40
Edward stayed on the phone with Bella all night, even though they never said a word. He just let her cry, let her sit silence, let her know that even though he wasn't right there, he was there for her. He laid in his bed, the phone propped up on a pillow on the other side (her side) of the bed, and he imagined her lying next to him. Just staring into each other's eyes, him reminding her how important she was to him, and wishing more than anything that he was just as important to her. Edward was in love with her. It was stupid and silly to love this fragile, delicate, beautiful girl, but he did. He was in love with her, and there was no way she would ever love him back.
Early the next morning, after making sure she was finally asleep, he climbed out of bed, took a shower, dressed in a pair of black pants and white button up. He wasn't one to dress the part, so to speak, but today wasn't just any day. Today, Kate Denali was bring Sam Uley before a judge to arraign him on a multitude of charges, and Edward was determined to be there. If not for himself, then for Bella, because someone had to represent her.
Grabbing his wallet and the keys to his car, he hurried downstairs, surprised to find Carlisle standing next to the front door also dressed up.
"About fucking time," Carlisle quipped. "We're going to be late."
"Late for what exactly?" he asked, gripping his keys tighter.
Carlisle scoffed. "Don't place dumb, little brother."
Edward didn't reply, instead he just stood there.
"Look," Carlisle said, putting his hand up. "I can't not be there, either. I want to see the look on that bastard's face when he hears the charges against him."
"Oh." Edward nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go."
He and Carlisle didn't say anything else as they walked out to Carlisle's car and headed downtown. He'd arrived home late the night before. Edward had overheard him telling Esme about Bella, about Marcus coming to her, about the promise to never give up on her. It explained, of course, why Edward spent the entire night just listening to her cry. She'd opened a part of herself that she had kept locked away, the hope of being more than a nothing. Edward envied their willingness to help her, to save her. His brothers had tried, he wouldn't say otherwise, but they hadn't pushed to save him the way they were with her.
"You don't really believe that, do you?" Carlisle asked, and as Edward looked at him, he released he'd spoken out loud. He sighed, but didn't reply. "You have no idea how worried we've been about you, Edward."
"I know."
"Do you?" he asked.
Edward nodded, his eyes filling with tears. "She was mad at me. When they got to the school, when Mr. Green told them I was being suspended for fighting, she looked at me with so much disappointment. She didn't have to say a word, just gave me that look, and I knew," he whispered, shaking his head. Tears sprinkled down his face, which he wiped away furiously. "And before I could tell her I was sorry, tell her that I'd only fought that asshole because he'd . . . he'd talked about her, they were gone." Edward clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep from openly sobbing. "I never got to tell them I was sorry, that I loved them. I miss them, Carlisle, I miss them so fucking much."
"She knew," Carlisle whispered. "Mom knew, Dad knew, Edward. No matter how mad they'd get at us, they never stopped loving us. Not when Emmett got trashed and crashed dad's car, or when Jay got busted getting a blow job from Maria in his bedroom."
Edward laughed softly.
"You can't keep holding onto this guilt and anger, Edward. It's not good for you, or healthy." Carlisle paused, looking over at him. "And you'll never have a future with Bella if you don't start dealing with your own shit."
Edward frowned. "Am I that obvious?"
"Pretty much," he admitted, reaching over and placing his hand on Edward's shoulder. "You love her."
"I do," he whispered. "So much."
"She loves you, too," he said, and when Edward looked at him, he smiled. "She doesn't understand that what she feels is love, Edward, because she's never been shown what true love really is, but it's there. She needs a lot of time and patience and healing, but so do you."
Edward frowned. "Maybe . . . maybe it's time for, you know, me to talk to someone. Professionally, I mean."
"I think that's great idea." Carlisle turned into the parking lot outside the courthouse, finding a space about halfway from the door. "Are you ready?"
"Don't think I'll ever be ready to see that monster," Edward confessed. "But I'll be here for her, since she can't. Not yet, at least."
"Me too, little brother, me too."
As Edward and Carlisle made their way into the building and down to courtroom twelve, Edward was unsurprised to find Emmett and Jasper standing in the hallway with Garrett and Kate. The four turned and looked at them, Emmett and Jasper sharing a look before excusing themselves from Garrett and Kate.
"Hey, man, didn't know you were going to be here," Jasper said, pulling Edward into a hug.
"She can't, so I'm here," he murmured, hugging his brother back.
"I think that's why we're all here," Jasper said, leaning back and putting his hands on his shoulders.
Emmett pulled Edward into a hug. "She had a rough night. Al went over to help Rosalie, but . . . Well, I think she needs to see you face to face, so maybe after, okay?"
"Yeah," he murmured, feeling his cheeks turn red. "Kind of already planned on it, so . . ."
Emmett laughed. "Figured, but you know, the big brother in me."
"Gentlemen," Kate called, and they all looked at her. "It's time."
Edward took a deep breath before he followed her, Garret, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper into the courtroom. It was smaller than what they looked like on television. Kate placed her briefcase on top of the prosecutors table and turned, looking from each one of them ending with Garrett before she turned around. Edward found himself sitting between Carlisle and Jasper while Emmett was on Carlisle's other side and Garrett was next to Jasper.
They didn't have to wait long for the doors in the far side of the courtroom to open. Two guards led a tall, thin man with creamy copper skin, short black hair, and a smirk on his lips. The picture the media had been flashing across the screen hadn't done justice. They used a picture that made Sam Uley look like the boy next door, yet the man standing in an orange jumpsuit, chains around his ankles and wrists, was a monster.
Bile filled Edward's mouth as he thought about that animal touching her, raping her, taking her daughter away from her. It took all his control not to leap over the barrier separating them and beat him until he stopped breathing. Spending the rest of his life in prison would be worth it, if it spared her anymore pain.
However, before Edward could move, the back doors to the courtroom opened and they turned and watched a tall man with slicked back black hair wearing a suit that cost more than Edward's tuition for a year, waltzed inside, settling at the table with Sam Uley. He smiled — though it came off as more of a sneer — as he looked over at Kate, his eyes traveling the length of the body.
"Motherfucker better check himself," Garrett snarled under his breath, but when Edward, Jasper, Carlisle, and Emmett turned toward him, he pressed his lips into a thin line. "Fuck off, Cullens."
The bailiff entered the courtroom, and everyone sobering immediately. He stopped and gestured for everyone to stand as he said, "All rise for the honorable Judge Phil Dwyer."
Edward's legs felt heavy as he and everyone else stood up, watching as the judge — a man not much older than Carlisle — entered the courtroom and settled behind the bench. He shifted his eyes around before saying, "You may be seated."
They sat, and for a moment, the room was eerily quiet.
"Samuel Uley," Phil said, gesturing toward Sam. His attorney stood, motioning for Sam to do that same. "You are being charged with kidnapping, rape, false imprisonment, two counts of murder in the first degree, two counts of breaking and entering, assault, and attempted murder in the first degree."
Phil paused, and looked at Sam. "How does the defendant plead?"
Every head in the courtroom turned toward Sam as his lawyer leaned over and whispered into his ear. He nodded before tilting his head back, staring directly at the judge, and saying, "Not Guilty, your honor."
Edward released a shaky breath. Of course, they'd known he wasn't going to do the right thing and admit his guilt. No, Sam Uley thought he was better than everyone, smarter. The bile that Edward had struggle to keep down filled his mouth once again. He hated that son-of-a-bitch.
"Very well," Phil said, his voice lacking any emotion. "What is the prosecution asking in regards to bail, Ms. Denali?"
Kate stood up, placing her hands on top of the table. "The defendant is a danger to society. We believe Mr. Uley constitutes a flight risk, and poses a risk to the . . . to the young girl he kidnapped, held captive for eight years, and raped repeatedly. We ask for remand, your honor."
Phil turned to the defense. "And you, Mr. Santiago?"
"Your honor, my client is an innocent man, being railroaded by overzealous police officers, looking for anyone to pin these heinous charges on. The right thing would be to dismiss these ridiculous charges, and let the man get on with the rest of his life."
"That's not going to happen today, Mr. Santiago. We're just here to discuss his plea and bail," Phil quipped.
"We ask that Mr. Uley is released on his own recognizance."
"Your honor, Mr. Uley broke into the home of the girl's uncle and demanded that he tell him where she was being kept. When the man refused, Mr. Uley attacked him and nearly cost him his life."
"Mr. Uley had every right to know where his wife was being kept."
Kate clamped her lips together, throwing a look back at Garrett and Jasper, before turning toward the judge. "Your honor, the girl in question is a minor and was not able to consent to . . . marriage. Especially considering Mr. Uley is being charged with the murders of her parents!"
"Let's everybody calm down," Phil said, lifting a hand into the air. "Mr. Uley will not be released R.O.R. Bail is denied."
"Your honor —" Mr. Santiago started, but when Phil stood and banged his gavel on the podium, he clamped his lips shut.
"Save your breath, sir, and you should start preparing your defense." Phil shifted his eyes between him and Kate before saying, "Court is dismissed."
Phil swept out of the courtroom, followed closely by the two guards who escorted Sam Uley back to his cell. Mr. Santiago looked from Kate to Garrett and Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and finally Edward before he pulled out two motions from his briefcase and tossed them into Kate's table, and left the room. She picked them up and opening them one by one before saying, "Cocksucking son-of-a-bitch," under her breath.
"He's filing to exclude the DNA match to Hope on grounds that his clients DNA was taken unlawfully." And when Garrett opened his mouth to argue, she held her hand up and said, "He's also claiming spousal privilege in order to keep her from testifying against him, claiming they were married a year ago. Gentlemen, fix this. Do you understand me? I don't care how, but you had better fucking fix this, or Sam Uley just might see the sun again, sooner than any of us want!"
Kate yanked her briefcase off the table and stormed out of the courtroom, leaving the five of them sitting there: shocked, disgusted, angry. The slimy bastard had married her? Was there nothing he wouldn't do to destroy her?
Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! We are gathering at dawn with our pitchforks, so . . .
