A/N: Thanks for your patience while waiting an extra day for this. As always, a huge thanks for reading and reviewing.
BPOV
A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed that I had less than an hour to go. I was a bit pissed that I'd gotten called in to work, but Mrs. Stanley had really needed someone to cover for Arlene. From what I'd gathered, Arlene had caught her husband cheating and was too upset to come into work. That was understandable, I guess. I mean, if I caught Edward cheating on me, Dad would probably have to put me in jail because I would've kicked Edward's ass and then some.
"Order up!" Embry hollered.
Grabbing the food, I carried the plates toward the table in the corner where a couple of young teen girls were hanging out. After handing them their food and refilling their drinks, I had a chance to relax.
By nine, I was more than ready to leave. It wasn't that work had been hard or that the customers had been difficult, but I was ready to head home and to talk to Edward.
"Ready, Embry?" I hollered into the kitchen.
"I'll be ready in a minute, if you wanna wait for me," he hollered back.
My car was parked right outside the back door, so I shouted a goodbye to Embry and headed out the back door.
I noticed that the street lamp that was in the parking lot was out, but I continued on to my truck. As I unlocked it, I waved goodbye to Embry and watched as he climbed into his car. It was comical to see such a huge guy climb into a Volkswagen Bug.
He tooted his horn as he drove off, and I waved once more before opening the door to my truck.
I was about to climb in when the door was suddenly slammed shut, causing me to drop my keys as I whirled around.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" a voice said from beside me.
Nausea welled up in my stomach as I slowly looked up into James' face.
"Go away, James!" I snarled, hating that my voice quivered as I spoke.
"Or what?" he asked, leaning closer. "Gonna call your daddy? I don't think so," he said, brandishing a knife.
"Give me your phone and your keys. Now!" he yelled when I didn't comply right away.
With shaking hands, I dug my phone out of my pocket and handed it to him before reaching down to get my keys. The second they were in my hands, he snatched them up and flung them into the dark. I watched as he sent a text on my phone and then tossed it onto the ground.
"Let's go," he said, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward a car.
I knew that getting into the car with him was the worst thing I could do, but what else was I going to do? I could run, but I wasn't sure how far I'd get. Almost as if he knew what I was thinking, James grabbed me by my hair and slammed my head against the car, and my world turned black.
Holy shit, my head hurt. Like seriously hurt. I felt like I'd been hit with a baseball bat, and then I remembered. James had slammed my head against the car. Gingerly, I reached up to touch my temple and winced at the obvious lump.
Slowly, not wanting to alert James, I opened my eyes and peered around. I was propped up against a wall, sitting on a linoleum floor. A quick glance around showed that James wasn't in the room with me, but I could hear voices coming from somewhere nearby.
"What the fuck are you doing, son? Her father's the fucking chief of police! Are you trying to get yourself shot?" I heard a man ask.
"That bitch, her family, and that Edward punk all deserve what's coming to them."
"Be reasonable, son. It's one thing to go after the doctor's son, but to kidnap the chief's daughter? They'll fry your ass!"
I heard the sound of something breaking, and I flinched at the noise. A few minutes later, I heard the sound of a door slamming. Not wanting to be a sitting duck, I got to my feet and quietly began to search the room I was in. It was obviously a kitchen, and I searched frantically for a weapon of any sort. However, the kitchen looked like it was being remodeled, and I couldn't find a weapon of any kind. No knives, no forks, hell there wasn't even a spoon.
"Fuck," I whispered. I needed something.
Finally, my eyes fell upon a spade-like tool partially hidden under a tarp. I snatched it up, then scrambled back to the spot that I'd been in just as footsteps headed my way.
"Get up!" James snarled.
I tightened my grip on the spade and as soon as I was on my feet, I attacked. I swung at his face with all my might, wincing as I made contact. He let out a scream and clutched the side of his face, and that was all I needed.
Spade in hand, I ran out of the kitchen and into a small living room. Before me was a door, and I bolted for it, knowing that James would catch up with me soon.
I flung the door open and almost tripped as I flew down the steps and across the gravel drive. A quick glance behind me, showed that the house was actually a doublewide trailer, and I didn't see any other houses in the distance and that scared me. I was alone with James and some strange guy in the middle of nowhere.
Not stopping, I kept up my frantic pace as I reached the end of the driveway and began down a dirt road. I heard a car start from somewhere behind me, and I knew without a doubt that James was coming after me.
I knew that I couldn't stay on the road with James coming after me, so I headed for the fields on the side of the road that were filled with high grass and weeds. I stumbled more than once and despite the stitch in my side, I kept going.
"I know you're out there!" I heard James call.
Fear and adrenaline rushed through me as I kept going. Grass and low-hanging branches snapped against my face, but nothing was going to stop me. I had to get home.
But no matter how fast I ran, I wasn't quick enough. James caught up to me quickly enough and backhanded me, causing me to see stars and drop the spade.
"You're a real pain my ass, Swan!" he growled as he dragged me back toward the road where his car was idling.
He tossed me into the passenger seat and pointed his knife at me, telling me he'd kill me if I tried to escape again. I believed him. There was no doubt in my mind that he would.
We drove for an hour and James was muttering to himself the whole time. I seriously began to think that he was insane. Eventually, he pulled up in front of a decrepit house. After getting out of the car, James grabbed my arm and dragged me up the steps and onto the sagging porch. He knocked on the door and a few minutes later, it was opened by a guy with dreads and a wild look in his eye.
"What the fuck, man?" the guy said with a Jamaican accent.
"I need a place to lay low and you fucking owe me, so let me in," James snarled.
"What about her?" the guy asked, pointing to me.
"What about her? You never saw her. Remember that."
The guy nodded and let us in. The house was a disaster and it stunk horribly. There was moldy food lying on a table, alongside drug paraphernalia and empty liquor bottles.
I was shoved down a hallway and into a room that had an air mattress with a dirty blanket and a pile of trash in the corner. I was beyond disgusted and more than a little terrified that I was alone in a room with James.
"Relax, Swan. You're not my type anymore. I'd much rather have that blonde ice bitch sister of yours," he said with a laugh as he played with the knife in his hand.
I narrowed my eyes and let out a growl.
"I bet that little one is feisty. I could definitely go for a taste of that."
Rage ran through me and before I knew it, I was kicking and hitting him. How dare he talk about my sisters like that!
A knife to my throat, stopped my actions. "One more move, one more attack, and I will slit that pretty little throat of yours. Now, behave. I'll be back in a bit."
I watched as he walked out the door and seconds later, I heard it lock. Once alone, I took a good look at my surroundings. There wasn't much in the room that would be useful, and the window was so tiny I doubt that I could fit through it. Not that that was going to stop me.
Knowing that James could come back at any second, I quickly made my way to the window. Of course, things couldn't be simple. The window seemed to be painted shut, and I let out a string of curses. Breaking the window would most likely attract unwanted attention, so I was going to have to do something else.
I kept struggling and trying to pull the window up until my arms were sore, and I was exhausted. Giving up, I sat down on the floor near the window. Tears stung my eyes, and I beyond frustrated.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but at some point there was a knock on the door and I heard it unlock. I doubted that James would knock, so I stood up a bit tense as to who was on the other side.
The door unlocked and in walked the dreadlocked guy. He handed me a plate of toast and a bottle of water. I shook my head and told him thanks, but that I wasn't hungry. That wasn't true. I was starving, but I didn't know nor trust him.
"Whatever, girlie.," he said, leaning against the closed door and pulling a cigarette out of his pocket.
Staring at him, I thought perhaps I could convince him to call the police or at least give me a phone.
"Do you have a phone? I need to call my parents."
The guy shook his head. "James said you aren't allowed to have a phone."
I snapped. All the fear and rage inside me had finally reached its boiling point. I stood up and got in the guy's face.
"Let me explain something to you. James kidnapped from the diner where I work at. So unless you want to be charged with aiding and abating a kidnapper, you will give me a fucking phone!"
He just stared at me before shaking his head. "James will kill me if I get you a phone."
"So call the police for me," I begged.
Before he could respond to my request, a banging on the other side of the door startled both of us.
"What's going on in here?" James asked, a fierce look on his face.
"Nothing, man. Just bringing her some toast and water."
I held back a sigh of relief that the guy hadn't told James that I wanted a phone. I just hoped that the guy did the right thing and called the cops, but chances were good that he wouldn't.
Minutes turned into hours, and I had to pee like there was no tomorrow. Finally, James allowed me out to use the bathroom. I followed him down the hall and into a tiny room. I was warned not to take too long before I shut the door.
The minute the door was shut, I glanced around the bathroom looking for anything that could help me.
"Hurry up, Swan!"
Crap. Grabbing some toilet paper, I placed strips on the toilet before doing my business. As I finished washing my hands, I noticed a small can of hairspray on the floor next to the sink. I bent down and picked it up, thinking that I could spray James in the eyes with it.
The door opened just as I put it in my pocket, and James gave me a glare.
"Let's go," he said, grabbing my arm and began to drag me back down the hall.
We were almost back to the room when someone began to holler that the cops were on their way. Chaos ensued and panic kicked in throughout the house. People began rushing out of rooms, holding stuff, and heading for the door.
James yelled for someone named Laurent, and the second his back was turned I pulled out the hairspray. James turned back to me after getting no answer, and I sprayed the hairspray in his eyes. He let out a howl of pain and let go of my arm, giving me the opportunity to run for it.
I ran for the stairs, moving down them as quickly as possible. They were slightly steep and it didn't help that I was being pushed and jostled by drug addicts as they attempted to escape the police raid.
All it took was one hard push, and I went tumbling down the steps, crying out in pain when I felt my leg snap. Fear rushed through me, because I knew that there was no way I could escape if James came after me.
As I braced myself for the inevitable, I heard the most wonderful sound. A voice yelling out, "Police! This is a raid!"
Everything after that was a blur. Police were everywhere, people were being arrested, and I was put on a stretcher and into an ambulance. I vaguely remembered someone saying that I was Chief Swan's daughter, and I began to cry, wanting my dad. At some point, I passed out from whatever drug they gave me.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, my leg in a cast, and my dad by my side.
"Daddy?" I croaked out.
"Baby, girl!" he said, wrapping me up in a hug. I clung to him as tears fell from my eyes.
Once I was calm, Dad asked me if I could tell him what happened. I recounted the events, watching as his deputy, Mark, took notes and recording it all. I was exhausted by the time I finished telling them about my ordeal.
Dad gave me a hug, told me that Mom was on her way, and that he'd be back. I knew that he had work to do, but I was so glad that he'd been there when I'd woken up.
I dozed off for a while, and the next time I opened my eyes, the door was opening and my family and Edward came rushing in.
I let out a cry when I saw my mom and was immediately wrapped up in her arms. I clung tightly to her, just like I had done with Dad. After Mom left go, Edward came over and hugged me and the tears began again. I was so tired of crying, but I felt unsettled and all of these emotions were welling up inside.
I was so glad when Carlisle told me that the family and Edward could stay with me. I wasn't ready to be alone, and I had a feeling that I was going to be clingy for a while.
Four days had passed since I'd been found and in those four days a lot had happened. Mainly, and most importantly, James had been caught. Seattle P.D. had arrested him after he'd been caught speeding. He was being charged with a variety of offenses such as hit and run, leaving the scene of an accident, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. His father had also been arrested for aiding and abating a kidnapping. At the moment, they were both awaiting trial and being held without bail.
I had been released from the hospital and was back at home with the number for a therapist. I knew that I needed to talk to a professional, but I didn't want to. I wanted it all to be over, and talking about it only made it go on. I knew, of course, that I was going to have to testify against James, but I didn't want to think about it at the moment.
I'd been excused from school for the rest of the week, and I was going crazy sitting at home. It didn't help that Mom hovered constantly. I had been a bit clingy when I'd first gotten home, but now it was Mom who was clinging. Every few minutes, she would pop into my room and ask if I was okay or ask if I wanted something to eat.
Finally, I snapped.
"I'm fine! Just leave me the hell alone!" I screamed at her, then I burst into tears, horrified by what I'd just done.
Thankfully, Mom was understanding and pulled me close, rocking us back and forth.
"How about this? I'll go out and get us some cookie dough ice cream, and you can pick out a movie for us to watch. Sound good?"
I nodded, sniffling. After Mom left, I took a quick shower before putting my most comfortable pajamas on, a t-shirt that I'd stolen from Edward and a pair of pajama pants with purple hippos on them. Once dressed, I went to the living room and put in the first Harry Potter.
By the time, my siblings and Edward got back from school, Mom and I had eaten the better part of a carton of ice cream and were on the fourth Harry Potter movie.
"What's this? You guys had a party without us?" Emmett asked with a pout.
As Mom joked around with Emmett, Edward came over and sat down next to me.
"I know you're sick of hearing this, but how are you doing?" Edward asked as I cuddled up to him.
"I blew up at Mom earlier," I told him quietly, still ashamed at my behavior.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to find someone to talk to like Rose and Emmett do," Edward suggested.
"I know," I told him, picking up his hand and playing with his fingers. "I will, just not yet."
A little after six, Dad came home and plopped down in his recliner after kicking Emmett out of told us how James and his father were going to stay in the Seattle jail until the trial, despite the fact that the crimes took place in Forks; something about the Seattle jail being better equipped. I think it was so that Dad wouldn't "accidentally" shoot James or his father while they were in his custody.
The rest of the week and the weekend past by slowly, and I woke up Monday in a crappy mood. It was a pain in the ass trying to shower with a cast on. It was a pain in the ass trying to get dressed with a cast on, and it was a pain in the ass trying to get into the car with a cast on. Not too mention walking around.
By the time, Jasper pulled into the lot, I was ready to say screw it and just stay in the car all day. However, Edward pulled into the spot beside us and got out, opening my door.
"Come on, sweet girl, classes are awaiting," Edward said, helping me out the car.
Grumbling, I took the crutches that he offered me and slowly began hobbling toward the school. The minute we opened the door the whispers began. My siblings and Edward had warned me that the school was rampant with speculation about what had happened to me. It was none of their freaking business and it only served to piss me off.
I'd noticed over the course of the past week that my anger was starting to get out of control. I'd snapped at both my parents multiple times, and I'd even snapped at Edward. I felt horrible and guilty afterward, always apologizing, but I knew that it was time to get help. I had an appointment with a therapist that Carlisle had recommended. It was a different therapist from the one Rose and Emmett went to, but I was okay with that. Carlisle had told me the therapist I was going to see was named Emily, and that she was really good at her job.
The school day passed by almost painfully slow. I had one hell of a day maneuvering around the hallways, and I was tired of all the questions, glances, and whispers. As the bell rang, signaling the end of school, I hurried to my locker as quickly as my crutches would allow me.
I wasn't in a rush to go to the hospital and talk to Emily, but I was in a rush to get away from school. Edward met me at my locker and walked me out to his car. He'd offered to drive me to the hospital, and I'd been hesitant at first. I was going to be there for at least an hour, and I didn't just want him hanging out. He told me it was no big deal, that he'd hang out in Carlisle's office doing homework.
Fifteen minutes after school let out, we pulled into the hospital parking lot and made our way inside. Carlisle greeted us and took me to Emily's office while Edward headed to Carlisle's.
Carlisle knocked on the door and opened it after a woman's voice called out for him to come in. With a hand on my back, Carlisle guided me into Emily's office, before leaving us alone.
The woman in front of me was a pretty Native American woman with long dark hair, but she had some rather nasty scars on the side of her face. Not wanting to stare, I adverted my gaze.
"I'm Emily Young," she said, holding out a hand.
I shook it as I mumbled that I was Bella Swan.
"Why don't you have a seat, Bella?" she said, and I moved slowly across the room to sit in a plush chair across from her.
My hands twisted nervously in my lap, and I looked everywhere but at her. I absently wondered if Rose had felt this awkward when she talked to her therapist.
Emily obviously saw my hesitation so she began talking. She told me that she'd tell me her story, and then I could talk if I wanted. I nodded in agreement and listened as she explained her story. She told me how she'd been in a volatile relationship with a man who'd physically, mentally, and sexual abused her.
When she'd finally gotten the nerve to leave, he'd grabbed a knife and attacked her. He'd straddled her, pinning her down, and had sliced her face with the knife before stabbing her several times before police arrived.
She told me how the police had shot him when her boyfriend has refused to put the knife down. He'd been killed, and she told me about the anger that she felt toward him and how she'd felt that he'd gotten off easy. He didn't have to pay for what he'd done to her.
"I was very, very angry for a long time and extremely depressed. It took years of therapy for me to learn to deal with everything that had happened to me."
"Do you still feel angry about it?" I asked once she was done.
"Some days."
I let out a sigh and slunk down in my chair before speaking. "I have stupid nightmares, and I'm having a problem with my temper."
"Tell me about your temper," she requested.
I picked at a hole in the knee of my jeans as I began to speak. I told her how it seemed like every little thing set me off. How I snapped at my family, my boyfriend, hell, anyone I came in contact with and that only served to piss me off more.
"I fucking hate feeling so out of control. I hate that I get so fucking mad about everything!" I shouted, feeling the anger begin to rise again.
Emily sat back in her chair, crossing her legs. "Good."
I looked at her in disbelief. Good? What did she mean good?
"It's not good. It's bad. It's horrible. I hate feeling like this."
"It's good because it means that you're healing. You're allowed to feel angry. You were kidnapped, taking against your will and held by a dangerous person. You're more than justified in feeling angry," she told me. "Now what we need to do, is work on controlling that anger. You need to find a creative outlet for it."
"Like what?"
"I have patients who paint, who box, who write out their anger. Those are just a few. You just need to find something that appeals to you."
"I like to write," I told her.
Emily gave me a smile. "Excellent. Here's what we'll do," she said, standing up and getting something from her desk. She walked over to me and handed me a journal. I took it, flipping through it and finding it empty.
"I want you to write in this whenever you start to feel angry. You can write whatever you want, I won't read it. Not unless you want me to. Give it a shot, and we'll discuss this more at our next appointment. Okay?"
I nodded, putting the journal in my backpack.
After making another appointment for next week, Emily told me how to get to Carlisle's office, and I slowly made my way toward the elevator. As I was waiting for the elevator, I heard someone behind me call my name.
Turning my head, I didn't bother to hold back a groan when I saw Jessica. She rushed over to me, giving me a hug that I struggled to escape from.
"Oh my God! I heard that you were hurt! I'm sorry I wasn't at school yesterday to help you out. My grandpa's in the hospital, and I'm here visiting him," she rambled on as I prayed for the elevator to hurry up.
"Uh … yeah, whatever. Sorry to hear about your grandfather," I mumbled, trying not to sigh in relief when the elevator arrived.
I hobbled in, grimacing when Jessica followed me. I tuned her out as we rode up the two floors until I got out. I started down the hall with Jessica following and talking the whole way.
"Jessica?"
"Yes?" she asked.
"What are you doing?"
She looked at me confused. "What do you mean, Bella?"
I let out a sigh. "We don't like each other, remember? So, why are you hugging me, worried about me, and following me?"
Her face fell and she looked like she was about to cry and that freaked me out.
"Oh, Bella! I'm so sorry for how mean I've been!" she wailed. "I never meant to be such a bitch. I was jealous. Hell, I still am. I mean, hello? You're boyfriend is the hottest guy in the school. I know that's no excuse, but I really am sorry."
I wasn't sure that I believed her, but I wanted her gone, so I just nodded. I guess she took that as forgiveness because she gave me another hug before heading back toward the elevator. I was left standing there trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
"Bella?"
I looked over and saw Carlisle walking towards me. "Is everything okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," I told him.
We walked down the hall to his office, and he stopped outside. "I'm off to do rounds, so I'll see you later. Tell Edward to invite you to dinner."
I grinned. "Will do. Thanks, Carlisle."
I opened the door to his office and smiled when I saw Edward sprawled out on his dad's couch. His school books were piled on the floor next to him along with notebooks and pens and he was fast asleep.
Closing the office door, I tried to be quiet as I moved toward Edward. Leaning on my crutches, I reached down and stroked a hand across his back.
"Edward," I said quietly, smiling when he mumbled something and rolled over.
His shirt rode up a bit, and I let out a quiet moan upon seeing his abs revealed. My boy was fit. There was no doubt about that.
"Like what you see?" he asked, startling me.
"Uh …" was my intelligent reply as I felt my face burning. "Yes?"
He let out a husky laugh before pulling his shirt down and sitting up. "How was your appointment?"
"Not bad. She gave me a journal to write in," I told him as I struggled to sit down next to him. He helped me onto the couch before throwing an arm around me.
"Think it'll help?"
I shrugged. "I hope so. I'm so tired of being angry all the time," I told him, feeling a kiss to the side of my head.
We hung out for a while before heading back to his house. On the ride there, I told him about Jessica and her weird behavior.
"Do you think she's really sorry or is she up to something?" I asked Edward, wanting his opinion.
"Obviously, I haven't known her as long as you, but I'm not sure she can be trusted. If she really meant the apology, great. If not …" he shrugged.
Later that night, I was woken up by the horrible nightmares that I'd been having, so I grabbed the journal. Even though Emily had said to use when I was feeling angry, I felt that writing down whatever I was feeling would work just as well.
I grabbed a pen from my desk, then climbed back into bed and began to write. I wrote for hours, and I wrote about everything. I wrote about how I felt when James had gotten to me, I wrote about the nightmares. The more I wrote about James the angrier I got until it all poured out on the pages of the journal.
Before long, I'd filled ten pages with my thoughts, feelings, and fears. Finally, I was exhausted, and I laid the pen aside and closed the journal. I was surprised at how much better I felt. It was if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Feeling lighter than I had in days, I fell into a peaceful sleep.
a/n: Next update will be Tuesday.