The Spotlight is On!

52

A/N: Tissue warning! Also, I do not own Twilight.

Previously...EPOV

I looked at Bella, broken and heartbroken. Everytime I opened my mouth to say something, a tear fell from her face, and I'd shut my mouth again.

"Where do you want to go? Anywhere you want." I took her hand, and she squeezed back.

"Can we just go somewhere that's quiet? Someplace where we can be alone?" she asked.

I thought of the perfect place. "Yeah, sure."

~oOo~

EPOV

I told Bella to close her eyes as I drove to a meadow I had found a few years ago.

I had been angry with my dad after arguing about college, and medical school, when I'd ran away to a meadow near our house. It was small, with purple flowers, daisies, and a river bubbling on the side. With the sun out, it made the meadow look even more beautiful. I used this place as a therapeutic spot, just to think.

I turned Bella around to the meadow and told her to open her eyes.

She opened them, and gasped in shock. She looked around, taking everything in. What I would give to be inside of her head. She looked back to me, and I took her hand. I helped her sit down in the soft grass, and she sat in my lap.

"Tell me what you're thinking," I said.

"This place is beautiful." She said, laying her head on my shoulder.

"I found this a few years ago, right after one of mine and Dad's many arguments. I come here to think sometimes. I thought, since you wanted to be alone, I'd bring you here," I said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

She snuggled closer to me, sniffling, "Thank you."

"Why am I the only one allowed to touch you?" I asked, curiously.

Bella looked out in front of her, thinking. "Because you're the only one who won't look at me funny, or out pity, or doubt. You don't think you know what's best for me, because you are what's best for me." She looked back at me, with fresh tears in her eyes. "Unless, you don't want it, like, want me anymore."

I cupped her face, wiped her eyes, and kissed her lips softly. "Of course, I do. I just want you to heal first."

"Heal?" she whispered.

I lifted her sleeve to see her cutting scars. "How did these happen?" I asked.

She shook her head and pulled down her sleeve roughly.

"Bella, please."

She closed her eyes, and took deep breaths for a while. "I felt like that was the only way to release everything....I couldn't talk to Rose or Alice because they'd never fully understand. And the media is no help! They insult me, like I'm some kind of weakling, because it's my fault!" She covered her face, and cried in my shoulder. "I want him out of my head! He's still with me, wherever I go! It's like I can't think without him in my head! So, I thought that by grabbing a sharp thing and....." she started rubbing her arms, "I thought it would take the pain away. And for a while it did. But then, more media shit happened, and everyone asked too many questions, so I just went right back to hurting myself. Just to keep the noise for a while."

I sighed in pain, heartbroken for my best friend, my girl. How could have things gotten so screwed up?

"Rose was right. If you hadn't have met me, not of this would be happening." I said.

"Rose?" Bella frowned. "What did she say?"

"She says I destroyed your life. That I should find someone else to go hang out with." I felt my nostrils flare in anger, and Bella fingers crept on my cheek.

"Hey, you did nothing wrong. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. If I hadn't have gone up in your room that night, none of this would have happened."

"Hey, hey. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault." I shook her shoulders. "In fact, I love you so much for defending yourself. Now, with the police on guard of him, they can find him and arrest him."

"You still love me?" she whispered.

"Yes." I kissed her forehead, and looked into her eyes. "Now, more than ever. But we shouldn't get into anything until you're healed."

Bella looked down and played with the grass below her. "Can we wait awhile?" she asked.

"Sure, we can wait for as long as you want." I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in. She lay on top of me, and I kissed her hair.

We stayed in our meadow for a while longer, until the sky turned into shades of pink and blue. We didn't do much talking after that, but I could tell Bella felt a lot better knowing she had someone on her side.