A/N: ARTIST OF THE WEEK-

Keith Urban-

The song I used this month is "Tonight I Wanna Cry". Beautiful song, look it up!

Please review, ladies and gents!

"He is the best thing we could have ever done for you, Bella." I tapped my fingers frustratingly against the cedar wood of the stand I sat at. Who did Rene think she was? Some sort of savior, who was only looking out for my best interests? No, she wasn't! She was a selfish bitch! "Your dad was in a tight spot, and we needed to leave immediately. Your dad didn't want to drag you through all of this. We wanted you to live a happy, calm life." There was a deflated sigh on the other line. Oh, yeah, right! Her stupid reasoning was making no sense to me. I had a well-connected Godfather back in Washington, and my grandparents in Arizona were the epitome of peaceful. Why dump me off on an obsessed, moody Mafioso man?

Not that I didn't love Edward- I really did. He was sweet and brutally considerate to all of my needs and requests. But still… had I the choice to never in the position I was in now, I might have had a different life. A less complicated, easier sort of life for myself. "You and dad left me, while you sought refuge on a whole nother continent, and never thought once to call or write me! You bartered me off to a man that was near a stranger, and you couldn't have cared less about what might have happened to me!" I said angrily, shooting up in a flash of anger. I loved my parents, most of the time. They were mostly there for me when I needed them. My father paid for my schooling and expensive art classes, and my mother pushed me to go out into society and meet new people- like my own cousin, Rosalie.

But that didn't make up for leaving me high and dry. All of the little stuff they did for me could never make me overlook their abandonment! Rene cleared her throat angrily. Oh, she was mad? She had no right at all to be! "Your father has known Carlisle and the Cullencianos for a very long time, Bella. Those kinds of people were the very best candidates to take care of you. All we considered was your safety and comfort- we had no other intentions, Isabella. No hidden agenda, just the want of our daughter's life. That's all." Her voice got heavy all of a sudden, like she was forcing back tears.

My mother cried whenever she pleased. She didn't force herself to not cry, so why now? "It is a good thing Edward is a right gentleman. Else I might have further hated the ground you walk on." I said spitefully into the phone, holding the platinum receiver to my ear. "And I promise that my hatred only grows!" With that, I hung up. My hands shook wildly as I ran a hand through my prepped hair. Who was I without my Chief of Police father and wildly-sane mother? I was a grown woman, with sexual desires and a long-time-coming marriage on the horizon. My eyeliner ran stealthily down my high cheekbones; blue tears that sang to me a sordid lullaby hugged my nose, and then kept traveling down my chin. I felt like I had just pulled the trigger- I felt like I had built a ten foot tall wall of pure concrete. I never wanted to speak to them. I never wanted to see them again!

An awful part of me didn't even want them to happy. Even if I was just that on my time. "Bella? I've brought the spice cake I made last night!" Alice called from downstairs, her small voice wavering lightly on a high note. At least she was in good spirits. How long had I seen her down and out, just how I was right now? I doubted she would travel upstairs, but the little sprite jumped up from the last step and right into the hallway. I made no hasty movements to dry my eyes or fix my make up. I didn't care.

Alice could see me like this. I didn't care anymore! "Oh, Bella!" She whispered softly, striding dutifully to me and bent down to my level. "What did he do? What did he say to you to make you look so blue?" Her caring blue eyes roamed over my face and body, looking for any scars or marks. I wanted to chuckle at her eager protectiveness, but my kindred spirit prevented me from doing so. I jut shook my head, not ready to explain everything. "Your parents?" She popped quietly, knowing exactly what my problem was. Her sharp eyes went to the phone and then went back to me. "Why did he let you call them?" She ventured more to herself than me with a shake of her small head. What was that supposed to mean?

Edward had no control over me, this was America! I was not a belonging. I was not an item on sale. I was a woman, a human being! "I called them because I felt like needed to. It was just… disappointing."

She smirked, placing her cool hands on top of my heated ones. "You expected them to say they had a gun pointed at their head the whole time? That could at least make you feel like they had absolutely no choice at all but to abandon you." I nodded, that was exactly what I had been thinking! "But please, Bella, remember that they kinda did do what was best. In the sticky situation they were in, at least. I mean, seriously, what kind of dirty cop doesn't have an escape plan?" Alice rolled her eyes comically.

"What?" I replied quickly. My dad was a… dirty cop? After everything about "justice" and "doing the right thing" he preached to me my whole life, he was a double-crosser to the right way of living?

"Edward…hasn't…?" Her face morphed into an ugly grimace. "Look, Bella, maybe its best if you wait for him to explain it. I'm not that good at this whole "Al Capone" thing, and im not sure if I even have the whole story." I shook my head, my eyes watering up all over again. Alice huffed. "Bella, really? You want to hear my modified version? It isn't just some gossip story on the radio. This is your life, and all of the decisions that were mad to alter your present. Do you really wanna hear a version that may not be right?" I nodded eagerly, leaning on my toes.

"Please, Alice. I would never keep information from you." I squeezed her hands in my own. For good measure, I was going to add "I dropped the atom bomb about Rey to you, now it's your turn to be the barer of bad news", but I didn't have the guts. It wouldn't do if we were both were crying messes when Edward got home!

"Okay, well all I was told was that Charles Swan was being watched too closely for his liking by these guys." She shrugged in nonchalance. "I guess he wasn't on his toes about business he and some guys helped run; underground stuff like drugs and grand theft, if I'm not mistaken. Of course, it was nothing to the degree of what my father and brothers do… but it was just as bad. Just as dangerous, too." She sighed, obviously feeling squeamish about even talking about it. "My dad heard around that there was a hefty bounty on your head, and when he told Edward, it was history from there." A girlish smile played on her thin lips. "I remember how ballistic he went. Your dad was avoiding a meeting between our two families- but that was way before he knew about your life being in danger." She clarified assertively. "They agreed that marriage and the Cullenciano name would be well enough to push off all of the competition. No one's going to mess with you now, Bella. Edward and my dad will make sire that nothing bad will happen. I promise."

I swallowed hard. So, this was his entire fault! He was the one that forever changed the odds of having a care-free life I would have loved to live. Charlie ruined everything for me.

"I know you've lost and sacrificed a lot, Bella. But look what you have now." I looked around the house, wondering when everything got so huge. Everything suddenly had a price tag, and I was reminded of the hallow emptiness I first put to this home when I walked in. The house was too big, that carpet cost too much! Alice rushed me, her arms folding around my arms and met at my back. "You have a family now."

I shut my eyes tightly, allowing my arms and hands to go limp. That word hurt. Family.

Those kinds of people only ever hurt you.

"I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain

To hell with my pride, let it fall down like rain

From my eyes,

Because tonight I wanna cry."