14

Edward hurried downstairs, needing to put some space between him and Bella Swan, yet not wanting to leave her side at the same time. She'd pushed him for details, and though it was a time he hated talking about, he knew it was important for her to know. He'd had twenty-fives to learn how to deal with the trauma he suffered at the hands of the Gathering of Twilight, but she hadn't. She had had twenty-five years of feeling like she was going crazy.

"You get America's Sweetheart settled in her suite," Alice quipped the second he stepped off the last step, causing him to stop and glare at him. "What's your problem?"

"Right now, you are, Al."

"Me?" she asked, standing up and ignoring Jasper as he reached for her arm. "What the fuck is your problem with me?"

"I think the better question is why are you being a bitch to her?" Edward snarled, causing Alice to gasp and take a step back. "She's important, Al. You know she's important."

"Just to you," Alice said, folding her arms in front of her. "She's only important to you. I'm sorry if I'm not going to kiss her ass just because she's important to you."

"Al," Jasper scolded and stood up, grabbing her arm. "That's uncalled for."

"No, what is uncalled for is all of us bending over backward for her," Alice groused, easing her arm out of his grip and walking over to Edward. "You know I was there every day, too. I fought for you more times that I can count. When they called you a crybaby because you were so scared you were practically pissing your pants, I fought for you. When they made the point of getting so close that you would have a panic attack, I fought for you. I spent more time in detention because I fought for you than I did in class, Edward!"

"I know," he whispered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "And you've never let me forget it."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"Do I?"

"You should." Alice reached for his arm, but he moved away from her. "What? Now, you don't want me to touch you."

He shook his head.

"Wow, she's really got her hooks in you, doesn't she?"

"It's not like that," he denied.

"Isn't it?" Alice asked, tilting her head to the side. "You want me to play nice? I will for you, Edward, but don't expect me not to worry about you." And before he could stop her, she had her hand on the side of his face. "You've come so far from where you were. Don't let her and the past drag you back there, Edward. You are not responsible for her."

"I am, though," he whispered, shaking her hand off. "I am, Al. I always have been. Please, just . . . just for me, don't treat her like she's the enemy. I'm not saying kiss her ass. Just . . . You don't have to like her, but as my best friend, I'm asking you to respect that she's important to me, to all of us."

"Fine." Alice took a step back. "Fine. I just hope you don't lose yourself trying to help her, Edward. Sometimes, it's not being selfish to think of yourself. Sometimes, it's called survival."

Alice threw him a look before she turned and walked down the hallway to Carlisle's office. Jasper threw him a look before he followed his girlfriend. Edward blew out a heavy breath before he turned and walked into the kitchen, finding Esme seated at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands and another one on the table.

She turned and looked at him, smirking before gesturing toward the cup and saying, "Did you get her settled?"

"I did." Edward walked over and sat down, picking up the coffee and taking a sip. "Thank you for giving her the room next to mine."

"Thought it might make it easier for both of you."

Edward nodded. "Nothing about this is easy."

"No, it's not," she admitted, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs at the knees. "You were right."

"About?"

Esme laughed. "You said she was beautiful. You were right."

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled. "She is."

"It's okay, you know?"

"What's okay?"

"To allow yourself to feel relieved that she's here." Esme gestured toward the living room. "I heard your conversation with Al. She's worried about you. Hell, we're worried about you, but that doesn't mean you're wrong to take her on as a client. Or want her in your life again."

Edward sighed.

Esme leaned forward, placing her elbow on the table, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "You are not that little boy anymore, Edward. You haven't been him in a long time."

"Haven't I?" Edward frowned as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the table. He felt her reach over and start running her fingers through his hair. "She didn't remember, and we sat there and broke her a thousand times. When she found out what they had done to us, I saw the devastation in her eyes, Mom. It was like coming here that first night, hiding in the closet again, waiting for him come to me, waiting for the song to play, waiting for the pain to start."

"But it didn't come again. We proved that to you with time and space and support and love. We will do that again. This time for her, too."

"Mom."

"She's here, isn't she?"

He looked up at her. "She is."

"That means she trusts you."

"She shouldn't."

"Yes, she should," Esme told him before she stood up and reached for his cup. "If Dad is right about him being back, and he probably is, Edward, we are all going to have to step up and do what we can to keep that girl, and you, safe. This might have started as a case of America's Sweetheart and her stalker, but now, it's about a crazy, disgusting psychopath, who will not stop until he has you both back in his grasp." Esme walked over and placed their cups in the sink. "Dad and Charlie are in the garage with Emmett and Rosalie. If she comes down, I'll let you know, but I don't expect to see her for a while. She needs some time to adjust. You've had twenty-five years to learn to trust us. She's been thrust into a situation where we all know who she is, and who she was."

Edward nodded and stood up, walking over to his mother. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, Mom."

"That's why I'm here, kid."

Edward tried to smile but knew it didn't come off as genuine. He left her standing in the kitchen and walked into the garage, finding Emmett, Carlisle, and Charlie standing with Rosalie, who looked from him to the door, and sighed before she hurried past him. Bella was right, he thought, when she said Rosalie would be up her ass the second he left. Though, he kept that thought to himself.

He waited until the door to the house was closed before he cleared his throat and asked, "We're sure we weren't followed?"

"Of course," Carlisle said, nodding. "We've double checked our security, none of our vehicles were tracked. We do know how to do our jobs, son."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, Edward. We're all a little on edge right now," Carlisle said, giving him a look. "Is she okay?"

He shook his head.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"No," he admitted. "What's the next step?"

Carlisle gave him a long look before he gestured toward Charlie. "We were about to take a look at the security footage from her house, see how he managed to get past the camera system and leave the flowers on her front porch. Jasper and Al are digging into his history, see if we can get any leads that might tell us where he's been for the last twenty-five years. Then I thought I might call in some reinforcement."

Edward's eyes widened. "You mean . . . You're calling him in? Why?"

"Because in nine days, she has to start a press tour, Edward, and if we can't stop Marcus before then, we are going to need to amp up her security. Unless you're suddenly confident in her, and I believe you called them, worthless team the label provided."

"Yeah, maybe, Dad, but . . ." Emmett spared Edward a look before he added, "Don't you think bringing him in is a little extreme?"

"No." Carlisle tilted his head to the side. "She's not the only one in danger anymore."

"You want to bring him in to be my bodyguard?" Edward asked.

"No, I want to bring him in to add to all of our protection," Carlisle said. "I know he's a dick."

Edward and Emmett scoffed.

"But," he went on to say, "he's the best of the best, and if we want to keep her safe, both of you safe, when we have to reenter the real world, so to speak, we need a plan. He's that plan, and he's going to need time to prepare."

Edward gripped the back of his neck before he sighed and said, "Fine. I guess you're right."

"Let's just hope we don't have to get to that point."

Carlisle threw him another look before he and Charlie headed into the house, leaving him and Emmett alone. Edward walked move and sat on the one of the ATVS. When he was little, he'd been too scared to ride one alone, so Carlisle would ride with him when they went out. It wasn't until he was almost an adult before he found the strength to ride alone. He'd always let fear get the best of him, and he was doing it again. Only now, he wasn't only afraid of finding himself back in Hell, but he was afraid of losing her again, too.

"He's right," Emmett said, softly.

"I know."

"We could hit the trails," he suggested, tilting his head toward the outside. "I might even let you win."

"No, you wouldn't," Edward scoffed.

Emmett laughed. "No, I wouldn't." He sighed. "I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"About her," he said. "I told you that you shouldn't take her on as a client, that you should let someone else protect her, but I was wrong."

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Because I see the way you look at her," Emmett said, clearing his throat. "And don't fucking deny it, either."

"I'm not."

"Look, I'm worried. About you, about her, about all of us, but sooner or later, the past was going to catch up with you, with Dad, with all of us, I guess." Emmett walked over and placed his hand on Edward's shoulder, ignoring the way he tensed. "We fought for you once, Edward, and we will fight for you again. And for her, because if she's important to you, she's important to us."

"Thanks, Em."

"You're welcome."

Emmett squeezed his shoulder before he turned and headed back into the house, leaving him in the garage alone.

—TB—

Edward fought the urge to go back to the third floor, to stand guard outside her door, to watch over her every second he could. So, instead, he found himself seated outside of the garage, scouring the area for any sign that they had been followed. Not that he didn't believe his father, because he did. The man had taught him and his brothers everything he knew. Told him if he wanted to be a survivor, he had to stop being a victim.

"Hey."

He turned and looked over his shoulder, finding Jasper standing a few feet behind him. "Hey."

"You know she's just trying to protect you, don't you?"

"I do, but that doesn't excuse the way she's acting. Not like this is the first time I've been hired to protect someone she didn't like."

"This is the first time you've been hired to protect someone you care about, though. She feels threatened by her."

"Why? Not like anything ever happened between me and Al. We've never been anything but friends."

Jasper laughed. "I know that, but Al . . . you know it's not easy for her to trust people. Her dad . . . he's a dick and he holds a lot over her head. We're her family, the only real family she considers anyway, and you're important to her."

"She's important to me, too." Edward stood up, grabbing the back of his neck with both hands. "But, Jay, I can't . . . I know it doesn't make sense, but I can't not help her."

"We know." Jasper took a deep breath as she walked over and stood next to him. "Haven't been out here in what? Five years?"

"About that," he said, laughing. "This is where we found out that you and Al were together. Mom caught you feeling her up in the laundry room."

"Almost beat my ass for it, too," Jasper scoffed. "Told me a proper gentleman would have made sure the door was locked before copping a feel."

"Then she made you both sit at the table and tell her every detail."

Jasper laughed. "I think the clincher was when she asked if we were having safe sex and then offered to buy me condoms."

"Always be safe," Edward said, smiling as he looked at his brother. "I'm not going to lie, Jay. I'm really scared right now."

"Me too."

"You are?"

Jasper nodded. "Mom and Dad sat me and Emmett down before they brought you home. Told us about you, not all the gritty details, of course, but that you'd been abused. They'd always told us about the bad guys who go after kids, told us to scream and yell rape or police, anything to get attention. I asked Dad why you didn't scream for help, and he said there wasn't anyone to hear you scream, so we needed to hear you. I didn't understand what he meant until he brought you home. You . . . I'd never seen someone pale and pasty," he chuckled, looking at him.

Edward didn't laugh.

"Sorry, trying to lighten the mood, I guess."

"I don't think anything will lighten the mood."

"Guess that's true," Jasper said. "If you say she's important to you, then she's important to all of us, including Al, but you can't expect us not to worry. She's . . . Edward, she's had a hold over you for a long time."

Edward frowned.

"Look, I'm just saying to be sure that you're not setting yourself up for heartache if you're not as important to her, as she is to you." Jasper reached over and patted him on the back. "Dad said to come to the office."

"I'll be right in."

Jasper gave him a look before he turned and walked back into the house. After giving himself a couple minutes to regain control his emotions, he turned and followed his brother into the house. Esme was seated in the kitchen with Rosalie, who stood up when he looked around the kitchen for her.

"She's okay," she said, putting her hands up. "She's just overwhelmed. Change is hard for her."

Edward nodded. "Change is hard for all of us."

Rosalie settled back at the table. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Esme reached for his hand as he walked by, trying to reassure him in her own way that she was there for him, for all of them. The way she always had been. He gave her as reassuring of a smile as he could before he walked out of the kitchen, through the living room, down the hallway and into his father's office, where he found Carlisle, Charlie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett seated around the large conference table. His father stood and motioned for him to sit in his chair, which he did.

"Tell me what you see," Carlisle said, gesturing toward him laptop.

Edward leaned forward and pressed the spacebar, which started the video from Bella's front porch. For about ten seconds nothing happened, and then he saw Carlisle and Alice arrive. Once they were inside the house, he leaned forward, searching for any sign of Marcus Volturi, but there wasn't any. For a solid ninety-eight minutes, the screen never changed, and then suddenly his brothers were standing on the front porch and Emmett was bending over and picking up the vase with the two Black and White Desert Roses.

"I don't understand. How'd they end up on the porch?"

"Just watch it again," Carlisle said, restarting the video.

Shifting in his chair, he leaned closer and once again watched his father and Alice arrive and enter the house. For almost an hour, the video looked completely and utterly normal, and then he saw it. The video paused, a squiggly line floated across the bottom of the screen, and it froze. There was absolutely zero movement. Not a tree swaying, bird flying. Not even a hint of a breeze.

"He hacked into our camera, didn't he? He covered our video with his own. He just walked right up like he owned the place." Edward pushed away from the table and stood up, feeling his hands shaking as he held them in front of him. "How'd he do that?"

"We don't know," Carlisle said, reaching over and pausing the video. "We're still trying to figure out how he got access to our system, but . . . Look, this just solidifies the need to bring him in."

"Dad."

"You know I wouldn't be suggesting him if we had any other option, Edward." Carlisle reached up and placed his hands on either side of his face. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again, Edward. You or her."

Edward exhaled a sharp, thready breath before he nodded and said, "Fine. Just . . . just fine."

And without giving them another word, he turned and walked out of the office, down the hallway, up the stairs until he found himself standing on the other side of her door. He placed both hands on the door before sliding to his knees, and for the first time in a long time, he cried.

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Not gonna lie, Edward broke me a little in this chapter.