FicWad

Author's Note: I'm so very sorry for the long wait. I was extremely busy with finals. But, now I've finished my 1st year of college and I have nearly four months to devote to my writing, so expect much sooner updates! Once again I'll mention the fact that if you have ideas or suggestions, the plot is flexible enough to add those ideas. So, if there's anything you'd like to see happen, don't hesitate to mention it and I will do my best! Thank you for reading my story!

Chapter 11: A Beautiful Lie

I stood outside the courtroom, pacing nervously and wringing my hands. I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I'd spent the last few nights awake, worrying about the trial. Suddenly, the doors open and Jake steps out. I stop pacing, and turn towards him. He walks towards me and takes my hands in his.

"We should go in," he says.
"I can't do this. I thought I could, but I can't."
"Yes, you can. Be strong for me, sweetheart. You can do this."
"I need something to drink."
"My mom has your water, c'mon."

He leads me inside, and we walk down the seemingly long hallway, where Robert, Claire and Jennifer are standing in front of large wooden doors.

"Can I have Isa's water?" Jake asks Claire, and she digs in her purse before producing a small bottle of water, "thanks."

He twists the cap open and hands it to me. I take large sips from the bottle before twisting the cap back on.

"Sweetie," Claire says, "you look very pale. Do you feel alright?"
"I'm fine. I'm just nervous."
"And drained; you haven't slept longer than four hours in the past week," Jake says.
"I'm fine," I assure them.
"We should probably go and sit down. Your father will most likely be in there already, but don't let him scare you. He won't be able to touch you, okay?" Robert says reassuringly.

I nod my head, and Robert opens the door. A few people turn around to see who's entering, and I step back slightly. I feel Jake wrap an arm around me, and he gently pushes me forward, leading me towards the benches at the front of the room. I feel my heart beat slightly faster in my chest as I see daddy turn around and stare at me coldly. I feel my eyes pool with tears, and I turn away. I lean closer to Jake, and his arm wraps around me slightly tighter. We sit down, and he pulls me against him, kissing the top of my head.

"It'll all be over soon, baby," he whispers to me, and I nod against him, "just hang in there a little longer."

I jump slightly as I feel a hand suddenly rest on my shoulder. I turn my head and I see Julie's face.

"Hey, babe," she says, "how are you holding up?"
"I'm fine. What are you doing here? I thought you had to work?"
"I took the day off. I told Andy that there was no way I could let me best friend go through this alone. He understood though. He knows that you deal with some issues, and he knew that you could use my support."
"Thanks, Julie. I'm so glad you're here."
"Anytime, sweetie," she says to me before smiling at Jake, "hey, Jake."
"Hey, Julie, what's up?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. How about you?"
"Enjoying the company of this gorgeous girl," he says as he gently squeezes my shoulder, "along with working and classes."

Before either of them can say something else, an officer orders everyone to stand as the judge enters the courtroom. As we stand, Jake takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I look over at him as he mouths, "I love you," to me. I squeeze his hand back, as I mouth the same words to him, too.

Throughout the entire trial, Jake's hand never left mine, except when we testified. As I sat up there, staring at the man who took pleasure in my pain, all the fear I'd once felt came barging back full speed. Tears fell down my face as I answered every question. When I got back in my seat, Jake wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"Are you okay?" he whispered softly as I nod.
"I'm fine."

As the trial was coming to an end, the slight nervousness I'd felt before feels even worse now. Would he really be put away? If he would, for how long? Panic starts to set in; what if he didn't get put away at all? Would I be safe? Would he let me be happy?"

"Guilty."

The word breaks me from my thoughts, and I look up almost startled.

"You are sentenced to serve six months in county jail. After that, you will be sentenced to serve house arrest for three years. You will be permitted to leave the jail and your home to go to and from work and designated places, and even then your officer must be aware of your whereabouts. You will not be allowed to see your daughter," the judge explains, "as of right now, there is a restraining order in place. Ms. Thompson, if your father comes within two hundred feet of you, you're to call the police immediately."

She continues to speak, but I drift away. I look over at daddy, half expecting him to already be looking back at me with a glare. Instead, he's looking straight ahead. Then suddenly, as if sensing my eyes on him, he turns and looks at me. His stare is cold and hateful. I look away and blink back tears as the reality sets in.

"C'mon, baby," Jake says as he stands.

I look around and notice that everyone's started to file out. I stand up on shaky legs, and I follow him. My hand grasps his tightly, and he gives it a comforting squeeze. He leads me past the large wooden doors, and he pulls me into the hallway. His arms wrap tightly around me, pulling me into a hug. I feel so disoriented with the whole situation. I felt him pull away, and I looked away, staring blankly at the wall.

"Isabella," I hear him say as he cups my face, "Baby, are you okay?"

I blink slowly, my eyes flickering to his. I feel tears pool in my eyes as worry fills his. He runs his thumbs under my eyes, wiping away the tears that are starting to fall.

"Baby, it's going to be okay," he whispers as he looks into my eyes, "he won't be able to come near you, and if he does, he'll get thrown in jail for it."
"I just want to be happy..." I whimper softly.
"You will be, sweetheart. You're going to be happy, and fine. You believe me, don't you?"

I nod slightly, and he pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly. He runs his hand up and down my back, pressing loving kisses on top of my head. His hands rub my sides gently, before moving to my back again.

"Everything's going to be okay. This might not be exactly what we wanted, but this works," he whispers, "I'm not going to let him hurt you."
"Promise?" I whisper softly.
"Yes, sweetheart," he hugs me slightly tighter, "I promise."

He pulls back slightly, his hands moving up to cup my face. He presses his lips against mine in a soft kiss, and I relax against him, wrapping my arms around his middle. He pulls away slowly and wipes my tears away.

"Where's the bathroom? I want to splash some cold water on my face."
"It's around the corner."
"Can I go with you, Isa?" Jennifer asks.
"Sure," I pull away from Jake, and lean down to pick up Jennifer, "we'll be right back."
"You don't have to carry her, sweetheart," Jake says.
"I'd rather carry her; there are a lot of people here, and she's tiny anyway."

He nods slightly and I start to walk in the direction of the bathroom. I find it quickly, and I set her down. As she walks into one of the stalls, I stand in front of the mirror. I run the cold water, and cup my hands under the water. I splash my face with cold water a few times before carefully patting my face dry to avoid smudging my make up. I run my hands through my hair as I see Jennifer come out of the stall.

"All done, princess?"
"Yup," she smiles.
"Okay, c'mere so you can wash your hands."

She walks over to me, and I pick her up, leaning her slightly against the sink. She opens the faucet and washes her hands. I turn her around and I sit her on the counter. I grab some paper towels for her, and she takes them with a slight nod. She quickly dries her hands with them before balling them up.

"If you make it in the basket, you can piggy ride back," I say with a smile.
"And if I don't make it?"
"Then I piggy ride on your back."

She laughs and shakes her head.

"I can't give you a piggy back ride!" she squeals.
"You'd better make it then!"

She aims at the trash can, and I smile. She throws it and holds her breath. She lets out a sigh of relief when it goes in. She looks at me and smiles, motioning me to turn around.

"Piggy back ride for me!" she grins.

I laugh softly and turn around. I squat down enough for her to wrap her arms around my neck. I reach for her legs, and gently wrap them around my body.

"Can you hold them like this, monkey?"
"Yup!" she says.
"Okay."

I stand up as I hold her up by her legs, and she giggles. I make my way out of the bathroom, and down to where Jake was standing.

"Hey, wait a minute," Jennifer suddenly says, and I stop walking.
"What's wrong?"
"Did you just call me a monkey?"

I burst out laughing, and I shake my head. I keep walking as I laugh.

"You little doof, I thought something was wrong!"
"Something is wrong! You seem to think I'm a hairy animal!"
"And what hairy animal would that be?" Jake asks with a soft chuckle.
"A monkey!" she squeals.
"You are a monkey," Jake laughs as he grabs her from behind me.

She squeals with laughter, and he twirls her around before throwing her up in the air.

"You're as light as a feather, I swear," he says.
"I told you. I could probably throw her up and catch her."
"Sweetheart," he says with an amused laugh, "you don't catch anything you throw."
"You're not throwing me, then!" Jennifer says as she links her arms around Jake's neck.

I laugh slightly and she flashes me a toothy grin. Jake reaches for me and pulls me into his side, wrapping his free arm around as he balances Jennifer on his opposite hip. He kisses the top of my head, and I wrap my arms around him, resting my head against him. Suddenly, a flash goes off and we turn to see Julie with a digital camera. Jennifer scowls suddenly and I make a mental note to ask her later.

"You guys look so cute together! Like a happy little family," she says.
"I wanna go with mommy," Jennifer says as she wiggles around in Jake's arms.
"If she's not right around this corner, come right back, and I'll help you find her, okay?" he asks her as he puts her down.

As soon as he lets her go, she runs towards where Jake told her Claire was. Jake moved towards me, wrapping his arms around me, pulling my back against his chest.

"We should do something tonight," Julie says and I shrug.
"I don't know...like what?" I ask.
"Let's get all dolled up and go to Atlantis."
"Actually, you'll have to count us out, I've got something planned for Isa tonight," Jake speaks up.
"You do?" I ask, and he nods with a smile.
"Would I totally be butting in if I asked to tag along?"
"Well...I kind of already made plans for just the two of us, and I think it might be too late to call and add a third party."
"Okay, no problem. If I'm no longer needed here, I'm going to go shopping," she grins, "give me a call later and we'll get together soon."
"Definitely; buy yourself something pretty."
"Pretty? I don't do pretty, babe. I do hot and sexy. Pretty is your thing."

I feel Jake stiffen at her comment and I look down slightly.

"No, pretty isn't her thing either," Jake speaks up, "Isa's thing is more like beautiful, gorgeous...stunning."
"Yeah, and hot and sexy definitely isn't your thing either," Chad says from behind, "your thing is more like slut wear, hooker wear, cheap stripper kind of thing, you get the deal, don't you, sugar?"
"Screw you, Chad," she says flipping him off.
"You wish, honey, but sorry, I don't roll that low."

She glares at him before stomping away from us, angrily flinging her purse back and forth. I shake my head slightly, and Chad looks at me.

"What kind of stupid comment was that?" he asks with a disgusted look, "from your best friend no less. I swear, I don't know why you're friends with that stupid little skank."
"She didn't mean it the way you guys took it."
"Yes, she did! She said it like she was better than you, please. Stupid slut."
"He's right, baby," Jake says softly, "I didn't like the way she said that, or the fact that she said it in the first place."
"Well, it's not like she lied."
"You see!" Chad says, "The reason you think so low of yourself is because of people like her. And you want to know why she puts you down? Because the slut knows she can't compete with you unless you're feeling low about yourself."
"Will you two stop bad mouthing her! She's my best friend!" I say suddenly.
"I'm sorry, but I don't like her. I wish you weren't friends with her."
"Well, I am. She's been through a lot with me, and I love her for it."
"Okay, I'm sorry, but you have to understand why I'm upset."
"We're," Jake corrects him, "you have to understand why we're upset."
"I do, but that doesn't change the way I feel about her," I say softly, "and I would really like it if you apologized to Julie, Chad."
"I'm not going to apologize, sorry, sweetie, but I still think she's a skanky slut, and the only reason I'm not ranting about it anymore is because I know it upsets you."
"I'm not going to make you apologize to her, but thank you. I know you care about me and you don't want anymore to hurt me, but I'm okay. That's just the way Julie is, she doesn't mean any harm by it."
"C'mere, you," he says opening his arms for me.

Jake releases me and I step into Chad's embrace, wrapping my arms around him.

"I love you, teddy bear," I whisper.
"I love you, too, bumble bee."

He gives me a gentle squeeze before releasing me.

"I'd better get going; I have to get back to work."
"Okay, thank you so much for being here, Chad."
"Anytime, sweetie," he says to me before looking a Jake, "I'll see you later, man."
"Alright, thanks again."
"Of course; take care of your girl."
"Always," Jake says as he wraps his arms around me again.
"Bye, teddy girl!" I call out as he starts to walk away.

He turns around, and holds up a peace sign. I smile to myself and I turn around to face Jake.

"So...what do you have planned for us?" I ask as he pulls me close to him again.
"It's a surprise," he answers with a grin.
"Oh, c'mon, a surprise? Can I at least have a clue?"
"Nope, no clues; you'll just have to wait and see."
"But..." I whimper with a pout.
"No buts," he whispers before claiming my pouty lips in a soft kiss, "just trust me."
"I do."
"Then you have nothing to worry about."

He gives me another kiss, wrapping his arms tight around me.

"You two just can't keep your hands off of each other, can you?"

We pull apart to see Jennifer standing a few feet away, with an amused Claire and Robert. I blush lightly, and Jake shakes his head as he chuckles.

"She's just too irresistible," Jake says and I laugh softly.
"Will Tommy and I do that one day?"
"No," Jake suddenly scowls.
"Yes, we will," Jennifer says with a big grin.

Jake presses a quick somewhat distracted kiss on my cheek, before looking over to her. He takes a few steps towards her, and she squeals before taking off running away. We all laugh as Jake runs after her.

"C'mon, sweetie," Robert says as he puts an arm around me, gently leading me along, "are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"I know that this was probably not what you were expecting, but we can definitely work with this."
"I know. Thank you for everything you've done; both of you. You've done so much for me, I owe you guys so much, and I don't even know how to begin repaying you."
"You don't owe us anything, darling," Claire says, "just make my son happy and any debt you may think you have in that silly head of yours will be repaid."
"I live to make that man happy," I say as I look ahead at him.
"So does she, honey, believe me, so does he," Robert says as he looks at me, "I can see you two getting married in the future."
"So can I," Claire says.
"I love him so much, but I'm afraid I won't be what he expects."
"Oh, honey, you have nothing to be afraid of. He loves you, darling; nothing's ever going to change that."
"She's right, sweetie," Robert says, "plus, you two have the opportunity to live with each other, and even though I have no doubt that there's nothing you two don't know about each other, it'll be good for you both. You know, get used to each other's habits and quirks, but you'll be fine. I have no doubt you're both meant for each other."
"I can definitely see myself spending the rest of my life with him."

No one says anything else as we reach Jake and Jennifer. Jake looks over at me with a smile, and I smile back at him. I watch as he lifts Jennifer up into his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead. I walk over to him, and he wraps his free arm around me as he balances Jennifer on his hip. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss against my lips.

"Guess what?" I ask him softly.
"What, baby?"
"I love you."

I watch as his smile widens, and he leans down to press another kiss on my lips. He slowly pulls away and smoothes my cheek.

"I love you, too, sweetheart."
"Jake, can you buckle Jennifer in for me, honey?" Claire calls out.
"Sure," he calls back.
"Will I see you guys at home?" Jennifer asks.
"In a little bit, I'm taking Isa somewhere first."

I walk over to Jake's truck as he walks towards Claire's car. I smile as I see the black monster flash its lights and beep. I pull the door open and climb in, closing the door after me. I scoot over to the middle, and I pull my seat belt on. As I'm sitting waiting, I see a black Cadillac with heavily tinted windows slowly drive by. It suddenly stops in my view, and the window slowly rolls down. I feel my heart beat faster as the driver pulls his dark shades and looks directly at me.

Suddenly, there's a loud tap on the passenger side window and I scream as my head snaps around to look out the window. My eyes water when I see nobody there. I turn to look towards the car, only to see a man in a long black trench coat making his way towards Jake's truck. I cry out softly, desperately trying to unbuckle my seatbelt as the man gets closer. I quickly scoot away and I open the door, before scrambling out and running to where I can see Jake in the distance. I wait until I'm closer, and I don't even bother looking back.

"Jake!" I cry.

He steps out of Claire's car, and I run into his arms, crying hysterically. He wraps his arms tightly around me, holding me as he whispers in my ear.

"What happened? What's wrong?"
"I was...I was waiting in your truck, and that car," I pause to point a shaky finger at the Cadillac that was now screeching its tires to drive off, "some man was looking at me, and he got out of the car, and then there was this knock on the window, but no one was there!"
"Okay, calm down, baby, you're safe now."

I bury my face in his chest as I cry, and he rubs my back comfortingly.

"What's wrong? Isabella, why are you crying, honey?" Robert asks, as Claire trails behind him.
"I think someone tried to scare her. A black Caddy drove up and some idiot got out," Jake explains.
"Oh, sweetie, you poor thing," Claire says as she hugs me tightly.

Jake steps back slightly to let her comfort me. I hug her back, letting my body relax in her motherly embrace.

"Where are you guys headed to?" I hear Robert ask.
"I'm not sure anymore. Do you still feel like going out, sweetheart?"
"I thought we weren't going out until tonight?" I ask, sniffling softly.
"Well, that too."
"I'd like to change and clean up a little if we're going somewhere."
"Okay," he says, "we'll go home for a while."

I nod as I reach up and wipe my tears. He frowns slightly and reaches for me, pulling me into his arms.

"You're safe with me, okay?" he whispers softly.
"Okay," I nod.

He cups my face in his hands, and brushes his thumbs along my cheeks, wiping my tears away.

"Where's that smile I love so much?" he asks, and I can't help but smile, "there it is."

He presses a soft kiss against my lips, and I wrap my arms around his waist. He simply holds me against him.

"I love you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he whispers.
"I know; I love you, too, Jake."
"I'll stay behind and follow you guys back," Robert says.
"That's alright, dad, you can go ahead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Jake says, "we're fine, aren't we, baby?"
"Yeah," I say with a small smile.
"Alright."

Jake starts to lead me back to his truck, his around tight around me. He leads me towards the driver's side, and I look up in confusion.

"You're not making me drive, are you?" I ask and he chuckles.
"No, silly. I want you slide in through this door."
"Oh."
"Just being cautious, don't start worrying, beautiful."

I nod and he opens the door for me. I climb in and scoot to the middle as Jake climbs in after me. We both pull out seatbelts on, and he starts the truck. I scream in surprise when loud music blares through the speakers. Jake quickly turns it down as he curses softly.

"We weren't listening to music this morning," I point out as he pulls out of the parking space.
"So?"
"So how was the volume turned up so loud?"
"Chad moved my truck over a little so he could park next to me, it was probably him."
"Oh."
"I know you're afraid, baby, but don't think about it so much, okay?" he says softly, "plus, I'm here, and you know you're safe with me."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry; like I said, I know you're afraid, and it's understandable, but it'll be okay."
"I know, I promise not to be a complete wreck."

He chuckles softly and wraps an arm around me, puling me to him.

"Where were you taking me?" I ask softly.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you said you were taking me out tonight, and when I asked you about it, you said it was a surprise."
"Yeah," he says with a grin.
"Well, it's only noon...where we you going to take me?"
"I forgot."
"Liar!" I say and he laughs.
"I was going to take you to the pier; I thought you'd appreciate the fresh air after such a heavy morning."
"That sounds nice, but I'd still like to change if that's okay."
"Yeah, that's fine, baby."

As he drove back to the house, I rested my head against his shoulder, letting the soft movement of the truck lull me into a deep sleep.

~*~

I tighten my arm around Isabella as I pass a curve to keep her from falling over. I brush hair from her face as I smile; happy that she was finally getting some sleep. She'd spent the past week tossing and turning all night. She's been so stressed out about the trial, and on top of that, she's been worried about waking me. We'd stay up and talk about the most random things. That was one of the things I enjoyed the most about our relationship; the fact that we could talk about anything. I pulled into the driveway, slightly surprised that it's empty. I kill the engine, and sit back.

I look down at Isabella as she sleeps against my chest, and I can't help but smile. I rest my head against hers and close my eyes as I reflect on the past few hours. I was so sure Tim would get put away for what he'd done. I thought about taking her away, away from this life that haunts her. I tighten my arm around her slightly as my mind wanders to the incident outside of the courthouse. I think back to the black Cadillac that was screeching away, and anger courses through my veins at the thought of someone hurting her.

I feel her stir slightly against me and I look down at her. I watch as her eyelids flutter open and she covers her mouth as she yawns. She looks up at me and she gives me a little smile.

"Sorry," she whispers, "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Don't be sorry, sweetheart. I'm actually glad you slept for at least a little bit."
"How long have we been here?"
"Not long, just a few minutes."
"Should we go in?" she asks softly.
"Yeah," I whisper after taking a quick glance in the rearview mirror, "let's go."

I pull both of our seatbelts off, and I push the door open. I hop out, before turning to hold out my hand for her. She takes it with a small smile, and I help her down. I lock my truck after closing the door, and I hit the alarm button. I put my arm around Isabella, and lead her towards the door. As I'm unlocking it, I heart Beast barking aggressively from the other side, and I smile. I push the door open, and Isabella jumps slightly at the sight of Beast. I close the door behind us, and lock it.

"Hey, girl," she coos as she kneels, petting Beast; who immediately clams down, "have you been behaving?"
"Let me know if she answers, alright?" I tease playfully, and she scowls at me.
"Don't be mean."
"Me? I'm never mean, baby."
"You were being mean just now," she says as she stands up.
"I'm only mean so I can make it up to you afterwards," I smile as I wrap my arms around her small waist.
"Oh, is that so?" she grins.

I nod my head, and she giggles softly. I reach up with one hand, sliding past her ear and into her soft hair before pulling her lips towards mine. I kiss her softly, gently moving my lips against her delicate lips. Using the arm that's wound around her waist, I pull her body against mine, earning a soft gasp from her lips. I look at her face, memorizing every feature, every line, every freckle. Her eyes are closed, and her lips are slightly parted. I kiss her again, tugging gently at her bottom lip; enjoying the soft whimper that escapes her. I spread kisses along her face, kissing her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and her closed eyelids, before moving down to pepper soft lingering kisses along her jaw line.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" I murmur softly as my kisses move to the side of her neck.
"If it's anything near how much I love you, then yes," she murmurs back.

I rest my forehead against her shoulder after planting a final kiss where my forehead now rests. My arms are wrapped tightly around her waist, as hers are wrapped around my back.

"It's still early, baby; why don't we skip the pier and you take a little nap?" I suggest softly, pressing a gentle kiss on her shoulder.
"Will you nap with me?"
"I'll stay until you fall asleep; there's something I have to go do, but I'll be back before you wake up, and yes, I will nap with you."
"What are you going to go do?"
"Nothing that you should worry your pretty little head about."
"Does it have anything to do with that surprise of yours?"
"Not telling."

She looks up at me with a playful glare, and I kiss her forehead.

"C'mon, beautiful, let's get you in bed," I whisper softly, "you need to be well rested for tonight."
"Just what are you planning?"
"I'm not telling you," I chuckle as I lead her up the stairs, "if I tell you, it won't be a surprise."
"I don't mind," she grins.
"I do!"

I give her butt a playful swat and she squeals before rushing up a few steps.

"What was that for?" she asks as we walk into my bedroom.
"For being a little brat!"
"You love it, you know it."

I can't help but grin as I watch her hips sway from side to side, before she climbs onto my bed. She suddenly turns her head to look at me, and I laugh, knowing I've been caught.

"What are you looking at, mister?" she asks playfully.
"I'm looking at that perfect butt God graced you with," I say with a grin, and she blushes as she giggles.
"At least you're honest."
"No reason not to be," I say with a shrug, "plus, I can't help if I like your body."

I let my eyes rake down her form, drinking in the sight of her perfect curved body. I reach up and let my hand caress her side, moving to the side of her hip, feeling her shiver underneath me. I lean up and press my lips against hers in a soft kiss. She responds almost immediately, kissing me back just as softly. We pull away from each other and I smile down at her.

"Close your eyes for me, sweetheart," I whisper, "I won't go anywhere until I'm sure you're asleep."
"Leave Beast inside," she murmurs as her eyes flutter closed.
"I will, don't worry. I won't be gone long; you'll be okay."

She barely nods as she tilts her head to the side, letting out a soft sigh. I lay beside her, and she turns onto her side, facing away from me and the window. I smile and turn on my side as well, spooning behind her. I wrap my arms around her waist and she whimpered softly. I knew she was asleep by the way her body felt against mine. I smoothed her hair away from her face before pressing a kiss against her shoulder blade.

"I love you," I whisper ever so softly.

Slowly I got up, making sure not to wake her. I grab the black throw blanket and I cover her with it. I walk over to the window and close the blinds to keep the light out of the room, in case she flipped over. I slowly leave the room, and I briefly toy with the thought of locking it from the inside.

Deciding against it, I make my way down the stairs. I find Beast lying in the living room, and I take notice of the fact that she can see both the back and front door.

"Good girl," I say as I crouch down and pet her, "I'll be back soon. Take care of my baby, okay?"

She tilts her head to look at me, and I laugh softly as I realize I was doing the same thing that Isa did earlier. I put her once again before getting up and heading towards the door.

~*~

I watch the front door open from behind my sunglasses, and I sit up slightly as I see him. I watch as he locks the door, and I notice the angry and serious expression on his face. I smile to myself and wonder if he had a fight with his precious Isabella. I bring the lit cigarette between my red lips and take a long drag of it before throwing it out the open car window. I watch as he slips his sunglasses on and I can't help but admire his muscular and toned body as he opens the door of his truck. I sit back in slight disappointment when he gets in.

"Don't worry, baby, once that tramp is out of our lives, he'll be all yours," the figure beside me whispers.

~*~

I drive down the highway, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles were white. I turned off towards the county jail, and it got harder to control my anger.

It doesn't take me long to get there, and I sit in my truck with my eyes closed. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. I sigh loudly in frustration before killing the engine and getting out. I make my way towards the entrance, nodding to the two cops at the doors, before walking up to the front desk.

"Good afternoon, may I help you?" says the woman at the front.
"Yeah, I need to see Timothy Thompson."
"Your name?"
"Jacob Stephens."
"One second please."

She turns to the computer screen and types something in. I walk away as I hear her speak into the walkie-talkie. I close my eyes, taking another deep breath.

"Sir," she calls out, and I turn around, "if you go down this hallway, and make the third right, you'll run into the visitation room."
"Okay, thanks."
"Sure."

I walk down the hallway with my hands shoved deep into my pockets. As I make the turn she told me, I see the visitation room sign.

"Jacob Stephens?" the police after asks, and I nod, "I need to run the metal detector through you."
"Okay."

He moves the wand along my body, probably waiting for it to start going off loudly. After he finishes, he backs off slightly.

"Thompson's waiting; you have fifteen minutes."
"I'll only need five," I say under my breath as I walk in.

As I make my way towards him, it takes every muscle in my body not to pounce on him and beat him into a bloody pulp. I ignored the chair provided, and I bend down, planting my palms on the table, looking straight at him.

"What are you doing here?" he spits out, "I figured it'd be that stupid little girl ranting on about how she forgave me."
"Don't you dare name call her to my face, you miserable bastard," I growl at him, "I'm not here for chit-chat."
"Then what do you want?"
"I'm just here to tell you to stay away from my girlfriend."
"Your girlfriend?" he laughs, "Don't be so dramatic, boy. I know her name."
"Stay away from her, and keep your people away from her, or you'll regret it, I'll personally make sure of it."

I stepped away and started to walk away from him.

"You'll be thanking me for killing her when she cheats on you the same way her whore of a mother cheated on me; by the way...you didn't leave her alone, did you?"

I suddenly turned around, and took two steps towards him, letting my fist fly into the side of his face. I watch as he falls over, hitting the floor with a painful grunt. I try to lunge at him, but an officer holds me back.

"Get him out of here!" a voice yells.

I loosen my body, waiting to be dragged out, but he doesn't. Instead, they drag Tim out, pushing and shoving him, calling him names.

"Are you alright?" the officer asks me as he releases me.
"Yeah," I say, "I don't mean to be a smart mouth, but you do know that I was the one who hit him, right?"
"Provoking visitors isn't exactly tolerated."
"But knocking inmates out is?"
"Well, he doesn't have great things to say about women, and I've got a daughter who's the same age as his. He hasn't made many friends these past few weeks.
"Guy's a freaking jerk; I disliked him since the day my girlfriend introduced him to me."
"He'll get what's coming to him," he says and I nod, "let's go."

I follow as he leads me towards the door and I give him a nod before exiting the building. I walk over to my truck, and just as I start to approach it, my cell phone starts to ring. I immediately dig it out, and flip it open.

"Hello?"
"Hello, angel," a soft all too familiar voice says.
"What do you want, Amanda?"
"Well, that's easy," she whispers, "you."
"Yeah, well, we all have things we want that we can't have."
"I could have you if you'd let me, darling. You don't need that silly little girl; you know she can't satisfy you the way I can."
"I highly doubt that. I'm hanging up now."
"I'd look better on your bed right now."

My heart stopped; was she there? Was she watching her? Would she hurt her?

"You'd have to get rid of that stupid dog, though."
"Amanda, where are you?"
"You'd love to know, wouldn't you?"
"I'm not kidding around," I growl, "tell me where you are."
"Bye, baby," she whispers.

I slam my hand into the steering wheel in frustration as I press my foot harder on the accelerator. I flip my phone open again and I press 'mom' on it.

"Hello?"
"Mom," I say urgently, "where are you?"
"Jake, honey, what's the matter?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm almost home. I can see our driveway from here."
"I think Amanda's going to try to hurt Isa. I left her asleep in my room. I left Beast inside but I don't know, Amanda really scared me."
"I'm pulling in right now," she says, "where did you go?"
"I went to see Tim."
"What? Honey, what for?"
"Because...I'm afraid he's going to hurt Isabella."
"I'll be right back, sweetie."

I hear Jennifer in the background and I sigh slightly in relief, as I see my exit up ahead.

"I don't see anyone's car, darling," mom says, "I'm about to go up the stairs now."
"Okay," I sigh.

I hear soft knocking before the soft squeaking of the door as it swings open. I exit off of the highway, and I listen closely to the phone.

"I don't see anything strange, honey," she whispers.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Okay...well, I'm almost home," I say, "I'll Jen out of the car for you."
"Alright, sweetie, thanks."
"No problem."

She hangs up and I close my phone as I pull into the driveway. I hop out of my truck, and walk towards mom's car, meanwhile looking up and down the street.

"Hello, your royal highness, your chariot awaits," I say with a grin, and she giggles.

I lean in and unbuckle her from the seat she's in, pulling her out.

"So I was thinking earlier," she starts, and I chuckle at how official she sounds.
"Yeah? What were you thinking?"
"I think me, you and Isa should go to the beach tomorrow."
"The beach?" I ask as I walk in the house.
"Yup. It's been a long time since you took me."
"It has, hasn't it?"

She nods and I smile at her, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"Yeah, we'll go to the beach tomorrow."
"Yay!"
"Shh," mom says as we meet her on top of the stairs.
"Isa's sleeping," she says softly, "you should be doing the same, sweetie."
"I know. I'm going to go nap with her; I promised her I would."
"Okay; c'mon Jen, come help me make cookies for later."
"Ooh, can we take some on our beach picnic?"
"What beach picnic?" she asks.
"I'm taking her and Isa to the beach tomorrow," I say as I put Jennifer down.
"Oh, okay," she smiles, "of course you can."

I smile as I watch them go down the stairs, and I make my way towards my room. I slowly push the door open, and close it behind me. I lean against the door, and watch her with a little smile. She's lying on her side, her hair is sprawled freely on my pillow, and her hands are tucked under the pillow. He lips are slightly parted as she breathes softly. Her black long sleeve shirt has risen slightly, exposing her side and part of her stomach. Her black knee-length skirt has modestly risen, as well, exposing the beautiful milky skin of her legs. I notice that her feet are still adorned with the strap-like black heels, and I walk towards her. I sit down in front of the foot of the bed, and lean towards her, carefully taking her sandals off. I quietly set them down on the floor before pulling my shirt off. I throw it onto the computer chair a few feet away before climbing over to her. I gently press a kiss to her knees, watching a slightly shiver run through her body. I smile against her skin, and move to her exposed side, giving the soft skin a playful, yet gentle bite. I trailed kisses along the skin, marveling at how soft and warm it feels against my lips. I lay down next to her, facing her before pulling her body on top of mine. I settle carefully on the bed, wrapping my arms around her small waist, as she moves her head to rest comfortably against my chest, whimpering softly.

I smile as I look down at her, reaching up to push the stray hairs away from her face. I run my fingers through her hair, my other hand caressing her back. I groan softly as her legs shift around, falling around my hips. She whimpered softly, moving around slightly more. I bring my hands to her hips as I groan again, to keep her from moving anymore. I chuckle softly, rubbing her sides innocently. I close my eyes slowly, relaxing my body as I feel her relax hers, letting the sounds of her soft breathing lull me to sleep.