Chapter Twenty-One: Fight

EPOV

I was a complete fucking mess.

Bella’s father had cut her off from everything.

No XBOX, no internet, no cell phone. I had tried calling her house phone every single day for about two weeks before finally giving up and going over to her house in a rare show of bravery on my part. I was so fed up with not seeing her I had to speak with her father.

To my complete shock Chief Swan had been fucking nice to me. He was sympathetic and apologetic and explained nicely that Bella did not want to see me ever again.

I should have just taken it like a fucking man; turned around and left it alone, but I didn’t. I had blown up in his face which was very unlike me. I yelled at him and then I yelled over his shoulder into the house at Bella. I knew that she really did love me and would never ever say that she didn’t want to see me. I knew her father was making it up to protect her but the words still stung like a bitch.

“This is fucking bullshit!” I screamed and slammed my palm into the side of the house before turning around and storming back to my car.

Chief Swan stood silently in the doorway as I sped away, his expression difficult for me to read. As I glanced in the review mirror I thought I saw the curtains in Bella’s bedroom window move to the side, and I felt my heart break all over again.

My depression was so bad I couldn’t even play Call of Duty.

I had tried to, but everything about it reminded me of Bella and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had stooped to a new low and started playing Halo with Jake and some of the guys from the reservation despite protests from Jasper and Emmett. Even though playing kept my mind occupied, it didn't take the hurt away.

I had an extremely difficult time at school and without fail, each morning I would lay in bed and try to think of a reason not to go. I hated it because I had to see her there. At school Bella was always within reach, but she was so protected by teachers that I couldn’t get near her. They had pulled her out of Biology and had rearranged her schedule so that she and I wouldn’t even cross paths between classes. They didn’t even let her eat lunch in the cafeteria. Any time she was moving from classroom to classroom she was escorted by a teacher. Total fucking lockdown.

Her father had told the teachers about her addiction in order to help her, however all it really did was make things worse for Bella. It wasn’t long before one of the students found out about her personal problems and the rumors of “sex addicted” Bella spread like wildfire throughout the entire school. Of course I was a large part of these rumors but I really didn’t give a shit. The whispers, stares and inappropriate comments only enraged me because I knew Bella was getting them tenfold.

I wanted desperately to protect her and since my hands were tied I was a worthless ball of angry asshole pretty much all the time. Even Jasper and Emmett had stopped talking to me unless they had to. On more than one occasion they had to pull me off of someone after I overheard them talking about Bella. I could only imagine what I looked like. A dirty, unshaven, lunatic screaming threats of violence at brainless high school morons who had nothing better to do than gossip about people they knew nothing about.

I knew I was falling apart. I wasn’t eating, and I often passed out in my bed fully clothed, rolled out of bed the next morning and went to school without bothering to change. I started keeping headphones on at all times so I could avoid having to talk to Jasper and Emmett or anyone else that demanded my attention. I was usually listening to music, but sometimes I just put them on so I wouldn’t have to pay attention to the conversations going on around me.

Sometimes there would be a spark of hope in my day. I would catch a quick glimpse of Bella as she was escorted into a classroom or in the parking lot on her way to her truck after school. She looked like a shell of her former self. She was so fucking skinny I wondered what the hell Charlie was feeding her. She had deep purple circles under her eyes and she never smiled. Her hair was dull, her posture slumped and defeated. It took all of my willpower not to just grab her and run away.

My depression ran so deep it was only a matter of time before I snapped.

On Thursday afternoon I walked into the cafeteria with no intention of eating anything. I wasn’t fucking hungry. I made a bee line for the salad bar hoping they still had some apples. I wasn’t going to eat it, I was going to smoke out of it. Apples made the best pipes in a pinch and since I was getting high on a daily basis lately, apples were a perfect substitute when I forgot my one hitter.

I reached for the biggest juiciest looking one and clutched it in my fist. I started to walk towards the cafeteria doors when I saw her.

Bella.

She was moving slowly, her head down, her pale skin a striking contrast against her dark sweater. She was deliberately avoiding making eye contact with anyone and I really couldn’t blame her.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed her. I heard a hush settle over everyone in the lunch room and I cringed when I heard the whispers start all around me.

“Look at her…”

"Did they finally let her out of slut prison?"

“Did you hear that she only gets turned on by video gamers? What is that?"

“I heard that she fucked a teacher and was gang banged by some club at her last school…”

“I heard she fucked Edward Cullen…”

“What is wrong with her…”

She made her way to the soda machine and as she reached up to drop quarters into the slot she slowly turned her head to the side and her gaze locked with mine immediately. She was actually making contact with me. I was so startled my muscles tightened reflexively and I felt the apple drop from my hand and roll away somewhere under a row of tables.

Her eyes seemed so empty and sad and right before she turned away from me I thought I saw her bottom lip pout and quiver like she was about to cry. She pressed a button on the vending panel and as she bent over to retrieve her soda from the dispenser my view of her was suddenly blocked by a short, stumpy figure in a ridiculous floor length trench coat.

Fucking Mike Newton. I scowled with disgust.

I was fairly certain that Mike was the reason Bella’s secret had been leaked to the entire school. Mikes mother was head of the PTA and she had been in on the meeting Chief Swan had with the school administrators. I knew Mikes sleazy, gossip obsessed mother wouldn’t have been able to keep that information to herself. She had obviously blabbed to someone, Mike had overheard, and had taken it upon himself to make sure everyone knew.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Let it go man. If you go up there you are going to do something you regret and then they are never going to let you have her back."

I recognized Emmett’s voice which was for once, very serious. My brain knew he was right. I should just walk away and let the teachers handle this situation. There was nothing he could do in front of all of these people that would go unnoticed or unpunished.

I glanced around searching for a teacher and looking forward to seeing Mike removed from Bella.

No teachers in sight.

I turned back to Bella and Mike in time to see him reach out and touch her hair. She bent backwards her eyes wide with panic and her mouth twisted in a disgusted frown. This did not discourage Mike in the least he took another step forward.

"I have to man. I can't let him do this to her. She's about to fall apart Em...look at her." My heart was hammering in my chest as I saw Bella cower further and further away from Mike. Had she been my normal healthy Bella she would have kicked Mike in the balls by now. But she was emotionally fragile. She had no confidence; her dad had unintentionally stripped that from her the day he banned her from everything she loved.

Mike now had her pinned against the wall and I couldn't stand and watch any longer. I broke free of Emmetts iron grip and sprinted to the vending area before he could catch me. As I got within earshot I could hear Mike's voice.

"I can show you my cock if you want. Will that get you all turned on?" His voice was dripping with sleaze and I felt a surge of rage build up inside and course through every vein like fire. Bella's eyes were on the ground and I could see her shoulders rise and fall rapidly with her frantic breaths.

"Hey Mike." I practically growled.

At the sound of my voice Bella’s head snapped up and her eyes found mine quickly. I wanted to smile at her, to reassure her that it was going to be ok but I was so fucking pissed off all I could manage was a sneer.

"Fuck off Cullen." Mike hissed not bothering to turn around.

The look on Bella's face in that moment broke me. She was so fucking scared she looked just like a little kid who was trapped and had nowhere to go.

I gritted my teeth. "I think you need to get away from her." I tried again hoping Mike would sense the danger he was in and just walk away.

When he didn't move, and instead took another step towards Bella I quickly positioned myself between the two of them. I grinned icily when Mike took several defensive steps backwards. I was planning on continuing to walk slowly towards him so that he would be forced to move away but a tentative touch on my back stopped me dead in my tracks.

Bella.

I felt her hand on my arm and then closed my eyes and sighed when I felt her nose and forehead press into the spot between my shoulders. Her breath was warm even through my t-shirt and I held my breath as she pressed soft kisses into my back. Then I felt her lean heavily into me as her body shook with silent sobs. I stood as still as a statue not sure what to do.

""What is her problem Cullen? She hate you so much just the sight of you makes her cry. What the fuck did you do to her man?"

I almost jacked Mike in the mouth right then but a warm hand clutching at mine snapped me back like a rubber band. I reached behind me and folding my fingers around hers. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her so bad my entire body ached from forcing myself not to turn around.

She squeezed my hand and I felt the tension break. Fuck it.

I spun around and wrapped my arms around her and buried my nose in her hair. She felt so good, and smelled so good I couldn't even find the right words to say to her. I wound up mumbling a bunch of mashed up random thoughts.

"Fuck. Oh Bella. I fucking missed you." I groaned. "I fucking love you so much. I can't stop thinking about you."

"They are going to separate us." She rasped her voice heavy with emotion. "They are going to take me away again they can't see us together. Edward I never said any of those things my dad told you."

Her words were rushed and full of pain. "I know babe, I know."

“For the last time Cullen. Fuck. Off.” I heard Mike’s words and I felt his greasy fat fingers grab onto my shirt and pull me away from Bella. What happened after that is still fuzzy.

I know I spun around and grabbed Mike by the collar and lifted him in the air. I didn’t even know I was fucking strong enough to lift a person.

I leaned close to his face, my body shaking in anger. “You will back off and leave her alone. Do you understand me?”

I was panting, and I could feel myself losing complete control.

“She isn’t yours anymore Cullen.” The fucker sneered happily. “Give some of us other gamers a chance to fuck her.” With that said, he snapped his head back and then spit into my face.

The second the warm saliva hit my cheek I felt the rubber band snap in half. My right hand connected so hard with his nose my knuckles split at the same time his cartilage was crushed. I heard him making a girlie whimper and I grinned at him before dropping him on the floor.

With my left hand over his neck I pinned him into submission, my right hand never resting. Punch after punch found its mark in his stomach. He was writing underneath me, tears flowing freely.

“You are such a fucking little girl.” I growled at him. “I hope this teaches you to leave Bella the fuck alone.”

I heard someone shouting and felt hands on my shoulders pulling me off of Mike. I fought them, shaking my arms out of their grip and lunging for Mike.

“Mr. Cullen. You will stop this right now!” I heard an older male voice command. It sounded like Mr. Banner but I ignored him. I didn’t give a shit. I was going to fuck Mike Newton up. Make a spectacle of him. Make sure the entire school knew to stay away from Bella.

“Get Newton. We will hold down Cullen.” I heard the voices plotting around me and before I could do anything about it Mike was slid out from underneath me and two men jumped on my back and held me down.

With my cheek smashed up against the linoleum I looked up and recognized Jasper’s Pumas standing beside my face.

“Dude you fucked him up.” He laughed leaned down so he could talk to me.

“Good.” I mumbled having difficulty breathing with two grown men laying on top of me with all of their weight pressed down on my torso. “He fucking deserved it.”

“Someone called the cops.” Jasper warned me and I groaned out loud. Of course the cops would get involved. And the cops getting involved meant Charlie Swan. What the fuck had I done?

Jasper was ordered away from me and without another word I saw his shoes disappear into the gathered crowd.

“Mr. Cullen.” I recognized Chief Swan’s voice and immediately stopped struggling against my captors. “I suggest you knock this shit off and cooperate.”

I felt the weight shift off of me only to be replaced by the painful pressure of a knee cap pressing into the spot between my shoulders. Charlie grabbed my wrists and I felt ice cold handcuffs being locked into place with a series of hollow clicks.

As he yanked me to my feet I scanned the room quickly searching for Bella. My eyes finally rested on her face and I was relieved to see she was sitting safely with Emmett and Jasper. No one would dare fuck with Emmett.

I saw her straighten in her chair her eyes eagerly searching mine. I gave her a kind of half… barely-there smile and her eyes welled up with tears. I felt her father’s hand grasp my upper arms firmly and spin me around so I couldn’t see her.

“Take him to the station and stick him in an interview room. I want to speak with him when I get there.” I heard Chief Swan tell two more officers that strode into the cafeteria. They both nodded and grasped my arms on each side escorting me from the school.

Now this…was fucking embarrassing.