Three

Chapter Three - Fuck My Life
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Bella
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“Fuck my life.”  I whispered as my eyes were held stead fast to a set of steel blue eyes I haven’t seen in four years.

In the front row sat a group of eight me, among them were Emmett Cullen and Jasper Whitlock.  Jasper

Hearing a hiss from my right quickly reminded me of where I was and what I was supposed to be doing, although, considering the circumstances it was proving difficult.  I felt like I had been set on auto-pilot, moving numbly through the motions, my heart keeping tempo with the music.  Everything felt surreal, disbelief and shock coloring my emotions.  I couldn’t believe he was here, really here.  Jasper, my best friend, my everything was here and I couldn’t decide how I felt about it.  

Why was he here, anyway?  He looked just as shocked as I felt, so he couldn’t have known beforehand that I worked here.  

I wanted to cry, scream and leap into his arms but my shame held me fast to the stage.  My face flushed as I remembered a very important detail; I was dancing in front of Jazz and Em, were next to nothing.  Now, while I didn’t dance naked, my outfit left very little to the imagination and it really wasn’t how I saw myself reconnecting with my family.

Jasper’s eyes seemed to never leave mine throughout my number, burning their way into my heart.  I had been in love with him for so long that, seeing him this way physically hurt.  I hadn’t ever let on about my feelings for him, partially out of fear of rejection and partially out of loyalty to Edward; fucking prick.

I know for a fact he doesn’t remember our first encounter, and if he did he never let on.  I was six when I first laid on Jasper Whitlock.  Charlie and I were attending a garden party for Alice.  I had slipped away from my fathers watchful eye to find somewhere new to play, I hadn’t made it very far; about thirty feet or so when a mountain of a dog charged, snatching my precious dolly from my hands.  I sat on the steps of a nearby staircase and cried at the thought of my baby being chewed to bits by the ogre of a Great Dane.   That was when I saw him, a pair of white chucks and dress khakis came into my view and then I looked up, all the air leaving my body as he stood there with a triumphant smile on his face as he held my dolly before me.  He was my night in shining white chucks ever since.

It was understatedly awkward the next time I saw my crush.  I was eighteen and was not expecting to see him again, and especially not with the Cullens, I guess I never really put two and two together the first time I saw him, but I was in awe of him.  Dark, shoulder length hair, neatly pulled back into a ponytail, but kept shaven on the sides to hide his long hair under a hat if need be; at Carlisle’s request of course.  But perhaps the most memorable was the deep pools of cerulean blue under thick, black lashes.  I had always thought Edward to be a beautiful man but Jasper… there just weren’t words.  Those eyes could burn a path to your soul.

Jasper Whitlock

Looking at him now, not much had changed, but he had definitely filled out.  I couldn’t tell how much he had grown, as he was sitting down, but if the broadness of his shoulders were anything to go by, he had surly grown up.  Jasper was at least a good six foot four at twenty and I think he’s grown some.  I had a hard time not staring at him; he had what looked to be two day old stubble covering that strong jaw line of his and he was wearing a gray suite, and funny enough, a black fedora.  He was beyond anything my fantasies could conjure up, and as if the smug bastard heard my thoughts, he smirked.  

Funnier, was when Jasper elbowed Emmett and brought his attention to the stage.  He was gaping like a fish out of water, and it made me want to cry; I really missed my brother.

Setting up things up for my final set of spins before I would land on the chair I had kicked at the beginning of the number, I felt something trip me.  Looking back all I saw was a mop of flaming red, curls and I instinctually knew what had happened…Victoria.  Bitch.

Victoria had been a thorn in my side for as long as I’ve worked here.  I don’t think she necessarily hated me as a person, but she wanted James, and my position.  I had tried to tell her that I held no interest in James, but she just wouldn’t listen.  Looking into the stunning blue eyes of my Jasper, I didn’t think I would ever want another man again.  But nothing mattered to Victoria, except getting what she wanted, and if she had to make James mad enough to kill me, she would.
 

Victoria

I righted myself and finished the number on cue, but it was already fucked.  The crowed cheered and along with my company, I nervously bowed.  My victory was short lived though, out of the corner of my eye I could the sight of James on stage left, and he was pissed; the fire practically burning in his eyes.  His face held no expression, but it didn’t need to, I knew better.  He beckoned me to him with a crook of the finger and I knew I was done for.

I was nearly in tears when I reached him, and as I expected he yanked me to the side by my arm, hard, hissing at me as he pulled me behind the curtain and away from anyone who dared to interfered.  Fuck that hurt.

James didn’t utter a sound as he drug me through the halls to his office, and I was terrified.  Fuck, I’m in trouble.  He tossed me hard to the floor as we made it past the threshold, and I twisted my ankle on my way down.  My heart rate accelerated as I took in my bag and robe hanging off the back of his office chair; he was prepared and that scared the shit out of me.  No one would see me leave tonight, and that was exactly what he wanted.  I wasn’t getting out of this office with just a reprimand, no, I was going to be punished.  I almost laughed at the irony of it all, this is what all these girls fought for, this is what they thought they wanted.  Idiots!

He wore a sinister smile as he walked around my shaking form, and took rest in front of me; casually stretched out in front of his desk.  

“What the fuck, Bella?  Are you trying to embarrass me?”  He asked, his voice a deadly calm, but it did nothing to hide his anger from me, his hands were shaking, letting me know the true depths of his feelings.  He was livid and there was nothing I could do to fix this.  I didn’t respond, I couldn’t, I knew he didn’t want to hear anything I had to say yet; it would only serve to further anger him, not something I wanted to do.  

I was not the kind of woman who normally let a man speak to me in such a way; I had a big mouth and I liked to use it.  But as I said before I can sniff out the stupid and dangerous, and I knew when to keep my mouth shut.  I may be a tough bitch, but I am not naïve enough to think I could kick the shit out of a man who outweighed me by a good seventy pounds, who worked out everyday.  I know for a fact where that leads…the hospital.

 He sneered at me when I didn’t answer and pushed off the desk to stalk towards me.  “Who were you staring at?”  He asked me, clearly disgusted at the thought of me staring at another man.  The question caught me off guard and before I could catch myself I answered with a stellar,  “Huh?”

The residual sting hit me before the deafening crack ever echoed throughout the room.  Fuck, was the only thought that entered my brain, as the blinding white light took over my vision when he struck me across the apple of my cheek.

He repeated the action, knocking me flat as he screamed,  “Don’t play stupid, Bella, the guy in the hat.”  He was literally foaming at the mouth as he growled out.  “Ring any bells, bitch!”

He was pressing me for information about my involvement with the Cullens, information I wouldn’t give him, I didn’t care what he did to me.  It was blatantly obvious that he already knew who I was staring at; you didn’t miss a Cullen.  His face was bright red and I knew he was at his boiling point, but I didn’t care.  If that crazy bastard really thought I would give up my family or Jazz, he had another thing coming.  He could piss off and as far as I was concerned, he could do whatever he wished, I wouldn’t talk.

Another loud thud rang throughout his large office as he hit me again, only this time it was closed fist, and I cried.  I hated to cry; it made me feel weak, but I still wouldn’t budge.  He hit me again, and I cried harder.  Over and over he took out his wrath on my face, and with each hit I became more resolved to never give in.

But when he pulled me to his level by my hair, I screamed.  I couldn’t take it anymore; it felt like he was removing my scalp.  He laughed, licking some of the fresh blood from my face.  “Yeah, I like it when you scream.  Shall we continue?”  He asked me, and I couldn’t fathom at the time anything worse than what he was already doing, I was wrong.

I started to struggle, scared as my mind raced with the possibilities to what he could mean.  It did nothing but spur him on.  Using my hair as leverage he threw me onto his desk; documents and office equipment were sent fluttering to the ground.  I heard a crack as my head hit the hard oak.  Even through my dizzy spell, I knew I had split my head open; I could feel the blood pooling beneath me.  I could taste the copper in my mouth and I knew that, it too, was bleeding.  But that wasn’t my main concern; I was having a hard time focusing and I was losing bits and pieces of time.  I knew I was close to passing out, and that scared me more than anything, being unconscious around a man like James was dangerous. 

As I came to, again, I felt a solid, warm, weight on my chest and resting between my thighs.  Hands were everywhere, roaming, groping and I could do nothing to fight him off this time.  I heard the eerie sound of a zipper being lowered as my panties were jerked away from my body, and that’s when I lost it. 

I flipped my shit, I was thrashing wildly and screaming blood murder, but it seemed to do no good, no one was coming for me. 

I’m a big girl, and I didn’t mind taking a beating for my family, but this was going to far.  My womanhood was mine and no motherfucker would take it, he’d have to beat me to death first.   I clawed, bit, and scratched at him,  but much to my displeasure I couldn’t seem to fight him off.  

I was sobbing wildly and begging for him to just…stop, but he was relentless in his perusal of my body.  Still fighting with everything I had, I bit him, then screamed once again for help.  Hands soon closed around my throat, effectively quieting me as black spots clouded my vision.  I would pass out soon, I knew that.  That’s when I heard a loud crashing sound that could be likened to two trees colliding and what sounded like the cocking of a gun, and then his sweet southern drawl.

“Son, you fucked with the wrong lady.”