Chapter Twenty-Four
Edward would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by Bella's past.
He'd also be lying if he said he wasn't completely and utterly enthralled by her.
Edward pored over his script as he sat in the break room, his feet tapping out a beat beneath the table as he worked. He could sense the moment she walked into the room because his skin heated and broke out in goose bumps.
He looked up and smiled as he saw her.
Their eyes connected across the room.
"Hey," Bella acknowledged as she slid into the seat opposite him. Her eyes were red and he knew she'd been crying again but he also knew better than to ask her about it.
"Hey yourself," Edward replied, playfully smacking Bella's hand away as she reached for his coffee. "Get your own." He grinned.
"I don't actually want one," she said, a smile playing at her lips. "I just wanted to annoy you."
"Payback, huh?"
She laughed.
"You know I've almost forgiven you for your gallant yet misplaced behavior."
He nodded.
She had said that she would forgive him. He'd been acting in her best interests, at least that's what he'd believed and she couldn't fault him for that.
"What are we doing tonight?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes fixed steadfastly on him.
"We're working."
She arched a brow. "What?"
"Jake didn't tell you?"
Bella rolled her eyes. She didn't know what it was that Edward had against her AD but whenever he said his name, he spat it like it was venomous.
"Obviously not," Bella said.
"Sam wants us to wrap a week early so we'll be working overtime."
Bella sighed.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"So we now have two weeks to finish this film and then we start all over again?" she asked.
"That's the plan." Edward raised his mug to his lips, groaning at the taste of the coffee in his mouth.
"And then the premiere is the following month?" queried Bella.
"Are you nervous about it?" he asked, quirking a brow at her.
"Yeah, I'm kinda freaking out about it." She nodded. "My friends will be there, you know?"
He grinned. "So I'll meet the infamous Alice and Rosalie then?"
"Yeah, you will."
"You don't have anything to worry about. You'll look stunning; you'll smile for the cameras, do a few interviews and be gracious to your fans."
Bella scoffed.
"My fans?"
Edward laughed then pushed his half-drunk coffee toward her, allowing her to finish it off.
"You're still on your internet ban then?"
"Definitely," Bella agreed. "I don't want to read anymore lies about me."
"Well," Edward continued as he sat forward. "Maybe you could come over later, we'll have dinner and I can show you the new Isabella Swan fan site that's up and running."
"You're kidding me?" she asked, her mouth agape. "I have a fan site."
"Yes you do, Ms Swan." He smiled encouragingly at her. "You're a rising star, Bella and you'd better start getting used to it."
"Hey, Bella!" Jake called from across the room as his eyes landed on her. Edward sighed and sat back. "I've been looking everywhere for you, you're needed in make-up."
Bella nodded and made a move to stand but Edward reached out to grab her hand before she could move too far away from him. His skin lit up at the feel of her hand in his, a gentle thrum running through his body.
"You didn't answer me about tonight," he said with a smile.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder and winked.
"We'll see, Mr Cullen, we'll see."