16

The second the door to the courtroom was closed, Bella found herself bowled over, overcome with sobs. She felt Alice's tiny arms wrap around her, nestling her in her warm embrace. She couldn't explain why in that moment her heart broke. Well, that was a lie. She could explain why: the people who created her, whose DNA she shared, had willingly and knowingly sold her out, and all because they couldn't deal with her sexuality.

"Miss Swan."

At the sound of the judge's voice, she tilted her head back, noticing that the courtroom had been cleared out, leaving just him, Garrett, Kate, Carlisle, Emmett, Esme, Rose, Edward, Jasper, and Alice with her. He had moved from his bench and was standing just a few feet away from her, a kind expression on his face.

"Miss Swan, are you okay?"

"Bella," she choked out. "My name is Bella."

He smiled. "Bella, are you okay?"

"No," she wept, leaning her head on Alice's shoulder. "You believed me."

"I did," he said, leaning against the divider between the two sides of the courtroom. "And do you know why?"

She bit her lip as she shook her head.

Eleazar smiled. "Because we queer kids have to stick together, don't we?"

"You're a . . ."

"I am a homosexual man, yes," he said. "But that is not the only reason I believed you, of course."

"Then why?" she asked. "It was my word against theirs, wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Because men like Charlie Swan, Billy Black, and his son, think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. And I don't tolerate such hate, my dear." He smiled. "My late husband, God rest his soul, would have been here today with you, fought alongside you in an effort to stop people like them."

"How long has he been gone?"

"Three years. Cancer," he replied, standing up. "But luckily, I was able to get your case in my courtroom," he added, gesturing toward Garrett. "This isn't over. You know that, don't you?"

She nodded. "It's going to get harder, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately, men like Charlie Swan and Billy Black have more . . . reach than they should. Hold onto your new family, Bella. They'll take care of you."

Bella smiled and looked at each of them, noticing the way Emmett and Carlisle were holding hands, Esme and Rose had their arms wrapped around one another. Edward and Jasper, who never seemed to get more than a few inches between them, and of course, Alice, who held her hand every chance she got. Her new family, she thought.

"We should get her home," Esme said, grinning.

Together, they thanked Eleazar, with Garrett and Kate telling them they would catch up, and the eight, her new amazing family, walked out of the courtroom, down the hallway, bypassing the press who had already gathered by the front doors, clearly having been tipped off about the local Chief of Police and his arrest on a slew of sex charges. As they had when they arrived, Emmett and Carlisle took the lead, with Esme and Rose, Jasper and Edward, Alice flanking her. Protecting her. Loving her. These amazing people she had just met loved her for her.

When they arrived back at the house, Bella was surprised to see Phil sitting on the front steps. He stood up as she climbed out of the SUV, automatically reaching for Alice, who wrapped her fingers around hers.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. "Pretty sure this is a violation of the restraining order."

"I'm not here to hurt you," Phil said, putting his hands up. He had a white envelope in his left hand, which he slowly held out to her. "Just thought you might need this."

"What is it?" she wondered, taking it.

"Let's just say somethings hadn't been adding up on my end, and this is my way of . . . I don't know, making it right."

Bella flipped the envelope over and pried the back open, inhaling a deep breath as she pulled out a handful of pictures of her and Angela. Them at school, in her bedroom, the backseat of Angela's Impala. Them kissing, them holding each other. Bella shifted her eyes to Alice, who was glaring at the pictures, before she shoved them back into the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper, finding a copy of text messages that Renee had sent to Charlie.

"Charlie," she read. "It's worse than we thought. We're going to have to go to extreme measures, I'm afraid. She'll be at your disposable in a week's time. Do what you must to get her on the straight and narrow. Our reputations are on the line here. Renee."

Bile crept up Bella's throat as she read through the letter again before shifting her eyes up to Phil. "Did you know? Before she sent me here, did you know?"

"No, I swear, I didn't know," Phil insisted, once again putting his hands up in front of him. "I found the pictures and texts messages two days ago, after he called and told her about . . . Well, getting his ass kicked." Phil shook his head. "I never understood why she insisted on sending you away, Bella. She kept saying that you needed your father, she wanted you to know him better. I just . . . I just didn't understand, but I guess it's pretty clear why."

"Yeah, I guess so," she murmured, shoving the copy of the text messages into the envelope. "Why are you here, Phil?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I just . . . I just wanted to make it right, and if the judge hadn't made the decision that he did today, I was . . . I was prepared to . . . I don't know, help persuade him, I guess."

"You would have turned on her?" she asked. "For me."

"If it meant protecting you from them, in a heartbeat, Bella." Phil reached for her hand, and though she wasn't sure she should trust him, she found herself placing her hand in his. He tugged her toward him, wrapping his other arm around her. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Bella, but I'm real glad you have a . . . a new family to love you."

And before she could say anything, he pulled away from her, hurried over to his car, and left. Maybe Phil wasn't as bad as she had thought him to be.

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