Chapter 10

Edward POV

I left Bella's house just as the sun started to rise. I slipped out the room, taking care to close the window completely and silently as I slipped from the ledge and dropped to the ground.

Running full speed, it was only a matter of minutes before I reached the sanctuary of our house with my family all still inside. I could hear them moving about inside.

Striding into the living room I stopped as my family members that were gathered turned around at my entrance.

"How is she?" Alice asked standing to her feet and making her way around the couch.

Rosalie still sat on the side lounge with Emmett at her side, his arm draped casually over the back of the couch. Esme and Carlisle were on the seat opposite them and Jasper turned in the one that Alice had just vacated.

Feeling my turbulent emotions, Jasper frowned and sent a calming vibe to me. One which I gratefully accepted as I controlled my raging breathing.

Turning my eyes past my sister, I looked towards Carlisle whose expression changed to one of seriousness as he took my current demeanour in.

"You were right, Carlisle. It's her father. He's the one abusing her." I gritted out from between clenched teeth.

Esme and Alice sucked in shocked breaths, while Rosalie's expression did not change. Jasper looked pained, feeling the onslaught of everyone's chaotic emotions before a soothing ambiance was felt throughout the room. Emmett frowned leaning forward on the couch.

"Her father is the chief of Police, yeah?" he asked. I gave a curt nod. "Shiiiitttt." He breathed.

"Thank you for that very unhelpful bit of commentary Emmett," I snapped.

Carlisle raised his hands, "Please, don't argue guys. This isn't going to solve anything at all. Now Edward, what are you thinking we should do?"

"Go remove her from her father's house," Alice chimed in.

I was already shaking my head at her, for I had read in her mind where her thoughts had turned. And that was going to get Bella, shoving her clothes in a suitcase and bringing her here.

"We can't do that Alice," I said acknowledging the direction of her thoughts.

Alice frowned, but continued to listen without interrupting.

"Besides bringing a human here to a house full of vampires without her knowledge of what we are being the worst idea ever, we can't just very well go and abduct her. No matter how well intended our actions may be. Not only does she not trust us – or anyone for that fact, but her father would also come after her as well, which would cause a whole heap of complications for us." I stated.

Alice continued frowning.

"We need her to leave, or for her to be put in a situation that would give us no option but to be forced to be involved. If we just suddenly took her, her father would immediately come after her. She has to either leave of her own free will, or Charlie has to get rid of her himself or cause such a situation where either us or other authorities get involved." I summed up.

Alice's eyes went distant for several seconds, and I knew she was scouting the future for the current courses. "I can't see Bella leaving of her own free will."

I gritted my teeth, refusing to think about what she was implying with that knowledge. "Then we have to do what we can to help her in the meantime. That includes protecting her at school as well."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked surprised.

"I'm sure you've noticed Jessica and Lauren as much as I have at school," I stated, and Alice nodded her head. "Well those two girls aren't particularly nice towards Bella on occasion, and Mike Newton can get a bit forward and handsy as well. So I would like to try and create some distance between them if I can, as I have seen how Bella becomes uncomfortable around him, but is unable to speak up."

"You want to try and protect her at school?" Rosalie asked.

I turned to her gearing myself up for an argument. "Yes, I don't see why she should have to suffer at school when she already suffers at home."

I waited, waited for the disagreement. The question on why we should have ourselves meddling in a humans business, but it never came. Rosalie didn't make any sound or movement to indicate that she was against the idea.

"Edward," My mother started to say. "Does he –"

She cut off what she was beginning to say, unable to finish her train of thought. I however had already read where her mind had gone. The vile sexual act that no father should commit to any daughter.

"No, or at least, I don't believe he has. She hasn't given any indication to that having happened, and I haven't seen anything like that in his thoughts."

Esme breathed a sigh of relief as Carlisle came up to wrap his arm around her. Even though no words were outspoken about what we were referring to, everyone else had seemed to already guess what we were talking about.

"Why don't you guys get ready to head off to school and keep an eye on her. I'll see if I can look her up in the system to see what I can find out about her past records while I am at work today."

We all nodded and went our separate ways up the stairs to get ready in our own space.

Going to my dresser, I pulled out a draw to change my shirt, as I thought about the ways in which I could help Isabella Swan.

.o.O.o.

I was sitting rigidly in my chair waiting for Bella to come into the classroom. There was still five minutes until class was to start but I wanted to arrive before Bella. I hadn't seen her at all throughout the day, and she wasn't in the cafeteria during lunch. I knew she was at school though, as I had seen her beat up red truck in the parking lot when I had got to school.

Finally I smelt the floral lavender scent that was unique to Bella. Looking up she was there, walking into the classroom a heartbeat later. She paused at the door, politely conversing with Mike in the doorway of the classroom as she shrugged out of her coat.

The rain has been pouring steadily outside today, and the sun has been hidden by the heavy grey clouds all day. Bella's face was plastered with a polite, yet uncomfortable smile as she nodded along with what Mike was saying, yet, I could clearly see that she was obviously uncomfortable with the topic of the conversation. Tuning into them I listened to what they were talking about.

"It's crazy that you weren't hurt at all!" Mike was saying as he flapped his hat to shake off the rain clinging to the material. Bella stepped back to avoid the splatters of water coming from the hat as he shook it carelessly in front of her, getting her with the raindrops as he shook it out.

Perking up at the topic of their conversation I listened closely for any other details.

"I really wasn't. I wasn't in the path of the car. I was just taken to hospital as a precaution." Bella lied, clearly becoming more uncomfortable by the second.

"Well, I'm just glad you weren't. But hey! I asked my mum about the job for you last night. She said you can have it if you wanted to come past to have a trial shift to see how you like it."

What job? I thought, and rifled through Mike's mind to find the previous conversation where Bella showed an interest in the job position at his parent's Olympic outfitting store. I almost laughed at the thought of clumsy little Bella in an outdoor store.

"Sounds great!" Bella said genuinely, "Just let me know when your mum wants me to come in. I'll write down my number during the lesson so you can give it to your mum."

Or for himself, Edward thought darkly seeing Mike's face light up.

Bella started to turn and walk off to come to her seat. Our eyes met as she turned to walk towards her chair before Mike's hand shot out to grab her arm loosely in his grip. Bella flinched and for a second, fear flicked through her expression, before her features once again schooled into a blank expression. But the anxiety still remained in her gaze, but Mike was too dim-witted and oblivious to notice it.

I felt my anger rising the longer he gripped her arm in his hand. Just as I was about to get up and make my way over to them, Mike released her. I leaned back in my chair, gripping the sides of the desk to keep myself seated as I continued to listen to their conversation. Parts of the wood from the desk broke away under my fingers.

"Hey, just hold up for a sec," Mike said.

Bella blinked and hesitantly looked up to Mike.

"I was just wondering, do – do you want to go to p-prom with me?" Mike stuttered.

I couldn't help but laugh silently at the boys' clear nervousness to ask out Bella to the prom. I was even more amused as I saw the bright crimson flush flood in her smooth pale cheeks.

"I uh, can't go to Prom, sorry Mike. I uh, well . . . I can't dance." Bella stammered nervously.

"Well, that's alright! We don't have to dance, we can just go and have fun together."

Bella grimaced. "I don't think I'll be in town that weekend. I – I'm going to Phoenix that weekend to visit my friends from home."

I tilted my head curiously, wondering whether or not Bella was being truthful in her answers or not. Not being able to read her mind and peep into her thoughts was becoming more infuriating by the day.

"You can't go another weekend?" Mike asked hopefully.

Bella was already shaking her head. "It's a non-refundable ticket I'm afraid sorry Mike."

With that she turned on her heals and came towards her seat. Towards me. I felt almost bad for Mike Newton as he stood there seemingly lost, and disappointed. I watched Bella closely as she walked down between the desks to come to her own. To the human eye, no one would notice the very slight limp she had in her walk. But as I was at her house last night, and I saw the way her father had punched her bed, hitting her foot in the process out of anger, she was clearly still feeling the effects of that hit now.

Clenching my teeth together even more, they were practically grinding together by the time Bella reached me and hesitantly dropped her bag on the floor beside her chair and sat.

She gave me a fleeting smile as she pulled out her chair and sank into it. Almost seeming relieved to be able to hide behind a desk and a textbook.

"Hello," I greeted her as she settled into the chair and began pulling out her books and pens.

"Hey," she breathed looking up at me from underneath her curtain of brown shimmering locks.

"How are you doing today?" I asked innocently, knowing that it wouldn't set off alarm bells for her as it was a question commonly asked when greeting someone, however I was still interested in seeing if she would answer honestly.

"I'm ok," she whispered twirling her pen between her fingers out of habit. My eyes went to the movement and I was amused to see that she did the action unconsciously. Remembering the time that she also did it in class when we first talked.

I bit back my retort, knowing firsthand that she wasn't at all fine. But I couldn't say anything against it. After all she didn't have any clue that I had some insight to what she was really going through.

We stopped talking as Mr Molina started going through the class outline for today. Getting out her textbook Bella flipped it open to the page that Mr Molina had instructed as she started jotting down some notes.

"I didn't see you at lunch," I said at last to break the silence.

Bella's eyes flittered to me before going back to her notes and continuing to write as she answered me. "I wasn't hungry."

I raised my eyebrows at the blunt lie that she told. I could hear her stomach grumbling and gurgling quietly as we sat here, too low for any human ears.

"So what did you do instead?" I asked. I heard that she had gone to the library from her friends at lunch, but I wanted to hear from her myself.

"I was sitting outside studying for an upcoming test in Maths." She replied, honestly to my surprise as she continuing to scribble away in her notebook.

Not an outright lie she had told her friends apparently. She had gone to study, but not to the library. I couldn't really blame her for wanting the time alone. Other than Angela, all her friends could be more than a handful from time to time.

"So where are you going to stay when you go to Phoenix?" I asked.

Her head whipped around so quickly I was afraid she would hurt herself. "How did you know about that?" She demanded.

Realising my mistake too late I cursed myself at my stupidity. There was no way I was meant to know about her plans to go to Phoenix. I was too busy trying to find out how and when she was going to go so that I could check on her while she was there, and so my family could scout out Charlie while she was gone.

"I overheard you telling Mike," I said honestly, knowing full well that she couldn't know how good or far my hearing could actually go.

"Oh," she murmured before frowning. I saw her glance towards the door where her coat was hanging on the coat hook, to our desk that was one of the last ones towards the back of the room. I knew what she was thinking without having to read her mind, as I was beginning to understand that her facial expressions could speak a thousand words. Right now I could see her piecing together the impossibility of me being able to humanly hear her conversation with Mike in the doorway.

To my shock though she didn't say anything else against it. She just looked back down at her book and continued to write. I gave her a couple of minutes before I spoke again.

"So when do you leave?"

Bella stopped but didn't raise her head from where she was looking down at her book.

"I'm not," she mumbled. "I just said to Mike that I was."

"Oh," I said softly then thought for a second. "Would you go back there anyway if you wanted to?"

This time she looked up at me. "No," she whispered. "I don't think my old friends remember that I exist. Once I moved states I stopped hearing from them, and going back would only remind me of better times. Besides I don't think my dad would allow it."

I clenched my fists against the sudden burst of anger flooding through me. "Well your eighteen soon aren't you? Then you can leave whenever you want to." I said hoping she picked up on the hidden meaning behind them. Unfortunately, I don't think she did.

"That's still a couple of months away," She replied before going back to her work.

We lapsed into silence and I watched her out the corner of my eye. Noting the way she curled in towards herself as if she was both trying to make herself smaller as well as draw attention away from herself by making herself disappear. She constantly glanced around the room, as if noting where everyone was and what they were doing, and when she wasn't writing, her fingers were drumming against the desk with anxiety.

I don't think she was even aware of her behaviour, and that made me sad to think about that she had only been with her father for several weeks, nearly two months by now, and she was already exhibiting the traits of someone in an abusive situation.

I watched as a couple of minutes before the bell rang she wrote down her phone number on a piece of paper. when the bell rang she jumped up to gather her belongings and walked over to Mike who was still talking with his Lab partner when she handed him her number and told him that his mum could ring her anytime after seven. After that, she turned and left, leaving the room before it was half empty of students. looking back at Mike, my irritation for the guy only grew as he grinned from ear to ear and his Lab partner started nudging him in the side as they started joking about him getting 'in' with Bella.

I looked back towards Bella, seeing that she was already gone from the classroom, and it made me wonder what she was like before she moved here. I vowed to myself that I was going to try and help her become that woman again. And I felt that by talking to her again she was more relaxed around me and in time would come to trust me so that my family and myself could help her get away from her father.

Hi everyone! I know it has literally been months since I last updated, and I apologise profusely for that. I didn't plan on letting it go by for so long, but it just did. Life, and work and family life got in the way – and unfortunately I don't have much spare time these days. But I forced myself to sit down to write the next instalment for you guys, not only because you deserve it, but also because it wouldn't leave my head. In my mind I just continue to see where this story is going to go.

So rest assured that while updates may not always be regular or on time, but they will happen. I have so much love for this story and so many ideas of what I want to happen that I know I won't be satisfied until I write out Bella's story.

I know this one was a bit of a filler, and nothing really happened, but I wanted to get into Edward's mind more and I wanted to build on that relationship between Bella and Edward. So let me know what you thought and what you think is going to happen next, now that all the Cullen's are fully aware of what is going on.

Until next time,

~ Sarah xoxo