CHAPTER 17: More Surprises

I ask Jane if I can get the schedule of the actors so I know when they were filming and their days off. I thought it would be best if I knew when to avoid certain people. I also ask for Alice's schedule so I know her busiest days. I'm surprised that Jane didn't interrogate me for asking her for these things like she normally would with that kind of information she's giving away. All she did was think about it for a moment and say, "Okay. I'll slip it under your door when we get back."

I almost stumble with my words since it wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "T-thanks," I reply back.

Knowing this allows me to avoid their leading actor and anything he might have to say to me because I am not emotionally ready to hear his voice or even see him in person. The mere thought of him makes me want to fall to my knees in middle of the hallway and sulk. As far I can tell he isn't keen on doing whatever it takes to explain his actions either. Even if I wasn't trying, running into him is slim to none.

The river of tears I created in my bedroom that day is now a thing of the past. After a good crying session when I got home after my scene, I locked myself in my room and released the flood gates until my eyes were dry, puffy, and sore. Every time Alice called me, I made the excuse of feeling sick because of the rain. It was a very good excuse because it was still raining. The forecast said the foul weather would stick around for a while and I welcome it with open arms.

The cold, gloomy weather always reaches Volterra first because of its high elevation. It was the main reason why Aro tried to shoot as many outdoor scenes as possible before the weather ruined the opportunity of a real background. But I kind of like the change in temperature. It reminds me of Forks and the smell of fresh rain and pine leaves when the roads are still wet, and sounds of the puddles in the streets. I start to miss that small, secluded town and the life I had there every time I look out the window. Sighing, I begin to wonder what Jacob is up to.

Every time I call him he's either out the door or my calls are met by his voicemail. He can't be avoiding me. Could he? I shake the ridiculous thoughts from head because that's what they were—ridiculous thoughts. However, it would be nice if Jake sounds a little more excited to hear from me. He's been spending an awful lot of time with this Renesmee girl, the only girl I've known him to give his attention to besides me. Not that I mind all that much…he's free to have a life and enjoy someone else's company. I just wish that comforting feeling I get when we spoke was always there, especially now. But, I can't blame Jacob for my misery.

The pitter-patter of the rain outside my window is all I can really hear. I try to drown myself in my books but the moment I let my guard down, an image of Edward's face appears in my mind and the pain in my chest begins to tighten. I clutch my shirt, hoping it would loosen so I can breathe again. Turning on the television is also no longer an option. Almost every channel had him and Tanya on full display. Every single move they make, cameras are on them like a pack of hungry hyenas that haven't been fed for days. The most I've seen are still-shots of them eating or walking somewhere shopping; mostly her while Edward looks bored out is mind but still puts on that charming smile of his for the public. Never holding hands or kissing though. That will probably throw me in an even more pathetic depression.

"What am I doing here?" I quietly whisper to myself. The printed words in the book I try distracting myself with no longer make sense. They become blurry, turning into a bunch of mushy lines before me. Blinking a few times to get my eyes to refocus, I close the book. For days now I have contemplated on leaving Volterra early and going back to my meager life in Los Angeles as a barista. Not that it will give me any relief knowing what I'd come back to, which would be my lovely coworker Lauren. I can just picture her perfect little life suddenly ruined, shattered into a million pieces at the sight of my return. Well…I could just be over exaggerating? Maybe time apart did her good? Maybe her attitude toward me will be that of a genuinely happy coworker who likes to work with me? I scoff at the idea. "When pigs fly!" I snort.

But the reason to stay no longer seems worth it. I was against coming here in the first place and told myself I'd try to enjoy what the city has to offer but it apparently those days are over…all because I fell in love with him. Rolling my eyes to myself, I feel stupid—stupid for falling for a guy that every other girl in the world has the same feelings for. I'm no different. So why would he choose someone like me over her…or any other girl for that matter? And haven't I told myself this before? The endless thoughts in my head keep making me want to bash my head against the wall! Makes me wish I was in coma for a few days just so I didn't have to deal with my own insecurities.

Next to Tanya Denali, I am the ugly duckling. I remember Alice saying she is over zealous of anything with a pair of heels close to Edward and even though she's beautiful on the outside, she is dark and ugly on the inside. From the way she smiles at the cameras and how she interacts with people, I would never have guessed. That's showbiz for you, I suppose. Being a model and impressing the people who pay for your expenses and holding a wholesome public image came with the gig.

I was going to try to take a nap to shut my brain down until I hear a faint knock on my door. "Bella? Bella, can I come in?"

It's Alice. "I'm really tired. Can you come back later?"

"Oh, c'mon, Bella! Just let me in!" she pleads. "I have something for you! And they're heavy!"

Sitting up in bed, I curiously glance in her direction. I slowly force myself up and shuffle my feet like a zombie toward the door and unlocked it. "What did you buy, Alice?" I ask as soon as I see her relieved expression.

"These!" she raises a bag up to her chest. I take the heavy bag from her and let her inside, allowing her to close the door behind her.

"What the heck is in here?" I finally dropped it down by my bed.

"Open it!" she giggled.

I opened the top of the bag and dig my hand inside feeling something hard and square-like. To my surprise, it's a hard covered book. I open the bag even wider and find more literary works stacked neatly on top of each other. "Alice, where did you get these?" I smile at her. She actually picked some of the books I want to read but never got the chance to.

"That little bookstore across the way you like to go to," she replies back with a satisfied smile on her glowing features. "I asked the owner which type of books you might like. He remembered you when I described you to him and these are what he recommended."

"All of these?" I raise an eyebrow. It wasn't one or two books, but a good, thick stack that even I would have had a hard time carrying by myself. I guess Alice is stronger than she appears given her tiny stature.

"Yeah. I wasn't sure which ones you'd like the most so I just got them all."

"Aww, thank you, Alice," I give her a good squeeze.

Her smile turns into a forced grin after she pulls away from me. "I hope you don't spend the rest of your time here locked in your room reading all of these at once."

"And why not?" I mumble back. It's not like I have much to do anyway. Keeping my distance from everyone has turned me into a crabby hermit.

"Bella, what's really wrong?" she places a gentle hand on my arm. "You haven't been the same since you left the set so suddenly…"

Sooner or later I knew she was going to bring that little incident up. But what am I to say? Sorry Alice I freaked out when I saw your brother's ex-girlfriend and bolted because I want to scream my head off in despair? Yes, she would lovehearing that. Confessions are hard for me because I've never had much practice with it, and although I trust my friend, I just can't bring myself to tell her the truth.

"The thought of being on screen with hundreds of people seeing me just freaks me out a little," I shrug awkwardly. I also turn away before finishing telling her my big fat lie so she won't be able to read anything on my face. Even if she knows it's a lie, I doubt she'd call me out on it. Or would she?

"Oh, Bella," she rolls her eyes, laughing softly at my excuse. "Don't worry about that. Sure you'll gain some recognition for being Aro's niece, but knowing how Edward's been the talk of the town since he got this role the focus will be on him for the most part. But not that your role isn't important!" She quickly throws in.

"I'm not offended, Alice," I chuckle. "And yeah…let's hope you're right. I'm going to ask Aro if he can exclude me from any movie interviews since I'm not even a part of the main cast."

"I don't see why your uncle wouldn't accommodate your request," she smiles. Then Alice practically bounces as she stands up, making her way toward me. "So, was that all it was?" she smiles again, shaking her head. I only nod. "The movie won't be out for a few months after the filming is complete so we don't need to worry about that right now."

"Thank goodness," I reply quietly.

"I'm done for the day. Let's go have a drink or something!" she tugs at my arm.

I hold my stance firmly and groan at her pulling. "I told you I was tired…"

"You've done nothing all day but read!" Alice says accusingly. "Am I right?" All I do is look away. "See!" She pokes me in the side making me squirm as I try to hold in a giggle.

"No more of this, Bella." The look in her eyes means business. The fun, bubbly look on her features are gone and replaced with the serious witchy look in her eyes she gets where you can't help but do as she says. It's some kind of weird power she possesses. "Don't even try to make a run for it either."

"What?" I give her a clueless look. Before I have a chance to open my mouth to tell her I'm feeling thirsty and only going to the kitchen for a glass of water, she catches the lie before it escapes my lips. Ugh. In actuality I was going to hide from her. I'll never understand how she is always one step ahead of me as if she knows my every move once it is conceived in my head.

"Come with me," she takes my arm again and this time, I allow her to drag me freely down the hallway. There is a separate room on the bottom floor that Aro gave her as a storage space for her designs. However, it isn't really a storage space. It was a whole 'nother room that resembles a huge walk-in closet that's like the size of a small studio.

She places me in front of the full length vanity mirror in the corner. "Really, Alice?" I cock my head to the side and stare at her through it. I didn't have to be a mind reader to know what this little Hobbit is thinking.

"It's been ages since I've dressed you! Just humor me a little," she nods her head vigorously, her eyes sparkling like the stars. Rolling my eyes at her is enough of a sign to let her know she can do as she pleases because we both know she's going to get her way no matter what I did or say.

Within less than ten minutes, she already has an outfit picked out. My tiny friend knows exactly where to grab each piece of clothing and accessories from as if she already had them picked beforehand. I give her another suspicious look at her quick assemble. "What?" she shrugs. "I can't help it if I know exactly what to put you in!"

Alice has me in a long sleeve cotton tee that is pretty thin with a tank top underneath, a sliver necklace that almost reaches my belly button, leggings, and simple flats. She lets my hair flow in loose curls with only a touch of makeup on my eyes, cheeks, and lips. She also gives me a light hooded sweatshirt that I drape around my waist in case it starts to pour outside again. Somehow she knows that by the time we head out it will only be a very light mist for the rest of the night. Alice is almost never wrong about the weather so I don't worry about getting wet. Again, it's one of those weird sixth or seventh senses she has.

"Okay…where to?" I finally ask as I watch her apply her lip gloss in the mirror.

It's been weeks since Alice and I have spent any time together and doing a 'girl's night out' is slowly putting me in a better mood. Alice is smart and clever. Even if she appears dense about things, it's only an act. She never pushes subjects I didn't want to talk about and I appreciate her for letting my earlier mood go. I feel like without her even asking directly, I'm going to end up spilling everything to her anyway. That's just the kind of affect she has on people. She gets people to start talking by acting nonchalant or acting completely uninterested in their problems.

"I thought we could just go across the street or something. There's a small bar there, crowded but secluded," she answers.

"What bar? I didn't know there was a bar nearby?" If I knew that I probably would have gone there to drown in my misery a long time ago while everyone else is on the set. Then again, if that's where Alice and the rest of the cast go for drinks, I could end up seeing him, most likely. So, I guess that's out of the question.

"Like I said, it's secluded," she grins. "Jasper and I kind of stumbled across it one day. The door is hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for the place."

"Look Alice, I'm not big on…crowds right now," I say. I almost cower away when my heart rate picks up nervously not knowing who else could be there.

The Hobbit quickly grabs at my wrist before I even have a second to blink. "Bella, stop it. You're going out tonight. End of story."

I let my stiff, startled arm go limp in her grasp and sigh. There is no way she is letting me out of this at the last minute, not when she has me all dolled up and ready to go. I pray silently that we will go unnoticed by the locals. Two young girls by themselves in a bar full of strangers…that's normal right? If Alice is a regular maybe the atmosphere won't be so bad, although I'm uncertain of how many times she's actually been there.

"Ready?" she asks with a big smile.

"Do I look ready?" I reply back sarcastically, which causes her to roll her eyes at me.

"Ready enough."

Inside this tiny bar, Alice is right. It's crowded by not to the point where you have to suck in your gut just to get by someone. It is also fairly loud, but I suppose that's how most bars are. There are no real bars in Forks. The only one remotely close to a bar is a small diner where the older population gathers after work to relax after a long day. Not much conversation went on when I'd be there eating with Charlie for our usual Friday night dinners. The younger crowd like the high school kids occupies the diner on the weekends. The bars in Los Angeles are something else. Very high class with music and bartenders doing all sorts of tricks with the bottle before you got the drink you ordered—even if it was just water.

This bar is different. It's loud because people are enjoying each other's company, toasting, joking, and just having a good time. We go unnoticed as we approach the counter where a man with a white mustache greets us with a smile and a nod of his head. He slings the towel he's wiping his hands with over his shoulder and asks us what we want. I let Alice order for us since all I can do was smile because I have no idea what he's saying. Whatever she's ordering I can't hear either, and not that it mattered because I would still be left clueless. The man hands us two cold empty glasses that Alice takes from him, smiles, and begins to walk away.

"C'mon," she signals with her head for me to follow.

"Where's the beer?" I ask, walking briskly behind her to keep up. She seems to be gliding through the crowd as if they are subconsciously moving out of the way for her.

"He'll bring it to our table," she yells over her shoulder, her eyes focused straight ahead.

"Table? Where? We just got here." She turns her head toward me a little more and merely smirks. Just then, the crowd has parted. Behind the rows of high tables and stools, is a table in the back corner shaped like a crescent moon. It looks like the owner just pushed a table there and shaped it to fit against the wall. The shape is more like wooden booth, really.

Alice places the two glasses on the table and slides in while I scoot myself in on the other side. "So what do you think?" she asks after we get comfortable. I can hear her better since there isn't as many people back here as there are in the front by the bar.

"It's…interesting," I glance around the place with my head. "Reminds me of Forks since we're probably the youngest ones in here." Alice gives a soft laugh at my comment. The bar is comprised of older gentlemen with vests and fedoras on their heads. Surprisingly, many of them have beards. There are a few women as well, I think their wives.

Through the crowd, the man at the bar who took our order comes by with two pitchers of beer and sits them on the table. I stare wide-eyed at Alice. "Two pitchers?" I ask in disbelief. "Are you trying to carry me home tonight?"

"No!" she gives me strange look. "Even though I can—if it came down to it. I've probably carried shopping bags heavier than you."

"So, what is this? One pitcher each?"

The little Hobbit smirks again, taking my glass and pouring my first drink for me. She does the same with hers and holds it up to me. "Cheers!" she smiles.

"Cheers," I reply with less enthusiasm.

By my third glass, Alice has me laughing uncontrollably. She tells me stories of when her and her brothers were younger and the things they did that always got them into trouble. Alice, being the youngest, was the really the culprit of the three but her innocent smile always fooled their parents. "Edward couldn't sit for days!" she giggles. I have to cover my mouth to stop myself from snorting out loud. The mention of him doesn't bother me because I am enveloped by the alcohol cruising throughout my body, and all I can think about are happy, silly thoughts and how much fun I'm having with my friend.

"I really needed this, Alice. Thanks," I clink my glass against hers.

"I'm glad you're finally out, too!" she beams. "Oh, perfect!"

"Huh?" I'm not really paying attention to her as my mind is a little cloudy with my fourth glass of beer almost half empty. When I finally focus on her, I see that she has just sent a text. "Who is that?"

"Jasper. I told him to meet us here."

"Oh, okay…" Jasper? I wasn't expecting her boyfriend to show up but I really no longer cared since I am relaxed enough to welcome company at our table. "We should order another pitcher."

"Good idea!" she agrees. "Oh! There they are!" Alice scoots herself out of her seat and waves toward the front of the bar.

I was getting ready to smile, waiting for Jasper to appear from the sea of people, until it hit me. "Wait, what? Did you just say 'they'?" Alice of course can no longer hear me as her attention is set on the love of her life smiling back at her. I take a hard gulp of the lump in my throat when I sawhimappear beside Jasper. My brain goes into panic mode and for a split second I start to debate whether or not to hide under the table—correction—our table, where they will be join us.

You're an idiot, Bella!

Panic still creeping in every facet of my skin…I down my beer before Alice has a chance to point in my direction. I wipe my mouth with my napkin as lady-like as I can, checking my shirt if I spilled any on myself. Luckily, it's just a few drops on the table, which I also wipe way clean. I muster a half-smile as my 'hello', which I think looks more like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. But Edward appears to be just as surprised to see me as I am him. Nonetheless, his smile is warm toward me.

And that right there does it—my brain turns into mush. Alice sits herself next to me and Jasper next to her. I scoot myself toward the edge on the other side so Edward is forced to sit next to Jasper. But it seem like he was going to sit beside him anyway. "Hey, Bella."

"Hey…" I answer back quietly. We are directly facing each other. My little plan of avoiding him sitting closer to me back fires because we are now in direct line of each other's vision. It makes me even more uncomfortable. We haven't seen each other in weeks. Not since…that day.

"How've you been?" he asks. Jasper and Alice are also looking at me, waiting for a response. No matter how crowded or noisy the place is, I can't see or hear anyone else around us. We are in our own little bubble in the corner of the room with three pairs of eyes set on me as if they are waiting for me to say some kind of revelation to them.

"Fine," I flatly reply. I mumble my words in my glass and take another sip of beer I poured myself.

Edward slightly grins, staring at the table like he's thinking about something. He looks at me and smiles a little wider. "Well, that's good to hear. Everyone misses you since you've been so…MIA."

I blush. "Oh…yeah?" I take another big gulp that stings my throat. And who exactly was everyone?

"See, I told you, Bella," Alice chimed in. "You read too much, some social bonding is good for the soul!" She snuggled closer next to Jasper who had his arm around her shoulders.

"At least Bella is doing something productive," Jasper backs me up. He takes a sip of his own beer, smiling at me.

"Thank you," I nod in Alice's direction. Alice rolls her eyes but also has a small smile on her face.

"I suppose everyone's been busy lately," my friend sighs.

Jasper kisses her on the cheek. "Especially you."

"I know!" she answers exasperatedly. "Dressing the cast and getting this winter line out is driving me crazy!" Alice takes her beer and finishes it in three long gulps.

"Jeez, slow down, Hobs," Edward chuckles.

"Shush, you!" she glares at him. Her brother puts his hands up in defeat, not saying another word. "So, are we going to drink or sit here and babysit?" she says in a demanding kind of voice. I've never seen Alice like this before. She probably wants to not only get me out of the house but also relax since she's been so stressed out lately.

After another glass and I can't remember how many pitchers of beer because of the boys, I can't do it anymore. Alice and I keep taking turns running to the bathroom to pee out all the liquid we'd been consuming all night while Edward and Jasper only go a couple of times each. I feel dizzy, yet still content with the alcohol in my system as I stumble back to our table. I didn't want to appear to be a drunkard in front of all these people so I compose myself as best as I can, holding onto the back of chairs for support as I pass by the tables to get to ours. When I get to the clearing, Edward is standing around looking at the ceiling with my hoodie draped over his arm and no signs of Alice or Jasper.

"W-Where'd they go?" I ask. It's hard to speak as my tongue feels numb and my jaw is starting to feel so heavy. I'm also getting very sleepy.

Edward is trying to suppress a smile. "Alice fell asleep on the table so Jasper carried her out. He's taking her back to his hotel so he can take care of her. She's not gonna feel so pretty when she wakes."

"Poor Jasper," I chuckle, my eyes slightly drooping closed. I feel bad for Alice, too, but I know Jasper will have a harder time with her. I've known Alice to be a brat when she's sick. She very much likes to be babied when she doesn't feel well. Just like how the youngest child in a family would act.

"Looks like we should head home, too," he gently throws my hoodie over my shoulders, his arm sitting comfortably there so he can usher me out the bar easier. Edward's closeness and the faint smell of his cologne fill my senses. He smells so good! I can't help but close my eye for a brief moment to soak in more of him, which it turns out, wasn't such a good idea. I stumble forward and almost crash land on my face until Edward's strong arms get hold of me again and leans me against the wall to stable us both.

I giggle without meaning to at my clumsiness. "Oops! Sorry!" I cover my mouth again to stop myself from snorting. Edward is saying something in Italian to the people around us who just look at me with concern to whom I just smile at. "What'd you say to them?"

"I told them not to worry…and that you're just not too graceful on your feet," he smirks. I drop my mouth open in protest, even if it was true, and lightly punch him in the stomach causing him to give a short grunt that turns into a laugh. He almost seems to be enjoying my little outburst and I can't help but laugh with him. He stops laughing and stares into my eyes. All I can do is stare back with my heart thumping in my chest. "I also told them that I would take care of you…" he whispers, tucking a stray hair behind my ear.

His touch sends a tingling sensation to my ear that spreads throughout the rest of my body. My senses waking up finally tell me how close we are to each other. He must have seen the nervousness on my face because his smile grows bigger. Edward looks away for a brief moment like he's embarrassed and shakes his head. "What?" I ask confused.

He looks at me one last time and merely says, "Nothing," with a smile. "C'mon, let's get you to bed. You and Alice can talk about who has the worst hangover tomorrow." He takes me by the shoulders again and leads me outside. It's colder than I expect and on impulse I wrap my arm around his. I feel his muscles tighten around me to keep me warm. I even dare to lean my head against his shoulder with my eyes closed as I let him walk me back to the villa. The cool breeze and Edward beside me feels nice and comforting as we walk in silence.

He unlocks our arms to go punch in the gate code and offers me his arm again when the gates open for us. His beautiful crooked smile makes me blush in the dark. I'm tired but I want to make sure I remember this moment because I will most likely forget about it tomorrow. The security guards are also nowhere in sight. We keep walking in silence and the question that I've wanted to ask that has been bothering me all night is still looming in my mind. The remaining traces of alcohol inside me also give me the confidence I need to be so bold in asking.

"Edward…"

"Yes?"

"…Where's Tanya? I thought you would be…together…with her."

I can see Edward's brows crease in the pale moonlight. "She's in Venice…doing some kind of photo shoot. She'll be there for a few days." His voice seems cold and uncaring and I didn't know why? Maybe they got into a fight? That's why he's not with her after his last shoot this afternoon.

"Then…she'll be back," I say with a frown. It didn't need to be a question.

"I don't know," he shrugs and suddenly stops to face me. I stare back at him confused. The moon's light shines on his face accenting his features in all the right places. His green eyes also glimmering brighter in the dark. I have no idea what he's thinking. He takes a step closer to me, his face unreadable. "Does it matter?"

"What?" I reply, even more confused. My voice is barely above a whisper.

"Does it matter if she's here or not?" he asks. His voice is passive yet curious.

I take a step back. My mind is still hazy. "Of course it matters," I look away. "That's your…girlfriend." The words bring pain to my chest and make me want to lock myself in my room again.

"What?" Edward looks bewildered.

"We should go inside," I begin to walk away. I don't want to talk about them anymore. My mood just turned ill and I feel sick.

"Bella, wait!" Edward takes two quick steps toward me and grabs my wrist.

"What?" I turn back around, my voice shaky, the tears almost threatening to fall.

"Tanya and I…we're…." he ran his hand through his hair, thinking of the right words to say, "it's complicated. But, Bella…you have to know something. I should have told you sooner, I just…I just didn't really know to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" What other thing did he want to tell me about them to tear at my heart even more?

"Bella…I—"

"Bella!"

I spin around toward the house at a familiar voice I haven't heard in what seems like an eternity. My whole world suddenly lights up and I can't contain myself. "Oh, my gosh! Jacob!"

"Hey, loca!" he laughs, happy to see me. I run straight to him, forgetting Edward, and jump into his big open arms, wrapping my legs around him. I let Jacob spin me until I have to tell him to stop because I feel like throwing up.

"Yeah, you don't smell so good," Jacob makes a face at me.

"Shut up!" I hit him in the arm. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Jacob here in Volterra doesn't feel real. I have to keep poking him and touching his face to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Can you stop that," he grabs my wrists and places them on either side of me. "After that crazy scare you gave everybody back home, I had to come see you and make sure you were really okay. I knew you wouldn't let Charlie or anyone else check up on you so I volunteered," he smiles. "Besides, I missed you, Bells."

"Oh, Jake. I missed you so much!" I hug him tightly. It feels so good to have him here, a familiar feeling of my real home back in Forks. My best friend. Someone to give me some of my sanity back. I wasn't sure how long I was holding onto Jacob, but he had to clear his throat to snap me back to reality. "Oh, sorry," I smile sheepishly.

"Hey, who was that guy earlier?"

"Guy?"

"Yeah, the one you were walking with?"

Oh, crap! Edward! I totally forgot he was here. He must have walked into the house since he was nowhere in sight. I feel bad for not introducing Jacob but he is such a surprise to see that I didn't really have time to think. But I can always just introduce him at another time. Edward has Tanya. And now I have my Jacob. My best friend here is like a blessing. I know he's here for a reason and I am going to make every moment with him the best and memorable it can be.

Author's Note: Finally, Jacob has reappeared! I'm not sure yet how long I'll keep Jacob but I promise his time with Bella in Volterra will be an interesting one.

Please review!