Chapter Five

Alice stood in the doorway to Bella's bedroom, watching her best friend wallow away. The only sound coming from the room was the occasional whimper slipping from Bella's lips. It wasn't the first time she'd seen her crumbling away, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. Whatever Edward Masen said had pushed her over a ledge, and Alice didn't know if she'd be able to bring her back. There were things in Bella's past that not even time could heal.

A loud knock at the front door pulled her attention away from the shell of a girl curled up on the bed. Turning away, Alice pulled open the heavy wooden door. Both relief and anger soared through her when she found Carlisle leaning with his hands on either side of the entryway, an aggravated expression covering his face. Neither of them had made their mutual dislike for each other a secret, but they both knew the other would do anything for Bella.

Ignoring the scowl on the young woman's face, Carlisle pushed his way past her, heading straight to the small bedroom at the back of the apartment. Without giving Alice a chance to explain anything, he shut the door and moved over to the bed, sitting on the edge. Resting his elbows on his knees, he waited for Bella to acknowledge him.

"Go away, Carlisle," she grumbled, rolling onto her stomach.

"Can't do that, sugar," he replied, shaking his head. "You've missed three nights at the bar."

"So what?" she snarled. "That dump is not my life."

"Never said it was," Carlisle dismissed her.

Rolling her eyes, Bella knew he wouldn't leave until he got his answers, no matter how hard she tried to ignore him. Being the only family she had left, he wouldn't abandon her now, not after everything they'd been through. Nothing quite like murder to bind a family together.

"Do you think I'm broken, Carlisle?" Her voice shook, thick with emotions.

"No, sugar," he sighed, reaching behind him and patting her leg. "You're just a little cracked around the seams, but you're not broken."

"You're nothing, Isabella, nothing but a waste of space," she gritted, repeating the words she'd heard too many times while fisting her pillow between her fingers. "Just like her, a common whore, spreading her legs for any man who claims to love you."

"You know that ain't true," Carlisle tried, but he'd witnessed too many of these moments. The guilt for not taking care of it sooner ate away at him. He should have done more to protect her.

"Do I?" wondered Bella, sitting up and facing him. "I don't have dreams, Carlisle. Or hopes or ambitions. I have nothing to work toward."

"That's not true, sugar," he disagreed, rubbing her calf again. "You're alive when you shouldn't be; that's something."

"Is it?" Bella's eyes fluttered closed.

Her echoed screams, pleads, and violent tears ran rampant through her mind, and it took all her control to stop from crying out again. Snapping her eyes open, she met his gaze, while throwing herself into his arms. Shifting her into his lap, he wrapped his arms around her tight, holding her together while doing everything he could to keep himself from losing it. He had to be strong for her. She'd already done her part.

"Sugar, you can't let him win again," he murmured, resting his forehead on the top of her head. "That bastard has taken enough from you — from us, without you letting him take more."

"I want to dream again," she wept, gripping his black T-shirt tightly. "All I want is to dream again. Is that too much to want?"

"You will. I don't know how, but you will." Blinking back the tears burning his eyes, he kissed the top of her head, vowing to help her.

"Give me ten, and I'll be ready for work," whispered Bella, shifting herself off his lap. Standing in front of him, she brought her hand up to his face, wiping away the lingering tears. Leaning forward, she brushed her lips across his cheek, "Thanks, Carlisle."

Bella walked into her bathroom, shutting the door behind her. A moment later, Carlisle heard the shower turn on. Standing, he walked back into the living room to find Alice sitting on the couch, arms wrapped around her torso. She knew, just like Carlisle did, everything that crazy bastard had done to her. But, unlike Bella, she couldn't forgive him for leaving her in that place for so long. For someone who claimed to love her, he left her in hell for too long.

"She'll be okay now," Carlisle gritted, leaning against the wall next to the door, ignoring the scowl on the younger woman's face.

When Bella first brought Alice into his bar, he wanted to like her but couldn't. All she did was complain about the music, the smoke in the air, and the cheap liquor. But that's not what bothered him the most about her. Alice came into Bella's life, taking over every aspect, pushing and pulling until Bella did whatever she wanted. After what that girl endured, the last thing she needed was for someone to tell her what to do all the time. She'd been there and done that.

"Good," she muttered, standing and walking into the kitchen. Pulling a bottle of water out of the fridge, she didn't bother offering him one. She didn't need him to feel welcome here. "I could have handled it."

"Because you were doing such a good job," he snarked, rolling his eyes.

"Like you have," Alice hissed, shaking her head.

Before she could say anything more, Bella threw open the door as she pulled her favorite t-shirt over her head. Pausing just long enough to notice her two favorite people glaring at each other, she sighed, choosing to ignore their silent battle. She's seen this sight more than a dozen times over the last eight years. Neither understood how much she needed them both.

"Are you ready?" she wondered, looking over at Carlisle.

"Yeah, sugar, let's go," he drawled, opening the front door. Bella hesitated before she stepped over the threshold. Looking back, she noticed Alice staring at the floor.

"Al," she spoke softly, causing her best friend to look up. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything." Alice tried to smile, but it felt forced. "Just . . . be careful tonight, okay?"

"I promise." Bella walked out of the apartment with Carlisle following, but not before he glared at Alice once more.

They walked down the back stairs, stopping at the black and silver Harley Softail Springer Classic parked in front of the building. The bike was Carlisle's pride and joy, maybe the only thing in the world he loved almost as much as Bella. He'd spent most of the last year taking the old bike apart and rebuilding it to his specifications, pouring more than just time into it; he gave it his soul, too.

Straddling the large bike, he held out Bella's helmet, before pulling on his own. Once she was ready, she climbed behind him, slipping her arms around his waist. Carlisle jump-started the motorcycle, pulling away from the building and heading toward R&R. A rare smile slipped over her lips. Riding on the back of Carlisle's bike was always one of her favorite things.

She had just turned thirteen when she begged her father to let her take a ride with him. He'd been reluctant but agreed after Carlisle swore on his life to be careful. They climbed onto the back of the sports bike and took off down one of the county roads just outside of town, with the dirt billowing up behind them. For the first time in her life, Bella felt free. It had been one of the few times she'd ever felt that freedom. Her father made sure she knew her place.

Carlisle parked his bike behind the bar, letting Bella climb off before swinging his leg around and following her into the bar. Pausing for a moment in the doorway, he thought about how odd it was that they had found solace in this place, given the hell they'd been through in a similar building. It didn't take much to hear her begging for that animal to stop hurting her, the sound of glass shattering, or the eerie chill when the mayhem finally ceased.

"Carlisle, everything ready up front?" Bella's voice pulled him from his inner ramblings.

"Yeah, sugar, I did it last night," he muttered, shifting his eyes to her. "You know, I wanted to do more before that night, don't you?" Dropping her eyes from his, she brought her hand up to her chest. "I tried, but he . . ."

"You did everything you could," Bella lied. They both knew the words were empty.

The simple truth went unspoken; he could have done a million different things to protect her, but he didn't. She understood why. Going against the most powerful man in town would have done nothing but land him in jail, or worse, six feet under.

"I'm gonna go check on everything."

"Bella," his voice broke.

"I know, Carlisle," she whispered, keeping her back toward him. "It's okay."

Leaving him standing in the doorway, she walked through the swinging door to the front of the bar. Before going straight to work, she nodded in acknowledgment toward Steven, the bartender for the early shift. Trying to block out the crawling feeling of panic she felt with everyone looking at her, she focused on serving the faceless patrons in front of her, but it felt like they could see straight through to her soul.

"Hey, Bella, haven't seen you for a few days," Mike chuckled, leaning against the bar. "Started to think you had wised up and gotten the hell out of this place."

"No," she snorted, pulling out a bottle of his favorite beer and wiping it with a towel before she slid it over to him. "Been busy, you know."

"Tell me about it," he scoffed, pulling out a ten and tossing it onto the bar. "Keep the change. It's nice to see you again."

"Thanks," she managed to smile.

Mike headed over to his favorite table, sliding into his seat and taking another swig of his beer. He'd been coming into R&R since Carlisle opened the doors, but he kept to himself for the most part. He was friendly, but it didn't go past more than just a wave and a smile.

"Um, Bella?" She froze, nails digging into the bar top in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she looked up, finding Edward standing on the other side. "Can we talk?"

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