To Love Again

"Hey sweetie." I chimed, opening the front door to my little sister. Her hazel eye's shone with excitement as her lips curved up into a wide smile. I could have sworn her long blond hair was tied back this morning, now, it just looked messy with a few hair clips dangling from it.

I winced as she slammed her body into me - in a loving way but it still hurt.

"Thanks Ruth." I shouted from the door and waved with Suzie's arms still wrapped firmly around me. Ruth was the child minder who took Suzie until I came home from school on the days my mom had to work late. She smiled and drove off.

"Have a good day?" I asked as I lead her into the kitchen.

"Ugh!" She grunted. What was that about? Sometimes my six year old sister acted more like a teenage strop than I did.

"What's up with you?" I raised my eyebrows in true interest. She grunted again as she lifted her small body onto the high stool at the kitchen counter.

"Boys." She sighed, placing her head in her hands. Whoa! When did that happen? She was six, boys were not suppose to be a problem. Oh no, she was not about to even go there, I wouldn't let it. I heard about the whole catch a boy kiss a boy games they play in the school playground. I usually shied away from games like that when I was small. Now, looking at her blond locks fall loosely around her hands, I felt a sudden pang of.... Well, I don't know what it was exactly but it made me want to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight, then lock her away in her room until she was eighteen.

I decided the best thing to do was to go along with her, figure out what her problem was. The sadness she carried looked too big for her face.

"What happened?" I asked softly, trying my best to suppress the giggle bubbling in my throat.

"Brady, he dumped me." She shrugged. I almost choked. I slapped the palm of my hand against my chest.

"What are you going to do about that?" She was definitely growing up way too fast.

"Tie his shoe laces together under his desk." A cheeky grin curved onto her lips. Now that was something I could not control the laughter for. I held up my hand for a high five and she giggled uncontrollably as she slapped my palm.

She was a feisty one. No man was ever going to mess with her. But wasn't that what I always said. I was always the girl who knew when to say when. I was the girl who never let anyone get in the way of what she wanted. Where had she gone? It surprised me then at how fast and unnoticed the old me disappeared. Now, if I felt anyone's touch I flinched and backed away. I get on with my work like always, I get good grades but not for the same reasons as before. When I got good grades before it was because I was truly interested in learning, now, I get good grades to distract myself. I throw myself into school work to make excuses why I can't go out at night and to not think of the other things that are going on in my life. I wanted the old me back.

I made a promise to both myself and my sister right then, that I would do everything in my power to protect her from the evil in life. I would never let her sink into what I had become. I already did my best to hide her from my mother's drinking habits but I couldn't stop her from seeing everything. I couldn't stop her from hurting.

"Guess where you are going?" I said excitingly, knocking myself out of my depression moment.

Her hazel eye's lit up like a Christmas tree. "Where?"

"You are going to Jodie's house for a couple of hours. You can play with her brother, Scott. I know it will be hard for you to be around another boy but I got some business I need to take care of."

I smiled as I watched her clap her hand's enthusiastically. She loved going around to Jodie's house. Suzie and Scott were the same age. Jodie had called when she got home and told her that her mom would only love Suzie around for a few hours. She told her we were studying for exams. Giving her the real reason may have turned out a bit complicated - ok maybe a lot of complicated. Jodie's mom was a counselor and she met women with abusive partners everyday. I often heard her talk about them with so much bitterness she looked like she had sucked hundreds of lemons.

"You want something to eat?"

"No, Ruth gave me something. I'm not hungry." She said jumping from the stool. "Can we go to Jodie's now?" She asked, growing more impatient by the second.

I nodded and she grabbed my car keys on the table. I wrote my mom a quick note explaining everything, leaving out the part with me and the hospital and locked up everything in the house and followed her out to the car where she was already seated and belted securely up in the back of my black mini. I slid myself in carefully, making sure not to hit anywhere that would cause me pain. Suzie was extremely observant. "My keys." I held on my hand and she handed them to me. I was surprised she hadn't tried to start the car by herself.

The drive to Jodie's was short, only about five minutes. Suzie sang happily at the top of her lungs in the back to some Miley Cyrus song.

I pulled up outside the house and got out, letting Suzie run up the steps in front of me. Before I could even knock, Jodie swung open the door. Her heart shaped face looking serious and all business. Her auburn hair was tied neatly back in a pony tail. She smiled and gave Suzie a quick hug before showing her where Scott was. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her purple coat and closed the door behind her.

"What's the rush?" I said holding out my hands.

"You are in serious pain and badly hurt and I want to find out how bad." She locked her eye's with mine. She was truly concerned and I loved her for that. I just didn't want to be dragging her into this. I didn't want her getting hurt too.

"Thanks." I whispered, feeling the lump form in my throat.

"You're my best friend. I am not going to allow you be bullied by that.... that...." Her cheeks flushed pink as her anger made the frustration boil through her. "Bastard." She blurted. I gasped and my eye's widened. That was a first. Jodie never said a bad word in her life, well apart from when she was angry but it sounded weird hearing her say it. It was like it was coming from somebody else's mouth and she was miming.

The laughter was something I could not hold in, but the pain it caused me was something I had to make it stop for. "You are so bold. Half an hour in the naughty corner for you." I teased.

"Shut up!" She smiled before tugging at my arm and guiding me down the steps to her blue Peugeot.

She pulled into an empty driving space outside St. Andrews hospital. It looked empty - for once. It was beginning to get dark and light mist was hitting against the windscreen. I could tell she was staring at me, I could feel the intensity of it.

"You still have not showed me, you know?"

"Showed you what?" I asked, confusion written all over my face.

"The bruises." I swallowed hard. I wasn't about to show my best friend the way my stomach was practically painted black and blue.

"Don't be so stupid, it's nothing. I have no idea why you dragged yourself all this way, anywho." I said casually, hoping she wouldn't press on me showing her. I should be so lucky.

"Show me, Eleni. I will see them when you are in with the doctor anyway." She demanded.

"You are not coming in with me."

"You really want to argue with me on this one. I want to know what it wrong with you. I am here to help. Besides, you will come out and tell me it was nothing because you hate people fussing over you and you never complain. You should complain more, at least that way the people who care for you most won't have to watch out for every time you are walking funny or when you hardly say two words throughout the day because you are too scared even breathing will cause you pain." Wow, she knew me too well.

"I'll show you inside." I promised. "And you can come in when the doctor calls me."

"I was coming in anyway." She muttered, as she got out of the car. Before I could say any more she was at my side helping me out. I felt my cheeks get hot as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Honestly, I am fine." I breathed but I was already out. I smiled at her gratefully.

I squinted as the bright lights of the hospital practically slapped me in the face. The waiting room was empty. Jodie walked ahead of me and started talking to the elderly lady in reception. The gray haired woman smiled at her and gestured for her to take a seat.

"Doctor will be with us in a minute." She informed me as she took a seat beside me.

I waited patiently, tapping my foot on the white tiled floor. I hated hospitals, they gave me the creeps. They smelled of disinfectant and rubber gloves. My stomach felt like it was turning in knots. I was nervous and I had no idea why. Maybe it was because I had to go in and explain to a doctor that I am here because I am an idiot and I let my boyfriend beat me up because if I break up with him he will hurt my friends to get back at me. Great, that was going to go down wonderful. So wonderful it was going to be like swallowing rubber.

"Eleni Ryans." I jerked at the call of my name. I stood up and was greeted with very familiar eye's. They looked like topaz jewels. His blond hair was cut neatly and combed carefully. His white coat almost the same color as his skin.

I almost stumbled when a very familiar face flashed across my mind. Those eye's, they were unmistakable. So beautiful, just like his face. Edward! Stop it Eleni, I shouted to myself in my head.

"I am Doctor Cullen." His friendly smile made me relax immediately. He held out his hand. I looked at it, confused for a moment as to what exactly I was to do. He has to be related to him. It can't be just coincidence that they were both that beautiful with the same second name but he looked way too young to be his father. An uncle - maybe?

"Oh sorry." I smiled awkwardly, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, finally realizing he wanted me to shake his hand.

He smiled back. "This way." He guided me down the hall. "Now if you don't mind my son is helping me out today, learning a few things for himself, so he will be present during the examination. "

"No I don't mind. Whatever gets you into college." I smiled.

I turned into a large office style room with an examination bed in the center. Jodie was following close behind.

Then, for the second time today - I stopped dead in my tracks. The image of Edward's face was no longer just an image - it was reality. It was so real his perfection stood right in front of me.