A/N: SM owns all things Twilight. Everything else is mine.

Chapter 7

Saturday morning comes and Bella takes off after a quick breakfast and making sure I'm okay. If she has to ask me again, then I must not be as convincing as I thought. I could just play it off as nothing but a bad dream, this time. I just don't know about the next one. Bella had to leave so she could let Seth out and do a little Christmas shopping before her shift at the bar started. Now that I think about it, I have nothing to do today, so checking off my list sounds like a good idea.

After I shower and dress warmly, I get in my car and head over to the local bookstore. I know Bella loves to read and I know she's been wanting to get some new ones, but anytime we've been in, she picks up a few, flips through a couple pages and puts it back. Some she looks longingly at, but won't buy. I asked her why not, and she'd just tell me that she's saving up for a "true classic," and by that, she meant an original copy. I dug a little deeper and she wants an original Bram Stoker's Dracula. Now, I get why she wants to save as I'm sure one of those could cost a lot at auction. For now, though, I can just get her A Pound of Flesh, one she looked long and hard at.

I pull it off the shelf and turn to go pay for it, however, the door opening stops me. Fuck! Shit! She cannot see me here. Bella, in all her glory, has walked through the door and is looking around. I duck out of the way, praying that she doesn't see me. I hide the book under my arm, inside my coat, and hide myself at the end of an isle two rows down. I hear the rustling of her coat as she walks through and, funny enough, to the spot I was just in.

"What? Where is it? Damn, I guess it just wasn't meant to be." She mutters loud enough for me to hear.

She moves along and around the store, but never buys anything. Finally, after what feels like forever, she leaves. I wait a few minutes before I make my way to the counter to pay for her "missing" book. I leave with her gift securely tucked back in my coat. I'm thankful Bella didn't notice my car, or didn't corner me if she in fact did.

One of her presents marked off my list, though I might wait a little on the second and third. I'd rather spend all I can on her, but I can't leave out the rest of my family.

A/N: See what I did there?! LOL! I love A Pound of Fleshseries! Thanks, Cherry, for helping me out on a couple wording problems. :* :*

Whew! Close call, huh?

Any guesses to what Edward's other gift ideas for her might be?