Chapter Twenty Five: Parentals

Carlisle POV


"Carlisle, will you please sit down?" My wife Esme pleaded from where she was sitting at the dining room table.

She had her middle and index fingers pressed into her temples and was watching me pace back and forth from the table to the hallway and back again repeatedly. We were both waiting for our son Edward to get home and neither of us was looking forward to the conversation we were going to have to have with him.

I had just gotten off the phone with Mr. Now, the high school principal, who informed me that my son had gotten into a fight, been arrested, and destroyed school property all in one day. He kindly let me know that Edward would be facing at least a three day suspension and at most expulsion from Forks High School. He said there was also a chance that the boy Edward had fought with would press assault charges. I was in shock.

None of this sounded like my son.

Edward was always a very smart, very quiet kid. He took after me like that. He was advanced for his age and although I hoped he would someday channel that intelligence into becoming a doctor or a chemist, I was fairly certain he was destined for a career in computers. He loved everything to do with technology and spent every waking moment playing video games with his friends. I had not been too keen on the fact that he spent more time gaming then he did socializing but Esme assured me it was a phase and he would eventually get over it. Five years later however the obsession was still going strong and I was beginning to have my doubts.

Even now, this out of character display of aggression was enough to make me want to storm up to Edward's bedroom and throw his XBOX out the window.

"I just don't understand what would make Edward fight with anyone." I grumbled resisting the urge to start pacing again and instead pressed my palms flat on the table top. I felt Esme reach over and rest her hand over mine.

"We should give him a chance to explain." She said softly and calmly. I looked up at her and couldn't help but smile. After twenty years of marriage she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever met. She had the biggest heart and loved so freely and unconditionally I found myself wishing I had even an ounce of her compassion.
We both looked up as we heard the front door open and the jingling of car keys as they were tossed onto the side table in the hallway. I straightened and put my hand on Esme's shoulder.

"Edward?" I called out. "Your mother and I would like to see you in the dining room.

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach when Edward rounded the corner. He looked distraught and his eyes were red as if he had been crying. He stood in the archway and tugged his hand through his unruly hair. I grimaced, he looked like he hadn't slept for days and I could tell he was losing weight. I couldn't imagine what could be happening to him that would cause him to transform so drastically.

He cleared his throat and nervously shifted his weight from side to side. "Yeah?" His voice was raspy and he was avoiding eye contact with Esme and I.

"Why don't you have a seat Edward." Esme said sweetly patting her hand at the spot beside her.

With another nervous tug of his hair he stepped forward slowly, pulled the chair out and sat down. His posture was slumped, his expression emotionless as he sat perfectly still and stared down at his hands.

"Edward, I just got off the phone with Principal Now." I started, trying my best to stay calm. He looked up, his eyes fixed on mine. I was surprised to see a little flicker of anger behind his cold stare.

"And I bet he told you I beat up some poor defenseless kid didn't he?" His tone was mocking and harsh.

"You didn't?" I asked lifting my eyebrows a spark of hope glimmering on the horizon. Maybe there was some misunderstanding. I knew Edward would never hurt a fly.

"No. I beat the shit out of the kid but he deserved it. Even you would agree with me if you saw and heard what I did." He clenched and unclenched his jaw as he spoke. "But no one really wants to pay attention to that side of the story."

"Honey, that is why we wanted to hear your side." Esme said with a reassuring grin. "Give you a chance to explain."

"There isn't much to explain." Edward shrugged cryptically.

I was starting to get angry with him. This was not the Edward I knew. This was some other kind of moody, rage filled, teenaged monster and I didn't understand what had gotten into him.

"You're not on drugs are you?" I blurted unable to stop myself. I seriously doubted this was the case but I couldn't come up with another explanation for his behavior.

He immediately started laughing. "Not the kind you would think."

I felt a surge of rage blindside me. "Edward Cullen!" I yelled leaning over the table and bringing my face dangerously close to his. "I am not in the mood to play games. What has gotten into you these past few weeks?"

Edward leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "I really don't want to talk about this."

"I don't care what you want. I need answers from you."

I felt Esme's hand on my arm and she pushed gently. I knew she wanted me to back off but the entire situation was infuriating me. I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere by arguing with him. The angier I got, the more he pushed me away. I needed to calm him down and get him to stop being so defensive.

I looked over at Esme who was watching our son intently. "Edward?"

He looked up at her, pursed his lips and raised an eyebrows as if to say, "what?"

"Who is she?" Esme asked quietly.

She? I thought to myself feeling very confused and out of the loop. Did Esme know something I didn’t? My gaze flew to Edward and I saw the look of confusion and shock on his face and I wondered if he was as lost as I was.

“How did you know?” He asked after regaining his composure.

“I know you.” She smiled sweetly. “You have been all over the place for about a month now. And I noticed you were spending less time playing games and more time out of the house. I only now put it together.”

He nodded and cleared his throat seeming very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

“Do I know her?” Esme asked still prodding for more information. I decided just to keep my mouth shut and let my wife work her magic. I could see Edward’s walls starting to crumble. So I sat back and watched.

“Yes. I’m sure you’ve heard of her.” He snorted.

Esme glanced at me briefly before re-focusing on Edward. “Who is she?”

“Bella Swan.” He mumbled quietly.

Esme’s eyes again found mine and I thought I saw a brief look of worry in her expression but it was gone almost immediately. She nodded. “Yes. I’ve heard of her. That is the Chief’s daughter?”

“Yeah. The Chief’s sex addicted daughter.” He spat bitterly his shoulders squaring off like he was preparing for us to yell at him.

“Were you the one who-” Esme was so shocked she couldn’t even finish her sentence before she had to stop and regain her composure. As she stared at Edward, she took a deep breath and began again. “Were you the one who caused her relapse? You are the one he caught her with?”

“Caught her with what? Can someone please explain to me what is going on?” I asked trying not to sound impatient. It seemed like Esme knew exactly what was going on and this frustrated me to no end.

“So you have heard the rumors.” Edward asked his mom. She nodded. He then turned to glare at me. “She’s a sex addict dad. What do you think we were caught doing?”

His tone was so bitter and so full of pain I couldn’t speak for several moments. Despite the fact that he was bursting with rage and taking it out on us, something underneath the surface captured my attention. He cared about this girl. A lot. He cared enough to be this pissed off and this was the first time I had ever seen him so passionate about anything other than his video games.

“So he caught you having sex then.” I said trying to sound nonchalant about the entire situation.

Edward groaned loudly and pressed the heels of his palms into his forehead and leaned back in his chair. “He thought he did. He thought she had relapsed, and maybe she did, I have no fucking clue. But we weren’t having sex that day, she was upset and she called me and I went over there and I held her until she stopped crying, that’s it. Then he flew off the handle and banned her from seeing me and from her XBOX and she looks like hell now. She’s not sleeping and she’s not eating and she’s fucking a teacher.”

He blurted this all out in a rush of jumbled words. I had to take a moment to process what he had said.

“First of all watch your mouth.” I scolded. “It is disrespectful and makes you sound like an idiot. Secondly, she’s sleeping with a teacher?”

I was completely dumbfounded. How was something like this allowed in school? Why was the teacher not being punished? Why had I not heard about this?

“What does any of this have to do with you getting in a fight and destroying a trophy case?” I asked when he didn’t answer me. “You have completely lost me. This started with you getting in trouble in school and now we are talking about a sex addict and her inappropriate relationship with a teacher.”

“Mike Newton was harassing her in the cafeteria. She was breaking down and I couldn’t just sit there and watch it happen. He was going to show her his…you know, his junk - and so I beat the crap out of him for even thinking it.”

“Oh!” Esme gasped. “Oh that is terrible.”

“Bella was getting better mom. She was getting better with me and then all of this happened.” Edward was leaning towards Esme and his tone and body language seemed almost desperate.

“Oh honey.” Esme reached out and put her hand on his cheek. “It will be ok.”

“No, it won’t.” Edward pulled away from her touch and stood up. “This thing with the teacher was the last straw, she’s going to end up back at rehab I can pretty much put money on it. I will never get to see her again. I just want to talk to her, just one more time. I need to ask her about the teacher. I need to know why she did it.”

“Teacher?” I mouthed to Esme as Edward stormed out of the room. I heard him run up the stairs and then his bedroom door open and slam shut. I shifted my gaze back to Esme who looked as distressed as I felt. “I didn’t understand any of that.”

“He’s heartbroken.” She murmured quietly.

“I guess I’m just completely lost.” I threw my arms in the air. “He has been secretly dating a sex addict who is sleeping around with the teachers?”

Esme gave me a dirty look. “Bella Swan has severe depression. She acts out by being promiscuous. I’ve heard lots of horrible things from the other moms and I’ve tried to take them with a grain of salt. She’s a troubled girl Carlisle. And obviously Edward care’s very deeply for her. That is all that we should care about.”

“Do you think they really sent her to rehab?” I asked feeling skeptical. A seventeen year old girl in rehab for sex addiction? It sounded like a Jerry Springer episode.

“I could find out I’m sure. But so could you.” She looked at me expectantly and it took me a moment to realize what she was getting at. There was only one rehabilitation facility in the area and I was involved with their volunteer program.

For about two years now I had been volunteering at Crossroads in Port Angeles and had been working with a young psychologist Dr. Amy Harper on developing a new program that used rescued dogs to aid in the recovery process for addicts. We would pair up addicts, who were at a stable point in their recovery process, with a homeless dog and they would be in charge of preparing them to be adopted by a loving family. It gave the patient a healthy outlet for their energy and it gave the dog socialization, training, and a foster home. It was a win win and had for the most part, been wildly successful.

I could find out if the Swan girl was there, what for, and maybe give Edward an update on her. Tell him that she’s ok. Maybe he would be able to put it behind him and move on if he knew that she was ok.

“I will call Amy in a few days and find out what is going on.” I assured Esme giving her a kiss on the cheek and wrapping my arms around her.

“Good.” She smiled and patted my arm.

Later that week I sat at my desk in my office and picked up the phone to call Dr. Harper. It had been three days and Edward seemed to be slipping further and further into a depression. He ate his meals in his room and hardly spoke two words to myself or his mom. Every night Esme was pressuring me to find out more about Bella Swan and I knew I couldn’t put it off for another day. She seemed to be convinced that the girl was just misunderstood and we should give her a chance.

I was less forgiving. She was a sex addict. I wanted her as far away from my son as I could get her.

“Dr. Harper please. This is Dr. Cullen.” I said when the receptionist answered the phone. I was placed on hold and I drummed my fingers in time with the hold music.

“Carlisle!” Dr. Harper greeted me happily. “What can I do for you?”

“Well I have to things for you. First of all I am ready when you are for the next batch of dogs. And second I was inquiring about a patient.”

“I am almost ready for you. I have a few candidates that I think would benefit greatly from this program and I want to get them started right away. As for patient information…you know I can’t say much.”

“I understand. I just wanted to know if you had a patient named Bella Swan.”

She was silent for several seconds. “Yes. I do. Do you know her?”

“No. But my son does. Edward thinks he’s in love with her I think. He just wants to make sure she is ok.”

“Your son is Edward?” she sounded surprised. “I’m sorry, just…such a small world. Anyway, Bella is doing ok. She’s been through a lot and she has stopped trusting the people around her. She is actually one of the candidates I have in mind for the program.”

“Really?” I was surprised. Normally Dr. Harper waited for her patients to be at least sixty days into her rehab program before getting them involved with the dogs. Bella must be a special case.

“Yes. She has been through so many therapy programs she needs something fresh. I think this might be right up her alley. I would like you to come meet with her if that’s ok with you.”

“I would love to.”

“Good. Let’s plan on meeting next week. I will discuss her progress with you and we can get her all set up.” Dr. Harper sounded excited. I hoped that for this girls sake, the program would help her.

Chapter Twenty Four: Crossroads

BPOV

There was a loud bang as the door to the classroom suddenly flew open with so much force it slammed into the wall with a resounding crack. I tensed immediately but didn't even have time to turn around and look to see who had come into the room when what looked like a door handle flew past my face and crash into the wall beside me, the cheap metal exploding into several pieces and scattering in all directions across the room.

I glanced through a curtain of my hair and recognized Edward.

I immediately felt like the last piece of hope inside me had been broken and thrown away just like the tiny pieces of door handle that were now clattering to a stop all around me on the floor.

I was so terrified I didn't even hear what Edward was yelling. The pain in his voice was burning it's way through my entire body and it was taking every ounce of energy I had left to block him out. I felt Mr. Bennett squirming uncomfortably underneath me, his hands thrown up in surrender. It sounded like he was accusing me of seducing him. I blinked several times as I stared down at his pudgy face that was now frozen in fear.

Such a pathetic loser, I thought.

Disgusted with myself and with him I unhooked my arms from around his neck and crawled off of his lap. I stood completely still with my hands at my sides avoiding eye contact with Edward. I was hurting him...just like I always knew I would. Only this wasn't at all what I had imagined would happen. This was not my fault at all.

I had always pictured me relapsing and cheating on Edward with some faceless gamer who meant nothing more to me than the hunt and conquest that I so desperately craved. But this scenario was so fucked up even I hadn't seen it coming. Thankfully, Edward had interrupted Mr. Bennett before he could force me into anything heavier than fondling. I knew myself well enough to realize that if it weren’t for Edward bursting through that door like a crazed lunatic, I would have let him do just about anything to me. I’d given up.

Who could really blame me though? This is what was expected of me. Mr. Bennett, the entire school, my doctors, even my own father. They all knew what I was, and what I craved; a dirty whore with no recovery in sight. I was a monster.

Since Charlie had banished me from everything I cared about, I had been on a slippery downward slope. I had retreated to the darkness of my mind and blocked out everyone around me. It wasn't a shock to me at all that when Mr. Bennett propositioned me I had just given in without a fight. If everyone expected me to be the village tramp, I would be just that. I would close myself to the world and be done with them all.

Even Edward.

Especially Edward, I told myself. I didn’t deserve him. He deserved better. He deserved a girl who would be loyal to him always; a girl who wouldn’t sneak into his room in the middle of the night and profess her love for him, then leave him stranded the next.

A girl he wouldn’t be arrested over.

As Mr. Bennett pulled me on top of him on his office chair and ran his grubby hands all over my body, I closed myself off to his touch and dreamt of Edward.

I dreamt we were sitting in my house, playing COD and eating pizza. We were not the people we were today. We were normal teenagers, drinking beers and laughing as we took down a clueless noob. Edward would lean over occasionally and kiss my neck or hold my hand. I could feel my heart swell with love for him.

But it was just a dream.

The fantasy came crashing down around me and I was brought back to reality when I felt someone's hand on my arm. Mr. Camp, the assistant principal was talking to me. I lifted my head slightly.

"Ms. Swan. I would like to see you in my office. Mr. Bennett, do not leave. Do you understand me? I will need a statement from you." Mr. Camp leaned down slightly. "Bella, I will have to call your father. You understand this?"

I nodded silently and started chewing nervously on my bottom lip.

As he led me out of the room and started towing me down the hallway I could hear Edward begging me to explain. He was torturing himself, as well as me and I couldn’t face him. I could hear his heartbreaking.

"FUCK!" I heard him scream and the sound of his anger was punctuated by the sound of shattering glass.

Mr. Camp stopped and turned and ordered him to go home. I just stood there my eyes blank and my expression emotionless. I had destroyed the one man I had ever learned to love. The thought made me sick to my stomach.

I was taken to Mr. Now’s office, the principal, and, as expected, my father was called. I sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs in front of his desk and began the 15 minute wait for my father to arrive. I wasn't looking forward to the look on my father's face.
If I thought the pain I was putting Edward through was bad, it wasn't anything compared to the disappointment and hurt my father will be feeling right now. I knew he had been through a lot during my last round of rehab. He had really tried to help me, showing up for family therapy sessions which I knew were torturous for him. Even my own mother never bothered to show up to any family sessions.

No wonder I was so fucked up.

I looked up and noticed that Mr. Now was avoiding eye contact with me and shuffling through stacks of paper obviously desperate for a distraction from me. He was a heavy man and he was breathing loudly through his open mouth, his fat sausage fingers fumbling as he flipped through pages and pages of reports that meant nothing to me. He would occasionally cough and shoot an accusing glance in my direction.

If I wasn’t so fucked up right then, I would have burst out laughing.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, Charlie arrived. I swear, his expression as his eyes found mine, was enough to make Mr. Now realize I wasn’t going to be getting away with this.
Of course, the usual proceedings took place. Sadly, I was very accustomed to these “meetings” as they so formally called them. Back when I lived with Renee, I had been witness to many scheduled rendezvous’ between my mother and the principal.

They would always go the same way and in this case, there was no exception.
First, Mr. Now made a point to explain exactly what had been witnessed. Informing my horrified looking father of what his daughter had been up to and magically whipping out a statement from Mr. Bennett who was (quite generously apparently) not going to press any charges.

Next up, my father would then go into a long winded spiel of how he was truly sorry this ever happened and that he would make sure all precautions would be taken so that it would never happen again.

Then something strange happened. Something that had only happened once before.
Mr. Now looked up from his desk once my father had finished his exaggerated apology. After glancing at my blank stare, he sighed and turned his focus back to Charlie.

“Mr. Swan...Charlie. I’m afraid it's not as simple as that.”

“What do you mean?” Charlie asked, his face looking puzzled.

Again, Mr. Now sighed.
“We have already taken all the precautions necessary to try to keep Isabella from doing any harm. We have removed her from practically any interaction at all with the student body and it is obvious to me that she as retaliated by turning her attention elsewhere.”

He paused to take a breather before continuing.

I had a feeling I knew where this was going and it scared me so badly I could feel my body beginning to tremble. The last time a "meeting" had gone this direction it had resulted in me going to rehab. I did not want to go back there, I couldn't. My eyes flew to my father's face as I awaited his reaction. Surely Charlie wouldn't let this happen. He knew what this would do to me.

“I feel, it would be better, for the safety of the kid’s as well as the teaching staff if Bella were not attending Forks High anymore. I am sorry Mr. Swan, we tried, but we can’t help those who don’t want to be helped.” He finished on a firm note.

Charlie was speechless. You could see it on his face, he wanted to come back with a valid argument, anything to make him change Mr. Now’s mind but he had nothing. I saw his shoulder's slump and I knew that he was going to give up and agree with Mr. Now. As I watched my father nod his head slowly, any hope I may have had vanished and I felt dead inside.
Mr. Now began to speak again but I didn’t hear any of it.

It wasn’t until I noticed that I could no longer hear Mr. Now's rambling that I realized I was in Charlie’s police car. I was sitting in the back and I felt like I deserved to be there.

Charlie occasionally glanced at me through his rear view mirror as we drove home but he didn’t speak a word.

I knew he was waiting until we got home, and I knew I wouldn’t enjoy what he had to say.

- Three Weeks Later -

Life at Crossroads Rehabilitation Clinic in Port Angeles was nothing like the pictures in the full color, glossy brochure.

In the brochure, all the patients were smiling, recovering and happy. In reality, the shit hole is filled with angry, fucked up and hopeless human beings who have been put there because their family and friends couldn’t take their shit anymore.

I was one of them again.

When we had arrived home that day Charlie, father of the year, had rang Renee, who then called Crossroads and arranged for my immediate check in. I had my bags packed for me within the hour and was driven directly there without being given a chance to explain my side of the story.
There was a nurse waiting for me on the front stairs of the building and she was smiling her oh-so-friendly and dreadfully fake smile as we pulled up. Charlie had left the cruiser running and pulled my bags out of the trunk and set them at my feet on the cracked tar pavement. I stared at my shoes trying hard not to cry. I already knew how he felt about sending me back to a place like this and I didn't want to make it worse on him. I knew I deserved to be here, and I wanted to avoid making him feel guilty.

I saw the nurse wrap her hands around the handles of my bags and lift them from the ground. Charlie stood in front of me not moving for several seconds before finally turning around, getting into the cruiser and driving away.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I followed the nurse into the boring brick building that looked more like a prison than a patient care center.

The usual check in then took place. If someone ever asked me to explain the process I could do it simplified into one sentence.

They take everything materialistic that you love away from you and leave you with nothing but a pair of pajamas, a pair of hideous rubber shoes without laces, and a new toothbrush.
I was then showed to my room where I was to spend a good 10 hours a day by myself, battling with boredom. Boredom always won. However, how could it not? The room was painted a dreary yellow color that I supposed was meant to make patients "think happy".
It was only large enough to house two battered white washed wooden dressers and two twin sized beds leaving a small narrow pathway to the door. My roommate was a plain girl who barely spoke two words to me. I had gathered through talk that she was a meth addict. I suppose they had learned their lesson, don't let sex addict’s bunk with sex addicts.

I was hurting inside, devastated in fact, but I pushed those feelings and thoughts to the far corners of my mind and focused hard on nothing. I refused to even think Edwards name, knowing it would cause me to feel again. I wanted to numb myself out until finally I would become just a shell of a person. A shell couldn't hurt the ones she loved.

I did exactly what I was told. I was good. I ate my meals, went to my therapy sessions and I cooperated with the nursing staff.

After a week of intense one on one therapy and a daily group session I was fairly certain I had the routine down. I could see my therapist beginning to feel hopeful for me and I didn't want to break her heart and tell her that I was fucked up beyond fixing.

On Thursday I followed behind my attending nurse as she led me to my normal therapy session. I knocked on the door and heard Dr. Harper's friendly voice invite me inside. She really was a nice lady. She was young, and open minded and she didn't try to 'cure' me. She actually tried to give me tools to help me, help myself. This was a first for me and even I had to admit it felt nice to have someone rooting for me even if I would never be able to put her methods into practice. I closed the door behind me and turned around to make my way to my favorite fat, fluffy, armchair near her window when I stopped dead in my tracks. Standing beside my chair was a man I didn't recognize.

“Hello Bella, My name is Dr. Cullen.” The blonde doctor held his hand out and smiled, showing off his brilliant white teeth.

At the sound of Edwards surname, I snapped my head up and narrowed my eyes. I quietly studied his face and gasped as I noticed the resemblance between them.

He was very good looking; I noted and immediately scolded myself for thinking that way. I lowered my head in disgust. Seriously Bella, I thought to myself, get a hold of yourself.

When I made no move to shake his outstretched hand he cleared his throat uncomfortably and withdrew it. I glanced at Dr. Harper and I was sure my expression was panicked because she smiled warmly and instructed me to sit down in my chair. I did quickly, probably a little too quickly. I crossed my arms over my chest defensively and stared at the floor.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dr. Cullen crouch down so that he was eye level with me. Despite the fact that his posture was intimate and informal, he was far enough away from me that I didn't feel nervous. “Now, I think you should know right off the bat Bella” He said in a low, comforting voice, “I'm not a therapist or a human doctor. Nope, I’m a regular run of the mill Veterinarian!”

He cracked a wide grin as my head snapped up to face him, a curious expression on my face.

What the fuck? A Vet? I thought.

My mind was suddenly filled with a barrage of images most of which involved peculiar animal treatments which managed to do nothing but freak me out.

Dr. Cullen laughed loudly and I felt the corners of my mouth lift involuntarily. I knew that laugh. Without warning I felt a warm feeling begin to spread from my chest to my stomach and then to the rest of my body. I loved that laugh.

“Please, don’t be scared. I promise we won’t be testing new lipstick on you or anything.” He moved to sit on the chair beside me and nudged my knee, “Although I’m sure some of the girls in here wouldn’t totally hate that, eh?”

Again, getting no response from me, he continued on.

“Anyway…I have been working with Dr. Harper here for a few years on a therapy program that pairs rescued dogs with rehab patients. We’ve found this program to be terrifically successful. Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying for ex-rehab patients. After a year of being out, get a plant. If it’s still alive after a year, get a dog?”

He waited for a reply again, but again received nothing.

“Well, we thought we’d go direct and try you out with a dog. Other treatments have failed you, obviously, and Dr. Harper here is just about ready to try anything.”

I glanced up at my doctor who had been standing quietly all the while Dr. Cullen had been speaking. She nodded eagerly towards me and I shrugged.

As I turned my gaze back to Dr. Cullen, I saw, though his disposition was a friendly, smiling one, his eyes were filled with so much sadness it took my breath away. Stunned by this sight, and curious as to why my therapy struck such an emotional chord with him, I nodded.

“Ok.” I said simply.

Dr. Cullen then went on to explain the specifics of the treatment, but I paid little attention. He did make a point to say that in less than a week I would be receiving a dog which would become my responsibility. I would be expected to care for it, and train it. He explained that the dog had been rescued or abandoned and needed special attention. With a final smile and a pleasant farewell, he left the room.

Dr. Harper seemed to understand that I was in a bit of shock and didn't press very hard to get my "feelings" on the new therapy. We sat quietly for the rest of my hour. She wrote notes in her patient charts, and I stared out the window and thought of the one person I had been trying to avoid thinking about for weeks.

Edward.

I wasn’t allowed any contact with my family, or that is what I assumed anyway as I had received no phone calls or letters from them just like the last time. So I was a little more than shocked when five days after the strange visit from Dr. Cullen a nurse came to inform me I had a visitor.
I expected it to be Charlie or Renee, their faces all sad and concerned for their poor fucked up daughter. As I walked down the hallway to the living room where they waited, I secretly hoped the guilt for sticking me back in here was eating them alive.

My jaw near dropped when I shuffled into the room in my baggy, not so clean pajamas, to find a small pixie like girl sitting casually on one of the old beat-up sofas.

“Bella!” She jumped up and ran towards me, scooping me up into a big bear hug. I stiffened uncomfortably unsure of how to react to her casual embrace. I awkwardly reached up with my hand and patted her back.

“Alice?” I asked, taken aback that she had come to visit me. I hardly knew this girl and yet here she was, when my own family wasn’t.

Finally, Alice released me and pulled me by the hand over to the empty sofa. The common living room was deserted, as always. It wasn’t a pleasant place to spend your free time. It was bare, and filled with musty old photos of previously “cured” patients and a few dog-eared magazines of Vogue dated from 1992.

Patients usually preferred to stay in their own rooms rather than sit in that depressing dump.

“Ok, yea...I know it’s a little weird; me visiting and all....but I kind of felt like a visit would be appreciated.” She smiled excitedly, like we were old friends about to catch up for the first time in years.

“I’m just shocked that’s all. I wasn’t expecting you...Or anyone for that matter.” I explained with a shrug. I pulled at my ratty pajamas, feeling self conscious sitting next to Alice in her impeccable outfit that looked as if it were custom made for her.

“Yea well..I’m here now! How are you?” She asked, her smile fading into a concerned frown.
I shrugged and made a gesture to the room we sat in.

“Hmmm…I see what you mean.” She casually glanced around the room, her gaze resting on the cheesy crocheted doilies on the coffee table, and the heavy beige curtains that were so dusty and filthy they looked like they hadn’t been washed for years.

“Home sweet home...” she mumbled under her breath and then turned to give me a goofy grimace.

I smiled for the first time in what felt forever. Alice definitely had a way in making me feel better and I was suddenly grateful for her visit.

We talked briefly for a while, small talk mostly. She updated me on the latest gossip at Forks High and assured me that things were basically same old same old. Alice then went on to make a point that the gossip about me was dying down, which was nice to hear. If nothing else, it meant Edward didn’t have to bear the brunt of that shit while I was tucked away in rehab.

Finally, it seemed Alice had run out of things to say. She sat before me anxiously tugging at the hem of her jacket and looking everywhere but at my face. It was painfully obvious that she was putting off asking me something so I decided to call her out on it. .

“Alice. I don’t know you that well, but I “sense”” Mocking her as I spoke, “that there’s something you wanted to talk about? And I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume it's not about the weather or high school gossip.”

Alice fidgeted nervously in her seat and nodded.
“Well then…?” I gestured for her to get on with it.

“Look, I totally understand if you don’t wanna talk about this but… What happened? I mean between you and Mr. Bennett?”

The instant she spoke his name I felt fire rise up inside of me, the anger was threatening to take over me and I became very afraid that I would take it out on Alice. I took several deep breaths before answering trying to cool the red hot flames that were quickly getting out of control.
“Nothing.” I said through gritted teeth.

“Ok.” She said in a timid voice and holding her slender hand up defensively. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you...”

“You didn’t.” I cut her off and then immediately felt bad for my abruptness. “I'm sorry too.”

I sat in silence for a very long time, thoughts swirling through my mind at an incredibly fast and overwhelming pace. I really felt as if I could trust Alice, and I suddenly felt a pressing need to explain to someone what had really happened.

I was tired of taking the blame for the way Mr. Bennett took advantage of me. I know at the time I had accepted it as my fate, but I had hurt so many people and it wasn't even my fault. With a deep breath and a shudder, I felt as though all of the bottled up emotions came bursting out at once as I unloaded the truth on Alice in a tearful confession. I started at the beginning, my first introduction to sex and my own addiction. I told her about Katie and my family. I told her about Mike Newton and Mr. Bennett. I even told her about Edward and how I was terrified of losing him.

The more I spoke, the more I cried until I was bent over with my head in my hands sobbing uncontrollably. Alice wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly as I continued confessing to her everything that had happened the last few weeks. I finally straightened up and wiped my eyes. Unable to find any more tears, I turned to her

“..And what’s worse is this time it wasn’t my fault.” I said sadly, my tone distorted by my stuffy nose. “I’ve done some pretty messed up shit Alice, really I have, but I love him. So much. I didn’t ever want to hurt him. But he did, and it’s my entire fault and I’m so sorry…” I trailed off as another wave of emotion rolled through me and the tears started all over again.

Alice held me close to her until I finally stopped crying. I was surprised that I was able to talk to her about everything, I was even able to rationally explain how I felt and she listened without interrupting once.

She didn't try to make me feel better or lie to me and tell me everything was going to be ok. It seemed like she knew that I just needed someone to listen to me and comfort me as I broke down. She smiled warmly at me and handed me a Kleenex out of her purse.

"Feel better?" She asked stuffing the tissue into my clenched fist. "I always feel better when I unload like that."

I nodded and actually managed to smile at her. She lovingly patted my cheek and stood up.

"Visiting hours are just about over, they are going to kick me out soon." She said with a frown. "I'll come back ok? Would that be ok?"

I nodded again, hopefully not too obvious that the idea of Alice coming back to see me made me happier than I had been in months. I coughed to clear my throat. "Yes. I would really like that."

"Good." She smiled. "Take care of yourself ok? Don't let them shrink your head too much. I think you are saner than most the people in the outside world, so don't go messing that all up."

At that moment one of the nurses walked into the room and stood politely at the door. She was waiting to escort Alice out.

"Thanks again." I croaked, my voice all but gone.

She winked, and gracefully made her way out of the dreary common room. I sat for a moment processing everything that had happened today and as the room began to darken as the sun slipped behind the building I felt the heavy depression settle back onto my shoulders. I really couldn't wait for Alice to come back. I had never had a friend like her and I knew without a doubt that I would always treat her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
That night was the first night I was able to sleep since I first arrived at Crossroads. I settled into bed, feeling lighter...if that made any sense, and fell asleep as soon as my head it the pillow.

My bed was so warm. I snuggled back under the covers, and rolled over, my head sinking into my pillow. I stretched my arms out and gasped when I felt warm flesh. I flattened my palms against what felt like a man’s naked chest and spread my fingers wide.

The man moved closer to me until the length of his entire body was pressed against mine. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist and one hand reached up to grab a handful of my hair.

“Mmm…Bella.” A familiar voice moaned into my ear.

Edward.

Edward was in my bed. He was really here and he was holding me tightly. With a small whimper I pushed myself even closer to him and slid my leg between his. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. I raised my head slightly and pressed my lips to his eagerly. I could feel his scruff tickling my cheeks as he slowly kissed me. He forced my mouth open and I felt his tongue gently tasting my own.

“I missed you.” I sighed placing kisses along his jaw and down his neck. “I am so sorry.”

“I know you are.” He said, his hands exploring my body tenderly.

He rolled me onto my back and leaned over me, his long, slender fingers softly making a path from my neck, over my naked breast, and down to my waist.

I looked up and smiled at him, my heart hammering loudly in my chest as he grinned back at me, his lips curving into the sly sideways smile that always made me melt into putty.

My eyes went wide as he nudged my legs apart with his own knees and slid his long body down the bed until his head was between my legs. I whimpered when I felt him wrap his free arm around my knee and then press his warm, wet open mouth against the delicate flesh of my inner thigh. I grabbed a fist full of the bed sheet as he kissed a path down to the sensitive place between my legs. As he passed over my pussy his lips barely grazed it as he moved to my other thigh and started the slow and painfully agonizing process all over again.

I let go of the sheets and instinctively wound my fingers in his hair tugging at him, trying to direct his mouth where I wanted it.

He fought against my impatient attempts at control and chuckled.

“Something you want?” He asked slyly licking his lips as he looked up at me. I felt my clit begin to throb as I imagined what it would be like to have those perfect lips and tongue licking and sucking me.

I groaned and lifted my hips, my body begging for him. Unable to wait for him any longer I moved my hand down my stomach and slid them into my folds. I gasped as I touched myself gently. I could see the lust burning in his eyes as he watched me.

He suddenly reached up and grabbed my hand and pulled it away. I studied his face and smiled at the look of determination and desire burned into his expression. I whimpered when he lowered his mouth to the warm wetness between my legs…

“Checks!” A woman’s nasal voice announced as my bedroom door opened and light from the hallway flooded into the room waking me immediately. The nurse at the door made a mark on her chart and closed the door louder than what I thought was necessary.

I laid my head back down and sighed.

What a dream.

I closed my eyes and tried to replay the whole dream in my head. I hadn’t wanted it to end when it did. I wanted him to make me come. I slid my hand into my panties and started working on getting myself off to images and memories of Edward. When I finally came I didn’t even try to be quiet. I knew my roommate was sleeping not even three feet from me but I didn’t give a shit.

“Oh fuck!” I moaned as my powerful orgasm racked my body.

With a smile plastered on my face, I hugged my pillow tightly and drifted back to sleep....

The next morning I was woken early by one of the nurses. Normally I would have grumbled and refused to get up, but this morning I didn’t mind. I was still feeling the effects of last night’s dream and with a smile frozen on my face; I got dressed quickly and followed the nurse into the courtyard just outside the main therapy building.

It was there I met Dr. Cullen again. He was pacing up and down the car park adjacent to the courtyard behind a red delivery van.

As I approached he stopped in his tracks and smiled brightly. I noticed he too had slightly unruly hair and guessed that this is where Edward must have gotten his out-of-control mop on his head. He lifted his hand and with an excited wave of his hand he gestured me forward.

“Good morning Bella.” He greeted me happily.

I nodded, “Good morning Dr. Cullen.” I replied politely.

“Sleep well?” He asked cheerily.

“Mmmmhmmm.” I nodded, as a slight, knowing, smile crept into my expression. I blushed fiercely when I saw Dr. Cullen watching me with his eyebrow cocked curiously.

“Well…shall we meet our new friend?” He asked, his eyes filled with excitement.

I nodded nervously.

Dr. Cullen reached towards the back doors of the van and knocked twice. The doors swung open and I felt faint when my mind finally processed the scene in front of me.

There, crouching inside the van was Edward.

He was holding a plastic travelling kennel for animals, inside of which was obviously my new pet. At first I wasn’t sure he was really there and for several minutes I stood dumbfounded, my mouth hanging open in a surprised ‘o’.

His intense eyes were fixed on my face as I stared at him not sure what to do or say. Did Dr. Cullen know about Edward and I?

Confused, I tore my eyes from Edward’s face and turned to Dr. Cullen, who winked at me and held his finger up to his lips.

Update - 27/03/2010

Heyy Guys!
Its Poptarrts here.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to go over a few things with you.

First, there may be a SLIGHT delay on the next update. Its a super long chapter and we really dont want to disappoint you guys. Stoney and I are also up to no good at the moment..so watch out for that! :D

Second, I understand we are at a very dark point in the story at the moment. There have been a few comments which we found to be in bad taste. Now, obviously, we are not going to apologize for the angst and conflict portrayed in our story. We wrote it, and we wouldnt post it if we didnt think you could take it.

As a good friend recently told me:
"I trust you as a reader to take care of me while I'm immersing myself in your imagination"
..and we hope you do too.

But remember, with the bad, we can begin to appreciate the good so much more.
Life is not all rainbows and glitter.

Anyway..moving on.

So lately I've been hearing "Oh shit - I didnt see you updated!"
....Tis the problem with Blogger.

So, I have created a mailing list that anyone can join.
When you join, you will be emailed directly with an alert in regards to a new chapter being posted.

Also, expect regular teasers, updates on activity and anything else we feel you'd wanna know.

So click here ----> HERE and join!

I'd also like to give a special shout out to Stoneys now fully completed fanfic "The Ascent".

I am not a Jacob fan, at all, but this fanfic near converted me and I urge you to try it out too!

Click here for "The Ascent"!

Finally, please feel free to email me if you have any questions etc. Stoney and I are always up for participating in fun! So feel free to drop us a line if your looking people!

Email: Lickmypoptart@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks once again for all your comments, they really keep us motivated.

Chapter Twenty Three: Bitter Sweet

EPOV

The interrogation room at the Forks police station was nothing like the ones you see in movies. There was no chair and small Formica table, no single light bulb swinging above my head and no double sided mirror.

No, the one in the Forks police station was poorly ventilated, smelled like cigarettes and vomit, and consisted of an old uncomfortable plastic chair, and a desk that looked like it was made right around the same time Forks was founded.

The two cops that took me in barely spoke to me except to tell me to watch my head and once more when they collected my person effects in booking. I had expected to be thrown into some kind of cliché holding cell with the drunk and disorderly of Forks; however I was escorted directly into this small private prison.

I laid my head down on the table and drummed my fingers on the worn wood impatiently. I figured Chief Swan wanted to talk to me alone and that was the reason behind the preferential treatment. I knew he couldn’t have been far behind us and I only hoped he hadn’t blamed this whole shit storm on Bella.

It wasn’t her fault Newton was a fat fucking sleaze ball.

After what felt like several hours (I couldn’t tell because my watch had been confiscated at check in), I heard footsteps outside the door and a lock being released.

Chief Swan stepped into the room silently. He closed the door and knocked to indicate he was ready for it to be secured. I heard the metal lock slide back into place and only then did Charlie turn around to face me. He stood still for a long time glaring at me without speaking.

Finally he broke eye contact and slowly walked over to the only other chair in the room. He pulled it away from the table slowly, the plastic making a harsh scraping noise on the cracked tile. He sat down heavily and leaned backwards with a sigh. He stretched and then recovered, leaning forward and resting his hands and elbows on the table top.

He wasn’t looking at me yet. His eyes were still trained downward studying the map of engraved letters on the well used table top.

He finally cleared his throat and I looked up expectantly. Prepared for the worst.
"Mr. Cullen." He said slowly his eyes rising to meet mine. "I would like to hear your side of the story."

Interesting. I thought. I had figured him to start off by asking me why the fuck I was anywhere near, or mixed up with, a situation that involved Bella.

I sat up straight in my seat and continued to match his stare, refusing to break eye-contact.

"I noticed Bella was in the cafeteria. She was having some trouble with Newton, um, with Mike Newton. So I stepped in to help her out. He was being...inappropriate, and she looked freaked out so I stepped in."

There was a flicker of anger in the Chiefs eyes, but it was gone as soon as it had come. "What kind of trouble?"

"The kind you would be really pissed off to see happening to your daughter." I answered not feeling the need or the desire to tell this man that his daughter had been all but molested in the middle of the cafeteria in front of everyone.

"And so you knocked the shit out of this kid to defend her honor?" He asked simply and when he put it that way I sounded like a god damned hero instead of the jackass that beat the piss out of Mike Newton.

"Yeah, I guess." I answered with a half grin.

"You can wipe that sneer off your face son. I’m not impressed with your stupid hero antics. Mike Newton may still decide to press assault charges."

"Then we have Bella press sexual harassment charges." I shot back angrily my mind pulsing with rage at the thought of Newton offering to show her his dick. Who did that asshole think he was anyway? I pounded my fist on the table and leaned backwards crossing my arms over my chest.

The Chief was studying me closely. "Why Bella?" He asked finally his eyebrows knitted in deep concentration.

"Why Bella what?" I asked not sure exactly what he was asking. I had an idea but I figured it didn’t hurt to clarify before I went off on a tangent.

"Why are you pursing her? You know she’s got problems, and…what do you kids call it…baggage. So why continue to chase her?"

"She’s amazing." I answered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "She is not like the other girls. And I’m not talking about her fucking addiction. I’m talking about how smart and funny and fucking beautiful she is." I held my hands out palms flat against the textured wood.

The Chief started nodding. "Yes. She is all of those things. And a lot more. But she’s pretty messed up. She has spent a lot of time in therapy. She has been to the bottom of the barrel and back again. I cannot see her go back to that place, but one more slip up from her and I don’t know what else to do with her. Do you understand what that means?"

I pursed my lips and nodded. "You don’t get it though; sir."

"I’m sorry?" The Chief asked as if offended by my statement.

"Bella. She was getting better. She was making changes and she was fucking happy-"

"I’m going to stop you right there son. She was happy because she was having sex. The end."

The Chief looked pained as he held his hand up to stop me from protesting his point.

"It wasn’t just about the sex this time, sir. Not with us. That is what I’m trying to tell you. Bella was getting better. She even kicked Katie out of her life."

His eyes got wide. "Really? She cut ties with Katie?"

"Yes. Katie tried to convince her to stop seeing me and Bella got tired of her mind games."

He clapped his hands and grinned. "That’s my girl! That is a big step for her. Katie has been a crutch for many years. I didn’t approve of their friendship but her mother was convinced that they were supporting one another which was almost as good, if not better, than the group and solo therapy sessions."

"Yeah. Let’s go with not good. She was a fucking poison." I mumbled spitefully.

Charlie threw his hands in the air. "See! That is what I’ve been telling Renee forever and she just didn’t believe me."

"Well, I’ve seen the damage first hand. You know that is what you walked in on the other day. Bella had gotten in a fight with Katie, kicked her out, and then didn’t want to be alone. You weren’t home so she called me. We didn’t have sex, I just held her until she fell asleep."

Charlie looked pissed at first that I had brought that day up at all, but when I finished saying what I needed to say he looked tired and defeated. He reached up and rubbed his eyes vigorously and heaved a sigh.

"I don’t know what to believe." He said as his eyes found mine again. "She seemed almost normal, until…until you came along."

"No, she seemed normal BECAUSE I came along." I corrected him. "That is what you are not getting through your thick cop skull."

I immediately felt bad about my cheap shot. I hadn’t meant to insult Bella’s father but I was so pissed off by his closed mindedness I couldn’t help myself.

"I have been a teenage boy remember. I know to what lengths you will go to get laid. You could be feeding me a line just to get closer to Bella."

"I fucking love Bella." I said in exasperation. "Splitting us up is only making her worse. How do you not see this?"

I knew I was losing my temper but I didn't care anymore. He needed to hear the truth even if it meant getting myself into more trouble. If he could have only seen the way she clung to me today in the cafeteria and the hurt tears in her fucking beautiful eyes; he wouldn't be able to argue with us anymore.

Charlie took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed for several seconds. I just continued to glare at him, my blood pounding in my ears. I raked my hand through my hair nervously, my mind coming up with all sorts of fucked up scenarios of how this was going to end.
Finally he opened his eyes and locked them with mine.

"Alright Cullen." He nodded once. "I am willing to permit supervised visits between you and Bella. They will be at our house, when I am home. You prove to me that this isn't just about sex, and we will talk about expanding on these privileges."

I felt my heart stop in my chest. I gaped at him unable to form words. Had he really just given me permission to start seeing Bella? "Yes sir. Of course."

"You will not be allowed to be alone in school. She will still be escorted by a teacher at all times, but you will be allowed near her again. Does this sound reasonable?"

"Very reasonable sir. Thank you. Thank you so much. I promise you won't regret this." I knew I was smiling like a fucking idiot. I stood up quickly like I had just sat on something sharp and started looking for the door. I wanted out. I wanted to rush back to the school to tell Bella we could be together again.

When my eyes finally rested on the thick metal door that was locked from the outside and slowly turned back to the Chief who was watching me with a curious expression on his face. He chucked lightly and shook his head.

"I am not going to charge you Cullen. But the Newton's still might so don't be surprised if they do. I also imagine you will have a few detentions or possibly even a suspension from the Principal for fighting on school property. As for right now however, you are free to go." Charlie stood up and strode past me to the door. He knocked twice and I heard the lock disengage with a click. The Chief opened the door and held it for me to pass through. "Just pick up your personal effects at check in and I'll have one of my officers bring you back to the school."

I quickly slipped on my watch, my belt, and my shoes and nervously gripped and regripped my keys as I waited for one of the police cruisers to pull up to the front of the station.

They made me ride in back again, but I didn't' care. This time I wasn't charged with the adrenaline of a fight with my hands painfully restrained behind my back. This time I was hopeful and floating on cloud nine. I just wanted one thing...Bella. I couldn't wait to see her face when I told her we had her father's blessing. I hoped that he would give her the Xbox back for supervised play. I couldn't wait to just sit around her house and play Call of Duty, eat pizza and be like normal teenagers for once.

The cruiser pulled into the now emptying parking lot and I searched frantically for Bella's truck and sighed with relief when I spotted it. She was still here.

I leapt out of the cruiser, hastily thanking the two cops for the ride, and sprinted into the school. I dashed through the doors ignoring the stares and the occasional rude comments from students who were still exiting the building.

I was on a mission.
Find Bella.

"Are you looking for Bella?" I heard a small voice ask sweetly.

I stopped in my tracks and looked around trying to find a face to attach to the question. "Yes!" I panted. I was fucking out of shape. Standing next to the staircase was a tiny girl with spiky black hair and strange clothes. She looked worried and that fact didn't settle well with me. "Where is she?"

"She's in Room 311 with Mr. Bennett. He asked her to stay behind. She isn't doing well in the class I guess." Even as she said the words the little pixie girl didn't sound convinced.

"Mr. Cullen!" A booming male voice called out, echoing through the long, empty hallway.
I looked up and saw Mr. Camp, the assistant principal, bearing down on me his face red with anger.

"Shit Pixie Girl...I gotta go. Thanks for the tip." I said rushing off towards the English hallway.

"It's Alice." She called after me and I waved back at her in response.

"Mr. Cullen!" Again the voice boomed only he sounded closer than I would have liked. I couldn't even outrun the chubby assistant principal. Maybe one of the things Bella and I should start doing together is going for walks occasionally. I smiled at the thought.

I didn't even look behind me; I could see the classroom up ahead. I came to a halt in front of the closed door and raised my fist to knock. At that moment Mr. Camp caught up with me.

"Mr. Cullen. You are to leave the premises immediately. You and your parents will have a meeting tomorrow with myself and we will discuss your punishment for that display in the cafeteria today."

I ignored him. I didn't give a shit about getting suspended. I didn't give a shit about any stupid meeting. I just wanted to see Bella and tell her the good news so I wouldn't ever have to see that broken look in her eyes ever again. I grabbed the door handle and pushed down. It was locked.

Now I was fucking pissed.

I jerked down so hard I felt the metal bend and heard a crack when the cheap lock broke into pieces. With the door handle in my hand I pushed my way into the classroom.

"Mr. Cullen! That is defacing school property I would like you to remove yourself-" Mr. Camp choked on his words as he stepped into the room directly behind me.

"What the fuck!" I screamed and I threw the door handle across the room. It crashed into the wall and exploded into several pieces which scattered across the room.

I was shaking in anger as I took in the sight before me. Bella was straddling Mr. Bennett on his leather office chair behind his desk. Her hair was messy and her v-neck sweater was pulled down so that her bra was exposed. She had one leg on each side of him and her arms were wrapped around his neck.

Mr. Bennett yelped when we both burst into the room and held his hands out. "She attacked me!" He cried out frantically. "Help me please! I asked her to stay behind to discuss her grades and then she just jumped on me."

My eyes flew to Bella’s but she was avoiding eye contact with me.

"Bella." I rasped feeling tears pricking at my eyes. "What is going on?"

She didn't say anything. She slid off of his lap, straightened her sweater and grabbed her book bag from off the ground which she then clutched to her chest tightly. Her expression was emotionless, her mouth a thin pursed line, her eyes dull and lifeless.

"Ms. Swan. I would like to see you in my office. Mr. Bennett, do not leave. Do you understand me? I will need a statement from you." Mr. Camp instructed. He took Bella by the arm and started leading her out of the room. "Bella I will have to call your father. You understand this?"

She nodded silently.

"Bella!" I tried again following behind her. "Please tell him that Bennett tried something with you! Tell him! I know you better than this! I know you wouldn’t do this! You wouldn't do this to me!"

She didn't even turn around.

"Fuck!" I screamed and before giving it a second thought I put my fist through the first thing in reach which just happened to be a huge trophy display case. I felt my already battered knuckles get sliced open as shards of broken glass showered around my arm and clattered loudly onto the floor.

Mr. Camp stopped and turned to face me. "Mr. Cullen. We will talk about this tomorrow. I suggest you go home. Now."

Without another word he turned back around, and with one hand on Bella's elbow he led her away. She never turned around once; she never even looked at me. It was almost as if she were trying to hide from me.

She was hiding.

I suddenly felt very sick. She had actually come onto Mr. Bennett. That was why she was acting like this. I felt myself gag as it all became very clear to me. She wasn't ever going to get better; she was always going to be like this...an addict. Charlie had been right; there was no light at the end of the tunnel. There was no hope of her being normal and having a normal relationship. I had been another flash in her fucked up pan.

The pain of this realization came crashing down on me. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and I could barely find the will to find my way out of the school and to my car. I didn't see or hear anything as I slowly made my way back down the hall and out the front doors of the school. I felt like a zombie as I slid into the cold, torn seat of the Volvo and leaned my head against the steering wheel.

I was even too far gone to give a shit when the tears started.
Here I was. Back to the fucking drawing board.

I was the fucking heartbroken girl all over again.

Chapter Twenty Two: The Proposition

BPOV

Everyone was staring at me.

As I walked down the hallway with my arms crossed over my chest defensively, I couldn’t block out the whispering, the pointing and the laughter at my expense.

I should be used to this by now; but after what had just happened, every whisper was so intensified it felt like the words were being screamed at me. I’ve been around the block enough times to know what it felt like to be the center of the gossip machine, but I had never been this fragile before. I felt like I was about to collapse.

I kept replaying the fight over and over in my mind. I could see the angry look on Edward’s face and the sound of his fist smashing Mike’s nose like it was made of paper. I could still feel Edward’s arms around me and the sensation of his breath in my hair. I tried to shake my head to clear the images but it was almost impossible.

I felt terrible that Edward was sitting all alone in my father’s police station right now. I had no clue what my father had planned for him, but I knew whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

I looked to my right and to my left and felt my heart warming as I saw that I was being flanked protectively by Emmett and Jasper. They had both seen how shaken up I was after what went down in the cafeteria and without me even asking they had taken it upon themselves to walk me to my next class.

As we passed another group of students who were blatantly staring and whispering frantically as I passed I felt Emmet lean over and nudge me gently.

“Fuck them.” He growled and I forced a smile for his benefit. I knew he was trying to be helpful and honestly I was truly grateful for both of them, but I knew they couldn’t be around all the time. At some point they would have to leave me alone again and I would have to face the wolves solo.

As I reached the door of my Algebra class I turned to thank them both. Emmett stayed behind for a few seconds and watched me go into the classroom and take my seat. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I caught him threatening a group of students by drawing his finger across his neck when they started the low hissing whispers the second I walked in the door. When I sat down and looked back up at the doorway he was turning to walk away with Jasper at his side. The groups of gossipers were now silent and avoiding looking in my direction at all. I smiled and shook my head.

I wondered if Emmett and Jasper hated me. They had every right to; I had completely fucked up Edward’s life. He was a totally different person because of me.

Class went by slowly. I was not paying attention at all and I hadn’t even noticed that I’d never taken my textbook out of my book bag until the bell rang. I wondered why the teacher hadn’t said anything to me but when I finally looked up at her I noticed she was staring at me with a look of pity on her face. I hated fucking pity.

With a scowl I grabbed my bag, swung it over my shoulder and stormed out of the room.

I was in such a hurry I almost ran smack into a tiny girl who was waiting just outside the door.

“Oh!” I exclaimed stopping in my tracks and making sure she was ok. “I didn’t see you there! I’m really sorry.”

She smiled up at me, her eyes flashing with humor and kindness. She brushed a stray spiky piece of short black hair out of her eyes and hitched one leg to the side as she studied my face.
“It’s ok. I’m tiny, easy to miss.” She said with a laugh. “I’m Alice.”

“I’m –“

“You are Bella. I know. Well, everyone knows who you are.” She said mysteriously, leaning forwards slightly.

“Yeah. Ok, well nice to meet you.” I didn’t know this girl and I didn’t know what her intentions were. She had never talked to me before and now she was suddenly waiting for me outside my classroom like we were best buddies. It was more than a little odd and I didn’t feel like sticking around to find out what the hell she wanted.

“Wait!” She squeaked and I saw her trying to keep stride with me as I walked, her short legs occasionally doing a little hop so she wouldn’t fall behind. I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was in a small pixie kind of way.

“Look, I don’t want to be rude or anything, but I don’t know you.” I said bluntly hoping I didn’t sound like a total bitch.

“I know. But I just had this feeling that you needed a friend right now. I don’t really care about all that…stuff.” As she said ‘stuff’ she waved her delicate hand to the side dismissively. “I just know it has to really suck being the butt of everyone’s jokes and not have a soul in the world to vent to. So, here I am! I’m your soul…erm…to vent to.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her, my hands on my hips.

“What’s in it for you?” I asked suspiciously.

She looked at me with a hurt expression on her face. “Nothing. I’m not doing this because I think I can get something from you. What do you think I am; one of those pathetic people who cling to the unfortunate for fifteen minutes of high school popularity? That’s really sad Bella.”

I immediately felt bad. I felt my shoulders droop and I frowned guiltily. “I’m sorry. I just…this is a really hard time for me. I don’t know who to trust.”

She smiled warmly. “Well, I promise I’m not out to screw you. Like I said, I just got this gut feeling that I needed to talk to you. I get that sometimes.” She shrugged. “Who is the weird one now?”

“Definitely you.” I mumbled as I turned back around and began walking to my next and last class.

I don’t know why, but I felt a surge of relief when she continued to follow me. We didn’t speak until we reached the classroom door but the walk through the hallway didn’t seem quite as torturous with her at my side. I wondered if Alice might be the type of friend I had always wanted; someone who accepted me despite my flaws without preying on my weakness for their benefit.


“Bella?” I heard a quiet voice say behind me.

I realized I had stopped in the doorway and was blocking the way. I turned around and saw Alice standing right behind me. She flashed me a grin.

“Are you in this class?” I asked stupidly.

She laughed. “Yeah. I sit a few seats behind you.”

I felt like shit. I’d had a class with her all year and I had never once said hello or even noticed her. I was beginning to realize that I lived in my own little world a majority of the time and maybe it was time I opened my damn eyes.

“I’m sorry-“I started to apologize but she held her hand up.

“Nope, no need. New leaf right?” She winked.

“Yeah.” I smiled and nodded. “New leaf.”

For some reason I started to feel guilty for feeling even the slightest bit happy when I knew Edward was sitting in the police station getting the third degree from my father. My face must have reflected what I was feeling because Alice put her hand on my arm.

“It’s ok. He’s going to be fine. Trust me.”

Something in her voice sounded so sure I couldn’t help but feel better almost instantly. She hooked her arm in mine and together we walked into the classroom. I felt happier than I had in weeks.

“You ok?” She asked me as she released my arm and adjusted her beautiful coach messenger bag to her other shoulder.

I was about to reassure her I was fine when Jessica Stanley, who hadn't spoken to me in a very long time, decided to butt in.

“She's fine. Just a little bit scared I'd imagine.” She laughed a loud screeching cackle. Jessica was a pretty girl, but I always thought her laugh matched with a bland personality made her unattractive.

The boys in our school didn't agree though. Jessica was one of the most popular girls in Forks High, constantly crowded by girls who wanted to be her and guys who wanted to be with her.

Before I could even thank Alice for her concern Jessica grabbed my elbow and turned me around to face the classroom.

“What was that all about?” She asked curiously.

I felt like a deer in the head lights. Jessica had not spoken to me in over two months so why the sudden interest?

I raised my eyebrow as I began to wonder whether she was digging for gossip, or was she genuinely concerned. I wasn't interested in fuelling her with fresh gossip to spread throughout the student body.

“Well?” She cocked her eyebrow to match mine.

Her impatience confirmed immediately that she was only after gossip. I smiled shyly and shrugged.

“Boys will be boys huh?” I said nervously.

Jessica's eyes narrowed for a second before her face quickly changed from a suspicious glare to a friendly smile.

“Bella...Bells.” She sighed slightly and nudged me with her elbow. “You can talk to me you know? We are friends right?” Her face was frozen in an exaggerated grin that I supposed was meant to look friendly and supportive.

“Are we?” I asked bemused.

Her careful fake smile faltered for a moment before she snapped it back into place.


“Of course silly. I'm so sorry I haven't been around lately. Edward and all of those, types of boys, don’t really like me and I heard your friend was in town...you understand right? We're not weird or anything?”


“No.” I sputtered, not believing a word she was saying to me. “Zero weirdness, I promise.”

“So...what's with you and Cullen then?” She probed again, her fake smile so big it was threatening to crack the thick layer of makeup she had caked on her face.

“Isabella swan!” At the sound of my name being called I immediately looked away from Jessica, but not before I noticed the flicker of frustration in her expression. I saw Mr. Bennett staring at me as if waiting for an answer.

I ignored Jessica for the rest of the class, pretending to be interested in the lesson and praying to god she took the hint and wouldn't bring it up again. I wasn't in the mood to help her collect information for her break time gossip.


Finally, after what seemed like hours the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. With a sigh of relief I joined my fellow classmates by pulling away from the desk and packing my books away. Jessica stood beside me, watching me shove my books and papers into my bag and heard her sigh impatiently. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction, I took my time.

I was about to stand up to leave when I heard a voice in front of me. “Isabella Swan?”

I looked up slowly and saw Mr. Bennett standing over my desk, his eyes fixed on my face, his expression serious.

“Sorry sir, yes?” I felt my stomach lurch with anxiety. I hated when teachers talked to me. It usually meant I was in trouble and I really wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.

“I'd like to speak to you for a moment, if you don't mind,” His eyes shifted to Jessica, “Alone please.”

I nodded shyly as he turned his back to me, heading towards his own desk. I followed behind him, watching Jessica as she made her way to the door. She mouthed at me “Talk soon.” before leaving the room.

The last person to leave was Alice. With half her body out the door she turned to give me one last smile. Her expression was worried but I wasn’t sure why. She hovered in the threshold her foot tapping nervously on the floor.

“Miss Brandon!” Mr. Bennett shouted angrily. “Miss Swan will be here for awhile please excuse yourself.”

She nodded and slipped out the door closing behind her softly.

Mr. Bennett walked over and flipped the lock in the door and turned back to me. “I do not want any interruptions. We have important things to discuss.”

His words did nothing to calm my apprehension. He walked over to his desk his dark eyes never leaving mine as he lowered himself into his leather office chair. I noticed that his hair was thinning on the top of his head and he was trying to comb it over in a pathetic attempt to hide the bald spot. He was a fairly short man with a round beer belly and bad skin. He reminded me of Mike Newton in twenty years. The thought made me shudder involuntarily.

He shuffled through some folders on his desk before clearing his throat and shoving the papers across the desk towards me.

“Isabella, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Your grades...” He paused and looked down at a sheet of paper on his table. I saw my name in big bold letters at the top but the rest of it was too small a print to read from where I stood. “They aren't good to be honest and after what just happened in the cafeteria this afternoon, I'd venture to guess why that might be.”

I blinked at him in response, I didn't understand. My grades were fine. Yes, I wasn't top of the class, but I wasn't at the bottom either.

I tried to voice this with Mr. Bennett when he stopped me by holding up his hand.

“I know what you’re going to say, your grades aren't terrible. No. But they are slipping Isabella. I think it’s because of your relationship with the Cullen boy. It is obvious to me it isn’t healthy.” He said simply. “I think he has been distracting you and this is causing your grades to slip dramatically.”

I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak but again he cut me off.

“Please don't speak until I've finished saying what I have to.” He paused and sighed. “I have a proposition for you.”

I nodded, eager to hear how I could avoid explaining to Charlie why I was failing English, my best subject.

“Look,” Mr. Bennett sat forward in his chair, his hands folded in front of him. “I've been told all about you and you’re… lifestyle, for lack of a better term.” He watched as I blushed and fidgeted nervously in front of him. He continued after a long uncomfortable pause. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of Isabella; in fact...this could be beneficial for you. Extra credit if you will.”

He trailed off as I stood there not knowing how to respond. What was he asking me? I didn't understand this at all. I shook my head, trying to physically shake my thoughts into order.

Mr. Bennett stood up from his desk and slowly made his way round to the front of it to join me. He was so close to me I could feel his breath on my face. He smelled like men’s cologne and body odor and I could taste bile in my mouth as he pressed himself into me. Slowly he maneuvered me around so he had his hands on the desk with me in-between them, trapped.

“Show me how much you want this grade Isabella.” He licked his lips and I felt the back of his hand deliberately graze my breast and trail down my stomach to my waist.

On the outside I was frozen in place, staring into his dark eyes which were filled with a look I recognized only too well. Inside I was screaming for help.