The next morning, I woke up, showered, did my hair, and got in my favorite aqua, floral cami dress, and strappy heels.
Alice, Kate, and Angela were waiting to ambush me as I walked out of my room already dressed.
"Where are you headed to, dressed like that?" Ang asked, raising a brow in suspicion at me.
I shrugged before grabbing my purse and making my way down to the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat.
"Hey, we're talking to you." Ang called after me.
"Out. Don't wait up." I replied as I gulped down the orange juice and toast.
They cornered me before I could get to the door.
"Where are you going?" Kate demanded.
I sighed before shaking my head at them. "I'm-- I'm, uh, I'm going to a press conference. Happy?" I asked before pushing past them and heading out of the house.
"Wait, what do you mean you're going to a press conference? You didn't tell us anything yesterday when you got home.We're all concerned." Alice replied, frowning as they trailed beinhd me.
"I will tell you everything this afternoon after I get back. I have to go straighten out a misunderstanding. Okay?" I said as I made my way out of the gate.
"You can't come with me. Once I am done, I'll leave. It's going to be like five minutes." I told them.
"What's going on? Do you normally attend press conferences and we didn't know about it?" Alice asked, sarcastically.
I turned to glare at her, "Alice this is all your fault, so I suggest you knock it off before I give you something to complain about." I told her as my phone began to ring, I pulled it out to see who it was and sighed,
"It's Paul." I told them, shaking my head as they all shook their heads at me. "I don't want to answer." I groan.
"So, don't. You don't owe him anything. Maybe he'll get the message." Ang said.
The call ended and my screen lit up again, causing me to sigh. I looked at Ang, "He's not giving up." I told her, as the screen turned off, only ti light up again.
"Answer." Kate said, as he rolled er eyes at me.
I sighed, and slid my fingwr across the screen, before bringing it up to my ear.
"Paul, I can't meet right now, I have something important to do." I told him.
"No, I don't need you to come with me." I replied, rolling my eyes at them.
"Location of where I am going? Oh." I sighed as he told me that it was important to meet today.
"Well, I am going to be at the Edgewater Hotel attending a press conference." I sighed.
"Yeah, I'll see you there." I mumbled in flatly.
I hung up and turned to look at all three of my friends, with my shoulders slumped.
"We're coming with you, too." Angela stated.
"You don't need to--" But Kate shook her head. "We're coming." She told me, as I sighed.
"What made Edward Cullen ask you to be by his side during the press conference?" Alice asked.
"I have no idea?" I mumbled, feeling exhausted.
"Paul is probably annoyed that you're engaged when he was going to ask you to marry him, he's more annoyed that he saw it on the internet." Alice told me.
"You realize that Ella and Edward Cullen aren't really engaged, right Alice?" Ang asked her, amused.
Alice rolled her eyes, "What does it matter? Paul is probably still mad." She replied, amused.
"Let's go before we get there late." I snapped before walking away.
Kate decided to drive us to the Edgewater Hotel since her car was in better condition than mine.
"It'll be okay. She reassured me .
I shook my head, "I have a feeling that it's not." I told her.
How right I was.
Edward's POV:
I had been up half the night working with Emmett to get everything under control.
The paps apparently had gotten information that I had been seen with a woman in Lake Las Vegas last night, suspected to be my fiancee.
Nobody knew where she came from, or who she was, which was good for us because we needed to protect her from everything.
I sighed as I sat down and wiped my face on my towel. Not even today's workout could help me get my emotions under control. I was extremely annoyed with myself for doing what I had yesterday. It had been a stupid and impulsive decision, and I didn't like it.
What the hell was this woman doing to me? I usually had better control over myself and never allowed myself to get into these situations in the first place. I was fucked if I didn't get things under control. Immediately. I knew had to do something to get things under control but what?
With those thoughts I went to shower as quickly as possible, before heading to the Edgewater Hotel for the press conference.
My team was already there, except Tanya, of course.
But I wasn't too worrried about her being here today.
Emmett immediately filled me in, and we got to work before the press was set to arrive.
"We'll put the investors on the first line of seats, that way the're separated from everyone else. Okay?" I instructed before turning to look at Emmett, "You are going to control the line of questioning." I told him.
"Right." He replied, with a nod. "I'll have them controlled. Ben, I don't want even one problem with the confetti cannons, or the organization of when they're supposed to go off, do you understand?" He asked him.
"Yes, I understand. I've got everything under control." Ben promises.
"Right, well, let's getting going." He sighs as they all walk away, including Rosalie, who was here to make sure we were all okay.
Emmett motioned everyone to follow him, as I stood there waiting for the woman.
Errores, lead to bigger errors. My dad was right, and I suddenly hated that he was as his words rang in my head.
"Can we -- Can we speak for a moment?" Tanya suddenly asked, interrupting my reverie of leaving just to get away from here.
I heard her, but my focus was on something else entirely. I blinked, "Sorry. What's going on?" I asked her, as I looked around.
"What's happening? The paps are going crazy with the pictures of your secret fiancee. Have you not seen social media?" She asked, in disbelief.
I raised a brow at her, tilting my head to the side as she stared at me. Her eyes flashed with an unwritten emotion, but I was almost certain that I knew what it was.
"Are you asking me this as an ex-girlfriend or as public relations of our company, or a colleague? I am not understanding your tone." I replied flippantly, as I made a gesture with my hands.
She glared at me, "I am only saying that this situation is getting out of control, Edward. The paparazzi are going to ruin the inauguration of the new project." She told me, tensely.
I shook my head, "I won't allow that to happen. You avoid the paparazzi at all cost." I replied.
She scoffed and turned to look at something, before changing the expression on her face, albeit a little disgusted, and turning to briskly walk away.
I turned, already wanting this day to be over, only to come to face with the woman from yesterday.
A small smile pulls on my lips as I see her staring up at me."Hey."
"Hey, what is she doing her?" She asked, raising a brow at me.I sighed, "She is my-- I'm sorry but I don't owe you an explanation." I state, frostily.
"I agree, it's none of my business." She replied immediately.
"Exactly. The press will be here in half an hour." I inform her."Okay." She replied, smiling with wide eyes..
"Very well." I replied. "I'll see you later." She told me, as she looked at her friends.
"If you don't get there late." I quipped.
"Won't be." She replied, tightly.
"I hope the fuck not." I told her before turning, and walking in the direction of the terrace in the back.
Bella's POV:
I watched him walk away, sighing as I shook my head and turned to look at my friends.
That man could be the most infruiating being with a y-chromosome I'd ever met. I swear, if I saw him standing on a road, in the middle of the night, and I was driving the car, I would probably speed up not slow down.
"Please tell me that after today I won't have to see the face of Edward Cullen. Someone tell me this immediately before I loose what little control I have over them." I complained as Ang, Kate, and Alice surrounded me.
"Are you alright?" Kate asked concerned as Angela shook her head at her.
"Well, come on…" I urged.
"You won't ever see him again." Alice promised.
I sighed and gave her a grateful expression, which turned into exasperation when Paul arrived.
"Bella!"
"Well, it looks like Paul's here. Why is he even here?" Ang asked, scowling at him.
"Paul." I sigh, trying not groan.
"Hey." He replies us, with a smile.
"Hey." Alice greets halfheartedly.
"Hi." Kate greets stiffly.
"Angela." Paul says in greeting as he stares at her, nervously.
"Douchbag." She retorts in greeting, though it is clear she wants to ignore his existance.
"How are you all?" He asks, trying to obviously be polite.
"Just great." Alice replies, in fake enthusiasm.
Paul turns to me with a smile when Ang and Kate only stare back blankly.
"Why don't we go check out the terrance? "Ang says as she pulls everyone away.
Paul looks at me, "I need to talk to you, urgently." He says.
I frown, shaking my head at him, "I don't have time for this. I need to go to the press conference soon." I tell him.
"Well, make some, becuase I have a flight in one hour. I have to go back to Italy." He replies.
I raise a brow, "You're leaving again?" I asked, not surprised.
"Yes, I'm leaving, which is why I need to talk to you. But first do you want to sit down?" He asked.
I sigh and gesture for him to go inside to the hotel.
We make our way in to one of the large lounge areas, and sit down, ordering a coffee and tea before I turn to him.
"We've known each other for a long time. We're a lot more than friends. We're colleagues, and have had a bond that runs deeper than anything else. We've share a lot these past few years." He says.
I feel the blood fall from my face as he leans in and tries to grab my hand, which I move immediately, and look away.
Frowning when I see the same chick that I saw the other day staring intently at me. "Is that the same girl again. It's the chick from the other night, remember? She's staring at me again. Who the hell does she think she is?" I ask as I smack Paul's hand away further away.
"Bella." He says.
"Why is she looking at me like that?" I ask, confused. "It's the second time I see her in two days." I add, frowning.
"Bella…" He sighed as I turned to look at him again. "Look, this time I've spent in Italy has made me mature. And I realized that love gives life great meaning." He tells me.
I look at him, confused, "Paul…" "Bella, please, just listen to me. I need you to understand. I want to make sure you're happy." He tells me.
I blink, "I am. I have been the past three years." I told him.
"I don't believe that. See, a lot of our friends have told me differently. Even Mike." He tells me.
I scoff, "I am fine. I just got engaged a few weeks ago. I don't see why you care so much when you didn't care about this when you left a year and a hlaf ago." I replied, incredulously.
"You're -- You're engaged? That's great. I-- I got married a few months ago. That's my wife over there." He says pointing at the same woman who was staring at me.
It all suddenly made sense. His sister had been trying to make it seem like I wasn't happy, and he thinks I am still pinning after him.
Bitch.
"Good to know. Look, I haven't been pinning after you. I haven't missed you, and I certainly am happy. So, can you please take this as a sign to leave me alone?" I asked, calmly.
He shook his head, "No, I want to make sure that the guy--" He began but I cut him off.
"The guy is Edward Cullen, and you don't need to make sure of anything." I told him, firmly.
"Bella, you're pretty and all, but all the women in the country are after this dude. You don't actually think that--" He began to say before I cut him off. Again.
"So, what Edward Cullen is a god, and I am not good enough for him, is that what you think?" I asked angrily.
"I'm not saying that, Bella, but there's just no way a guy like him would ever look in your--" He said as I cut him off with a wave of my hand, this time.
"Hang on a minute, you leave, and think its okay to suddenly show up and pretend we're friends? Buddies? No. We are not friend. I do not even want to talk to you. I only chose to see you because you wouldn't stop calling me. Why the hell do you want to come here and rub the exciting life you've built in Italy in my face?" I asked, getting up. "Why? What's the point? To see how horrible I was doing? To gloat? What?" I demand.
He held up his hands, "I don't believe that you're engaged to Edward, I mean you're not wearing a ring or anything. I'm just trying to make suh--" He began to say but I stormed off.
I made my way to the back terrace, ignoring Paul's calls as he followed me out.I froze for a second as I stepped outside, the actions of Paul and everyone else.
Their words and actions bouncing in my head as I stood there breathing hard. It took me a second to shake off the horrible feeling that I was feeling inside myself before I purposefully moved across the terrace.
"Dear guests, dear friend, welcome." Edward said, giving a welcoming smile as he spoke.
Everyone began to clap as he spoke, causing him to pause, and smile as he waited patiently for everyone to quiet down.
Paul's words bounce in my head, and I feel hurt hit me like a wave.
"Before addressing the topic at hand, and talking about the new project, I would like to clarify a small misunderstanding…" He trailed off.
Determination suddenly hit me in an overwhelming sense, and I strutted forward purposefully.
I ignored the looks I was receiving as I made my way up to the small platform. I even heard my friends calling out my name trying to gain my attnetion, but I ignored everything and focused on one simple thing. Getting to Edward.
"You already know that the word scandal and I have never seen eyes to eye, without further ado. .." He began to say as I strutted forward, grabbed his face and pulled him down towards me.
He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer as the kiss grew fervent.
Everything else? Disappeared around us.
Oh god, what have I done? And why the hell do I feel myself and him responding to the kiss?
This was a dangerous game I had begun to play, and I had a feeling I was about to get burned.
The sound of loud pop caused us both to step back slightly, breathing hard as he stared at me, with an unfathomable expression.
"You are in so much trouble," He breathed to me before we turned around to face everyone. "Come on." He added.
"Excuse us." He called out, before grabbing my hand and pulling me in the direction of the door.
