DISCLAIMER: The story doesn't belong to me; the characters are property of S. Meyer, and the plot belongs to Annalau Thank you so much for letting me share your story in English!

Gracias Laura, por darme esta oportunidad!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 34

I shudder as I open the door.

The room is in semi-darkness, barely illuminated by the natural moonlight pouring through the large window.

I take a step trying not to step on the shattered glass bottles on the floor. I dodge some overturned furniture and clothes scattered everywhere.

"Go away!"

I stop at Edward's demanding voice. I discern that he is sitting on the floor still next to the bed beside the large teddy bear.

Ignoring his request, I walk over and kneel in front of him taking a Jack Daniels bottle from his hands which he readily yields to me.

I reach out my hand and remove some of his loose hair covering his face, his eyes lost now trying to focus on my face, he is drunk. Too much

"Leave me alone," he asks slurring his words.

I just shake my head and swallowing the lump in my throat let the first tears come out. My heart aches to see him completely broken.

"I'm not going to leave you. I can't."

He barely smiles and his tears flow at the same time.

"Did you know I'm the son of a fucking rapist?"

My heart pumps hard in my chest and I feel like my blood has rushed to my feet, I take a deep breath and try to pull myself together fast because I need to be okay for him.

"That mutt raped Kate," he mutters.

I sit up on my knees as the skin all over my body bristles. The shock is such that I need a breath of air, I gasp and inhale slowly as I digest what he has just said.

"He raped her, and I couldn't do anything to stop it," he continues saying with his lost look while he squeezes in the palm of his hand a piece of glass that makes his blood run like a runaway river, I hurry to put the first garment I see and press it between his palm after removing the piece of sharp glass. "I want to kill him... I'm going to kill him."

I put my index finger to his lips.

"No, don't say it."

"I feel so guilty" his voice trails off "I failed her, I couldn't take care of her like it was my responsibility, I didn't do it."

I hold his face.

"Isabella..." he closes his eyelids for a moment. "I'm not the best company today, leave me alone."

I reach out and caress her nose with mine.

"I'm not going to leave you, my love. I'll be here if you want to curse, let off steam, or if you want to collapse... I offer you my arms."

He fakes a smile and snuggles into my arms until he rests his head in my lap while I stroke his hair as slowly as I can.

"I'm so embarrassed with Kate," I hear him say, "I don't even know how to approach her, to her daughter."

My hand stays held in the air.

"So... the child is..." I swallow and nausea churns in my stomach, "the child is Carlisle's," I say inwardly.

My breathing quickens. She must be in a lot of pain knowing that her attacker is the father of her child. God, I don't want to imagine her pain, I don't want to.

"My duty is to support her, and I don't even know where to start," he mumbles, "I've gone crazy, so much so that not even alcohol has been able to numb my soul. I have so much rage inside me that I swear that when I have him in front of me I will kill him with my own hands."

"No. You will do nothing like that," I try to wrap my arms around his body. "We'll let the police take care of him."

He straightens up in a sitting position and cradles my face. He looks desperate.

"I couldn't bear for him to hurt you."

"He won't. Because Kate must report him, she must put him behind bars. She has to."

"I don't know how to look for her, I have no idea."

"Maybe you need to give her a couple of days to come to terms with the paternity of her child. It's just... imagine how hard it is to remove a fact that you tried to bury in your gut and now it appears to become the biological father of your daughter, it's extremely heartbreaking."

"It is aberrant."

I wipe away my tears by rubbing my hands together.

"I must also talk to Esme, she will be very upset, she won't stand for it."

"I'm here to help you, Edward. If you want I can talk to Esme." I try to cheer him up even though the lump in my throat prevents me from speaking clearly. "Although the first thing you should do is get cleaned up because Pat is really worried about you, as well as your mother and Jacob. You've been cooped up for two days just getting drunk and that doesn't help."

"I must be well for my son -he rubs his face- for my mother, for you."

"Come on," I urge him to stand up, "I'll help you take a shower."

I struggle to help him sit up. Edward is big and heavy for my build. But I feel better to see that he is trying to do it on his own, he wobbles when he finally manages to stand up and puts his arm around my shoulders without dropping his weight.

I guide him to the bathroom trying not to step on the glass, when I get there I start preparing the warm water to fill the tub while he gets out of his dirty clothes. Once he is naked he slides into the bathtub until he is sitting down, I realize that he is avoiding looking me in the eyes.

I kneel down and pour some shampoo into my palm starting to gently massage his scalp getting enough foam, it smells good, good enough that I'm salivating to taste it.

I shake my head. I think I'm going crazy at the thought of eating shampoo.

Still with my smile on my lips from thinking nonsense I fill the sponge with lotion and glide it over his body starting with his tense shoulders and neck. Edward sighs and throws back his head and closes his eyelids.

"Stay with me," he murmurs without opening his eyes, "I need you."

Suddenly he holds my hand and makes me wince, which makes him smile faintly.

"You don't need to ask, Edward. I plan to take care of you until you're well. I want to be the person who holds you when you think you can't go on."

He squeezes my hand and articulates a thank you.

.

.

.

In the morning Esme is surprised to see us arriving at the dining room together, meanwhile Pat does not take into account that detail, just runs excitedly to hug Edward.

Yes, I admit that we have slept together, although not in the sense of a couple, but in the sense of two friends who decide to share a bed.

Edward has a better countenance and while this is happening it is safe to say that his mood is better. We have breakfast between brief and trivial conversations that if it weren't for Edward's continuous nausea I would say everything was perfect.

"What's wrong?" Esme questions as Edward guides her into the office and makes her sit in the first chair in front of the desk. "You're scaring me."

Edward rubs his temples, closes his eyelids for a moment, and then stares at his mother.

Esme freezes and the anguish on her face is evident.

"You have to know what happened," Edward begins to say, "all these days Kate became close to me because we talked. She told me why she left."

Esme just nods: her eyes go from Edward to me and back again.

"Kate was attacked one night in her apartment," Edward continues, "and she decided to leave."

Esme's face turns pale, I reach over and take her cold hand in mine.

"They-they attacked her?"

Edward exhales sharply and takes his mother's other hand without taking his wild green eyes off her.

Esme's body begins to tremble involuntarily, shaking hard as she realizes who the attacker is. She cries, screams, curses, and tries to stand up, but Edward stops her by hugging her with all his strength letting the woman who gave her life vent by beating her torso until she faints in his arms.

.

.

.

After being in the hospital for a week Esme is ready for a new beginning. A start that involves small changes from now on; for example, she will have to take medication for her high blood pressure and also other small pills to combat stress and anxiety, she looks more upbeat despite all her lost weight, and I know she is ready to face a new life.

She and Kate were able to have a brief rapprochement where Esme asked for forgiveness and felt released when it was granted, about little Bree they decided not to alter her life or space. Esme was not yet ready to see her face to face and know that the child was the result of molestation by the man she once loved.

Edward had also gotten close to Kate and her girls again and had the opportunity to spend time with them more often. This made me uneasy and as much as Edward said over and over again that she is just a great friend, it unsettles me to see him so happy and playful around the little girls. It is as if the smiling, mischievous little girls had come to awaken his tender instinct that he was only capable of showing with his son and me.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Jess says, on the verge of tears.

I clear her pale face and stir her straight blonde hair.

"There are video calls," I try to lighten the moment by hiding my desire to cry. "Besides, you and Mike can visit me whenever you want."

Jess nods and wipes away her tears.

"No doubt we will," she promises, keeping quiet as she discreetly looks over to where Edward is talking to Esme. I still can't believe you gave up everything to get away from this town," she shudders. "So, tell me, what happened with that creep?"

"Nothing," I answer lowering the volume of my voice, "Kate doesn't want to talk about it and Edward is giving her space. Anyway, Jacob and his father together with Edward have set a trap to force him out of hiding, according to what Mr. Black said: he will fall very soon."

"Ah... What about Charlie? Have you told him you're leaving town?"

This is where I try to let a deep sigh carry away all my dismay.

"He doesn't have time for me, Jess. And I promise you I'm done trying, I can't expect anything from either of them anymore," I shrug my shoulders in a typical action of pretending it doesn't hurt, that it doesn't matter. "From today I disappear from their lives. I free myself from them and I free them from me."

My friend wrinkles her nose. I know she is hiding her pity for me, I know her elusive look, her angry gesture, because unfortunately I am used to dealing with that sorry feeling my acquaintances have for me.

I squeeze her hand, preventing her from continuing her hateful thoughts.

"How are you doing?"

"Mike and I will be living together," he reveals with a broad smile. "Although we haven't yet..." she gestures with her hands in an obscenity that makes her blush. "I don't think he can," she whispers in my ear, "every time we try, he can't penetrate me, do you think he's impotent? This worries me."

I laugh.

I laugh loudly, earning curious looks from Edward, Esme, and Pat.

"Hey," I hold my best friend's shoulders. She looks quite embarrassed. "It's normal that you're having problems" I make the same gestures "Both of you have never been with anyone and I guess your inexperience makes it more complicated. Don't force things, Jess, it will happen when it has to happen."

She rolls her eyes.

"When that day comes, I may be turning into a real old lady. No, I don't want to wait any longer. I'm thinking of setting Mike up on an appointment, maybe he needs some pills to make him potent or what do I know," she crosses her arms in a huff.

"You're crazy," I exclaim theatrically and without hiding my laughter.

"Laugh all you want. Since you have no complaints."

"Jess, can I have a moment with my girl? You've been hogging her the whole time."

Edward intertwines our hands as he approaches us leaving room for my friend to wrap me in a comforting embrace. It's hard to say goodbye to Jessica, there are too many feelings between us, too many shared memories that it's impossible for me not to cry.

"Don't cry," Edward says wiping away my tears, "I don't like to see you cry, my love."

Suddenly he takes out a small velvet case, opening it in front of me, and taking out a beautiful bracelet which he puts around my wrist.

"Oh... Edward" I look at the platinum bracelet on my left hand, it has beautiful emeralds inlaid in it "It's beautiful!"

"My intention is that you wear something of mine on you and I thought that a bracelet is better than a ring. I am not ruling out that one day I will put a beautiful engagement ring on your ring finger, only that I will settle for a bracelet for the time being."

He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly to his body, resting his forehead on mine.

"Don't fall in love with anyone else," he asks, "promise?"

"You don't either."

He denies.

"I think I'm already regretting you leaving," he kisses my forehead, "I'll be so anxious for you to be away. Promise you'll take care of yourself?"

"Edward, you sent us to put a bodyguard, nothing bad will happen to us."

"I know, it was necessary for your safety," he murmurs against my lips, "do you want me to come visit you soon?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then we'll go at the weekend," he promises, leaving a short kiss on my lips, "I love you, Isabella. Don't forget that."

"Bella" Esme calls me, coming to us "it's time to board, sweetheart. We have to go."

My heart shrinks, I don't want to leave, I don't want to leave Edward. I stand on my tiptoes and hug his neck as Edward wraps his arms around my waist.

"I love you, Edward," I cling to his neck, "I love you so much. Please don't forget me."

No matter that he said we needed some time, I can't let him off the hook, I love him, and I want to stay his girlfriend, I even dream of one day being his wife. Because Edward is the most important thing I've ever had.

Here we are again with another update where Esme and Bella finally embark on a new path together. Oh, Edward and Bella are still a couple, only now it will be long distance or well, we don't know if that part will change. Do you want to read about their new life? I hope you are still interested in reading because we are missing the romantic side and the new surprises that come into their lives. Let me know what you thought of the chapter!

Remember review = preview ; )

Thank you for your reviews: