looked like something very sinister. He suddenly looked like a vampire.

Angela, he and I sat on the couch and making his voice sound as sweet as syrup, he said to me, "I'll be right back." He smiled and kissed my forehead. It was an act and I knew it, his mind was somewhere else. Angela and I decided to get drinks.

"So, um, Bodie's kind of cute." Angela said quietly.

"Oh no, you're falling into his trap!" I said with exaggerated horror, putting my hands on my face. "Don't do it Angela! Don't go to the dark side."

"Oh will you stop!" She giggled. "All I said was he was cute."

"That's all I said about Edward Cullen, and look where that got me," I teased. Although somewhere in mind I didn't think that Bodie was the monogamous type as I watched him with growing distaste walking around flirting with everyone. "Ugh!" I said as he whispered in some girl's ear. I did notice however, that he kept looking our way, mostly at Angela. This could turn into trouble, I thought, now becoming a little worried and amidst all that, I still did not know what to expect from Edward tonight. He looked angry, no, angry wasn't really the right word, he looked, offended.

Edward returned, with a beer in his hand and sat down beside me. "Welcome back." I said, annoyed that he wouldn't tell me what was going on. Maybe he would later, in private. I decided to shrug it off and just have a good time. He was probably just overreacting to some impure thought Bodie was having.

As the night progressed, a few of the guys started playing poker, and Edward joined in because he knew a few of them. Angela and I joked around and chatted with people from my class and played pool. Apparently, billiards was very big in Alaska, it seemed like everyone had a table. People started doing shots around eleven, and of course, Edward joined in, chasing every one with a swig of beer. So much for keeping vigilant, I thought to myself. I immediately felt ashamed for thinking ill of him, he was having a good time, and I was glad he was out and about and getting along with everyone.

Bodie started hanging around us more and more as the evening went on, by midnight, we were standing around the pool table, and he and Angela were getting quite friendly with each other and he was bringing her drinks. I noticed every so often Edward studying the two of them and his sinister look returning. Then, I finally caught on to what was happening. Edward was not in fact, drinking at all. I had seen this tactic before in a movie, every time he did a shot, he followed it with beer, I watched him once and saw that he was actually spitting out the shot into the beer bottle that always seemed half full. He wasn't drunk at all; he was blatantly sober and putting on a show. Nobody around us noticed because they were distracted by the game, the music, the alcohol, and the swarms of college girls around us. Edward knew this and was using it to his advantage to keep an eye on Bodie, Edward Cullen was no longer socializing, he was hunting. I gasped and covered my mouth quickly and pretended to cough. Edward glanced up to me, detracting from his role for a brief moment and gave me a very solemn stare; somehow he knew that I knew.

Angela was slightly intoxicated, and Bodie was using that to his advantage. He got her another drink and she eagerly drank it down, he put his arm around her. Now I felt like I had to watch Bodie in addition to Edward, we were a team after all and Angela was my friend.

"Hey, why don't you slow it down there Bodie, she's my ride home." I joked as I took my next pool shot.

"There's another one of you to do that." He teased nodding at Edward who was now laying his act on a little thick. I kept calm.

"Right, he probably doesn't even know where he parked the car at this point." I said flatly as the balls cracked against one another from the force of my shot.

Angela started giggling and Edward threw a glance our way. I overheard Bodie whisper to Angela, "I don't think your friend likes me very much."

"Oh," she said dismissively, "that's just Edward, he's kind of overprotective." I peered over the edge of the pool table, pretending not to be paying attention. I could hear every comment that was being made between them and see every lecherous move he was putting on her.

"I suppose that's a good thing. But for now…" He was now playing with the neckline of her shirt and my skin was absolutely crawling. "How do we get rid of him?" he persuaded lowly in her ear.

"We probably just need to get up and go somewhere else." Angela replied, oblivious to what he was trying to get at.

I distracted myself chalking up my stick, and then, I turned around and they were gone. They had disappeared into the crowd. Within moments, Edward was by my side.

"We need to find Angela." He said rapidly, all remnants of his act gone.

"She was just here, I don't know…" I started, his eyes darted around the room, he was trying to find her, trying to hear her, but his mortality gave him heavy limitations.

"We need to find her now," He repeated, his voice becoming more alarmed, he took my arm led me out of the main room, "before something happens." I heard him mutter angrily.

I didn't ask questions, I just did as he said; there would be time for questions later. We split up, Edward hurried upstairs, taking them two at a time and I looked around the remainder of the downstairs. I had made a complete circle around the house without any luck, I started to panic, maybe Edward found her upstairs. I didn't want to go outside alone. I stood in the kitchen helplessly tapping my foot and biting my thumb. I ran through my mind, trying to think of what to do and then I noticed a door opposite me, the basement door. I took a deep breath and turned the knob, I thought I heard someone whimpering, without even thinking about it, I hurried down the stairs.

I found them, I found them on a couch in the basement, and knew immediately that what was happening was not consensual. Angela was on her knees with her back to him; her arms were twisted abnormally behind her back, bound with a belt, her cheek pressed against the arm of the sofa. Bodie hovered over her murmuring something in her ear and she was crying.

"What the fuck is going on?!" I shouted, he looked at me in surprise and pushed her harder into the couch. "Edward!!" I screamed. I felt like my feet were tacked to the floor and that I was going to vomit.

"You keep it down Bella, if you know what's good for both of you." Bodie snarled at me.

That gave me the strength to move my feet and unknot my stomach, "you bastard!" I rushed over to him and attacked him. I shoved him with all of my might, his height dwarfed me, but I didn't care, I wanted to break his neck. He stumbled slightly, enough so that his hands were off of Angela, I shoved him again and went to throw a punch, when I felt someone grab my waist, lifting me off the ground and whirling me away from him. I twisted wildly against my adversary, throwing elbows, and nearly growling.

"Bella stop! Stop it!" Edward's voice shouted at me. I went still and he lowered me to the ground and released me, I went for Bodie again, he held a firm hand against my chest and glared at me. He hurried over to Angela who was crying hysterically and helped her up gently, carefully readjusting the sleeve of her shirt that had been ripped in the struggle. "Get Angela out of here," he ordered, his voice shaking.

I nodded and walked her to the cellar door that led outside, whispering words of comfort to her as she clung to me. Edward went to follow but stopped in front of Bodie.

Gone was the Bodie I knew, he sneered at Edward and said, "You're going to wish you didn't just do that."

Edward glared at him and growled, "I'd suggest zipping your pants up before you even consider threatening me." Bodie backed off slightly and Edward joined my side. "Let's go," he said firmly, his voice cracking.

We entered the freezing night without our coats, they were all still upstairs with everyone else who was having fun and not bearing witness to an attempted rape. Edward stayed close to us walking quickly to the car. I helped Angela in and we were about to leave when Bodie joined us outside, looking like he wanted a fight. "I really wish he didn't just do that." Edward whispered tightly. "Bella, get in the car and lock the doors."

"Wait, no let's just leave." I pleaded.

"Bella, car." He demanded, trying to steady his voice.

Angela started crying again; Edward turned and strode back to Bodie at an alarming pace. Bodie opened his mouth to speak; Edward skipped the formalities and shoved him against the house. I cried out loud in surprise and quickly clapped my hand over my mouth. I still hadn't gotten in the car; I just stood next to it while Angela cried in the backseat. Bodie kicked Edward in the shin and punched him in the face. I saw Edward's head whip to the side at the impact and then turn back and focus again on Bodie. He spat a mouthful of blood on the ground and managed to get in another strike, making Bodie bend at the waist. With some unknown strength that I had no idea he possessed, Edward grabbed Bodie's shirt and pulled him into the window of a car, causing it to shatter. Shards of glass cascaded around everywhere and Bodie's perfect face was bloodied and scarred. He cried out as Edward got behind him and dug the toe of his shoe into his lower back; tweaking Bodie into a position very similar to the one he had Angela in moments ago. Then came the point in the evening that frightened me the most, the unraveling of Edward Cullen. For as long as I had known him, Edward was always able to manage his temper, and control his instincts. Tonight, that wasn't going to happen, he took it too far, and was holding a large shard of glass against Bodie's throat. I was convinced that Edward was going to kill him.

"Edward, stop!" I shouted frantically.

"I told you to get in the car Bella." He snarled in a voice that I couldn't recognize.

"You're going to kill him! Now let's go, you scared the shit out of him, thank you very much, we need to leave now!" I yelled, getting angry.

He ignored me, I marched over to them, tears were coming out of Bodie's eyes, Edward had dislocated his shoulder. "Edward, look at me!"

He did as I asked, and stared up at me, he was seething, "please don't do this." I said sternly.

He looked away from me and roared loudly in frustration. "Take off your belt," he growled. I stared at him questioningly, "I'll get you another one, now take it off and give it to me." He demanded in an irritated, now more Edward like tone.

I did as he asked. He put down the makeshift shank he was wielding and wrapped the belt around Bodie's wrists. "You're lucky she's here. You'd be dead now if she wasn't, I can promise you that." Edward snarled close to Bodie's face. He twisted Bodie's head around roughly to face me, "you look at her." Bodie gazed up at me, blood and tears running down his face, I stared back down at him disgustedly. "Remember her face the next time you think about laying a hand on another woman and I swear I will find you. Do you understand?" Bodie nodded. "Now say, thank you Bella." Bodie swallowed hard, "say it," Edward growled again.

"Thh, thank you, Bella." Bodie stammered. With that Edward banged Bodie's head against the side of the car and he went unconscious.

I stared at Edward in disbelief at what I had just seen. Edward hoisted up Bodie's body and carried him to the car and dumped him in the trunk.

"Oh my god, is he dead?" Angela stuttered.

"No, unfortunately." Edward grumbled, getting into the driver seat and starting the car.

"Where are we going?" Angela asked.

"Police station." Edward replied, sounding defeated. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you? I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, we tried to get to you as fast as we could." I nodded in agreement, not knowing what exactly to say.

"I'm okay." Angela said, much calmer now, "my shoulder hurts a little, that and my pride." Edward smiled at her in the rearview mirror.

There was silence in the car for a long while as we all digested what had just happened. Edward gripped the steering wheel tightly, and I knew it was to keep his hands from visibly shaking. I had seen him like this once before, when I had nearly gotten attacked in Port Angeles the first year I had come to Forks. He had never let it reach this point before though. It was very clear to me at that moment how much Edward had kept hidden from me about the darker sides of his personality. Angela was the first to break the silence.

"Umm, what did you mean, you tried to get to me as fast as you could? How did you know what was going to happen?" She asked cautiously.

Edward's face dropped and he looked at the steering wheel, he opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. He had said too much to her and he just realized it. He laid a bloodied hand on my thigh for support and I said carefully, "Edward can, hear other people's thoughts." I saw Edward shut his eyes and wince at the words I had just said.

"What?" Angela asked.

"She's telling you the truth," Edward said miserably.

"Since when?"

"Since…" his voice trailed off, "since as far back as I can remember."

"That's amazing." She said breathlessly.

"It's unnatural and freakish." He replied.

"It's part of who you are; there must be a good reason for it." She said calmly.

"It's helpful at times…but mostly, it's an annoyance." He informed her.

She smiled kindly, "your secret is safe with me." She assured him quietly.

"I know that." He answered.

"Right, of course you do." Angela was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "thank you, both of you, for, helping me."

I turned in my seat and looked at her, she was a mess, her hair was everywhere, mascara on her face, her shirt was torn, and I could see bruises forming on her wrists. I wanted to kill him myself, over and over again. She smiled weakly at me and I touched her hand. "Are you sure you're alright?" I asked, "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

She shook her head, "I know I look awful, but really, nothing happened. You two made it just in time."

"Yeah," I said trying to keep things light, "Edward has a sixth sense when it comes to damsels in distress."

When we got to the police station, Bodie was regaining consciousness. Edward dragged him out of the trunk and hand delivered him to the police station lobby, along with the bag of Ketamine he found in Bodie's pocket that he used as his date rape drug of choice. We left him there, bound and bloody with the drugs on him and left before the police could question us.

"Do you think that'll work?" I asked as we drove away.

"He'll get something for the drug charge; maybe it will set things in motion." He replied.

We got home very late, I didn't know where Jasper and Alice were, I assumed they were in their room; Angela was still very shaken from what had happened, but managed to take a shower and get some sleep. I was prepared to do the same, when I saw Edward sitting in the living room, still soaking wet from the rain and his shoes were still on. He hadn't even bothered to clean up and his lip was starting to swell. He was staring at the floor, pressing his fingertips together.

"Edward?" I said softly, startling him, "Sorry." I whispered, sitting beside him.

"That's alright," he answered, not looking at me.

The damage to his face was worse that I had thought, he had dried blood on the corner of his mouth and several abrasions near his eyes and nose, probably where the glass in the car shattered and hit him. I could only imagine what Bodie would look like in the morning. Edward's hands were torn up; his knuckles bruised and sliced open. He was a mess. I could overlook all of it, every last bit of it, if not for the look in his eyes. He looked fearful and shaken apart, he looked lost.

"Edward," I said gently taking his chin and turning him to face me, he winced slightly at my touch and I almost burst into tears. "What is the matter?"

"I…" he started, but couldn't finish. He forcefully turned his head away from me, breaking my heart in doing so. "I just need some time to think love. That's all."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" I asked, knowing what the answer would be that I didn't want to hear.

He couldn't speak; he just sadly nodded his head.

"Ok." I whispered, standing up. I turned and walked away from my broken love.

Many many thanks to everyone who is reading. I really appreciate it and it really makes my day when I get such nice reviews. Thank you thank you so very much. I hope the story is keeping people's interest. The mature rating will be self explanatory in the next few chapters so please keep reading and reviewing!