Then

The day of their date came much sooner than Bella was expecting it would. She was grateful. She had been anxious for the last few days, wondering what she would wear, how her grandmother would act.

Would Grandma Swan scare him off? She was kind, but she was intimidating. From the way Bella had crumbled immediately, she wasn't sure how Edward would respond to a similar line of questioning. Bella shook her head. Grandmothers were supposed to be less intrusive.

But her grandmother had raised her for the last six years. So it was likely she would be interrogative.

Bella called Alice who had given her guidance on how she should dress after she had gotten out of the shower. Alice, of course, had been expecting this and already knew what she should wear - a dark blue blouse with light jeans and those tan flats.

"I see this date going very well, Bella," Alice squealed. They still spoke about once a week on the phone throughout the year. They were best friends. Continuing on with their agreement, Alice rarely shared with her what she saw of the future after the day in the garden.

"I hope so," Bella sighed as she threw herself on her bed landing on a hardcover book. Her bedroom had three bookcases filled to the brim with books. She read every night before she went to sleep. The most recent book she had been working through was for flower categorization. Now that she was older, she was gaining control over what she grew and she wanted to know what would be the best for her grandmother's business. She tossed the book aside for now. "I have a few hours before I need to get ready and then he'll be here. Ugh, Alice. I like him so much."

"That's great, Bella," Alice responded. "You'll have to introduce me to him someday."

They changed the subject almost immediately to their studies and what types of spells they were working. They had made a pact when they were younger to minimize the amount of time they spoke about crushes and boys to one another. They'd wanted a friendship that revolved around deeper connections. Having special abilities that nobody else had helped them maintain that depth of a relationship.

When Bella finally hung up with Alice, she laid back in her bed, closing her eyes. In addition to preparing the snacks, she spent the last two days cleaning the house. She hid the jars of hearts, frog legs, dead butterflies, anything that made her seem...witchlike. She hoped she'd found everything. She had made a promise to her grandmother to place everything back where it belonged.

And Edward...well, Edward was bringing her more cake. She knew her grandmother, who had a similar sweet tooth as she, would be excited about the cake.

Bella smiled in thought and laid there for a moment, breathing in and out, trying to calm herself like her grandmother had taught her. Even the smallest outbursts still led to a surprise in the garden.

So, she focused on breathing in and out.

She opened her eyes again when the doorbell rang. The sun was already setting. She checked the time.

"Oh no," she shot up. "I fell asleep!"

She hadn't even set any of the food out. She heard her grandmother moving around downstairs as she rushed around in her bedroom. She ran to the bathroom and quickly dressed in the clothes that Alice had recommended. Her hair..was wild curls from being unstyled. She quickly ran a brush through it.

"A mess," she sighed, before quickly brushing her teeth. She threw on mascara and figured it was the best she could do. She ran back into her room slipping on her flats.

She heard her grandmother yell for her right as she was running down the stairs.

"I'm here," Bella gasped when she made it down the stairs. "I'm here. Sorry."

Her grandmother was taking Edward's jacket from him and when Bella looked at Edward, she felt desire for him course through her. She had never been so attracted to another male in her life.

He was dressed in a light grey sweatshirt and dark jeans. He smelled better than any of the flowers she grew in the garden. When he gave her his trademark half smile, she felt her knees go weak.

"Edward brought dessert," Helen interrupted their staring contest. It was then that Bella realized she was holding a container. "That was kind of him."

Bella suddenly realized her manners. "Grandma, meet Edward."

"I already did, while you were upstairs."

"Yeah, sorry, I fell asleep."

Edward laughed. "You fell asleep?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yes, I guess I was tired. Come on, I'll give you a tour of the house."

Helen spent the rest of the evening observing Bella and Edward. She'd kept her distance, giving them space, but she still observed. She noticed he seemed to move in sync with Bella. Even when she took a bathroom break, Edward seemed antsy over her absence. One could argue that he was just uncomfortable being in someone else's home or that Helen intimidated him. Based on how he easily conversed with her when he had first arrived, Helen assumed neither was the case.

And that's what had her concerned. She had seen the signs before, but she let them be for the rest of their date, for which Bella felt appreciative. Bella understood though that just because her grandmother was out of sight didn't mean that she was unaware of what was happening in her home. So, Bella and Edward were very well behaved until Helen announced that it was time for him to leave a few short hours later.

Bella and Edward reluctantly made their way to the door. He was sure to thank Helen before leaving, wishing her a good night. She wished him safe travels home.

"I had a lovely evening, Bella," Edward said once he and Bella stepped outside.

"Me too, even with my grandmother here." They both laughed.

They continued to walk side by side until they reached the front gate. The scent of peonies were potent in the air. Bella wondered where they were growing. She turned to him, feeling intense fluttering in her belly. Even though she knew her grandmother was likely watching from inside the house, she still wanted Edward to kiss her like he did the other day.

So she looked up at him expectantly and was surprised to see that he was already watching her. His fingers brushed against her face as they moved a lock of hair that had fallen. She would remember that feeling for years to come.

He gave her a warm smile before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. She sighed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She wished she could be closer to him, be a part of him. Her feelings for him were strong and frightening to her, and she rationalized them through the amount of time they had already spent together.

They spent every day together in class, learning about each other. Each detail he had shared with her - the love he felt for his parents and how he missed them being gone all the time, the nervousness he felt about going away to college across the country, the vulnerability of being new over and over again - had made it easy for her to fall for him and made it easy for her to leave with him that day. So kissing him and being with him...this was what she wanted.

When he pulled himself away, she tugged him back for one more peck.

"I'll see you soon," he whispered before he walked in the direction toward his home.

Bella watched as he walked further and further away from her. It wasn't until he rounded the corner that she turned and walked back toward the house. She felt lighter than she ever had. Alice had been right.

She was happy.

When Bella returned, Helen was at the kitchen table - the same spot she was the other day, the same spot she always sat.

"Thank you for letting him come over...even though I'm grounded."

Helen drummed her fingers on the table.

"You're welcome," she responded quietly. "Are you tired or can you stay up for a chat?"

Bella was still flying so she didn't notice her grandmother's tone. Instead, she sat at the table, smiling dreamily.

"Bella, he's very smitten with you."

Bella giggled and blushed. "I know. How?"

Helen tilted her head. "Well you're a lovely young woman, of course. It's easy for anyone to adore you."

The lovely young woman rolled her eyes but grinned wide. Helen smiled in return.

It wasn't the night to take her granddaughter's smile away.

This so far was my least favorite chapter to write, which is why it took so long. Sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoyed it :)

Another update coming soon!

-Bravery