Chapter 4 - BPOV

“You ungrateful bitch! I can’t believe I was actually starting to feel bad for getting pissed with you about the phone waking me. I came out here to make sure you were alright, and I hear you saying that shit. What the fuck were you thinking?” James seethed.

“You honestly think pansy ass Cullen loves you?” He laughed even harder. “He’s got that hot ass Tanya warming his bed every night. Not even you could turn him away from that.”

I broke down in uncontrollable sobs. James sat next to me and started petting my head like I was a dog.

He sighed. “Bella, Bella, Bella. What am I gonna do with you? I was being patient with all of the damn dreams about your precious Edward. This phone conversation I walked in on was the last straw. I forbid you to talk with him or see him again.”

“You forbid me. Who the hell do you think you are? You may sleep in my bed from time to time, but you are in no position to tell me who I can and can’t talk to.” I was so angry I was shaking. There was no way in hell I would let James come between Edward and me.

“I will talk to you how ever the hell I want! You belong to me! You will not talk to or see Edward again.”

“You’re wrong, James. You are the one I won’t see or talk to again.”

James stared coldly at me and slowly walked toward me. For every step he took toward me, I took one back until he had me trapped against the wall. He slammed his fist into the wall next to my head.

“What the hell are you doing?” I screamed.

“You belong to me, not him,” he said through gritted teeth. “You will not get on that plane in the morning.”

I started hitting James in the chest. There was no way he was keeping from my mom. “I will be on that plane tomorrow, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it!” I was screaming at the top of my lungs, and tears were streaming down my face as I continued to hit James in the chest with all my strength.

James yanked my right wrist away from his chest and pinned it above my head while he yanked my hair with his other hand. I cried out in pain.

“You listen to me, little girl. You won’t be leaving this apartment anytime soon. I hope you said your goodbyes to your daddy while you were on the phone with your mom. You will never see Forks, Washington ever again.” He yanked my hair again exposing my throat to him. He licked a slimy trail from the juncture of my neck and shoulder to my ear and bit down on my earlobe.

I let out the loudest scream I could when his teeth bit into me. He just laughed. “Oh, my Bella. I do love it when you fight. It turns me on even more.” I spit in his face, and he slapped me. I could feel the left side of my face throbbing from the impact.

“James, please stop.”

“Beg, baby,” he whispered in a husky voice. He started rubbing his erection on my leg. “Damn, I should have tried this sooner. I’ve never been so turned on in my life.”

I broke out in uncontrollable sobs. I knew James had changed from the man I first met, but I never thought he was capable of abuse. Not only had he struck me, but now he was going to violate me sexually. The bile rose slowly up my throat, and I started gagging on it.

“Oh, I’ll give you something to gag on, baby.” James started to lower his pajama pants when there was loud banging on my door. James put his hand over my mouth. “You will not make a sound, bitch, or you will know what my fist feels like.”

“This is the New York Police Department. Open up.” James stared coldly into my eyes. I didn’t know who I was looking at anymore.

“If you don’t open up, we will force our way in.” James groaned.

“Not a word or you’ll regret it, you bitch.” I nodded my head. He let me go and walked to the door only opening it a crack.

“Evening, officers. What can I help you with?” James was laying on the charm.

“We’ve had several complaints about a domestic dispute in this apartment. The neighbors are worried about a Ms. Swan. We need to speak with her, please.”

“Ms. Swan can’t come to the door right now. She was just informed that her father was killed in the line of duty back home. She’s a bit distraught right now.” I started to panic. I thought I was saved when the police knocked on the door.

“I’m sorry, sir, but we have to speak with Ms. Swan before we can leave. It’s standard procedure on this type of call.”

“Like I said, she’s very upset because of the news of her father’s death. She’s really not up for company.” I could hear the irritation in James’s voice growing.

“I already told you that we can’t leave until we speak with Ms. Swan. If you don’t let us in and speak with her, then I will haul you in for obstruction of justice.”

“Fine.” James opened the door and ushered the officers into the apartment. I was crouched in the corner holding my knees to my chest.

“Ms. Swan, I’m Officer Davis and this is my partner Officer Smith. I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your father.” I sniffled.

Officer Davis crouched in front of me and raised his hand toward my face. I flinched at the action. “Ms. Swan, please look at me.” I shook my head no. “Please, Ms. Swan. I won’t hurt you.” I slowly lifted my head and looked at Officer Davis. He shook his head minutely. “Ms. Swan, did this man strike you?” My eyes grew wide, and I started shaking my head furiously.

“I told you that she lost her father tonight. She’s upset,” James seethed.

“Sir, I need you to have a seat until we’ve finished talking with Ms. Swan.” Officer Smith slowly moved his hand to the butt of his gun.

“You are finished talking with Ms. Swan. She has an early flight tomorrow and needs to get some rest.” James clenched his fists until his knuckles were white.

“Sir, I won’t ask you again to have a seat and be quiet.” Officer Smith was inching closer to James.

“You cannot come barging into my home and order me to sit down and be quiet.” James shoved Officer Smith. Officer Smith quickly grabbed James hand and twisted it behind his back.

“Sir, you just assaulted an officer. You will be spending the rest of the night downtown in lock up. After we talk with Ms. Swan, we might be adding assault and battery to the charges.”

“You son of a bitch! You can’t do this to me. You are in my home, badgering me. I’ll sue you for false arrest and wrongful imprisonment.” Officer Smith cuffed James, read him his rights, and escorted him out of my apartment.

“He’s wrong you know.” Officer Davis gave me a curious look. “This isn’t his home. I live here alone.”

Officer Davis nodded his head and started taking notes in his little notepad. “Ms. Swan, could you please tell me what happened tonight?”

I hesitated for a moment when I thought about how James could hurt me if I told the police what happened. I finally decided I couldn’t live in fear of James any longer. If necessary, I wouldn’t return to New York. I took a deep breath and told Officer Davis everything that happened tonight. He assured me that James wouldn’t bother me again.

I spent the rest of the night at the police station giving my statement. They suggested I file a restraining order and change my locks. I agreed and headed home. I had just enough time left to pack and rush to the airport. I finally arrived at the gate when they made the final boarding call for my flight. I let out a sigh of relief when I settled in my seat and they sealed the doors for take-off.

Exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I fell into a fitful sleep on the plane. I had dreams of James attacking me and woke up screaming a few times. The flight attendants were worried about me, and the bruise that was starting to form on my cheek only increased their worry. I was offered Tylenol, an icepack, and a tiny bottle of vodka. I gladly accepted all three. I knew it wasn’t good to mix the medication with the alcohol, so I put the Tylenol in my purse for later.

After giving up on sleeping during the flight I stared out the window and my thoughts drifted to Edward. I remembered the Christmas two years ago when I first met Tanya. I’d hated the fact that I actually liked her. I wanted to hate the woman who won Edward’s heart. I should’ve known she would have to be a sweetheart to snag Edward.


Christmas 2007

James and I had just arrived at Rose and Emmett’s new townhome. They were so excited to finally own their first home. Alice had the bright idea to get everyone together to celebrate Christmas and the happy couple’s new home at the same time. I was nervous because Edward was going to be there.

I hadn’t spoken to him since the disaster at Alice and Jasper’s reception. I’d heard from Alice and Rose that he was dating a woman named Tanya and she would be with him. I wasn’t sure if my heart could take seeing him with another woman.

James and I were about thirty minutes late, so I was pretty sure everyone would already be there. I latched onto James’s arm with all my strength and took a deep breath.

“Hey, babe, what’s got you so tense? It feels like you’re about to rip my arm out of socket.”

“Sorry. Alice said that Edward would be here and I’m just worried about what will happen after the way he acted at her reception.”

“I could care less what that asshole has to say. I refuse to let him ruin today for you like he did Alice’s reception.” James actually growled.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Rose threw the door open and wrapped her arms around me. “Merry Christmas, Bella. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Merry Christmas, Rose.” Rose just glared at James and opened the door to let us in. After Alice’s wedding, James had started being more controlling of what I did and kept me from spending so much time with Alice and Rose. Both Rose and Alice were continually telling me it was time to let James go and enjoy the single life for a while. I always insisted that James loved me and just wanted to spend time with me.

My self esteem took a major blow when I walked into the living room and saw a gorgeous blond wrapped around Edward. I always knew he could do better than me. The blond attached to his side was proof of that. Edward’s beautiful green eyes met mine, and I couldn’t help but smile. James noticed the exchange between Edward and me. He tightened his grip on my waist to the point that I would have bruises in the morning. I winced, and Edward shot a hateful glare at James.

The tension in the room was becoming unbearable, so I took the next step and introduced myself and James to the blond attached to Edward.

I extended my hand to her. “Hi, I’m Bella and this is James.”

She grabbed my hand and introduced herself as Tanya, Edward’s girlfriend. I couldn’t help but wince when she said she was his girlfriend. The pain that shot through my heart was as painful as the day I watched his Volvo disappear.

Edward noticed my discomfort and gave me an apologetic look. I took a deep breath and gave him a weak smile in return.

We spent the rest of the evening talking about our careers, how we met our significant others, and what our plans were for the future. Alice and Jasper were planning on starting a family within the next few years. Rose and Emmett announced their engagement but weren’t planning on actually following through with wedding plans for another five years. Edward and Tanya didn’t want to think about their future. Their relationship was still new and nowhere near ready for that kind of talk or commitment.

I was ready to shoot down any thoughts of James and I planning an engagement or wedding when James spoke up and totally pissed me off.

“Bella and I would like to get married soon and start a family right away. We want to have at least six kids. Nothing makes me happier than the thought of my Bella walking around with my child growing inside her.”

I stared icily at him. “Bella, I thought you only wanted two kids at the most,” Edward said.

“I do only want two kids. I have no immediate plans to marry anyone or have children with anyone.” I stormed out of the room and outside. I took a seat on the front stoop and let my tears of frustration flow freely.

I heard someone join me outside but refused to look up and acknowledge who it was

“Bella, are you okay?” Edward’s velvety voice calmed me instantly.

I quickly wiped away my tears and looked up into his gorgeous eyes. “I’m fine, Edward. Just a little frustrated at James.”

Edward sat next to me and started rubbing my back. “I think he meant well, Bella. It seemed like he just wanted to make sure I knew that you were with him and not me. Don’t be too hard on him.”

I knew Edward was right. I nodded my head and took in a shuddering breath. “I know you’re right. It just frustrates me when he starts making plans for my life without talking to me about it.” Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I rested my head against his shoulder. “I really like Tanya. I wanted to hate her, but it’s hard to. She’s a great woman, Edward. You’re very lucky you found her.”

“Thanks, Bella. I guess if I can’t have you, she’ll do.” He gave me a sad smile. I couldn’t tell if he was sincere or joking with me.

I squeezed his knee and stood up. “Let’s head back inside before James starts to worry.”

The sound of the captain announcing our arrival at SeaTac airport brought me out of my memories. I dried the tears my memories had caused and winced at the pain from James’s abuse. Mom was not going to be happy when she saw my face.

The flight to Port Angeles was uneventful. The flight attendants once again paid special attention to me thanks to James’s parting gift on my face. I rushed through the crowd and claimed my luggage. I couldn’t wait to see my mom. I started to panic when I couldn’t find my mother waiting for me. I saw a short man dressed in a police uniform holding a cardboard sign that said I. Swan. He was obviously one of my father’s deputies.

“I’m Isabella Swan.”

“Ms. Swan. I’m very sorry for you loss. The Chief was well liked by all the guys.”

“Thanks.”

The drive to Forks seemed to drag forever. The last time I remembered riding from Port Angeles to Forks in a police cruiser was the summer before my senior year in high school. I’d just returned from a trip to visit my grandma Marie, and my father had picked me up at the airport. I couldn’t hold the tears back any more. That memory was all it took to have me bawling uncontrollably. I cried the entire ride home.

My mom threw open the door the minute we turned into the driveway. “Bella,” she yelled and ran to the car to pull me out.

“Oh, baby! What happened to your face?”

“James did it,” I sniffed.

“Bella, you can’t go back to him.” She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight.

“Don’t worry, Mom. He’s in jail right now. I spent a lot of time at the police station giving my statement and pressing charges last night. I almost missed my flight.” Mom led me into the house, and the officer dropped my bags off inside the door.

I told Mom all about what happened with James and how this had been building the past few years. We talked about Dad and all of our good memories. We cried many tears and shared a few laughs over the funnier memories. I started yawning about an hour into our conversation, and Mom insisted I go to my room and get some sleep. I agreed and stumbled up the stairs to my room. I shed my jeans and bra and crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep.

James slammed me against the wall and started running his hands up my body. I felt the bile rising in my throat but swallowed it down. Vomiting on him would only cause him to hurt me more.

“Please, stop, James.” I started crying and he slammed my head into the wall.

“You will shut your mouth and take everything I give you. You are MINE!”

James started unbuckling his belt and I screamed as loud as I could.

I jumped up and tried to scream, but nothing would come out. I looked around panicked. >I wasn’t sure where I was. As my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I finally recognized that I was in my room at my parents’ house. I curled up in a ball and stared at the ceiling. The events of my father’s death and James’s attack replayed in my head.

I lay there for a few hours crying before the tears finally stopped. I heard a faint knocking and a muffled voice at my door but refused to acknowledge it. I heard the door creak open and quietly close. I felt the bed dip down with the weight of someone sitting next to me. My heart skipped a beat when I felt his hands on my hair and heard his velvety voice. “Baby.”

I looked into Edward’s wonderful green eyes and jumped into his arms. “Oh, Edward. I can’t believe he’s gone,” I sobbed. Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap.

“Shh, baby. I know. I can’t believe it either. I keep waiting for him to open your door and tell me to keep my hands in a respectable place.” I laughed.

“Thank you for coming here.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Nothing could’ve kept me away from Forks.”

“Is Tanya with you?” I asked hesitantly.

“No. Tanya moved out last night,” he whispered. Guilt consumed me.

“I’m so sorry, Edward. It’s all my fault. I should’ve never called you.” I couldn’t control the sobbing that started again.

Edward pulled back and stared into my eyes. There would be no hiding what James had done to me. He gently stroked my cheek. “Baby, what happened?”

“I’ve messed up everyone’s lives by calling you. You and Tanya broke up. James went crazy and attacked me. I can’t seem to do anything right.”

Edward tensed and I couldn’t stop the fear I felt when I saw his fists clench. I took a deep breath and cupped his cheek. “Edward, please don’t worry about it.”

“What do you mean don’t worry about it? There is no reason for him to ever lay a hand on you,” he seethed.

I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. “He’s in jail,” I whispered.

“Good. That is where the bastard belongs.” I nodded and laid my head on Edward’s shoulder

“I’m glad you called me. I wouldn’t miss being here with you for anything. It was time for us to part ways. I had never been truly happy with Tanya and that wasn’t fair to her. Right now, I’ve got the only person who can truly make me happy wrapped in my arms.”

I tightened her hold on him. “Edward, please don’t ever let me go.”

“Never again,” he said.

He lay back on my bed and pulled me into the safety and comfort of his arms. I drifted off to the peaceful oblivion of sleep knowing that Edward's presence would fight off any bad dreams.

Chapter 2 - BPOV

Tears blurred my vision as I watched Edward settle into the driver's seat of his Volvo. We had just said our final goodbye. He was leaving me to start his new life in Dallas. My grief hit full force the moment his car turned the corner out of my sight. Edward was officially gone. I fell to my knees as my heart broke into a million pieces. The only person who could ever put the pieces back together would be 1500 miles away by this time Monday.

I woke up from the dream of Edward leaving after graduation for the third time in the past week. As usual, my pillow was completely soaked with the tears I had cried in my sleep. The pain in my chest was as debilitating as the day he actually left.

I looked to my left to find James sound asleep. Once again my crying in my sleep hadn't bothered him one bit. I sighed and walked quietly into the bathroom. I needed a scalding hot bath to relieve the tension in my muscles. I plugged the tub, started the hot water with just a touch of cold, and poured the last of my Therapeutic Bath Minerals into the large tub. While the tub filled, I took my time pulling my hair into a messy bun on the top of my head and stripped my clothes off. I turned off the water once the tub was full and stepped into the steaming water. I hissed as I lowered myself fully into the tub. I laid my head back on a folded towel, placed a wet washcloth over my eyes, and let my mind wander back to the first time I saw Edward Cullen.

I met Edward nine years ago at college. It was my first day on campus, and I was frantically searching for my books in the bookstore. I had just knocked over a display of travel coffee mugs when I heard a heavenly laugh. I looked around and gasped when I found the source. A tall guy was leaned against the back wall with his hands in his pockets. He was talking with a cute dark-haired girl. They were laughing, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. For some strange reason I wanted to be the one laughing with him.

The guy was drop dead gorgeous. He was lean, but his muscles were defined in all the right places. His green eyes lit up every time he laughed. My hand twitched at the thought of touching his beautiful hair. It was a sexy mess of brown that reflected tinges of red when the light hit it just right. As he walked out of the store with the tiny girl, I was sure he was walking out of my life forever. I quickly found the rest of my books, paid for my supplies, and made my way back to my dorm room.

I couldn't help but smile when I thought about my first day of freshman English. I was the first student to class and sat in the middle of the room. I watched the class slowly fill with strange faces. The campus was huge, and I hadn't had a chance to meet anyone besides my roommate, Rosalie Hale. My eyes grew wide and my breathing stopped when the gorgeous guy from the book store walked into the class. The only seat left was next to me. My heart skipped a beat at the realization that he would be sitting next to me.

He settled in his seat and looked around to see who was around him. His eyes finally landed on mine, and I couldn't stop the annoying blush that appeared. I dropped my head and tried to focus on my notes. I couldn't stop the smile from forming when I thought about his musical laugh. I hoped I would get the chance to make him laugh soon.

I began to look forward to my English class because Edward was in it. We spent the first few weeks of class getting to know each other. After all of our conversations, Edward was the only person other than my parents who knew every little detail of my life. He wanted to know everything. For some odd reason I fascinated him. I didn't complain too much because he told me all about himself too.

I felt there was a connection between Edward and me, and I was getting frustrated because he didn't seem to feel the same way. When he finally asked me on a date, my huge smile lit up the entire room. He took me to dinner and a movie and we had the best time. The food was great and the conversation was even better. Edward was amazing, and I knew there was no way I wanted to let him go. Edward nervously asked me to be his girlfriend that night. I happily said yes and our relationship had officially started.

We loved each other with an intense passion, which was wonderful in the bedroom, but a bit too intense when we fought. We would get complaints from the neighbors due to our yelling. Occasionally a picture or knick knack would get thrown against the wall. Both of us had a fierce temper. Luckily the fights would end rather quickly. Usually after an hour of yelling we could be found in the bedroom taking advantage of make-up sex. We would spend a few days locked in our apartment celebrating our reconciliation.

Everything was perfect for us until a few months before graduation. We were busy sending resumes to companies and interviewing, trying to secure a job for after graduation. The only time we were able to sit down and spend time together was on Sundays, but even then we were both so distracted by the job search that our time was never relaxing. Edward was getting some good offers from all over the country, but nothing was quite right. He said he would just know when the perfect offer came.

A month before graduation I received the perfect offer from Twilight Publishing in New York. I was so excited and could barely breathe as I told Edward all about the job. His eyes were dancing with pride and excitement as he listened to me go on and on about my dream job, but I was hesitant to accept any job until I knew what Edward was going to do. I couldn't bear the thought of us being separated after graduation. Edward insisted that I couldn't pass up this opportunity. After a few days of Edward's encouragement, I accepted the job with Twilight. It felt like the right decision at the time.

I was completely caught off guard when Edward told me he would be taking a job in Dallas. That was 1500 miles away from New York. There was no way we could keep a relationship together with that much distance between us. At first I was hurt. It felt like he took a job that would be that far away just to get away from me. He explained that he didn’t want me to feel guilty if he accepted a lesser offer and he didn’t want to resent me if he did. As much as it hurt to hear that from him, I understood and appreciated his honesty.

My life was miserable after he left. We talked on the phone, but I had to stop that after about three months. It was too hard to sound happy, so I used the excuse of being too busy to find time to call. Emails became our only interaction. I was comfortable with that. I was a good writer and could hide my reality from Edward.

If it hadn’t been for my job and my best friends Alice and Rose, I would’ve totally shut down. They spent the majority of that first year without Edward comforting me with chick flicks and Ben and Jerry’s. On the first anniversary of the day Edward left for Dallas, Alice and Rose insisted that I go to a club with them. They were relentless, and I finally gave in. If I could’ve gotten away with it I would’ve worn sweats and tee shirt to the club, but Alice and Rose refused to let me. They dressed me in a jean mini skirt and a navy tank top. I stood my ground and refused to wear heels. They relented and let me wear my black Chucks.

That night I decided it was time to wake up and live my life again. I would always love Edward, but I couldn’t wait around with a broken heart for him to come back. I had a fun night with my girls, and we decided to have a girls night out every Friday night. Their boyfriends, Jasper and Emmett, were more than happy to let us have our night so they could have their guys night. The next three months we never missed a Friday night out. Alice and Rose taught me how to dance and flirt. My flirting never led to anything. Those months I was still single, but I had finally found peace.

That August I met James. He was definitely a handsome man. I wouldn’t classify him as beautiful like Edward, but he had no problem getting the ladies’ attention. His short blonde hair, ice blue eyes, and rugged bad boy features turned the heads of most women. I couldn’t quite understand why he was so insistent on dating me with the amount of women falling all over him.

I had flirted with him at a club one Friday night and didn’t expect anything to come from it as usual. James had other plans. He pursued me relentlessly. We always changed what club we went to each week, so it surprised me every time he would show up. We would spend the night dancing and talking, and he ended every night asking me on a date. I always refused. Alice and Rose thought I was crazy to shoot him down every week. After a full month of his relentless pursuit and the girls hounding, I finally agreed to go on a date with James.

We had just sat down with a fresh drink after dancing for an hour. My feet were starting to hurt from the heels Alice insisted I wear.

“Swan, you know what time it is, right?” James asked with a smirk.

“Yes, James. It’s time for me to shock the hell out of you.” I picked up my beer and took a quick swig.

“Now, how exactly do you plan on shocking me, beautiful?”

“Why don’t you just get on with our weekly routine and you might just find out.” I quickly downed the rest of my beer and prepared myself to do the unthinkable.

James grabbed my hand and started rubbing circles on it. “Bella, I had a great time tonight and wondered if you would go out to dinner with me tomorrow?”

“Dinner would be lovely, James.” Thanks to my liquid courage I was able to get that sentence out without hesitation. James placed a quick kiss on my hand, and we made plans for dinner the next night.

We had a nice time on our date. It was the first time I had been able to spend an entire night without thinking about Edward and what he was doing. That night I gave up hope on ever reuniting with Edward and came to the conclusion that I could be content without the love of my life.

I loved James, but I wasn’t in love with him. I never could bring myself to actually say the words. I always told him how much I cared about him or how much he meant to me, but those three little words seemed to elude me.

James continually asked me to move in with him. I wasn’t sure what my problem was, but something in the back of my mind kept me from accepting his offer. James wanted a commitment from me that I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to give him.

The sound of the bathroom door opening brought me out of my memories.

“Hey, beautiful. It’s awfully late to be taking a bath. Is something wrong?” James settled on the floor next to the tub.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought this might help me relax.”

“Nightmares again?”

He caught me off guard with that question. “Y-you knew about my nightmares?” I whispered.

“Yes, darling. Your sobbing has woken me up the past few nights. I tried waking you up the first night with no luck. The last few nights I just rolled over and went back to sleep.” He rolled his eyes.

“I’m sorry I keep waking you up, James.”

“Well, if you don’t get these things under control, I’ll have to insist we spend the nights apart,” he sneered.

What the hell was his problem? I was the one having the nightmares. He just had a bit of interrupted sleep.

“I’m sorry I’ve disturbed your sleep, James. I don’t know what’s going on with these nightmares. Maybe we should just spend our nights apart for a while,” I sniffed.

James sighed. “Finish your bath and come back to bed. We can deal with this tomorrow.” He kissed my forehead and went back to bed.

The next day was a disaster. My current editing project for work was an 800 page novel. I was halfway through the novel when the notes I had saved on my laptop for it were lost, the newest intern ran into me and spilled a fresh cup of coffee all over my white dress, and I broke a heel on the way home from work. James was a complete ass to me the entire night. He kept making snide comments about my dreams. I was getting really tired of his shit. The last few weeks I had been wondering what we were even doing together. I was seriously considering ending our relationship.

“James, what the hell is your problem?”

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” He batted his eyelashes trying to bait me.

“Don’t bat your lashes at me. You have been an ass to me all night. What did I do?”

“I’m just tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep this week,” he sneered.

“You know what? You don’t have to sleep over here. You have an apartment you can go home to.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to be an ass. Let’s just go to bed.”

James’ apology wasn’t heartfelt, and I refused all of his sexual advances once we made it to bed. He got extremely frustrated, but I was still pissed at his attitude. He could go take a cold shower for all I cared.

I was just starting to drift to sleep when my cell phone started ringing. I groaned when I saw it was midnight. I had no idea who would try to call me that late.

“Hello?”

“May I speak to Bella Swan, please?” I didn’t recognize the voice on the phone.

“This is she,” I answered warily.

“This is Deputy Crowley with the Forks Police Department.” My heart dropped when I heard who he was. I prayed Charlie was okay. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Chief Swan was shot and killed in the line of duty this evening.” I burst into hysterical sobs. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Swan.”

“I-is my m-mom okay?”

“The doctor gave her some Valium to calm her. Would you like to speak with her?”

“Y-yes, p-please.”

“Bella,” my mom sobbed.

“Mom, is he really gone?”

“Yes, baby.”

“What happened?”

“Your father walked in on a robbery in progress at the all night gas station. The doctors said he died instantly, so he didn’t suffer.” My crying kicked up again, waking James this time.

“Bella, what the hell? You really need to get these damn nightmares under control.” James turned over and looked at me confused. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

“M-my m-mom,” I stuttered.

“What’s she want? Doesn’t she realize what time it is here?” He actually growled.

“My dad died tonight,” I whispered.

“So, he’s dead. He’ll still be dead in the morning. Get off the phone and let me get back to sleep. We can deal with this tomorrow.” James glared at me and turned his back to me. I quickly left the room and shut the door.

“Bella, why do you stay with him? He’s always so mean to you.”

“I honestly don’t know, Mom. I’ve been thinking about ending it the past few weeks. I think I’d rather be alone than put up with his temper and mood swings.” I took in a deep, shuddering breath.

“Baby, I booked you a plane ticket for the morning. I emailed you the information. You can pick up your ticket at the airport. I really need you with me.” I could tell she wanted to break down, but the Valium was doing its job and keeping her calm.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“You get some sleep. I don’t want you missing your flight because you overslept. I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

I hit the end call button on my phone and broke down crying. There was no way I would be going to sleep that night. I checked my email and found my flight information. My plane would be leaving at seven in the morning. I longed for the comfort of strong arms to help hold me together. The problem was the arms I craved were in Dallas, not my bedroom. Edward would want to know about Charlie, so I grabbed my phone and pressed the number two speed dial.

"Honey, why're you calling me so late? It's kinda hard to talk right now,” his wonderful velvet voice whispered.

"Eh-Eh-Edward," I choked out between sobs.

"Honey, why are you crying? Is everything okay?" My heart ached with each of his words.

"Ch-Charlie is d-dead."

"I'm so sorry, baby. What happened?" I could hear him fighting back the tears.

"There was a robbery at the all night gas station, and he walked in at the wrong time. The robber shot him. The doctors said he died instantly, that he didn't suffer." I hoped he could understand what I was saying through my sobs.

"Oh, Bella. I wish you were here now. I miss you so much. It's so good to hear your voice." My heart rejoiced at his words.

"I miss you too, Edward. I dreamed about you the last few nights,” I whispered. I didn’t want James to know my dreams that woke him up were about Edward. There was no telling how he would react to that.

"I've dreamt of you too, baby. Not having you there when I wake up has been torture." His confession brought on a new round of tears. "Bella, baby, where's James? Does he know you're talking to me?"

"N-no, he doesn't. He would go ballistic if he knew. Luckily he's dead to the world right now." I rolled my eyes thinking about James’s comments.

"Did you tell him about Charlie?"

"I t-tried. He said Charlie will still be dead in the morning, so let him sleep and he'll talk with me about it then."

"Bella, what the hell are you still doing with that douche?" Edward growled into the phone.

"Edward, I honestly don't know. How could he be so cold about my f-father d-dying?" I totally lost it. Even Edward knew I made a mistake being with James.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Do you guys live together?"

"N-no,” I stuttered.

"I hate to see you so miserable. After his reaction to this, please take a second look at your relationship. If he can't be there for you at a time like this, then he is not worthy of you." He hated to see me miserable, yet he so easily got in his car five years ago and left to start a new life without me. I had to stop that train of thought right there. I didn’t fight for our relationship either.

"I've been considering calling it quits for the last few weeks. He's been so distant and loses his temper at the drop of a hat. I just can't take it anymore. Tonight was the last straw." I broke down in tears again. These tears were not for my father, but for the shell of a life that I’d lived for the past three years.

"Baby, do you think you will be okay until tomorrow?"

"I think so. Mom booked me a flight for tomorrow morning. I'll be in Forks by two in the afternoon."

"Good. I'll book the first flight I can get and be there before you know it." My heart skipped a beat. Was I really going to get to see Edward again?

"Edward. You don't have to do that. I know you have a job and Tanya. You can't just drop everything to comfort me."

"Bella, I can and will drop everything. I have bereavement leave, and Tanya is a big girl. She will be fine without me. I meant it when I said I would love you forever. You drop everything to be there and comfort someone you love."

I heard a muffled gasp on the other end of the phone. “Edward, what’s wrong?”

“Baby, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow. I promise.”

“Thank you, Edward,” I sighed.

“I love you, Bella,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”

I pressed the end button and looked up to see a pair of ice blue angry eyes staring back at me.