9

Bella was startled when her phone started ringing the next morning. It took her a minute to realize the arms wrapped around her were Alice's. Though she didn't want to, she pulled herself out of her girls' arms and yanked her bag off the floor, dug her phone out, and groaned when she saw Charlie's name on her caller I.D. She denied the call and then went into her contacts, blocking him from being able to call her. Why in the world would he think she would talk to him after the night before?

Bella had just started to put her phone back in her bag when it rang again. This time her mother's name and phone number popped up on the caller I.D. Once again, she denied the call and scrolled through her contacts, blocking Renee, too. Both of her parents had set her up to have the gay beaten or fucked out of her. She knew there was no way she would ever be able to trust them again.

"Why are you not in the bed with me, beautiful?" Alice mumbled, throwing the blankets back and patting the mattress next to her. "Come back to bed."

Bella smiled and dropped her phone on the floor and walked back over to the bed, sliding in under the covers and facing Alice. Though her eyes were closed, Alice smiled.

"You going to tell me who called?" she asked, her eyes opening.

"Charlie first, and then my mom, Renee."

"They won't stop. You know that, right?" Alice asked. "Carlisle and Emmett can file emergency restraining orders, of course, but it's up to you what happens next. To Charlie and Jacob Black."

"You mean I have to press charges against them," Bella whispered.

Alice nodded.

"Charlie runs the police force, Alice. They won't stop him!"

"Then we go higher than the local police department," she counter. "But only if you're sure you want to. It's a big decision, Bella. People aren't going to agree with you, especially when golden boy Jacob Black gets called out as a rapist."

"You said he'd done that before," Bella murmured. "To who?"

Alice frowned. "There was a girl in Port Angeles. Her name was Lauren, and, well, she went out with Jacob, he raped her, and she killed herself."

"Oh, my God," Bella whimpered. "How do you know?"

"Because she was my friend," Alice said. "Just my friend. We weren't, you know, together."

"Oh." Bella bit her lip. "Have you ever had a, you know, girlfriend?"

"No," Alice whispered, her cheeks turning red. "I mean, I've kissed a girl before, but nothing more than just a peck on the lips. Didn't even use tongue. How about you?"

"Um, kind of, I guess." Bella shifted so that she was sitting up with her knees bent in front of her. "Back in Arizona. Her name was Angela, and, well, she was my best friend. She and I kissed some, and she touched me, you know, down there," Bella mumbled feeling her blush creep into her cheeks that time. "But Renee caught us, and she freaked out, told me I could never see Angela again, and sent me here."

"Did you love Angela?" Alice asked coyly.

"No," Bella admitted. "I mean, I wasn't in love with her. She was my best friend, and I miss her, but I wasn't in love with her. She was someone I could be myself with, but after Renee caught us, she pushed me away. Turns out, she didn't want to be my friend anymore."

Alice sat up next to her, reaching over and placing her hand on top of Bella's. "She didn't deserve you."

"Alice," Bella whispered, shifting her eyes to her lips.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes," she breathed softly.

Alice laid her back on the bed, her lips crashing down on Bella's. She moaned, wrapping her arms around her, holding her against her. Her lips parted and Alice slipped her tongue inside her mouth, just teasing her before pulling away.

"Come on. Everyone will be up soon, and we have plans to make."

Though Bella was terrified of what was going to happen, she allowed Alice to lead her out of her bedroom and downstairs. Everyone was already gathered in the kitchen. Carlisle and Emmett were making bacon while Esme and Rose were pulling plates, forks, and knifes out of the cabinet. Edward and Jasper were seated at the table, Edward with his arm around Jasper.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Esme cooed, placing the plates on the counter and hurrying over to Bella, wrapping her in a warm hug. She pulled back and smiled. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Best sleep I've had in a long time," she confessed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Esme placed her hand on Bella's cheek before saying, "Have a seat at the table. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Can I help?" Bella asked.

"Oh no," Rose insisted with a friendly smile. "We take turns around here, Bella. Today, is our turn. We'll work you into the schedule."

"Oh, okay," she mumbled and settled into the chair between Jasper and Alice.

"Bella," Carlisle said, clearing his throat as he looked back at her. "Your father came over this morning, looking for you."

"Yeah, he called me," she confessed. "I ignored his call."

Carlisle smiled. "Figured he would call when I told him to fuck off. I reached out to a friend in Seattle, who is going to put an emergency restraining order on him. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, Alice told me you were going to," she mumbled. "Can they make me live with him? I mean, I'm only sixteen, Carlisle. He has custody of me."

"That may be true, technically," he replied, picking up the last of the bacon and placing it on the plate Emmett was holding. He, Emmett, Rose, and Esme settled at the table and they started filling their plates. "I've been doing a little bit of research, but our friend in Seattle will be able to give us more information, of course. Legally, Charlie has custody of you, but if you file assault charges against him, the judge should allow us to take temporary custody of you, if you want us to, of course."

"I do," she was quick to reply, which had everyone laughing. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Bella. We want you here," Emmett said with a grin. "Garrett will start with the order of protection to keep Charlie away from you, and he will petition the court for emancipation, just like we did with Alice."

"What about my mom, though? Can she stop it? Can she make me move back to Arizona with her?"

"She could try," Emmett admitted. "We're not sure what the laws in Arizona are, so we'd have to do some checking."

Bella sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Is there no hope, then?"

"Oh, sweetheart, there's always hope," Esme snickered, placing her hand on Emmett's shoulder. "We don't give up on our one of our own."

"I'm just not used to people fighting for me, I guess."

"Well, get used to it, Bella," Edward said.

"We told you, Bella," Jasper added, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You're our family."

Nodding, Bella tried to keep the tears that burned her eyes from falling. These people had just met her, yet they were prepared to fight for her. Was this what it was like to be loved unconditionally?

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