I woke up when the door to the room opened and someone jumped onto my bed. They pulled the covers away from me and I groaned as I failed to get them back. I tried to grasp the covers again, but the person threw the covers off the bed.
"Come on, Bella! It's time to wake up!" Alice said happily.
I groaned again. "Alice! Can't you find someone else to annoy? I was asleep."
She laughed. "You're not asleep anymore."
"Because of you." I said, defeated. "Why are you so perky? It's morning."
"It's midday." She argued.
I frowned. "Shouldn't you be at school?"
She shrugged. "It helps to bunk off every so often. Esme phoned the school and called all of us sick."
"And they didn't question this?" I asked, skeptical.
"Nope. Having loads of money is beneficial."
I rolled my eyes. "Bribery."
She chuckled. "It's no big deal. Plus, we all get good grades anyway."
I sat up. "So, what are we going to do today?"
She started to bounce up and down on my bed and her squeals frightened me slightly. "Um, Alice? Are you okay?"
"I'm more than okay. I have another bestie!"
"Well, I haven't clarify that yet." I argued.
"We'll see." She said with a wink and she went in my closet. She came out carrying clothes and dumped them onto the bed. "Here, wear these. They'll make you look presentable."
I rolled my eyes as I climbed out of bed. "You know I can dress myself."
She ignored me and danced out of the room. I signed as I looked through the pile of clothes. I found a light yellow top that reached my knees and a white cardigan with long sleeves. There were also blue jeans, but my head started to spin when I saw the belt.
The belt was exactly the same as Charlie's and I started to panic. Visions of Charlie striking me and my back with murderous anger entered my mind and I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate. I collapsed to the ground and I was trembling. I closed my eyes as the walls started to spin rapidly around me.
"Bella?"
My eyes opened and I felt nauseated as the walls kept spinning. Alice was crouched in front of me, her voice bouncing numbly off my ears. Her mouth was opening, but her words were delayed on reaching my ears.
"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.
"Get rid of it," I said through gritted teeth.
"Get rid of what?"
"The...belt." I whispered to her.
She nodded and grabbed the belt and ran out of the room. She came back a few minutes later and crouched down in front of me at a, thankfully, safe distance away.
"It's gone. I disposed of it." She assured me.
I nodded and leaned back into the wall and signed in relief at her reassurance. The walls stopped spinning and gradually they stilled. Alice sat down next to me and she played with her phone. I looked away to give her some privacy and she signed in exasperation at losing a life on a game.
"Stupid pigs," she muttered under her breath.
I smirked a little and she smirked back when she looked at me.
"Bella?" I nodded, letting her know that I was listening.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but why did you react like that when you saw the belt?"
Signing, I stood up and started to remove my pyjama top.
"I can't tell you, but I can show you. But you can't tell anyone else unless they say so."
She nodded and she gasped at the bruises on my arms and stomach.
"Wait until you see my back. But it's pretty gruesome." I warned her as I took my pyjama top off. I exhaled as I turned to my bed and fell onto it, leaving my back exposed.
I heard Alice gasp several times as her fingers lightly ran along my back, cooling my wounds. I winced when she touched the new belt marks I got a couple of days ago. I could sense her mind whirling inside her head, wondering how I got all of my marks and bruises.
"Did he do all of this?" She asked in a quiet whisper.
I nodded wordlessly and I sat up and turned to see Alice looking like she was crying, but no tears followed. Strange.
Subconsciously, I pulled the yellow top over my back and Alice left reluctantly so I could dress. I put on the jeans and I was pleased when they didn't fall down, despite my bony waist.
I signed as I went into the bathroom and washed myself. I finished ten minutes later and I turned the light off as I exited the bathroom. I made my bed and I stood up as the door opened.
Alice came in with Jasper right behind her. I stood up straighter as Jasper came in and a wave of calmness engulfed my body.
"Do you want to come downstairs?" Alice asked me, pity in her golden eyes.
I shrugged. "I don't mind."
She grinned which didn't reach her eyes as I followed her and Jasper out of the room and down the stairs. I made it without falling over and I was extremely nervous as I entered the living room. Edward was sat on the love seat on his own and Rosalie was sat in an armchair.
Alice and Jasper sat down on the only empty sofa and I started to panic. I didn't know where to sit and in many years I haven't been able to sit on a sofa as Charlie never allowed me to.
I shuddered as flashes of memories came to my mind and I saw Edward patting the seat next to him.
"Sit here." He said in his velvet voice.
I obeyed and from the looks everybody kept giving me I knew Alice has said something. Traitor. Why did I even show her? I trusted her a bit and she goes and tells everybody. I felt like crying, but also angry at her betrayer.
I can't trust anybody. I couldn't afford to trust and get that trust broken. I'll act like I trust them and when they try to hurt me at least I'd know.
"So, Bella," Alice spoke up. "What do you want to do?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Watch a movie?" She asked as she walked over to the DVD selection. I frowned. I haven't seen a film since two weeks before my mother's death. Her, Charlie and I'd rented a comedy romance movie. I vaguely remember it being pretty good and I liked the storyline.
"Bella? What movie?" Alice asked patiently.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever you decide."
She narrowed her eyes at me but she smiled and choose a DVD. She put it in the large TV and it was 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2'.
"Have you seen the other Potter movies?" Edward asked me.
"A few," I admitted as Alice turned off the lights and sat down. She pressed play and the movie started. Three and a half hours later, the movie finished and I yawned as Alice turned the lights on.
Edward smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Did you enjoy that?"
"Well, it was boring until they reached Hogwarts. The rest was good. I liked the bit when Neville killed the snake."
"I'm glad you liked it."
I nodded, my fingers fidgeting in my lap. Why was I moving so much? Normally, I'd be frozen and waiting for Charlie to approach me, drunk.
The dream last night was the first time he'd striked me with his belt, and I was stupid to think it would only happen that one time. Instead, it became a daily routine. When he'd become drunk, he would hit me with his belt until I crumbled to the floor or until my back started to bleed. Sometimes he would still strike, beyond hearing my pleas for him to stop...
I was brought back to reality when Edward clicked his fingers in front of my face. I jumped, startled, and he smiled apologetically.
"Bella, can I ask a question?"
Nervously, I nodded, swallowing loudly.
"When was the last time that...he'd hit you?"
"You told them?!" I yelled at Alice.
Taken aback by my outburst, she just stared at me for a moment before speaking. "Please, don't hate me. It's just that the wounds and marks on your back looked infected and I told Carlisle. Jasper and Edward overheard me and demanded to know what I was walking about."
Signing, I put my head in my hands and I was analysing everything. Yes, Alice did have a point about the wounds if they are actually infected. But I trusted her a little and she broke it.
I'm never going to trust anybody ever again.
"Excuse me," I muttered as I stood up and went up the stairs. I entered my room and shut the door behind me. I threw myself onto my bed and waited for the tears to come.
But they didn't.
It was like I was expecting this to happen. I give my trust to someone and they break it. The story of my life. I trusted Charlie to keep me safe, and what does he do? Breaks it. I trusted Alice to not say anything, and what does she do? She breaks it.
Life's only filled with broken promises, broken trusts and misery. I'm surprised I'm still here, alive. Carlisle was right; many would have run away or killed themselves. Well, let's not disappoint him.
Sneakily, I got out of the bed and put my trainers on. I would've changed clothes so Alice's nice clothes wouldn't get ruined, but I just didn't care at this moment.
I opened the door and sprinted down the stairs. I didn't glance in the direction of the living room as I ran out of the house. Finding the first car with the keys in ignition, I climbed into Edward's silver Volvo and reversed out of the driveway. I saw Edward running after me, but I didn't stop.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel as my mind made its decision. I'm going to end it.
I'm going to end my misery.
~
Finally, I was here.
I was leaning over the cliff at the La Push beach, watching the waves move ferociously against the cliff's edge. I swallowed, choking down all of my fears and closing my eyes on their own accord.
Everything that happened since to my mother's death flashed to my mind. Every strike, every hit, every kick that I'd endured. The beatings and bullying I got from Jessica and her friends. Then the day the Cullens arrived and everything that happened until now. I admit, my life had got better since the Cullens have appeared, but my trust issues were still there.
No one can help me. They can try, but like I'd already told Carlisle, I'm broken beyond repair. Charlie has seen to that.
My eyes opened and the wind pulled my hair from my face. I looked down and pushed down my fears at the bottom of my stomach.
I had dumped the silver Volvo at the side of the road, the engine still running as I'm sure the Cullens would be looking for me. If they never see me again they should at least get the Volvo back. I had ran to the trees and hiked until I met the cliff's edge. Now I stood here, getting ready to jump.
Charlie has always said how I should've died instead of my mother. I had agreed as she's dead because of me and both Charlie and I knew that I would trade my life for hers any day. As long as my misery would stop, I would gladly trade. Too bad that can't happen.
Signing, I bottled all of my emotions up until I felt numb and I took a step forward, about to launch myself off the cliff and to my death.
"What are you doing?"
Startled, I jumped and spun. I gasped as I faced someone I have never met. A boy who looked to be over six foot and muscular stood straight, arms folded across his chest. He was only wearing shorts and he had shaven black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo was on his right shoulder.
"Who are you?" I asked, scared.
"I'm Jacob. Jacob Black. You must be Bella Swan."
"How do you know my name?" I asked, eyes widening.
"The Cullens contacted me and told me that you ran into La Push. I was searching when I saw you on the cliff. I was hoping that you wouldn't jump." He said jokingly.
I stayed silent, letting him know that he was right. He looked at me, horrified, as he finally worked it out.
"Why would you want to kill yourself?" He questioned, wary in case I'd jump.
"My life's a misery. So, I decided to end it. It was either cliff or overdose and cliff sounded more appealing. Now, if you don't mind."
I turned to the cliff and looked down at the waves before taking a step forward. One more step and I'll fall. Just one more step and my misery will end and I'll become peaceful.
I took a deep breath and will myself to feel numb. When I was emotionless, I took a step forward and I was falling.
I hope it wasn't too much. I know it's shorter than usual but I felt like this was the perfect place to stop x