Chapter Nineteen

The Storm

Bella Pov

That morning when I woke up everything was normal. Little did I know that everything was about to change. Everything was about to fall apart and there was nothing I could do. There was no sign. There was no warning. The storm had came and the sun had disappeared.

I had went to school that morning with Edward as I usually did. Mike had been making eyes at me all morning. I had wanted to tell him I wasn't feeling well, any excuse to get out of tonight. I didn't know at that point that I had an excuse, just one that I didn't want. It was in English when it happened.

"Could Isabella Swan please report to the main office please!"

I had never been called to the main office before. I froze in my seat. The teacher excused me and I made my way to the office. I took my bag with me as instructed as the class was almost over. I felt everyone stare at me as I left the room. I could feel Tanya's glares all the way out the room, I knew she was upset because I was living at Edwards house and she had never been asked to stay there despite the amount of times she had been with him.

I stepped into the main office unsure of what I was supposed to do. I didn't have to wait long for standing there right in front of me was none other than my father. I felt numb. I was froze on the spot. I wasn't sure how I was still standing, my knees felt weak. I could hear people talking but the words weren't making sense. Nothing was making sense.

"Bella sweety, There's been an accident, you have to come home just now."

Sweety?

My father had never once called anything endearing in my life, not that I could remember anyway. He took my arm and led me back to my life of misery.

Carlisle Pov

I was starting to get tired. I had drank three cups of coffee already and it was still before noon. I had been really stressed lately, there had been so many accidents happen and it appeared that another one just had. I really couldn't be bothered any more I wanted to go home to my wife. I hadn't had one day off lately. I had been working constantly which didn't used to bother me but I was so stressed out with the way the current situation was.

I made my way to the lift down to see my new patient. As far as I knew he was a 47 year old man that had a concussion, three broken ribs and a broken knee cap. I knew it had to be something tied to organised crime or something. I wasn't exactly sure how things like that worked, but I knew enough to know that this was no accident.

I made my way into the room and looked at the chart at the bottom of the mans bed. The man looked quite familiar but I couldn't place him. I looked at the name on the chart it read James Swan.

James Swan.

I liked to think I wasn't a stupid man, and that I had grew wise over the years. I took this to mean that Isabella's father had returned. I was out of time. I didn't have a plan of action, I wasn't ready for this. I was going to have to 'wing' it, it was something I had never had to do over the years. I took time to assess every situation, to get facts, to work every move out. I couldn't jump into things without thinking it through, without weighing up the pros and cons. It was something Edward continuously failed at. Edward jumped into every situation consequences be damned, that was the way my son was. Alice was a little more level headed but a lot more eccentric and tended to avoid any type of bad situation in the first place. Emmett, Emmett tended to think about things logically and wind up in the stickiest situations anyway.

I wondered if Charlie had already gotten to Isabella, if he had already taken her home, if he had beaten her. If he had just left her alone not wanting to know anymore as she had somewhere else to go. I knew that he had done this to his brother. That was obvious, so he was definitely home from his trip.

I picked up the phone and dialled Edwards number, I knew it was lunch time so he would be able to answer his phone.

Edward Pov

I made my way to the cafeteria looking around for Bella. I had been buying her lunch lately as I knew she had no money to purchase her own and she was so skinny I was surprised she wasn't fadingaway. I was sure I would see her at my next class, we had home economics after lunch and Bella never missed any of her classes. I was dreading the class, we hadn't being doing much practising at all and we were due to cook the shit in two weeks. I just couldn't be fucked it seemed a waste of time to me.

My phone started vibrating in my pocket, nobody tended to call me at school. Alice had called me once but most people that call me were with me. I looked at the i.d telling me that it was dad. Dad never tended to call me unless it was important.

I answered the call trying to gauge how he sounded. I hadn't done anything bad lately that I knew of, hadn't pissed anybody off in a while. He sounded so unlike my father, the calmness was there but I could hear the worry and tiredness behind it. Dad had been working extra shifts at the hospital, there were so many accidents happening and he was tired all the time. I felt kinda bad for him, I mean it wasn't my fucking fault or anything and I didn't feel guilty, but it just didn't seem right for him to have to work so much. All he seemed to want to talk about was Bella and I told him about her name getting called over the tannoy, I wondered if maybe she had done something bad.

Don't be fuckingdaft, she's innocent and pure, she wouldn't do that. Fucking virgin.

It wasn't till i thought the last words that I realized they weren't true. I immediately felt bad, that shit was nasty and I liked to think I wasn't all that bad.

He explained about James being in hospital and her father possibly being back. The minute I heard his theory I knew he was right. I just wasn't sure what to do about it. Dad told me not to act on it, but I couldn't help it, I had to do something I couldn't just leave her to get abused.

Could I?

Bella Pov

I got into the police cruiser without a fuss. I didn't want to make a scene as that would've just made things worse. I expected him to lash out as soon as he was in the car but I suppose that wasn't his style. Charlie had always liked to lull me in to a false sense of security before the beating began. He liked to make me sweat. Make me feel the fear. I was feeling it. I was terrified. I felt as though I would be shaking if I could. I was numb. He pulled the car up to this. I wondered if James was still there or if he had left. I wondered if Charlie even knew what had happened with James and why I was with the Cullen's. I wondered if he even knew I had been with the Cullen's.

The look on his face was telling me he knew. He looked angry behind the calm mask he was showing. I had learned to read Charlie over the years. I could see behind the front he put up for everyone else. I could read the emotions floating under the mask. He was pissed! It didn't look like it was going to be a good night for me. I wanted Edward, he made me feel so safe, so comfortable, so secure. It was something I hadn't felt since my mum was alive. I welcomed the feelings, they made me feel whole. I had had a hole in my chest since my mum died and that hadn't healed, it would never heal. It had slowly started to get better when I was with the Cullen's. I started to feel like part of a real family, but now, now everything was back to normal. I was back in hell and there was nothing anybody could do about. Nothing anyone could do to help.

I got out of the car slowly. I was anxious, I was nauseous and I didn't know how my legs were keeping me up I could hardly feel them. I opened up the door and entered the house. I felt like I hadn't been here in years. I appreciated what the Cullen's had done for me, even Edward. I now fully understood the meaning of the phrase "you don't know what you've got till it's gone." I didn't fully appreciate what the Cullen's had done for me till now, till it was too late, till the happiness was gone. I heard the door click shut behind me, I was locked in and I had nowhere to go. I knew I didn't have the strength to run even if I wanted to, I would only trip over my own feet if I did anyways. I contemplated screaming but no one had heard me before and no one would come. I was completely alone and there was no one there to save me.

I turned to face him, I wanted to act strong. Inside I was a mess, a wreck. I looked into the eyes of the man that haunted me. I saw nothing. They were empty. His eyes were cold and hard and unfeeling. It made me feel even more nauseous, and more uneasy than ever. He didn't speak a word, nor did I. I didn't know what to say even if I could have spoke. I felt too numb to even think. He just stood there, staring. It was making me nervous. I was invisible to Charlie unless I was getting a beating. I wished he would just hit me, the staring was just making me feel worse.

"James, he raped you." It was a statement, not a question but I nodded anyway. I nodded slowly looking for any signs of Irritation. His face was blank as though he was lost in thought. It made me think about that night, I felt as if I was reliving it, I felt the same fear.

"My own brother touched my property without my permission." Again it was a statement, not a question but this time I didn't nod. I didn't have to.

His property? his possession ? Of course, that's all I am, all I ever would be.

I wasn't his daughter, I was someone who lived under his roof, someone for him to kick around and collect benefits for. I could feel tears prick at my eyes but I wasn't going to cry, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He didn't deserve it. I felt a sharp pain at my jaw and my legs finally stopped holding me up. I closed my eyes tightly and I kept them that way. I felt a boot at my ribs. I felt it over and over and over again. I kept my eyes shut. I knew now that it started this time it wasn't going to stop. This was the end and I welcomed it with open arms.

I'm coming mum, I'm finally coming, we'll be together again.

I could feel the blood running down my face as his steel toe-capped boot collided with my head. I didn't scream, I didn't utter a word. I lay and I took it. I felt dizzy and I felt sick. My head was spinning. Charlie had kicked every inch of me and I was scared of what was coming next. I knew today would be the day that I died. I kept my eyes shut still as I felt him grab my hair. I was being dragged but where I did not know, I didn't care.

I heard a loud bang, but I felt no pain. Was I dead? I heard more loud bangs but I kept my eyes shut. It was then I heard it, him. He was here. I wasn't sure why, I wasn't sure if I was imagining the voice, but I listened. I couldn't make out the words he said, I couldn't make out anything at all. I tried to open my eyes but everything was blurry, I heard a final bang. I knew I was going to be unconscious soon and I wondered if I would ever wake up. If this was the end. The last thing I heard was a scream, a loud blood curling scream, it took me a while to realize where it had came from. It had came from me.