After Carlisle finishes and Dad brings me soup, I feel my eyes start to droop. After making my way upstairs, I find my teenage bedroom untouched, and I climb into bed, discovering the sheets freshly washed. Dad must have done it while I was on my way home.

I fall asleep quickly but am plagued with nightmares of what Jake will do when he finds me. I scream myself awake and find Dad rushing in, fucking gun in hand. His eyes scour the room before he breathes a sigh of relief. He puts his gun on my nightstand and sits on the edge of the bed, taking my hand.

"I'll never let him lay another hand on you, Bells."

I nod, sniffling. "It was just a nightmare, but . . . it won't be long until he figures out where I am. I'm scared, Daddy."

He wipes away my tears, and I can see his heart breaking.

"I smashed your phone." My brow cocks. "He could trace it. I'll get you a new one tomorrow."

"I turned off location services, but that probably wasn't a bad idea. Did it ever ring?"

"About fifty times." He sighs. "That's when I got out the hammer."

"What am I going to do? I have nothing. I took some cash from the safe and my passport but cut up my debit and credit cards. Everything I own is in that leather bag. I have no job. No car. No means to take care of myself."

"You'll find a job. We'll get you a car. It'll all work out. Right now, you just need to heal and focus on yourself. I will protect you. If I'd known . . ."

"I'm sorry I stopped calling."

"It's water under the bridge. You're here now. You called when you needed to. That's all that matters."

I lean forward and hug him, ignoring the pain in my side, which Carlisle thinks is a broken rib. I should have never let Jake isolate me from my father and friends. I should have seen what he was doing. But like they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. And I was blinded by love.

"What time is it?" I ask, trying to make out the clock without my contacts in.

"A little after five."

I nod. "I don't think I can go back to sleep."

He smiles sadly. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please." I sigh.

. . . . .

I take a hot shower, letting the water mix with my tears. I need to stop, but it feels as if I'm mourning the girl Jake's abuse killed. She was so strong. She was funny and sweet. She was everything I'm not now.

I have to revive her.

I cover my bruised eye as best I can after popping in my contacts. I then dress in a long-sleeved white thermal and cardigan, wrapping my scarf around my bruised neck. Carlisle was right. It hurts more today, and my voice is a bit hoarse. But it'll heal. Everything will. But I know my heart will take the longest.

Ninety percent of the time, Jake was the love of my life. We had fun. He showed me off as if I were a prize and not the dorky girl from a small town in Washington State. He made me feel beautiful. But that ten percent . . . I didn't love him then. I feared him.

And that's not true love—no matter how much I tried to tell myself it was.

Dad is eating cereal when I get downstairs, and he left a bowl on the table for me. I haven't had cereal in years. Every morning, I made Jake breakfast. He liked eggs Benedict or sometimes just yogurt with freshly cut fruit. Whatever it was he wanted that day, I had ready by the time he was showered and dressed in his expensive suits.

I used to teach ninth-grade history, but Jake said it was stressing me out too much, so I just took sub jobs here and there and spent my time at the bookstore or attempting to write my first manuscript. One day, he noticed I had gained a few pounds, and as a gift, he hired a personal trainer. It was gift for himself, of course. His trophy wife had to look her best.

I'll never run until I throw up again because I fucking hate running.

I pour myself a bowl of Frosted Flakes and then sit across from Dad. He has the paper next to him, mindlessly reading some articles.

"The fall festival is coming up," he says.

I nod, remembering the times Edward took me. He fed me cotton candy and let me squeeze his hand as the Ferris wheel made it to the top. Heights terrified me, but not when I was with him. He would always win me the biggest stuffed animal. It was the one night Dad would let me stay out late with him. Well, without getting in trouble, which we kind of did a lot.

"I figured we'd go get you a new phone and whatever else you need," he says.

"Yeah, I need to do some research and see if I can get my teaching certificate transferred. Hopefully, I can at least get sub jobs until something more permanent opens."

"You could probably get a job with the state parks with your history degree."

I nod. "Yeah, I'll look into it. I also need to find a lawyer."

"Jane Volturian is a good one. I know she handles divorces."

"I'll call her office and make an appointment. The sooner I can end this marriage, the better. But I don't think Jake is going to make it easy."

"It's not as if you need anything from him."

"God, no. He can keep it all. I just want my last name back. I'm ready to be Bella Swan again."

He just smiles.

After we get a phone, Dad heads to the diner while I stop at Books and Beans—the local bookstore and coffee shop. I worked here during the summers, and Ms. Sue instantly recognizes me.

"Oh my God, Bella!" she exclaims, rushing around the counter and hugging me. "It's been so long, sweetheart."

I pull back and smile, nodding. "Too long, but I'm home now."

"Coffee, muffin? It's on the house."

"I mean, how can I refuse? Just a black coffee, please."

I stand at the counter as the bell over the door rings and look back.

I stop breathing.

Standing at six foot something and running a hand through his bronze hair, it's Edward Cullen.

The boy who was supposed to come and find me.

Don't own Twilight.

Thanks to my beta Fran and prereaders, May, Mary, Sarah, and Christina.