I am super sorry for typos and bad grammar. Feel free to point mistakes out. I hope you like it. Thank you for giving me a chance!

Chapter Four: London

I rolled over and sighed staring at the alarm clock. It blinked mockingly at me, the neon 3 standing out in the dark. I hated jet-lag. I found myself getting up from the warm covers, the chilly air raising goose bumps on my skin. I quickly wrapped a thick jacket around me and set out to find the kitchen.

Re-routing myself to the dining room, I tried to remember where the servers had been coming from last night. There were a few doors here and I ended up trying them to see where they would lead me. The first was a room full of cutlery. Really. All sorts of china and glasses sparkled in the dim moonlight of the window. Wrong door. The second was a small closet holding place-mats and cover cloths. Nope, not here. The third, finally led me to the kitchen. It was semi-dark, the ceiling partially made of glass. I searched around for a light switch and had to flip a few before I got the right one.

The kitchen came into view, the gleam of silver shining and the marble tops perfectly clear. The vast amount of cupboards and drawers made me smile. My kind of place. I lightly toed through the room searching for what I needed.

Coffee, sugar, milk, chocolate, a pot and a cup. I set to make my coffee and waited as it boiled. Taking the warm drink in my hands after leaving the kitchen as spotless as it was, I couldn't help but wander. I saw the double doors leading to the garden and didn't hesitate to go out.

The aroma of wet earth greeted me and the dirt path was damp. That was when I realised I had forgotten my shoes in the room. I searched through the groves, settling on a bench under an oak overlooking the small lake they had behind. Humming an odd tune I leaned back happily and waited for the sun to rise.

*

"Ma'am?"

I groaned being shaken awake by someone. I sat up immediately, remembering where I was.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. What time is it?"

"It is 6:42 Ma'am. Mistress Cullen saw you and thought it would be best to wake you before you get a cold."

"I fell asleep didn't I?" I sighed.

He simply smiled, grabbing my cup from the ground and starting toward the house.
I got up stretching and winced at the pain in my back, following him back. Esme stood on the porch, wrapped up in a big sweater. She had a scornful look on her face, like a mother about to scold a child for trekking mud all over the house.

"I can't believe you slept in the garden! You could have caught a flu or a virus, or god forbid pneumonia! Then what would we do with you?" she said, her eyebrows furrowed and her English accent ringing through my ears.

"Sorry." I muttered shyly, "I didn't mean to. I didn't realise I fell asleep. I couldn't sleep at night so I had some coffee and then I guess I just, passed out?"

She sighed. "Alright then, let's get a fire for you and get you warm. Geoffrey will make a cup of warm cocoa for you."

She led me in to the living room and settles me on a couch with a blanket. The room seemed more for personal use and had a small fire going to warm it. It was then that I realised how cold I was. My fingertips were numb and the small fire burning was little help to my shivering body. Esme left to get ready for the day while I curled up on the couch under the huge blanket, the cup of cocoa long ago devoured and the warmth slowly spreading through me. I stifled another yawn while I stared into the fire drowsily.

It's a promise.

His voice rang in my head. Last night had been nice.

"A friendship"

He looked at me surprised. It was the simplest but not the easiest request. He looked at me like I confused him then nodded once.

"I would like that Miss Bella."

"Good." I smiled.

He had one of his blinding smiles on his face. It warmed me straight to my heart.

"You surprise me Miss Bella. But it's a good thing."

I beamed at him, 'Now that we're friends, no more Miss Bella. You can call me just Bella."

"I would prefer if you called me Masen instead of Mr Masen. It makes me feel older than I am."

"I will." I said yawning again.

"Go sleep," he said, pushing me lightly toward my bed.

An irrational thought crossed my head.

"We'll still be friends tomorrow right?"

A small smile grew on his face. "It's a promise."

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought me back to reality.

"Bella?"

I blinked and looked up.

"Oh!" sitting up I responded, "Good morning, Masen."

He smiled slightly. "Yeah, good morning. I heard you have a sick wish."

"It was by mistake!" I grumbled. He chuckled and told me to get ready. We were headed to London for the day.

*

The London sights never failed to make me smile. I never had a chance to be a tourist and I was glad for this day. At the mansion I had taken a shower and some toast when Masen had come back. He took one look at my tank top and leather jacket and nodded, "I guess that will be fine."

I stared at him as he drove, he insisted on no driver. "What are we doing here today?"

"I have a meeting. I thought you would like to spend the day with Jacob and Seth and then maybe we could get dinner."

"Oh, okay." I couldn't say that I wasn't disappointed. I thought it would be just the two of us. Honestly, I had forgotten Jake and Seth were even here. He nodded and the car sped up as we passed several green lights.

"How do you manage to drive in both America and London? I'd get lost... Everything here is so opposite while driving. How do you remember how to drive and where?" I asked.

He chuckled. "It's not a big deal Mi-Bella."

I smiled, pleased he hadn't called me Miss. We pulled up outside a medium sized motel where I knew Jake and Seth were staying. I looked at Masen. "Thank you for the ride. I hope your meeting goes well."

"Me too," I heard him mutter but I wasn't sure, "You enjoy and I'll call you later when I get free."

I shut the door and waved as he drove off.
The hotel was normal, not very extravagant. The receptionist stared when I asked for Jake's room and was quick to give me the number. I climbed to stairs to the second floor and knocked on the room door.

"Room Service?" called out Jake in an incredibly fake accent. I giggled and knocked again. "I'm coming!" the door swung open to reveal and sleepy Jake and a wide eyed Seth beside him.

"Don't tell me you two shared a room." I teased.

Jake's eyes grew wide open and he shook his head. "Of course not Bells. But tell me, did you share a room with Mr Business guy?" he said, waggling his eyebrows comically. I hit his shoulder and pushed my way into the room. "No, he left me here so we could spend the day together."

"Our bad luck."

I hit him again. "Let's tour London! We never had a chance to."

"That's a hard request, especially when I have this warm bed right here."

"I'll drag you out in your underwear Jake."

"You'd love tha-ow!"

I smirked and looked at Seth. "Up for it?"

"Hell yeah," he grinned and pushed past me, "Give me ten to get ready."

His enthusiasm warmed me. I glared at Jake, "Nine minutes Jake." His mouth gaped open. "Why does he get an extra minute?!" I simply smiled and walked out back to the lobby. The lady was painting her fingernails while snapping some gum. She looked like the perfect American teen but her accent said better. Get it? Her accent said better? Yeah, not that funny. I drummed my finger on the plush of the settee and waited. Seth was the first to get down, dressed in a new t-shirt, his hair dark from water. He was jumping as he struggled to tie his shoe laces.

"Jake's comin'" he said, fumbling with a knot.

"He better be." I muttered back.

Two minutes later Jake tumbled down, looking dishevelled as if he hadn't even made an effort. His hair was messy and his shirt wrinkled. "I should snap a picture and send it to Nessie."

He laughed nervously. "You wouldn't do that Bells, would you?"

I raised my eyebrows and got up, walking out into the cloudy weather.

*

"Whoa it's so biiiggg!"

"Of course it's Big Ben!"

*

"Jake don't fall in! Who knows what kind of water is there!"

*

"Dun dun dada dun dada dada dada dat."

"I think that is the wedding march Seth. It doesn't really have anything to do with royalty."

"W-Well, they have to get married at some point right!"

*

"I'm the king of the world! I can now see from the almighty eye! But first, let me take a selfie!"

"Eww, Jake I'm not gay! Get off me!"

*
Finally there was silence. Or maybe not.

"You have to be honest though."

"That's the only way we can get through this whole ordeal!"

"You speak as if a simple game of twenty questions pains you."

His accent followed by a warm chuckle sends shivers through me. I shoot him a look and begin my grumbling. "I can never manage to think of questions."

"Well I'll just think them up and we'll both answer."

We were tucked into a corner of some tiny Italian restaurant having the name 'Belle' in it. Masen thought it highly funny that a 'Bella would be dining in Belle'. We spoke history and roots; him finding it entirely hilarious that I didn't have many Italian roots despite my name. I learned they had been British for as long as genealogy books claimed. He learned of my penchant for old English novels. He favoured brown and blue, while I revelled in my recently added jade green; him tea, I in general chocolate; loved by all schoolboy, absolute fly on the wall; the list goes on.

Laughter rang in my ears as we discussed our childhood innocence - suddenly coming to a stop - as the lights began to dim slowly. Our server for the night approached asking us to pay and leave as they had to close. I glanced at my watch - 11:30. Where had 3 hours gone? He drove us the entire hour back to his home in the country. I was staring out of the corner of my eye as the light of the dashboard illuminated his face vaguely. He looked tired. Heavy. The darkness under his eyes was more prominent.

Maybe it was just jet-lag.

I did not realise when my eyes had closed and they did not open till I felt myself being laid down. The covers were lightly placed and a lingering hand brushed my hair back almost sending me back to my dreams. I struggled to stay afloat for one second more.

"Good night, beautiful Bella."

I sank.