Bella's POV
My normal waitress, Sandy, came up to our table to take our orders. But when she looked at me and seen that I had been crying, she started to walk away.
"No, Sandy, its okay." I chuckled, waving her over to the table.
"Are you alright, Bella?" Sandy drawled in her southern accent.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking of Seth. You know how I get." I tried to laugh, but I still had a lump in my throat, so it came out sounding different. I quickly looked down at my lap to hide my blushing face.
I hate it when I get like this in public. Normally I'm the witty, sarcastic girl and nothing can bother me. But, when it comes to Seth all of that just disappears into thin air. Then everyone gives me their sympathy, which I hate even more. Right after the accident, it didn't bother me as much, I actually welcomed it. But now its just plain irritating!
When I looked back up at Sandy, she was staring, open-mouthed at Edward. I don't know why, but I felt a sudden urge of jealousy. I cleared my throat, unnecessarily. "Sandy, this is Edward. His dad is the new doctor in town that everyone has been talking about. They just moved in a day or two ago."
"Nice to meet you, Sandy." Edward said politely as he held out his hand.
Sandy continued to stare at Edward, not moving. So I snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Sandy? Are you okay?" Edward laughed at this and looked back at me.
Once their eye contact was broken, Sandy snapped out of her little daze. "Oh my! I'm so sorry ya'll. I don't know what got into me." Her cheeks turned crimson and then she looked back down at her notepad. "Are you two ready to order?"
"Well, I'll take my usual." I said. "Are you ready, Edward?" I said as I looked across the table at him.
He was already looking at me with that adorable crooked grin of his. I instantly blushed and looked down at my hands. "I won't be ordering." My head snapped up as I looked at him. He laughed at this and continued, "I already ate earlier. I'm not really that hungry."
"Alright then. Bella, I'll be right out with yours in a few minutes." She said, then she walked away.
I stared at Edward for a moment. He was still smiling at me, which I didn't understand at all. Finally, I gave in. "What? Is there something wrong with my face or something?"
He wiped the smile off of his face. "No. Nothing at all is wrong with your face. I was just thinking. Sorry."
Don't ask me why, but I blushed. Again! Why did I blush so much when I was around Edward? I normally never blushed. What was happening to me? Yeah, Edward is drop dead gorgeous, but I've been around plenty of hot guys and I've never been this nervous around them. This is just plain embarrassing.
"If you're really sorry, then stop saying that you're sorry." I chuckled.
He laughed along with me. "Alright. I'll try not to." He began to play with the salt shaker, absentmindedly. "So, you come here that often that you know the waitresses by first name and you have a 'usual'?"
I giggled a little. "Yeah, kind of. I normally come here with some friends after we have a party on a Saturday night. It's kind of like the Sunday morning hangout. You should join us sometime."
"Well, I doubt that. I'm not much of a partier." He chuckled.
I laughed a mock chuckle. "In that case, we will just have to change that, now won't we?"
"I guess I could give it a try once or twice. I mean, my brothers and sisters are always trying to get me to go." He said quietly.
"You have siblings? And why don't you ever go with them?" I asked, curiously.
"Yeah, two sisters and two brothers, kind of. And let's just say that I'm not into the modern music as much as they are. I'm more of a old fashioned kind of guy." He seemed to chuckle at an inside joke that I didn't understand.
"What do you mean, kind of? Do you have brothers and sisters or not?" I giggled.
"Well, we're all adopted. Jasper and Rosalie are twins. Then Emmett, Alice, and I are all related. Our parents, Carlisle and Esme, adopted all of us when we were younger." He explained.
"Ah, I see." I said, as I tried to memorize what he had just told me. It was all kind of confusing.
We talked for a little while longer, then Sandy brought my food out for me. As I ate Edward kept staring at me and smiling. But instead of bring up another awkward conversation, I just smiled back and continued eating my pancakes until I was finished.
"Okay, are you bored enough yet?" I asked him as I finished my orange juice.
He laughed as he waved Sandy over for the check. "Bored? I was actually kind of entertained."
"All done, Bella?" Sandy came up and placed my check on the table in front of me. Then she grabbed my plates and hurried off to the kitchen before I could answer her. What was her problem?
Edward looked like he was trying not to laugh at something as he reached for the check. I smacked his hand away lightly. "I've got it. You didn't even eat, don't worry about it."
He looked hurt but yet amused as he sat back in his seat. "Yes, but I told you that I would treat you to breakfast for startling you. It's only fair."
"Yeah, well, I already told you that its okay. It doesn't take much to scare me anyways. But thank you for the offer." I smiled my sweetest smile as I looked at the bill and pulled out my wallet.
"Are you normally this independent?" He asked as we walked to the cash register.
The question caught me off guard and I stopped to look at him. "Yeah, I guess I am. Ever since the accident I got used to doing things on my own because Seth wasn't around to help out."
"I'm sorry, Bella." His voice was full of concern and sadness.
"Hey, don't be. That's just how life goes, right?"
After I paid for my breakfast we went back out to his car and he drove me back to my house. The ride home was silent, so he turned the radio on to some classical station that I had never heard of. But it was soothing nonetheless and it helped ease the tension between us.
When we pulled up to my house, I turned towards Edward. "There's a party tonight with a bunch of the local kids over at my friend's house. Would you like to come with me?" I asked, biting my lip.
"Why, Ms. Bella Swan, are you asking me on a date?" Edward started laughing.
I couldn't help myself, I busted out laughing with him. "Yes, Edward Cullen. I am."
"Well, I'll be honored to be your date tonight." Edward said.
************************************************************************
Edward's POV
I pulled up to the front of Bella's house, still wondering why I was doing this. I don't know what it was about Bella, but I only knew her for twelve hours and I already felt the urge to protect her with everything in me. I had never spent this much time with one human in my entire vampire existence.
I walked up to the front door of the small house and knocked on the door. A taller man came to the door. He had dark brown hair, like Bella's. He also had the same chocolate brown eyes, but his didn't seem the same.
I instantly held my hand out. "Hello, I'm Edward Cullen. You must be Chief Swan."
He shook my hand and let me inside. "Hello, Edward. Please call me Charlie. The whole Chief thing is only for when I'm at work." He led me farther into the house into what must be the living room. "Bella is still getting ready, you know, typical woman." He tried to laugh, but he stopped short.
I was curious, so I took a peek. God, let's hope this Edward kid can make my little girl happy. Lord knows that I can't. I really need to get better, for her sake anyways. She left her mother to be here with me and now I'm practically abandoning her. But I don't know how to help her. She's already moved on with life. I just wished I knew how to.
Poor guy. He was blaming everything on himself. But when you look at him, you could never tell that he was that depressed. He was clean shaven and dressed well, considering he was still in his uniform.
But instead of thinking about Charlie, I concentrated on the heartbeat that I could hear coming from upstairs. Bella was rushing around, trying to hurry. But every now and again I would hear her run into something and say something unintelligible. I tried not to laugh.
Finally, I heard her coming down the stairs. As she came down the stairs, I felt my breath catch in my chest. She was wearing a dark blue tank top with a white tank top coming out from underneath of it. Then she had a pair of black jeans on that had blue gems on the back pockets in an intricate design. She had her hair down to where it could flow down her slender back, in the never ending waves of pure chocolate.
"Hey." I said, breathlessly.
"What's up? Sorry for making you wait." She smiled at me and if I still had a beating heart, it would have just skipped a beat or two.
"Its quite alright."
"Well, are you ready to go?" She asked, as she walked to the center of the room.
"Whenever you're ready."
"Okay, well, I'll be home later, Dad. Don't wait up for me." She walked over to Charlie and kissed him on the cheek.
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, Bells. Be careful. Nice meeting you, Edward." He nodded at me.
"It was a pleasure, Charlie. I'll make sure Bella makes it home safe and sound."
Bella and I showed up to the party thirty minutes late. Her friend, Mike Newton, was the one throwing the party. His parents were out of town, so he decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
I parked at the only parking spot left on the street and helped Bella out of the car. We began walking to the house, which was at the other end of the street.
"You look nervous." Bella was looking at me, and I didn't realize it until now.
"Do I?" I laughed, as we continued walking.
"Extremely." She smiled, but she didn't laugh.
I sighed and stopped walking. She stopped next to me. "Bella, can I tell you something?"
Her brows crinkled together in a cute fashion that made me smile. "Uh, yeah, what is it, Edward?"
I didn't really know how to say it. I had never had to before. So I just came out and said it. "I like you, Bella." Bella visibly and audibly gulped and stared at me with her mouth hanging wide open. "I know I haven't even known you for a single day, but there's just something that lures me to you." She closed her mouth and a slow smile began to creep onto her beautiful face.
"That's all? Phew!" She busted into a fit of laughter. I just stood there and listened to her angel-like laugh.
"Is that all you're going to say?" I asked, confused.
She stopped laughing, but she was still smiling as she looked at me. "No, Edward. I'm going to say anything. I'm just going to do this."
Bella leaned forward and pressed her warm, soft lips against my cold, hard ones. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist as her fingers weaved themselves into my hair.
Finally, much too soon for my liking, we broke apart. She opened her eyes and looked up into my eyes and her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink. I smiled down at her and she returned the smile.
"I'm sorry." She said, retreating quickly.
"Don't be." She looked up and seen that I was still smiling, so she smiled again.
She looked down the road towards the party. "Well, now that that's over, you ready to party?" She laughed.
"I'll follow you."
Bella reached out and grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers and we began walking again. The walk was silent but short. Before I knew it, we were in front of a two story house with music blasting out of it.
