CHAPTER EIGHTEEN– SUGAR RUSH
EDWARD POV
"What do you mean home?" I questioned.
Fuck was I going to take her home now, especially after what Harding said about suitable punishment for her.
"I need to get something" Bella told me anxiously.
"No, I'm not letting you near that fucking place" I grunted.
"Edward, you need proof remember and that's what we're going to get"
"It's too risky" I said shaking my head
"Edward the teachers are at home remember"
That was true but that wasn't the only threat.
"What about you're farther?"
"I can handle him" she whispered.
"From what I recall he handled you last time" I spat.
"Edward we don't have a choice, it's either go to my house now and possible run into my farther or wait until later and possible run into my farther and the teachers. At least if we go now we know exactly where the teachers are so we know that it's safe and besides my farther said he had paperwork and board meeting to attend to so his probably in Port Angeles now as we speak"
I listened to her words and groaned inwards because she was right.
"Fine, but I'm going alone your staying here"
"Why?"
I stood up from the bed and wrapped my arms around her.
"Bella I can't risk losing you, it's not safe there" I whispered.
"Edward you don't even know what you're looking for and I know the codes to everything. You need me with you and besides where is safe anymore?"
I listened to her words and yet again she was right, considering that Bryans just walked into my house today then I suppose this place wasn't safe either. I huffed and accepted defeat, if Bella was with me then she was in danger but the funny thing I also knew was when Bella was in my arms she was in the safest place possible.
"Alright" I whispered before I kissed the top of her head.
I pulled back and took her hand and walked out the bedroom with her.
"One minute" I said dropping her hand.
I entered the bathroom and grabbed an old cloth and rinsed it under the water. I looked at my reflection though the broken mirror that made my face look like it had split into loads of pieces. I wiped the dried blood away from my forehead then continued back out. I wouldn't be surprised if I had brain damage by now with the amount of blows I've taken to my head. I took her hand again and pulled her down the stairs.
Emmett and Jasper were sitting in the living room chugging beer. Emmett had a huge grin plastered on his face as we came into view and Jasper looked lost for words.
"What the fuck?" Jasper perked up after a moment of silence.
"Dude you know she is" Emmett nudged him.
"Yeah I know who she is, I meant what is she doing here?" he asked.
I felt Bella squeeze my hand more tightly and I didn't have to turn around to see her make herself look small like she always did when she felt intimidated.
"She's with me and she's no concern of yours" I spat to Jasper.
"Edward she's in our fucking house so yes it does concern me, do you even know who she is and more importantly who her farther is?" He countered.
Did he really think I was that stupid? I knew Jasper felt uneasy as did Bella but I wasn't going to let his worry about the law and shit stand in the way of our relationship.
"I do actually, her farther just dropped her off onto our roof with his sleigh because his busy making present for all the good little boys and girls out there" I sarcastically spat "Of course I know who she is you dumb shit" I added more seriously.
"Whatever" he said rolling his eyes "As long as you don't invite him over for dinner then there no problem" he grunted.
"Don't worry, I doubt that will be happening anytime soon" I replied.
"Good" he nodded "So, Isabella is it?" He asked.
"Bella" I corrected him.
"When are you joining us?" he asked her.
"She's not" I answered for her.
"What do you mean shes not, she has to join"
"She doesnt have to do anything and she doesnt have to join if were not together" I smiled.
"But you are together" Jasper turned to Emmett with a confused look on his face.
"You know that and I know that but nobody else knows dumb ass" Emmett nudged him again.
Jasper turned back around and shook his head.
"Alright I wont say any thing but if the others find out then don't expect me to cry at your funeral" He sarcastically said.
"Thanks" I smirked rolling my eyes.
"So Bella how you liking Forks so far?" He asked.
"Yeah Bella" Emmett smiled "I want to know all about my cousin new bird"
"Does she look like she got fucking wings?" I perked up rolling my eyes.
"It's alright" Bella replied to me.
"Yeah Edward shut it" Emmett perked up.
"It's being" she paused tring to consider the right word "Eventful"
"Where did you move from? How old are you? You got any other family here? What's it like..."
"We have to go" I interrupted Emmett pulling Bella to the front door.
"I'm not finished" Emmett moaned.
Emmett was such an old washer woman who loved to gossip. I could just picture him with curling tongs in his hair wearing a piny sitting around a tub with a load of other old woman. They would all gossip about their neighbour's dirty drapes while washing their clothes and squeezing them dry using old mangles.
I pulled Bella outside and walked to my bike. It's not that I didn't want her to answer them questions it was because those questions I should have known the answers to. It accrued to me then that I didn't really know anything about her. I didn't even know how old she was for fuck sake. I wanted to ask her those things and find out everything about her myself.
"Climb on" I said after climbing on myself.
She climbed on and wrapped her arms around my waist before I took off towards her house.
I drove about 40mph for her as usual so it took nearly twenty minutes to get to her house. I slowly revved the bike up the windy dirt road and went extra slow taking the bend around where her house came into view. After seeing the driveway empty I sped up then parked outside.
We both climbed off and I followed her up to the porch.
"Its locked" she said tiring the front door. "I haven't got my key"
"Wait here" I said taking off down the steps.
"What are you doing?" She asked as I walked around aimlessly.
"Improvising" I said picking up a brick from the driveway.
"Don't even think about it, you will set the alarms off and besides the windows are shatter proof" She informed me so I dropped the brick again.
"Wait here" I said.
She nodded and I took off around the side of the house and peered through the windows. Nobody was visible so I continued around the other side of the house to find the pantry window ajar so I jogged back out from the side of the house.
"Bella!" I quietly shouted.
I didn't know why I was being quiet for considering this was the only house around but still just because there wasn't a car in the driveway that didn't mean that there wasn't people inside. She jogged over to me and we went back to the window.
"I'll go in first and check it out"
"Alright"
"If there is anybody else here besides me then I want you to get the fuck out of here do you understand?"
Before she could protest I planted my lips on hers. I pulled back and gave her a smile before I jumped up and pulled myself inside. I landed on the pantry floor with a soft thud then I quickly got to my feet. I listened for any movement before I began walking.
The kitchen was empty and on the island was a glass and a half empty bottle of whisky, no doubt that was her fathers. I crept in the hallway and the control panel told me the alarm system was activated so it was a good job we didn't try to force our way in. The living room was also empty so I continued to check all the downstairs rooms including her father's office and the closet I once hid in. The downstairs was abandoned so I quickly ascended the stairs and checked all the rooms up there before desending the stairs again and returning back to the pantry.
"Come on" I said leaning back out the window.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her up then carefully lowered her inside.
"Follow me" she said.
I followed her back up the stairs and into her father's bedroom. She headed to the closet and crouched down then pulled the rug back. Well at least her farther and I shared similar hiding places. I thought to myself. She punched in some numbers into a safe and it opened with ease.
"What exactly are you looking for?" I asked crouching down next to her.
"An envelope" She replied.
I scanned the safe and sin a few notes, pieces of jewellery but no envelope.
"Shit" she growled rummaging through the safe.
"What?"
"It's not here, it's gone" She growled again.
"What was in it?"
"Im not sure there was a brown envelope with Confidential written on it. I took a quick look inside but I couldn't understand any of it then my farther sort of distracted me so I could read any of it"
"Think love, try to think about anything you might have seen" I encouraged her.
"Well there were letters and contracts of some sort about that Megatech Company we came across, my father's signature was on all off them and I sin that Mr Langford's name again"
I exhaled deeply and ran my fingers through my hair. Basically she just told me what I already knew.
"I'm sorry I should have looked at them more, I should have"
"It's alright love" I interrupted her then kissed the top of her head.
This wasn't her fault none of it was.
"We need that envelope, it must have contained vital information in there because he kept it in his safe" I said.
She closed the safe again and pulled the rug back over as I walked back out to her father's bedroom.
"If it isn't in here then my farther must have taken it with him and the only way to get it would be for me to come back tonight and to get it myself" she replied walking out the closet.
"No" I hissed.
"Edward"
"No Bella, I'm not going to risk your life over a couple of stupid documents" I interrupted her.
"There not stupid Edward, you said yourself that they contain information that we both need"
Why the fuck does she always have to right about everything.
"Fine but I'm coming with you"
"No you're not"
"Why?" I growled.
I didn't want to fucking bring her here with myself let alone leave her here on her own.
"Edward my farther blew his lid because of you, if I turn up with you tonight then his just going to do the same and probably call the police. The only way I can even get close to those documents is to come by myself"
I knew she was right again and besides just the thought of him made my blood boil so if he was to try anything again like he did the last time I sin him then I wouldn't hold back. I would kill him so maybe me not being here was best for both of us.
"Bella his not going to let you just walk back in here knowing that your with me and you defied his every word"
"I know" she paused "That's why I have to pretend that were not together, to make him think that I want to come back"
"I suppose that's better than my idea" I said wrapping my arms around her.
"And what idea's that"
"Oh you know just break in with Emmett and Jasper then make him give it to me as well as any other information he knows" I smirked.
"May I remind you Edward that despite what he did and has done, he is still my farther and I still care for him"
"I know, that's why I said your idea was better than mine" I smirked again.
She smiled and I planted a quick kiss on her lips before I pulled back and dropped my hands again.
"So what's the plan" she asked.
"Plan is we both come back here" She tried to speak but so I held my finger up "I'll wait outside for you and when you have got the documents get back outside to me then we will get the fuck out of here"
"Then what"
"We will find out what's so important that your farther has to hide then if there's any information or proof as to what the fucks being going on then ill inform the Black Hearts. Even if they still don't believe me we have to try and having the whole gang behind us is better than us two dealing with this shit alone"
"Alright" she relied.
"I won't be too far away so I mean it Bella, if your farter tries anything then get out of here or scream your fucking lungs off " I warned her.
She nodded nervously and bit the bottom of her lip. Considering everything that had gone on this was the best plan, the only plan we have. It better be fucking worth it because I seriously didn't know what else to do.
"I need to go and get my bag"
"I don't think we should leave until your farther gets here" I told her.
"But his going to find it suspicious that I haven't got my things with me"
"You can make up an excuse for that and besides I don't want to leave then come back tonight and possibly run into more than we anticipated" I told her "This place is empty for now so if we stay and watch we can see who comes in because I don't want the teachers surprising us later if they were to show up"
"Alright"
"Follow me" I said walking out of her dad's room.
She followed me down the stairs and into the kitchen
"Grab some food" I told her opening her cupboards.
"Already ahead of you" she said taking stuff out the fridge.
We grabbed whatever we could and headed back to the pantry. I climbed out first then she handed me the food. I set the items down of the ground and took her in my arms and pulled her though. Once back outside we grabbed the food and headed to the driveway. I jogged over to the space behind the tree line that I used to hide my bike in and dropped the food to the floor.
"Be right back" I said jogging back off to receive my bike.
I rolled it off the driveway and over the patch of grass towards the tree line. I leaned it up against a tree then took my jacket off and spread it out on the floor.
"Sit" I smirked.
She smiled and sat down cross legged on my jacket. I sat down beside her on the ground and leant my back up against another tree trunk with my knees bent up.
"Let the stakeout begin" I smiled picking up a Hershey's candy bar.
We began to stuff our faces with candy as we debated on which was the best, Twinkies or Snowballs. Twinkies where my favourite but Bella was determined that Snowballs were the best.
"You got a little" I smirked and pointed to the side of her face.
She blushed and began to wipe the white cream from the Snowball off with her hand.
"Is it gone?"
"No its still there" I teased her knowing that she had already gotten it off.
"Is it gone now?"
I rolled my eyes and smirked.
"I suppose I'm going to have to get it off for you" I smirked leaning over her.
I planted a kiss on her cheek then began to playfully bite it. She giggled beneath me as I began to move my lips to nibble her ear.
"No" She laughed tiring to stop me from moving down to her neck.
I playfully growled in her ear making her tickle as my lips fell to her neck.
"Stop" she laughed lowering herself to get away from me.
I smirked and climbed on top of her and began to tickle her. She laughed and shook uncontrollable as my fingers ticked her sides and my lips ticked her neck.
"Ss,tt,o,p" She laughed in-between little breaths.
My fingers became still and I brought my lips to her ear.
"I love you" I whispered.
"I love you too" she whispered back.
I kissed her lips softly before pulling myself back up to my sitting position again. She also sat up and raised her eyebrow at me.
"Oh no you didn't" She said bobbing her head from side to side and pursing her lips.
I looked into her hand and laughed as the last packet of Snowballs was now sadly crushed.
"You crushed my last packet" she frowned.
I held my hands up in defence and tried to hide my smile. She threw them to the ground with disgust on her face and grabbed the last Twinkie.
"This is mine" She sarcastically smiled back.
I couldn't help but laugh as she opened the packet and stuffed the whole thing in her mouth. It was like watching Emmett's regular eating habits on a day to day bases. My smile was that wide I felt like my face was going to crack in to. I didn't know if it was because I was on a fucking sugar rush or if it was because Bella was here, stupid question really because I already knew the answer to that.
"How old are you?" I asked once her mouth was empty.
"17"
I actually thought that she was 18 maybe even older considering she was quite mature for her age.
"You?" She nodded.
"My questions first" I smirked.
"Alright" she smirked "What do you want to know?"
"Well I already know that you're from Jacksonville, you relocated because you're farther, you don't smoke, don't do drugs and occasionally drink. You like English literature and you don't have any siblings"
I watched as the amazement of my memory lit up in her eyes.
"So tell me something I don't know"
"Like what, there's really not much to tell" She replied.
"How long did you live in Jacksonville?"
"Twelve years" She replied. "I was born in Phoenix and lived there until I was five then moved to Jacksonville"
"So you moved across the country because" I pushed her.
She paused and I could see that she was debating wither or not to tell me about it.
"We moved because of my mother. She had an affair with my farther so he got custody of me and took me to live with him in Jacksonville"
I hated this guy even more now, fuck sake didn't this guy have no limits.
"That seems fucking selfish doesn't it" I grunted "He had no right to take you away from your mother"
"It's alright" she shrugged "My mother didn't really make the effort to come and see me anyway, I understand that it cost time and money to flight across the country but I didn't even get a lousy phone call"
It wouldn't surprise me if her farther bothered to tell her mother there address or phone number at all. I had a strong feeling about this, that her mother didn't just abandon her so I made a mental note to myself about it so when this whole thing was over then I could somehow help Bella reconnect with her mother and find out the truth.
"What about your friends?" I asked.
"What about them" she shrugged again.
I couldn't help but notice the sad tone of her voice either, did she miss them?
"Did you have any friends?"
She swallowed hard and paused so I knew that I was on an uncomfortable subject, but why?
"I had friends, a lot actually but there was one friend" she paused and swallowed again.
I felt cold all of a sudden, who was this person she talked about?
"Go on" I said.
I didn't want to push her or make her feel uncomfortable but for some unknown reason I could see that something was eating her up inside and I didn't like it.
"It doesn't matter it's not important" she whispered and her voice cracked.
I took her hand into mine and wrapped my other arm around her shoulder.
"Bella, you can tell me anything" I reassured her.
She nodded and her hand started to shake in mine it was then I knew that something bad must have happened to her and I also knew that whatever she was about to tell me I wasn't going to like.
"My friend, my best friend actually he um" she paused again.
So this friend was a male, was it her boyfriend? Did she love him? Was she missing him? Does she still love him? Calm the fuck down Edward she hasn't even said anything yet. I scolded my own thoughts. I squeezed her hand to tell her that I was still listening.
"We were best friends, we were in middle school together, grew up together, went to high school together even worked part time in a bookstore together to save up enough money to go to college together. I always knew he felt more for me than just a friend, but that's all I sin him as just a friend"
I somehow became engulfed in jealously because this kid shared most of her life with her, something I could only dream about.
"About a year ago just before Christmas me, him and a load of other mates when to this girls birthday party, I didn't know at first but he had taken some drugs then got really drunk. I was panicing because I thought that my best friend was going to die." she paused as the tears started to roll down her face. "I wanted to take him to the hospital but he refused then" she paused again " I don't know what happened I guess he just lost it" she choked "I didnt see it coming, I tried to stop him but he was too strong" she wept endless tears.
My jaw locked and if Bella's hand wasn't in mine right now they would have been in fists because I knew exactly where this was going.
"Please don't tell me he" I hissed and paused through clenched teeth.
She was silent then more tears began to fall, I knew my thoughts were correct and I wish now that she have never told me. I dropped her hand and quickly got to my feet as the rage filtered through my body. My fists clenched and connected with the first tree trunk I came across.
"Mother fucker!" I growled.
Whoever this mother fucker was he was dead!
"Who the fuck is he!" I spat.
"Edward" she whispered.
"I want to know who he is, I want to know his name, what he looks like and where he lives!"
I was going to add this on my list of things to do before I died and after dealing with these teachers then this was the next one of the list, to hunt this mother fucker down and to slit his fucking throat.
"Edward please, it's in the past it doesn't matter anymore" She cried.
"He raped you Bella!" I spat the word out like poisonous venom. "Of course it matters!"
She pulled her knees up to her chest and wept into her hands. I was so enraged I couldn't think straight, the only thing I knew for sure was that this mother fucker would pay for what he had done to my Bella. It didn't matter if it happened a year ago, last week or the other day you cant put a time limit on rape because it still happened either way. It didn't matter if I wasn't with Bella at the time, right now I wish I would have been so I could have stopped it from happening in the first place. My feeling and thoughts didn't matter because Bella needed me right now and I was no good to her being like this. I knelt down and stretched my arms out and wrapped my whole upper body around her.
"I'm so sorry Bella" I whispered.
I held her for a while until she calmed herself down. It was heartbreaking seeing her like this and it made my blood boil whenever I thought about what she must have been through.
"I'm here for you Bella, always" I whispered when her breathing returned back to normal.
She looked up with puffy eyes and nestled in my chest.
"You're not mad at me?" she whispered.
Or course I was mad, at that fucking perverted animal not at Bella.
"Why would I be mad it wasn't your fault" I reassured her.
She wiped her eyes with her sleeves then I used my finger to pull her face to mine.
"I love you Bella, you can tell me anything. I will always be here for you no matter how bad things get, I will always be here for you" I whispered.
She managed to push out a smile and I gladly returned it.
As I leaned in to kiss her we both heard the sounds of a car. Our heads both looked in the same direction as we heard tires on the graveled driveway. I stood up and pulled Bella up with me, we both peeked through the trees to see Charlie getting out of his car carrying a briefcase. He looked rough like he hadn't slept all night.
"You should wait a few minutes to let him get settled" I told her.
Charlie walked towards the house and disappeared out of view.
"Alright" she replied.
She ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled deeply. Her tears have subsided but her eyes and cheeks were still red and puffy so you could tell she had been crying. Charlie should have no problem in believing her pretend story.
"Come here" I said pulling her to me.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. My lips touched hers and I slowly kissed her. I wanted to show her that she was safe in my arms and that I would never do anything to hurt her. I would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do and I wanted to show her that not all guys are like her so called friend and like Jacob. Her hands found the back of my neck and her fingers started to entwine around my hair. I pulled away from her because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to stop. I smiled and softly kissed the tip of her nose.
"I'll be waiting" I whispered.
I dropped my arms from her waist and took her hand. I kissed it before she pulled away and disappeared out the trees. She walked around the side of her house and disappeared out of sight. I grabbed my jacket off the floor and put it back on. I climbed up a broken tree stump and pulled myself up the tree, manoeuvring my body around the branches and using my feet to push myself higher. I finally climbed high enough off the ground and perched myself on a thick branch. I dangled my feet off the edge and leaned my back up against the tree and waited for the first part of the plan to unfold.