A/N- So this will probably be the last chapter before volleyball is over in about two weeks. I'm just too busy at the moment to find much time to write. Please, at least listen to the song on this one it's a very amazing song and I think it really fits this chapter pretty much perfectly. If you have any suggestions for any good songs, please tell me. I would like to find some more songs and I usually decide a few songs that could work before I write a chapter. And, I'd like to expand my iTunes library.

Chapter Four – We are Broken

"We are Broken" by Paramore

I grabbed my backpack and hurried to the door. At the same moment I reached to grab the handle, the door bell rang. I opened it, curious to see who it was.

Behind the door, stood Edward. His crooked grin spread across his face. I couldn't help but smile in return.

"I thought you might want a ride," he shrugged.

"Thanks, that'd be great," I replied. "Let me grab my bag." I turned and grabbed my backpack off of the kitchen counter and rushed out the door to where Edward was waiting next to a shiny silver Volvo.

Edward opened the passenger door for me, and I managed to get in the car without showing off my lack of coordination, an accomplishment in itself. He shut my door and ran around to the driver's side.

He started up the car and pulled out of the driveway. A comfortable silence surrounded us. I didn't want to break the it, and didn't really feel that I needed to. I did a double take when we were at the school much faster than we should have been. I hadn't noticed how fast we had been going until we had stopped. The lack of motion disoriented me.

"Are you ready?" he asked, not as if we were merely going to school, but as if we were about to dive into a pit of vicious snakes. Which, in a way, I was.

"Not sure I ever will be," I sighed and climbed out of the car. "But, I have to be."

- - -

I was surprised at how well I had made it through the day so far. No comments from anyone, just whispering, strange faces, and sentences unfinished as soon as I walked into room. But, that kind of stuff happened even when I hadn't tried to kill myself.

It seemed so strange to think of it now. I had attempted to commit suicide, but now the thought of attempting again didn't even occur to me. I'd just needed to escape from the suffocation from the people that had surrounded me. Now that I was out, I could finally breathe again.

With only ten minutes left until lunch, I was staring at the clock, wishing it would move faster. As soon as the bell rang, I would be able to see Edward. The girl next to me dropped her notebook, but didn't seem to have noticed. I reached down for it and instantly recognized it.

It was the slam book Lauren and Jessica passed around every time new gossip sprung up. I flipped to the page a hot pink Post-It was marking and gasped. The top of the page read: Bella Swan freaking tried to kill herself. What the hell?!

So many comments were scribbled under it, and I recognized Jessica's handwriting more than once.

How could she do something like that? Why did she do that?

Maybe she was just trying to get attention. She always used Mike and Jess to get more attention.

Maybe she was pregnant.

Is she that scared that the only thing she can do is hide from everyone and commit suicide? If so, she is the biggest coward I've ever met in my entire life. I wish she had killed herself. Too bad the new guy had to step in.

At the last comment, the page before me went fuzzy as silent tears fell down my face. I managed to not let anyone notice until the bell rang. As soon as I was out the door, my sobs broke through me. My shoulders heaved as I stumbled around the parking lot, looking for my truck only to remember that Edward had driven me to school.

I found the shiny Volvo with the door unlocked. I threw myself into the passenger seat and let all my tears fall fast and hard. Every comment on that page pressing down on me harder and harder until it became difficult to breathe. Every word sliced through me until there was nothing left. I could almost feel myself dissolving into the leather seat.

I knew this was coming, but that didn't make it hurt any less. My jacket was soaked with my tears, I was starting to shiver. With a momentary pause in my tears, I started to look around me. Lunch had already started, Edward, his family and the Hales were probably waiting for me. I wondered if they would really notice, or care, when I didn't show up. I didn't plan on attending any other classes today, so I would just have to wait here until school was over for Edward to come and he could drive me home.

I jumped when there was a sharp rap at the window. Edward was leaning over, looking into the window. Before I could react, he opened the door.

"Bella, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked, his voice swelling with concern.

"I don't think I can do this." I whispered.

He didn't question me at all. He closed my door and walked around to the other side of the car then got in. I looked out the window as the rain began to drizzle down. The high school began to pass by me as Edward drove us out of the parking lot. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on the cool glass.

I felt the car slow to a stop after a while. I opened my eyes to find us pulling up to a large house, no, it was bigger than a house. We were pulling up to a small mansion. Edward pulled the car into a large garage connected to part of the house.

Edward let out a deep breath of air, "I brought you to my house."

I couldn't find any words to fulfill the gratitude I felt towards him for getting me out of the school. I nodded gently.

"My mother, Esme, might be home. But, you don't have to worry about her. If you don't want to talk you don't have to." he explained.

I nodded again, sure that if I spoke the tears would fall again or that my voice would crack.

"Okay then." he exhaled.

Edward walked around the car and opened my door for me. I got out of the car and he immediately wrapped one of his strong arms around my waist. I melted under his touch, clinging to him for support. I knew that I couldn't make it through any of this alone.

We walked into the most beautiful house I had ever seen. The living room was white and clean, beautiful pieces delicately placed. On one of the couches a beautiful woman was reading a thick book. Her soft features gave me the feeling that I could trust her though I didn't know her. She looked much too young to be Edward's mother, but he had said he'd been adopted.

"Why, hello Edward, and who is this?" the woman asked, sounding surprised as she looked from her book.

"Hello, Esme," Edward greeted her. Apparently this was Esme. "this is Bella."

"Hello, Bella. It's not often that Edward brings anybody home. Make yourself at home," she said easily, then winked at me.

"Thank you," I whispered. I looked up at Edward, who had the slightest of a pink blush to his cheeks.

He nodded and led me up two large sets of stairs. He led me to the end of a long hallway, to the last door, opening the it with confident hands. I gasped at the room inside.

The whole back wall was made up of glass, and the gentle patter of rain against it seemed more beautiful than annoying. Thick, gold carpet covered the floor. One whole wall was full of shelves filled with more CDs than I'd ever seen in any music store. An expensive-looking sound system sat next to a long black leather couch on the opposite wall. In the center of the room was a huge bed, the same gold and black color scheme on it.

Edward finally let go of me and walked over to the leather couch. I could almost feel part of myself staying with him, like I wasn't whole without him next to me. I did the only thing I could do. I followed him to the couch. I sank down next to him, resting my head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around my body, protecting me. "Will you tell me what happened?" he whispered to me.

I hesitated. "I saw the things they were writing about me. Everyone hated me, they wanted me to die. People said that I was afraid, that I was a coward," I choked, tears ruining his shirt, "But, they don't understand at all. I couldn't bear it anymore. My whole life was a lie, I couldn't live it anymore. And, there was no way I could turn back time to not make the choices I made, to not make the mistakes I did, to change everything. It was all I could do."

"They're wrong, Bella. They're all wrong. You're brave," he soothed me, rubbing circles on my arms.

"Why don't you hate me?" I asked, voicing a concern that had bothered me for a while.

"Why would I hate you?" he countered, surprised. He paused in his rubbing for a moment.

"Everyone else does." I replied.

"Maybe I'm not like everyone else." he said, beginning to rub my shoulders again. That was true, anyone else would have given up on me by now.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?" he asked.

"Saving me." He grinned and didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

We stayed like that for a long time. He held me, he protected me form everyone else. What had I done to deserve him? Time seemed to freeze around us, the world seemed to stop spinning while the rest of the world moved on without us. He just held me, humming softly. I never wanted to face the what lay beyond his bedroom door again, it would hurt too much, and Edward would have to heal me again. I was deeply broken, and he was starting to put the pieces back together.

A/N- Next chapter you'll be hearing from Edward. I love the reviews, thanks for them and please keep them coming.