Against Me

Bella's pov

The music stopped, putting an end to my melancholy. It was a sign that a message entered my phone. I looked at the screen. It was a message from an unknown number,

“Be ready. Your ride will be there tomorrow monday, 8 a.m. A black sedan. Your driver, Carl.” Just like the announcement of the end of the world...

Edward. Where the hell did he get my number? How much does he know about me?

The hell am I going to do now? Run?

I might call my brother. He always knows what to do… I've done this before—run from problems. That's how I ended up here. I could go far away. Somewhere he will never think of. He will never find me…

My plans were interrupted by a beep from another message,

“Don't try to act smart. I WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU!” How? Is he spying on me? I looked around, searched everywhere, every corner, but there was nothing. Nothing!

He said he can take everything from me. He will take everything from me. I can't take risks. I can't get worse than this.

I went to my room... to pack. Opened my closet and took out my whole set of oversized clothes.

Sneakers. Hoodies—my everyday style.

My luggage is ready. Now, my painting kit.

Frames, paint, brushes, pencils, markers, water colors, coal, everything. I need more.

Notebooks, pens—I can practice handwriting. What else? I need to think of something else. Keep my mind busy so it won't hurt much.

“My brain isn't braining. This is too much…” I said to... I'm not going to say anything else. This universe is conspiring against me. Giving me the exact opposite of what I want.

*****

The morning light flashed through the window, engulfing my room with its warmth. The day finally came.

I stretched my arm to my right bedside table, where I always keep my eyeglasses. I put them on and everything got clear.

“I'm tired.” I didn't sleep all night. Thinking of ways to escape. But none of the plans I plotted seem to work. It's worthless.

I took a long hot bath. My hair tied into a messy bun. My usual set of clothes and that's it.

Food.

I'm hungry. I burned my food yesterday. Actually, I had no appetite.

I fixed a simple sandwich and I was ready to go. To my new life.

It was still twenty minutes to 8 a.m., but the car was already there. In front of my house.

I turned around. One last look at my house. Goodbye safe place. Hope this is the right thing to do. Hope I don't regret this.

I closed my door. There was a big black sedan, as he said. A man dressed like a butler. His name's supposed to be Carl.

“Hello Sir. Are you the one who's supposed to pick me up?” I asked.

“Yes ma'am. You can call me Carl. Please get in.” He opened the door for me, and I got in.

The trip was quiet. The view was my only source of emotion, I was bored. He didn't talk. Not that I wanted to talk either.

The huge buildings started to disappear giving place to tall trees, a clear sky, wild and colourful flowers of every kind everywhere. What a beautiful frame!

We got in through a big gate. The place was enormous.

After some minutes I could see the house, I mean, the castle. It has its unique modern yet vintage, if that's possible. The garden was majestic with flowers I didn't even know existed. A lot to keep myself busy. I can paint here outside.

The car stopped. “We are here.” Carl announced.

I got out and immediately other maids came to take my stuff inside.

We got to the main entrance. All the staff was there to welcome me. Too many eyes. All eyes on me.

“Welcome, my dear. I'm Rosa, the house cook. And this is the stuff. Feel at home.” Said a woman, probably in her late forties. Ginger hair, oak green eyes, a beautiful smile. Sweet. Genuine. Only if she knew I don't want to be here. There is no way I can ever call this place home.

“Thank you, madame Rosa.” My eyes shifted from hers to the stuff. Too many eyes to read. “It is a pleasure to meet you all.” I quickly diverted my gaze from them. Some were not happy to have me around. Why? No idea. But, I don't care. I can't care.

Rosa showed me a bit of the house. Just a bit. It would take the whole day to make a tour through the whole house. “You can go wherever you want, feel at home. Oh, but don't you ever go to Edward's office. He is always working there and he doesn't like being disturbed.” As if I want to go there…

She showed me my room upstairs, which is without doubt bigger than my house. I stayed there for a great time fixing my things. Making that piece of the universe my home. My safe place.

This is it. I knew the universe was against me. Home is never a home when you don't have people that love you. Oh , brother. I miss you so much.

I'll make this work. Just do my job and not get too involved.

After setting my stuff and taking a well deserved bath, I went to the kitchen.

This kitchen is a dream come true for any cook. Am I a cook? No. But I'm a girl that loves to experiment new things. That's the magic in every kind of art.

I got downstairs and could immediately see Rosa cooking.

“Hello, madame. Want any help?”

“Help? You're the nanny, remember? And don't call me madame, it makes me feel old. Call me Rosa.”

I chuckled at that. She is a gem. There are a few like her in this chaotic world. “Well, I am. But there is nothing to do now and I'm getting bored. I'm really good at cooking. Please let me help.” I said, and now that I think of it, it was more like a beg.

“Ok, ok. Help me with the onions first…” And this was till I heard the main door opening, and a uniformed Sarah getting in. She is back from school.

She saw me in no time and I could see her confused face lit up like the first ray of spring sun.

“Bella!” She ran towards me.

I gave her a tight hug. “Hmmmm. I missed you so much.” No! I missed her too much.

“Oh my God, what are you doing here?”

“Guess who's your new nanny?” Mr Wilson was the one who announced the news and the one who brought Sarah home.

“Really?” Sarah asked. A big smile placed on her lips, her eyes twinkling with excitement, “We are gonna do a lot together.”

“Sure we are.”

Mr Wilson didn't take long to go. He left right after lunch.

It is so beautiful to see the bond he has with his niece. It's like he is her father.

Why is it so difficult for Sarah's father to be... a father?

Well, that's a thing for him to know and for me to not wander.

“Bella, Bella. Let's play this together!” Sarah came with a tablet and pointed to a video game. “Here we prepare the dough and then we put it in the oven to make the cupcakes and then…”

“What, wait, wait.” I interrupted her, “Where did you get a tablet?”

“Papa gave me.” She said. Who gives a tablet to a baby? Ridiculous!

“This is not how I play.” I took the tablet from her, “Let's play for real. Cupcakes for real. What do you think?”

“Yes, please.”

We had a lot of fun in the kitchen.

The kitchen was a complete mess and the cupcakes were almost done in the oven.

“Let's get this place cleaned up before Rosa comes back.” I said, and we began the process that was so satisfying that it almost made me forget about life in general.

“Be careful with the floor, it's heavy.” I told Sarah, who was trying to lift the flour package.

“I can do it.” She said. And that's when I noticed that the package was still open and it was huge and too heavy for her little frame. “Sarah!” I stretched my hand, but I couldn't do much. She dropped the package and an explosion happened. There was flour everywhere, including myself…

My glasses were so dirty that it was almost impossible to see through them. And my clothes, as white as if I had got through a snowslip.

“Sarah... what did I tell you?”

“I… I'm sorry.” She said in a low voice. Almost a whisper. I took my glasses off and looked straight to her face, well, her blurry face, “It's okay sweetie. Every time there is flour around, be sure that what you baked will make you proud.” I just made that up. But her contagious giggle was enough to say that I successfully made her smile.

I took a cleaning cloth out of my pocket and placed it on the kitchen island along with my eyeglasses.

There was no way I could handle the glasses with my hand so dirty. That's when I heard someone running.

“Sarah…” The running sound was fading. I put my hands where I had placed my glasses earlier but they weren't there. What?

“My glasses…” They were here, I'm sure.

I patted all over the place with no result, I started panicking.

“Sarah, I can't see without my glasses.” I closed my eyes for a few seconds trying to get myself back together.

I don't like this feeling, this sensation. This is... weakness.

'Breathe, Ella. breathe. You got through a lot. This is nothing.' My mind was trying to console me, but I was already lost in a way I saw no hope.

Once I opened my eyes, I saw a blurry figure approaching. Taking the high it must be a man...

M... Mr Wilson.

Mr Wilson. Yeah, it can only be him.

“Mr Wilson. Is that you?” No response.

He got closer and closer and in a second I was wearing my glasses again.

Once my vision got used to it, I was surprised.

It wasn't Mr Wilson. Unfortunately, it was the last person on earth I wanted to see…