BPOV

"Hey, Bella!" Alice said as she answered her phone.

"Not guilty! Can you fucking believe it?" I half yelled into the phone.

"How the hell did that happen?"

"They said it was a 'he said she said' case. Your dad had to pull Edward out of the courtroom, because he was flipping out," I told her as I paced the bathroom.

"Of course he flipped. It is understandable."

"I need you on my side for one minute!"

"Bella, you're both freaking out. I never want to go through what the two of you went through."

"I needed him and he freaked out."

"You both are going to need each other," she said softly.

"I know," I said as I stopped my pacing. "I just don't get how it happened. I wanted him out of my life for good. Now, I know he will be around whenever he finds it fit. I wouldn't be surprised if he moved to Forks. Alice, he is the only person that has never lied to me. I thought Edward was going to be my rock," I said.

"You have to be his rock too. Have you given him a hug or assured him that you were in this together? Bella he needs you just as much as you need him. He spoils you," she said with a chuckle.

"I never thought about it that way. You're right, but I'm going to stay mad for a while. Not just at him, but...I just need to be mad," I said. I knew I sounded like a spoiled brat, but I had the right.

"You are the strongest person I know. You will get through this. Do you really think James will try to contact you?" she asked as I laughed without humor.

"He already did, but that was my fault. I should've just followed Edward out of the courtroom, but I couldn't move," I told her feeling like shit again.

"Everyone reacts differently."

"But, he's always dragged me with him when he needed to get away; he didn't this time."

"Bella, did you not just say my dad dragged him away? He probably didn't have time to grab you," she told me. God, I really hated that she was making so much sense.

"I get what you're saying. Thanks for talking me."

"What are sisters for?" she asked. Alice was awesome. I saw her and me becoming great friends.

When Edward came and told me that they we were heading out, I took the hand he offered. He tried to smile, but neither one of us had what it took right then. Before we left our room to meet Carlisle and Esme, I hugged Edward.

"We are going to make it through all this," I told him. "For everyday of forever."

"For everyday of forever, Baby."

~FEOF~

The ride back to Forks was quiet. Edward looked so tired; we both were. He asked me if I wanted to lie on his lap, and when I said no, he laid his head in mine. He wrapped his arms around my thighs, and kissed my leg before he got comfortable. I ran my fingers through his messy hair, until his breathing became even. I rested my head against the window and watched the scenery fly by. I was such a mess. James's voice was haunting me. He was so sweet; I've never known him to be that sweet. His voice held no anger or hurt, just love. I was at a loss for what to do. I knew I needed to stay away from him and I just hoped that I could do it.

"We're home," Esme said lightly shaking me. I was awkwardly laying my head against the seat, so my neck was killing me.

"Edward, we're home," I said as I sat up more. I brought my hand to my neck and tried to rub the kink out. I was hurting pretty good.

"You okay?" Edward asked me.

"My neck hurts. I think I laid on it wrong. Can I take some pain reliever?"

"Yeah, but only two. I'll try to rub it out for you," he said. Sometimes he could be the sweetest.

"That's sweet," I said as he smiled.

"Babe, I'm so sorry for today. I don't know what came over me," he said as we exited the car.

"It's okay. We were both shocked as hell. It was understandable."

"I should have made sure you were with me. I'm sorry. I need to know you still trust me," he said staring deep in my eyes.

"I do. It's just...everyone was saying testifying was for the best, and it wasn't. Then James talked to me and he was so sweet. I have never heard his voice sound so loving; I felt bad for him. Edward, he really never lied to us, and it feels like everyone else did," I said as I felt tears prickle my eye lids.

"Bella, he's going to say and do anything if he thinks he has a chance of getting us back."

"I know. I don't know why I feel this way. After you were dragged away, and the way he talked to me, I wanted to leave with him..."

"No, don't ever say that. If he ever gets his hands on us...I don't want to think of what he will do," Edward said cradling my face in his hands.

"I know," I said, even though part of me thought that everything would be okay if we went back with James. "Let's get something to eat and then go to bed."

"It has been one hell of a day," he agreed.

Just as we made it up to the house we realized that we had left a bag in the back seat. I told Edward to take our bags up to our room and I would meet him there. After retrieving the missing bag I heard my cell ring. The caller id showed a number I didn't know.

"Hello?"

"Baby girl, don't hang up." It was James. Before I had a chance to react, he started talking. "I'm not mad, Baby. I love and miss you so much. I want to see you so badly. How's school going?" he asked.

"Bella!" Alice yelled from the door. I turned to look at her and she must have known something was up, because she ran back into the house.

"Sweetie, are you going to tell Daddy how school is? Do you like it? Have you made any friends?" James questioned. I thought he would be irritated with me for not answering very quickly, but there was never an ounce of anger in his voice.

"School's fine. I have a friend named Angela. Well, we're kinda friends," I said. Why was I talking to him? I should have hung up as soon as he started talking.

"That's great. I'm so happy to hear that. What about your brother?" James sounded so happy and I wanted to keep him talking.

"He's good. He played football and he was amazing. You should have seen him," I said with a smile.

"I wish I could have, Baby. I'm sorry for never letting the two of you do anything with school." I felt like I was talking to a completely different person. This was not the James that I knew.

"Who the fuck are you talking to!?" Edward asked as he snatched the phone out of my hand. "Who the fuck is this!" Edward half yelled. "Hello?"

"Bella, was that James?" Carlisle asked me. All I did was nod,

"Why did you answer a number you didn't know!?" Edward yelled as he put my phone in his pocket.

"I don't know."

"Why didn't you hang up when you knew it was James?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know. He just..." I knew no matter what I said, Edward was going to be pissed.

"Edward, go inside. I need to talk to Bella," Carlisle said.

"Fuck no! I want to know what that asshole had to say."

"He just asked how school was and if we had made any friends. He said he was sorry for not letting us be involved more with school activities. He sounded so happy to talk to me that I couldn't be rude," I said with a shrug.

"Un-fucking-believable!" Edward said pulling at his hair. "How the fuck did he get your number?"

"We need to figure this out. Let's go eat dinner and then Bella, you and I are going to talk," Carlisle said.

"This is mine!" Edward said showing me my cell. "And don't think you are getting it back," he said as Carlisle grabbed my phone from him.

"First of all, that will be my call if she gets the phone back. Secondly, quit with the F word. Got it?" Carlisle asked in a stern voice.

"Yeah, whatever," Edward said as he glared at me and then turned toward the house and walked away. I knew it was going to be a long night, and my neck still hurt.