Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews of my other story "I'll Be the Light." It means so much to me that everyone enjoyed it, and if you haven't read it yet, go give it a try!
I decided to post this story after tons of internal debate. I felt pressured by the hype of my other story and I didn't want to disappoint everybody. This started off as a one-shot that eventually grew and grew in my mind. So I'm anxiously posting the first chapter here and, depending on the reception, I might start posting more.
I'll be 100% honest and say that I have no idea where this story is going to go. So, I might not be posting updates on a consistent basis until I figure it out. Please bare with me, as I'm still getting into the groove of writing this.
The story will be in Bella's point of view unless otherwise stated.
Thanks so much, and enjoy (hopefully)!
~MissSingItAll
Disclaimer for the ENTIRE STORY: I'll say this once, so I don't have to keep coming up with clever ways to say it. I do not own anything affiliated with Twilight. Stephenie Meyer owns all characters and material.
A sense of duty is useful in work, but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked, not be endured with patient resignation. - Bertrand Russell
Chapter One - First Outings
It's been over a month, but I finally did it. I finally found a part-time job for the summer. Living in the small town of Forks didn't give you many opportunities for work, and I was having the toughest time trying to find some way to make some extra cash before the next school year. Luckily I stumbled, quite literally, into an open opportunity at the Thriftway while I was shopping for my father.
It was the beginning of June, and I was trying to manage pushing the cart full of food and reading the grocery list at the same time. I had pulled to a stop by the veggies and turned to walk to the plastic bags, my eyes still glued to the list. It was only a second before I found myself running into a soft, perfumed wall.
"Oh!" I cried, stumbling backward. I brushed my long brown hair out of my face. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's no problem, dear," the voice was motherly and familiar. I looked up to see Mrs. Cullen, wife of our celebrated town doctor. She was dressed in a casual green tunic and khakis, her caramel locks spilling over her shoulders. She held a bag of lettuce in one of her hands, the other clutching a list similar to mine. "How are you? It's Isabella, right?"
"Bella," I corrected, flushing slightly. "I'm doing well."
"Shopping for the man of the house, I see," she smiled, nodding over to my cart. I nodded back, shifting my weight uncomfortably from foot to foot. I was never a pro at social situations.
"How is Alice?" I asked, trying to make small talk. Alice Cullen had been in my English class this past year, but we rarely talked, mostly due to the fact that I never said a word unless I was called upon. She had a fraternal twin brother too, but I had never met him.
"Oh, she's fine, just shopping up a storm nearly everyday," Mrs. Cullen laughed, her green eyes sparkling. "That is, when she isn't working at the shoe boutique at the mall."
"I wish I could say the same," I sighed. Her eyebrows raised questioningly.
"Are you looking for a job?"
"Yes, but I haven't had any luck so far," I replied.
"Hmmm," Mrs. Cullen placed the lettuce in her cart, her lips pursed together. Then she turned back to me, her hands going to her hips. "Maybe I can help with that."
"Really?"
"Well, I was just thinking that I might need some extra help this summer. I started up a kind of catering business - I love to cook, you see - but it's getting a little bit hard to manage along with my current design job. I simply don't have much time to deliver food orders, what with my office being on the other side of town. I was thinking that you could possibly be my delivery driver."
I chewed the inside of my cheek, thinking this over. Forks wasn't a huge place, and my schedule was completely open.
"I'll pay you for your work and gas," Mrs. Cullen offered. My decision was made.
"I'd love to help out," I said, and Mrs. Cullen grinned.
"Wonderful! Let me just give you my number..." She turned to fish around in her purse. After scribbling down her phone number and giving me a quick hug, I finally had a job.
I pulled up to the secluded Cullen mansion for my first day of work on a Tuesday afternoon. The sky was dark and smothered with heavy-looking clouds. I hopped out of my beast of a truck, pulling my jacket more tightly around myself.
Wow, they are definitely loaded, I thought as I made my way up the neat drive. The front of the massive house was very traditional, white siding and deep blue shutters. A concrete fountain sat in the middle of the small pond that decorated the front lawn. Large bushes and bunches of colorful flowers lined pathway. Meekly, I faced the cherry oak front door as I rang the doorbell.
"Ah, Bella! Right on time! Please, come on in," Mrs. Cullen greeted me cheerily as I stepped into the grand foyer. I looked around as I slipped off my shoes, marveling at the space. Every single aspect of the room was tastefully arranged around a kind of modern theme, probably Mrs. Cullen's doing. I followed her into the massive kitchen, where I was nearly blinded by all of the glittering chrome appliances.
"Now, this order is going to the Webers' place. You know them?" she asked, stopping in front of an island counter topped with a few open boxes full of food. It smelled absolutely amazing.
"Yes, Angela is one of my friends. This looks incredible, Mrs. Cullen," I remarked, facing her on the other side of the island.
"Oh please, call me Esme," she said with a shake of her head. "And thank you, I try my best. Now, I've told them that you'll be on your way soon, but I need you to come back afterward so I can get the church's order ready as well."
"Okay," I said, moving forward to help her pack up the food. We took the boxes out to my truck and loaded them in the seat next to me. After securing everything and making sure that I had my cell phone handy, Esme waved me off and I steered my way toward Angela's.
My knowledge of Forks' geography had really grown since I had moved here almost a year ago. I had left my mother in sunny Phoenix to live with my father Charlie, giving her the space that she and Phil, her current husband, needed. Although I was sad to leave, I had really wanted to get to know the father that had only made guest appearances in my life as I was growing up. Charlie was surprisingly thrilled to have me here, and within a few days everyone in town had been acquainted with the Police Chief's daughter. I mostly kept to myself; after the novelty of being the new girl had worn off, I was left with a few friends and a quiet home to return to everyday after school. It was the way I liked it, but once the summer started I knew I had to branch out and find a job.
I pulled up to the Webers' home and slipped out of my truck, pulling the hood of my jacket over my long hair as a light drizzle of rain began to fall. I skipped up to the door and rang the doorbell, looking over my shoulder out at the street. The door opened, and Angela stepped out, smiling.
"Bella! So you're working for Mrs. Cullen now, huh?" she said, moving to follow me to my truck.
"Yeah, I finally found some work. I was lucky." I continued to catch up with Angela as we brought the boxes into the kitchen. After a few minutes of chatting, Angela handed me the check for Esme. I thanked her and made my way back to my truck, ready to go back to the Cullen house.
When I returned to that oak door, I discovered that it was unlocked. I quietly pushed it open and walked into the kitchen, where Esme was piling large amounts of food into even more boxes.
"There you are! I'm just about finished. This all just needs to go to the church, they're having some kind of meeting tonight. Is it raining outside? Oh, silly me, it's always raining, this is Forks..." Esme was a ball of energy, seeming to bounce from counter to counter, organizing the boxes that were filling the entire room with a delicious aroma.
The next trip was similar to the last. The church was a little bit deeper into the town, and I had to drive around for a little bit to find a parking spot close enough. A few church members came out to help take everything in, and after taking Esme's check I hopped back into my truck, throwing my head back against the headrest. The rain was pouring more heavily now, pelting down on the roof of my truck. I sighed, glad that I was just about finished when my cell phone started going off next to me. I answered it, seeing Esme's name flash across the screen.
"Hello?"
"Oh, Bella, I know that I told you that you were done after the church thing, but I have a favor to ask of you, if you don't mind?" Esme said.
"Sure," I replied, not wanting to get on her bad side my first day of work.
"Do you think that you could pick up my son? He's down at the diner and it seems that his friends have gone off without him, and I don't want him walking home in this weather," she sighed, concerned.
"Um, sure, that's fine. What's his name?" I asked, never having met the other Cullen.
"Edward. He's got a head full of crazy hair, you can't miss him."
"Okay, I'm on my way." We finished talking and I started my truck, finding my way to the main road that led to the diner.
The diner was moderately full; mostly people were there for shelter from the rain. As I pulled up to the small building, I scanned the entryway, looking for any teenage boys who looked like they were waiting for a ride. Seeing no one, I craned my neck to glance inside the large glass windows.
There were mostly full tables at every window except for one. At one table down at the far end of the diner, there was a lone boy hunched over a coffee mug. He was staring out at the window, searching through the raindrops for something. He lifted a hand and ran it through his large mop of bronze hair, only making it even messier. His eyes landed on my truck, and then, after a few seconds of staring, he scooted out of his seat. He picked up his coat and disappeared into the large crowd of people by the diner counter.
A few seconds later he emerged from the front door and came to a stop just a few feet from the passenger door of my truck. I waved at him to come in, and with a few quick strides he was pulling open the door and sliding in.
"Hi," he greeted me, a little breathless. "You're Bella, right? My mom said you were coming." He buckled his seat belt.
"Yeah, um, Edward, right?" I confirmed, and he nodded. Up close, Edward was absolutely gorgeous. His face was smooth and sculpted, and he had the same bright green eyes as his mother. His hair was a mix of bronze and gold and red, and the muscles around his neck and shoulders disappeared under his black t-shirt and brown leather jacket. His eyebrow arched up in confusion. I blushed as I realized that I had been ogling him for a good minute, and turned quickly away. I shifted gears and pulled us out of the parking lot.
"Thanks for picking me up. My other friends ditched me," he said, and it was hard to tell whether he was joking around or if he was actually sad about this. His voice was soft and muted, like he never talked much to begin with.
"It's no problem. I was finished delivering your mom's stuff anyway," I replied.
"Oh that's right, you're doing her catering stuff," he shifted a little in the seat.
"Yup." That was about all the conversation that happened. We fell into an awkward silence as I drove us through the town into the secluded neighborhood in which he lived. I had turned the radio on after the silence had gone on far too long to be comfortable. Every now and then I'd sneak a glance at Edward, barely moving my head as I did so. His profile was just as stunning, his pointed nose and full lips facing forward. His large hands were resting in his lap, and sometimes he would drum his fingers on his thighs to the beat of the music.
I finally convinced myself to keep my eyes on the road; I didn't want to give Esme a reason to fire me on the first day. We eventually pulled up to his home, and I made sure to go all the way up the driveway so he didn't have far to walk. After thanking me again, Edward quietly slipped out of the car and made his way up to the door, the rain pelting him quickly.
I sat parked in the driveway, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. There was a perfectly cute boy sitting next to me the entire drive, and I made no attempt to even flirt with him. Of course, knowing me, flirting would not go well at all. A guy like him probably wouldn't even be remotely interested in someone like me. I was an absolute bore, plain and neutral, like the color of the walls at school. Sighing, I shifted into reverse and started on my way home.
Working for Esme was surprisingly easy. She always made sure that everything was packed and ready so that all I had to do was load everything in the truck and go. The rest of the week continued this way; me often stopping by in the evenings to pick up and deliver meals all over Forks.
I didn't see Edward again after dropping him off. I figured that he was off with his friends enjoying the summer, probably never needing a summer job. The memory of his eyes, though, that was what stuck with me. Even though we didn't speak much, I could see that his eyes were filled with so much. They were large and stoic, and yet tinged with a sadness that confused me. I found myself thinking about them often.
After about two and a half weeks of work, Esme's catering business started to really pick up. Word-of-mouth caused an increase in orders, and eventually I was having to come earlier to the Cullen home to help Esme out. I wasn't as good of a cook as she was, but I could hold my own in the kitchen. Years of cooking for my mother, and eventually my father, had actually given me moderately good skills.
As the end of June neared, I found myself once again in the Cullen kitchen, mixing a large bowl of cake batter as Esme bustled along next to me, placing cookies within tiny cellophane bags. She had received an order for a baby shower, and we spent most of the morning making lots of different sweets for the party, which was later on in the afternoon.
"There we are," Esme sighed, tying the last cookie into its bag. She turned to me, looking at the bowl in my hands. "That's just right, I think. You can pour it into the pan now, honey."
I tipped the contents of the bowl into the greased pan next to me. As Esme watched me, she spoke up again.
"You're doing a great job, Bella. I'm so glad I hired you," she said, smiling.
"Thanks, Esme. I'm happy to help," I replied, scraping the last of the batter into the pan. She picked up the pan from the counter and slid it into the oven. After shutting the door, Esme turned back to me, looking at me apologetically.
"I know that you already do so much around here, but I'd like to ask you for one more favor, if I may?"
"Sure." I wiped my flour dusted hands on the thighs of my jeans.
"Would you mind taking Edward with you when you go out later?"
"Uh...that's fine?" It came out like a question. Take Edward with me?
"Yes, well, you see," Esme moved to sit on one of the sleek stools that lined the counter, "I'm kind of worried about him. He's a wonderful young man, but he doesn't really have anyone to spend time with the way his sister does. In fact, I'm sure that the only people that he goes out with are Alice and all her friends. And I can tell that he doesn't actually bond with them at all. He's just so lonely, I can see it in his eyes."
Esme's voice grew strained and she lifted a manicured hand to wipe at the corners of her eyes. "Maybe if he spent some time with you, things would be better."
My eyes widened. Truly I felt bad for Esme and Edward, but to pair him with me? The girl who spoke only when asked? The girl who lacked any kind of charm or charisma or any of that stuff that truly social people had? She was asking for a miracle.
"I'll see what I can do," I responded. Her entire face lit up gratefully, and she slipped off the stool to give me a hug.
"Thank you so much, Bella," she murmured in my ear. "You'll help him. I know you can."
We pulled apart, and after a few more sniffles, Esme turned back into a powerhouse, getting together the ingredients for the cake frosting and stuffing everything into boxes. We spent the rest of the time finishing the order, packaging everything in boxes. Finally, at about a half hour before I was due to deliver everything, Esme called for her son.
"Edward! Can you come down here please?"
We heard the sound of his large footsteps echo down the stairs. Edward rounded the corner, his appearance stunning me just as much as the first time I had seen him. He was dressed simply in a t-shirt and jeans, his hair wild around his head. His eyes shot to me for a quick second, and then to his mother, inquisitive.
"Can you go with Bella and drop all this off at that baby shower? I just don't want anything to get ruined," Esme's voice was kind, but firm. Edward shrugged his shoulders.
"Sure," he said. He moved forward to grab a few of the boxes. "Lead the way."
I grabbed another box and my keys and led Edward out to the driveway. We placed the boxes onto dry blankets that I had placed in the bed of my truck. Esme came out with the last box, the cake, and handed it to Edward so he could hold it in his lap while I drove.
"Take your time and drive safe," Esme called out as I pulled out of the driveway. We both waved as we drove off, turning onto one of the main streets.
We were silent, just like the last time I had driven him. I knew Esme was counting on me, and I also knew that I probably had to make the first move in getting to know Edward. I cleared my throat.
"So...how's your summer going?" I asked, keeping my gaze locked in the road in front of me.
"It's alright, I guess," he replied. "How's yours?"
"Uh, fine." Come on Bella, you gotta keep going. Isn't there anything interesting you can say? I tapped my fingers nervously against the steering wheel. "Um...so where is your sister these days? I haven't seen her around at all."
"Well, she works at that shoe place at the mall, but other than that she probably is at her boyfriend's house. You know Jasper Hale?" His voice was just as quiet as I remembered.
"I think so." I recalled seeing a lanky blonde at school, but I didn't think that he and Alice were dating at the time.
"That's him," Edward confirmed, resting his large hands on the sides of the box in his lap. After another minute, we were back into that awkward silence. There wasn't any time to start talking again, though, because we finally reached the house where the baby shower was being held.
I pulled us into the driveway and shut off the car. We both walked to the bed of the truck and I grabbed a couple of boxes. Edward stood holding the cake box, watching me silently. After I had gotten a grip on everything, we walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A woman came out of the house and helped us load everything inside. She was loud and slightly scatterbrained, and she was so busy trying to multi-task that I had to timidly remind her about the payment before we left. She quickly wrote off a check and shoved it into my hand while two little boys ran around us chasing each other. I felt like I was going to get a headache if I stayed any longer.
Edward and I were relieved when we finally left the house and were situated in the quiet of my truck. I started the car, but made no move to change gears. There had been an idea bouncing around in my head for the past couple of minutes. It was now or never, I thought to myself.
"Hey, um, do you maybe want to go see a movie or something?" The words flew out of my mouth, and I looked at him, anxious.
His eyebrows were raised in surprise, his lips slightly parted. I started to backtrack, stumbling over my words.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. I mean, you probably have better things to do than go hang out with some weird girl you don't know..." I rambled, feeling my face flush. I turned my head back to glance out the windshield.
"That would be nice," he said quietly. My head whipped back to look at him.
"Really?" I asked. He nodded slowly, a small smile lifting his lips. I grinned back at him, and I shifted gears so that we could pull out of the driveway.
We made our way to the only movie theater in Forks, a small place that was old but sturdy. I pulled into the parking lot and we both stepped inside, getting out of the rare amount of sun that shined today. We picked a comedy, something non-awkward and safe. When I took out my wallet to pay for my ticket, Edward had reached over and pushed my hands away. I looked at him questioningly, but he only kept looking forward as he paid for both of our tickets. I opened my mouth to protest, but then Edward flashed me that small grin again, and I kept silent.
The movie was pretty funny; most of the audience laughed at all the jokes, including Edward. It wasn't a loud laugh, but the corners of his eyes crinkled and the dimples at the edges of his mouth were evidence enough of his enjoyment. I was really glad that I decided to do this. I know that I was doing a favor for Esme, but right now it didn't feel like it.
We walked out of the theater, smiles still on our faces as we headed toward my truck. We kept quoting lines from the movie as we walked, and I pulled out my cell phone to check the time. It was just after seven, but the sun was still up, low over the sky. Edward stopped at the passenger side of my truck, and he turned to face me.
"This was fun, Bella," he said sincerely, and I beamed back at him.
"We should hang out more often," I tried to sound casual, but my heart thudded and I started to mentally beat myself up for how bold I was being. But Edward only nodded, and I moved to slid into my seat, trying to get rid of the burn that was creeping up my neck.
"Let's go for ice cream," he said suddenly, and I found myself agreeing without a second thought. I drove us to a line of shops within town and pulled up to a small ice cream place on the corner. We both ordered small sundaes, and when I reached to pay, Edward once again shoved me out of the way and handed the cashier his money. I protested, insisting that I pay him back, but he simply ignored me as we walked back outside to lean up against my truck.
"It's no problem," he kept saying, popping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. I sighed and gave in, looking up at the fading sky. There was a breeze that put the flush in our cheeks, and the street was filled with few people who were still shopping or taking a stroll. Everything was mostly still. This was the way a summer night should be, but they were rare in Forks.
"Sometimes I forget how beautiful everything is here," I murmured.
"Yeah?"
"I remember coming here as a kid and spending time with my dad. On nights like this we'd sit out on the back porch, and he'd tell me stories about when he was still with my mom." I slipped more ice cream past my lips and smiled at the memory.
"I guess I never really thought about Chief Swan as anything other than, well, a chief," Edward remarked. I shrugged.
"To me, he's just my Dad," I walked over to a nearby trash can to throw my cup away. Edward did the same shortly, and after that we were on our way back to his house.
We sat in front of his house for a few minutes after I pulled up. I looked at Edward and he seemed almost hesitant to leave, his hand resting on the handle of the door. I found that I didn't want him to leave either, but it was getting late and we didn't exactly tell his mother where we were going.
"I'll see you later," I finally said, and he nodded back, smiling again.
"Bye, Bella," he pushed the door open and slid out. I watched him walk to the door before driving off, wondering why I couldn't get the image of his smile out of my head.
A/N: So, how was it? Too boring? Too weird? I want your opinion, as I'm not feeling too confident about this story. Let me know what you think!