Important! While this is based on my life and the events that have taken place involving me, this is a Fanfiction and there will be fiction in the story. Enjoy!
Last time:
Why did he just tell me that? What good does any of that do anyone? This just makes me more confused than ever. What does he want me to say now? Does he want to know that when he walks into a room, I don't have to look to know he's there? Does he want to know I can feel him when he is near me, even if I had no clue that he was nearby? Does he want to know that just thinking about him makes my heart race and my palms get sweaty? Does he want to know he gives me butterflies?
"I don't know what to say," I whisper, but he hears me. His eyes are still locked with mine and I can see questions swimming in his eyes. I have no doubt he can see the questions in mine. I want to look into his eyes forever, but a yawn interrupts my gazing, making me shut my eyes in pain. Yawning puts too much pressure on my ribs and I gasp out, hoping Edward doesn't notice. He does and he shakes his head, his eyes filling with tears again.
"Go to sleep. I promise I will be here when you wake up." I nod and lay back down slowly and carefully. He helps, fluffing my pillow and pulling the covers over me, tucking me in when I am comfortable. Sitting back in the seat, he takes my good hand and runs patterns across the soft skin with his finger tip.
Our breathing makes everything seem calm and he begins to hum softly, making my eyes flutter shut. I try to stay awake, but have my eyes closed, listening to him as he breathes and hums and feeling his soft finger run over my skin. Everything is so peaceful, and as his scent surrounds me, sleep takes me under.
Chapter twenty-five.
Now:
I wake slowly, the pain registering just as slowly. I try to stretch my arms above my head, groaning as the action pulls my broken ribs. I lower my arms again and blink a few times, trying to adjust my eyes to the bright light of the hospital room. Looking around, I see a bronze head of hair lying just by my right hand. His hand is holding mine, and I bring my left hand over and run my fingers through his hair, just like I did yesterday. Or was it earlier today?
I lean over slightly and look at the watch on Edward's wrist. It's apparently seven am and I wonder why Edward isn't at home, getting ready for school. Maybe Esme is coming to get him in a while and he dozed off? Do I wake him up? Do I let him sleep and Esme can wake him up when she arrives?
I decide to leave alone him for now; I don't know what time he went to sleep. I would hate to wake him and have him still be tired, especially when he has school today. That is, if he goes to school today. Knowing Edward, I doubt he will, but I'm sure Esme or Carlisle will be able to convince him to go.
Running the length of his hair through my fingers, I can't help but marvel at how soft it is. I must ask him what conditioner he uses, because I have to get some of it. If I had hair as soft as his, I would be running my fingers through it every day for the rest of my life. I guess that's why he does it when he's upset or angry or anything really. It must calm him like food calms me.
I scratch his scalp lightly as I run my hands through his hair. I can remember when my mom used to do that to me as a child. It would comfort me and send me back to sleep when I had nightmares. After the incident when I was younger, my mom would sit with me for hours and run her fingers through my hair, promising me that everything would be okay. I believed her, of course. I used to believe everything my parents said.
I look at Edward and realize how uncomfortable he must be. His head is on the bed, but his body is still in a sitting position. His head is slumped, leaving his neck at an uncomfortable angle. His back and neck are going be giving him trouble today. Maybe I should wake him, just to tell him to go home and get into a comfortable bed. My eyes are still on Edward and my hand pauses in his hair as he begins to stir.
"Hmm. Don't stop." He groans and I blush, quickly pulling my hand away. Sitting up slowly, he smirks at me sleepily before reaching his hands above his head making the bones in his back crack. He also rolls his head and his neck cracks before sitting forward again, taking my hand in his and caressing it softly.
"Good morning," I greet, smiling with my cheeks still warm.
"It is." He smiles back and I shake my head at him. "How are you feeling?" His voice turns soft.
"High," I joke and he laughs.
"Maybe I should persuade Carlisle to let me have some of that." My smile falls and I glare at him, pulling my hand out of his grasp and fiddling with my other hand in my lap. "Okay, that wasn't funny. I'm sorry," he says and scoots closer slightly, taking my hand in his again.
"How are you really feeling?" he asks again and I shrug.
"I'm okay. As good as can be expected, I suppose." He nods and glances at his watch before pulling out his phone and quickly typing on it with his free hand. He puts his phone away when he finishes, and then smiles his crooked smile at me. He tells me he was letting Esme know he's okay and that he won't be in school today. I roll my eyes at him, but I can't help but be happy he's not going into school. Is it selfish of me to want him with me for a little longer?
Edward and I talk for a little while, he tries to make me smile and I try to smile without hurting myself too much. He makes me laugh and the look on my face gives away my pain, so he stops trying to make me laugh and settles with smiles.
"Hello, Isabella, Edward." We both look up to see Carlisle enter the room, a big smile on his face and a clipboard in his hands.
"Hey, Dad." Edward greets at the same time I say, "Hi, Carlisle."
"I've come to see how you are this morning," Carlisle tells me and stands at the bottom of the bed, looking at our joined hands before smiling brightly at me.
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Any pain?"
"Just my ribs, really." I don't know why but I blush when I say this. Edward laughs at my reaction and Carlisle smiles at his son, his eyes shining.
"Okay, Isabella. I have called your parents and they are on their way to come a get you." I smile widely.
"I can go home?" I all but squeal and they both laugh at that.
"Yes, Isabella. I will give you some pain meds for your ribs and the bruising, but you should be just fine at home." I thank him and he leaves, promising to be back in an hour with my discharge papers and, hopefully, my parents.
Edward is quiet for a while after Carlisle leaves, obviously caught up in his own thoughts. I let him be; knowing that if it was something important he would tell me what was bothering him. Well, I hope he would. I would tell him if I thought he needed to know something.
Thinking back a few days, I can't help but wonder if Rosalie did have this planned out. It seems too coincidental with the car and everyone agreeing it was an accident to be just a spontaneous thought. Sure, the whole getting beat up thing must have been spontaneous, because she didn't know I would be there at that time. Maybe she thought she would get me to go to her again and beat me up then have people believe I was hit by a car at another time. Maybe my birthday? That would be a great gift, wouldn't it?
Just the other day, when Edward got high, he was gone for hours and when I finally caught up with him, he was high and obviously upset about something. Maybe he was with her and she was thinking her plan through? Maybe she was arranging dates and times with all her little friends? Maybe that's why Edward got high? Maybe she had planned it to happen that day and he got high, knowing I would take him home?
"You can't go back to school today. Not without me being there."
"It doesn't matter. Just promise me you won't go back into school today"
I gasp and Edward quickly jumps up, leaning over me and asking me what's wrong. I shake my head, looking at him in confusion.
"The other day. Why wouldn't you let me go back to school without you?" I ask, my voice shaking slightly. He runs his hands through his hair and relief crosses his face.
"I thought something was happening to you then. Don't fucking gasp when you are in a hospital bed." He groans and sits down. I frown at him, annoyed that he didn't answer my question.
"Edward, why wouldn't you let me go back to school on my own?" I ask again and he frowns at the floor before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cigarette packet. He knows he can't smoke in here, right? I mean, he should. Carlisle is a doctor, for crying out loud.
"Do you really think Rosalie would come up with this all on her own? And so quickly?" I shake my head and roll my eyes. I'm not that stupid. "I was going out for a smoke the other day and I heard Rosalie and Tanya talking about something. I stopped and listened for a bit and they were talking about you. I stormed over there and told them not to touch you, but I could see Rosalie wanted to. I tried so hard to stop you from getting hurt and then this happens, which I had no idea about," he quickly assures me and I know he wouldn't. He would have told someone if he knew this was going to happen. "God! Why do you even want to be my friend?" I shrug at him and his face falls a little.
"Edward, I want to be your friend because you are a good guy under that tough exterior." He shakes his head and laughs bitterly.
"I am not a good guy. Trust me on that." I ask him what he means by that, but he tells me not to worry.
Sighing, I decide to let the conversation drop. He obviously knew they were planning to hurt me and that is why he didn't want me to go back to school without him. The thing is, he can't fight my battles for me. If I went back and he happened to be there to, he can't just step in and demand that they leave me alone. Things don't work like that. Rosalie wanted me to suffer, and she got what she wanted.
"Bella?" I look up at Edward and see that he is putting his packet of cigarettes away again.
"Yeah?" I reply, nervous about what he wants to ask for some reason.
"Why didn't you fight back? I mean, Rosalie walked away without a scratch on her and you ended up in the hospital." I bite my lip gently, not wanting to damage it anymore that it already is. I see Edward lean forward and he pulls my lip away from my teeth, making me glance up at his lip. It seems to be healing well, but I still feel so bad about what I did to him.
"I didn't want to fight back."
"Why not?" he asks, his tone hard.
"Because it would make me just as bad as she is!" I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air. "If I hit her back, I would feel what she feels every time she hits me and I would hate myself for it. I would feel powerful and I would think about how good I feel while she feels the pain she normally gives me. I wanted to get away, but I couldn't hurt her, Edward. I couldn't!" I cry and he stands from the chair, crawling onto the bed and taking me into his arms.
I cry against his chest for a while, letting my pain out with my tears. He just strokes my hair softly, telling me that he won't let her hurt me again. I want to believe him, but I know she will get back at me, one way or another. Telling people about Rosalie doesn't mean that it will stop her. She will just be more careful about where and how she does it.
After my crying fit, he toes off his shoes and says he will lay with me for a bit. I blush like mad when he says that, but he rolls his eyes and helps me make room for him on the small bed. There isn't much room for him, what with my size and everything, but he assures me he's comfortable where he is.
As his hands slowly weave through my hair, he tells me how beautiful it is and that I should wear it down more often. I shrug off his comment, not wanting to tell him why I don't wear it down. I don't want it cut off or ripped out. Having it up is easier, anyway; it doesn't get in my way.
When Renee, Carlisle, and Charlie come into the room, Edward is on the bed next to me. Our parents stop dead in their tracks and look at us wide-eyed, although Carlisle looks like he knew this would happen. How he knew it would happen is beyond me, but I don't really care right now. As I look at Charlie, I see his face slowly turning redder and redder. He is glaring straight at Edward and I worry that Charlie will have a heart attack. Well, if he does, at least he's in a hospital.
"What the hell are you doing, boy?" Charlie walks towards the bed and glares at Edward. I feel Edward swallow hard behind me and I bite back a laugh.
"N-n-nothing, sir," Edward stutters and slowly removes himself from the bed, making my side go cold.
"Are you corrupting my daughter, boy?" Charlie spits and I see Renee roll her eyes at the same time I do. However, Edward seems to have forgotten how to breathe as he glances at Carlisle for help.
"Dad, leave him alone. I asked Edward to lay with me." His face softens and he nods once. With one last hard look at Edward, he goes to stand next to my mother again. She smiles widely at me and I smile back. When I smile, I feel my lip pull. I grimace and bring my hand to my lip, feeling blood there. Great, just when I thought it was healing nicely! Before I can reach for a tissue, Edward is sitting on the side of the bed and leaning towards me, dabbing at my cut with a fresh tissue. I blush and thank him, but I don't move to take over.
"Now we match." He grins, obviously referring to my cut that now matches his scar.
"So we do," I reply but it comes out weird as Edward has my bottom lip trapped. He smiles. His eyes meet mine and he doesn't look away like he normally does. I don't make a move to look away either, making him smirk at me.
Charlie clears his throat from across the room before asking Carlisle what I have to sign to get out of here. Carlisle walks over to my left and slowly takes out the IV, smiling at me sympathetically when a tear rolls down my cheek. When he finishes, he goes to get the forms as Renee goes into the bathroom with a clean hoodie and some sweats. I am thankful there is nothing she brought that would hurt my bruises or my ribs.
Both she and Edward help me to swing my legs off the bed and slowly stand. I wince and stop, trying to get air into my lungs without hurting my ribs too badly. When I am ready, they walk me to the bathroom and Edward leaves us at the door. Renee, however, comes in with me, telling me I will definitely need help to get a t-shirt on. I thank her as she sits me on the toilet lid and starts to help me get dressed.
I blush the whole time. I feel so useless - I can't even bend down to get my sweats on. Renee, however, doesn't seem to mind. She even tells me it's nice to be able to look after me again since Emmett and I are very independent now, what with us both being seventeen. When I am dressed, I thank her and she helps me get back into the room and sit on one of the low chairs in the room.
"Okay, Isabella. I need you to sign here and I need your parents to sign here as you are under eighteen." Carlisle points out to us what we need to sign. Soon, I am in a wheelchair being pushed through the halls by Edward, medicine in hand and an order of bed rest for the next week or so.
Edward leaves us at our car, but I make him promise to come by later. He says he will and he leaves with a smile to all of us. Charlie and Renee get me in the car without too much difficulty, and we set off for home.
"I like that boy, Isabella," Renee tells me from her place next to me in the back seat. I smile at her and see Charlie glance at me front the rear-view mirror.
"I do too, Mom," I admit, my cheeks filling with that traitor blush.
Thank you guys so much for the love and support you have all shown me with this story. Each and every review I get shows me that you guys appreciate what I do and it makes me feel so happy that I decided to continue with this story. So thank you all for being so supportive and I promise things will start looking up for Bella, for a while.
I don't know if I will be able to update for a few weeks, or at least until I get home in three weeks as my nan is having surgery on her back this week and I will probably be with her in Dublin for a week. When she gets out of hospital I will be helping her as she will be in bed recovering for 6 months.
Can we try and get to 400 reviews by the next chapter? Please? It would actually make my life :)
I have been asked a few times about how long this story is going to be. I would say it is going to be about 35-40 chapters, but if you think that is too long, let me know and I will try to sort it out.
A big thanks to my BETA RuthPerk, you're brilliant!
Thanks for reading and please leave a review.
Twi-girl09
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