I own nothing Twilight!

This is a short story that consist of 6 chapters. It will post every Tuesday and Thursday!

Thanks to my wonderful pre-readers Elodie Whitlock, SassyYNoles and tumbles84!

~Prologue~

Life isn't easy. Whoever said it was, is a fool. Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. I'm sure my life looks perfect to others. I have a beautiful home, two wonderful girls, and a sexy husband. I'm living the American dream. I should be happy, right?

Then why do I feel so empty, so numb? Life goes on, day after day. I see it moving around me. I just can't feel it. Don't get me wrong. I love my girls with everything I am. Edward, my husband, is a different story. I do believe I love him on some level. I'm just not in love with him anymore. When did it all fall apart? Was there any way to stop the downward spiral of my life?

A smile forms as I think of the one constant in my life, my best friend Alice. She's my rock, my confidant, and my sanity. She's always there to pick me up when I fall. She's the eternal optimist. Her favorite saying is, "You sometimes have to change things within yourself before you can expect the things around you to change.".

~Chapter One~

It had been a very long day. I'd finally just fallen asleep when I felt Edward shake me. "Bella, wake up." He sounded frantic.

"What the hell, Edward? I'm trying to sleep," I snapped, pushing him away.

"You have to get up. Jasper is on the phone."

He looked me in the eyes as he handed me the phone. All I could see was sadness and pain. My heart sank, something was wrong. As soon as I placed the phone to my ear, I could hear him crying. "Jasper? What's wrong?"

"It's Alice, she's... g...gone."

I gasped. "What? No, she can't be…" I cried, the weight of what he was telling me crushing my soul. No. Not Alice. "How?" I whispered as I fought back tears.

He managed to get out a little of the story at a time between his sobs. "She was driving home. The roads were icy and a truck lost control and hit her head on..." A moment of total silence followed this statement. I could hear him taking deep breaths. "Then it caught fire."

The agony in his voice broke what was left of my heart. I wanted to hold him, soothe him, and tell him everything would be okay, but it wouldn't. She's gone. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and focused on my best friend's shattered husband. "Jasper, my God. I'm so sorry. I'm coming over," I cried out as I jumped out of bed.

"Thank you," Jasper whispered before the line went dead.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked as he tried to put his arm around me.

"No, I'm not. My best friend is gone. Gone!" I yelled as I pushed him out of my way, frantically trying to get ready to leave. "I'm going to be with Jasper. Just please look after the girls." I dressed quickly. I couldn't fall apart. I needed to be strong because Jasper would be a mess.

The next day proved to be very long and emotional. I was there for support as Jasper made the necessary funeral arrangements. I tried to keep my grieving in check. I wanted to be strong for him. He was so distant, lost, and broken. As I drove home, my mind wandered. I began to think of my life and how much it had revolved around Alice and our friendship. She had been my best friend since grade school. We were both only children. We found a safe haven in each other, a sisterhood, so to speak. She was my friend, my rock, and my sister. We were there for each other for our first kisses, the first time we fell in love, our first heartbreaks, and the loss of our virginities.

When she met Jasper during our freshman year in college, he swept her off her feet. They were perfect for one another. Their wedding was beautiful. With each year that passed, I could see their love grow. I was so happy Alice had found the other half of her soul, but I had to be honest. I was also a little jealous.

I met Edward at a bar one night when I was out with Alice and some other girlfriends. I'd just come off a major break up and I was finally getting back into the dating game. It had been a very long dry spell. Through it all, Alice kept pushing me to get back out there and meet someone. She wanted me to be happy. I wasn't sure I was ready. It had been ten months since I left Michael. We were living together and engaged to be married when I found out Michael was cheating on me. The fucking bastard. If I had been honest with myself, I should've seen it coming. I worked as a bartender at the town's main bar, for God's sake. I knew everything about everybody. Of course, I heard the rumors. I was just in deep denial. I really believed Michael would never do that to me. The break up was obviously ugly—very ugly.

During my relationship with Michael, my friendship with Alice took a toll. We'd always shared everything with each other before that relationship, but I instinctually pushed Alice away. I didn't want her to know what was really going on. I never wanted anyone to know the abuse I endured. She finally said she couldn't stand by anymore and watch me lose myself, that I had changed, so we slowly stopped talking.

I decided to confront Michael one night in order to find out if he was cheating on me or not. We fought after he admitted he was. That fight was different, though. That time I finally fought back. I showed up at Alice's house with blood on my shirt; some of it was mine, some was Michael's. She took me in with open arms. That night, I told her everything I'd been through. She just held me and let me cry, whispering it would be okay; it was finally over and I was safe.

Ten months later, I meet this cute guy. Edward was fun and a breath of fresh air. I quickly fell for him, and I fell hard. He was simply gorgeous and treated me like a lady which was something I wasn't used to. After a year, he asked me to marry him, making me incredibly happy. Alice was over-the-moon. She helped me plan my simple yet elegant wedding. Now years later, Edward and I were the parents of two amazing little girls. My life revolved around Maggie and Amber. Somewhere along the way, Edward and I stopped talking and most regretfully, stopped having sex.

I took a deep breath and wiped away my tears as I pulled into the driveway. I needed to steady my emotions before I walked inside and faced my family.

End Notes:

See you Thursday!