Bella

"Kind of tense back there?" the producer asked.

Sympathy showed on her face, but Bella figured she was only in it for the drama. If she really cared, she reasoned, Sean wouldn't be there right now filming this interview.

"Yeah, well, they only want what's best for him."

"And do you feel you are what's best?"

"I don't know. Emmett's a great guy, and we get along best as friends, to be honest."

"You know you're not the first couple that started off that way."

"I just don't know if there's anything there for us. We've both tried."

"Are you giving up, Bella?"

"Ummm…no."

"You still have a couple of weeks left."

Emmett had already promised the guys at the station he would bring Bella over, and since they had cooking in common, there were recipes they wanted to try out. And one thing she discovered about him was his love for board games. He'd threatened already to beat her at Battleship.

The producer continued, "Then you're going to meet the other couples again, and who knows? The energy in the room changes, something gets sparked, you just never know."

"That's true." Bella had considered that. Though, she mused that the only sparks flying would be with people who weren't married to each other. And maybe she was just asking for trouble, but she wanted to see Edward again, even if there was no chance things could work out between them. Bella wondered now if Emmett hadn't felt the same way with Rosalie.

But what if Edward and Rosalie were a couple? Suppose they had always been a couple and Bella had merely imagined Edward's feelings for her. That was a nagging possibility.

The producer reminded her that Dr. Saltz, Pastor Ray, and Dr. Muncher were on call, available to talk to any of them at any hour. There to support.

A knock pounded on the door, and Emmett's voice called out, "Bella, let's get out of here!"

She was thankful for his interruption and said a hasty goodbye to his family, wishing this evening had gone differently. Unfortunately, the cameras weren't through with them as they drove back. He had several chances to mention Edward, to reveal her emotions and the events, but Emmett was a man of character. On camera, he never said a word.

When the light was on red, and they were in bed that night, it was especially quiet between them.

"I'm sorry, Emmett. This is all my fault. And I appreciate you."

"It's okay, Bella. They're really something, you know? Just trying to rub it in my face. But I told them it's not over until it's over, and I'd prove them all wrong."

"You said what?"

"What was I supposed to say? I was being filmed, so I'm fighting for our marriage! Look, between you and me, the outcome seems obvious, but we still have roles to play, don't we?"

"I'd really like to know where you're going with this."

"We are friends, right? The next two weeks will pass quickly, and then we'll meet the other couples for an overnight. What are we going to do? Sulk? Or can we make the best of it?"

That's what she thought they'd been doing. "We're going to make the best of it."

That's what they did in the days that followed. The firefighters snapped pictures of her as they dressed her up in Emmett's bulky yellow turnouts. And Bella posed for them, laughing at herself as she flexed her imaginary muscles. Then, a sick neighbor had hit Emmett up to watch their Boston terrier. Emmett had claimed not to be an animal person, yet she admired his diligence in taking the dog for walks, and the dog cuddled up on their laps as they watched cheesy movies from the 80s at nights with popcorn. She even chatted with the butcher at the grocery store, who was all smiles when she placed her order.

They had everyone fooled.

On the flight to California, she anticipated seeing everyone again, with only 3 days remaining. They landed at Palm Springs airport and shortly after, the limo drove up the wide street that led to the mansion.

Emmett whistled as the car crept up the windy driveway, and Bella's eyes widened at the sight before them.

"This is where we're staying?" she asked.

"Our home for tonight," he said.

She didn't know what to expect but couldn't wait to see her best friend and catch up. It was a mixture of dread and excitement; Edward was there…with his wife. How was that going to go? Like last time, when they'd just avoided one another? She couldn't imagine what would take place, but she kept one goal in mind: make the best of it.

The warm air reminded her of Arizona as they stepped out of the limo, and the oven-like heat overcame her. It was welcome, unlike the humidity she'd endured in Tennessee. Though it was beautiful in Knoxville, lots of green and rain and bodies of water, she missed the dryness, the constant blue sky, and the comfort of being home. She'd wished she'd worn shorts as they stood at the entrance but found it tough to focus on any one detail—not when Alice was going to be nearby…and especially with the idea that Edward was just on the other side of those huge doors.

Emmett called out as they walked in. "Hello? Anybody here?" He lowered his voice. "I wonder if we're the first to get here."

That was when she saw them at the top of the stairs. Rosalie — Aphrodite herself, more beautiful than Bella remembered, left her feeling even more insecure about her own jeans and tee shirt. Rosalie glided down the staircase with the grace of a princess, a vision in a violet dress, a smile that would have captured any man's heart. Then there was Edward—as devastatingly handsome as she remembered. His expression was unreadable as his eyes darted to his wife and back to Bella. What was he thinking right now? She didn't seem to mind that he was not at her side as she descended. Rosalie hugged Bella, and Edward met them at the bottom of the stairs as she turned to hug Emmett. They exchanged hello's, and Edward's lips curled upward when his eyes met Bella's. She glanced away, and as much as she wanted to meet his eyes again, the cameras were watching. And wasn't Emmett watching, tracking her every move now… around Edward? Wouldn't he be suspicious? Turned out not to be his first concern; he was still wiping his forehead.

"It's hotter than hell out there! Is there a pool in this place?"

A pool? Bella thought, horrified. She was going to have to wear a bathing suit in front of Edward? Would he look at her? Was he interested? Why should he be? He had his very own model/actress right there. Bella could never measure up to her—not in her wildest dreams. Apparently, while she'd been engaging in self-loathing, they'd already agreed to meeting outside.

Bella spoke up this time. "I'm a little tired. We had a long trip. Are Alice and Jasper here yet?" Yes, Alice would save her.

"Do you mind if I hit the pool?" Emmett asked Bella.

Bella shrugged. "Feel free."

Rosalie spoke as if she owned the place. "I'm sure they'll be here any moment. And what about you, Edward? How does the pool sound?"

Bella shot her gaze to him, but he didn't answer right away. His eyes seemed to reach out to her.

"I think I'll join you at the pool…later."

"Well, it looks like it's just the two of us," Emmett said to Rosalie. "I'll meet you down there once Bella and I find our room and get out of these clothes." He took Bella by the hand, and they headed up the stairs. She wondered which room was theirs, but then took a left at the fork, followed it, opening the first door they arrived at.

"Bathroom," Emmett said. "Really nice one."

Bella couldn't focus on the furnishings or the rooms. Rosalie and Emmett were going to the pool. Where did that leave Edward? She was too distracted, and Emmett led her to the third door of many. They entered, finding a huge king-sized bed covered with a canopy. A dresser and a chaise lounge filled the space, and she set her bag down on the chaise lounge.

"We claim this one," Emmett said. "And if you don't mind, I'm going to cool off." He shut the door behind him, and she looked out the huge window, which overlooked a big mountain range. Palm trees stretched out in the distance, seeming to dot the area around the property.

It was all so beautiful, yet Bella found she couldn't appreciate it as the muscles tensed in her stomach. What should she do? How to make the best of it? Her first instinct was to hide in the room, but she knew she couldn't do that. No, she told them she was tired, going to lie down. But after lying there for a few minutes, she was still no better off. Bella pictured Emmett at the pool, likely doing a cannonball. She wanted to change into a sundress, leaving her warm clothes behind, and then splash some cool water on her face before deciding her next move. Sure, maybe she didn't have to go in the water, but she could join them. That would be acceptable. At least a camera wasn't following her around. Making her way to the closest hallway bathroom, she noticed cameras positioned in the corners and on a shelf. That was when she heard his voice.

"Hi, Bella," he said, his voice whisper soft—the masculine velvet every bit as powerful as that first night. She'd forgotten to put on her mike, and he stayed where he was about 15 feet down the hallway.

When she joined him, she found he was not wearing his either. They ended up in a spot where no cameras were within sight.

"Hey," she said back. She had no idea what else to say. Or what he wanted to say. His gaze was upon her — a sharp reminder of that night in the garden and how his lips felt on hers, and…

"I've been wanting to speak to you. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk before."

"It's okay," she said, knotting her fingers. "I understand."

"I really wanted to."

"Yeah," she agreed. She wanted to tell him everything. About how she'd wished it had been him instead of Emmett and wanted to know if it was serious between him and Rosalie… if she hadn't just imagined their connection, but even as they stood just feet from one another, she felt it — that buzz that drew them toward one another.

"How are you?" he asked.

How was she? Anxious. Nervous. Scared. Worried she'd made the worst mistake of her life being on this show. "I'm okay. And you?"

He smiled. "It's been a learning experience."

"Oh…" Did she dare ask? "So, you two haven't…?"

Her heart thumped as hope blossomed in her stomach. "No…not at all. What about you?"

They froze as Alice and Jasper appeared, hand in hand, at the top of the stairs, cameraman in tow.

Bella quickly embraced her friend, smiling, and holding her so tight, the comfort of her White Diamonds scent filling her. But then Alice's body stiffened. Bella knew what this meant as Alice let out a gasp and pulled back from her. In the space of under two minutes, her friend had had two visions, and Bella tried not to react as Alice pulled away. First, she'd seen a happy ending, whatever that meant, and now, she wanted her to stay away from Edward? Had she understood that correctly?

"Please," she mouthed.

Edward's magnetic presence made it even harder for Bella to avoid his gaze. She made an excuse, claiming she needed to go to the pool, while Alice and Jasper searched for their room.

Because of Alice's warning, Bella avoided eye contact with him, which was even harder to do. During dinner, she kept focus on the attention-getter. Rosalie, who was gushing about a video she'd made that had gone viral and toasted him for his influence.

What had he done? When she slipped a glance at him, his eyes stayed on his glass and he humbly remarked how she would have arrived at this point on her own. It wasn't enough that Edward saw her as amazing and talented, but now she had a legion of admirers, including Emmett!

Bella told herself not to be bitter. Was she now reading Edward wrong? It would've been crazy if he didn't fall for Rosalie, but maybe their lack of progression wasn't because of Edward's disinterest. But if Edward wasn't interested in Bella, why would he seek her out?

Edward and Rosalie hadn't consummated the marriage. Had they done anything else? Had he kissed Rosalie the way he kissed Bella?

When Jasper suggested going in the jacuzzi, Rosalie was the first to reply. Bella tried to appear agreeable, though she'd had enough time in the water. Though she'd barely dipped her legs in while Emmett did somersaults and showed off as she and the others tried to relax.

They'd all agreed to meet, and Bella was missing her phone at that moment, wanting her friend to clarify what the vision was, what that warning had meant.

Everyone returned to their rooms, and Bella held up her bathing suit with the striped navy design, wishing now she'd thought to pack a different one. Maybe one that didn't make her feel like a forty-year-old mom. But why? Was she trying to impress someone? She imagined Rosalie had several bathing suits at her disposal—that she was like a Barbie doll, and any style just fit on her the way it was supposed to. Rosalie — actress, model, and now honorary mechanic was making her own videos to teach and empower women to fix their own cars. Who could compete with this?

With Emmett long gone, she slipped on a white robe over her bathing suit, grateful she didn't have the mom bod that went with it to see if she could find Alice before she headed downstairs. She needed some clarification.

Steer clear of Edward, she'd warned. There was only one reason Alice would ask that of her. Unless she'd meant "him" to be Emmett, but she was fairly sure that it was a warning for Edward.

Outside, while they'd all lounged by the pool, cameras had accompanied them. She'd wished she'd had a little more alone time with her bestie and tiptoed toward her room. The only info she got from Alice that wouldn't draw suspicion was that she'd just be down the hall. Bella went and knocked at the door.

"Alice? Are you there? I need to talk to you." Bella peered up at the hallway corners, scouring for cameras, and she spotted one she was pretty sure was just beyond its reach…she hoped and then edged toward the frame of the door. "Alice?" she said louder. "Open up."

But when the door opened, it wasn't her bestie on the other side of it. It was Edward.

"Hi, Bella," he said, smiling. He looked happy to see her. "This is mine and Rosalie's room."

"Oh…" Her cheeks flushed.

"It's probably further down the hallway. Maybe past your room…not that I know which your room is…"

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"I'm not. Would you like to come in?"

She still wanted to find Alice, and his gaze held hers, the tenderness there on his face. Calling out to her…She would've liked nothing more.

"I really shouldn't."

"Rosalie's down in the jacuzzi already." He opened the door wider, and he was still wearing a shirt and khakis.

Yeah. Even worse. Plus the cameras…

"I can't. I'm sorry."

If the cameras were monitoring them, at least she'd made it clear this was an honest mistake, and she had no intention of showing otherwise.

"But…I hoped we could continue…"

Oh God. Continue from that night? Or from the conversation earlier when Alice and Jasper had interrupted? Heeding her friend's warning, she turned and left.

"Talk to you later. Sorry again."

She made her way down to the garden room where she had a view of the pool and while she couldn't see who was in the jacuzzi, she counted the number of heads. 1,2,3,4.

That left her and Edward.

Bella needed a drink. She should have joined the group immediately but ended up in the kitchen where two ladies in uniforms were cleaning up.

"Can we help you with anything?"

"Wine?"

The older one brought out two bottles, and Bella pointed to her preference. Then, a minute later, she was sipping it. "The party is out there," the lady told her.

"I just need a minute. I'm an introvert."

She smiled. "I'm the same way. Take your time." She winked. "No cameras in here right now."

Bella glanced around, considering all the times she'd drank during filming. Oh god, was she going to be considered the lush of the bunch on national television? At that moment, she didn't care. She hurried the last of the liquid down her throat, took the bottle and refilled her glass. The last time she'd done that, she'd made a very poor decision, coming onto Emmett. Now she needed to avoid making another poor decision. She stood there, sipping and feeling the weight of the alcohol overcome the worries. Then she heard the music play.

It was coming from a piano she remembered seeing earlier in a room past the kitchen. Edward? Right. He had played happy birthday for Rosalie that night. It was disturbing how little Bella actually knew of him. The pang struck her as she realized how little she knew about the object of her infatuation…and how much Rosalie knew... because she was his wife.

The melody drew her in, and she left the glass on the kitchen counter. She found him playing the piano and spied the camera with green light flashing in the corner. She stayed hidden behind a plant as the music filled the room.

Her eyes closed as she breathed in the notes, the chords curling around her heart. "Beautiful," she said.

The music stopped.

She covered her mouth. She shouldn't have said a word. Then a bout of hiccups overcame her, and when she rushed to sneak out, she nearly knocked over the ficus plant she'd hidden behind. He stood from the bench, and she tried to flee, but now her feet were showing her she shouldn't have drank that second glass so quickly as her body dove to the floor, where her knees met the marble with a painful thud. "Ouch! Dammit."

He met Bella, kneeling before her. "Are you okay? I didn't see you there."

"I'm okay. I'm okay. Fine. Good." She spied the flashing green light. "I just heard music," she said. "And I was enjoying it…and these hiccups. And I'm sorry for interrupting you. And I'm gonna go." She pointed in the other direction.

"You don't have to."

"I do," she insisted, hiccuping, even though she badly wanted to stay. "I'm going to meet the others…"

"But your knees…at least let me take a look…"

God, she thought, hiccuping and resisting the ache in her kneecaps. What she wouldn't give for him to touch her again. "I'm fine. I fall…and drop stuff all the time, remember?" She covered her face, hoping the cameras hadn't caught that. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing her mike. With any luck, it picked up muffled voices…and obnoxious hiccuping. Material for the gag reel. Yes. All the times she'd tripped, bumped, or fallen would probably be segmented to resemble one long Bella klutz compilation.

With sore knees, Bella took a few breaths, forcing herself to calm down. The music began once more and the hiccuping finally ceased. It was then she forced herself to not stumble as she headed toward the jacuzzi, making her excuses as she avoided the gazes of the others.

A/N: Thanks so much to the new followers—things get more interesting from here! Many, many thanks to the reviewers-I appreciate you all! And it seems the alerts are back up, so you should be alerted as I reply to your reviews. Next up, Edward's pov and the continuation of their overnight trip. By the way, I'm still looking for a beta for this story, which would not only be tremendously helpful but possibly get some chapters posted faster. Message me, if interested.

Also, I just posted a new story called "Law of Attraction" which is E/B, AH. Check it out!