A.N - I am not Stephenie Meyer, and I do not, therefore, claim ownership of anything that resembles her published work.
In, out. In, out. I concentrate on my breathing as my feet hit the treadmill at a steady pace. I can feel the sweat sticking to my shirt as I run. The noise coming from the TV isn't enough to stop my mind from drifting back to the conversation I had with my mum the night before. It was the same conversation we have been having for a while now.
"Dear, I'm just worried about you being lonely. You're not like your brother when it comes to girls. You're more like your father, and that's good son. I'm glad you're not out there sleeping around, I just wish you would find a nice girl and bring her home to meet us."
I have always been the relationship kind of guy, even as a teenager. I was never interested in just hooking up with random girls each weekend, or having a fuck buddy – whatever the hell that actually is- I've always wanted a relationship that means something, a relationship like my parents have. I want a girl who likes me for me, not my looks or my money. A girl who likes the fact that I'm a nerd and that I hate going out to clubs, a girl I can bring to family functions. I won't admit it to mum, but I do get lonely, most nights when I get home from work and find an empty apartment I imagine what it would be like to walk inside and find someone waiting for me. Someone I love. I halt these thoughts so I don't ruin my relatively good mood. I stop the treadmill and head towards my bathroom to shower. Climbing out of the shower and into the steam filled bathroom, I begin another long lonely day. Getting into my new silver Volvo, I head towards my sisters work. She needs her computer looked at and since it's my day off and I have no social life worth describing I offered to visit her at work to fix it for her. Pushing the stores glass door open I am met with a strong scent, it smells like some kind of flower but I can't really be sure. I spot my sister sitting behind a huge dark brown desk. She looks child-like sitting behind that thing I decide.
"Hey Ali, how's your morning going? Sold lots of ridiculously expensive clothes?"
"Eddie, you're here." She jumps up to hug me, completely ignoring the glare on my face. She knows I loathe that stupid nickname.
"Ali, don't call me Eddie. I god damn hate it. Now where is your computer?" Maybe if I get this done quickly I can leave, get away from all these skimpy looking clothes.
"Oh I see how it is Eddie. You're just lucky I got my own coffee before work. Didn't mum teach you any manners?"
Shit! Coffee. Oh well, too late to fix that now, and dammit she knows I'm a gentleman. It's Emmet that ignores the manners that mum and dad taught us to follow from a young age.
"Computers in the back, it's already turned on." She points behind her to a door. I walk through the door and get started on fixing Ali's computer. Sometime later I hear the front door of the store open and Alice start screeching a moment later. I'm guessing her new mysterious boyfriend that I have yet to meet is here. I decide to head out and meet the guy that my sister is infatuated with, however I am met with a sight that stops me in my tracks. She's beautiful. No, not beautiful, that's not an adequate enough word to describe the stunning woman speaking to my sister. Her hair is a wonderful mahogany colour; it is shiny and looks so soft that I just want to touch it. She's wearing a pair of dark jeans that I must say make her ass look fantastic. Her white t-shirt fits her perfectly; it's not too tight like most girls, but hugs her curves perfectly. When I finally get my feet moving again I enter the room fully. The only thought going through my mind is that I must speak to her. When she looks up at me though, I am speechless. Her stunning eyes and soft pink lips, that I need to touch, have caused all of the blood in my head to pool a little south of there, and caused my jeans to tighten and become almost painful. Alice decides to be useful and introduce me, since I am an idiot and cannot function properly because of this woman.
"Oh Eddie I'm glad you're finished back there." God dammit!
I am going to kill my sister I swear. She called me fucking Eddie in front of this gorgeous woman, who I have not even had the chance to speak to.
"Don't call me Eddie or I'll tell mum and dad about your secret boyfriend." She glares at me while I try not to stare at the mysterious woman's chest. She has a really nice rack I notice.
"Oh relax Edward, you're so tense and emo all the time. Oh Bella this is my brother Edward, Edward this is my friend Bella." Bella. What a beautiful name, it fits her perfectly.
"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you Bella" I say, my manners coming out in full force. My mother would be proud.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you to Edward." She says shyly.
My heart beats erratically as she says my name. I want to hear her say it again. Preferably without my sister standing nearby staring at us, who no doubt has a grin on her face. I can feel myself blushing. Oh god. As if I haven't been embarrassed enough already I have to go and blush. Suddenly my darling sister looks at me with a glint in her eyes and a knowing smile. She turns to Bella.
"Ooh Bella, you have to come out for dinner with us tonight. It's just going to be Edward, me, my boyfriend, our brother and his girlfriend. Please, pretty please? We are going so that my silly overprotective brothers can meet my boyfriend." She glares at me as she speaks. I can't help but let a smug grin cross my face at the thought of Emmet and I meeting this guy tonight. I may not have muscles, but Emmet sure as hell does.
"It's our right Ali. As your big brothers we have to lay down the rules for him." She ignores my comment but continues to glare at me.
"Alice that's very nice of you, but I can't intrude like that." Bella says, interrupting.
What? No you have to come, I think to myself. How else will I talk to her if I don't get to see her again? I look to my sister, praying that she doesn't take no for an answer. She normally doesn't, but it would be just my luck that she lets Bella off the hook for tonight.
"You are not intruding, quite the opposite actually." Alice pleads, while giving me a knowing glance as she says the last part.
"Please, I want you to meet everyone. Pretty please?" She even starts to pout. She's good. I've been on the end of that pout too many times to count and it's basically impossible to say no.
Thank you Alice.
"Oh ok. Fine I'll go, as long as you're sure it's ok?" Bella looks at me when she says this. It's like she's waiting for me to say she shouldn't come. Well she will be waiting forever, I would never say no to her. I decide to answer her question, so she knows that I want her there tonight.
"You should join us Bella. You can offer Ali some more support while Emmet and I interrogate her guy." I laugh as I'm speaking and she offers me a breathtaking smile in return. I want to see that smile everyday I've decided.
"Ok Alice, I'll be there. Just name the time and place." I am struggling to stop myself from doing a happy dance and maybe throwing in a fist pump because I am just that happy. I get to spend the night with this beautiful woman, granted my siblings and their significant others will be there also, but still. I will have the chance to talk to her and find out every little thing about her, because I want to know everything. Suddenly a crippling thought occurs to me and my chest constricts instantly in an unpleasant way. What if she's not single? Or what if she doesn't like me at all, she might find me unpleasant or unattractive. I'm pulled from my thoughts when Bella's voice reaches me, she's saying goodbye. Before she gets to the door I find my voice finally.
"Goodbye Bella, I'll see you later tonight."
As she leaves I can't help but stare at her ass. I must have made some kind of noise, because Ali hits me on the arm. Hard.
"God! Are you right Edward? Stare at her ass a bit harder, I don't think she noticed." I look sheepishly at my sister, embarrassed that she caught me ogling her friend. Ali smirks at me.
"She's single you know, not to mention smart, funny and exactly the girl for you. Don't mess it up." I stare at her in shock as she dances away from me. Hearing her say that Bella is single made my chest finally go back to feeling like normal again, but something still didn't feel right. I would bet anything that it's because Bella is not around me anymore.
Now I just have to make sure that Emmet and Alice don't humiliate me in front of her tonight. I need to woo her before she hears any embarrassing stories about me that might make her like me less.
A.N – Please be nice It's my first EVER story :-) thanks.