Thanks for your patience. I'm getting used to my new schedule and it's a doozy.

Thank you, as always, to Team Harpy.

And a massive thank you for nominating this for Favorite Drop Everything Fic. I was giddy AF when I saw that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Chapter 19

Bella

"I understand … yeah … me too … okay, thanks for letting me know." I hang up and throw my phone on the table.

"What was that about?" Ang asks.

"Oh, that? That was just the producers of the movie telling me due to recent events, they feel it's best to recast at this time."

"Oof."

"Yeah." I groan, putting my hands in my head. I allow myself to wallow for a moment, then get back to the task at hand. My statement. "When will Rachel be here again?"

"In a few minutes. She texted me when she landed. She sounds like she knows her shit, so that's good, right?"

"I don't think anything is good right now, Ang. More like a fucking disaster."

A knock at the door startles me even though I'm expecting someone. Ang glides to the hotel door and opens it, ushering in a gorgeous, indigenous woman. She wastes no time in getting down to business as she peers at my statement lying on the table.

"I'm sorry. This isn't going to cut it, Miss Swan. We need to elaborate just a bit."

"Bella. Thank you for coming on such short notice." I shake her hand in greeting.

"My brother said it was urgent, and I always listen to Jake when he says something is urgent but don't tell him I said he was right. Now, I spent the flight getting acquainted with your problem, and while I can't promise you'll come out smelling like a rose, we can at least get some heat off of you."

"How exactly? Because the press is not being very favorable toward me at the moment."

"Easy. We put the blame where it belongs. Edward Cullen. He's the married one. We divert the attention to him."

"Absolutely not."

"Bella, you're at risk of losing your job. A very lucrative one at that."

"I don't care." My voice is firm.

Rachel looks at Ang for help, but Ang just shrugs.

"Now, either you help me do this without throwing him under the bus, or I get someone else."

She sighs but takes her jacket off, sitting opposite me at the dining table. "What do you want to say?"

"If I knew that, I would have it completed. I want to say I'm sorry, but I don't really feel I owe anything to anyone other than Jessica. She's his wife. The fans and the general public shouldn't be a consideration."

"But they 've been in this business long enough to know how it works."

"You're right, which is why I made sure to never take a step out of place. And look at me now."

Rachel stares at me silently before changing tactics. "Do you know why I'm a publicist?"

"No."

"My brother. When he was forced out of the closet, he lost roles left and right. And I figured I might as well get paid to defend his honor. This wasn't even that long ago, and though the LGBTQIA+ movement has made major strides, there are still going to be people who will protest his casting. So, I learned to spin the negative into a positive. I can do the same for you but only if you work with me here. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

I reluctantly nod.

"Okay then. Let's play the game. Do you know who Edward's publicist is?"

I shake my head. "I haven't talked to him since this morning during the meeting with Alec."

"I'll text Bree and find out." Ang pulls out her phone and shoots off a message. Her phone dings almost immediately. "Alistair Anderson."

Rachel hums in approval. "He's brutal but effective. I'll give him a call and see which way they are going with this. After all, the best defense is a good offense." She grabs her phone and steps out into the hotel corridor, dropping the bar on the door so it won't close.

"So what do you think about her?" Ang asks when she's out of earshot.

"She seems competent. Jake trusts her, so I will too."

"But he's her brother."

"Jake mistrusts his own father, so Rachel is on the up and up," I assert.

The object of our conversation comes back in and settles in her chair.

"So …" I prompt.

"First things first. Repeat after me. No comment."

I roll my eyes but oblige. "No comment."

"Perfect. Now we're going to have to get really personal right now. I have some questions to ask, and I need you to answer them honestly, okay?"

"Quite frankly, honesty is what has landed me in this mess, so it's not really a problem."

"Did you have sex with Mr. Cullen?"

"Doctor," I immediately correct. "And no. Not since high school. We had a relationship that spanned over three years, then we parted ways after graduation. Until we met again a few months ago."

"Then what happened?" She scribbles a few notes.

"We had a few platonic moments that were emotionally charged. And one kiss on his part and one on mine. Then I told his wife, and here we are."

"Why did you tell his wife?"

"Because I felt guilty. He's not mine to kiss."

"Do you want him to be?"

"No comment," I deadpan. She stares me down, and I sigh. "How is that pertinent to the situation?"

"How is it not?" she challenges.

I groan. "Yes, I do, which is where the guilt comes in. He's not mine to want or to have, and yet—" Gestures toward everything.

"You're human, Bella. Thank you for your honesty. Alistair says he suggested you be the scapegoat, and he said Edward wigged out and is insistent on taking the blame."

"He can't do that," I hiss, reaching for my phone. A hand deftly snatches it away.

"Don't contact him. That can be traced, and we don't need to add any more fuel to the fire. I will contact Alistair, and we'll see what we can do."

She calls Alistair back, this time in front of us, and puts him on speakerphone, volleying ideas back and forth. He decides to add Edward in on three-way, and I sigh in relief when he sounds no worse for wear, but I know better than to talk personally to him right now.

He argues as do I against pointing the finger at each other. I can tell the publicists are at their wit's end with us.

"What about a joint statement?" he suggests.

We all look at the phone with an incredulous look.

"Are you out of your mind?" Alistair yells.

"Don't talk to him like that," I reply, sharply.

"Hear me out. We jointly got into this mess, and I just don't think that separate statements will do anything."

"Nothing you two have done jointly seems to have helped either," Rachel points out. "And Alec did say—"

"Fuck Alec. I'll resign from the show tomorrow if he doesn't like it. We need to tell our story. We can give a brief synopsis of our relationship before and now, and then leave it at that."

"What about your wife?" Alistair asks.

"What about her? Nothing is going to save my marriage, and I think I'm okay with that. Bella?" he asks me, his voice softening.

"Let's do it."

After that conversation, a statement is quickly written, proofread, and would be released first thing in the morning. We hang up, and even though I know the publicists are against this, we're paying them, and this is what is going to happen.

"… it was a momentary indiscretion, and we deeply regret any pain it's caused to anyone affected by this situation." Alec stands in front of us, reading from his phone. "This is what you call separate statements?"

We're here bright and early to film the exam room scene, and even though we're on opposite sides of the set, we still share a glance. I speak up before Edward can.

"We decided this would be a more efficient way to address the issue."

"And what does Edward's wife think about your statement?" Alec asks. I look to Edward because while I spoke for him, I refuse to speak for her.

"She's probably with her divorce attorney, and I'm okay with that," he quietly answers.

Alec looks between us and shakes his head. "You aren't making this easy for me."

"It's not about you, Alec. The fact our actions might reflect badly on the show is very telling about the entertainment industry. What's done is done, and we can't take that back." Nor do I really want to.

Edward moves forward and presents a piece of paper to Alec. "My resignation. The only stipulation I have for leaving quietly is that you leave Bella alone. She's the main character of this show, and I don't see how you would go on without her. Also, you can kill me off if you want. Make it bloody and painful." He grins.

Alec looks between the two of us and sighs before ripping up the piece of paper. "I don't accept this, and we will proceed as we have been. Do me a favor though, and try to avoid each other until this dies down."

We both nod, neither of us looking at each other.

"Let's get this scene over with so we can close for the season. Y'all got my ass exhausted."

I get a final touchup before walking to my mark. In the original scene, Liam and Maggie were to have sex, but I'm guessing Alec noped out of that one. So, the new rewrite has us leaving it open ended for next season in case he fires our asses.

"Irina has asked me to move back to New York with her." Liam's voice is husky as he looks at Maggie imploringly.

"And? Are you?" Maggie asks.

The look he gives her answers her question.

She swallows her emotions down and simply nods. "Then you should go."

"I … Maggie, I never meant for this to happen. I don't know what I want."

"Yes, you do, and that's why it's so painful, Liam. But you don't have to worry about me. I'm … I'll be fine. I have …"

"Embry."

Maggie hesitates, then says, "Yes."

"He's better for you than me."

"Yes," Maggie whispers because it's true.

Liam sucks in a breath and nods. "I don't know how to do this."

"Do what?"

"Walk away from you," he admits as tears fill his eyes.

A sob erupts from Maggie, her eyes in agony. She knows what she needs to do. She walks to him and puts her hands on his face, making him look at her.

"You have to let me go. You have to let me let you go. I need you to do that for me, okay?"

They're both crying as he leans down to kiss her gently—once, twice, three times before she extracts herself and walks away without looking back.

"Cut!"

We both look at Anton, who looks at Alec, who nods. "And that's a wrap on season three for you two."

There is no cheering, only deafening silence as we do as we're told and leave without a word to each other.

I didn't expect anyone but paparazzi to be waiting for me at my hotel, but I spot Paul the moment I enter the lobby. I'm ruffled because screaming "no comment" and shoving past several big men with cameras does that to a girl. It's my own fault for forgetting to go through the back.

He doesn't say anything, just follows me up to my suite. I bet that's gonna look really good on tomorrow's tabloid cover.

Bella Swan taking up with two men! News at eleven!

"Paul …"

"I don't know what happened between you two, and I don't want to know. We never said we were exclusive."

"But we're sort of dating, and I know how you must feel, so I'm sorry."

"Well, I didn't say I wasn't pissed off. I just said we weren't exclusive. That's all I wanted to say." He turns around for the door.

"Paul."

He turns back. "Oh, and this. I know you're all messed up about this guy, but Edward is bad for you. But me? I'm a good thing. And if there is a race, a ring, my hat is in it. I'll check in on you tomorrow, and we can work this out."

He's almost gone when I call out for him. He turns around expectantly.

"Close the door."

He smiles and does as I ask.

"You don't need to check in."

"I don't mind."

"No, you really shouldn't do that."

Awareness washes over his face. "So, it's Edward?"

"I'm sorry." I start to cry.

"Can I ask why?"

"You are a great guy. A wonderful guy. And you might even be the better guy, but …"

He sighs. "He's the one."

"And I really wish he wasn't. But it's him. It's always been him."

"He's gonna hurt you again."

I nod because he's not wrong.

"And when he does, I won't be here. Goodbye, Bella."

"Goodbye, Paul," I whisper to no one because he's already gone. I look around my empty hotel room and decide I need to get the hell out of Seattle.

So, I pack up and head to where I know I can get some peace.

Home.

I'm staring out into the night
Tryin' to hide the pain
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain

Well, I'm going home
Back to the place where I belong
And where your love has always been enough for me
I'm not running from
No, I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
So I'm going home - Home, Daughtry

I have a chapter with the prereaders and it should be up in a week or two. Then, I don't really know but I'll get there.