Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

AN: Sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 13

Bella's POV

I stood there staring at him, my mouth hanging open. He walked towards me and with a shaking hand reached forward slowly and took my hand.

"Edward" I said tentatively.

He looked at me but his eyes were unfocused as he avoided eye contact.

"I saw the burns on your back" I whispered softly. I squeezed his hand hoping it would encourage him to speak.

He looked down at our joined hands and let mine go slowly. "Say something" I said desperately.

He walked to his bed and sat down, he was breathing deeply and the look on his face was devastating.

"Bella I…" he said and than he paused and looked down at his hands. "I…didn't want you to see that"

I walked towards him slowly but he didn't look up. Once I reached his bed I placed my hand cautiously on his shoulder. He still maintained his focus on his hands.

"Edward was it your…biological father who did this to you?" I asked gently.

He jumped up suddenly "No!" he yelled. I jumped back in fear, having not anticipated this reaction.

He paced around the room his face in his hands. He was breathing deeply as though he was trying to calm himself down.

"Edward" I said my voice cracking with emotion.

"Bella…I'm sorry…I just can't…you don't" he stumbled over his words. He had a crazed look in his eyes as he racked his hands through his hair.

He took a deep breath but still avoided looking me in the eye. "Can you please just forget what you saw" he said desperately.

"No. Edward I can't just…" I started to say but he cut me off.

"It's none of your business!" he shouted in frustration. I flinched back, wounded by his words. My eyes filled with tears. Didn't he see how much I cared for him? How could this not be my business?

"Edward you've been hurt and I just want to help you" I said trying to fight the tears from falling. I walked towards him and tried to take his hand.

But to my dismay he pulled his hand out of my reach and took a step back. I let my hand fall to my side and stood there in shock.

"I think you should go" he whispered speaking to the floor.

"You don't mean that" I whispered softly tears streaming down my face "You can't even look at me. Look me in the eye and say it"

He looked up and stared straight in to my eyes. His eyes were filled with anger and as always a heart breaking sadness. "I want you to go" he said softly but more firmly than before. His words were like a knife to my heart. I even pulled my hand up to my chest as I felt my heart break.

I looked at him for a moment as his gaze held mine never wavering.

I turned around slowly and walked out of his room, shutting the door softly behind me.

I want you to go, his words repeated themselves in my mind all the way home and I wondered if he knew that they had destroyed me.

Edward's POV

I was getting changed when suddenly I heard a soft knock on my door. I barely had time to think let alone pull my shirt back on. I heard footsteps enter the room and I hoped whoever it was wouldn't take any notice of my back. I had always been careful not to let anyone see me with my shirt off even my family. When I was adopted I was old enough to dress myself so there was no reason for anyone in my family to see them.

I turned around quickly and to my horror there stood Bella. Her face was shocked; I could only imagine what she was thinking.

I pulled my shirt back on and walked towards her slowly.

"Bella" I said although I didn't know what to say.

I reached out my hand wanting to touch her once more. I knew it was only a matter of time before this ended.

"Edward" she said softly sounding nervous.

I looked up at her but I couldn't bring myself to look into her beautiful eyes. I was scared of what I would see there, disgust at my scars, pain, or worst of all pity.

"I saw the burns on your back" she whispered. I felt her squeeze my hand.

I looked down at our hands. Her small one wrapped around my bigger one. I knew if I held on to her I would never be able to do what I had to do.

"Say something" she said sounding desperate.

I walked over to my bed hoping to get some distance from her.

"Bella I…" I said hoping in vain to find something to say to make this all right again. "I… didn't want you to see that"

I heard her walking towards me and felt her warm hand touch my shoulder. Her touching me was the best feeling in the world but I still couldn't look up and instead stared at my hands.

"Edward was it your…biological father who did this to you" she asked gently.

I felt my heart begin racing and my hands start to sweat. Why would she mention my father?

I jumped up and yelled "No" before I could stop myself.

I could tell I had scared her and that made me felt, if possible, even worse. I paced around the room trying to calm myself down.

"Edward" she said and I felt ashamed at the pain I heard.

"Bella…I'm sorry…I just can't…you don't" I said making absolutely no sense.

I took a deep breath and avoided her eyes. Not wanting to see her disappointment at me or her questions that I knew I could never answer for her.

"Can you please just forget what you saw?" I said desperately. Clinging to the impossible hope that she would say yes and we could get back to how it was before.

"No. Edward I can't just…" I interrupted her not wanting to hear anymore.

"It's none of your business!" I shouted in frustration. I knew this would hurt her but I had to get her to leave.

She flinched and looked as though she had been slapped. I saw her eyes fill with tears and all I wanted to do was hold her and make sure she never cried again.

"Edward you've been hurt and I just want to help you" she said. What she didn't know was that nothing could help me. If she knew the truth she would run.

She walked towards me and tried to take my hand.

It took all I had to take a step back.

"I think you should go" I whispered staring at the floor.

"You don't mean that" she whispered back. "You can't even look at me. Look me in the eye and say it"

I then did the single hardest thing I had ever done in my life. I looked her in the eyes and I lied.

"I want you to go" I said trying to sound firm.

She stepped back and grabbed her chest as though she was in pain. I didn't look away from her eyes.

She turned around slowly and walked out of the room. Taking what was left of my heart with her.

I stood there for what could have been minutes or hours. I felt numb. When I started to feel things again I felt a pain building up in my chest slowly and rising into my throat. I made a sound like a wounded animal and I felt a burning behind my eyes. I sank to my knees and held my hands to my eyes trying to stop the tears from falling. When this didn't work I curled up in a ball and just cried. I hadn't cried or felt this kind of emotion since I was a little kid and that scared the hell out of me.

Bella's POV

When I arrived home the tears were still streaming down my face. Luckily Charlie was still at work so he wouldn't see me like this.

I collapsed on my bed crying my eyes out. I had lost Edward and I was devastated. I punched my pillow angrily. I was angry at whoever had hurt Edward and had made him like this. And I was also angry at Edward for not trusting me. I loved him more than anything in the world and it hurt that he didn't seem to feel the same way.

I lay there for awhile thinking about something my Mum had always said to me "When you find love, hold onto it because it is the best thing in the entire world". I couldn't let him go. He had to know how I felt about him.

I jumped up and hurried to my car before I lost my nerve.

When I arrived back at his house I saw that the car from the driveway was gone so Esme must have gone out. I walked quickly into the house scared that if I knocked Edward wouldn't let me in.

I walked up the stairs and to his door. I took a deep breath and knocked softly. There was no answer. I could hear noises coming from inside the room so I pushed the door open gently.

What I saw made my eyes fill back up with tears. Edward was lying on the floor sobbing. It was the most agonizing sight I had ever seen.

I walked over to him and sat down next to him. He didn't move, his sobs becoming quieter. I slowly wrapped my arms around him pulling him towards me. He froze for a moment and for a terrifying second I thought he might push me away but instead he wrapped his arms around me almost painfully.

"It's ok" I whispered softly into his hair rubbing his back.

"Bella" he sobbed quietly into my chest. His chest was shaking with anguish and the sounds he was making, I knew would haunt me for the rest of my life. I couldn't stand to see him this upset.

"I'm sorry" he whispered "I didn't want to hurt you…but Bella I cant…I just cant" his sobs became louder and he clung on to me even tighter.

"I know" I whispered "You don't have to tell me anything. Not if you're not ready" I looked down at his beautiful face. There were tears trailing down his flushed cheeks and I wiped them away slowly, there was something not right about this devastating sadness on something so beautiful.

He continued to cry quietly and all I could do was hold him. After awhile he seemed to stop and we just held each other for what seemed like hours.

I knew Charlie would be wondering where I was so I reluctantly told Edward.

He gripped onto me tighter "No. Please stay Bella" he said panicking.

"Ok" I said not wanting him to get upset again. "I just need to call him ok?" he nodded against my chest and hesitantly let me go. I got up swaying slightly from my legs being asleep. I pulled out my phone and called Charlie telling him I was staying at Alice's for the night.

I looked back at Edward who was still sitting on the floor. He was still beautiful even though his face was flushed and tear stained and his clothes where rumpled.

I sat on the bed.

"Come on" I said trying to sound cheerful "It'll be much more comfortable up here"

He looked up at me and for a second he smiled slightly. He got up and lay down next to me pulling me quickly into his arms as though he never wanted to let go.

I put my head on his chest hugging him tightly. I suddenly remembered why I had come here. I pulled myself up and looked into his face. His hair was hanging into his eyes so I pushed it back gently. He leaned towards me to kiss me and I pulled back for a moment. He looked at me in surprise but I held up my hand.

"I wanted to tell you something" I said looking into his eyes. He looked back in confusion and waited.

"I…" I started suddenly becoming nervous "I love you" I whispered averting my eyes.

He didn't say anything. I looked up terrified but when I saw his face I felt my heart fill with joy. His expression was one of pure happiness something I had never seen him look before. If I could have bottled up the look he had on his face in that moment I would have kept it with me for the rest of my life.

He leaned towards me a kissed me deeply. I responded immediately. After a moment he pulled away again and whispered softly to me.

"I love you too. More than you could ever know".

AN: Please review!! thanks!!