Chapter Twenty-five-

It had been over a month a half since I had visited the Vaudevillian office. The weather was drastically different this time around. There was already a chance of snow in the following week, but it was low. It was a little early in the season, and the late heat was all but forgotten.

Jessica invited me to her office happily, a small heater warming up the small space. All of her paperweights were lining the front of the desk in a neat little row.

"I have to tell you how excited I am about how the pictures turned out. They're amazing! I can't wait to show you what we've done," she smiled at me as she pulled out an enlarged printing of the magazine, all spread out into a book for them to map it out. First, she showed me the cover. It was Edward in the diner on the first morning, the very first picture I had taken of him. "The lighting in this one is stunning, Bella."

"Thank you," I didn't know what else to say. It was a little overwhelming to see it like that.

She flipped to the spread. There were short bits of writing, but it was mostly my pictures, big and bold. I could have cried right there. There were fourteen full pages of my photographs. Plus the cover. In total, I was going to get paid just five hundred short of ten thousand. It would be going into my bank account by the end of the week.

"We would like to offer you the next spread. They live here in New York though, so it'll be easier for you," she said as closed up the book with a little thud. "It would be in mid-December for a week for the March or April issue."

"I'd love to," I said excitedly. I couldn't believe I would be doing it again so soon.

"That's fantastic. Also, I have some product and model shoots if you're interested. We lost one of our in-house photographers, and we'd like to see some more of your work. We are really impressed, Bella," Jessica said genuinely.

By the time I left, I had three photo shoots set up at Vaudevillian plus the information on my week with a Broadway star. Demetri was going to lose his mind with jealousy. But in that short meeting, I had arranged all the work I would need for the rest of the year. The years before I scrapped by on doing the odd event and photo shoot, just barely getting any magazine work plus my volunteering. After paying off so much of our debt when Aiden died there really wasn't anything else to really live on. It had been such a vast change and relief. I could focus on doing more charity work as well as getting more magazine gigs if I wanted to.

Since I was in Manhattan, I decided to shop for a better laptop. I had been putting it off, but I could write it off as a business expense on my taxes. My computer was several years old and needed better storage. I just window shopped though. I considered checking my bank balance, but the numbers made me anxious. Even though I knew there was money in there, I couldn't bring myself to spend any of it.

When I got home, I cried in happiness about my day to Alice. I had been so overwhelmed that the tears just flowed like rivers over my cheeks, ruining my makeup. When I finally stopped, I ate a bowl of soup and went to bed at just after five in the afternoon. I had about enough for the day.

I slept until three the following day.

It took me three more days to get my sleep schedule straight. Edward was suffering more than I was at the separation, unable to get back to normal sleep at all. Finally the following Sunday he took cold medicine and slept all day. The next day he would start the training for his movie, twelve hours a day, every day so it would wear him out. He had been exercising more in the hopes of tiring himself anyway, but it didn't work.

But twelves hours was too much for even him though, and he crashed every night.

I had to admit to myself I wasn't being responsible when it came to checking my money. For the first week I was back, I ignored it totally. I was still spending the cash from the magazine, and I had paid my bills early, I reasoned with myself. I just spent a week eating at home and updating new items on my digital store. Every time I consider checking it my chest twisted in anxiety.

But then I got the notice that my Vaudevillian check had cleared and I had to check.

Just from my online store from the past few weeks and the magazine, there was an additional fifteen thousand from the last time I had checked and another seven from Edward's videos. He had put up eleven total videos with me, and the jump doubled his previous highest views. All of them had over fifty million views though, at least. Most were closer to a hundred million.

I hadn't watched any videos with myself. I felt kind of guilty about it, but they made me feel overwhelmed. I watched the ones I wasn't in, though. Just so I could see Edward. Alice watched them all for me though. So did Demetri, whom I was spending time with because of the charity show and Thanksgiving. He loved them. And he loved to tease me about them. He assured me they were good though. I hadn't even brought myself to watch the jump. I wondered if either kiss had made it in.

Demetri was going to make me do a little singing and dancing for his variety show. I would be playing the banjo as well in front of people for the first time ever, which I would need to practice on it a lot. But, It was just one easy song. I would be doing two skits in total. So, Edward had his practice, and I had mine. We filled our time with work, and it made us both hate the time zone difference.

We still spoke every day on the phone though. And usually texted throughout the day when we could.

It wasn't until one in the morning when we finally got some time to talk a few days into his training. It was really cold outside, and I was wearing multiple layers and laying under a couple of thick blankets. We didn't control the heat in our building, and I needed a new little heater for my room. It was completely dark, the moonlight coming through the window in long silver and gold ribbons on the hardwood floors.

"I arranged my flight today," Edward told me, obvious exhaustion from his day ringing in his voice and I wanted to kiss away his aches and pains. "I'll be there late on the twenty-first until the second. I don't suppose you want to come home with me?" He offered hopefully.

"I'm sorry. I can't. The fifth I'm shooting and then the tenth I'm doing that spread I was telling you about."

"That's the week of my filming as well. Then I have some Disney stuff until Christmas," he sighed heavily. "I won't have time to fly to New York again until then."

"Don't worry. We'll figure it out when you get here," I promised him quietly. "Have you made a list of videos you want to try to make when you're here in New York?" I encouraged him. We had been making an imaginary one almost every evening that we could do while we were together. It always seemed to cheer him up some. Most of them were just silly or jokingly dirty.

"I don't want to make you work," he said seriously, a little sadness in his tone.

"It's not working. And, I like doing it with you. I'll do whatever you want, though. It's your vacation," I reminded him.

"That's dangerous. What if I want to do terrible things?" He said warmly in a joking tone.

"Promises, promises," I teased dryly.

He chuckled before saying wistfully. "god, I miss you. I can't stop thinking about you."

"What do you think about?" I asked softly.

"Mm, so many things. I can't stop thinking about your laugh. Your eyes. God, and your skin. Your skin is perfection itself. I didn't get enough time to memorize every inch of it."

I clicked my tongue. "You think you are so smooth."

There was a little pause before he slyly said, "am I not?"

"You are. It's just annoying," I joked. "When you say such flowery things with such sincerity it's hard not to believe you..."

"I hope you believe that I do mean it," he said shyly. "I adore every bit of you, truly."

The next morning he had waffles from my favorite place sent over for Alice and myself. He also sent two dozen yellow roses. I took dozens of pictures of both, much to Edward's pleasure. In that gesture, he won Alice over before even meeting her. The girl was easy to get with food, though.

Over the next week, I kept myself busy with work, practice for the show, the gym, and preparing for Thanksgiving. My online store was doing amazingly well, and I added more to it every day. I had already done the fashion model shoot for Vaudevillian by then and sold them half a dozen pages for the January issue. I even got offered two more jobs for another magazine for in early December. I would be taking pictures for their Valentine's day issue.

I put most of the money to the side in my savings. I created a separate account just for saving for my bills as well. I put six months of bill money in there and then arranged for the money to come out of the account automatically every month. For the first time in many years, I felt utterly secure financially.

After I set all of that up, I had a nice little panic attack that I didn't fully understand.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving I decided to brave the crowds and go shopping after practice. I had already bought all the food I needed for the meal and prepared some of it the day before. I had spent Saturday canning cranberry jam, freezing several pies that were to be cooked the day of Thanksgiving, and putting away my cookie dough in the fridge to age. What I needed was a present for Edward's birthday.

I couldn't decide on one thing, so I went on the gift basket approach. First I bought Edward every sort of Drake's Cake for him to try on the channel. He loved doing the food and candy ones the most. I also bought a couple of bottles of wine that I knew he would like. They were sweet German Rieslings, his favorite. I went to a local comic book shop that had some locally made handcrafted items. I bought a fun one of his robot character and a clock with it as well.

"Is Plex your favorite character?" The guy said with a smile as he wrapped the gifts up carefully. He was tall and thin with very little hair on his head. He was wearing a knitted ugly Star Wars sweater.

"Actually, they're for my boyfriend's birthday. I've not played this one yet," I admitted.

"Oh, so it's his favorite then?" He guessed.

"Um, well... I don't know about that really. He's actually worked on the game though, believe it or not. He has a big collection of stuff from it, but this seems pretty unique. I think he'll like it," I told the cashier as I took the bag.

The guy clearly freaked out. "Oh, that's so cool! I love the game! Is he a game dev or something?"

I was starting to feel uncomfortable. "A voice actor."

"What?! That's even cooler! Who does he do in the game? I wonder if I'd recognize his voice."

I realized I didn't want to say anything else, so I pointed to the bag. "He'll love these," I said again. "Thanks." I walked out of the store in a rush.

I also bought several pieces of nice lingerie and a few new winter outfits to wear when he came into town. I wanted to look nice for him. Boots, hats, gloves, a couple of jackets even. I had my eyebrows waxed and my hair trimmed for the first time in four years. I also bought him a very nice old-fashioned shave kit when I got my hair done in the salon because I loved his freshly shaved skin. So, it was more a gift for me. The idea of watching him shave with it kind of turned me on, too.

Edward had worked twelve hour days all week long and was spending his Sunday in a sleeping coma. It was ten in the evening when he finally messaged me for the first time that day. I had sent him a text earlier in the afternoon about how I missed talking to him.

The message he sent said. "I am counting down the seconds until I can see you again."

"I want to hear your voice," I typed back. A second later my phone rang. I stood from Alice's couch where I had been working, leaving my laptop in her room so I could speak to him alone on my own.

"Hi," I answered his call as I left her room, shutting the door behind me.

"Hello, gorgeous." His voice was so rich and velvety. Something about it made me feel tingly.

"So how many seconds?" I teased him, trying to act cool.

"I'm not sure, I'd have to look on my phone. It's on a countdown clock," he answered smoothly. "I got an app."

I wrapped myself up in a blanket on my couch. "I half expected you to spit out a random number."

"You really think I'm joking? I assure you I'm not," he teased me back sweetly. "So, what have you been up to today, my love?"

"Gym. Practice. Shopping on Fifth Avenue. Had lunch in Times Square. Watched a tourist get in a fight with a person in a Hello Kitty costume. You know, your average day in New York. Oh, I got your birthday gift. It was a productive day, at least."

"Hello Kitty? Really?" He laughed quietly. "I don't want to know. Anyway, you don't have to get me anything. You're my present."

"Oh, okay," I said sarcastically. "Well, I'll just return this big bag of Victoria's Secret sitting beside me. Such a shame."

"Let's not be too hasty now. I'm talking out of my ass. Give me presents!" He said quickly.

I laughed, "oh no. Too late."

"No. Okay. It's fine. You look best in nothing at all, so that's fine."

"Are you sure about that? I've got something that might make you question that," I promised him. "I was going to take pictures for you while wearing it, but I guess I won't now. Since, you know, no presents."

"Damn, you are so mean."

"Aw, am I?" I mused.

"I should not get hard at the mere suggestion of dirty pictures of you," he mumbled in annoyance at himself. "Not even that dirty. Just modeling underwear."

"I've got to give you something fun to think about when I'm not there."

"Oh, you've given me plenty to think about," he assured me. "You know what frustrates me the most? You're too cool for that. I don't think I could get the same reaction out of you. I'm a horny idiot, and you're just... unmoved."

"Please," I laughed at the absurdity. "I literally jumped you because I couldn't take it anymore. Or, have you forgotten that already?"

"I might need some reminding," he said smoothly. "Perhaps jump me again next time you see me, yeah?"

"I mean... obviously, I was planning on doing that already in my Victoria, not at all, Secrets, but you said no presents," I deadpanned.

"Give. ME. Some fucking gifts, woman," he said in fake anger through gritted teeth.

I laughed quietly, "ask nicely."

"Dammit. I want to be the pervert that I am and give you the proper begging you deserve, but I have to leave my car in a second and go in public. So, I'm going to say pretty please very quickly. Yes, I will beg. I know you were joking about pictures, but I will get on my knees. On my knees, Isabella. Just to see you in whatever you have in that damn pink bag," he said in a quiet even tone, his voice warm and deep. I loved it so much. I wished I could swim in it.

"Okay. If you beg extra hard on your knees I might let you take the pictures," I told him in a silky voice. I wasn't going to go easy on him. "Extra extra hard."

"Okay. Fuck. Dammit. That... Please. Yes. My darling," he kind of half whined as I heard him rub his hand over his face. My giggling didn't do anything to help his frustration. "I have to go. I'm going to Tyler's for dinner."

I tried to keep the sadness from filling my voice. "Tell him and Lauren hello for me. And Seth whenever you see him next."

"I will. I'll talk to you tomorrow, darling."

I hated that we couldn't talk longer, but I wasn't going to be that girlfriend. I just wasn't going to be jealous of his friends. "Have fun."

I came back into the room to see Alice making a face at me.

"What?" I asked as I picked my laptop so I could get back up to work.

"D'Awwww..." She drew out dorkily like a freshman in high school.

I flipped her off with both middle fingers.

They loved the pictures, and they're both living their lives, but they're feeling the separation. What do you think is next for them?

Thanks for reading!