Disclaimer: The great Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I'm just using her amazing characters to tell you a story.

A huge thank you goes out to CherylSab, AgoodWITCH, and kmah88 not only for reading this story and making it all pretty for you, but for keeping me from jumping off the cliff this story forces me to stand on. I'd be a mess without you girls. I love you all so much.

Just a story note… Since Bella got herself thrown into solitary – again – I think five days is a long time to sit with absolutely nothing to do, so we're going to live in her head for a while. I just hope you enjoy what we find in there. For a little while, anyway.

Let's get to it, shall we? See you at the bottom.

Chapter 35 – The First Date

February 15, 2009

It had been years since I'd made dinner for anyone other than myself, so I spent half the morning worrying about what to cook. I vacillated between simple meals like spaghetti or plain steak or chicken, each with a simple side, but none of it seemed good enough. After several crumpled pieces of paper landed on the floor, I got the idea to combine them all. Making a list of everything I would need, I grabbed my purse and rushed to my car.

It was Sunday so, of course, the parking lot was full when I pulled in. I hated shopping in the middle of the day. It was too easy to be seen, too easy to be recognized, but as this dinner was a spur of the moment decision, I didn't have a choice. With a deep breath, I settled my sunglasses on top of my head, kept my head down and walked into the grocery store.

Thankfully, no one paid any attention to me as I made my way through the aisles, picking out the ingredients I would need for tonight. Thirty minutes after walking in, I reached the checkout stand. It was the part I'd always hated, standing at the mercy of the cashier as they took their time ringing up my items.

I wanted to scream at the woman to hurry but that would have called too much attention to myself. Instead, I was forced to wait nervously as she slowly slid my items across the scanner while having a conversation with the woman in line behind me. When the last item was in the bag, I struggled with the desire to throw my money at her and run. Restraining myself, I grabbed my bags and hurried out of the store.

Finally at home, the bags hit the floor and I leaned against the door, catching my breath. Anxiety like this was the whole reason I shopped at night; there were less people to worry about. With a heavy breath, I pushed myself from the door, picked up my bags and walked them to the kitchen.

Two glasses of wine later and I was calm enough to start preparing for dinner. I turned on the radio and began chopping and dicing everything I needed. Once I finished, I looked at the clock and panicked. The day had gone by faster than I expected and I only had an hour to get ready before I had to put everything in the oven.

I showered and dressed quickly before struggling with my makeup. I didn't wear much on normal days but tonight seemed special somehow. This night meant something to me and even though he said we could keep things casual, I had a feeling this meant more than a normal dinner to Edward too.

A quick dusting of eye shadow, a little mascara and lip gloss, and I was back in the kitchen mixing sauces and putting the appetizers together. Within the hour, everything was ready and I was left pacing the floor waiting for Edward.

The minutes moved at a snail's pace as I wore a groove in the carpet. I checked my watch more often than necessary, making my anxiety spike. When the minute hand hit five after seven, I began to panic. I peeked out the curtains and saw nothing. No car. No Edward. Nothing.

"He's not coming." I fell into the armchair, my head in my hands. "How could you be so stupid, Bella? Of course he's not coming."

Pushing myself from the chair, I walked back into the kitchen and started covering all the food.

"It was a spur of the moment thing." I put the salad into the refrigerator. "He didn't really mean it."

I covered the mushrooms and was about to put them with the salad when the timer on the oven went off. I had set it to go off at ten after seven so I could braise it with the sauce, giving us time to talk and finish our appetizers before it was ready.

"Guess I don't need this anymore." I shoved the sauce next to the salad.

Just as I was about to do the same with the tray of mushrooms, a knock at the door made me jump. I lost my grip on the tray and it crashed to the floor.

My roar of frustration echoed through the room and I bent to pick up the tray.

"Jess." The knocking became harder. "Jess."

Edward's anxious voice carried through the door, bringing me back to the moment. I set the tray on the table and hurried to the door. The second it opened, Edward stepped in and grabbed my arm to pull me behind him as if he were shielding me from something.

"What's going on? What's wrong?"

He rushed the words out as his head whipped back and forth quickly, looking around the living room and up the stairs before he turned back to me. His worried eyes found mine as his fingers closed around my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing my cheekbone. "I heard a loud bang and then you yelled."

Edward's eyes scanned my face and made a quick pass over my body before settling on mine again. His concern was so endearing, I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm fine," I assured him and laid my hand over his. "Nothing's wrong. I just dropped something in the kitchen."

"You sure?"

I nodded and before I could take another breath, he pulled me to his chest and his arms circled tightly around my back. His chin rested on my head and I felt him take a deep breath, calming himself down.

"You scared the hell out of me," he whispered.

Without thinking, my arms slid around his waist. "Don't worry about me," I answered, my voice just as soft. "I'm fine."

In seconds, my head caught up with my actions and I pushed out of his grasp.

"Dinner's almost ready," I told him and hurried to the kitchen.

Edward followed me. "What was that noise, Jess?"

The worry in his voice was suddenly mixed with suspicion as if he didn't believe me.

"I told you I dropped something."

I motioned with one hand to the tray of mushrooms sitting on the table as I opened the refrigerator with the other. I pulled out the sauce, gave it a quick stir and opened the oven to braise the steak.

"This might end up a little more well-done than I planned but…"

"Sorry I was late," Edward interrupted. "I was…um… I lost track of time."

I turned to glare at him. "Youlost track of time," I accused.

"Yes, and I'm sorry. Even more so if I ruined anything." He waved a hand toward the stove.

My eyes narrowed at him this time. I knew there was something he wasn't telling me but I let it go. The argument wasn't worth it. Instead, I moved to the table to uncover the mushrooms and make them presentable after their fall.

"Damn, those look good." Edward moved to my side.

I giggled. "You're drooling again, Edward."

"I can't help it," he said excitedly. "What are they?"

"Mushrooms." I teased, giggling again.

"Smartass." He elbowed me in the arm. "I mean, what kind? What's in them?"

"Chicken marsala stuffed mushrooms," I told him.

"Oh my…" He trailed off. "Can I have one?"

He reached out and I smacked his hand away.

"Hands off, Masen," I said seriously and his face dropped. "I actually made them for the guy across the street. He might be upset if I gave one away."

The corner of my lips twitched with the effort of holding in my laughter. Edward caught it and playfully shoved me aside.

"Out of the way, Little Girl." He laughed and grabbed a mushroom, stuffing the whole thing in his mouth.

His eyes closed as he moaned. He lifted a hand to cover his mouth. "Oh God, these are good," he said with his mouth still full.

I smiled. "Glad you like them."

"Like them?" He swallowed and dropped his hand. "I don't even think Esme's made anything this good before."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far."

I grabbed one of my own and took a bite. While I didn't mirror Edward's enthusiasm, I had to admit they turned out really good.

"You know, if she ever tastes these, she's going to be begging for your recipe." He pushed another into his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. "She's made stuffed mushrooms before, but never like this. Where did you get your recipe?"

Was he serious? Was this military combat specialist seriously standing here discussing recipes with me? I had to stifle a laugh.

"A friend of mine used to make them all the time for parties," I told him.

There was a tinge of sadness in my voice as I thought of Emily and, of course, Edward caught it.

"I'm guessing this is the friend you told me about." He paused. "The one you don't see anymore."

"Yeah." I nodded. "We used to cook together all the time, so I know most of her recipes by heart. Some are pretty complex but since it's only me, I don't get the chance to make them anymore."

A huge grin settled on his face. "Well, anytime you feel the need to create masterpieces like this, you let me know. I will happily come and help you eat whatever you make."

"I'll keep that in mind."

A few more minutes of small talk and the timer went off on the stove. I stirred the pasta and pulled the steak from the oven, setting it aside for a few minutes to settle. Edward helped me set the table and then took his seat while I cut several strips of steak and plated our food.

"That smells amazing, Jess."

I smiled. "Thanks. I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

Grabbing our plates, I turned and froze, nearly losing my hold on both as a flashback of James sitting at the table stopped my heart. My mind was playing tricks on me at the worst time. Edward always saw too much and it was a constant fight to keep myself together around him.

Finding my control again, I took a breath and pasted a smile on my face. If he noticed my hesitation, it didn't show on his face. Edward's smile was all that waited for me as I set his plate on the table in front of him.

He took a deep breath. "Anything that smells this good couldn't possibly be bad."

He unfolded his napkin and placed it in his lap as I stepped to the refrigerator to pull out the salad and dressing. When I set them on the table, I tossed it quickly and filled his bowl. After filling my own, I pushed the salad bowl aside and sat down. Edward hadn't moved.

"Ranch or Italian?" I asked as I reached toward the salad dressing.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble just for me, you know," he said sheepishly.

The softer side of Edward still caught me off guard at times because it was a side of him I never got a glimpse of at the gym. I found myself wanting to explore it more before he left for the night.

"It was really no trouble. Besides," I shrugged and grabbed the Italian dressing, "I wanted to do something special."

He grinned widely and reached out for the bottle in my hand. I smiled, noting that it was another one of those little things we seemed to have in common. As our fingers touched, he hesitated, his smile faltering slightly before he pulled the bottle from me. He focused on the task of pouring his dressing as he asked about the food.

"So, other than the best stuffed mushrooms in the world, what other culinary delights are we enjoying tonight?"

"Culinary delights?" I raised an eyebrow. "You know, flattery is not going to get you a second date, Masen."

Realizing what I said, I froze, my fingers clenching around my fork.

"I don't know. I'm pretty good at flattery." He winked at me.

My eyes narrowed at his teasing and I was able to reign in my panic. If Edward was willing to joke about it, then so could I.

"So not happening, Romeo," I teased back. "And to answer your question, I made roasted garlic angel hair pasta and steak with brandy & peppercorn sauce."

Edward's eyes dropped to his plate for a second before meeting mine again. He swallowed hard, forcing the food down his throat.

"Wow. You really didn't have to do all that for me."

"I told you, I wanted to. But don't get too excited," I stabbed into my salad bowl with a smile, "you still haven't tasted it yet."

He rolled his eyes and swallowed another bite of his salad. "After those mushrooms, I'm not about to doubt your skills."

The food actually came out okay. The medium steaks I'd hoped to have turned out medium-well after the extra time in the oven, but they still tasted good. Edward praised me over and over again as he ate, making me laugh each time.

~..~..~..~..~..~..~..~

Conversation flowed easily throughout dinner. We talked a little about our time as children and our lives growing up. We each shared some of the harder stories of what life was like after we had lost our parents. We even fit some of our high school stories in there before I told him one of my favorite college memories with Emily and Sam.

They were memories I had never meant to share with anyone, but I felt so at ease with Edward that telling him things about myself and my life seemed easy. Just being with him was easy and for the first time in a long time, I was able to let everything go and just be me.

When I finally stood and cleared the table, Edward was right beside me, rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher while I split the leftovers into two containers – one for him and one for me. He rinsed the dishes I'd just cleared and placed them with the others before he filled the dispenser with soap and started the machine.

I slid in next to him to wash my hands but when I grabbed a towel to dry them, I noticed Edward's eyes were on the floor and his lips were moving as if he were talking to himself. I placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He looked at his watch and then met my eyes with that nervous look again.

"Um…it's still early. Do you maybe want to watch a movie or something?"

"Why do you do that?" I asked.

"Do what?"

"Edward," I raised an eyebrow in challenge, "I just don't get you."

His brow furrowed and he looked confused.

"You've fought in a war, and you've trained men to kill but with me, you're like a nervous teenager." The pink tint rose in his cheeks, making me grin. "What gives?"

"Nothing," was all he said.

"Don't get me wrong, I love this side of you, I'm just saying…"

"You love me." The corner of his lip quirked up and he cocked an eyebrow.

"What? No." He burst into a fit of laughter. "You're pushing your luck, Masen."

When he finally calmed down, he stood tall, his fully confident self again. "So, how about that movie?"

My eyes narrowed at him for a second before I relented. "You're lucky I like you, Masen."

"It's a start," he said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the living room.

Not even a second after he led me to sit on the couch did I remember one glaringly obvious problem.

"You're plan has a little hole in it, you know," I said as he took a step away from me.

"What's that?" he asked, walking further away from me.

"I don't own any movies."

He stopped and turned his gaze on me. "What kind of person doesn't own a single movie?"

"The kind who doesn't watch them," I shot back, a little offended by his comment.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me you don't watch movies?"

His eyebrow shot up again, the surprise plain on his face. I just rolled my eyes at his assumption.

"Of course I watch movies. Who doesn't?" I shrugged. "I just don't care for any of them enough to own them."

The lie shot out of my mouth so quick it surprised even me. I'd never had to explain my lack of personal items to anyone before. Then again, the only people to get close enough to me knew enough of my story to never need an explanation. Thankfully the excuse was plausible enough that Edward's face lost its questioning look and he smiled.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not you."

His eyes sparkled as he turned and headed straight for the door along the wall that closed off the storage space under the stairs. I had only opened that door once since I'd moved in simply to see where it led. Seeing it was a storage area, I'd shut the door again, knowing it was something I'd never use.

As quickly as he went in, Edward walked back through the door with a small metal box in his hands. He set it on the coffee table in front of us and took a seat next to me on the couch.

"I keep this here for those rare occasions when this place isn't rented and I stay at Esme's a little too long and don't feel like driving home."

He took his keys out of his pocket and found the small key that unlocked the box in his hands. Curiosity had me leaning forward to see what was inside.

Half of the box was packed like a little travel case with everything he would need to get ready to face a new day. The other half held five DVD's and as I got a good look at the titles I had to laugh.

"Big John Hughes fan I take it."

"Guilty." He smirked. "But you have to admit the man wrote and directed some of the classics."

"I don't know." I looked back at the box and grabbed a movie. "When I think of classics, Home Alone never made it into my top ten."

"Give me that." I laughed as he snatched the DVD from my hands. "If you're just going to make jokes…"

He moved to put the DVD back in the box but I grabbed his hand before he could. "I'm kidding." I giggled. "While Home Alone doesn't make the list of classics, I do love this one. My dad and I used to watch it every Christmas. My mom never understood its appeal, so she would always go out and let us have our father/daughter time together."

A somber look crossed his face for a fraction of a second before he gave me a tiny grin.

"Well, it's not Christmas and I'm certainly not your dad…"

I felt his thumb brush across the top of my hand and a million butterflies took flight in my stomach.

"No, you're definitely not," I said breathlessly.

"We could watch this if it won't stir up too many bad memories."

"Somehow I don't think that'll happen."

With a grin, he pulled his hand from mine and walked to the TV to turn it on and start the movie. I watched as he walked over to the far end of the room and reached out for the light switch.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

I shook my head just before the lights went out. Edward came back to me and dropped onto the couch less than two feet away.

"Movies are always better in the dark."

"Yeah," I breathed.

The word had no volume. I couldn't breathe, let alone speak. He was so close. My fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and touch him. His hand. His arm. Anything.

Stop it, Bella. You can't.

My mind screamed the warning and I clasped my hands together to keep myself from doing something stupid. Shifting discreetly in my seat, I hoped to put some distance between us, but I was too close to the end of the couch to move away.

I chanced a glance to my left just as the movie started and saw Edward with his eyes glued to the screen and a smile on his face. Seeing him so relaxed and happy was enough to ease the tension in my body and I sat back to watch.

We made it through the beginning of the movie with a few laughs going back and forth about the rudeness of Kevin's family. We were having fun quoting our favorite parts but when Edward's voice dropped and he began reciting the words to the movie Kevin was watching, I burst out laughing.

"What is it with you and accents?"

He looked at me innocently. "What?"

"You did it at the restaurant last night too." Even in the dark, his blush was noticeable. "Don't be embarrassed. I think it's cute."

"Cute?" He smirked. "You think I'm cute?" He poked my side, making me laugh. His eyebrow shot up. "Ticklish?"

"Don't you even dare." I slapped his hand away and pointed a finger at him. "Watch the movie, Masen."

"Yes ma'am." He grinned and settled back in his seat.

It didn't escape my notice that he was a little closer than before, sending a new round of tension running through me. We both focused on the screen but I couldn't say what was happening or how much of it had passed. My mind wasn't on the movie anymore.

"You make me nervous?" he blurted.

"What?" My head whipped toward him.

"Your question…earlier. It's you." He turned his gaze to mine. "You make me nervous."

"Why?" I asked in disbelief. "What about me could make you nervous?"

"Why did you automatically think I would have a date last night?" he asked, changing the subject.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Why?" He pushed for an answer.

"It stands to reason, doesn't it?" I answered reluctantly.

"What does?"

"Aren't guys like you usually taken?"

"Guys like me?"

"Seriously? You want me to spell it out for you?" He didn't answer so I continued. "Come on, Edward, I know for a fact that you've been told by countless girls how good looking you are. Hell, Esme talks all day about how gorgeous her son is. On top of that, you're smart, you're funny, you're a complete gentleman with the utmost respect for everyone you meet. And do you know how many girls would kill for a man who treats his mother the way you do Esme? Most won't say it, but a woman could only hope for a man who would treat her with the same love and devotion. You're the type of guy every woman wants."

"I'm really not." He sounded a little defeated. "I have one major flaw that you seem unable to see?"

I seriously doubted the man had any flaws. He was perfect and if things were different, if my life was truly my own, I would have given anything to have him.

"Please, enlighten me then."

I turned to face him, tucking my legs underneath me and waiting for his answer. Edward turned, mimicking my position.

"Please don't think me vain for saying that I've worked hard to make myself into all those things you just said, but that's not all there is to me." His fingers twisted nervously in his lap. "I'm a workaholic, Jess, and trust me when I say no woman wants that."

"No, you're not," I tried to argue but his raised eyebrow stopped me.

"You really haven't noticed?" He looked at me skeptically. "I'm at the gym by six and I don't l leave until ten, sometimes eleven. I step away one, maybe two nights a week to have dinner with Esme but other than that, I don't give myself time for anything else." He clenched and unclenched his hands. "I've tried dating but none of them ever stuck around very long. No woman wants a man who's never there for her.

"Then you showed up and settled yourself into my work, my life, in a way no woman has ever done before. Inside the gym, you've done everything you could to learn what's important to me and you make sure it's taken care of before I have to think about it. While it hasn't done anything to make me less obsessive, you've taken a huge weight off my shoulders. One I honestly didn't realize I was carrying until it was gone.

"But it's outside the gym where you've made the most impact."

Edward grabbed my hand and my heart clenched. I knew where this was leading and he had to stop. I needed him to stop but there was a small part of me, a small part of my heart, that felt something for him and forced my mouth to stay closed, not allowing me to interrupt.

"I know we've only spent a few nights together, but I've watched this whole new side of you come to life and it's only added to the amazing woman I get to see every single day. But more than that, you've opened up to me in a way that I'm almost positive you haven't done with anyone else. As guarded as you are, you've trusted me with your past, with the memories of your parents and your friends, and I don't take that honor lightly."

His fingers squeezed mine and his eyes held a tenderness I had never seen in another man in my life. The look sent my pulse racing and caused my heart to pound frantically in my chest.

"And you have to know that you've done the same for me too. You've given me the strength and courage to open up and share the memories I've spent more than half my life hiding from. And in doing that, you've seen me, the real me, in a way no one ever has."

"Edward, don't…" The fear in my voice was clear as I ripped my hand from his and jumped from the couch, desperate to put some distance between us. "You said you understood. We can't be more. I can't… I can't…"

My breaths came faster and faster as my back hit the wall. This couldn't be happening. Not now. I wanted more time. I didn't want to leave him yet, but he was getting too close. Wrapping my arms around my chest, I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts.

"God, Jess, I'm sorry." Edward's voice broke through my panic. "I do understand and I never meant to bring this up. Please believe me. I would never do or say anything to hurt you. You've had enough of that in your life and it would kill me to cause you more. Jess, listen."

I had no words.

"Jess?" he tried again.

I couldn't answer, my mind already filling up with next possible place to run.

"Damn it!" Edward's hand slapped the couch, startling me as he pushed himself up angrily and began pacing the other side of the room. "Why can't I just keep my mouth shut? Why do I…? It's you." His pacing stopped and he turned to face me. My eyes widened at his accusation. "I always say too much around you.

"Ugh… I knew this would happen." He was pacing again. "I should have just stayed out there."

His words made no sense. Pushing off the wall, I moved to stand near the couch that separated us.

"What are you talking about? Stayed where?"

"Never mind. Forget I even said anything."

"Don't do that, Edward. Don't shut me out because you think I'll get hurt or mad or whatever."

My eyes followed him as he wore a path in the carpet.

"Edward."

No answer.

"Masen!" I shouted and he rounded on me.

"In my car, okay," he blurted. "I should have just stayed in my damn car."

He gave up pacing and dropped on the couch, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. A few minutes passed and the silence in the room became too much.

"Edward," I said softly, taking a seat at the other end of the couch.

"I couldn't sleep last night," he muttered. "And after your text, it was impossible. By the time the sun came up, I was at the gym. I spent half the day there working the bag and taking shots at the dummies. I was even half a step away from calling Jared to come down and spar with me. I didn't, though, because I didn't want to explain what had me so worked up.

"By the time I got home and ready, I wasn't thinking and jumped in the car without looking at the time. I was block away when I realized I was twenty minutes early. I didn't want to seem too eager so I pulled over to wait." He lifted one hand to rub the back of his neck. "I tried sitting there listening to music, but that just made it worse. I got out and paced the sidewalk, but that made me look like a lunatic. So I took a walk around the block. The next block over, of course, otherwise you could have seen me and then you would have thought I was crazy."

I couldn't help the giggle that slipped out. "Is that why you were late?"

"Yeah." He nodded and I saw the corner of his lips curl up into a smile of his own. "I didn't realize I'd wasted so much time and when I saw it was after seven, I had to run back to my car. Then I had to waste more time calming myself back down again because not only was I still anxious, but I was out of breath too."

"I still don't understand," I interrupted. "In the month I've been here, I've never seen anything shake you. It's like you have this weird calm and nothing bothers you."

"Nothing but you," he mumbled.

"But…" I tried to argue but he continued.

"I wasn't kidding when I said you make me nervous." His fingers tumbled nervously together as he focused on the floor. "Please don't freak out or take this the wrong way because I really do understand that you just want us to be friends. I don't want to mess that up because I want that too. But I think you're really beautiful."

I gasped. There was no way I heard him right. Stunned, I stared wide-eyed at him as his hands continued to wrestle anxiously in front of him.

"And like you said about me, you're smart and funny. You keep me laughing all day. And you're strong. You don't take any shit from the guys and I know how hard that is to do." He chuckled quietly. "But it's not just your physical strength, which is impressive, by the way. You have this mental and emotional strength…"

"No I don't." I cut him off.

Edward finally turned to face me. "Jess, as much as you try to hide it, I know when you're having a bad day and I can see when something has rocked you to your core but instead of letting it out, instead of asking for help, you hold it all in. You keep things to yourself and deal with them quietly without giving anyone the chance to help you. Well, that's not exactly true." He dropped his eyes to the couch. "You call Ben."

"Edward, you see strength in me that's not there," I told him. "Ben's my sanity. He's my strength. He's the one who brings me back from that ledge when I feel like I'm done, like I can't keep going."

"But he doesn't have to be the only one." His eyes captured mine and I knew what he was saying.

"Don't, Edward." I shook my head and stood from the couch again, turning my back on him.

"It's what friends do, Jess." I flinched when Edward's fingers closed around my arms. "They stand by each other. Help each other up when they fall."

My eyes closed and I took a shaky breath as his hands slid around my shoulders, drawing my body tight against his chest.

"Hold each other together when they're falling apart." His arms tightened and his voice softened to a whisper in my ear. "I want to be all of that for you. You just have to let me."

With shaking hands, I wrapped my fingers around his arms and held him close to me. For a second, I was lost in the fantasy of the life Edward was offering. But it only lasted a second before reality set in and I felt the pain in every word he spoke.

He wasn't offering me just his friendship. He was offering me himself. The words were unspoken, but what he wanted was clear. He wanted in. He wanted my past. He wanted my future. He wanted every part of me that I couldn't give him.

I cared about him. Really cared about him and I couldn't let him do it. He couldn't be that for me. I couldn't put his life in danger that way.

"No, Edward. You can't."

It took all the strength I had to pull his arms apart and step away from him.

"Why?"

I gave him the only version of the truth he needed to hear. "Because you're not the only one whose nerves get the better of them." Steeling myself, I turned to face him. "That banging you heard earlier was me freaking out over the idea of you not coming."

He smiled and I hated that I had to take that away.

"I'll admit I'm attracted to you, but I don't date, Edward. Ever. So it was a huge deal for me to invite you here tonight. I don't even know why I did it or why you accepted, but the thought of you not showing up, of you standing me up, well…it hurt me. I thought you forgot or decided not to come and…"

"You think I could just forget about you like that?" My stomach dropped to the floor as his smile faded. "Look, I know any friendship we have isn't on the same level as yours and Ben's, or even yours and Esme's, but I thought you knew me better than that. I'm not that guy, Jess. I said I would be here. Why would you think I would stand you up?"

"Because I'm no good at this!" I shouted. "When it comes to men, I haven't made one single good decision in my life. And you're no different."

"Then don't make any decisions," he jumped in. "We're friends. We don't have to be more. No pressure. No decisions to make. Just friends." Taking a step forward, he reached out a hand to me. I didn't stop myself from taking it. "And I know I'm not Ben, but please know I'm here if you need someone to talk to or someone to lean on, no matter what, okay?"

"Thank you."

I let go a sigh of relief and the brilliant smile that spread across his face broke the tension between us.

"Now, if you don't mind, can we rewind the movie? We already missed the best part."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Masen."

Grabbing my hand in his, he settled us back on the couch to finish the movie.

How could Bella have known the greatest love in her life would start off with a simple date?

I don't do this enough anymore but I have a couple of fics I know you'll love.

From by beta and best friend, AgoodWITCH comes one great story written from two sides. Each story could stand alone so you could read one or the other, but there is so much that goes on that the other doesn't show. Reading both gives you the whole beautiful picture. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

First up – Everything I Needed… from Bella's POV

Summary: Bella had been lucky to land the job as the nanny to Esme and Carlisle's two girls, but when Carlisle's younger brother arrives in New York in need of a fresh start and some help with his own brood, Bella's world is quickly turned upside down. It was just supposed to be a job, but they quickly became everything she needed.

Second – Everything I Wanted… from Edward's POV

Summary: A failed marriage & long divorce left Edward with a lot on his hands. Moving his kids closer to his family in New York was the fresh start he needed so that his family could thrive. Not knowing how he would juggle work and caring for his kids, he jumped at the chance to hire his brother's nanny to care for his own kids. But the moment Bella walked into his house everything changed.

As always, big hugs and kisses to each and every one of you still on this ride with me. This isn't the easiest story to read but your support continues to mean the world to me. Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to let me know what you think. Until next time…much love to you – D