Chapter Three

"So... filming is going to be over by five?"

I leaned against the wall at the back of the set. We were on lunch break and I had wolfed down my delivered lunch from the local Thai restaurant. Now I had severe heartburn from rapid eating of the spicy noodles, but I was able to call Bella during her lunch break, which made the discomfort worth it. It was Friday... The day that we decided that I was going to make the announcement.

"Yeah, but if you want me to talk to the press--"

"I do, it needs to be done... Actually I would welcome it. I've been on edge ever since we decided to do this. Are you sure you don't want me to come too?"

"Yes sweetheart, I'll be fine, you just concentrate on being happy, and as for being on edge...Really?!" I smirked as I tussled my hair, "You haven't shown it while we're together."

I could hear the laughter in her voice, which did my heart good. "Well, you really don't give me time to brood while we're together. I've not been able to concentrate all day, my thoughts have been drifting back to last night, making me all kinds of hot, you see my desk is a lot like the one you had me bent over last night... '" She trailed off leaving me with the memories of the previous night and tight jeans, then her mood grew sombre and there was a pause."Anyway, back to the original topic, I'm going off with Alice to do preliminary gown shopping... So I won't be home till later."

"So, while I'm facing the wolves, you'll be lazing about in shops while giving Alice your advice about how well she fits into certain dress's bodices?"

"Yeah... I guess you can see it that way." She laughed. "But don't worry baby, I'll make it up to you tonight." She said in a sultry voice.

I groaned then smiled and turned my face further away from the rest of the cast and crew. "That sounds just about perfect."

After we hung up a few minutes later, she had a class to go teach, I managed to adjust my too tight jeans conspicuously and get one more phone call in before the filming resumed. It was to my manager, Ben, who I rarely talk to, and when I do it is for only a brief moment or two. I just preferred to managed things myself, and seeing that he was also out of the loop about my marriage I always thought it would be a bad thing for him to get any closer.

"Edward?"

"Hey, Ben, I need a favour."

"...Sure... What is it?"

"Call a press conference for today."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

--

The cameras flashed as I walked over to the long table that was placed in front of one of the meeting halls in the hotel that we were shooting at for the day. It was too convenient by far, as if the fates had decided it was time to bring my marriage to Bella into the light.

I was used to the flashes and the calls already being shouted at me as I walked to my seat at the middle of the table. I was the only one there. No Aro, who didn't know about this conference. No Ben, who was the invisible manager. And no Tanya, so the reporters can push big Hollywood scandal off their lists of what this might be about... And they would be about half-way right.

Bella wasn't a part of Hollywood but, though I didn't see a legitimate marriage as a scandal, they would see this as the hottest gossip of the year. Unless Jane went back to rehab or Felix started screwing a bloke... one could only hope.

"Edward, Demitri from Entertainment Tonight, what is the reason for this spontaneous conference?"

I smiled at the handsome reporter who loved to look up dirt on celebrities... In fact I think he lived for it. Well, I was about to make his day. "Well, for a spontaneous conference a good deal of you managed to show up." I laughed, keeping my tone light and conversational, I had to handle this delicately.

His smiled had a slight edge. "Well, when things concern you, we tend to drop whatever we're doing and come running. You barely give us anything to go on for these passed four, almost five, years." He angled his hand-held recorder towards me. "We're kind of hoping that would change today."

"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." I put my hands on top of the table and shifted my clasped hands so the glint of my wedding ring would catch the lights.

And the crowd went wild.

"--Is that what I think it is--?"

"--Is this a joke--?"

"--Is it Tanya--?"

"--Are you gay--?"

I held up my right hand and silence abruptly fell. "Yes... No... No... And No."

"If it isn't Tanya, then who is she?" Demitri called. During the jostling and mob movements, he had ended up closer to the dais than what he would have normally been allowed. "And when did you have time to let this happen?"

I shrugged, leaning back into my chair. I suddenly felt very tired, and it was only going to get worse. "Near the end of my first year of modelling, at a Halloween party with my sister. Some students from the college attended--"

"She's a student?"

I looked down at the tiny blonde who was pressed dangerously close to Demitri. I feared for her breathing abilities. "She was a student, four years ago."

"And what does she do now?" the blonde managed to squeak out before she was popped back further into the mass of reporters.

I mentally winced. Bella had said that she was alright with the press knowing. But it was still hard to willingly pass her over to their lethal force. I should be protecting her from these monsters, not feeding them her scent. "She's a school teacher."

"So, you two have been together for four years."

I looked back down to Demitri's sharp eyes. "Yes, and we have been married for three. Our anniversary was in September."

"Why did it take you so long to come out about it?"

I cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward. "You mean other than the contract that says that I'm not allowed to have serious relationships... Let alone marriage?" My straight back slumped once more into the chair's back. "I didn't want to expose her to all of this." I waved my hand to indicate the mob that was staring up at me, I was feeding her to the wolves and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Alright, I can buy that," Apparently the others thought that Demitri was handling the situation just fine. "But then why tell us at all?"

"Would you want to keep your marriage a secret, to have to shy away from your reason for existence in a public place? Would you want to keep lying to your family? Would you want to hide your love, when all you wanted to do was shout it from the rooftops? "I asked rhetorically. "And she wanted me to, we wanted--"

"But why?"

I sighed. "Because she's pregnant."

If the wedding band set off chaos this made the reporters go into a complete frenzy.

After a few minutes of shouting and pushing one another to get closer to me, Demitri managed to get his voice above the rest. "Is it the woman you took to the pre-shooting benefit, Gloria Bennett?"

"Yes, but that isn't her name."

Silence was abrupt and every recorder, and every eye was turned towards me.

"Then what is her real name?" Demitri's voice was laced with withheld glee.

Oh, how I hated reporters and any form of media sharks.

For a moment I considered refusing to answer, but that would do Bella no good. They would just hound and follow me until they weaselled out a picture of her. And then she would be harassed even more than if I just admitted it right now...

I pinched the bridge of my nose while they just watched and clicked away at their cameras.

I hoped that she was serious when she said that she would welcome this. I'm so sorry Bella.

"Isabella Swan."

Pandemonium ensued.

--

I got out of there as fast as possible, completely ignoring the dazed and confused Ben, and ran, as soon as I was out of public sight, to the parking garage and started to speed away from the area before the reporters had a chance to come out of their information lusting haze and think of following me.

After a few blocks I whipped out my phone.

She picked up after the first two rings. "So, how did it go?"

"Bad."

Silence.

The only sound coming from the other end was Alice's cheerful voice speaking to some older sounding females.

"Alright, we'll just have to deal."

"Bella, it's not that easy."

"Well, explain the situation to me so I can panic to the right degree. Though panicking will do us little good."

"God I love you."

"Good to know... So, what happened?"

"Well they have your name and know you're a teacher, so their going to find out where you work within the hour..." I sighed. I've been doing that a lot of late. "We'll talk about it at home... Where are you?"

"At Brighton. It's on corner of Albert and Leonard... It's Edward" She called the last part away from the mouth piece, probably answering a question.

"Alright, I'm coming to get you now." I check my review mirror; it was still clear and I just wanted to get to my Bella... My anxiety wouldn't edge away till then. "I'm only a few blocks from you."

"Alright... but don't speed, if all fails I could have Alice drive me home. She did drive me here."

"No need, I'm here." I gave her a brief wave at where she stood at the other side of the shop's large windows.

Her smile was almost enough to calm down my racing heart...

Almost.

Bella hurried out of the shop, calling good-bye to Alice in the process, and slipped into the car. She leaned over to kiss me.

Now my heart was resting, to the point that I could cradle her neck, pulled her closer, and started to think about all the things I wanted to do once we got home... After we talked. Yes, we had to talk... Eventually.

Then my calm heart stopped all together when a camera flash caught the corner of my eye.

Demitri's smirk met my frightened eyes."How the fuck--"

"What's the matter?" Bella tried to crane her neck and see what I was staring at.

"No." My head snapped forward as I put the car back in gear and shot down the road. "Let's get home... And then I might just have to panic for a while."

"Why? What happened?"

"They found us already."

She lifted an eyebrow at me and rested her hand on where my hands clenched the steering wheel. "We knew that this was going to happen. So what if they get a picture now or--"

"Bella, you don't understand!" I snapped, immediately regretting it, seeing the look on her face. "Sorry baby, I don't mean to snap, I'm just so fucking stressed, with any other reporter I would be fine, but this one is known for getting a story at all cost. No matter if it's true or not, and once he has his sights on something he never lets it go till he bleeds it for all its worth." I looked in the review; a black Chevy was a few cars behind us. "And I don't want the bastard to know where we live… Not yet."