Author's Note: Hi folks. Sorry for the lack of updates. I have a lot distracting me at the moment. Thanks again for your reviews. This one took me a while to finish.

CHAPTER 28: Strange Tidings

My ears pop again after the plane lands safely. I left a day before the scheduled departure of everyone travelling back to the States. Aro insisted I use his aircraft so my travel was easier to one of the four fashion capitals in the world—Milan. His private plane will be back shortly in Volterra to take them to the main airport in Florence and from there to LAX. Alice and I will fly home together in a few days after her show ends.

The flight captain's voice buzzes over the speaker in Italian then in English letting me and the stewardesses know the seatbelt sign is off and that it's safe to turn on all electronic devices. Immediately, I turn on my cell phone and call Edward. It's only been a couple of hours but I miss him already.

"Hi," he says in a silky voice. My heart squeezes tightly and I miss him even more. "You in Milan?"

"Yes. I just landed. Alice said someone is supposed to pick me up and take me to the hotel. She'll meet me there after she checks on some other last minute things at the venue."

"Good. I hope you have a good time there. Tell Alice to show you around when she can. I'll be waiting for you at home…don't keep me waiting too long." My heart is now doing summersaults. The way he says 'home' makes it sound like I am coming home to him. I still need to do a lot of serious thinking about his proposal of moving in together. I can't help reminisce back to our last conversation before I left…

I I I

"Why are you frowning?" he asks, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. He has a soft, relaxed look in his eyes. Why isn't he sad I'm leaving? It makes me feel even worse. He kisses the corners of my mouth and grins. "Of course I'll miss you." He says it as if he's read my mind.

"You don't look like you will." Pouting isn't something I'm used to doing but I find myself doing that a lot with Edward.

His crooked grin tells me he's amused by something. "I may not look it but I am. As much as I want to be selfish with you, I want you to enjoy yourself with my sister. Having you there will help ease some of her stress. I'll miss you terribly and it'll be hard trying not to call you every second but you've never been to Milan and I want your first visit there to be a good one. Once we're back in L.A., things will probably get crazier from the paparazzi frenzy over here. No doubt it's travelled to Hollywood. There will be more cameras followings us around and it's something I'd like you prepared for when you hit stateside with Alice."

"I think I'll be okay. The media here has given me a pretty good idea on how things will change once we're home." It's still not a happy thought but I should be more familiar with what it'll feel like. What does make me happy is Edward at my side. With him I feel like I can do anything.

I I I

One of the flight attendants approaches me. I'm glad it's a new staff than the one I met when I first arrived in Italy. The water bottle incident still makes me want to hide under a cave. "Welcome to Milan," she smiles with her pearly whites.

"Thanks," I half-smile. We are on a private runway reserved for Aro's plane. I look out the window and on the tarmac I see a man in a driver's suit and another black town car. A part of me is secretly hoping the driver is Felix. That would be a nice surprise but Felix needs to take care of my uncle and everyone else leaving Volterra so I know it's not him.

I wait patiently in the car while the driver loads my luggage in the trunk. I only have a carry-on since this is a short trip. The rest of my belongings will fly home with Aro. Jane promises she'll see to it personally that my things make it home safely. "Ready, ma'am?" the driver asks, looking at me through the rearview mirror. Ma'am? No one's ever referred to me as a ma'am before. But I nod politely letting him know I'm situated.

Staring out the window with the sights a blur as I slink away into my thoughts, I'm at the Park Hyatt Milan after what seems to only be a few minutes. The driver, whose name I never got, opens my door with my carry-on already on a luggage cart. A bellboy waits patiently as I exit the car. "Umm…thank you," I say to my airport chauffer.

"You are most welcome," he does a slight bow. He leaves me with the bellboy, who looks much older than the driver, and enters back into traffic.

"Signora Bella," the bellboy gives me a friendly smile. "I will take you to your suite."

"Thanks." I follow him into the grand building. The nice thing is I'm bunking with Alice and sharing her king bed so I don't need to formally check-in. I guess she's already notified them I was on my way since I never gave the bellboy my name. Maybe the driver did?

He takes me through the quietly busy lobby, which blows me away. The hotel has a splash of contemporary style and colors, and occupies a palace-style building dating back to 1870. It's also close to Milan's most famous attractions and landmarks. As we head toward the elevators I see an interesting figure of a head. "It is a glass cupola known as the 'Head of Medusa' by Lucio Fontana. It serves as one of the hotel's stunning centerpieces," the bellboy informs me. He must have seen me staring curiously at it. The piece almost looks like it's made out of gold with the snakes around the head like wavy sunbeams, her eyes and mouth wide open. It's a very interesting thing to showcase in a hotel like this.

Once in the room, he takes my carry-on off the cart and places it near the couch. I give him a nice tip so I don't seem like a cheapskate for giving him a few measly liras as this is one of Milan's five-star hotels. He thanks me politely, hands me the key card, and closes the door quietly behind him. Left alone, I marvel over the room. Alice is staying in a Park Terrace Suite. It's accented by hand-laid Venetian stucco, plush carpet and hand-blown Murano light fixtures, including the king-size bed we're sharing, a spacious sitting room, two satellite TVs, a generous work area with high-speed Internet access, and an Italian marble bath with a rain shower and deluxe bath amenities. There's even a minibar in the corner. She sure didn't skip on the lavishness when she made the reservation. Makes me wonder how much this suite cost a night. I'm sure Alice can afford it but it's a little too much for my taste. And did a tiny thing like her really need all this space? I suddenly laugh to myself and answer my own question—of course she did.

After I unpack some of my toiletries and hang my clothes in the space Alice provided for me, I try to call Edward. It goes straight to his voicemail so I just leave him a brief message. A few minutes later my phone vibrates. "Edward?"

"Sorry. Wrong Cullen."

"Hey, Alice," I chuckle at her airy voice. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

"I'm so excited you're in Milan, Bella! I'm guessing you're in the suite?"

"Yes. I just got here a little while ago. Are you on your way?"

"I am. I should be there shortly. It's been so hectic at the venue. I'm glad to finally get a break before the show tomorrow. I left things up to some of my temporary help that have done a few shows for my mother in the past. Oh, by the way, she arrives tonight. She's really excited to meet you as well."

"Great…" I try my best to sound enthusiastic. Edward mentioned I might meet her. I'm more nervous than anything and only hope I don't completely embarrass myself.

We head out again once Alice arrives and have a late lunch at a nearby restaurant while she tells me what's been going on behind the scenes and the names of all the important people who will be there. She is throwing out a lot of well-known designers whose names I've only seen on clothing tags, designer bags and accessories. I'm a little overwhelmed with the information. It's also been a couple of hours since my message to Edward, and I'm somewhat sad he hasn't called back yet. I'm assuming he's still packing his things or busy with other errands before they leave tomorrow.

"Bella?" Alice is waving her hand in front of me.

"Huh?"

She gives me an exasperated look. "Have you not been listening again?"

"Sorry, Alice. What were you saying?" I try my best to bring my focus back to her.

"Have you thought more about my offer to be my personal assistant?" she asks, taking a sip of her espresso.

"Oh…" I blink a few times. I actually forgot about her job offer. "Sorry, I haven't."

"What's gotten you so distracted lately? It is Edward?" she gives me a questioning look. "Don't tell me you're already having withdrawals? You just saw him this morning. I haven't seen Jasper in weeks!"

Slouching back into my seat, I sigh heavily. "It's not just that, Alice. Yes, I miss him and wish he'd call me back already but…he also asked me to move in with him—when we get back to L.A."

"He what?" She leans into the table, shocked. I swear the Hobbit's eyes are going to pop out of her head any minute now. "What did you tell him?"

"I said I'd think about it. It's a really big step and we still hardly know each other."

"Edward is sure head-over-heels for you," she comments.

"What?"

Alice adjusts her posture. "Well, for years Tanya's been trying to get Edward to agree to move in together but he's always been against it. He didn't see the point in living together when they both had such different schedules and barely in the same city most of the time. So, my brother asking you to move in with him is a big deal."

"Thanks, Alice," I roll my eyes. I really didn't need her stressing me out more about making this decision.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she counters sincerely. "I know it's not an easy thing to decide but look on the bright side—at least now you know Edward is serious about your relationship."

"Yeah…I guess you're right." If he didn't want to move in with Tanya then it might mean he didn't see a strong future for them. He always talks about protecting me and taking care of me and maybe living together will help calm his nerves a little. But I know that can't be the only reason. I always see love in his eyes whenever he looks at me.

"Hey…don't worry about that now," Alice rubs my shoulder. "You still have time. I'm sure he'll understand if you want to readjust back to your old life before you make that sort of commitment. My brother is an understanding and patient guy. If he really cares for you, like I know he does, he won't force you into it."

"Yeah, he's said that," I nod quietly.

"See?" she smiles warmly. Alice then takes another sip of her espresso and suddenly her mood changes again. "Now, let's get back to the subject of you becoming my personal assistant!"

"Alice!" I roll my eyes at her once more. "What happened to letting me think about it? You know that's a big decision for me, too."

"I know," she whines. "But if I keep letting you sit on it, I'll never get my answer! You're already too distracted with Edward's live-in proposal. I've told you, I'll teach you everything you need to know! Mistakes are lessons. Lessons are experiences. That's what my mother always tells me. And I know you'll make mistakes along the way, but it's only natural, until you get the hang of how everything works."

"And what if I never do?" I raise a skeptical eyebrow. "What if I'm really not cut out for the fashion industry? And not just that, but your assistant."

"Bella, you know I would never try to jeopardize our friendship by employing you. If things really don't work out or you feel it's just not the type of career move you're interested in, then I'll completely understand. But I would love it if you just give it an honest go. At least three months? Think of it as a probation period." Alice is beaming at me, pleading with her attempt to persuade me with her puppy dog eyes—which she's quite good at, I have to admit.

"Well…what if I decide to move in with Edward? We won't get much time together if I become your personal assistant."

The Hobbit waves my concerns away with her hand. "I'm only doing this fall show. My schedule next year is full with clients attending award ceremonies so I can't focus on showcasing my spring and summer collections until probably the season after next. With that said, you'll be off the hook for a few months until I'll really need you. Mostly when I travel is when I'll definitely need your assistance. And here's another added bonus—I'll pay you even if I don't need you for anything. As long as you remain my assistant."

"Alice…that's still a bit much, don't you think?" Her offer sounds so beyond my comprehension that I still don't really know how to accept it.

"Not at all. It's pretty standard. And I want to be honest with you, Bella. This can be a hectic career, without set hours, so you might be working late into the evenings on some days. And those long hours won't always be easy. It can be nerve-wracking, frustrating and quite draining, so paying you a steady income is the least I can do."

"You know you're steering me away from agreeing, right?" I say half-sarcastically. The thought of how crazy it can be backstage, preparing for a runway show, and getting clients ready on time to be red carpet worthy slipped my mind. Alice always talks about how she wants to pull her hair out sometimes. If she didn't love what she did, I'm sure she would have quit the industry a long time ago.

"Of course there are the cons but you must also consider the pros," she reminds me. "The pros are the perks we get, like…free tickets to concerts, shows, sports events, riding in expensive cars, boats, staying in fancy hotels, attending posh events, travelling around the world, meeting new people, cultures, experiencing new exotic dishes—well, maybe not so much the food for you—but…you get the idea. So you see? The pros outweigh the cons!"

The Hobbit does have a point. I sometimes wish I was jet-setting around the world with her when she'd tell me her stories. She even told me a Moroccan prince was infatuated with her once. With Alice's beauty, it isn't that hard to believe. Makes me wonder what could be in store for me if I agreed to be her assistant. I'm only afraid it might turn out so badly that Alice will never want to speak to me again. I would never want to lose her friendship. "I don't know, Alice…"

"C'mon, Bella! Please?" she begs me again. "I really don't have time to go through the hiring process nor do I want to. And no matter what you think, I have a good feeling about you." With another heavy sigh, and few more pleading words from my friend, I finally agree...reluctantly. "Yay! Perfect!" Alice is practically squirming with joy in her seat. She looks very ecstatic as I try to brace myself with the disasters that can befall me.

"Three months, Alice," I reminder her squarely. "If after three months I no longer want to be in your kind of profession, you let me quit—no hard feelings."

"None. At. All." She crosses her heart. "Like I said Bella, just give it an honest go."

"Fine…" I mumble. How hard can it really be…right?

"Great!" squeals the Hobbit. "I'll have someone from my legal office draw up the paperwork for your employment when we get back to L.A. But for now, let's do some victory shopping!" I roll my eyes. Only Alice would think this as a victory.

We hit up the stores and boutiques and once in a while Alice will take pictures with people who recognize her as a celebrity. It's strange to see her posing for a snapshot when I swear she sees red whenever the paparazzi are too close. They've been quietly snapping pictures of us all day, practically as soon as we stepped out of the hotel and into the streets. Sometimes I forget they're even around. The media here is a lot more discreet than those in Volterra.

The sun is just starting to set by the time I feel my phone vibrating in my back pocket. "Hello?"

"Bella?"

"Edward!" It's so good to finally hear his voice.

"Hey…"

He sounds troubled for some reason. "Hi. What's wrong? Are you…okay?"

"Yeah…" he says with a slight laugh. "I just miss you."

"I miss you, too. What have you been up to?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to call you sooner. I got…caught up in a few things. How's Alice?"

"She's good—shopping as usual."

"Of course," he chuckles, his laugh a little more believable. "I hope she's taking good care of you."

"She is," I smile over the phone. "Hey, are you sure you're okay? You don't…sound like yourself." And he doesn't. I can tell something is off. But what?

"Don't worry about me. Just enjoy your time with my sister."

"Speaking of your sister, she—"

"Hold on a second." He cut me off before I can finish telling him Alice offered me a job as her personal assistant and I agreed. I can't hear what he's saying because he has the phone pressed against him. Everything sounds muffled. Who is he talking to? It sounds like a female voice, but I'm not sure. "Bella, I'm really sorry. But I have to go. I'll try to call again soon. Bye."

"Bye…" I only say after he's already hung up. My heart sinks at the short, strange conversation. What's going on with him? I'm left feeling so confused. I suddenly wish I stayed with him rather than agreeing to join Alice. I really hope he's okay. He usually has more things to talk about unless he's really in a hurry but this time…something doesn't sit well me. I just can't put my finger on it.

"What's wrong?" Alice asks.

"That was Edward."

"So, why the long face?" she looks at me puzzled. "I thought you'd been waiting to hear from him?"

"He sounded…strange." I frown. I thought hearing his voice again would lighten my mood but it only made it worse.

"What do you mean strange?"

"He didn't sound like himself. Like something was wrong but he wouldn't tell me."

"Hmm…" Alice ponders on my words. "I really don't know what it can be? Or maybe it's nothing at all? Edward could just be stressing over the packing and making sure he doesn't leave anything behind?"

"Maybe," I shrug. "But he was talking to someone before he hung up, like it was an emergency or something."

"I'm sure he'll call you back after whatever it is has been resolved. Don't worry too much about it. It's never good to worry about something unless you have a real reason to."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," I sigh.

Alice places her arm around my shoulder. "You'll get used to the distance eventually," she smiles reassuringly. "I was like that, too, in the beginning. I was always worried something was wrong with Jasper or that he didn't want to be with me anymore because of my hectic schedule. But you learn to be patient and readjust your priorities and compromise. I also don't see Edward letting you go anytime soon." She winks at me and tugs me back to the hotel. She's probably right. I've gotten used to being around Edward so much that I may just be having separation issues. I'm sure he'll call me like she says.

"Alice…"

"Yeah?" She continues with her text message to Jasper without looking at me.

"Let's go out night."

Her typing thumbs freeze in midair and finally turn her head to me. She looks shocked. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not? I know that even though your show isn't until tomorrow evening and you have to get everything ready early ahead of time, if you're up for a few drinks tonight…I'm game."

The Hobbit quickly finishes her text then searches something on the Internet on her phone. She smiles and stuffs her cellular back into her purse. "Let's go!" She grabs me by the hand again and walks faster to the hotel. For someone with short legs, she sure can walk fast! I'm practically jogging to keep up with her. "A few drinks tonight will definitely help me loosen up."

She read my thoughts exactly. I want to shake this odd feeling and what better way to drown it away with alcohol in my system? A few hours of forgetting Edward is what I think I need. He did give me permission to have fun with Alice so I'm holding myself to it. Fun tonight will be my middle name.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Because we need to dress appropriately before we go out tonight."

"Can we skip out on putting me in heels tonight? I'd rather save my feet since I know tomorrow is going to be a long day." I agreed to help Alice with a few things backstage meaning I'll be on my feet for most of the time. My feet have grown accustomed to heels but it's still a skill to be mastered. And dancing and walking around in heels tonight will definitely kill my walking ability tomorrow, which already doesn't help with the clumsy stature I was born with.

"You can go in flip-flops."

"Flip-flops? To a night club—here—in Milan? Isn't that a fashion crime that calls for beheading or something?" I raise a questioning eyebrow.

"You and your imagination, Bella," Alice laughs softly. "It's a pajama themed party where we're going tonight."

"And where exactly are we going?"

Alice smirks at my question. "The Hollywood."

"The what?"

"The Hollywood. It's one of Milan's top nightclubs. It often hosts theme party nights to keep things interesting and get people feeling festive! I checked their website and tonight is pajama night."

"That's great!" I smile. Finally, for once, I don't have to dress up. I have a nice pair of plaid flannel pajamas I packed that I think will look suitable for the club.

I'm excited to change until Alice grabs them from me and practically throws them in the trash. "No, no, Bella," she shakes her head and index finger at me. "Have I not taught you anything?"

"What? You said it was pajama night. Those are pajamas!"

"Yes…and unflattering ones in fact," she scrunches her nose at them. "Those pajamas are for sleepovers, Bella." She digs through her garment bags and pulls out an outfit that makes my jaw drop to the floor. "This is what club-worthy pajama attire looks like."

"That is not called a pajama, Alice. That iscalled lingerie." Is she serious? She wants me to wear that skimpy little outfit? I can hardly wrap that thing around my head as a scarf!

"Trust me, Bella. Women and men there will be wearing less than this. And it's not that revealing?" She examines the piece of material in her hand. The Hobbit must be blind if she didn't notice the low open back it has with only two pieces of string keeping it together.

"Do you really expect me to walk around the streets of Milan in that?" I exclaim. "What if some crazy drunk person decides to have his way with me in a dark alley somewhere?"

Alice rolls her eyes for the millionth time. "Bella, you're overreacting. Even I've worn less than this at the clubs here. There's a satin robe that goes with it so you won't be fully exposed. The hotel also has a private car that will take us straight there and pick us up afterwards so we don't have to wander the streets looking for a taxi. I've done this a million times. Trust me. Do you really think I'd let anything happen to us? Your uncle and Edward would also kill me if I let something happened to you, so I know better."

"Well, you do have a point," I smirk back.

She rolls her eyes again at me with a laugh. "Just go put this on!" I reluctantly do as I'm told and head straight for the bathroom. It was a one-piece, pink satin mini-dress with criss-crossing straps that meet and tie in the back with a low dipping V-line. I still can't believe I'm wearing such a scanty, provocative looking outfit. The front also has transparent lacing around the chest area. Great. I'm just glad it'll be dark inside.

After I make my way back to the living room, Alice is already dressed herself and applying mascara. Her outfit is as skimpy as mine, if not skimpier. It's almost the same design as the one I'm wearing, except white and silk, and the chest area is more open. It also looks slightly shorter as well. She turns when she hears me enter the room. "Bella…you look hot!"

"I guess," I blush. "I feel awkward and uncomfortable in it."

"Why? You look stunning! You have to feel confident in what you're wearing and remember there will be others there wearing the same thing. The crowds at these clubs are there to have fun, not judge you by your outfit…although you have to look the part."

"And I'm sure Jasper would approve of your outfit?" I grin, folding my arms.

"Right," she snorts. "I'd be on house arrest if Jasper caught me in this."

"And, what? You think Edward would approve of this?" I point at my revealing little number.

The Hobbit stands and throws the matching robe at me. "If Edward knew you were out at the clubs in that, he'd lock you in the dungeon and throw away the key." I couldn't help but laugh. I'm sure her brother would as soon as his overprotective instincts kick in. Thinking about Edward again makes me start to miss him but Alice wouldn't let me. She quickly takes me by the arm and drags me downstairs. "The private car should be ready for us."

Walking in the lobby in our night attire didn't cause any stares as I imagined they would. I suppose the people here are used to seeing all sorts of things at night since Milan is known for its risqué fashion styles. The male staff only politely nods at us as we pass and I can't help but blush. I'm sure they know what we're up to.

About ten minutes later, we pull up to the entrance where a long line is already forming. Alice wasn't lying when she said there will be people wearing less than us. Half of the people in line look like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Even the men looked GQ perfect with their tight abs, broad shoulders, pearly white teeth and boxer briefs. I suddenly feel underdressed. "Alice…I don't know about this…"

"Oh, c'mon, Bella. We're here. You can't back out now. Besides, this was your idea!" She says a few words in Italian to the driver before she opens the door. You can hear the music echoing outside through entrance behind the velvet rope. "Jacque!" she hugs the bald bouncer. His arms are enormous. Jacque has a short neck and very well built, firmly planted to the ground. Even a bullet train can't seem to get pass him without his permission.

"My little Alice!" he greets her. "Where have you been? You don't come visit here anymore."

"I know," she sighs. "I've been so busy lately. Is our booth ready?"

"Of course, il mio amico carino," he kisses her hand.

"Grazie." She smiles politely and takes my hand to lead me inside. The people behind us who have probably been waiting for hours yell something to Jacque who just yells right back at them and crowd goes quiet immediately. I'm guessing they don't appreciate us gliding right pass them without even so much as blinking their way.

It's loud inside with people dancing and drinking, grooving to the beat of the thumping bass from the stereo mounted on the walls. I feel like my heart is pounding with every pulse in my ears. It's a mix of house music and electronica. The people here are in their own world, having pillow fights on white four-post beds in the corners with tables stationed around them and servers in lingerie placing bottles of campaign in buckets in the private VIP area. From what Alice tells me, many celebrities and athletes can be found here on any given night. Anybody who was anybody came here to party. "This is crazy!" I yell over the music to her with a smile.

"I know, right?" She laughs at my first experience in a club like this wearing next to nothing. "Tons of male and female top models, soccer and tennis champions, international TV show hosts, Academy Award-winning actors and rock stars—you name it—they call come here. C'mon, let's go to our private booth!" she takes my hand again. But where the Hobbit takes me can hardly be considered a booth. She leads us to an empty four-post bed with champagne service already provided. She throws the 'Reserved' sign in the corner and proceeds to jump on the bed, dancing like a rock star.

"Alice, what are you doing?" I chuckle at her child-like behavior.

"Get on the bed!" she urges. "The beds are a part of tonight's theme." I take off my flip-flops and join her, holding hands as we channel our inner childhood, jumping up and down like misfits. After our fits of giggles finally die down, Alice pours us two glasses of champagne and hands me one of the flutes. "To our time here in Milan and to you accepting being my assistant!"

"With a three month probation included," I remind her.

"Yes, yes," she rolls her eyes. I smile and clink my champagne flute with her to seal the deal.

By the end of the night, I'm at a loss at how many glasses of the bubbly I've had. The club packed quickly and people Alice knew joined us in our private bed area. There was a point in the night where everyone—girls and guys—were throwing feathered pillows at each other. It became a haze of feathers all around us and for a time, I forgot about Edward. Alice and her friends sure know how to have fun!

"What time is it?" I groggily ask Alice the next morning. My head feels like a freight train ran over it. I look over at her and her still heavily, sleeping form. She's wearing a purple sleeping mask and clearly doesn't look like she's going to wake up anytime soon. From what I vaguely remember we stumbled into our hotel room around dawn. We both need to get up and get ready for her runway show tonight.

Feeling around for my cell phone, I check my messages and frown. No received text or voice messages from Edward. I'm going to assume he's on his flight back to the States and has his phone turned off. I call his number wanting leave a message to tell him how much I miss him and to call me back once he's landed at LAX. I'm expecting for my call to go straight to voicemail but instead the automated operator tells me the line has been disconnected. What? I stare at my phone as if it would tell me why I can't get a hold of him. I try again thinking I must have misdialed. Why would his number be disconnected? We just spoke a few hours ago. But again, I'm greeted by the same operator. What's happened to his phone? Panic sinks in as I wonder what's happened to him.

Author's Note: Uh-oh! Hmm…what could possibly be the reason why Bella thinks Edward is acting strange and why's his phone disconnected? ….Wait and find out!

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