I love Edward in this story; he is so humble and a bit insecure. Which is such a departure from some other stories that I have read, as well as some stories I have written. I definitely have a soft spot for this story, so it will be one of my main priorities.

Huge thank you to Sherry and Paige, who make this story readable. Without them you guys would have to read a story riddled with my grammatical mistakes.

"Girl you really got me going

You got me so I don't know what I'm doing

Yeah you really got me now

You got me so I can't sleep at night"

-The Kinks-

EPOV:

Have I ever been so on edge before?I can easily state that I have not. Never have I cared enough about something, to be truly nervous. As sad as it sounds, I had left everything up to, what at the time I called, 'fate' which really was a way for me to not take responsibility for anything. Do I believe in fate? Certainly. But, in my past, fate had been just a cop out for me. As I stare at my less than impressive appearance in the mirror, I sadly realize that I have spent over two decades without a single goal.

But, of course, now I have quite a few to keep me occupied…becoming a good guardian for Charlie, excelling at my new job, possibly going to college…Bella. I have to chuckle at the last one. I've never chased after a woman before, not as if I am chasing after her now, but in my past, I never really cared about women, period. As terrible as it sounds…I was too far gone most of the time to really have a deep connection with any of the women I knew. The thought makes me sick.

It's almost five o'clock and Charlie and I are ready for dinner. I considered going out and buying some sort of dessert, thinking that it would only be fair since she is cooking tonight. But the thought of bringing Charlie out all by myself seemed scary, and I quickly dismissed it. I barely know my way around a supermarket, and add a teething baby to the mix…It would be a shit show. Hopefully, Bella would be understanding, because she does seem like the kind and understanding type.

By five till I can barely contain myself. My stomach is grumbling and I just want to see her again. "You ready to go buddy?" I pick Charlie up from his baby gym. He looks sad for a moment and then smiles as I wrap him safely in my arms.

Charlie grabs ahold of my finger with his little death grip, and I laugh, wondering if he will be as strong as me one day. I grab his highchair, gather some baby food, and head across the hall to Bella's apartment. I can already smell the food before she even opens the door, and for a moment, my hunger is all I can think about. That is, of course, until she answers the door, leaving me at a complete loss for words.

She is stunning in a white cotton dress and a pink little apron which is covered in stains. Her long hair is pulled away from her face in a high ponytail and she has a minimal amount of makeup on. She looks ironically like a girl next-door, and like every fantasy I've ever had.

"Sorry, I'm finishing up right now," she assures me as she moves out of the way, allowing Charlie and me inside.

"Don't apologize," I chuckle at her. Before I can help myself, I put the highchair down and reach my hand out to wipe off the tiniest bit of flour from her face. As soon as her cheeks turn red, I drop my hand and say, "Thanks for cooking dinner tonight."

"It was no trouble. I love to cook, and now that I've moved out of my dad's house I don't have anyone to cook for."

She gestures for Charlie and me to make ourselves at home while she finishes up dinner. Her apartment is tidy and impressive. She is very orderly and I find that I like that. I need to surround myself with people whom I can aspire to be like, and not people who will drag me down. I set my stuff down by her couch, and take a closer look around her apartment. She has a few photographs that line her bookshelves. One in particular stands out. It is her with what looks to be her sister, a girl who is a few inches shorter, with short and spikey hair, that looks a lot like Bella. I smile at this, happy to see Bella looking so happy. I continue to look at the photos, mostly of friends and family, until I find another that stands out.

It's of a girl with long, light brown hair, and pale skin with the lightest dusting of freckles. The girl is young, very young, and it takes me a moment to realize it's Bella. Her arms are wrapped around a woman's neck, a woman who looks just like her. The older, attractive woman, I assume is her mom.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Bella asks awkwardly, as she stares at me looking at her photographs.

Suddenly, I feel as if I have made a mistake, as if I am intruding on something personal. I give her a sheepish smile and she gives me a tight smile back. There is a pain in her eyes, I don't want to recognize. Do those photographs make her upset, or is it something I have done?

"Did I…" I begin to ask, but Bella interrupts me.

"I made pasta with homemade garlic bread," she smiles, the pain in her eyes gone completely.

I'm too hungry to press any further, but hopefully one day she will feel as if she can open up to me. It's not like I've really opened up to her about my past.But one day I would like to. Charlie doesn't want to sit in his highchair tonight, too excited with all the attention he's got today, so I allow him to rest in my arms as I feed him his dinner. As if no weirdness had transpired, Bella and I talk about work, our interests, our hobbies…. usual first date stuff. Although, this is of course not an actual date.

As dinner finishes, I feel significantly closer to her, our bond has only grown tighter. I really feel as if I can talk to her in a way I can't talk to anyone else. It's so refreshing to have that. It's nice to be around someone who doesn't know who you once were; you don't have to spend every second around them trying to prove them wrong.

I'm sure one day Bella will wonder about all the things I wish to avoid. And when she asks, I will tell her. Hell, I'll tell her even if she never asks me. Deep down I know I should tell her before we get into any sort of relationship. But not tonight, I want her to know me first. Know me for the man I am now.

"I made dessert as well," she says with a pretty little blush.

She comes back with, as she calls it, a "modest" cake. I laugh, because it is by far better than anything I could ever do. If this is her modest attempt at cooking looks like, I couldn't imagine what it would be for her to go full out. Her cooking is amazing, and I can't help but eat my fair share as I rock Charlie in my arms, who is nodding off to sleep.

"I better get going," I say regretfully, "It's past Charlie's bedtime."

"I understand. It was nice hanging out with you, Edward," Bella says with a small, pretty smile.

"I loved it," I can honestly say. Why wouldn't I love dinner with a beautiful girl? "I'm right across the hall, so come over anytime you like."

I wink at her before I can stop myself.

She giggles, the prettiest sound I have ever heard, and says, "Don't be a stranger Edward."

A/N: Awww…Edward has a giant crush. I am so glad that you guys are enjoying this story so much! I am really feeling this one at the moment, so there will be plenty of updates coming your way.

Song- "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks