More Than This

I lay in this unfamiliar bed, just staring at the ceiling. My body ached, but at least the tears had stopped. Giselle was still asleep, I’d already checked on her while Brayden was asleep. The worst part was she had little tear stains on her pillow.

At least she listened to me and didn’t leave her room…

Brayden was somewhere; he just got up and left this morning. He’d raped me last night for the second time and this time was much worse. Brayden had beaten me. Not just simple hits, either, menacing punches with cruel intent for all the things I’d supposedly done wrong.

I’d cut my hair…Brayden didn’t like that. I’d met Jake…Brayden despised that. I’d cried out when he hit me…Brayden really didn’t like that…that one earned a kick in the ribs.

Nothing was broken, just bruised and bleeding. Although, Brayden had been nice enough to give me one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers…he’d ripped my clothes in the process of taking them off last night.

“Wakey wakey, babe,” I heard Brayden sing as he came into the room. I sat up and pulled my legs back, cowering against the head bored. “I brought you some cereal.”

I didn’t want to upset him, so I just took the cereal and ate quietly. He sat next to me on the bed and ran his hand up and down my exposed thigh.

“Did you sleep well, sweetheart?” he questioned. I nodded looking down at the sheets and then placing my bowl off on the side table.

“Good,” he murmured, brushing his lips against my temple. “Now go wake up Giselle.”

I got up and scurried out of the room. I sat down on Giselle’s bed and stared out the window.

Oh please God, tell me that’s not just my eyes playing tricks on me…

A flash of russet flew through the forest behind Brayden’s home. I knew that russet color.

“Giselle wake up sweetie,” I whispered rubbing her back. Her little head perked up immediately and she crawled into my arms, tears spilling out of her eyes.

“Oh, Mommy. I was so scared,” she choked out through the torrent of water pouring down her face.

“It’s okay now baby. We’re gonna get out of here,” I whispered picking her up and rocking her back and forth. I walked over to the windows with Giselle in my arms to see another flash of sandy color.

“What’s going on?!” I heard a bewildered Brayden shout. With Giselle in my arms, my bare feet flew down the stairs to come across Sam standing there in front of Brayden. “Who the hell are you?”

“We’ve called the police Rosalie, all of the guys have gone back except Jake. He’s outside waiting for the two of you,” Sam said calmly to me. I nodded hastily kissing him on the cheek before bolting out the back door. Brayden’s hand tried to clasp onto my arm, but Sam pushed him into the counter with a deafening crack. “Make the wrong move, boy, and you’ll die.”

I didn’t stay to hear the rest and continued running out the door. Jake was the only one there in the middle of the big backyard, filled with yellow dying grass. “Oh God,” I whispered the tears falling from my eyes.

“Jakie!” Giselle yelled happily leaping from my arms to only be rewrapped in Jake’s arms. He twirled her around and kissed the top of her head.

“I missed you so much Ellie-bellie,” I heard Jake say as he hugged her tight. He put her down just as Quil emerged from the woods. Quil picked her up and waved at me.

“I’ll take her home and not lose sight of her ’till you get back with Jake. Your dad wants to see her,” he explained, to which I nodded.

“Listen to Quil, Giselle,” I commanded and she nodded happily latching on to Quil as they exited into the woods.

“She’ll be fine,” Jake whispered suddenly appearing before me.

“I know, I trust Quil,” I replied strongly…well I was strong until I looked up into Jake’s deep brown eyes, then the tears couldn’t be stopped.

“Rosalie, I thought I’d lost you forever,” he said heartbroken, I looked up to see him crying as well.

“I was so scared Jake,” I whispered lifting my arms, although it hurt, to hug him. But everything stopped. Jake began to growl ferociously. It seemed to almost shake the ground.

“He won’t listen and wants to speak to you,” I heard Sam say as I turned my head to see him leaning in the door way. “Dumb a**hole.”

Brayden walked closer and closer with a smirk lighting his features. “You can’t leave Rosie, we just got back together,” he was too close now.

Jake roared and charged at him full force, all I could see was Jake’s fist plummeting into Brayden’s stomach. His body went flying clear across the backyard and smacked into a tree. The tree cracked and Brayden’s body lay limp on the ground.

Jake huffed as he stood there. “He’s not dead, but he should be.”

The cop cars and ambulance came in and carted Brayden away, as he still lay unconscious. I vehemently refused to go in the ambulance, but they saw the dried blood and bruises. They then asked a question I wished I didn’t have to answer in front of Jake.

The EMT stood there with a sweet smile she was about 25 and blonde. She seemed nice and good at her job. She’s the one that decided it was time to ask me questions. “Did he only hit you Rosalie or did he do anything else. We need to know so we can get you the proper care.”

Jake stood there and by some oddity it began to rain just then. He stood there staring at me as the rain poured down on his half-naked torso. No one questioned his lack of clothing.

“Yeah,” I muttered breaking or gaze.

“Yeah what Rosalie? Yes he only beat you or yes he did other things,” she persisted.

I couldn’t admit it, I knew Jake would flip and that couldn’t happen in front of these people. “Sam you should take Jake and meet me at the hospital,” I said to Sam and Jake’s eyes flashed. His heavily muscled body began to shake and I feared for the worse.

“We’ll be there,” Sam affirmed before pushing Jake off. I looked back down and the EMT asked the same question once again.

“He raped me,” I admitted completely ashamed.

“Alright, as soon as we get to the hospital we’ll get you all checked out.”

And they did just that, Jake and Sam stayed in the waiting room the whole time…or at least I think they did. Everything was checked out and Jake came in soon after the doctor and nurse left.

“He raped you again didn’t he?” Jake questioned trying to hide his rage.

“I couldn’t stop him Jake, he was too strong,” I whimpered out.

“God, this is all my fault,” he ranted beginning to walk back and forth, running a hole in the ground. “If I’d stayed with you, we would have found Giselle and none of this would have happened.”

“It’s fate Jake,” I whispered telling him of the realization I’d had earlier. When the doctors were talking, I zoned out. I understood why this happened and I feel it was that in a sick way someone was telling me Jake would always be there. He’d always save me and love me. I realized I loved him too, so so much.

“Fate? Fate that you got raped again and this time beaten!” he raged.

“You saved me, I should have known that all along. I love you Jake,” I said without a single stutter.

“You-you love me?” he questioned becoming glossy eyed.

I nodded my head and answered, “I love you with everything I have Jake. I’m not going to let my past get in the way of my future any longer.”

His smile broke out and the anger seemed to fade away completely from his body. Jake’s large body lay in the hospital bed next to me. His feet hung over the end and he had to hug me close in order to keep us both on. “I love you too, Rosalie.”

His lips came down on mine in the most passionate kiss I’d ever experienced. It was still sweet though, no roughness what so ever. He pulled back much before I would of liked and just smiled at me. “It’s impossible how much I love you,” he muttered happily.

“Nothing is impossible handsome.”