His Bella

SEVEN

I was in shock.

"I apologize if my men frightened you, they were just following orders", Wade said softly, walking past me and standing next to the set table. "I did tell them strictly not to touch you", he added as his forehead creased, "they didn't touch you, right?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

"Good", he muttered.

So, if I had tried to make a run for it, they wouldn't have done anything?

I wish I knew that before.

Here I was, standing before Wade after ten years and I still hadn't managed to utter a single word besides his name. I had practiced this meeting in my head several times- although not exactly like this and I planned out my reaction and what I would say to him. In some of my imaginary meetings, I had imagined kicking him in the groin first before even letting him explain anything but now I had only three questions.

What did he want?

Did he really send men to kidnap me?

How the hell did he look so good?

"Sit?", he asked breaking into my thoughts.

"N-no", I said, managing to keep myself from choking, "you just don't send men to point a gun at a girl's head so you can take her to dinner"

Wade smirked playfully, "understandable", he said, "what would you like to do then?"

"I have questions, a lot of them"

"I'd be happy to answer all your questions Bella", the way he said my name made my insides turn- in a good way. He walked towards me and leaned in, his face only inches from mine, "but you have to have dinner with me first", he added in an amused tone and gestured to the table.

I gulped, "Okay then", I said softly, walking over to the table.

I sat and watched him sit across the table from me. First, he picked up a lighter and turned on the candles on the candlestand then he grabbed a napkin and tied it neatly around his neck. He smiled at me before picking up the cutlery on the table. I mirrored each movement he made and as he ate, I did too. When he poured some wine into his glass and the one in front of me, I watched him take a sip and I did too.

The silence became uncomfortable quickly.

"Are you going to kill me?", I asked, breaking the silence.

He nearly choked on his steak

"W-what?", he reached out to grab his glass and gulped down the wine.

"I asked if you're going to kill me", I said, watching him place the glass on the table.

He chuckled, "why would I do that Bella?", he wiped his lips with the napkin.

"I don't know..."

"I'm not going to kill you", he remarked in an amused tone.

I nodded, "okay, why are in Michigan then?"

"Work"

"What is work?"

"Work is a wide range of businesses that I manage"

"Oh, well that's nice", I glanced around men

That's where he got the money to hire scary men in taxis.

"What about Axel?", I asked changing the topic.

"He's going to school in Italy"

"Oh, that's good"

Axel was Wade's brother and he was younger by three years. When they left Michigan, Axel was only fifteen and I remember giving him the last hug before they had to board the plane. As I ate slowly, I wondered what Axel would look like now, since it had been ten years.

I stared at Wade. There was something different about him and it wasn't just the fact that he was older and hotter. His movements were calculated and he stared mindlessly at the empty wine glass in front of him as he ate.

"You're staring Bella"

"Oh"

He chuckled faintly, dropping his cutlery, "I brought you here because I wanted to see and talk to you"

I raised one brow, "Couldn't you have texted or called and we could have had dinner in a place that's not a warehouse in the middle of nowhere?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds"

"What?"

"Are you done?", he asked, staring at my plate. I nodded on realizing that my slow eating had managed to empty out all my food, "good", he took off the napkin and dropped it in on the table.

Then he snapped his fingers.

Two masked figures came out of nowhere in black outfits. I watched as they cleared the table in front of us, taking everything away except for my almost empty glass of wine and the candle stand.

As they walked away, I turned to Wade, "who are those people?"

"They work for me", he said.

"Oh"

"I heard about your Dad", his eyes softened, "I'm sorry Bella"

"It's fine, it's sad but I'm used to not having him around now", I said softly, "and your dad?"

"Dead as well", he said with a blank expression on his face

"I-I'm so sorry Wade"

"It's fine", he said smiling, "really, it's not as sad as it sounds"

The steel door to the warehouse opened and a man walked in the warehouse. He made his way toward Wade and whispered something in his ear. Wade nodded and before the man left, he glanced at me and smiled. Then he walked away.

He wasn't smiling when he was pointing a gun at me.

"That's one of the guys who brought me here", I said.

"What?", Wade asked in a confused tone before realization filled his face, "oh yes. Like I said, just following orders", he added before standing.

"I have to go now", he said, "you should too. Stacy and Noah must be worried"

I opened my eyes wide at him, "y-you know about Noah?"

He smiled shyly, "of course I do"

I took the napkin off my neck and stood, holding on to my bag. Wade stretched his hand toward me and I stretched back for a handshake but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me in for an unexpected hug. His scent was weirdly comforting.

"It was really nice seeing you again Bella"

"It was nice seeing you too"

The hug lasted longer than it should have and when it ended, I felt a disturbing ache in my chest but I ignored it. In silence, he escorted me out of the warehouse. I saw a taxi waiting, this time with a different driver entirely. I turned to Wade and a part of me wanted to ask if this was the last time, we would see each other but I thought against that.

"Bye then", I said.

"Goodbye Bella"

I got into the taxi and I didn't look back as it sped back to town.

***
"Oh my God, Bella!", Stacy exclaimed when I walked back into the apartment, "where have you been?!"

"It's a really long story", I said softly, dropping my bag before slumping into the couch next to her.

"Are you okay? Noah's been super worried", she said with concern, "he won't stop calling and I honestly don't judged him this time"

"I'm fine", I smiled at her, "I'm sorry I got you worried"

"Where did you go?!", she yelled, hitting me playfully.

I chuckled, "I got caught up and met an old friend", I said, "a mutual old friend actually"

"Who's that?"

"Wade"