Important! While this is based on my life and the events that have taken place involving me, this is a Fanfiction and there will be fiction in the story. Enjoy!

Last time:

"Do you want to talk about it?" She stops what's she's doing and her shoulders slump, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs. "Mom?" She turns and walks over to me, falling into my arms as I stand up.

"It's so awful!" she cries and I rub her back, my heart hammering in my chest. What the hell has gotten her into this state? Has something happened to her that I didn't know about?

"Mom, you're scaring me. What happened?" She pulls away and I hand her a tissue. She blows her nose and sits down, I follow suit, sitting down opposite her and taking her hands in mine.

"It's your dad and I." My blood goes cold and my heart picks up speed. "We're getting a divorce."

Chapter fifteen.

Now:

"What? No! This can't be happening!" I yell, tears springing to my eyes. I blink them away and push back from the table, starting to pace around the kitchen, trying to think of anything in the past few months that could signal them getting a divorce. I come up with nothing. My parents are perfect together. If you watch them from afar, it looks like they have gotten married recently, not been married for over a decade. They love each other, I know they do.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Please calm down," Renee mumbles, wiping her eyes and standing in front of me, trying to stop my pacing. I just turn and walk out into the hallway and up the stairs. When I get there, I pause half way up and turn around, going back to the kitchen.

"Isabella, what are you doing?" she asks when I grab the phone and dial a familiar number. She tries to stop me, but I wave her off.

"Hello, Forks Police department. Chad speaking. What's your emergency?"

"I need Charlie Swan," I spit out and I hear shuffling before a small beep.

"Charlie Swan," his gruff voice says and I want to cry.

"Dad, you have to come home," I sigh, watching my mother out of the corner of my eye. My tone is off and he realizes that, too.

"Isabella, what's the matter? What's happened?" I can hear movement in the background and I know he's ready to come home if he's needed.

"You have to come home," I repeat and Renee sits at the table, her heads in her hands and her shoulders heaving.

"I'll be five minutes. Can you hang on till then?" I just let out a loud huff and the line goes dead. I put the phone back into the holder and fall onto one of the chairs. How long has this all been going on? I have been so self-absorbed, only worrying about my own problems. I could have at least tried to make everything okay with my parents. I am so God damn selfish!

Charlie finally arrives home and runs into the kitchen, panic written all over his face. When he sees us both, he grabs my hands and asks me what has happened. I look over at my mom who still has her face in her hands.

"Are you really getting a divorce?" I snap, angry that he is putting my mom through this much pain.

"Renee?" he asks and she looks up at him. Seeing my mom like this is heart breaking. I can see pain all over her face and in her eyes. Her heart is breaking right now, all because of my dad.

"I told her, Charlie." She wipes under her nose with a tissue and Charlie sighs, letting my hand go. I try to compose myself. "I had to. I can't keep it in anymore."

"Isabella, can you give your mother and I a moment?" he asks and I stand up from the table, and stalk out of the room. I go out the front door and sit on the top step of the porch, letting my face fall into my hands. What has happened that is so bad that they can't work through it? My parents' relationship has always been so strong. This can't be the end of them.

I sit outside for a few minutes before Charlie comes out and joins me. He sits on the step just to my right and we both look out at the cars going up and down the road. He doesn't start the conversation and neither do I. I want to ask him about it; I want to ask him what made him want a divorce. I want to ask him what I could have done to prevent it.

I feel him take my hand in his and I finally let a few tears fall. My family is falling apart around me and there is nothing I can do about it. I don't want to be one of those families that only see one parent every other weekend. I want everything to stay the same.

"Isabella," he starts then pauses. "I don't know what to tell you," he finally admits.

"The truth," I sniff, toying with his hand in mine. He reaches his other hand over and pats mine.

"Things just aren't the same for me, anymore." His voice is gruff and I know he's in pain, too.

"Is there someone else?" I have to ask. I know that Charlie isn't the type of guy that would cheat, but you never know when these things happen.

"What? No, of course not!" He sounds outraged at the idea of it.

"Then why aren't things the same?" I cry, wiping under my eyes with my free hand.

"Isabella, when you grow up and find someone that you love, you will understand how that love doesn't always last. We're having problems, I'm working too much for her and she's not working enough. All these different things," he sighs. "Your mom and I had a good run, but I just don't feel the same anymore." I throw his hand away from me and stand up.

"That is crap. When I fall in love, it will be because I am going to spend the rest of my life with him. We will work through our problems, unlike you. You're just scared because things are getting tough. I love you, daddy, but this is not the answer." He sits there with his mouth open as I run down the driveway and down the road.

I slow to a walk, my mind racing. There is no proper reason for them to be divorcing. What the hell has work go to do with a marriage? Yeah, Charlie is working a lot, but that won't last forever. Renee works for a few hours five days a week, but that's just because she is a teacher.

I keep walking, my mind in a different place. God, why is my life so complicated all the damn time? I wipe under my eyes with my shirt sleeve and then under my nose. For once it isn't raining, but I don't think that is a good thing right now. I want it to rain so that it hides my pain. I don't want to feel like this forever. I want to be normal, if only for a little while.

I round a corner and freeze. What am I doing here? I must have walked for a few miles to get here. The Cullens don't really live in Forks, but I suppose I need a friend right now and Alice lives here. She just so happens to be my only friend, so I guess that I need her shoulder to cry on for a while.

I wipe my eyes again and walk up their long driveway, getting myself ready to knock on the door. It's likely that Esme will answer and she will want to know what's going on. I don't know if I should tell her or not. Esme and Renee are friends and I'm sure Renee will tell Esme if she wants her to know what's going on.

I finally reach the door and I raise my hand, knocking it twice against the wood. I only wait a few seconds before the door swings open and I groan inwardly.

"Hey, Isabella. Are you okay?" I nod slightly.

"Hi, Edward. Is Alice here?" I stutter, dropping my eyes to the floor in front of me.

"No, she's out with Jasper. Do you want to come in?" I take in a deep, shuddering breath and shake my head.

"No, thank you. I'm sorry I bothered you." I turn around and walk away from the house.

Of course Alice wouldn't be in. She has a life and friends and people that want to be around her. She isn't like me; she doesn't get frowned upon for just leaving her house. I mean, my parents are divorcing so one of them won't have to be around us anymore. That's how much I'm wanted around here.

Alice has Jasper and they are in love. They're going to get married and have babies and ride off into the sunset. Alice deserves happiness and that's what she's getting.

"Isabella! Wait up!" I turn and see Edward jogging towards me in just a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. His muscles flex as he runs and his hair gets pushed around because of the wind. I didn't notice what he was wearing when he answered the door; but now that I see what he's wearing, I feel the blood fill my face and I look down at the floor, embarrassed.

"What's happened?" he breathes when he reaches me. I shake my head and try not to let him see me crying. "Isabella, please talk to me," he sighs and reaches his hand out. As if he thinks better of it, he draws it back and runs it through his hair and groans. I look up shocked, but he's looking at me and I know that he's seen the tears on my face. "Please?"

"My parents are getting divorced," I admit, a fresh wave of tears wash over me. Before I can stop it, he's taken me into his arms, holding me to his hard chest.

"I am so sorry, Isabella," he breaths into my hair, rubbing my back soothingly. I start to wrap my arms around him, but instead, I push him back. What if he felt my body? What is he felt everything I hide behind my clothes? What if he tells everyone about how thick I am? What if he tells everyone how fat and ugly I felt when he touched me? What if he tells Alice and she realizes how horrid I actually am?

"I'm sorry, I'll go." I turn around and start walking again, but he falls into step next to me.

"Why do you always run away?" His voice isn't nasty or taunting, just curious. I breathe out through my nose as I watch my feet and think about what to say. I can't tell him the truth; I'm sure he already knows about Richard. I mean, they ran in the same circles and they were best friends. I'm sure Richard told him all about me.

"I don't want to talk about it." I glance over at him and see him staring straight forward, watching where we're walking. He glances back and I look away.

"I know you don't, but you can trust me." He runs his hand through his hair again. I shrug and stop as we get to the road, looking both ways.

"I can't trust anyone anymore." I go to cross the street, but Edward grabs my arm and steers me down a side road. He doesn't say anything, just turns me down the road. I notice that he still hasn't let go of me, but I don't say anything. I don't want to upset him.

Just ahead of us is a small diner - one of Fork's four diners. Not many people use this diner, but it is known to be a hangout for some of the teenagers. I swallow hard at the thought of Tanya and Rosalie being in there, waiting for me. If Edward has set this up, I think I will actually break down.

We go in and sit in a dark corner. I'm glad that no-one other than an older man sitting at the counter seems to be here. A waitress asks us if we want anything and Edward asks for two teas. I smile at his choice of drink; I'm not a big coffee drinker and apparently, neither is he.

"Why not?" he blurts out, wrapping his big hands around his hot cup.

"Why not what?"

"Why can't you trust anyone anymore?" He pulls the cup to his lips and takes a sip.

"What do you think?" I peek at him over my cup and he stares back, questions swimming in his eyes.

"Is it because of Emmett?" I shrug. "Is it because of Richard?" I choke on my tea and look at him in shock. So he does know what happened.

"I don't want to talk about him," I stutter when I can finally breathe again. I know my face is bright red, and that fact makes me blush even harder.

"What did he do to you?" he inquires, leaning across the table slightly, his hands folded in between us.

"He broke my heart," I admit. Flashes of him come to my mind and I blink back tears. Edward doesn't say anything else and for that I am grateful.

This isn't how he should spend his night. He shouldn't be here with me; he should be at home with his supermodel friends, enjoying his life with people worthy of his time. I'm not and I never will be. People like Edward Cullen don't spend time with the Isabella Swans of the world.

Soon this evening will come to an end and I will have to go home to my now dysfunctional family. Charlie will yell at me for what I said earlier and Renee will cry on my shoulder some more, making me feel awful for even asking about it. If I hadn't said anything, they could have worked it out between themselves. They may have even gotten back together.

"Don't cry," Edward whispers and wipes a tissue under my eye. I nearly lean into his touch but I stop myself just in time. That would be so embarrassing. The silence buzzes around us and I want to fill it, but I don't know how.

"Aren't you cold?" I blurt, looking at his chest. He shrugs and takes another drink from his cup, leaning back against the seat.

"Aren't you?" He turns it around and I shake my head.

"I don't feel the cold much, something to do with my extra layers." I roll my eyes, trying to make a joke out of it, but Edward frowns, almost looking hurt by my insult to myself.

"Don't put yourself down. You're fine that way you are," He mutters, but I pretend not to hear him.

We sit in the diner for another twenty minutes, talking about lighter subjects. I even smile a few times at the stupid jokes he tells, even if they make no sense. We leave and he insists on walking me home. I blush at how much like a date this is, but I'm not stupid, I know it's not. No-one will ever want to date me.

We arrive at my front door and he grabs my hand just before I can go into my house.

"Isabella, can I please be your friend?" His eyes are glassy and innocent and I feel myself nodding before I can think it through properly. "Really?" His eyes light up and a wide smile crosses his face. I find myself smiling with him.

"Yeah, I guess so," I whisper. He pulls me in for a hug and I let him, putting my hands back around him awkwardly.

"Thank you." His voice washes over me like honey and I can feel gooseflesh erupt on my skin. "You should go in." I nod and pull back from him, breathing in one last breath of his scent. "I hope your parents work it out." I shrug. I had completely forgotten about that, to be honest.

"Bye, Edward." I turn and open the door, glancing back at him before I go in.

"Goodnight, Isabella."

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Twi-girl09

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