The Only Exception

The first time I was hit was right after my mother killed herself. It was the next day, actually. I was afraid of Oliver, and I still am. But I had nowhere else to go, so I had to live with it. It's not like I can run, right?

Well that seems to be the only solution now; since that's what I did less than eleven hours ago. And right now I was thinking of ways to kill myself as I sank my full body under the bath tub water. Why was I planning suicide? I'd better beat my dad to it, right? Because when I'd go back home after this nice little wash off, I knew Oliver would be at work, and I'd only have a few hours to actually go through with it.

So as I said before, I was thinking of how I'd do it. I wanted it to be quick and painless. But not many suicides are quick, or painless. Cutting was out of the question, I'd tried it once, and that wasn't quite my thing. Overdosing, I'd lose consciousness and die in my sleep - but where would I find the perfect pills for that? I didn't have much time left. Shoot myself with a gun seemed the quickest way, but I didn't have a gun.

I could stab myself repeatedly, but then I thought, no I was stupid to even think that 'cause that'd be very painful. Not that I'd know, I only suffered with the kicks and hits and now the whips of the belt. I never got abused with a knife. Oliver wouldn't even think of bruising his pathetic ego with a knife.

And then I thought, drowning myself seemed logical, but I didn't like the thought of waiting under water for my time to leave the Earth. Kind of like what I was doing right now. But this seemed like my suicide, right now as I thought.

But then I heard muffling from above the surface, but that was just the echo from outside of the bathroom. I heard panicky voices now, and they were quickened with a pound on the door.

Then I heard the door opening, more like flying open, and then a deep voice calling my name, just before large warm hands pulled me out of the water and into their arms. I began to cough up water and wipe at my eyes. A towel wrapped securely around my naked form, but I kept my eyes closed.

"What the hell were you thinking, Braylin?!" Jacob half yelled. I was thinking about the ways I would end my life, that's what I was thinking.

"What do you mean?" I asked as if I was unaware. Once I finished drying off my face I opened my eyes to find Jacob's perfectly divine brown eyes staring deeply into my blue ones. Again some sort of force began to pull at my chest and I had to force myself not to smile like a love struck kid.

Jacob's eyes widened in shock, "What do I mean? Braylin, you were drowning yourself in the fucking bathtub!" I waved him off and rolled my eyes, and as doing so I found myself and Jacob sitting on the bathroom floor, me in his arms - with only a towel.

I made an 'o' with my mouth and answered earnestly - not really because you know, I was planning my quick ticket to hell, or heaven, whichever came first. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"Thinking? Thinking? What could be so important to think about while drowning yourself?" His voice grasped my attention and I turned my gaze back to his.

"I wasn't drowning myself! If I wanted to even do such a thing, I'd do it in a mature, fashionable way." Okay, maybe those weren't the right words, but still. Jacob's eyes went wide again and he became rigid himself.

"You need some serious help if that's what you were trying to do," Jacob mumbled, shaking his head.

"Sorry." I mumbled. Jacob looked at me, as if searching for something that I wasn't telling him. Of course I wasn't going to tell him about the source of where I got these bruises and cuts from, that'd just be stupid.

And then Jacob's eyes began to wander down my bruised arms and - thighs, the towel was short. "What's going on, Braylin? You need to tell me - I - I need to know," He asked, pleading with his voice though it was barely above a whisper. And his voice was very sudden, but smooth and calm.

I gave him a half shrug and bit my lip, "There is nothing you can do about what he does, Jacob. So don't even try." I barely made it audible.

"Who? Who does -"

"Oliver - my dad," I began, my voice was rough and dry. "He beats me - blames me for my mother's rant of suicide." And then I felt the tears begin to fall, and I swore that I'd never cry like this again, but I couldn't control it. "And the worse part is, is that it was his fault for her death. He drove her to it." I sobbed into Jacob's chest. His breathing began to get heavier, his chest going up and down rapidly.

"I need some air." He said all too simply before placing me on the ground gently and running out of the room. I had a feeling something like this would happen. I'd tell him what happened, and he'd be disgusted with me.

"Braylin? Are you alright? Jacob told me to bring you your clothes and I have food out in the kitchen for you." Emily's light voice said from the hallway. I wiped the tears away and pulled myself up.

Smiling at Emily I said, "Thanks, I'll be out in a minute." I took the clothes and shut the door. And once I had my new clothes on, I put my hair in a messy bun and half limped out to the kitchen which was split between the large table - where a bunch of large boys were eating.

"Hey, Bray." Paul smiled at me as he came over to hug me. I winced as his arms wrapped around my cuts and I pushed him away. " You okay?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, sure. Um - where is Jacob?" I asked, my eyes wandering around the room and out the windows where it was light out. Jacob was nowhere to be found.

"Uh - Jacob needed to get out for awhile, but he'll be back soon." Embry answered for me.

"Oh - thanks." Paul brought me over to a seat next to him where a plate of food was waiting for me.

"You alright?" Paul asked again, his eyes searching for something, but mine were still searching out the window for Jacob.

"Sure." I whispered absentmindedly. And I looked over at the door, and in came Sam, Jacob following behind not even a second after. Jacob gave me a sad smile but stayed by Sam's side.

"Group meeting tonight at First Beach, alright?" Sam ordered, each boy nodded their head in agreement. My eyes widened at how absurd they were being, following orders like they had to. "You'll come too, Braylin." I bit my lip but nodded anyways. Then pulling myself away from the table I walked over to Jacob and pulled at his arm.

"I need to talk to you." I whispered. Jacob sighed but followed as I pulled him outside.

"What is it, Bray?"

"I can't come tonight - I have to go home." And that's when Jacob began to go rigid.

"What? You're seriously going to go back there to him? No! I won't allow it! You're staying with me. Sam said he'll deal with your father."

"What?!" I gasped. "You told Sam! Why in the fucking world would you tell him? Now I'm more fucked then I already am! You should have kept that to yourself! I mean, it's not like I can change what Oliver does, I have to live with him - I'm only seventeen and -" Jacob shut me up with his warm lips closing down onto mine. His hands caressed my face as he kissed me, and it took a while to catch my breath.

"Please, just - stay with me? Sam will take care of Oliver - maybe, and we'll protect you if he comes searching for you." He said. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"But I can't, Jacob -"

"Jake, please just call me Jake." He interrupted.

I sighed, "Jake - I can't. You don't know how tough he is - he's got guns and -" That's whenJacob, Jake began to chuckle in amusement. "What is so funny?" I gaped at him.

"You think he can get through us?" I gave him a confused look but he only shook his head and said, "I'll - We'll explain this to you later." I nodded my head and looked deeply into his eyes. How much I wanted to kiss him again - for him to kiss me, it was just so much. But I didn't have to kiss him, and he didn't kiss me. I rushed myself into Jake's arms and he held me as I began to cry again.