*Bella*

The fact that Edward knew he could persuade me into any situation with just a flash of his pretty boy smile was just evil. I glared -well, tried to glare- at him as laid next to me on my tiny, twin size bed, rubbing soothing circles on my hip with his thumb. It was very hard to focus on why I was supposed to be angry with him when he was doing that.

"They don't leave until noon tomorrow," he assured me. "I'll have plenty of time to catch up with them then." He leaned in and placed his cool lips on the hollow of my neck. My teeth found purchase on my lip and my eyes rolled to the back of my skull.

What was I supposed to be doing again?... Oh! Right.

Unwillingly, I pushed against him with weak arms. I whimpered and pouted when he finally pulled away, earning a smug look from him. As much as I wanted him to stay here and continue our makeout session, it wasn't fair to the rest of his family.

The Denali clan had dropped in from Alaska to visit the Cullens on their way to Ann Arbor, Michigan after not seeing the Cullens for quite some time. Oddly, one Cullen happened to see them more recently than the rest. Upon hearing this little tidbit of information, Edward had some explaining to do. Sure, I trusted him; entirely, but there happened to be some things that made a girl insecure. Like if a certain beyond beautiful, strawberry blonde had a crush on your beyond beautiful bronze-hair boyfriend and you're just sitting in the corner like a bump on a log looking like plain Jane in skinny jeans, a tank top, and worn converse.

Meeting them was anything but pleasant. Awkward was more like the right word. Hearing everyone recall stories from way-back-when while I sat quietly smushed between Emmett and Edward wasn't how I imagined meeting the family. I imagined it more like me with glowing golden eyes, finally fitting in the Cullens and Edward's mother's ring on my finger to rub into Tanya's pretty little face; symbolizing Edward rightfully mine. My moment would come soon. I smiled just thinking about it.

"Bella, love?," Edward called to me, snapping me from my daze. Did he say something?

"No, you're going. You should go have fun." I said finally. As part of catching up, the Denali family wanted to take the Cullens out for a night on the town, as Edward and me were currently arguing about whether or not he would be attending.

"I'd rather stay here and watch you sleep," he said, then leaned in to kiss me. It was hard to let him go, and he really wasn't making it any easier. I rolled my eyes but didn't stop kissing him. He knew just what he was doing. When he finally pulled away so I can breathe, I put my hand on his chest to stop him from doing it again.

"Is there a problem?" he asked with a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I playfully glared at him then became serious.

"Yes Edward, there is. Why don't you want to see your family?" I asked. His smug looked disappeared, but he didn't say anything.

Finally he spoke.

"I do want to see them... It's just Tanya..." Her name came out a whisper. Hearing all the stories about her advances and Edward declining her suddenly made sense. He was as uncomfortable around her as I was. This new revelation made me wonder just how recent her last 'advance' was. Was she still trying to make Edward hers? I may be a scrawny little human, but she wasn't getting her hands on my Edward without a fight.

I subconsciously pulled Edward closer to me. This earned a chuckle out of him.

"Don't worry love," He assured me. "I only have eyes for you." He kissed the top of my head and moved a few strands of hair from my face and tucked them behind my ear. "Besides, I perfer brunettes." He winked and I couldn't help but blush.

"I still think you should go," Did I really think he should go? Yeah. Did I really want him to go? Of course not, but it would be a real bitch thing to do if I kept him away from his family over a silly little insecurity that I had made up in my head. Seeing as though I was grounded and it was a school night, I wouldn't be making an appearance with him.

He was quiet for a few beats.

"Okay," he relented. "I'll go, but I won't stay a second longer than I have to." It was a promise I was going to hold him to. I didn't want him out with Tanya anymore than he had to be.

As if reading my mind he told me, "I'll be back as soon as I can." And with that, he slipped out my window and landed with a soft thud. Like the clingy girlfriend I was, I was missing him already.

Lying back down on my bed, I let my mind wander. I began to think about how Tanya felt about Edward and how much trouble she would go through to get him.

What am I thinking? She's like a cousin to him. She's part of his family. A family I would soon apart of. I smiled to myself. I closed my eyes, and began to think happier thoughts. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.

Edward and I were on our honeymoon. I dreamt it was sunny and were alone, enabling Edward to walk about freely without exposing himself. Even in my dreams, the way the sun made his skin sparkle was distracting and breathtaking. I was all so perfect. That is until she showed up.

I woke up in a cold sweat, disorientated and annoyed with myself. Looking at the clock, I realized I had only been asleep for ten minutes, but it felt like hours. Edward told me he loved me millions of times, but in reality I was nothing compared to Tanya and in all honestly I was scared I would lose him. Seeing as even in my dreams Tanya somehow managed to high-jack my honeymoon, didn't sit too well with me. I didn't know Tanya well, but I had a feeling she would go through anything to get what she wanted and I knew, just like everyone else that she wanted Edward.

School night be damned, I was going to that club. I showered and began searching through by closet. I laid out what I would be wearing as I tried to remember the name of the club they were going to. Monster... Eclipse...Duck-off... Crap!..I could call Alice...

Or you can stop being such a Debbie Downer and let Edward have fun for once without you breathing down his neck. The stupid voice in my head was right. Edward was surrounded by me 24/7, whose to say he shouldn't have a break.

But he's around you because he loves you. I plopped down on my bed. The inner turmoil was killing me. It was as if I had a Devil Bella on one shoulder and a Angel Bella on the other like in the cartoons. I shook my head as if to rid of them. Real Bella needed to think logically.

If I go to the club and see that things were okay, I'll come back home. And if I drive fast I'll make it back before Charlie even notices I'm gone. I almost laughed at that one. As if my truck could push anything over with my answer, I dressed quickly and ran out the door; leaving Charlie a note saying I went for a drive. There was no doubt in my mind he would question me, but I decided to deal with it later.

I drove to Port Angeles barely pushing thirty. Other cars honked their horns and flew past me. They could honk all they wanted, I wasn't going any faster. Not that I could go any faster. I knew if I even tried that I'll just end up with a busted engine and no way to get home. Entering the city, I remembered that I still couldn't recall the name of the club. Cursing myself for being so stupid, I reached for my cell phone. No choice but to call Alice now.

I pulled over and rummaged through my bag for my phone only to remember that I'd left it charging on the nightstand next to my bed. God! How stupid can you get, Swan? I face palmed myself before bringing my truck back to life and turning around to head back to Forks.

As I was about to get back on the main road, a small, grey, one story building caught my attention; holding a sign that read in glowing green letters: Aftershock.

Erika!...

I rolled my eyes at myself. Just when I thought I couldn't get any lamer... I groaned seeing that the parking lot was completely full. There were even a few cars parked around the corner. I was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't worth the hassle. I didn't drive all this way for nothing.

I pulled into the parking lot in front of a run-down, abandoned building just behind the club. An old 'Grand Opening' sign hung from the front in ripped shreds, probably withered from all the rain.

Looking around, I realized it probably wasn't such a good idea to park here. There were only three other cars parked in the lot, but from the looks of them, they'd been here for quite some time. Glancing around before I got out, I practically ran towards the entrance of the club, nearly knocking a woman over in my haste. From her goth makeup and pale skin I wasn't completely surprised when she turned around and hissed at me. I slowly back away from her. Half expecting her to lunge at me at any given moment. I turned on my heel only to stop right in my tracks.

There were roughly two dozen people standing outside the entrance door, waiting to get inside. I can only imagine what the inside of the tiny building looked like. And from the looks of this line, imagining would be the only glimpse of the club I'll be getting. I shook my head and turned to head home. Then I saw them.

Two blonde bimbos in high heels and even higher skirts walked right past me and the long line of awaiting people. One of the two looked at me like I was old gum stuck on the bottom of their expensive, designer shoes. I was too busy staring to feel offended. They walked up to the bouncer that I had failed to notice before. By removing the rope and letting them, he was awarded by the huge crowd with loud groans. Almost all of them were women and dressed much like the one I'd bumped into. My eyes flew to the door the blondes had disappeared behind to the end of the long line filled with angry people, then to my watch. Charlie's shift would be ending in thirty minutes and I knew he'd be angry to come home and find me gone at this late hour. Especially since it was a school night. It would take me much longer than half an hour to even make it back to Forks, let alone have time to stand in this line. I was sure the club would be closing by the time I would finally get in.

The battle I was having within myself was ridiculous. I didn't didn't know any of these people. It's not like I'd ever see them again.

So what if they were angry with me? I chanted this to myself. With my eyes squeezed shut, I shoved my hands, along with my pride, in my pockets and let my feet carry me to my destination. I stop when I nearly tripped on the curb where the sidewalk began. I didn't move, I didn't speak, I didn't even open my eyes. I was so afraid of the rejection I didn't want to show my face, which hid behind a curtain of my hair. I briefly wondered if this is what anxiety was. I kept my head down, unable to meet his eyes. Finally, the bouncer's voice boomed.

"Can I help you miss?" he asked, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. I remained silent. Slowly, raising my head, I looked up at him. His dark sunglasses hid his eyes, which made it a little easier for me. I can pretend it was pity in them instead of rejection.

A few people in line stood and stared at me, which made me rethink my decision of skipping ahead the entire line. My next step towards the entrance was tentative. I was almost afraid I'd be hissed at again. What scared me even worst was that I might be rejected like the rest of the people waiting to get in. That thought caused me to stand frozen on the spot. How embarrassing would it be to be rejected in front of everyone? What made me even think I was better than any of these people? I couldn't believe I was getting so worked up over something so petty.

Looking at the bouncer, I realized how big -no huge- he really was. He was no Emmett but he was big none the less. He was still waiting for an answer, I shook my head in defeat before turning around and making my way back to my truck. Well this was a huge waste of gas and time. I didn't accomplish anything other than getting my ego demolished. I wanted to kill myself right there; looking down I realized what I was wearing. My faded, blue jeans made me look unkempted and matched my worn converse. My gray hoodie was missing its drawstring and had a small but noticeable hole above the right pocket. What was I thinking when I put this on?... Oh, right, I wasn't thinking. I was too busy replaying that damn dream over and over in my head.

My teeth clinched together and I felt my entire face turn red from the stares I was getting. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to be invisible, or at least somewhere far away from the prying eyes of these oddly dressed people.

Grumbling to myself, I felt relief wash over me when my truck came into view. Knowing I would only embarrass myself even more if I ran and tripped, I settled into a fast paced walk. I was almost home-free when I heard a voice call out, scaring me half to death.

"Excuse me, miss? Could you spare a moment of your time?" I turned to see a dark figure heading towards me. His black hoodie cast a dark shadow over his face, hiding it from my view; one of his hands was shoved in the pocket of his jeans. If that wasn't enough to creep the bejesus out of me, he kept looking behind him as he made his way over to me in a face paced walk, that turned into a jog as he came closer.

My instincts told me this man was dangerous. There was obviously something really wrong about a man in dark clothing running towards you in an abandoned parking lot.

And then I realized... I was alone. In a dark parking lot... With an unknown man running towards me.

It took exactly five seconds for my flight response to kick in. I turned and made a run for my truck, praying that I wouldn't trip... I didn't. I reached my truck and even got the door open, but that was about as far as I'd gotten to my escape when he grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me to the ground. I screamed and he yanked on my locks again, dragging me to a nearby alleyway where, to my great dismay, there were two others.

Unlike my attacker, their profiles weren't hidden. The tallest one ran his hand threw his blond hair and laughed darkly.

"Jim, you weren't kidding. She's a doll." He stepped closer and ran his hand along my jaw. I shoved it away which must have ticked him off, because he then shoved me up against the brick wall. The shorter, dark-haired one behind him looked between us hesitantly and took a step back. He looked as if he was going to say something before "Jim" pulled a Swiss blade from out his pocket and held it to my face. His eyes widened, but it effectively shut him up.

"Oh, she's a feisty one Jim. She might give us a little trouble." the tall one said, and as if to suggest something, he smirked. Jim pressed the blade harder against my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a shuddering breath. I was too scared to think of what they were going to do to me.

"Nah, Gary, you just gotta scare her real good." he turned to me. "You listen to me, and you listen good," It was the first time I had actually listened to Jim's voice. It was creepier than his appearance. It was sly and quiet and reminded me of a snake the way every word came out as a hiss. It only made him seem more mincing. Unlike his loud, arrogant partner. "You're gonna do whatever we tell you to do and I don't want any shit from you, ya hear?" I didn't say anything. I didn't give him any indication that I'd acknowledged what he'd said, but the look in his piercing blue eyes told me he must have known I wouldn't try anything. He handed the blade over to the bigger asshole, Gary, and backed away slowly, only breaking our gaze to sit down on the slightly damp concrete and take a sip from an already opened bottle of beer.

"Alright," Gary said loudly. "Let's get this party started." The closer he came, the farther I pressed myself against the wall. It wasn't until he was directly in front of me that I realized I was officially trapped with no way out. My only hope was Edward and he had yet to show up. Maybe he didn't know which alleyway I was in.

Yeah, because there were so many alleys right outside the club to choose from.

I was slightly shocked by the voice in my head. I'd never doubted Edward's ability to keep me safe, but the fact that he would have been here before anything had gotten this far didn't go unnoticed.

I was abruptly pulled out of my thoughts when large hands roughly groped my breasts. I released a loud gasp and, by reflex, pushed him away. The touch was all wrong. Rough instead of gentle. Greedy instead of loving. Hot instead of cold. This sick man's hands instead of Edward's.

"Hey!" His hands were now at my throat. He squeezed slightly, but it was enough to send me into a small coughing fit. It was a threat. A test of what his strength really was. "Try that shit again." he warned. He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. The blade did all the talking. The very tip was now pressed roughly to my temple. I took short, shallow breaths. One wrong move and it would pierce the skin. I was sure of it. My eyes glanced towards the other two men still in the back. Jim was still watching intently while the smaller one didn't even look in our direction.

I felt hands at the hem of my shirt as they made their way further up. The shock finally wore off and fear sat in. Tears stung my eyes and washed down my cheeks. It was as if someone had broken a levee, no matter how much I wanted it to stop, the tears continued to fall freely. I didn't know what to do. Should I fight? Or should I just... I didn't even want to think about it.

My shirt was pulled from over my head and thrown to the ground. I shuddered when I felt his lips come into contact with the skin on my shoulder. Hot, sloppy kisses instead of the cool ones I'd grown so accustomed to. My bra joined my shirt and I couldn't hold back the sobs as his hands reached for the botton of my jeans.

"Please..." My voice was almost inaudible even to me. Edward... Save me.

"Please? You want me to please you?" he smirked. "Well that's what I'm trying to do baby. Now, just shut the fuck up." Grabbing my wrists and pinning them to the wall with one hand, he shoved my pants down to my ankles with the other. My sobs became louder. Edward, please.

His lips met mine and I almost gagged. The taste of the alcohol made it that much worst. His hands reached for my underwear and I lost control of the last shred of sanity I had. I would not let him take this away from me. The last thing I have left to give the man I loved. The one thing I held that made me worth his time and effort. The one thing that made me worthy of him at all. He couldn't have it.

Pushing myself off the wall, I threw all of my weight towards him. He barely stumbled back. My small frame compared to his was like comparing the sun to the moon; me being the moon. The devilish gleam in his eyes was replaced by an angry one and his hands were at my neck again. Except this time he hadn't held back. He shoved my head back and it hit the wall. Hard. I swung at him repeatedly, but, of course, my fighting was useless.

"Stupid bitch. Jim, Calvin, help me hold her down." Finally letting go of my neck, he threw me to the ground where the two others grabbed hold of my wrists and ankles.

"Let me go!" I shouted. Gary dropped to his knees by my side. Opening the blade once again, he leaned in.

"Take her underwear off." Jim's hands moved from my ankles to the hem of my underwear. He roughly tugged them from under me. I used his moment of vulnerability to my advantage and kicked him square in the jaw. Luckily, he wasn't as big as the other one and flew back, holding his face. Unluckily, he got right back up and the look in his eyes was enough to stop me in my tracks.

I've never seen anyone look like that before. He was obviously in full rage. I hated that I choose at that moment to realize that I could actually lose my life.

At this point, I was praying for any miracle to save me.

"No." I pleaded. He slowly got up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. The fire in his eyes was nothing like Edward's. His being terrifying, Edward's more lustful. He lunged for me and pinned me against the ground. This time his hands worked fast. Spreading my legs, cupping my breasts, covering my mouth, removing his pants...

"Aw, don't cry baby. You did this to yourself." he told me. "Jim! Hold her legs down." I felt a bone-crushing grip on my ankles again. I was unable to move even an inch. Then, without warning...

"Ugh!" My muffled screamed on urged him on.

"Yeah. You like that, baby? Scream for me again." He thrust even harder into me. My screams come unwillingly and so do my tears.

The pain turns into an ache and the ache turns numb. I've stopped crying, I've stopped wishing, I've stopped fighting. The best I can do is stop feeling. And that's exactly what I do as they take turns with me. But not all of them. Just two. Jim and Gary. I briefly wonder why the other doesn't join in. But he doesn't stop it either, so I hate him too.

I don't know how long it was before it was finally over. They left me there, naked and shivering, laughing and stumbling as they went. With not so much as a backwards glance in my direction. I didn't move even then. Only when I realize I don't want anyone to see me like this do I finally make my way to my truck. The door is still opened, just as I left it, and the keys are still in the ignition. Climbing into the cab, I try my best to ignore the pain coming from between my legs. My eyes follow the time on the dashboard. 1:22 AM.

Putting my truck in drive, I made my way home; only thinking of Edward.