10

"Grab that bag. I'll grab the other one."

Bella gestured to the bag next to the door before she turned and started toward the bed, but stopped when she felt Edward place his hand on her shoulder. She struggling to keep herself together as it was, so when she closed her eyes and released a shaky breath, she whispered, "Not here, okay? I'll tell you everything. I just can't do it here."

"Okay."

Bella pulled her bag off the bed and picked up her backpack. When she looked back, she found Edward standing next to the door with her big suitcase in his hands and pity in his eyes. She didn't need his pity. She just needed to get out of that house before her father came back, before he finished what he had started the night before. Using her shoulder to brush away a tear, she followed Edward downstairs and out to his car. She couldn't keep from scouring the area, expecting her father to pull up behind them as Edward shoved her bags into the trunk of his car. She could still feel his hands wrapped around her throat, smell the liquor on his breath, and she covered her mouth with her hand to keep from throwing up. How could he have put his hands on her like that? He was her father; he was supposed to love her.

"Come on, Swan." Edward closed the trunk and hurried around her, opening the passenger door. "Let's get out of here."

Bella nodded, her tears falling down her face and she found herself looking around once more before she climbed into the car and put her seatbelt on. As Edward rushed around and clambered behind the wheel, she angled her body toward the door.

"He'd never even spanked me before, Edward. My father had never raised his hand to me before last night. I guess finding out the truth about me was too much for him to handle."

Edward, though, didn't reply as he started the car, shifted into reverse, and drove away from her house. Ten minutes later, he parked in front of Esme's house and she scrambled out of the car as the front door opened and Esme rushed out. They met in the middle of the front yard, their arms wrapping around each other, and Bella cried. She didn't just cry; she began to sob.

"Take her inside. I'll let him know she's okay."

"Thank you, Edward." Esme whimpered, and Bella felt her lips against the side of her head. "Just . . . thank you."

"You're welcome."

Esme kept her arms around Bella as she led her into the house, sitting them on the couch. Bella couldn't stop crying, though. Every time she thought she had, she'd remember the way he came at her, the words he said, the feel of his hands on her skin, and she would start crying again. She just couldn't understand why he was behaving like that. Her father had never raised his hand toward her, not even when she was a little girl throwing a temper tantrum when he wouldn't buy her candy at the store. He had always been kind and patient, especially after her mother walked out on them.

Over the last few months, though, he had started drinking more and more, and then came his fascination with her and Jacob Black. Was it just that he wanted his daughter to be with the son of his best friend? And why? Did he just not know the kind of boy Jacob Black was? He was crass, crude, and immature — and a boy, but that was neither here nor there.

Bella was jarred from her thoughts when the front door opened and Edward hurried in, saying, "He's on his way."

Bella gasped, leaning away from Esme.

He put his hands up and frowned. "Carlisle, I mean. Carlisle is on his way."

She released a deep breath and nodded. "Sorry. I just . . ."

"I should have been clearer." Edward sat on the other sofa. "Bella, what the hell happened when I dropped you off last night?"

"I don't know. I just . . ." She stood up and walked over to the fireplace, wrapping her arms around herself. "When you dropped me off, he was waiting for me on the stairs. He'd been drinking; I could smell the beer on his breath. He started in on me about you, and the party, and lying to him, and before I knew it, he had me pressed against the front door. He told me I had to go out with Jacob Black, said I didn't have a choice, and when I refused, again, he slammed his hand against the door. I managed to push him away from me and moved to the stairs. Needed to put some space between me and him. I said I was never going out with Jacob, ever, and he could go to hell if he couldn't accept 'no' for an answer. He started toward me, so I ran upstairs and into my bedroom, locking the door behind me. He started yelling and screaming and calling me a cunt and a bitch, and told me he wished my mother had aborted me."

Bella turned and looked at Esme and then Edward. "I knew I couldn't stay, so I started packing my stuff when he kicked my door in. He looked from me to the bags and before I realized what he was doing, he'd backhanded me. I flew against the wall, and he came at me again, wrapping his hands around my throat. He pulled me upwards so that my feet were barely touching the ground. I couldn't breathe, I . . ." She closed her eyes, and a minute later, she felt Esme's hands coming up to her face. Her eyes opened. "He knows about you."

"How?"

"He has my phone."

Esme inhaled a sharp breath. "I see."

"Why is it a big deal that he has your phone?"

Bella shifted her eyes to Edward. "Because I have pictures of her on my phone, Edward. Intimate pictures of her."

"Oh."

The door to the house opened, and all three of them looked over, finding Carlisle hurrying in. He stopped and placed his hands on his hips, his eyes flickering from Esme and Bella to Edward and back.

"What the fuck are we going to do now?"

"I don't know." Bella closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Esme placed her hand on her knee. "None of this is your fault, sweetheart."

"It is, though. I should have just gone out with Jacob Black. If I had just . . ." Bella opened her eyes. "I have to leave. I have to leave Forks. Like now."

Esme grabbed her hands. "What? You can't leave."

"He's not going to let his go, Esme. You didn't see the look in his eyes. Okay, he's . . . there's something wrong with him, something really wrong, and I don't know what that is, but . . . if I stay, he's going to hurt you, and I can't . . . I can't let him hurt you."

"Then I'll go with you."

"What about your job?"

"Fuck my job!" Esme exclaimed, bringing her hands up to her face. "I am not letting you go. I love you."

"I love you, too." Bella whimpered. "God, I love you so much."

"Then we agree. We'll leave together."

"Or," Carlisle said, drawing attention to him as he walked over and sat next to Edward, and Bella saw the way he shifted so that he was facing him. They were kind of beautiful together, she thought. "We fight fire with fire. I have a friend who works in the state attorney's office. I can reach out to him, see what he can do to help protect you from your father."

"Him?" Edward asked, and Bella noticed the way his jaw set, his eyes darkened, and she almost laughed at his jealousy. Would have it her father hadn't attacked her the night before.

Carlisle sighed and nodded. "Yes, him, and he's only a friend."

"Was he ever more than a friend?"

When he pressed his lips together, Bella knew exactly what he was going to say even before the word, "Yes," left his mouth. "But its been over between us for almost two years, Edward. You are the man I love, not Peter."

"Peter," Edward spat out, and Bella couldn't keep the laughter from leaving her. "What's so funny?"

"You being jealous." Bella looked at Carlisle as Edward muttered, "I'm not jealous."

"So what can he do? Issue a restraining order? That doesn't help the fact that he knows about me and Esme. Probably what set him off in the first place. He had my phone in his hand when he came barreling into my room."

"I'm just saying running isn't going to help, either. You and Esme need to decide if you're ready for people to know about you, or not."

Bella nodded, lolling her head in Esme's direction. "I won't ask you to put yourself in that position, love. Not for me."

"You're worth it. Let's just hope he doesn't force our hand. I am more concerned with his sudden behavioral changes."

"You think there's something wrong with him?" She asked, almost hopeful that there was something that would explain her father's sudden and destructive behavior. Her father, the one she had grown up with, wouldn't have put his hands on her.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

Bella nodded. "Can we go to your room? I just . . . I just need to lay down."

"Of course."

—S&S—

"Was it just last night that you had my hands tied to the headboard as you fucked me?"

Bella smiled and let her head lob to the side. "That was fun."

"Yes, yes, it was," Esme laughed before she rolled onto her side, sliding her hand under the hem on Bella's shirt. "I'm scared, Bella."

"Me too," she confessed, rotating so that she was facing her. "Why are you concerned about his behavior changes?"

Esme frowned. "You say that he wasn't like this before a few months ago?"

Bella nodded. "I mean, he wasn't perfect, but he never cared who I was dating, if I was dating until like last April. And then suddenly, all I heard was Jacob Black this and Jacob Black that. We were arguing about Jacob the night I cut my hand."

"You never told me that."

"I couldn't very well tell the hot-piece-of-ass doctor stitching up my hand that my father and I were arguing about a boy, and that's why I dropped the knife, and like an idiot, made a grab for it, hence the gash on my palm. Though, I did meet you, so win-win for me."

Esme giggled. "I had never seen someone so beautiful before."

"I doubt that," she scoffed. "Not even your ex?"

She shook her head. "She was pretty, but you . . . you, sweetheart, are sexy and sensual and make me want to do things that I've never done before."

"Like let me fuck you with a strap on?"

"Yes!" Esme snickered, her fingers wrapping around her hip before she scooted closer. "I've never wanted someone to own my body the way you do."

"I've never wanted to control someone the way I do you, love."

"I can't lose you, not to him, not to anyone."

"I don't know what to do," she whimpered. "He's my father, Esme, and he wrapped his hands around my throat and choked me."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"You can't stop him, Esme. He's . . . he's never raised his hand to me before. Never, and I was a bratty kid. I mean full-out temper tantrums when I didn't get my way. Then my mom left and he was sad. He was always so sad, but he still never put his hands on me. He just . . . he just kind ignored me, I guess. But he was never mean. Never." Bella flopped back onto her back, draping her arm over her head. "And then one day, I'd made us dinner, because I'm the only one who knows how to make dinner, and I was cleaning the kitchen when he walked in and said, 'You know Jacob Black, Bells?' Like that little asshole and I hadn't known each other our entire lives. I said, 'Yes, what about him?' He just smiled. He smiled and said, 'You should go out with him. You know, on a date. He's a good boy, Bells. A good boy, and you need a good boy to take care of you'."

Bella paused and looked over at Esme. "I said no, Esme. I told him I wasn't interested in dating anyone, especially him. He just kept saying he was good boy, and I needed a good boy to take care of me. I've been taking care of myself since she walked out that door, you know?"

She nodded. "How could she have left you?"

"She just stopped loving me, I guess. She called at first, every day for the first few weeks, and then it was every few days, and then every few weeks, months. She hasn't called in almost a year."

"Do you know where she's at?"

"Last I heard, she was in Arizona. She'd started seeing some guy named Phil. A baseball player. Not a good one, either, based on the google search I did on him. I stalk her social media, though. She seems happy with him."

"Have you thought about reaching out to her?"

"Why? If she wanted a relationship with me, love, she would be here," Bella whimpered. "I knew the day would come when he'd learn who I really am, learn that I'm madly, passionately, deeply in love with you. I guess I just hoped that he'd see me, the real me, the one who needs you, and he'd be okay with who I am, but I guess that was too much to ask for, huh?"

"I don't know, Bella. I mean, my father practically bargained me away as a business asset, didn't he? It could have been worse, I guess. I may have had to marry Carlisle, but he's my best friend. He understands how I feel about you."

"You'd already told him about me. Before I caught him and Edward together, I mean."

Esme smiled. "Of course I did. You're important to me, sweetheart."

"You're the most important person in my life, love."

She opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could, the sound of her alarm filled the air. Esme sighed and rolled over, silencing it. When she looked back at Bella, she frowned.

"You have to go to work."

"I do."

"I could come with you."

Esme smiled. "I don't think I'd be able to focus on my patients if I know you're in the building."

"What if he comes there looking for you?"

"I'll make sure hospital security is especially aware tonight." Esme placed her hand on the side of her face. "It will make me feel better if you're here, with them, where I know you're safe."

"They're going to fuck all night. I don't want to see their dicks again. Once was enough."

Esme laughed. "You can stay in here, if you want."

"Promise to be safe?"

"I promise." She climbed out of bed and walked over to her dresser, pulling out an old, flip phone style cell phone. She turned, biting her bottom lip before she said, "I know it's a piece of crap, but it's better than nothing."

"Why do you have an extra phone?"

"It's the only way my father can contact me."

Bella frowned.

"Don't do that, sweetheart. It is what it is. I may have married Carlisle and helped him save the family business, but I refuse to let him take who I am — who I really am — away from me. But my mom has some health issues, so I keep that phone on hand, you know, just in case." She walked over and sat on the side of the bed, placing the phone in her hand. "You can text me, call me, whatever. My number is listed under Esmeralda."

"Esmeralda?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's my full name. I hate it."

"It's kind of beautiful." Bella scooted over, leaning her chin on her shoulder. "Promise you'll be okay?"

"I promise." Esme leaned in and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

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