I stashed my locket inside of my bag and stood up, ready to go. Greg pointed over at me, and the woman turned around and smiled patronizingly. I walked over, and once I got to her she held out her hand for me to shake. What is it with these people and hand shakes?
Once we were done with the introductions, I smiled apologetically at Greg and Nick, and waved goodbye. "Thanks for the help,"
"Anytime, but hopefully not too often. Come visit sometime!" Greg said, before I was dragged out to the car and put in the passenger seat. The woman turned the key in the ignition, and the engine rumbled. "I'm going to ask you some questions, Bella, and you need to answer them truthfully. Can you do that?" she said, sliding a glance at me in the rearview mirror. The streetlights had come on, and we turned onto the highway.
"Yes."
"I understand Damien Chace was abusive?"
"Yes."
"How did he abuse you?"
"It started with verbal and a little physical, like an occasional hit. Then he started coming into my room after getting back from the bar, and abusing me, sometimes with glass or knives, but usually only throwing me around or hitting me. Just last night he used a fire poker on my arm, something he'd never done before."
She was silent for a moment, and I imagined she was going through the facts in her head.
"How long, when did it start?"
"A few days after I first got to his house. He was never exactly on track, but it was okay for a few days, before he started. He's been doing it ever since."
"Did he ever...do anything to you?"
I wasn't expecting that question. "No. If he had tried, I would have fought back. I would've kicked that bastard's ass." And it was true. There was no way I was going to give him that part of me. That was almost the only thing I would have fought for. There was no way I would have let him rape me.
"What did he do during the day?"
"When he woke up in the morning, he would drink some beer, then leave for work after locking the front door so I couldn't leave. He would go to work, go to the bar, and come home, drunk as the skunk he is. He would sit at the table and finish off a drink or two, then come into my room."
"What did he give you to wear or use?"
"I had two or three different outfits, and a mattress on the floor with some sheets on it."
"What did you have available for food?"
"Most of the time there was nothing. Some beer in the fridge and random things. I had an orange that I found in the fridge before I escaped. There was sometimes stuff for a sandwich, like there was when I left, or cereal."
"On a scale of one to ten, how many marks did he leave on you?"
Did she mean mentally or physically? I was sure it would be awhile before I was comfortable alone in a room with a man. And I had bruises and scars everywhere. He had never broken a bone, and I assumed it was because it would ruin his fun, but for that, I was thankful. "Nine."
She grimaced. It seemed like the people around here didn't take kindly to beings like Damien Chace, once they knew who he really was.
She turned into a driveway, and I looked out at the front porch, which was illuminated by a light above the door. If the rest of the house was proportionate to the porch, that must have been a huge house. A victorian mansion.
When we climbed out of the car, a woman in a long, flowing skirt and a black T-shirt stepped out of the house and onto the porch. She was rather large, but being near her made me feel like a little kid again. She had a motherly aura.
"Hello, Melissa." the woman who had driven me here said, greeting the large woman on the porch.
"Would you like to stay for a while, Neshaeida?"
"No thanks, I have to go do some paperwork. See you next week!" With that, Neshaeida got back into her car and drove off.
The woman, Melissa, led me inside. "I know you just got here, but are you ready to leave?" she asked, eyes twinkling.
"Excuse me?"
"Your new family is already here. They had time to come and get you tonight, so they've been waiting in the dining room. You can go home with them now. And it'll save me a lot of paperwork." she said, winking.
I followed her through the maze of a house to the dining room, where the Cullens would be waiting. Suddenly, I was nervous. What if they saw me, and ran away like any sensible person would? I pulled the ends of my sleeves over my hands, and adjusted my clothing to cover as much of me as possible. Melissa held a door open for me, and I stepped through.
Inside that room were the seven most beautiful people I had ever seen.
Okay, I know, fourth chapter in one day. Don't hate me! It's not my fault! Just, leave me a cookie, since reviews are cookies, before you shun me.
~Lin