Broken Hearted on the Mend

Rhiannon's Point of View

It was Friday afternoon and Emmett was going to pick me up to go bowling. I was happy that he was still my friend after the weeks that I hadn't been talking to him. I was still suspicious of him and his actions. He never touched me except to give me the occasional hug. His jokes were rather funny, even though he was unaware that he was joking. I could see that he had lost someone very dear to his heart and he was still uncomfortable to talk about it and I wasn't going to force him to talk, just like he wasn't going to force me to talk about what was bothering me. I liked that about him. When I had moved here to live with my uncle and aunt I wasn't sure if I could ever find a person who didn't force me to talk about stuff that I was uncomfortable to talk about. I had been really lucky. I had also noticed that my aunt and uncle were distant. They didn't sleep in the same room at all and it seemed like my aunt was seriously afraid of my uncle. I was afraid of my uncle because he had beaten me constantly for simple things.

He was the man of the house and he made that very clear. He had a meal plan for every day of the week and expected us to make what that particular meal that was on the plan for each day. If any of us deviated just a little bit he would punish us for it. My aunt had tried to talk to me one night to warn me about his behavior and why she hadn't left him yet. He found out and abused her horribly. I hadn't talked to her since that second night I was here.

He must have banned her from talking to me. I was a little hurt because I loved my aunt dearly. I then realized that whenever they had come out to visit us in California she was never with him. It was as if she didn't love the family at all because she always had work to do or at least that was what my uncle had always told us. I had always thought that my aunt never knew what my uncle did to me because she hadn't talked to me at all, but I had remembered when she had tried to talk to me when I first got there. I had ignored her warnings though and now I wish I hadn't.

I had been getting ready for when Emmett was to come and pick me up. It should be fun. I told him that I ate dinner at 5 o'clock sharp and that six would be a good time to pick me up. I was excited until my uncle came in and I could tell he was drunk. I was making dinner and tonight's dinner was supposed to be pork chops, mashed potatoes, and corn, but I wanted something light to eat in case Emmett wanted to take me to dinner before bowling so I made a couple of boxes of macaroni and cheese. It was my biggest mistake ever. My uncle saw the pasta and he went ballistic on me.

He grabbed the pot and dumped it in the sink. He hadn't turned off the burner yet and it was an electric stove so there was no gas, but it still was hot when he grabbed both of my hands and pressed them to the burner. I screamed in pain, which only made him slap me across the face. He threw me across the living room and I felt my head smack against the wall, but not too hard. He kicked me repeatedly in the sides and I felt bruises forming on my ribs. I kept my pain to myself. That obviously made him angrier because he then picked me up by my arms and shook me repeatedly. His vice-like grip was cutting off the blood in my arms. I felt tears streaming down my face, which provoked him even more and he grabbed me by my throat.

My oxygen was immediately cut off from my lungs and I was opening and closing my mouth trying to breath. He squeezed tighter. I thought that he was going to kill me until the front door opened and my aunt walked in. She had been at work later than usual and she hadn't called my uncle to tell him, but she had called me instead.

My uncle looked towards her and she immediately closed the door behind her. He dropped me and I clutched at my throat and gasping for air. He shot me a glare and I took that to leave the room immediately. I ran up the stairs and into my room. All those times that my uncle had given me money for lunch I had saved it. Emmett had always shared his lunch with me and sometimes I even brought my own lunch. I had used that money to buy myself a video camera and this was the perfect time to use it.

He was in his horrible behavior and my aunt was downstairs so if I could do anything to help her I would. Before I did though I grabbed my shoulder bag that I used for school and stuffed my journals and the picture albums that I had made of all of my bruises that my uncle ever inflicted on me. I left my hair down to cover the finger marks around my neck and then picked up my phone.

"Hello," Emmett had answered.

"Emmett, I'm sorry to cancel on you at last minute, but my uncle is being too strict tonight and won't let me go out anywhere," I lied.

"That's okay. I'll see you at school on Monday," he replied and then hung up.

I hated lying to him because he had befriended me first, well I had instigated him to talk to me first, but still he had kept at it when I was distant with him. I enjoyed his company because he always made me feel safe. After I closed my phone I put it in my pocket and grabbed my digital camera. I quickly took pictures of the new bruises on my body and then stuffed that into my bag as well. I had a bunch of disposable cameras in case I didn't have my digital with me. I then grabbed my video camera and headed back downstairs towards the kitchen.

I didn't know what I was getting myself into by videotaping my aunt and uncle's fight. I was determined to help my aunt as much as I could and if it was to get this tape to the police then so be it. I snuck towards the kitchen through the dining room. I could hear shouting and it sounded bad.

"Kyle, what the hell is wrong with you," my aunt screamed at him.

"Don't you take that tone with me Maria," he yelled at her.

"I've had enough of your crap. I've had enough of you beating the crap out of me and our niece. We were supposed to take her in and raise her for the next seven months so that she could make a name for herself. I'm tired of your crap and I don't care if you kill me because I'm leaving you and I'm taking Rhiannon with me," she screamed.

"Maria, my threat to kill you is still there. I won’t hesitate to kill you," he snarled.

I froze when I heard my uncle threaten my aunt. She was sticking up for me and herself at last and all I wanted to do was go and help her. Uncle Kyle has done enough to ruin my spirit. He even threatened to kill me if I went to the cops with what he did to my aunt and me. I was truly scared, but I couldn't call anyone. I had to break away from my fear of my uncle and be as bold as my aunt being right now. I was more afraid for her than I was for myself. I heard my aunt storm upstairs and start throwing things around. My uncle on the other hand started throwing things around downstairs because of his rage. I heard him stomp towards the kitchen so I hid in the pantry with the camera pointing through the crack.

I saw him grab a butcher knife and immediately held my breath. He walked out and I almost followed but he walked back in as if he forgot something. He grabbed a beer bottle from the fridge and walked out again. I listened carefully to see if he would come back in, but instead I heard the television come on and him grunting as he sat in his hideous chair. I heard my aunt above me as she continued to pack her things. I heard her leave her bedroom and start down the hall towards the bathroom that she and I shared. My uncle had the master bedroom which had that attached bathroom.

I actually didn't mind sharing with my aunt, because sometimes we could exchange a few words while we were both applying makeup to our many bruises that we both acquired. I knew that no matter how much makeup we applied it would never be enough to completely cover the bruises, which was why we always covered our arms, legs, and sometimes necks. She had stormed back into her bedroom and I heard the sound of zipping. I don't think she would take me right away because she would need to be able to find an actual house or apartment before she would be able to take me in again and actually treat me the way she thought I should be treated.

I heard my aunt coming back downstairs breathing heavily. I moved towards the entrance of the kitchen and peaked into the living room where I had a clear view of the stairs and my uncle. She carried her largest suitcase with her down the stairs which seemed heavy. Once she made it down the stairs she set the suitcase down by the door. I caught this all on tape because I thought that it would be necessary when this got to the police. My uncle shut the television off and stood up.

He set the empty beer bottle on the coffee table and walked over to my aunt. My fear peaked a little, but I continued to videotape the scene that was going to unfold before me. I wanted to make sure to get as much incriminating evidence as I possibly could if he decided to do something rash. I watched as my aunt, standing at her full height with defiance glinting in her eyes, stared down my uncle who was standing in front of her.

"Maria, please rethink this rash decision," he said calmly.

"No Kyle. I'm through with you ruining my self-esteem and spirit as well as my niece Rhiannon's spirit," she countered defiance ringing in her voice.

"Maria, don't make me do this," he said.

"I dare you to do it. If you truly loved me for who I was you wouldn't have had to force me to change anything about me or threaten my life or even beat the shit out of me," she snarled at him.

I was shocked at what happened next. My uncle had reached for the butcher knife that had been sitting out in the open on the sofa arm. He picked it up and plunged it into my aunt's leg. She fell, but didn't utter a single sound. She was brave; I had to give her that. She surprised me a lot tonight and for that I had to be grateful. My uncle stabbed her again in her other leg. Her blood was going everywhere. I felt tears come to my eyes. I couldn't stand to watch anymore. I placed the camera on a barstool that I picked up from the counter. It still had perfect view of my uncle and his horrible ways. I grabbed a rolling pin from the drawer and walked towards my uncle, who still had his back to me. I hit him over his head as hard as I could.

He dropped the butcher knife next to my aunt's bleeding body. She was still breathing, but I could tell that it wouldn't be for much longer unless she got to the hospital. I dialed 911 and they said an ambulance was already on its way. I breathed a sigh of relief. I retrieved a disposable glove from the bathroom and slipped it on. Just before I started cleaning up the mess I turned off the camera and slipped it into my bag. I picked up the knife and put it in a plastic zip-lock freezer bag and added that to my bag as well. If my uncle was going to think I was rescuing his sorry ass by taking the knife with me, he was dead wrong. I went back to where my aunt was slumped against the wall. Blood was surrounding her legs and from a wound on her arm. I didn't know what to do or how to help my aunt in anyway.

"Rhiannon, sweetie thank you for helping me," she whispered.

"Shhh, Aunt Maria, it'll be okay," I said through tears.

"If I die tonight, promise me something," she said.

"Anything Aunt Maria," I answered.

"Promise me that you will not take this locket off. I've worn it since your parents died," she said pointing to the locket that I had always seen her wear with everything.

I took off the locket from her neck and put inside a side pocket of my bag. She just had to be okay. My uncle hadn't done anything too serious to her. Just stabbed her legs and one arm and I know he could have killed her tonight, but he didn't get that chance. I heard sirens gaining on the house.

"Go sweetie; let the paramedics do their job. You don't need to see this," she said.

"I'm not leaving you until I hear word from the paramedics that you will be okay," I said
sternly.

"Rhia, honey, please listen to me," she breathed heavily.

"No, Aunt Maria, you need me now, and I won't leave until you are stabilized by the paramedics," I repeated a little too harshly.

She didn't answer me after that. Her eyes closed, but I called her name out loudly and she reopened her eyes.

"Aunt Maria you are not dying on me tonight," I whispered to her.

The sirens stopped and the red and blue lights were flashing through the front window. I immediately left my aunt's side to open the door for them. They rushed in and took her off immediately to the hospital. They asked if I wanted to ride with her, but I told them no. The police were with them and they took my uncle into custody. He had woken up from the hit he had received to the head. He was screaming that he didn't do anything. The cops didn't believe him. I had watched the police cart my uncle to prison from the protection of the woods. After I had seen the ambulance speed off I ran for the woods with my bag. When the police left after finding no sign of me because my rotten uncle had screamed that I had been in the house while he was also screaming that someone broke in and hit him over the head after stabbing his wife. He was pathetic.

I wandered into the woods not sure where I was headed. I tripped several times and the last time that I had tripped I had twisted my ankle in the process of regaining my balance. It now throbbed but I continued to walk on it. I continued to wander through the woods not sure where I was because I had never been to a place with a bunch of forests surrounding it. I found myself inside a small clearing and the pain in my ankle was growing to excruciating levels and I collapsed on the ground. It was chilly outside and I didn't have any shoes or a jacket. My arms were covered by a long-sleeved T-shirt, but that was it. I decided to rub my arms together to hopefully create some friction to warm me up a little, but that just made me colder. I shivered. My phone buzzed and told me that my battery was getting low. I pulled it out and decided to call Emmett. If anyone could help me he could. At least I hoped he could.

"Hello," he answered.

"Emmett, can you please come and get me," I asked.

"Sorry if I sound rude, but who are you," he asked.

I found that odd because I had talked to him a few hours ago. It must be because my voice wasn't as clear as it was before because of my tears.

"Oh, sorry it's Rhiannon," I said.

"Rhiannon, are you okay," he asked sounding worried.

"I don't know, but I think I'm lost in the woods," I answered.

"I'll be right there," he said and then hung up the phone.

I closed my phone and started rocking back and forth. The shock that I was keeping at bay for so long finally caught up with me. I had seen my uncle attempt to kill my aunt. I wanted to call the hospital to see how she was, but when I opened my phone again it was dead. Tears streamed down my already dirty face. I had disposed of the glove that I had put on to pick up the knife. I didn't want my fingerprints on the weapon of choice that my uncle used because I wasn't going to be on trial. I had to figure out a way to get this evidence to the police station, but I was worried that my aunt wasn't going to be okay.

I remembered the locket that my aunt wanted me to wear in case she had died so I took it out of my bag and opened it up. Inside were a picture of my parents smiling and a picture of her when she was smiling as well. It brought a fresh wave of tears to my eyes. I closed the locket and placed it around my neck where it would stay there forever. I would never take it off. If I ever died it would be buried with me. I heard leaves rustling the forest floor, but didn't really care if an animal attacked me. It would actually be a relief if an animal attacked me because then I wouldn't have to see my horrible uncle ever again.

"Rhiannon are you in here," a voice called.

It sounded worried so I had jumped for no reason.

"Rhiannon," he called again when I didn't answer.

"Emmett is that you," I croaked.

I had been crying for so long that my voice was a little constricted.

"Yes, where are you," he called.

"Over here," I said unsure if he could even tell where I was by that statement.

I continued to rock back and forth shivering uncontrollably. I was freezing cold and still in shock. I was aware of tears still streaming like rivers down my face because of everything I had just witnessed at my aunt's house. My ankle throbbed.

"Rhiannon are you okay," he whispered.

I shook my head violently. I felt a jacket drape over me and I clutched it tightly in my fingers. The warmth it gave me was a relief, but I didn't stop my rocking. The shock was too much for my system and all I could do was rock back and forth and pray that my aunt was going to be alright. He picked me up and walked back to his Jeep where he put me inside and then drove off. I was practically silent the whole way and continued with the ridiculous rocking. We had reached his house within minutes and he pulled me out again. He carried me into the house.

"Emmett," I heard a male voice say.

"Edward," he replied.

I was laid down on a couch and I curled up into a ball from natural instinct. Emmett must have led this Edward person away because I had been left alone. I strained my ears to figure out where Emmett was and thought I heard whispered voices coming from the kitchen, but I could have been wrong. Emmett had saved me and now I had to figure out if I could trust him enough to tell him my secrets. I shivered a little inside the huge jacket and felt a blanket fall on top of me. My legs were covered and I felt my eyes drift close after they had dried out. I hadn't been completely asleep when I felt a cool hand touch my face and my hair being moved away. I held my breath as my hair was placed back down, but not covering my face.

All I could think about was that he knew my secret now and he wouldn't want to be around me anymore because I hadn't told him that I was being abused.
I woke up to the morning light in my eyes. It was bright even though the sky was the usual overcast. Being near the Massachusetts harbor did that and I was a little tired of the sunny winters in California anyway. I blinked my eyes repeatedly to get them used to the sudden light. The first thing I saw was a female standing by the window and staring out of it. My heart almost dropped because she was gorgeous and I thought that she might be Emmett's girlfriend or something. Her brown hair cascaded down her back in waves. I was immediately mesmerized. I sat up and stretched, but regretted it immediately when my side throbbed.

"Emmett and my husband went out and they won't be back until this afternoon," she said and then turned around.

So this woman had a husband and it wasn't Emmett. I almost sighed in relief.

"Would you like to talk," she asked me gently.

My eyes zeroed in on her eyes and noticed that Emmett had been right about the eye color and how it ran in the family. Her eyes were a beautiful golden topaz color and I couldn't help but nod my head in response to her question.

"Come on, let's get you showered and changed into fresh clothes first," she said with a genuine smile.

I just nodded my head and let her pull me up off of the couch. I was hoping that Emmett would be there when I had woken up so that I could explain things to him. I was scared though. My uncle had been arrested for attempted murder and it wouldn't last because I had taken the stupid murder weapon. I don't know what I would do now because I would be considered as an accomplice to my uncle when that wasn't the truth. I just hoped my aunt was alive and well.

"Rhiannon Emmett doesn't know about your injuries," she said suddenly.

"He doesn't," I asked bewildered.

"No, I was the one who moved your hair out of your face and saw the red marks on your throat last night," she answered.

"You didn't tell him," I asked.

"It wasn't my place to tell him," she replied.

"Who are you," I asked finally getting the question that really mattered out.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself properly. My name is Bella Cullen," she replied.

"You already know my name from Emmett," I said it as a question.

"Yes, but he didn't say your last name," she answered.

"Hart," was all I said.

"Would you like to tell me how you got those red marks on your neck," she asked me.

"Not until Emmett gets home because then I won't have to repeat myself," I answered.

"That's fair enough," she said.

She led me up the stairs, but when I put my weight on my right ankle I almost fell. Bella's hand caught my arm to keep me from falling down on my ass.

"Are you okay," she asked.

"No, I think I sprained my ankle while in the woods last night," I replied.

"Here, lean on me and I'll help you up the stairs," she said lightly.

"Thank you," I said through the pain that my ankle had shot up my leg.

"My pleasure," she smiled.

We made it up the stairs within the next few minutes and she led me to the bathroom just down the hall from the top of the stairs. Once there she handed me some clothes and I realized that she had gotten them from my bag. She didn't say anything about the knife that was in there all covered in blood. She figured I would explain when Emmett came home, and she was right because I would explain everything. I realized that in order for him to trust me I would have to trust him first. He was there for me even when I asked to be alone. I realized that I could trust him four weeks ago when he agreed to talk to me at lunch, but I just didn't know how to tell him my secrets before today.

I jumped into the shower and just let the warm water cascade down my body washing away all the dirt from the night before. I washed my hair and my body and then shut the water off. I felt so much better. The warm water helped ease some of the pain in my ankle and the head bump I had when I had been flung across the room. I couldn't help but feel safe in this house. I got dressed and realized that all of my bruises would be showing today because I hadn't packed another jacket to match my spaghetti strap tank. I pulled on my jeans and a pair of socks. I ran my fingers through my long hair. It was brown, but a much lighter color then Bella's. It had more blonde highlights in it than hers did.

When I got out of the bathroom Bella was standing there with a jean jacket in her hand. She handed it to me and I thanked her. She really wanted me to be comfortable when Emmett came home. I heard male voices downstairs and guessed that they had come back. Now was the chance to let him in on my secret. Could I really do it or would I get scared and make something else up? I wasn't sure. I took a deep breath and with the encouraging smile from Bella and her hand on my arm to help me down the stairs I felt that I could tell him my secret at last.