Chapter Nine:

Bella's point of view

I walk out of the living room and head towards the stairs, giggling to myself the whole way up to the floor I share with Riley. I knock on the door of his bedroom and walk in before he answers.

Riley is talking on the phone as I walk in and he holds up his hand to stop me talking to him. I sit down on the bed while I wait for him to finish his conversation. He puts the phone down when he's finished talking.

"Who was that?"

Riley turns to look at me, and for a split second there's pity in his eyes, it's gone before I really have time to process it. "Nothing to worry about." He smiles tightly. "What's up?"

I remember why I came up here and start chuckling again. "Oh my god, the funniest thing just happened!" I stop while I try and catch my breath from laughing again. "Edward thought you were my boyfriend!"

Riley's eyes go wide and then he starts laughing as well. He looks back at me and smirks. "I'll be his boyfriend." He winks.

I roll my eyes. Riley's phone starts ringing again, and he looks at me and then back at the phone.

I stand up. "I can take a hint. Dinner will be ready soon."

He waves me away and answers the phone with a "Hello?"

I sigh as I walk out of the room and back down the stairs.

xoxox

Dinner goes down a success, and I'm welcomed by Esme to make sure I cook more.

I laugh after she's said it. "Well, it's not like I don't have time on my hands." I stand up to start clearing up the dishes, but I'm stopped by Carlisle.

"We'll tidy up. You did the cooking." He smiles at me. "C'mon Edward."

Edward rolls his eyes as he stands up, and I grin at him.

I look back at Riley who is looking at his phone again. I get up to leave the table but he stops me. "Bella." I turn back to look at him. "We need to talk."

I sit back down again and frown at him.

He leans his elbows on the table and puts his hands on either side of his chin, and then sighs. "That phone call I had earlier was from the press office. They still haven't been able to get the injunction against Felix…" He stops and rubs his hands over his face. "The press are still talking about it, albeit not as much, but they're wondering where you are as well." He averts his eyes.

"So? What does this mean?" I fold my arms.

"It means..." He sighs again, more deeply than before. "It means that you have to stay here longer."

Anxiety takes over me and my heart starts to beat faster. I feel my hands getting clammy, and suddenly I can't breathe. I pull the jumper I'm wearing away from my neck and feel myself gasping for breath. There are tears running down my face and I feel someone take my hands.

"Bella? Bella look at me." I look up into green eyes, and Edward squeezes my hands. I try to pull my hands away, but he holds onto them. "Hey, it's just me okay? Everything is okay."

I'm still gasping for air. "Hey, breathe with me." He places one of my hands on his chest so I can feel his breathing. "Slow it down. In and out, okay?"

My breathing starts to slow down, and he lets go of my hands and smiles at me. "Better?"

I let out a shuddering breath as I start to calm down, I wipe the tears from my eyes and look back up at Edward. "Thank you." I turn to look at Riley, taking in a bit more of what he said. "You said 'you', you didn't say 'we'."

He nods. "I have to go back to London." He sighs. "I can do more if I go back."

I turn back away from him and close my eyes, trying to fight the panic that is threatening to overtake me again.

Edward squeezes one of my hands again, and I look back up into his eyes. I look back at Riley. "Fine, you can go back. But you have to fix this. He needs to pay for what he's done." I squeeze Edward's hand and then let go as I stand up, taking another shuddering breath. "I am sick of him ruining my life, and having to dictate where I need to be. I want to go home." I turn and walk out of the room, letting more tears fall down my face as I walk up the stairs to my room.