Here's chapter 22, enjoy :)

Bella's POV

The whole ride to school was filled with heavy breathing and my heart racing, I could feel it pounding against my ribcage. I couldn't seem to calm myself down. I was starting to have a panic attack and I knew I needed to calm down otherwise this wouldn't end well for me.

It made me feel weak to react like this after all I had been through this for the past six years, why was I being such a coward all of a sudden? Surely by now I would be used to the pain that came from the bullying. But just because I was used to it doesn't mean I should have to deal with it.

Edward kept shooting me glances the whole way there. I could almost feel the worry coming off him which just made me feel guilty for making him worry about me. I wanted to be strong for him but I also wanted nothing more than to be a coward and ask him to turn the car around and take me back home.

The closer we got to the school the more panicky I got and I felt the beginning of a panic attack coming. Edward reached over and placed his hand on my arm trying to calm me down and it worked a little bit like normal with him. It seemed to always be able to calm me down when I was getting stressed. He just had this aura around him that made me feel at ease. I have to say out of all the males in the family I felt more comfortable around him than I thought was ever going to be possible again after what Charlie put me through. Of course I still occasionally flinched away from any sudden movements but I knew he would never hurt me.

Carlisle suggested that I spoke to someone professionally when I was ready but I didn't want to. I couldn't bring myself to even think about telling a complete stranger what that monster did to me and even through I knew I was going to probably have to go to court when they finally caught Charlie and that frightened me more than anything but if I didn't then he might get off with it and will be free and will come after me and the Cullen's. I couldn't let that happen.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realise that the car had stopped until I heard Edward open his car door and walk around the car and open mine. He kneeled down in front of me and took my hands in his. I looked into his golden eyes that I always seem to get lost in, they hold so many different emotions all at once.

'Bella I know today is going to be hard on you but please just remember that nothing anybody says to you is true and that no matter what anybody else says we will always be here for you. I promised I wouldn't let anybody hurt you and I won't' Edward said to me squeezing my hands in a reassuring way whilst giving me one of his famous gorgeous smiles that always melts my insides. It's crazy the effect this boy has on me after just a few short weeks.

'Thank you Edward. It means alot to know that I have you and the others there for me. It's more than I have had in a long time and you all have no idea how grateful I am about that. If I didn't have you all, I would have no one.' I told him holding back the tears. It was true if I didn't have Edward and the others I wouldn't have nobody and truth be told I didn't know how much longer I would of survived living the way I was before they saved me.

'Your welcome Bella, helping you was one of the best things this family has done because you complete this family and without you it really wouldn't be the same. Your part of this family now Bella and we all love you' Edward told me with nothing but honesty and love in his voice. His words filled me with even more happiness than I thought possible. It touched me deeply that they thought of me that way and it give me the strength that I needed to hopefully get through this day. So with that determination Edward held his hand out for me and I climbed out of the car.

Just as we closed the door of the car, the rest of the family got out of their cars and joined us at the front of Edwards Volvo. They all give me reassuring smiles and like that I felt more calm and relaxed knowing that even I would have my new family by my side. We walked together into the school building receiving quite a few weird looks on the way.

They were all probably wondering what the murderer as what they sometimes called me was doing with five of the most attractive people in this school and I didn't blame them. I was far from anywhere near their beauty and probably looked so out of place walking with them but I didn't care because they were now my family and I loved them all.

They all walked me to my first lesson which was English and I thankfully had Alice and jasper in this lesson with me so I wouldn't be on my own. The others said goodbye and left for their classes each telling me I would be okay and that if anybody says anything to just ignore them. Easier said than done. I could already hear people talking about me all around me and im sure it was just going to get worse as the day went on.

We walked into the classroom and went to the back of the room to my usual table which was normally empty apart from me. It was like I had some sort of disease the way they wouldn't come near me apart from to insult me. I still didn't understand why they actually hated me so much, what did I do to them that was so bad that they felt the need to do what they did everyday.

Looking around the classroom now I could see people sending me murderous looks just like they used to but it seemed even worse now. My heart speed up and I could feel myself panicking once again. Why couldn't they just leave me alone, I hadn't done anything to them so why did they hate me so much? they felt the need to make me feel bad about myself every single day and I couldn't understand why. I could feel the tears coming and I tried to hold them back, I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing how much their words hurt me.

I had Jasper and Alice sat on either side of me and both looked very worried about me. Alice reached over and took my hand into hers and squeezed it comfortingly before leaning over and whispering in my ear 'Bella just ignore them, there not worth it. Your so much better than what they are. Don't let them get to you'.

I took a deep breath and took comfort from her words, i just had to keep reminding myself that they wont worth my tears and I was trying but It was becoming harder and harder as the whispers and glares carried on. I knew this day was going to be hard but I never expected it to be as hard as it was. I knew it was going to be a struggle but I thought I could be strong. I needed to be strong. I had to get through this, I couldn't let them get to me anymore. I had let them do that to me for too long and now I needed to move on with my life.

With that thought in my head, I held my held up high and faced the front of the class and focused my attention on what the teacher was saying and ignored everyone around me. The lesson passed in kind of a blur and before I knew it the lesson was over. I packed my stuff up and we walked out of the classroom together as a family. Outside of the classroom, Edward was leaning against the doorway and when he saw us a immediate smile appeared on his beautiful face.

'Hey' I said giving him a slight smile whilst still trying to keep my attention away from the whispers and stares we were getting around us.

'Hey' He replied putting an arm around my shoulders and we started walking down the hallway together. It felt like the whole school was just stood there staring at me as I went past and it made me want to run and get away from here as fast as I could. They had hurt me for so long, why couldn't they just leave me alone. A tear fell down my cheek which caused Edward to frown and grab hold of my hand and take me outside away from everyone.

'Bella, look at me' I looked up at him as more tears fell down my cheeks. He hastily wiped them away as they fell.

'Bella listen to me. You are a million times better than everyone in that school. Your beautiful and kind and no matter what they say to you in there none of it is true. They are just jealous of you darling because they could never be as kind-hearted as you. I want you to promise me that you won't let them make you think we don't all love you because nothing them idiots in there say will change how much you mean to us' Edward told me pulling me into his arms. His words made me cry harder.

He really had no idea how much he and his family meant to me. God I had only known them for about 3 weeks yet they were my entire life now and they had done more for me in those three weeks than anybody has ever done for me in the past 6 years. He held me tight against his chest rubbing my back whilst I calmed down.

'I just don't understand why they hate me so much. What have I done to deserve this?' I said in between sobs. At my words he pulled back and he forced me to look in his eyes.

'They do it because they are heartless horrible people. You don't deserve the way they treat you and I don't know or understand why anyone would be so cruel to someone as beautiful as you are and if they can't see that then they are blind' Edward said wiping away more tears. God everytime he called me that I could feel my heart skip a beat. He made me feel like everything would be okay just by holding me in his strong arms. What he said was true through, they are just heartless people that obviously have nothing better to do with their lives and I wouldn't let them get to me anymore. Pulling away from his chest I wiped my tears away.

'Sorry' I apologised, I bet he was sick of having to deal with this. I was always crying and it was bound to be becoming annoying.

'Bella you have nothing to apologise for. I said I would be here for you no matter what and I mean that, anything you need just tell me' He said placing a loose piece of hair out of my eyes.

'I know im just sick of crying all the time' I told him. It made me feel so weak and I was sick of feeling so low all the time. I wanted to be happy and finally being with Edward and his family made me feel that happiness. For so many years of abuse and torture I had come to believe that I didn't deserve to be happy because I was constantly getting told that it was my fault that my mother had passed away and even though I knew deep down that it wasn't my fault, I still believed Charlie was he said it to me. The words he used to taunt me with constantly would forever be with me and looking back they were what hurt the most, well nearly. The beatings were obviously painful but nothing hurt more than getting made to believe that you had killed the one person you loved more than anything in the world. My mother was my rock and I missed her more and more every single day.

'Bella to be honest I would be more worried if you didn't cry with everything you have been through but you are strong and I promise you it will get better' He promised me. I took comfort from his words and I suppose he was right, I couldn't bottle up my emotions that would be so much worse than letting them out. I hoped he was right, he had said those words to me quite a lot the past few weeks but I was still having a very difficult time believing them because I knew I would always feel the pain of losing my mother and I would never be able to forget the pain Charlie had put me through for such a long time. I also couldn't move on with my life until I felt safe again which I wouldn't do until Charlie was caught and behind bars. I was constantly on edge not knowing where he was or what he was planning because I knew he wouldn't just give up easily and let me off. He had made sure that I knew that everyday. He had threatened me also everyday that if I ever told anybody about was what was happening he would make sure I would regret it.

This made me feel all the more guilty constantly thinking of the danger I had put my new family in. I was still amazed and stunned by everything they had done for me and the fact that they had just took me in straight away without hesitation made my love for them grow even more. I had only known them for a few weeks yet each and every one of them had a special place in my heart and they would remain there for the rest of my life. I don't think they would ever truly understand how much they had saved me and I made a promise to myself that I would somehow repay them for that.

We stayed outside for the rest of the next lesson knowing their was no point in going to the lesson when they wasn't much of it left plus Edward insisted I needed some time to get my emotions in check which I was grateful for. I needed to calm down fully before having to face anybody again. Knowing I would have Edward by my side made me feel better but I knew he couldn't stay by my side forever. I needed to be strong and stick up for myself, I couldn't expect him to be my side 24/7 not that I would mind if he were because truthfully he made me feel completely safe in his presence. I needed him to be able to get through each day and that scared me more than anything to be honest because I was truly scared of what would happen if he or any of them left me. They had become my lifeline and without them I don't know what I would do.

Thank you for reading, review please. I want peoples honest opinions (negative reviews welcomed). I am enjoying writing the story so i will continue no matter what but I would like to know If people are actually liking the story. It would mean a lot if people can let me know what they think.

Next chapter will be up as soon as possible but im really busy with college assignments at the minute. Thank you for being patient :)