Chapter 4

Alice takes me upstairs to an apartment over the bar. For a brief moment, I wonder if she lives here with Edward. I spot pictures of her and him, the two of them together with a few other people blended in. They make a cute couple.

I watch as she looks through the drawers of a dresser. She pulls out a t-shirt, sweatpants and a pair of socks.

"These are Edward's. They may be a little big, but they're at least dry." She hands them both to me. I try not to be weird about wearing her boyfriend's clothes. "The weather has been a real bitch lately. Sorry you didn't get the best first impression of it."

I smile. "Honestly, the last few days feel like I'm in some kind of weather is the least of my problems."

"Was it rough leaving New York?" she asks, pointing me to the bathroom.

While I change, I think about her question.

Something about her, even if I just met her, makes me tell her the truth, "It was harder finding out there was a piece of me missing that I didn't know about, realizing that my whole life was based on a lie. I guess leaving was the easiest part."

The clothes are a little baggy, but better than the wet clothes that I had on. I open the door to find her watching me.

"I've lived here and known Charlie my whole life," she says slowly, with a sad smile. "There was always sadness to him. The day after you called him for the first time… I realized it was you he was missing. He's been on cloud nine, telling everyone about you."

Her words make me feel a little more sure about the decision to come here.

It turns out Alice and Edward are not together—Alice gets that out between laughs when I ask them how long they've been a couple—they're step-siblings.

Edward laughing is a beautiful thing. It's deep, the kind that warms you. His dark hair flops over his eyes, and when Alice tells him to get a haircut, he flips her off. His green eyes crinkle, and they look brighter.

He puts on a backwards ball cap, rolling his eyes at her though.

The bar closed fifteen minutes ago. After I changed, Alice insisted that I have a drink with her.

Edward listens to us from a distance, cleaning glasses and stocking shelves. He's shed his flannel shirt and just wears a white tee and a towel draped over his shoulder.

I realize it's late… jet lag taking me over. In New York, it's already past midnight.

"Hey, is there a tow truck place still open to get my rental to a shop?" I ask Alice, but Edward answers, green eyes finding mine.

"Don't worry about it. I've already taken care of it," he says, walking over to us.

"The rental is already at a friend's shop," I furrow my eyebrows as he continues, "it should be ready in the morning. All of your bags are in my truck."

I'm immediately thankful that I don't have to deal with it.

"Thank you," I tell him.

He shrugs it off. "I can bring you to the cabin when I'm finished."

I nod, looking in my bag for my phone to check the time. I called Charlie after I changed, telling him where I was, that I made it safe.

He promised he'd be at the cabin first thing in the morning, and that he couldn't wait to see me.

Edward turns off the light over the bar, and before I know it, Alice has me wrapped in an embrace.

"I can't wait to get to know you, Bella! I just know we're going to be great friends!"

I can't help but agree with her.

She walks to the door with us, saying she'll lock the doors for Edward.

The rain has stopped, and there's a slight chill in the air. I don't realize I'm cold until Edward puts a leather jacket over my shoulders.

"Thanks," I say, sending him a smile.

He nods, opening the door to his truck. "No problem."

I don't want to think about how I look climbing into his truck, so I focus on the truck; it's clean and it smells like leather, cinnamon and I just know it's uniquely Edward. He surrounds me.

The drive to the cabin isn't long. It takes a few minutes, but he eventually slows down, pointing to a brown cabin. "This is my place."

I see tiny fairy lights illuminating the deck surrounding the house. There's a pond with a small boat docked.

I nod, giving him a small smile. He gives me a shy smile in return, and then he continues driving. "This is you."

The cabin before us looks the same as his, but I bet his is a lot more cozy. I bet it feels more like a home instead of just four walls.

"There was a small part of me that thought maybe you were a serial killer," I say, not realizing I've said it out loud. I guess the day finally catches up to me, and my verbal filter is gone.

He laughs again, puts the truck into park and then hops out. Before I know it, he's opening my door. "I would never imagine harming you. Charlie would have my body in pieces around the country before morning."

I may not have known him for long, but he seems genuine, kind. I can't imagine him being cruel.

I wonder if it's part of how he and Alice grew up. They're both so genuinely kind; it doesn't feel like a show.

He walks with me to the cabin after he gathers my bags from the truck.

He nods to the door, where a small ceramic wolf sits. "There should be a key under there for you."

The cabin didn't look like much from the outside. I don't know what I expected, but the ceilings are high, and the whole back of the house has open windows. From where I'm standing, I can see the pond and the back of Edward's place.

It's beautiful.

Edward puts my bags down and turns, almost crashing into me in the process. His hand catches my shoulder, and he steadies me.

He looks down, eyes blazing as he says, "I really think I'm going to like having you around, Doc."

See you next friday!