My head lay across the smooth, stone surface of the rocks. This was, by far, my favourite place. My place. I could come here, to the beautiful ocean views, to the serene calm, and just think. And I did need to think. What was I going to do? Would I go to Renee, in the safe, in the comforting? Or, would I stay with Charlie? Charlie who hated me. But Charlie who lived near Edward. My beautiful Edward, who thought I was insane. I could not ask Edward to move with me to Renee, to leave his family, my second family, to leave his home. I don't think he would even consider it, not anymore. But, could I stay with Charlie? Charlie had made his intentions clear, he did not want me. He did not want to hear of me, or from me, he did not want to know me. And all because of one little mistake. That trigger I had pulled had ruined my life as I had known it. Had made me have to start all over again.

I know what I did was wrong, that shooting poor Mike was wrong, but, I thought he deserved it. No one knew what he had done to me. And I couldn't tell anyone. I already felt worthless, I already felt used. That one thing I had that I could give to Edward, that one special thing that he didn't have, was gone. Now, I would never know what it felt like to finally, be his. No, he could not know what Mike had done. Better for Edward to believe I was crazy. He could get over that. Mike would recover, and in a few years, everything would be normal. Edward would be none the wiser, I would be able to forget, and Mike's gun wound on his leg would have healed. Charlie would have gotten over the fact that I had shot someone, and my life would be full. It would be complete. Hah. If only. As I noticed my skin prickle from the cold, I stopped my thoughts and realised I had to get home. Not that it really was a home.

I shut the front door and walked into the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks as I reached the door frame. Charlie. I quickly looked down and started studying the criss-cross pattern on the floor. As usual, his chair roughly scraped back against the tiles, and I heard his footsteps come towards me. I shrunk into myself, as he plodded past. Tonight was not the night he was going to start speaking to me obviously. I sighed to myself and went about making my dinner. I didn't bother making Charlie dinner anymore, because the next morning it would just be in the bin. Uneaten, untouched. I trudged upstairs, too weary to do anything but fall into my bed. I felt lonely. Everyone I loved had seemed to abandon me. Edward was acting distant, Charlie was distant, even my teachers had stopped asking me for answers. As I drifted off into unconsciousness, I considered telling everyone what had happened. I had gone over this a thousand times though, and no one would believe me. Mike had already told me that he was just going to deny anything I said, and with the way I've been behaving lately, everyone's going to believe him. Nobody will believe me. Insane, murderous Bella.

I awoke the next morning to see Edward sitting by my bed. A large grin overtook my face, and I crept to him, wanting to feel safe in his arms. As I reached his lap, he stood up. I looked up in obvious dismay, as he sat back down. Away from me. He spoke in his velvet voice, his perfect lips forming every lonely word.

"Bell, I do not believe you are a murderer. I do not believe you tried to hurt Mike. But, I am starting to lose that belief. Tell me what happened because I am starting to doubt myself. I am starting to doubt you."

The words cut through me like ice. No. If Edward was gone. I was gone. The meaning of life was gone. He did not mean that, he could not mean that.

"Edward," my voice cracked. I took a deep breath and tried again. "I cant tell you, you won't believe me..."

He interrupted with a sharp breath. "Bella, how can you say that. I will always believe you. Always. I will always support you. Tell me."

I sighed, defeated. "One night, I was walking home. Mike came up in his car and offered me a ride. Of course, I accepted. I got in. Immediately, he locked the car. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, and I looked at him. I went to tell him to let me out when I saw a gleam in his eye. It was... It was like nothing I had seen. It was evil. Pure evil. He drove until we were way out of town, no where I had ever seen. We were in the dark, and he stopped the car. I went to tell him to take me home when he silenced me with his fingers. He told me that he was the one for me, that he was the only one for me. He told me he had wanted this since we had met, and he knew it was right. He grabbed me. And he kissed me. I tried to stop him Edward! I really did! But he wouldn't. He didn't stop. After, he told me that if I told anyone, he would deny it. He said that what he did was right. He smiled at me then, Edward. He smiled. He really believed it was okay. I was so furious then, I was shaking. I suddenly remembered how he said he carried a gun in his glove box, so I grabbed it. I was quick, but not quick enough. He saw what I was doing and grabbed me. I only got his leg, and he took the gun off me. Then he called the police, and well, you know the rest."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally all off my chest. But, what would Edward think. Would he still love me? Still want me? I started to cry at the thought that he wouldn't. Edward misread my emotions and grabbed me close. His voice, rough and angered, reassured me. He did not hate me, he hated Mike. He was apologising. He was apologising.

"Bella... if, if only I had known. I am sorry. I am so sorry. Words cannot express this. I, I doubted you. And I am sorry for that. Never. Never, will that happen again. Please forgive me."

"Oh Edward, of course I forgive you. I'm sorry it happened. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was scared."

"Bella, you need to tell Charlie. He needs to know as well. He will believe you, I will make him. Tell him Bell. I'll be right next to you the whole time."

I looked up at his face, shocked by the fierce passion wrapped around his voice. His face was saturated with silent tears. I gasped, and reached up to him. My fingers caressed his smooth face, wiping the tears away.

"Edward, don't cry. Do you know how happy I am? I thought, I thought you wouldn't want me anymore. I've been worrying so much."

He reached up to my lips with his finger, stopping my speech. "Bella, I would never not love you. Nor would I ever not want you. Don't think that, please."

My response was to grin up at him. My life was better than it had been in a while. I sighed contentedly, absent mindedly playing with his hair, tracing his face. The face I hadn't held in so, so long.