Bella POV 
 
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That was about the time James started with the abuse. Sure we were both drug users and liked to party, but he just took things a little too far. Became extremely controlling and when things didn't go his way I was the first person he took it out on. Mainly because I was the only person ever around. He had lost all his friends and I had lost most of my own. I had become an empty shell. All the great things I found in life when I first came to New York finally had gone down the drain in this endless spiral of failure. I was feeling just as shitty as I had the day I left LA 
 
Months went by and James kept beating my being down slowly each day until I was nothing. I hardly spoke to anyone and the drugs were my only way of escape. To not have to hear the horrible things James would say to me, telling me what a shitty worthless person I was, while also taking anything he wanted from me. No matter how much I fought it, if he wanted sex or anything at all I was to the point where I didn't care anymore. He just took it. 
 
It wasn't until one night when I actually wasn't on drugs and James was tripping his ass off I realized this had to end. 
 
I was sitting quietly on a bench in the park under a low lit lamp reading a book, while James lay in the grass beside me almost unable to move. He looked over at me with that look I dreaded. I knew he wanted me and I just sighed. "Not tonight James, please." I wasn't in the mood for his games. 
 
He surprised me with how fast he sat up and was by my side on the bench trying to kiss down my neck, like he actually cared. I shrugged my shoulders and slid further away from him in the best way possible to not set him off. Which was actually pretty hard to accomplish. He reached out to stop me and went back to kissing my neck. I literally almost gagged as his tongue drug across my collar bone. "James…" I sighed and once again shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not in the mood." 
 
"Since when does that matter?" He smirked and grabbed the book out of my hand, tossing it onto the grass which just pissed me off more. "Now, shut up and let me enjoy myself." 
 
I reached up and put my hand on his face shoving him away when he came in to claim my lips. It wasn't happening this time. "No dammit." My voice was firm and I was serious. I couldn't tell you how many times I just lay there before just to make him happy, or all the times I actually had black eyes and bruises when I actually tried to stop it. It wasn't going to happen. Before he could say anything else I put my hand up again. 
 
"If you ever touch me again I'm going to call the police. I'll tell them everything. I tell them about all the drugs and abuse, even if it cost me my own freedom. I'm done with this!" I stood up and grabbed my book from the ground looking over at his shocked face once more. "I'm leaving. its over and I don't ever want to see you again. Please stay out of my life and don't come looking for me" I didn't feel the need to stand there and have a whole conversation. The point was given and it was short and sweet. Surprisingly James just watched as I walked away. 
 
– 
 
It wasn't until I actually acknowledged the pounding on the door to realize I was still in the bathroom. What the fuck was up with all the flashbacks? Why must James keep coming back to haunt me? 
 
Sighing I stood up to get myself together and finally spoke. "Just a minute…" I really wasn't sure how long I had even been sitting on the bathroom floor in the first place. 
 
Edward speaking actually helped me gather my thoughts. "I'm sorry if I scared you Bella." He spoke softly from the other side of the door. 
 
A smile crept over my face. Even if he had nothing to do with anything that happened to me, he always felt the need to apologize for it. "Everything is ok. Go lay down and I'll be back to bed in a minute." I ran warm water over my face and stared in the mirror for a long moment before turning the light off and opening the door. 
 
Edward was there, under the covers looking up at me just as worried as I imagined. He didn't say anything though and I kind of didn't blame him. How was I suppose to explain this to him? One minute we are making love and the next I'm having a nervous break down. How he didn't think I was crazy was beyond me. "Once again, I make a fool of myself. Why do you put up with me?" I asked as I curled up beside him in bed. 
 
"Because I love you." He said while kissing my temple. Nothing else really had to be said. I knew he loved me and I knew he would do anything in his power to make sure I was alright and happy. It made me feel good inside to know he understood about most of my past and accepted the things that crept out of it from time to time. He really was perfect. 
 
Edward POV 
 
A few weeks passed and Bella seemed to be getting over her random outburst and odd flashbacks. She never exactly told me what they were about, just that thoughts of her past had been bothering her. 
 
The both of us were sitting on the couch one afternoon watching a random TV show and just enjoying the down time together, when Jake approached me. He came out of his room and sat down in the recliner beside the love seat. 
 
"Edward can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked, sounding a little uneasy. 
 
I nodded. "Sure, does it need to be in private or something?" I said while looking down at Bella, not sure at all what could be on his mind. 
 
"Oh no, not at all. I just didn't want to bother you two." He scratched his head and looked back up at me. "Now don't laugh or anything…I don't even know if any of this is true, but I keep getting a weird feeling." He paused again. 
 
I smiled a little. "Come on, get it out." 
 
He just laughed. "Ok ok…has Emmett ever seemed interested in men or acted…you know…that way at all?" 
 
"What?" I raised my eye brow not expecting that at all. 
 
He sighed. "Never mind, I knew this was stupid." He stood to stand and I stopped him. 
 
"Well wait a minute, just sit down and talk to me." I smiled, letting him know I was interested and going to help him with whatever it was bugging him. "Just start over." 
 
"I just keep getting this weird feeling when I'm around him. He looks at me differently than you do, or any other straight man I have come across. We just get along so well. I could be over reacting and just getting a crush on him or something…I dunno whats going on really." 
 
I scratched the side of my jaw and shrugged a little. "Jake I really have no idea, the thought has never crossed my mind. We have always been like brothers and well I'm not into men, so even if he is, he really had no reason to hit on me or seem that way I guess. Do I need to talk to him or something?" I really was clueless where to go with this. 
 
"No!" Jake laughed. "No please don't, I got this." He got up and went back to his room, which made Bella shift to stand. 
 
"Ima go talk to him real fast." She gave me a kiss and followed. I went back to watching TV while I waited
for her return. 
 
Bella POV 
 
As I followed Jake to his room I was little upset he hadn't come to me about all of this. I understood Edward knew Emmett better than I did, but I was his best friend. If he was having feelings about someone he usually told me these things. I didn't even know they spent that much time together. 
 
"Hey you" I said with a smile and walked in to his room. He just turned to face me and sat down on his bed. "Whats going on?" 
 
"What do you mean? You just heard everything I had to say in there." It was really weird having him try to avoid talking to me about this. 
 
"Jacob." I said holding my arms out in disbelief. "Since when do you not talk to me about these things?" I felt kind of mean trying to pry into his business if it was bothering him, but I also wanted to help. 
 
He sighed. "Bella I'm sorry, I just don't know whats going on. I really didn't even want to bring any of this up just yet. I was just so bothered by it." 
 
I went over to sit on the bed with him. "You know you can always talk to me about anything. So let me hear it. Usually you have no problem telling me about anything involving a man you have interest in…" 
 
He dropped his head in to his hands so he wouldn't have to look at me. "Just forget it. I should of never said anything to Edward, now he is going to say something in front of Emmett and ruin everything. Even if he isn't interested, I don't want to ruin the friendship we actually have." 
 
I poked his side to make him look at me and smiled. "You're too good of a person for anyone to not like you just because you are confused. Even if Emmett doesn't feel the same, he will understand. I really doubt he would just push you away. Why exactly do you think there might be something there in the first place?" 
 
He blushed some, obviously embarrassed to talk about it. This wasn't the Jacob I was used to. I was starting to wonder how serious all this was. "Hes just so nice to me. I mean everyone on set knows I am openly gay, but I can still tell from certain people I might make them uncomfortable. Especially the men around the set. Not that they are like mean to me or anything or want nothing to do to me, they just act different. Just more of a friend." He shrugged. "Emmett just makes me feel different, like there is something there. We can go to lunch together alone and stuff and he isn't worried about people seeing us together and thinking things. If that makes sense." 
 
I nodded, letting him know I understood and was following. "Have you ever hinted, or said anything about how you feel?" 
 
He shook his head. "No, don't really know how to bring that one up without things getting weird and uncomfortable." He smiled a little. 
 
"Maybe you should…he doesn't seem like the type of person to be creeped out if its just a misunderstanding." I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed while I stood up and faced him. I put my finger in his face playfully. "And if you hide anything like this from me again…" He just laughed and bit my finger. 
 
"I promise, it will never happen again." He smiled and lay out on his bed to look at the ceiling and I went back to Edward. 
 
Once I was back on the love seat with him I finally spoke. "Don't ever say a word to Emmett. We have to let him figure this one out on his own." 
 
I already knew he wouldn't, but I just wanted it to be clear. "Of course." He said with a nod and smiled. 
 
Edward POV 
 
My mind kept trying to imagine Emmett as a gay man and I just couldn't see it. I knew he was an actor and a damn good one at that, but to pretend to be straight for all these years would be pretty amazing if true. I had only seen him with the most beautiful women and he seemed seriously into each and every one of them. Jake was gay so I guess he may pick up on things I would typically pass on by, but damn. I really wanted to talk to him and try to figure something out, but was in the same boat as Jake and had no idea where one would even start this conversation. I would keep my word though and not say anything about it until Jake figured something out. 
 
"They really go to lunch with one another alone?" I honestly had never noticed when we would all be on set. 
 
Bella shrugged, just as amazed as me. "Apparently so. I don't see why he would lie about any of this." 
 
"Of course not. I don't think hes making any of it up, just kind of blows my mind a little. Emmett has been my friend for a long time and to think of him in that way…its a little weird." I hoped that didn't come out the wrong way. He would still be my friend either way.