Author's Note: This is my very first Twilight story, so I'm excited to have a try at it! A few things, this is AU, so there are no vampires or wolves! I really hope you guys enjoy, and PLEASE leave reviews :')

The constant screams and shouts echoed throughout the apartment building, and the police stood at the Cullen's door for the third time that week. Bella stood in her doorway, anxiously trying to persuade the officer that nothing serious was going on.

"I have worried people calling the department left and right about you two. Let me come out here again, and you two will be forced to find somewhere else to live. This isn't fair to your neighbors," the officer warned, staring down at the brunette with agitated eyes. Bella nodded frantically, the crystal tears freely falling down her cheeks.

"We're sorry, sir. You won't have to come back again," she cried, wiping a tear from her face with a low growl. The officer walked off. "Tell my dad I say hi!" she yelled quickly. He turned to look at her blankly before trotting off. Bella looked after him for a second before slamming her door. The tears instantly disappeared from her face and was replaced with an angry glare.

She stomped into her and Edward's bedroom and scoffed as she saw him laying across the bed with his eyes closed.

"Edward!" Bella said forcefully, folding her arms across her chest. He didn't budge. "Edward!" she said a bit harder, her anger accelerating. He groaned and turned over on his side, facing away from Bella. "I'm not done talking to you!"

"Well I'm done listening," Edward mumbled, sinking his head deep into the pillow. He was fed up with Bella's nagging voice, screaming in his ear every two seconds. At that moment, he despised just the feel of her in the room.

"You bastard! How dare you start this argument and not even be man enough to finish it?" Bella hollered, ignoring his declaration. Edward groaned and turned his body so that he was facing her.

"Don't you ever get tired of the police showing up at our door?" Edward asked, his hazel eyes peering darkly into her brown ones. Bella's lips quivered as she studied the smug look on his face. Edward didn't care one bit that he had upset Bella. She was in tears the whole night, and all he could do was stare at her as if she were disgusting. It broke her heart.
"Do you think I care about the police?" Bella asked, her voice shaking. "All I care about is our marriage and how I want to make it work!"

"Well right about now, I'm not interested in discussing this. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Edward rolled over on his back and closed his eyes again.

Bella tugged on her lip and fought back the tears threatening to spill out. She wasn't going to let him make her cry anymore that night. She triumphantly grabbed her pillow from her side of the bed and trotted into the living room. She collapsed on the couch and covered herself with a blanket that was lying on the floor.

"Why should I be sleeping on the couch?" she whispered to herself, swiping the remote from the coffee table. She turned the TV on and smirked at what was on. Snapped- the TV show all about women who murdered their husbands. She knew that she probably shouldn't be watching this, not at the way she was feeling at the moment. She turned the channel to the family sitcom, George Lopez.

She sighed sadly as George and his wife Angie shared a kiss on the screen. Why couldn't she be happy like them? She would much rather be kissing her husband than arguing with him right now. She switched the TV off after a minute and closed her eyes, praying for some sleep.

…

The next morning was a blur. Bella woke violently on the couch to the sound of a man cursing. It took her a second to process that it was Edward, scolding her. She blinked twice so that her vision wasn't so fogged.

"Where's breakfast?" he asked, his face beat red. He looked like a balloon that was about to explode.

"In the cupboard. Care to make it?" Bella asked, standing to her feet. She brushed past him and made her way into the bathroom. Edward trailed behind her and groaned heavily.

"Bella, you know I don't have time for this! I have to be work soon!" he argued, his tone nothing but serious. Bella tugged at her lip again and grabbed her toothbrush, squirting toothpaste on it.

"Then stop by McDonald's. What makes you think I'm going to get up and make breakfast for you after last night?" Bella retorted, bringing the toothbrush to her teeth. Edward was silent, so Bella looked through the mirrors reflection and locked eyes with him.

"Way to hold a grudge," he said softly. Bella noticed the hurt in his eyes, and she knew that he was as tired of arguing as she was. Before she could respond, he exited the bathroom and was out of the apartment before she could even finish brushing her teeth. She wanted to stop arguing, but she still didn't fully forgive him for last night. Their whole argument was still projecting vividly in her head.

Bella walked into the apartment and switched on the light in the kitchen. It was around 10 when she came home, and she was starving. She wondered if Edward had eaten dinner. She opened the fridge and searched around, only finding a carton of milk and some spoiled lunch meat. She groaned and closed it, jumping when she discovered Edward leaning on the counter by the fridge. He wasn't there when she opened it...

"What the hell? You scared me!" Bella shrieked, regaining her composure. She noticed the hard glare on his face and grew scared.

"Where were you?" he asked sternly.

"I was at Alice's house... she's going through a bad break-up," Bella said innocently. Edward studied her eyes, but he didn't seem convinced.

"So that means you can't answer my calls?" he growled, rising to stand upright. Bella narrowed her eyes.

"Your calls...what?" she asked, taking out her phone. It showed that she had numerous missed calls and a few texts from Edward. "It was on silent."

"Oh, so it was on silent! You didn't happen to check your phone at all?" he shouted sarcastically. "You think I'm supposed to buy that? I'm not stupid, Bella!"Edward stepped closer to his wife so that she could feel his hot breath on her face. Her mouth gaped open as she stared back at him in horror.

"What are you implying?" Bella asked softly. Edward cleared his throat and gave her one of the dirtiest looks that he had ever given her. She couldn't believe that he'd be accusing her of something so absurd. Did he not trust her?
"Where were you?" he repeated, his voice rock hard and stiff.

"I told you I was with Alice!" Bella shouted, her anger getting the best of her. His interrogation was really beginning to piss her off. Edward swooped down and snatched the phone from her.

"We'll see about that," he muttered, storming away from her. Bella was shocked. This was nothing like the sweet, kind, trusting guy that she decided to spend her life with. He was completely different. It was if they grown apart, along with their trust for each other. Bella's face crumpled in frustration as she chased after him.

"How dare you? Give me my phone!" she screamed, reaching to take it from him. He turned his back on her and dialed Alice's number.

"We're about to find out how much of a lying, cheating, sneaky little whore you are," he snapped, pressing the phone to his ear. Bella paused to process the fact that Edward actually said that to her. That was the breaking point; she was set off.

"Fuck you, Edward! You bastard! Give me my fucking phone, you asshole!" she cried, slamming her fists into his back. It didn't faze him one bit. Bella continued to let out a slur of curse words as Edward waited for Alice to answer. Bella knew she sounded ridiculous, but she was just so mad that she said the first things that came to mind. Was Edward really that blind not to see that Bella was madly in love with him? Why would she need to cheat on him?

Alice didn't pick up, and a furious Edward slammed her phone into the nearest wall. It separated into pieces as it hit the wooden ground with a piercing noise. Bella was overwhelmed with fury as Edward turned to her.

"Leave me alone," is all Edward could manage to get out. He grabbed Bella forcefully and tried to push her out of the room, but she only began screaming and cursing even louder.

"First you accuse me of cheating and then you break my phone? What the hell is wrong with you, Edward? It's like I don't even know you!" Bella shrieked as Edward had finally managed to get her out of the room.

"That's bullshit! You've been coming home late for the past week. Were you with Alice those nights too?" he asked sarcastically.

"It's called having a job, dumbass!" Bella shouted back. They continued this charade until they heard frantic knocking at the door.

"I wonder who that is," Edward said nonchalantly, the both of them already knowing exactly who to expect. Bella's stomach sank as tears welled in her eyes. Edward scoffed and retorted back into the room, leaving Bella to handle the police.

Bella had to stop reflecting on last night's events, because she knew that she had a job of her own to get ready for. By the time she had her uniform on and her hair in a ponytail with some light make-up, she was ready to head out. She worked at a clothing store along with Alice, her best friend of many years.

Bella walked out of her apartment and noticed the crude stare from her neighbor who happened to be sending her kids out to their bus stop. Bella ignored the look and stomped downstairs, turning into the parking garage.

She got into her small convertible and flinched when loud music began to boom the speakers. She cut the radio off and made her way to work.

About a half hour later, she pulled up to the mall and exited the car. It was around 6:30 am when she strolled into the clothing store, greeted by Alice behind the counter. Alice had a smile on her face, but she and Bella both knew how much she was hurting on the inside.

Alice and Jasper had been a couple since high school. Anyone could tell from a mile away how in love they were with each other. Maybe it was the lack of exploration that the two had that broke them apart. All throughout high school, it was just Alice and Jasper. They never dated anyone else, or simply took the time to meet anyone new. They even lost their virginity to each other at the beginning of their Junior year. Alice was sure that she found the one, but maybe she was wrong all along. Bella was beginning to fear that her and Edward were going down the same path.

"Morning," Bella said, exiting off into the back to punch in her time card.

"Good morning, Bells!" Alice called, working some price tags onto the new shipment of jeans. Bella walked back out and took a spot beside Alice behind the counter.

"Me and Edward are arguing again," Bella said hoarsely, avoiding eye contact with Alice. The store didn't open for another 20 minutes, so they had some time to talk.

"Really? Why?" Alice asked worriedly, pausing her job to look at Bella.

"He thought I was... cheating on him when I was at your place last night," Bella began, watching as Alice's eyes widened in horror. "He tried to call you, but you didn't answer. He ended up breaking my phone and everything."

"I tried to call you back last night but I couldn't get through!" Alice panicked. "This is my fault, isn't it?" Bella frowned and pulled her guilt ridden friend into a hug. She sighed sadly and shook her head, pulling away.

"Of course not," Bella whispered sadly. "If Edward can't trust me, it's obviously his fault."

"Well... did you give him a reason to assume such a thing? Did a customers cologne rub off on you or something?" Alice asked, trying to put two and two together. Bella frowned and shook her head again.

"No! I don't even know where the hell Edward's stupid theories came from," Bella said in an annoyed tone.

"Why is this happening to us? We deserve better," Alice said after a minute, returning to her job. Bella nodded slowly and walked from behind the counter, looking over some of the jewelery to make sure that they were where they were supposed to be. Anything to busy her from her thoughts. Minutes later, Esme, the store manager, walked out of her office.

She instructed the girls to do numerous tasks before the store officially opened. Silently, Bella was thankful for this.

Throughout the day, Alice kept giving Bella apologetic looks. She didn't want Alice to give her pity, because she was already going through her own problems, so she just shrugged it off and told her it was okay. Bella knew though, that things were far from okay.

…

Bella got off early from work, so she spent majority of her afternoon browsing the web. She looked up books for how to resolve problems in a marriage, and even ended up ordering one. She read stories from other women having problems in their relationships, and even submitted an entry herself.

She had lost herself in uncovering every aspect to saving her marriage, that she stumbled upon the idea of a marriage counselor. There was a list with the best verified counseling agencies in Forks, Washington, and Bella dialed the number of the first name on the list.

It took a lot of holds and conversation with numerous strangers, but Bella finally got herself an appointment. Now all she had to do was convince Edward that it was a good idea.

Edward came home from work around seven, trudging into the apartment miserably. He quickly perked up when the aroma of steak and potatoes filled his nostrils. He hurried into the kitchen and noticed the table for two that was set up, with grape wine filled to the tip of their wine glasses.

Bella was nowhere to be found. The food looked so delicious, that he was considering eating it right then and there.

Bella appeared in the doorway of the kitchen in a stunning black dress that tightened up around her waist and hip area. Her hair was down in waves and Edward noticed that she took quite some time to do her make-up.

The corners of his mouth tugged up into a smile as he took in every aspect of her appearance.

"So I'm assuming that our little argument is over?" Bella asked, her eyes shining with nervousness. Edward studied her face and then looked down at the food.

"Is this steak medium rare?" he asked. Bella nodded slowly, and the smile returned to his face. "Then yes, the argument is over."

"Thank you," Bella whispered, walking over to join Edward at the table. They sat across from each other and grabbed their wine glasses, clanking them together. Bella smiled genuinely at Edward, and he returned it. Bella noticed that something still wasn't right with him though.

"So how was your day?" Bella asked casually, taking a sip of her wine.

"It was fine," Edward responded, slicing a piece of his steak. Bella waited patiently for him to continue the conversation, but he only began stuffing his face.

"Aren't you going to ask me about my day?" Bella asked after a minute. Edward halted his eating and stared at Bella, sighing shortly afterward.

"How was your day?" he asked, clearly uninterested. Bella frowned, looking down at her untouched plate.

"I thought you said this argument was over," she said quietly, her voice full of sadness.

"It is... so don't bring it back up," Edward snapped, returning his attention back on his meal. Bella looked up and glared, trying her hardest to keep her composure.

"Then why are you shunning me?" she asked, her voice steady and calm. Edward rolled his eyes and stood up, gathering his plate and wine in his hands.

"You know what, I don't like where this is going. I'll just go eat in the room," he said. Outraged, Bella stood up and got in front of him.

"Are you serious?" she asked, her voice finally breaking. "I did all of this for you! Now you're just going to run away every time I want to talk? It's like you don't even want us to get better!"

"So over dramatic," he muttered, trying to brush past her. She grabbed his arm and kept him in place, causing some of the wine to spill over and land on the shiny tile.

"I think we should see a counselor," she said, quickly ignoring her original approach at fishing it to him through dinner and passionate sex. His face twisted uncomfortably as he stared down at his wife.

"A counselor? What, so some stranger can have complete access to our business?" he asked bitterly.

"No! Since you won't talk to me, maybe you'll talk to her!" Bella screamed, her eyes filling with tears. She hated how easily Edward could make her cry.

"I'm not seeing a shrink," Edward declared, setting his food back down on the table.

"Edward, please! Give it a chance! Do it for me... do it for us," Bella pleaded, the tears now sliding freely down her pale cheeks. Edward studied her for a while and sighed, taking a seat back at the table. He was silent for a moment as he processed his thoughts.

"Fine...just to try it out," Edward agreed, dreading the tears sliding down the brunette's face. He'd say anything just to make her stop crying. She smiled brightly and sat back in her spot, reaching for Edward's hand. He grabbed hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Good, because I already set us up an appointment," Bella confirmed.

…

Edward and Bella marched into the building and found their way to the receptionist desk. Edward was still against the whole concept of putting strangers into their business, but he reminded himself that he was doing it for her. Bella stopped in front of the desk and smiled at the red haired lady.

"Hi, I'm Bella Cullen and my husband and I are here to meet with Dr. Black?" Bella said professionally. The woman typed around on her computer and pulled up a page full of scheduled appointments.

She wrote some things down on a sticky note and handed it to Bella. It was a room number and the name of the counselor. Bella gripped Edward's hand and led him into the elevator.

"I hope she's nice," Bella said, hoping to break the awkward silence. Edward didn't respond as the elevator began to go up.

Bella swallowed the uncomfortable lump in her throat and exited the elevator as the doors spread open. Edward lazily followed after her, being sure to showing that he had no interest in the events about to take place. Bella found the door and took a deep breath before knocking.

Seconds later, a tall, beautifully tan guy with dark brown eyes opened the door, causing both of the Cullen's to widen their eyes.

"I thought you said it was a female," Edward said, staring down the undeniably attractive therapist. Bella's mouth gaped open as she stared at the guy in front of her.

"That's what my dad said to my mom when I was born," Dr. Black joked, causing Bella to laugh out. Edward snapped his head toward her, instantly silencing her. Dr. Black noticed the tension and invited them in, walking them over to the lounge area. They took a seat on the couch as Dr. Black seated himself in front of them.

"Hello. My name is Dr. Black, but we're friends now, so you can call me Jacob," he said, flashing them his white teeth. Edward scowled, but all Bella could do was smile back cheekily.

Author's Note: Thoughts? I'd REALLY like to know what you guys think so far, so please leave a review for me? Thanks! :D