Chapter 7:
Allison had never felt such pain in her life. She could feel the soreness in her entire body, and in her mind. Jesse had crossed every line, and she knew he held no remorse. When he had finished with her, he thought he had beaten her into place, but she grabbed her clothes as she heard his soft snores only seconds later and she ran. She held true to her word, she would no longer let him hurt her. She knew she couldn't just let him get away with it, not this time.
But how many times had he already? Of course, this time was an emotion disaster she had never felt before. She always comforted herself with the idea that he loved her, and he just wanted her to love him back. But this time, he was a monster, and she felt what he was truly doing to her.
She was only able to drive a mile before she pulled over and cried into herself. She had throw the clothes Rosalie had given her into the back, sighing as she held the now ripped tights that she would replace tomorrow, and found the backup sweat pants and sweatshirt in her back seat.
She couldn't turn the heat up high enough as she curled into herself, allowing the disgusting feeling that was consuming her take over. She could never say the words before, but now she knew. But she couldn't say them to herself. She could feel the fresh bruises that lined her stomach, wrists, sides, and legs. She was having trouble breathing because of the sharp pain in her ribs.
All she knew, as she huddled in her fetal position, was she had no one to call. But if anyone, she wanted Rosalie, and she knew the only way to see her was to drive. But she couldn't get herself to face the rest of the Cullen's in her state, especially not Jasper. But she sat up slowly, pulling the car back into drive and allowed her brain to bring her to the rational place it needed to go.
She knew before she could make a social visit, she had to go to the hospital. But her phone rang before she could get even a few yards. She didn't recognize the number, but she had a gut feeling she knew who it was. She answered the phone hesitantly. "Hello?"
"Allison, are you okay, are you hurt?" Jasper's frantic voice seemed to do to wonders to her wound up nerves, but hearing his voice, she couldn't help but cry. She was so shaken with sobs she couldn't answer his question. "I'm coming to get you, stay where you are."
"Jazz." Was all she could say, but she heard the phone be turned over to someone else. The voice was high pitched, but the beautiful voice she desperately needed to hear.
"Allison, it's Rosalie. Jasper and Carlisle are on their way. Don't move, okay? Would you like to tell me what happened before they get there?" Rosalie's voice was sweet and comforting, and she couldn't help but wonder why she was so concerned with her well being when she had even voiced that she had not liked Bella when she started to date her adoptive brother.
"He….Jesse… I went over, I knew I couldn't be with him anymore, and he….he beat me, and he.." She let out a shaky sob and Rosalie took a sharp intake of breath.
"And he what, Allison, tell me."
"He- I said no." The words were like acid on her tongue, and she instantly felt like the girl that cried wolf. It was her boyfriend, ex boyfriend, for god's sake. Is that even rape? She felt dirty using the word even in her thoughts to describe what had happened to her. "Maybe I'm overreacting I don't know."
"You are in no way over reacting. You don't have to cover for him anymore, Ally. You are safe, we will protect you. He will never touch you again. Okay?" Her voice sent a calming feeling through her body, and she nodded silently to agree, although she knew Rosalie couldn't see her. She allowed Allison to keep crying, letting her cry it out so she wouldn't be when Carlisle and Jasper came.
She did not want Jasper to see her like this. She knew he was the last person who should. He was already so protective over her. She could only image what he would do if he knew what happened. It felt like only seconds before a set of headlights pulled up, and her door was being thrown open. Jasper's arms scooped her up and she winced and hissed at the pain in her ribs. "Carlisle she's been hurt."
"Jasper, give her to me, you will need to drive her car back. Allison can you tell me what's hurting?" Carlisle was soft and comforting with his words and questions, but her head was starting to swim with the pain and emotions that she started to get dizzy. "I'm going to lay you in the back, and then I am going to bring you back to our home to do some tests, okay?"
She only nodded because she couldn't find her voice, she hoped Rosalie would be able to speak for her. She felt every wall that surrounded her mind and soul shattered, and she felt like her whole being was ripped from her grasp. This must be what it is like to be a vegetable. She could not find the words to speak or even the thoughts to think. But one thing did come to mind. Alex.
Alex, her three-month-old brother, was supposed to be her responsibility tonight. She was supposed to relieve the baby sitter at one thirty, but she couldn't find the words to say it. She was not sure what time it was at all. She looked up at Carlisle as he sat her down on the back seat. "I have to go home. My brother is alone."
"Don't worry, it's already taken care of. Rosalie had stopped at your house first earlier when Jasper called and picked him up. He's waiting at the house." She nodded silently, not even wanting to ask how they knew she was in trouble. She decided she would figure it out later. The car ride felt like a lifetime and mere seconds at the same time, because all too soon but not soon enough, Jasper had her in his arms and was carrying her inside.
She was brought into a room. There was a bed for patients, the kind the pediatrician uses to have you sit on when she wants to check your heart beat and makes you breath in really deeply. She was placed on the bed, and the crinkle of the paper gave her a headache. She did notice that only Rosalie, Jasper, and Carlisle were in the room. She replayed the whole night, from the first knock on Jesse's door to the cries on the side of the road. She thought it, but couldn't find the words to say it.
That's when Edward knocked on the door, and the three were ushered out, leaving her with the cold hospital dress they give to patients. She undressed and immediately she felt chills run through her, she had never felt so cold and alone. Utterly alone. She replayed the night's events over and over again. She had gone over there, feeling strong and left feeling broken and beaten down.
She never believed Jesse to be a man capable of this, to continue to torture her while she screamed and begged for him to stop. Of course, she had never been so forceful in her refusal, but this time was different. She had made the choice, she deserved better. She deserved Jasper. But now, as she got up from the hospital bench and pulled the thermal blanket around her body that was on the bench, she walked over to the window of the home and she could feel the tears streaming down.
If there was one thing she knew, it was that Jasper deserved better. And she needed to put his happiness first. She opened the window, wondering if she would be able to make the ten-foot drop to the forest floor. Before she could try anything, the three returned into the room. Carlisle smiled sadly but she kept her expression blank.
"Allison, would you mind if I ran a few tests? I would like to take an x-ray of your ribs to make sure nothing was broken." Carlisle was soft as he approached her, his touch feather light. She nodded and stood up, taking the blanket with her as she kept her gaze down and was brought into the full exam room.
The test only lasted a few minutes, and then Carlisle was holding the prints to a light and examining them. He sighed sadly, she could tell he was not pleased with what he found.
"You have two fractures in your ribs, but they are not fully broken so we can be thankful for that. Now, Allison, Rosalie explained what happened. Would you like me to examine you further, or leave it to the hospital?" She knew what he meant, but she knew she didn't need an exam to prove what was done to her. Even with an exam, she would not use it as evidence. She was going to put tonight behind her.
"Why would I need an exam?" Her voice was soft, and Carlisle gave her a look of pity and sympathy, but she couldn't tell which emotion was coming out more. All she knew, was she hated when people felt bad for her. And he has no reason to now.
"Well when you press charges-"
"I'm not." His face was a mask of shock and disbelief. But she held firm.
"What? Why wouldn't you, you should think this through-"
"I have. And I'm not doing that, I'm not going to press charges or make this any more trouble than it needs to be." The moment the words were out of her mouth, she felt complete strength from it. She didn't need to make him pay for what he did. She wanted to forget, and make it like it never happened. They heard a loud growl outside the door.
"And you're sure that's what you want to do?" Carlisle asked again, and Allison only nodded her head. "Well, okay. We cannot force you to. Is there anything you need right now? Are you in pain?"
"A little bit, but I will be okay. Would it be okay for me to put my clothes back on and lay down?" Carlisle's gaze softened, but he knew outside that door, Jasper and Rosalie were already plotting their next move. He nodded before handing her the clothes and walking to the door. "Carlisle, this is my battle. Not anyone else's. Please remind him."
"I will do my best." Carlisle said sadly as he walked out of the room, facing a murderous Jasper. He was keeping the growls to a minimum in order to keep Allison from hearing. "Son, you heard Allison. This is her fight. Right now, she needs you. Not to protect her, but to be there for her. It will all work out in due time."
"He hurt her, Carlisle, he cannot get away with hurting my mate."
"She isn't your mate. And she probably will not be for a while. She needs time to grieve and heal emotionally before she gets involved. Especially with a situation like our families. Right now she needs you to be a friend. Do not make her do any more than that."
"Will she be okay?" His voice had dropped the animalistic tone and had gained the worry and concern he was feeling deep down.
"She will be. She's already seeming to recover from the shock. I think once the pain is gone, she will start to heal. I think it is best she stay here for the night, she should not be alone. Why don't you get one of the old movies we have and watch it with her in the living room?"
"Why wouldn't we just go into my own room?"
"Because, I highly doubt she will want to be alone with any male after what happened, even you, son. She needs to feel safe, and having your sisters around will help. Make sure to bring Alex out. She was worried in the car."
He sighed sadly and knocked on the examination room door. He heard her soft voice telling him to come in and he couldn't open the door fast enough. But what he saw broke his heart. She stood there, trying to run her fingers through her hair, which was knotted, and messy, her eyes were puffy and swollen and the pain and fear was laced so deep he could almost feel it. Her skin was red and he could see the scratches and different bruises forming, but yet all he could see was how beautiful she was. He walked forward slowly and took her in his arms, and she began to cry.
"Don't worry, Darlin. Nothing like that will ever happen again. I will not allow it." He kissed her forehead gently and she hugged him closer, but he kept his hands light knowing she was fragile. "How about you go take a hot shower, and I'll grab some comfortable clothes from Rosalie and we can put in a movie and you can relax?"
"That sounds perfect." She whispered, looking up at him, the tears still shinning in her eyes. He whipped one stray tear away and nodded, grabbing her hand gently and bringing her to Rosalie's bedroom, he knew she would take good care of her. He left the girls alone before he went to set up the night.
Rosalie led her into the bathroom, giving her a nice big comfortable bathrobe and a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and fuzzy socks. She smiled gratefully, and Rosalie smiled back kissing her forehead lightly and letting her be alone after turning the shower on for her.
Allison sat for a moment, letting her mind process what was happening. Her and Jesse were broken up. He had hit her, wounded her, and- well he had done a lot of damage. The images raced through her head as she stepped in the steaming shower, and she couldn't help but scrub her body with almost too much force.
She could see the handprints covering her body, the bruises and red marks that covered the majority of her skin now. She could see the bruises forming all on the side of her ribs. She sat in the shower, letting the sobs over take her. She had never felt so empty.
She could still feel his hands holding her too tightly and his skin against hers and she hissed, taking the loofa and scrubbing her skin again until she was feeling pain from how tender it was. But no matter how much she scrubbed, she couldn't get the feeling off of her, the feeling of being dirty. But she knew that the hot water was a start.
She stayed there, on the ground of the marble shower until the water ran cold. At that point, she got up and wrapped herself in the bathrobe. She looked at herself in the mirror for the first time.
Even after her shower, she could see the bags beginning under her eyes. The faint bruising on her chin and cheek caused her to wince at even the slightest touch. The only word she could describe herself as was pathetic. And she never wanted to be described that way. So she decided to suck it up. She put back her walls, and let the pain brush off her shoulders. She would not let herself cry another tear.
She put on the clothes Rosalie gave her which surprisingly fit her perfectly and she walked back into the hallway, where Jasper was waiting with a big fluffy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. She smiled softly and took the mug from him, allowing him to lead her down the stairs where Rosalie and Emmett lay on one couch, Bella and Edward on another, and one was open. Jasper led her there and got her comfy, before sitting at least a foot away from her.
"Where is Alex?" She asked softly, looking and listening for her baby brother but coming up empty. Rosalie smiled brightly, and she could tell she was not the only one who now adored her baby brother.
"Esme has him with Carlisle, they got him to sleep while you were in the shower. We grabbed a bunch of diapers and food, and I left a note for your mom, the babysitter was really mad when she left, but I set her straight." Her smile was bright and Allison shook her head.
Molly, a sixteen-year-old girl whose hair was the color of a fire engine and had more facial piercings than she could count, usually cared for the little man until about one a.m. when either her or her mother would come home. But tonight was her night, and she hadn't been smart about it.
"You guys didn't have to do that, I know he's a pain-"
"No we were happy to! We don't get to have babies around often so we enjoyed every second."
"You can be our permanent babysitter if you want." Allison laughed but she could see the smile get even bigger on Rose's face.
"We would love to!"
"I was just kidding, you'd really want to? You'd want to take care of the little guy?" Allison asked with apprehension and Rosalie nodded enthusiastically. Allison shrugged and smirked. "Suit yourself, my mom would love it, she likes any excuse to hand him off."
She couldn't help but question why this family was so willing to do so much for her already, it had only been a few days, but yet they've already cared for her more than her parents ever did in her life. She'd never really had a family, and somewhere deep inside she selfishly wish she had been lucky enough to be born into this one.
And as she looked at Jasper, a boy her heart felt already too strongly for, she only felt a serious wave of guilt hit her. He deserved someone so much better than her. She knew she didn't want to be selfish with him, but she couldn't help it. He was like a drug, he was everything she thought did not exist. A handsome, gentlemanly, kind, passionate man who wanted to protect her and make her happy.
She stared at the gap between the two, and she felt a soft ache in her chest. She needed him close. After what happened, she knew she should be happy, and she knew he was doing it in order to give her space. But she just realized how much she craved his touch, and his presence. She didn't want to be seperated from him, she wanted him to hold her and make her feel safe and protected. But she also didn't know if he felt the same. Did he view her differently now that this had happened?
Did he think she was dirty or not good enough. The selfish part of her worried this, but she knew she had to be selfless. Jasper deserved so much better than an emotional teenage girl with baggage for a lifetime. So she sucked up what she wanted and did what was right.
She stayed a safe distance away, drinking her hot chocolate quickly enjoying the warmth it provided. She could see Edward give Jasper a pointed look along with a subtle nod, which she probably shouldn't of seen before a smile spread on Jasper's face.
She could see him take a look at her through his lashes, but she returned her eyes to the screen. The other two couples stood, yawning on their way out, all giving her a hug or a kiss on the cheek, even Emmett and Edward gave her soft hugs knowing she was in a fragile state. That's when Jasper turned and smiled at her, replacing the first movie with a second.
She got up to put the mug in the sink, rinsing it quickly, which caused a dull ache in her right rib to occur. She held back a wince as she returned, noticing that Jasper now sat back on the arm of the couch and he opened his lap to her.
So much for selfless.