EPOV

I've just had one of the best nights of sleep in my recent memory, and I know it's because of the girl lying next to me, but when I open my eyes, Bella is nowhere to be seen. I quickly throw on my boxers and jeans and walk out into the living room where the TV is on a news station. I call Charlie and speak to Liam quickly to make sure they're okay, and Charlie tells me to make sure his baby is all right and that they can keep Liam for the rest of day and night for me.

I can hear Bella in the kitchen. She's standing at her coffee maker waiting for the cup to brew, so I wrap my arms around her and kiss her neck. "Good morning."

"Oh, good morning." She turns in my arms but doesn't meet my eyes as she kisses my cheek. "I'm making breakfast. There's a frittata in the oven. I'm sure you want to eat before you head back to Forks."

I take a step back from her and frown. "I just checked in with your dad and Liam. I thought I'd stay here today and help out however I can."

"Oh, you really don't have to do that, Edward. Go home," she tells me as the oven timer goes off, and she pulls the pan out of the oven. "It'll be so boring for you."

I can tell that she really doesn't want me here, but I insist. "Honestly, I'll feel better if you have some support here. I'm sure Charlie and Sue will as well." I may have pulled out the big guns, but I'm not backing down.

"Fine, thanks." She dishes out some breakfast for the both of us, and I do the dishes while she gets ready. I open her bedroom door and she covers herself and shrieks at me. "Sorry, I … I was just going to ask if I could borrow your keys while I go down to my car. I always keep a clean set of clothes in there for work."

Still covering herself and red in the face, she nods. "Yeah, of course. Edward, please knock next time."

"Why? We spent the whole night together. I don't understand—"

"Just knock, please?"

I nod and pull the door closed behind me. I pull on my coat, grab her keys, and head downstairs. All I can think about in the elevator is whether or not Bella thinks last night was a mistake. I hope not; last night was one of the best nights of my life. I really do think I've always been waiting for Bella, and the fact that I can feel myself falling for her scares me and excites me.

I rush back upstairs as the clock ticks on and change in the bathroom as quick as I can. When I exit, Bella is getting her purse together and putting her coat on. "How was Liam?"

I smile because that's the Bella I know. "He's great. Chicken nuggets and a Disney movie last night; pancakes this morning. Charlie said he slept well too."

"Good, that's good," she says a little distractedly. "We should probably go. We'll hit a little traffic right now."

"Do you want to drive?"

"You can if that's all right. I'll navigate for you," she offers, and it feels like an olive branch. She offers her hand once we're in the hallway and she's locked up behind us, and I feel like things are beginning to look up.

Once we get to the bakery though, everything changes.

The sleet that came in overnight has left the ruble in a slickened black mass of rebar, brick, and wood. The display cases, I can only tell what they were based on their position, are melted and charred. After listening to the fire inspector, the only things that seemed to have survived are the large floor safe in the back and maybe one of the ovens.

The insurance adjuster is ready to count the entire shop as a loss and cut Bella a check right then and there, and when she mentions this, Bella grips my hand tightly.

"Could we have a few minutes?" I ask as the adjuster walks away and talks to the inspector. "What are you thinking?"

"How on earth am I going to be able to rebuild or start again?" Bella's eyes are glistening with unshed tears. "How am I ever going to be able to complete that catering job? I'm in no position to renege on it now. I have employees to pay … I don't know what to do."

"You could always use the shop in Forks. Use the insurance money to get the place up to code and to pay your employees for their time; prepare everything there. Do you know anyone who could lend you the cold storage place?"

She sniffs. "I actually have a contact at the hotel where the party is being held. I could ask if I could start utilizing the space earlier than planned. There's a lot that could go wrong."

"But it could go really right," I tell her confidently. "I'll oversee everything and make sure it gets done in no time. I already told you it doesn't need a lot."

"Are you sure? I couldn't ask you to do this for me?"

"I want to do it, I … I'm falling for you, Bella, and if this will help you and make you happy, then I want to do it."

"Edward, I—"

"Just say yes. Let me do this for you," I plead.

"Okay, but I want to make one thing very clear: I won't be moving back to Forks just because you fix up the shop and I don't have one here. I'm not moving back at all."

When I get to the Swan house, Liam comes running outside as soon as I've cleared the hood of the car.

"DADDY!" Liam squeals as he races toward me and I brace for impact. I hold him in my arm as he squeezes my neck. This is just what I needed after the morning I had.

"Hiya, bud. Did you have a good time with Mister Charlie and Miss Sue?" I drop him to the ground, and we walk to the front porch together where Sue and Charlie are standing and smiling.

"Yeah, I won Go Fish four times," he says, holding up his little fingers. "I was just playing with my cars when you puwed up."

"Well, why don't you go pick them up and get your coat on?"

He runs inside and Charlie frowns. "I know that look. That's the 'Bella got an attitude' look. What happened, son?"

I clear my throat and feel my face grow red. "Well, let's just say that her feelings for me aren't as strong as mine are for her." I tell them about the shop and the total loss Bella took from the insurance company. I told them about how we'll get the shop ready for her to work in leading up to her big job. "Then she wants to sell it. She said she's never moving back to Forks."

"Son, you can't expect her to uproot her whole life for a man she just met not even a week ago," Charlie says, and I sigh.

"I know that. I really do. I just … I just hope that maybe she'll see she can have it all here too."