Time passes quickly in this chapter, because nothing really happens! :P
The next month was… better in some respects, worse in others.
My sales from my most recent album had gone down, and my sales in general were declining. Not as many paps bothered with me anymore. That was good and bad. People on the street didn't exclaim "Penny!" in excitement anymore. Some gave me dirty looks. Gossip shows and late night talk shows made me the butt of their jokes.
But I would be out of here soon enough. Edward and I were moving away from America, to the country I had fallen in love with. We had to leave soon, or I would have the baby here, which would delay us. I was 7 and a half months along when we told Steve. I told him that I wouldn't be making any more albums, and that my tour to Australia was my last one. I had plenty of cash in my account, and if I needed more, I could come out with a 'greatest hits' album.
I was keeping my house in L.A, just in case we ever decided to move back. I decided to rent it out, as a source of income, just in case. I would be selective in who I rented it out to though, it was important to me.
Steve was not pleased with our decision. That was an understatement. Not just for the sake of managing me from afar, but we were friends. We would miss one another.
Alice was not exactly happy about it either. She already hated the distance between us, living on the other side of the country from each other, and now I was extending that distance. But none the less, she was happy with whatever I wanted to do.
Edward had gotten a new phone and changed his number because of Jessica's constant and annoying calls, but somehow she had gotten the new one. I remember the call, even though I couldn't hear the other voice…
"Jessica? How did you get this number? I care! Why are you calling me anyway? Oh for heaven's sake, there is no chance of 'us' anymore. Surely you would have gotten that by now. And for your information, Bella and I are moving away from America. It's none of your business where we're going. Now go away, before I get a restraining order put on you." He threw his phone at the wall after he hung up. Scared the living daylights out of me.
Packing had become a common thing over the past month. Cardboard boxes filled the halls, and our room was only half full. Getting emptier by the day. Sitting on our bed, staring at the blank walls and empty shelves and cupboards, slowly packing our life away into boxes.
But it was for a good reason. Soon I would escape this country, for good, with my love, and start a family, the right way.
I always knew that bringing a child up in the Hollywood world would be a challenge, it was something I had considered since I found out I was pregnant. It was nice to not have to worry about it anymore. And I was glad as well. Would rather not expose my child to such a corrupt and deceitful environment.
The phone rang downstairs, shrill and demanding. I heard Edward race to get it. Knowing who it would be, I walked out of our bedroom, heading downstairs. I grabbed a full box on the way. In the box was all my music things. Sheet music, manuscript books, instructional books for guitar and piano (not that I was very good at either of them), my box of picks, my capo and my tuner. I didn't often need the last one, but it came in handy if I wasn't sure. You can never tell if something is out of tune to the degree that the tuner can.
I heard Edward on the phone, hissing at the person on the other end. From his expression, it could only be one person.
Steve, trying to convince us to stay in Hollywood. As I said, he was not happy with us.
It was an issue I hadn't dealt with yet. How to say goodbye. To my colleagues, my friends. A party maybe? Or would that make it too real? That we were leaving, and most likely never coming back.
Edward puts down the phone, frowning. I stroke his face, trying to smooth out the worry lines.
"If you keep worrying, those lines are going to become permanent…" I mutter, half to myself. He smiles, catching my hand on his cheek and holding it there. He sighs.
"I can't wait to get out of here," he says quietly.
"What day are we leaving?" We hadn't booked the flight yet, so I ask him, hoping he'd made a decision about it.
"I decided on the 5th of March. That gives us two week and 5 days to get everything ready. I booked the tickets this morning."
"Sounds great," I say. I count backwards in my head, because I hadn't figured out the date. I walk over to the calendar by the kitchen. I stare at the date. I had totally forgotten what today was.
"Bella? What's up?" Edward asks curiously. I look up at him, panicking. Today is the 14th of February; Valentine's Day. And I didn't get him anything. Not even a box of cheap chocolates.
"Today is Valentine's Day," I say calmly, hiding my anxiety nicely. He laughs.
"I was wondering when you would notice," he chuckles. He pulls a tiny box out of his back pocket. The box has velvet on the outside, and looks like… Oh. My. God.
He holds it out to me. I eagerly take it and open it, steadying myself. I wonder in my head why he wasn't down on one knee. As I open it, I see shiny… earrings. Dang…
Hiding my slight disappointment, I smile wide. They were gorgeous, and they looked expensive. They were studs, with an teardrop shape hanging off them, each encrusted with jewels, that looked to be diamonds. They sparkle as I move them in the light. I look up at him, smiling as wide as I can. No engagement for me today, but they were a beautiful gift. I hug him and kiss him tenderly; my way of saying thank you. Then the panic sets back in. He notices.
"Bella? What's wrong? Do you not like them? I can replace them with another pair if you'd like - "
"No, no, I love them! It's just… I kind of forgot about today… I don't exactly have anything for you…" I say sheepishly. He laughs, stroking my what must have been worried face.
"I wasn't expecting anything love, it's ok. I just wanted to let you know that I love you," he says softly.
"By buying me these?" I say, a little sarcastically. "I don't need any reminders. If you didn't love me, you wouldn't be here. You would have left a while ago…" I flinch at the thought of it.
"That's true. But I do love buying you things…" He grins. I roll my eyes, lazily glancing at the phone. When it rings, it makes me jump. When I recover from my mini heart-attack, I walk over to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Bella! It's Elisa!" Liss' child-like voice fills my ear.
"Liss! Oh gosh, it's been a little while since I've seen you. We need to catch up, before we…" I couldn't finish my sentence.
"I know, that's what I wanted to talk to you about! So, I was wondering what day you were leaving…?"
"Well, we've decided on the 5th of March, exactly a month before I'm due," I add on at the end.
"Hmmm… ok… well, I wanted to organise something. We could go shopping on… let's say, the 3rd?" I can picture her n my head, smiling, but sad on the inside. I would miss her.
"Sure, sounds good," I say.
"Coolies. See you then!"
"See ya," I say, hanging up.
I tell Edward about our plans, and he said it was ok.
It felt odd sometimes, like I was asking him for permission. Hopefully I could stop that when the baby's born. So he doesn't worry about me so much anymore. But that was impossible of course.
I shuffle over to the kitchen, still feeling guilty about the whole present thing. A knock on the door startles me. I'm awfully jumpy today…
Edward goes to answer it, wary of who it could be. He sighs in relief however, when he sees that it is the removal man.
"Come to collect ya stuff for shipping, sir," I hear him say.
"Right. The boxes we have lined up along this wall are to be shipped at the moment. Also, the sofa in the lounge upstairs is to be shipped, and the furniture from the 2nd master bedroom, as well as all the guest rooms," Edward says calmly. The removalist nods. He calls to his workers, who stumble in and start moving our things.
Over the next few weeks, more and more stuff is removed. The house was becoming more and more desolate.
On the 2nd of March, all we had left in the house was our bed, some of our clothes, and our essentials. It was a little depressing, but also good, because it was becoming real.
Our house in Australia was not as big as this one, but fairly large compared to other houses in the area. Cost us 1.2 million. No problem for us, since we sold our current house for 3.5 million. We sold it to P!nk and her husband, who were also expecting. Lovely people.
We were to be living in Melbourne, by far my favourite city out of all the ones we visited. Our house was close to the city, but not in the heart of it. Toorak, I think it was called. We heard it was the rich part of the are around Melbourne.
I was getting ready to go shopping with Liss the next day, putting on my make up, and choosing what jewellery I would wear, out of the little selection that was still in the house.
Liss had said to meet at the studio, which was a little odd. Couldn't we just meet at the mall? I asked her, and she said after a while "We have to go to the mall together, it's better that way…" She didn't sound like she was convinced of this answer at all.
Edward went out, to do some last minute things before we left. He chuckled as he said to have fun with your "shopping thing", making inverted commas with his hands as he said it. I rolled my eyes. Boys. They just didn't get it.
I grab my purse and head out the door, and I drive to the studio. I have a slight pain in my back, but nothing unmanageable. Nothing to stop me from shopping.
I get out as I reach the studio, opening the door I had opened so many times before. A twinge of pain shoots though me as I realise this would be the last time I would open it.
It's awfully dark inside, I wonder where Liss is… I flip on lights as I go, but no sign of her. I reach the main studio and flip on the light.
"SURPRISE!" I jump back as a bunch of people shout at me. A surprise party? The banner hanging from the ceiling says "Bon Voyage". It was a going away party. Elisa comes up to me, grinning. I point at her, wanting to say something, but not being able to. I bet I look like a fish. She laughs at my dumb-founded expression.
"Surprise!" she says again. I hug her enthusiastically. She's still laughing as she says "You're welcome Bella." I look up, to see Edward grinning.
"You were in on it?" I almost yell at him. He nods and grins sheepishly. I wrap my arms around him, with as much force as I had hugged Elisa. Then something twinged inside me. It was like the baby was kicking, but much more painful. I bend over in shock.
Then I felt the water, it was like I had wet my pants. I had seen enough movies to know what this meant. Edward hovers over me as another twinge of pain hits me.
"Bella? What's wrong?" he whispers. I look up at him.
"My water just broke," I say bluntly. His eyes open wide. Another shot of pain rips through me; they were getting worse each time. I collapse with a huff. People notice.
Then I am off the floor, in Edward's arms.
"Where are you going?" Steve asks as Edward walks past, holding me.
"To the hospital," Edward answers calmly. "Bella's having her baby."
:D Hoped you liked the chapter. Now the challenge; writing the birth… :S
Thank you for all your reviews and kind words, the keep me going :)