Mute girl

Chapter seven.

I shuddered as I felt a light breeze on both sides of me, signalling that both Alice and Edward had run up to the window of my bedroom and left me to face Charlie alone.

I listened to the silence all around me and took a step forwards. Shutting the door behind me, I sped forwards to the living room and peeked round the door. There was Charlie, passed out on the couch in a true drunk-layabout style.

Sighing in relief I raced upstairs two steps at a time before bounding into my bedroom. Edward was sitting on the bed talking quietly to Alice while she rummaged through my clothes, picking out the most 'suitable' outfits. Edward stood up so quickly that I wasn't sure if he'd ever actually been sitting down; crossing the room and enveloping me in a hug before I could register that he was doing it.

"Are you all right?" he whispered into my ear. I nodded lightly and broke out of his arms to go help Alice, while he picked out a few photos and books that meant a lot to me. We were done in just a few minutes, what with the vampire speed they were both going at, and I slung one of the bags over my shoulder and pushed open the door. Alice smiled tightly and leaned in to whisper "Don't worry, we'll figure something out." I nodded and smiled back, but even I could tell that I looked like I didn't believe her.

This time I tiptoed down the stairs mission impossible style, trying really hard not to wake up Charlie. I got to the last step without making a sound and, my mission completed, I relaxed enough to accidentally step on a very loud squeaky floor board. "Bella...?" Charlie groaned, still half a sleep.

I held my breathe and waited for him to get up - but he never did. Instead the rumbling sound of my father's snores filled the house once again and I was able to make a swift exit from the building.

Outside Alice and Edward were already waiting in the car so I jumped into the backseat and they started driving. I had long since given up trying to get vampires to go slower when driving so I didn't even bother asking when the speed-o-meter reached one hundred. "So we get Bella to our house, report Charlie and try to think of a plan - can't Bella go live with her mom in Phoenix?" Alice asked as she ran the plan through both of us.

I gulped audibly and felt my heart rate speed up really fast. I couldn't go live with Renee again - she and Phil were still travelling and I knew for a fact that I wasn't their first priority. But that meant that my mum would send me to live with my uncle George - who was Charlie's brother and best friend.

I shook my head very firmly - No, I could not go live with another man like Charlie. Edward saw this but of course, because I had no paper to write on, he had no idea why I didn't want to go.

"Bella..." said Alice tentatively. "You spoke."

Huh?

When did I speak? I didn't say anything- anything at all - because that burning, scratchy Ice was still stuck in my throat, stopping me from talking.

"When you were in the house you called out to your father..." She explained when she saw my confused look. "You called out to him and it seemed like it was normal." Now it was her turn to be confused. I nodded and shrugged my shoulders, not knowing how to describe to them why I was okay saying just a few words to Charlie; the man who had done this to me.

Understanding immediately Edward shuffled about in the glove department in front of him and pulled out a crumpled up receipt and a pen.

"What is it Bella?" he asked me "You can tell us everything now." I took the pen and receipt from him and leaned it against my knee; trying to figure out what to tell them.

It's not that I don't want to talk - I can't. I feel like there's a lump of Ice stuck in my throat, stopping me from speaking. But when I'm at home - with Charlie - I have to speak a little, even though it's nearly impossible. He still prefers it when I'm quiet, though. He says that he doesn't want to hear my pathetic whining.

I wanted to write more, but there wasn't enough space left. I handed the paper to Alice, who scanned it quickly before passing it to Edward. I knew that he must of heard most of it in Alice's mind; but he still read it, with only one hand on the wheel. "I'm so sorry Bella, that we couldn't help you sooner. I really wish I'd seen what he did to you before it started, instead of now." Alice said, reaching her hand back to hold mine.

I clasped her cool hand in mine and smiled at her ruefully. It wasn't their fault that I'd been with Charlie so long - that was his fault for hitting me, and my fault for provoking him. Edward tightened his grip on the steering wheel and I felt the car speed up even faster than it was already going.

"We're nearly there." He stated, obviously wanting to say so much more.