Alright, so I apologize for this late chapter. But there were a lot of times when I didn't like what I had written, so there were many times where I changed the chapter. Most of the time, while writing this chapter, I didn't think that what I wrote made sense, and in this chapter, I really needed it to make sense, so I hope that it was worth it. Although, to make you guys happy, I made this chapter much longer than usual, so at least you guys have something to read.

Once again, I apologize for the delay, but at least you guys will have a long chapter to read.

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Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight or anything mentioned in here!

Chapter 7

Friends to Rely On

Bella's Point of View

I can't believe I just told Edward everything. And I do mean everything.

What was wrong with me? Why did I do that? He was with Tanya. He would go and tell her everything, and I would get in even more trouble… This was going to end so badly. So why did I feel the need to tell him all of this?

Simple: he was there to listen.

For the past few years, I'd been keeping everything bottled in, having no one to listen to me. No one wanted to be there for me, so of course I had to keep my secrets hidden from the world.

But…things were different with Edward. He was there for me. It looked like he wanted to be there for me, which made it so much different than in the past. I mean, no one had been there for me when I simply wanted to cry. For eight years, I didn't have a shoulder to cry on. I didn't have a friend. But now, it looked like I had one in Edward.

The question was, would it stick?

Probably not because he's Tanya boyfriend and he would tell her everything… But…if I were to ask him to keep this quiet, would he respect my choices? Would he be a good friend and actually keep quiet?

Only one way to find out.

Pulling back slightly and wiping my eyes, I looked down at my lap and placed my hands on my lap, twiddling my thumbs anxiously.

"I know I have no right to ask this, but…please don't tell Tanya any of this," I said, finally looking up at Edward.

Surprisingly, his reaction was far from what I expected. He looked shocked, pulled back slightly, and just looked in my eyes, seemingly confused.

"Why would I tell Tanya any of this?"

"Because you're her boyfriend," I said, rather shocked that he didn't see my reason behind this. Why wouldn't he figure it out head on? "Because of what I've just told you, you'll probably act differently with her, and she'll figure it out, and—"

Edward placed a finger on my lips, stopping me in my tracks, and made me look at him, moving his finger down to my chin to keep me eye to eye with him. Not only did a small electrical feeling run through me at his touch, but his emerald green eyes also seemed to captivate me once more. I was once again getting lost in his gaze, just like the first time we had really seen each other. They once again sent a thousand electric currents through me, turning my body into a live wire.

Nothing ever made me feel this way, and I kept wondering why his particular touch made me feel such feelings.

"Bella, I broke up with Tanya this afternoon," Edward said, smiling softly at me.

I think my eyes popped out of my head at this news. He was single? Why in the world did he suddenly decide to break up with Tanya? Sure, she didn't deserve to be with him, especially with the way that she was using him, but Edward hadn't seemed to be bothered with it.

That is…until we became friends.

Is that what made him change his mind about Tanya? Did I drive him to this decision?

And the best and most dangerous question of all, what am I going to expect when going back to Victoria's house?

"You…you're not?" I asked dumbfounded.

Edward nodded and said, "I couldn't take it anymore. She didn't make me happy. Every little thing began to annoy me, and it was to the point where I began hiding away from her just so I wouldn't have to hear her whine." I chuckled at that, which made his smile widen. "And, for some reason, I couldn't stand her insulting you any longer…or anyone for that matter. I must have been crazy to accept her that way, and I'm glad I got that wake- up call."

I smiled when he finished, unable to contain myself from showing some emotion. He saw the light. To be honest, it was about time, seeing as Tanya's main goal in life seemed to destroy people's lives—I wonder where she gets that from. Edward didn't deserve that type of treatment. In fact, no one should, which is why I'm unbelievably happy that he is no longer attached to her.

"Yeah…she can be quite the cruel person," I admitted, looking down at my lap while somehow feeling elated about this news.

Not only was I able to talk to Edward without any worries now, but Tanya would never know about our talk today.

"Yes, you're right. She can be," Edward said, moving his hand away from my chin before touching my bruised cheek with the tip of his fingers. My smile faded, not because of the pain he was inflicting on me, but because Edward seemed to continuously go back to that bruise on my face. "But so is your stepmother."

Moving away from his hand again, I kept my eyes down on my lap, and tried to avoid Edward's stare. Knowing him, he would look sad, which I couldn't see. For some reason, I couldn't even imagine Edward sad or in pain…

"Don't worry about it, Edward," I said, trying to blow this conversation off.

But Edward wouldn't let this go. "How long has she been doing this to you, Bella?" When I still wouldn't speak, he continued and said, "Bella, please. I want to know."

Sighing, I looked up and met his eyes. "For a few years now." Edward's eyes widened in shock at this revelation, and I wanted to do anything to take that shock away from him. "It's been on and off for the past few years. She only does it when I would disobey her…which seems to happen a lot lately."

Edward sighed, wiped his face with his hand, and asked, "Have you tried to go to the police? I mean, this is domestic abuse we're talking about."

Nodding, I looked back at my hands on my lap, and began fiddling with the hem of my shirt. "Victoria's boyfriend is the new chief of police. He got my father's position when he died, and after a few months, Victoria began dating him. So, when I tried going to the police about this, he basically told them that I was seeking attention. Ever since, I've kept my mouth shut."

Silence fell between us before Edward surprisingly wrapped his arms around me, and brought me in a tight embrace. I didn't know what to say in the beginning, but soon enough, I wrapped my arms around his waist, placing my cheek on his shoulder. In this moment, I was wrapped in his intoxicating scent. It made me feel at peace, as if nothing could harm me while I was in his arms.

Once again, why was I feeling this way? Edward was a friend, doing what friends do best. He was trying to comfort me…but somehow, it felt as if everything meant more with him. It was possibly my imagination, but we'll see where this goes.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he said, moving his hand up and down on my back to try and help me. "I wish you never had to go through this."

Shrugging, I said, "That's just a part of my life I've gotten used to it. Normally, I just hide the marks with makeup, but I've run out. And now…well, I don't have a lot to keep going on, so I'll probably have to skip a few days of school. At least, until it goes down."

Edward shook his head and squeezed me tighter to him. "You can't miss school, not when we're so close. You have to prove them wrong, that you will finish school despite everything," he said, pulling back and looking in my eyes. "Alice can help you cover that bruise up." When he started to see the panic in my eyes, Edward smiled softly and continued, "Only if you'll let her, of course. You aren't obligated to tell her anything, but she can help you, just like I am."

Could I let Alice know what was going on? I mean, telling Edward was already a red flag, but letting his sister in? Would this have any repercussion?

Edward smiled softly at me and cupped my cheek gently. "If you can trust me, then you can trust Alice, Bella," he said, nearly making my walls crumble…nearly.

Was Alice as trustworthy as Edward? Could I open up to a second person? Would it be safe?

I've lost everything, so I guess there's only one way to find out.

Nodding slightly, Edward smiled widely and took my hands, squeezing them softly. "Then let's get out of this forest, and get to my house. Alice will fix you up and help you as much as she can."

Edward's Point of View

A sense of elation began to settle within me as Bella followed me to my house. She was letting me in. After years of being alone and handling things by herself, Bella was willing to open herself to me so that I may help her. Bella wouldn't be alone in all of this, not anymore.

We arrived at my house shortly after, and Bella parked her red monster of a truck behind me, getting out shortly at the same time. Unfortunately, when she exited, she started fidgeting nervously. I knew why, but she didn't have to be worried. Walking over to her, I smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Everything's going to be alright, Bella," I said reassuringly, hoping that she could begin to relax around us.

Bella looked up at me and still seemed quite restricted, but nodded after a little while, moving her hair over her face to hide her cheek. Smiling once again at her, I squeezed her shoulder again and placed my hand in the middle of her back, leading her toward the house. But soon after, Bella grabbed my arm, which forced me to stop momentarily. Looking down at her, she must have seen the questioning look on my face, for she squeezed my arm slightly tighter.

"If…if you say that I can trust your sister, then please, please let me go at my own pace in there," she pleaded, nearly sounding like an abandoned puppy. It nearly broke my heart to hear her like this, but she continued, "I trust you, but I want to tell her at my own pace."

Smiling gently at her, I nodded and said, "Of course, Bella. You don't need to tell her everything all at once. I promise that we'll take this at your pace."

Bella smiled and we made our way toward the house. Suddenly, as we walked to the front door, a sudden thought entered my mind, one that could mean big trouble for everyone, even more so for Bella.

Stopping in my tracks, Bella looked at me in surprise, and I held up my free hand, beginning to move toward the door alone. "Wait here, I'll be right back," I said before entering the house and looking around frantically, only finding Alice sitting at the breakfast bar.

She turned her head toward me and put her book down, narrowing her eyes in my direction. "I thought you were going on a run? You don't even look like you broke a sweat," she stated, turning around in her seat.

"Are Mom or Dad around?"

"No, Dad's still at work, and Mom went out to get some groceries for supper. What's going on, Edward?"

Sighing, I smiled to myself, glad that both parents were gone, and began stepping backward toward the door. Looking at Bella, I waved her toward me, indicating that she could come inside, before turning my gaze back to Alice.

"We're going to need your help, Alice, and I don't want Mom or Dad to find out," I stated, beginning to open the door for Bella.

"What do you mean, we? Don't tell me that you went back to that bitch…" Alice stated just as Bella entered the house. Suddenly, Alice's demeanour changed and a smile stretched across her face before she turned her gaze to me. "Never mind, I like this turn of events better. What can I do for you guys?"

Moving to Bella's side, I looked at my sister and said, "We need your help in the makeup department."

When Alice gave me a questioning look, I looked down at Bella and gave her a small nod, letting her know that it was all right. She still seemed very hesitant, and continued to weigh her options, before finally deciding to move her hair away from her face, which made Alice gasp in shock at the growing bruise on Bella's cheek. My sister covered her mouth with one of her hands and moved quickly over to Bella, assessing the damage on Bella's face.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Alice suddenly turned her gaze toward me, and a certain fury began to build within her. "This is why you didn't want Mom and Dad here, isn't it? You—"

Scoffing, I looked at my sister incredulously and interrupted her. "How can you think such a thing?! I didn't—"

"Edward didn't do this to me," Bella said, speaking up for the first time.

Looking over at her, I could tell that she was still very hesitant on explaining things to Alice, but in my heart, I knew that Bella could trust any one of us. She had nothing to hide here. We wouldn't hurt her like her so-called family did. Bella could, in due time, feel at home.

"Then who did this to you?" Alice asked, taking a step back, but still keeping very close to Bella.

"Well, it wasn't…exactly a 'who'," Bella said, beginning to fumble with her shirt.

My eyes narrowed as she began her explanation, wondering where she was going with this. Was Bella going to lie to Alice? She still didn't trust her enough yet, which is understandable. But if she trusted me, then she could trust my sister, couldn't she? Maybe that certain trust just needed to be earned, that's all.

"I was cleaning the house, and…and I bended over to get the vacuum under the rug, but Lauren obviously didn't expect me to be right behind the door," Bella explained, stretching out the lie as much as possible while stuttering. "She opened the door just as I bent over, and the doorknob slammed right in my cheek. That's how I got the bruise. But…you know me, I'm not really a girl who's going to put any makeup, so I…I have no clue what to do to hide this."

Alice crossed her arms once the false explanation came to an end, obviously finding this hard to believe. But, to go along with the ruse, Alice cocked her head to the side and squared Bella right in the eye.

"So, you're telling me that a doorknob gave you a hand sized bruise on your cheek?" Alice asked, obviously not buying the lie.

Bella's hands clenched around her shirt, but her gaze never faltered from Alice's. She's obviously used to staring people down. "I…I slapped my hand over my cheek a bit too hard. I was just too shocked by what happened that I didn't think," Bella stuttered once more, trying to keep up with the lie.

It felt wrong to stand here and watch Bella lie to my sister, but I made her a promise, and I intend to keep it. If Bella wanted to take this slow and only share her secret with me, then I will have to be all right with this.

Alice coughed once and shuffled her feet, obviously thinking of her response. It was obvious that Alice didn't believe Bella's explanation, but to play along, my sister smiled slightly at our guest and decided to help Bella all the same.

"I see," my sister started. "Well, why don't you go up to my room and I'll give you a few things that you can use, and show you how to use it. It's the first door on the right."

Bella nodded quickly and moved toward the stairs, following Alice's instructions. My sister moved to my side, kept her arms crossed against her chest, and leaned in close to my side. Unfortunately, because of her height, she had to go on the tip of her toes simply to whisper to me.

"A doorknob didn't do that to her," she asked, making me nod my head in agreement. I couldn't say anything, but if Alice had already figured things out, then it's not breaking my promise if I simply agree with her. "Now I understand why you didn't want Mom or Dad around. They'd start asking a lot more questions. But what really happened, Edward?"

Biting my lip, I looked down at my little sister and said, "All I can say is that Bella's life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. But Bella will tell you when she's ready."

Alice nodded in understanding and squeezed my arm once before following our guest toward her room. My sister didn't waste any time helping Bella out. The minute we were all in Alice's bedroom, my sister instructed Bella on what to do with the makeup she had, and tried to hide Bella's growing bruise. Fortunately, when it came to makeup and…well, anything fashion, everything was easy for her.

Not only was she able to hide Bella's bruise extremely well, but gave my new friend enough concealer to last a few weeks.

Throughout the makeup session, Alice kept the conversation smooth and light-hearted, not only giving out instructions on the product, but also talking about random things, which made Bella's mood lighten as well. It was nice to see the two girls bond this way, and I was more than happy to watch from the doorframe.

Bella might not trust Alice so far, but by the looks of things, the both of them would probably become the best of friends.

Bella's Point of View

I could tell that my lie was completely bogus.

Just looking in Alice's eyes was proof enough. She didn't believe me. Hell, who would? Slamming my face in a doorknob would probably knock my teeth out. Alice didn't comment on that, and that's probably because she knew it was a lie. But like I told Edward, talking about my past and what it's like living with Victoria isn't easy.

Telling Edward was hard enough. Now, trying to talk to it and open up to Alice? That was going to take a lot more time.

As Alice finished, she gave me a small bag with the makeup inside, instructing me once again on the proper way to use it. It was nice of her to show me the process while applying it on my face—turns out that there was some things I'd been doing wrong for a while now,—but it was good to get a recap of the steps to follow.

Once she finished her instructions, all three of us walked downstairs and I was about to step out of the door when Alice caught my wrist gently, making me look at her.

"Edward, do you mind waiting for Bella outside? I just want to talk to her for a few seconds," Alice asked, smiling at her brother.

Edward looked at her and nodded shortly after, smiling at me. "I'll be outside whenever you're ready to leave," he said before exiting the house.

It was a bit unnecessary of Edward to wait for me, but I guess he wanted to make sure I was going to be all right before leaving, which only ended up warming my heart.

Alice continued to keep her hold on my arm while the door closed behind Edward. My eyes turned to hers and she smiled sweetly at me. There was something in her eyes that told me that made me slightly uncomfortable, but that could easily be because I knew what she wanted to talk about. Alice was going to try to get me to spill.

This entire day was too good to be true.

"Listen, I know that you weren't hit by a doorknob." There it is. I knew she'd figure it out. "But I'm not going to force you to tell me anything. All I want you to know is that I'm going to be here for you whenever you want to talk."

Well, what do you know… She was going to give me the space I needed, just like Edward. This conversation was going a lot differently than I anticipated.

Looking at her dumbfounded, I asked, "Really?"

It probably made me sound like an idiot, but it was unnatural to have people that were…there for me.

Alice smiled and nodded confidently. "Yes, really. That's what friends do," Alice said, warming my heart instantly by her words. "They are there for their friends when they need them. So, whenever you're ready to talk about what's going on, then I'll be here."

My eyes began to water as she called us 'friends'. It felt unbelievably good to know people were there to help me. Alice was here for me, Edward was as well, and I think Angela was a friend of mine as well. It had been years that I could count on people, on friends. And now that it's at my grasp, I would not take this for granted.

I will cling to these friendships as if my life depended on it.

Smiling widely at her, I nodded and said, "Thank you," meaning every word with all of my heart.

Alice smiled back and squeezed my arm gently, letting it go moments later. "You're welcome. Now, I want to see you at school tomorrow, alright? I want to see how well you learned to put that on properly," she said, chuckling in the end.

Her laugh was contagious, and I chuckled along with her, nodding shortly after before exiting the house and joining Edward by my truck.

"I guess it all makes sense now," Edward said out of the blue, remaining by my car just as I was about to grab the handle. Turning toward him, I looked in his eyes and he placed his hands in his pockets, never removing his gaze from mine. "You were doing your stepsister's homework the night before we worked together, didn't you. That's why you were so tired."

Nodding slightly, I placed one of my hands in my pockets and said, "They'll all take turns running me dry. Sometimes, they'll all give me their assignments at once, and I can't take it anymore. Most of the time, I fall asleep on their papers."

Edward sighed and ran his hand on his face, seemingly disappointed by my response. "Is that also why you also had that bruise on your face?" So I guess Edward was also very observant. "She did that to you?"

I wanted to refrain from telling him anything, but Edward already knew so much about my life at this point… What was the point in lying further? Nodding slowly, Edward sighed again, obviously very frustrated about the situation, but there wasn't anything he could do. In fact, he'd already done so much just by talking to me, and being there for me. So, he shouldn't feel about any of this.

Suddenly, Edward took my free hands and squeezed it tightly, his gaze never leaving mine. "I want you to text me when you get home, alright? I want to make sure that you're safe," he said, his voice laced with worry.

"It's kind of hard to do that when I don't have a phone, Edward," I replied, not removing my hand from his. It felt nice to have this interaction with him, this electricity running through me, letting me know I'm alive. No one else could make me feel this way, and it was surprising that Edward Cullen was the one that brought out these feelings within me.

Maybe it was something worth exploring…

"Then send me an email," he implied, desperately wanting to hear from me when I got home. But why? Why was he so persistent in hearing from me? "Please, I want to make sure that your stepmother doesn't hurt you anymore. You sent me emails before when we were working on the project. It won't be hard for you to send me an email, letting me know that you're all right." When I was hesitating once again, he squeezed my hand again and continued, "I'm your friend, Bella. I want to be there for you. And I want to make sure that you're safe."

Just looking in his eyes…something inside of me warmed, almost as if it was being reawaken after all this time. His concern and protectiveness toward me was overwhelming, but it was very refreshing, almost as if it'd been too long since someone…cared about me that it felt good to feel this way again, to feel…well, to feel loved.

Would it hurt to let Edward in a little? Would letting in one person really affect me this much?

I…I guess there was only one way to find out.

Nodding slightly, Edward smiled widely and squeezed my hand once more. "Alright, I'll send you a message when I get home…well, if Victoria isn't really pissed off when I get there."

When hearing that, Edward's smile disappeared and his hold on my hand tightened even more. It seemed as though he was refraining from drawing me into his arms, almost like he wanted to protect me from what was to come. Instead of holding me, he sighed and was about to move his hand to my cheek, about to cup it, but decided against it, possibly thinking it was too fast too soon. Edward placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it softly, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I hope that you will soon be able to leave, Bella. Because no one deserves such a life," Edward said before opening the door of my truck for me.

I saw the desire to protect me in his eyes, and once again, it made my heart skip a beat to know that he wanted to be there for me. But his words kept replaying in my mind, even after we said our goodbyes for the day. He said no one deserved to live this way, at least not for so long.

Unfortunately, the sad reality of this was that I was stuck in this life for who knew how much longer. There was no escape plan for me, at least none that would allow me to keep my sanity. Even though Edward wanted to save me from this kind of life, no one could protect me from Victoria or the evil stepsisters.

This was the reality of my life. That 'home' was a prison, nothing more. And unfortunately, it was a prison that I could never escape from.

So, what did you all think? Was this chapter worth it? Did it make sense? Did you guys appreciate what I wrote? Please let me know in some REVIEWS!

Mortal-paralight

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