I couldn't control it, I was sobbing into Edward's shirt and I could do nothing to stop the flood of emotion that overtook my body. I felt my legs give way and I crumpled to the ground, but Edward never let go, he just fell to the ground with me.
"Please stop blaming yourself" I mumbled into his chest, causing him to laugh slightly.
"Only you would be thinking about my feelings right now" He replied.
"I mean it" I said sternly, lifting my head to face him, "stop blaming yourself."
"But..."
"No buts" I interrupted, "it wasn't your fault." I said with finality, locking my eyes with Edwards, and he sighed as he wiped my tears away with his thumb.
"You know I'll never forgive myself." He replied.
"Edward..." I sighed.
"We'll just have to agree to disagree." He stated, as he pulled me back into his chest.
"You know I'll never agree to that." I replied, as I curled myself into him, I didn't have the strength to get up and I definitely didn't have the strength to leave him.
"Bella..." Edward whispered, after a minute.
"I know. I can't. I can't do it again." I whispered in reply, and I felt him take a deep breath before he answered.
"Do want me to tell them?"
"I can't ask you to do that." I replied pulling back to look at him again.
"You don't have to." He whispered, holding my eyes, before leaning in and kissing my forehead. "Come on." He added moving to a crouch before lifting me into his arms and standing up. "Charlie still gone."
I could only nod in reply.
"Your staying here tonight, I'm not letting you go home to an empty house." Edward stated, as he started up the stairs to his room.
"Well that's new" Emmett said as we turned the corner.
Edward set me down on his bed before dug a pair of sweat bottoms and a t-shirt out a draw and handing them to me.
"Why don't you get changed, and get into bed, and I'll go talk to everyone." Edward stated as he handed me the clothes, and I nodded in reply. "I'll be back in a bit." he said softly, before his kissed my forehead and leaving the room.
EPOV
I could hear everyone talking in the lounge, I knew I would be bombarded with questions as soon as I went into the room, I took a deep breath and rubbed my hands over my face, before turning the corner and walking into the room.
"Edward" Esme sighed, "Is Bella ok? What's going on?"
"Um... I think it'd be better if you all sat down, for this." I replied.
"Edward, what's going on?" Alice pressed.
"Is Bella ok?" Carlisle asked, and I could see Dr. Cullen beginning to show.
"That's a complicated question, with a complicated answer. An answer that Bella can't repeat again, so I'm gonna do it for her, I should warn you now, you're not going to like the answer." I replied and I could feel myself start to shake, as Esme placed her hand on my clenched ones.
"What happened Edward?" She asked.
"After Lilly's death..."I began, as I told them the whole story. I could feel the disapproval rolling off Carlisle and Esme, as I told them about how I helped to isolate and ridicule Bella. I could feel everyone's heart ache as I told them about how hard Bella's dad worked, and how neither of them had any idea as to where her mother had gone. But the anger, worry and shock was overwhelming as I told them about James.
"I'm gonna kill him." Emmett roared, as I finished telling them what had happened.
"Emmett, think of Bella she's still here." Esme said firmly, causing Emmett to fall back into his seat.
"You're gonna have to get in line." I replied deadly calm.
"So now you care?" Rosalie questioned, and my head snapped round to face her, but Alice answered before I could.
"Don't Rose." Alice warned. "Bella and Edward were friends long before the Kanes came along, and despite everything I know for a fact that Edward has never stopped caring about Bella." she finished.
"Edward is Bella ok? I mean did she go to the police?" Carlisle asked.
"Yeah, she went to the police." I replied darkly, "Lamb told her to go see the wizard and ask for a little backbone" I growled.
"Edward!" Esme scolded, disapproval clear in her tone.
"I'm not joking" I replied, making her gasp.
"When did you find out?" Alice asked quietly.
"Four days ago, when we had detention together. We got into another argument, and I, like the jerk I am, pushed her until she cracked." I replied and I could hear the shame I felt in my voice.
"What was that little scene about earlier?" Jasper asked.
"Bella keeps telling me it's not my fault, but I can't help thinking that if I'd just stuck by her or.... I don't know just done something, this wouldn't have happened to her." I answered hanging my head in my hands.
"Edward you can't blame yourself for something that James did. I know he's your best friend and everything but you make your own choices." Jasper reasoned.
"Was. Was my best friend." I clarified. "I just wish I could help her." I sighed looking up the stairs.
"You already have, Edward. More than you realise." Esme replied, "Go." She instructed with a warm smile nodding towards the stairs and squeezing my arm in encouragement.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I quickly made my way back to my room, back to Bella. I gently knocked on the door before making my way inside.
"Hey" I greeted as I made my way into the room, smiling as I saw that Bella was sat in the middle of my pillows, the covers pulled up over her bent knees.
"Hey" She replied.
"You ok?" I asked, not entirely sure there was an answer for that.
"Yeah" She said softy, "I'm sorry about earlier... I didn't mean to breakdown on you like that." She added, her face reddening.
"Don't worry about it." I replied sitting on the end of the bed facing her.
"I don't even know why... I mean I've never broken down like that."
"Never?"
"No. I refused to let what happened dictate who I was, I refused to become a victim." Bella replied the seriousness of her words pouring through.
"Maybe that's why. You didn't let yourself deal." I suggested.
"Maybe." She whispered, before we fell into silence. "So how'd it go?" Bella asked after a few minutes.
"Esme was heartbroken, Carlisle's worried about you, Emmett wants to kill someone and everyone else I think is in shock, I know they're all amazed at how strong you are." I replied honestly.
"What about you?" Bella questioned.
"What about me?"
"Where do you stand on all this?"
"Honestly. I'm disgusted with James. I can't tell you how hard it's been not to simply go over to his place and literally beat the life out of him, god knows I want to. You know I feel guilty, but mostly.... I'm just worried as hell about you." I explained, causing Bella's eyes to snap to mine as I finished.
"You don't have to be." Bella replied.
"Can't help it" I smiled in return, our eyes locking together as she smiled in reply. "So do you want to watch a movie or something?"
"Yeah, movie sounds great."
"What do you fancy?"
"Something funny" Bella replied as I began looking through my DVDs.
"Got it! 'Jumping Jack Flash'." I announced holding up the DVD case.
"'I'm a little black woman, in a big silver box'" Bella quoted laughing, as I put the DVD in the player, before returning to sit on the bed.
"Hey" Bella called pulling back the bed covers, "It's cold." she added smiling.
I couldn't help the smile that fell across my lips as I moved to join her under the covers, a smile that only got bigger as Bella leant into me as I sat back against the pillows.
"Thank you" Bella said softly looking up at me, "for everything."
"I didn't do anything." I replied.
"Yes you did, you did more than you know." She stated before lifting her lips to mine. "What are we doing?" She asked smiling, as we pulled away.
"No idea, but it feels right." I smiled looking in her eyes.
"I know." Bella replied, her eyes smiling, before I leant down and pressed my lips to hers once more.
I couldn't help the sigh of content that escaped my lips, as we settled back to watch the movie, Bella safely in my arms.
