Chapter 4:

Bella sniffs loudly and wipes at her eyes as she stares up at Chloe with bloodshot eyes. Chloe rolls her green eyes,

"Now who's being dramatic?"

Bella pouts at her,

"Not me. I am gonna miss you"

"I am only going to be gone for eight months"

Chloe's voice quivered slightly a contrast to the nonchalance she tried to go for, showing her obvious trepidation for the trip. Bella sniffs again, tears fills her golden brown eyes.

"Yeah and when have we ever gone eight months without each other since we met fifteen years ago?"

Chloe sighs finally letting her fear seep into her facial expression.

"Gosh I am terrified to be out in the world without you Bella, you are my better half"

Bella snorts,

"I beg to differ. You are my better half"

The two girls wraps their arms around each other in a tight loving hug,

"Its only eight months though and if you are done with your book signing and stuff you are gonna hop on the first plane to London, right?"

Bella nods vigorously,

"Duh I have got no where else to be. You know that"

Chloe grins,

"Good"

"But why England?"

Bella throws her head back in frustration,

"The movie could have been Anywhere"

Chloe rolls her eyes and goes back to adjusting the pink strap of her luggage,

"London is the movie setting dummy, London is the only location it can be acted, I think. Plus, I am the motherfreaking lead"

The two girls squeal loudly at the last part,

"Still so exciting. Gosh I am so happy for you"

Chloe sighs,

"Yeah yeah. Let's go to the airport before the whole crew leaves me behind"

Bella immediately scurries into the kitchen, grabs Chloe's car key off the kitchen cabinet and rushes past her.

"Hey that looks like my car key"

The only response is a loud maniac laugh down the hallway

"The idiot didn't even help me with my luggage"

*******

"Bye baby. Be careful with Mr yummy while I am gone. He seems to be too good to be true and you are glowing so much after just one date. I love you so so much, just be careful, yes?"

Bella nods,

"Yes mother"

Chloe hits her arm harshly and gives her a tight glare.

"Oww"

"I am being serious you idiot"

Bella frowns,

"Well so was I"

Chloe glares at her,

"Chloe darling the plane will take off soon"

Bamti the director calls,

"Chloe darling?"

Bella asks with furrowed brows, chloe laughs haughtily.

"He kinda has a thing for me"

"What the actual biscuit? He is thrice your age and very married. His ring?"

Bella's head curtly jabs in the direction of the director,

"I will be fine"

"Hmm you better be. You be careful"

"Yes mother"

Chloe's dry reply earned her a smack,

"The fish?"

Bella gives her a smug smile,

"Bye love. Take care"

"You too"

With that the two girls part ways.

****

Her drive home is bland as there is no one she expects to meet at home. Bella Rains feels like her energy and ball of sunshine just entered a plane to London for eight whole months.

No loud squeals, no crazy food combos, no blonde hair, no horrible singing for eight whole months. the utter horror.

"Its only eight months"

She chides herself, with that she turns on the radio and 'count on me' by Bruno mars comes on. She huffs but let's it on.

"How convenient Bruno"

******

She places the keys on the kitchen cabinet and walks up the stairs like a zombie on drugs. Walking into her room, she turns on the light, throws her purse on her night stand and flops on her queen sized bed with a loud unladylike groan.

The room is serene until the sound of Hurricane by Bridgit Mendler fills the air. She huffs and turns towards her night stand to pick up her phone.

"Who the hell?"

she mutters before answering without bothering to spare a glance at the caller's ID.

"It's Bella"

Her voice is muffled due to it being squished into her pillow, a low chuckle rings through the phone and Bella sits up straight.

"Shit"

She mutters,

"Hello to you too Flower. Are you busy?"

She sneers at herself,

"No, well yes. Busy feeling miserable"

"Why?"

The concern in his voice warms her heart and she smiles,

"My love has gone to London for a movie"

Alexander laughs,

"She is the actress?"

Sarcasm laces his voice, Bella groans

"Shut up Xander. Sarcasm isn't a good trait"

Alexander laughs louder this time,

"Well as you are miserable how bout I invite you to lunch? I am not busy and you are lonely. Its a win win"

There is a slight pause. Bella chews on her button lips.

"Well?"

Alexander asks after a few minutes of silence,

"How bout I call you back and give an answer?"

The response was slightly hesitant,

"Sure"

Bella hangs up and quickly dials Chloe up. She answers immediately,

"Hey love. Its been only an hour and a half, missed me already?"

"What the hell happened to you?"

Chloe laughs,

"I am getting into character"

Bella's brows furrows,

"For what? Your character has an American accent in the movie"

"Yeah but everyone else has British accent I don't want to look odd"

Bella laughs sarcastically,

"Dear the accent is an odd giveaway"

"You are mean. Did you call me only to insult me Bella Summer Rains?"

Bella puffs out air loudly,

"Well no"

"What's up? You okay?"

"I guess I am. I feel like I am overreacting over this"

"You overreact a lot so this isn't new but what's wrong this time?"

Chloe's voice held worry,

"Well I like him. Like I know I do, its only a first date and it seems forward but I like him"

Chloe didn't need to ask who. Her date with Nelson did not end very well. Nelson was a slight replica of Eric, an intellectual version of the asshole which makes it even worse.

Bella hears soft shuffling from Chloe's end then a soft sigh,

"Okay listen love. I am not the best person to come to for relationship advice, you know me. I am more of a bang and bye kinda girl but you are into the whole romance shit and that's okay. He might just be the one but we aren't sure, I like him way more than I liked Eric and I only met him once so that's something. What happened though?"

"He asked me out on a lunch date"

Pause.

"And?"

The confusion in Chloe's voice is evident,

"And I don't know if I should say yes"

Chloe kisses her teeth in annoyance.

"You always over think little things Summer. Why shouldn't you say yes? He isn't asking you to marry him, its just a date. Lunch date"

Bella sighs softly,

"Well you are right..."

"As always."

Chloe says loudly and sternly, cutting Bella off making Bella roll her big brown eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me young lady"

Bella laughs,

"That you know that is super creepy"

"No I think its cute"

Bella smiles,

"Creepy and I know you flipped your hair"

"Yeah definitely creepy"

Chloe relents,

"Exactly"

"Go for it love. You are born and then you die, and everything that happens between means everything and it means nothing at all. You get to chose, its up to you not me and not Alexander. Living is just being until you can't be anymore. You can be anything at all times. You can be scared or you can be happy. Don't try to think, it makes you fear and fear pushes joy away. This could be your forever"

"I know. But I can't say yes, it scares me. What if he leaves me after I get too attached? What's the point then?"

"Why do we strive to achieve great things when we are all going to die at the end?"

Chloe threw at her,

"I don't like when you go all philosophical on me."

"Specks of living with an intellectual"

"Shut up. You are the intellectual not me"

"Well who cares about intellect? We are both idiots. Follow your heart Summer, you are good at it, don't stop now. Stay safe. I love you"

"What would I do without you?"

"Umm nothing"

"I love you too. Kisses bye"

"Bye baby"

Bella sighs softly and leans back on her pillow and let's her lids fall close but it squints open as her phone pings with a text. She sits up and unlocks it,

Patrick💜

Book signing tomorrow at 2, i will come pick you up. Interview Friday, I will have Lace email you all the details. Take care sweetheart...

She smiles at her sweet publisher and goes to lock her phone when another text comes in.

Xander😊

Is that a no to the Lunch?

She reads the line twice with skeptical brows before typing a response,

Bella

How bout dinner instead? Can't make it to lunch

The response came almost instantly,

Xander😊

That's perfect. My place? I'd like to impress the lady with my spaghetti cooking skills.

When Bella had been in a relationship with Eric she had loved him so much she saw no fault in him but Chloe often told her the relationship was one-sided. Her side.

Eric was arrogant and selfish and when Bella looks back at it now she wonders what else he had other than looks and a few bucks to his name, she could care less about his money. Eric never thought Bella deserved attention, love nor care, not like she thought she did either which made it easier for him to walk all over her.

Sometimes he often made her feel like a burden which gave Chloe more reasons to utterly hate the guts of the Canadian actor and model and she didn't bother to hide it but Bella stayed with him because she was naive enough to think he would change and she was scared to end up all alone while Chloe falls in love with a rich superstar.

Eric knew Bella was dependent on their relationship with him and he took advantage of it and she let him but here she is being offered cooked dinner by a hot intellectual and she is being hesitant.

The sound of her phone ringing breaks her train of thoughts and she answers quickly as she sees Alexander's name flashes the screen. She puts the call on speaker,

"Flower. Do I scare you?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Well you ghosted me"

He says matter-of-fact, she smiles

"Its been only two minutes love"

"My bad. Dinner? We could totally go out, if you fear I might poison you"

There was no humor in his voice which scared Bella a little but she shakes it off

"Your place. I will be there, just text me the address"

"I will have someone pick you up and personally take you back home after dinner"

Bella smiles at his sweetness,

"Fine by me. He should be here by 8"

"See you soon Flower"

She hangs up with a wide smile plastered on her thin pink lips.

******

"It took me exactly four hours to get ready. How do I look?"

Bella twirls, her long black hair flowing around her waist in curled waves. She is dressed in a stunning snow white strapless knee length tight dress. Chloe squeals in excitement bouncing on her fluffy hotel bed,

"Totally gorgeous. The makeup and hair is superb, you know I love your hair curled and I am totally stealing that dress when I return"

Bella rolls her eyes with a smug smile.

"This is too big for you. You lack the ass to pull it of"

"Omg you did not just go there"

Chloe exclaims, Bella laughs and slips her dark hair over her shoulder haughtily.

"Oh but I did. Now I gotta go get ready for my date so bye bye"

She was about to end the call when Chloe exclaims,

"Wait"

"What? Something wrong?"

She was taken aback to find Chloe with glossy eyes,

"You look so happy, its a good look on you. Enjoy your evening my love"

"I promise to. Bye baby. Good luck on your movie tomorrow"

"Good night"

"Night!"

The image of Chloe clears from the computer screen and Bella sighs with a contented smile.

****

The sound of the doorbell pulls Bella's attention away from the characters on her TV screen. She turns the television off with the remote before standing up, adjusting her long white strapless dress and walking towards the door.

"Good evening Miss Rains, I am from Mr Thunder"

She nods and smiles warmly at him, he hands her a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates,

"From the sir"

Bella's smile widens,

"My! He didn't have to"

She takes the gifts and places them on the couch, grabs her jacket and purse and walks towards the chauffeur.

"Shall we?"