Hi all! I know, it's a long time and I can't apologize enough. This summer has been just crazy. Thank you to all of you who didn't decide to move on months ago. Also, thank you to Nic and the girls over at The Lemonade Stand who recommended this again despite my lack of updates. I really appreciate it and this chapter is for you guys. Welcome to all my new readers as well! Thank you for joining in on the fun.

AN: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 13

The Advice

EPOV

Apparently, finally admitting to yourself that you have fallen in love with the girl of your dreams really wears you out. After my big epiphany, I slept hard. Sleep had eluded me the last few weeks as my heart and my mind battled over my feelings for Bella. Now that my heart had won, my mind waved the white flag and for at least a night, shut down so I could get some fucking rest. Refreshed and energized was a nice change from the stressed out and cranky state I had been waking up to lately.

In the light of day, my monumental realization scared the ever-loving shit out of me. And no, not because I was still unsure about how I felt about Bella. Now that I had gotten a grasp on it, loving her was engrained on my soul. It was a part of me. No, what scared me was what to do about it. I had dug myself a hole that rivaled the Grand Canyon when it came to Bella. I couldn't do anything right and understandably she had lost all respect for me. I needed to fix it, one shovel of dirt at a time if that's what it took. The question now was how to go about getting the girl that wasn't just any other girl. How do I turn the girl into my girl?

It was a fucking conundrum.

~GT M~

Sunday mornings were reserved for cleaning the kitchen. The staff always cleaned up every evening, but once a week I took the grills and the fryer apart and washed all the parts separately. I disinfected all surfaces and cleaned out the cooler of anything that was on the verge of going bad. It usually took about two or three hours, but I didn't mind it. I had a routine that I could do without thinking and doing it myself gave me the piece of mind that everything was in tip-top shape. No one was getting salmonella on my watch, thank you very fucking much.

It was going on ten when I was finishing up. The bar opened at noon on Sundays during football season, just in time for pre-game. I was cleaning the taps when I heard the door open.

"Sorry, we don't open until noon today." I said automatically before looking up. When I did I saw that it was Fred, Bella's customer from last night. Only he looked a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw him. For one, he was sober. He had showered and shaved and was carrying a huge vase full of fresh cut flowers. I instantly felt bad for him as I remembered what Bella had told me about his wife.

"I wasn't going to stay. I was just looking for Bella. Is she working today?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't come in until eleven-thirty." His shoulders sagged from disappointment. "Hey, Fred is it?" He looked up and nodded. "I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I misread the situation and acted in a way that was totally inappropriate."

"No, no…" He interrupted. "It was my fault. I overstepped my bounds. I was in a bad way and drank way too much. You had every right to question my intention. In fact, that's what the flowers are for. I wanted to apologize to her." He set them on the bar and slid onto a stool. This was not the creepy drunk with a thing for young girls that I thought he was last night.

"Look, Bella explained your situation to me last night and I'm really, really sorry for your loss. Bella said that she reminds you of your wife."

"She doesn't look like my Gladys but her personality and kindness are a spitting image. She was just…" Fred swallowed hard. "…so nice to me. So understanding. I was distraught, sloppy drunk and yet she made time for me despite the fact that she had a hundred other people she needed to serve. That was my wife. She was the most compassionate and accepting person I ever had the pleasure of knowing." The passion that poured out of this man's mouth as he talked about his wife spoke volumes.

"How long were you guys married?"

"It would have been thirty-five years this March. She was the love of my life. I don't know what I'm going to do without her." I didn't respond because what could I say? They were together longer than I had been alive. I couldn't imagine what it would be like yet it sounded so fulfilling. To find that one person to grow old with, that you want to spend the rest of your life with. It was something I always thought to be a pipe dream, a Lifetime movie special. But Fred and Gladys were proof that it really did happen.

"You know…" Fred brought me out of my internal musings. "…you and Bella remind me of Gladys and me." I gaped at him.

"I'm not sure…we're just friends." Kind of, not really, so don't want to be.

"Oh, come off it. I may have been drunk but I saw how you kept eyeing that girl. You wanted to protect her with every fiber of your being. I was surprised it took you as long as it did." Man, this guy was good. Even three sheets to the wind he saw in me what took me months to see in myself. "And she…Bella talks a good game but when she wasn't putting you in your place, she was sneaking peeks as well. And you know what I saw?" He leaned in closer. "The same expression I would catch on Gladys' face when she was checking me out."

I wasn't sure if Fred was entirely accurate, but he seemed to know his shit. I mean, he had been married for thirty-five years. He must know something about love.

"Last night's screw up was just the latest of a huge list of stupid shit I have done when it comes to Bella. And now that I've finally figured it out, that she's….ah, fuck. It doesn't matter. I'm too late. She hates me." My shoulders slumped as the weight of defeat pressed down on my entire being. The Grand Canyon was looking bigger and my shovel was getting smaller by the second.

"Now, come on. I know for a fact that Bella does not hate you. That endearing girl couldn't hate anybody. And even if she did "hate" you as you say, do you think she would subject herself to working for you? Highly unlikely." I guess he had a point. "Can I give you a little advice?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll take anything I can get. I'm kind of lost here." As if he couldn't fucking notice.

"Love isn't easy. You have to work for it. And if you have screwed up as much as you say you have, you my friend are going to have to work even harder. And the most difficult challenge that you will have to face is doing nothing except being patient. Patience is the key to getting your girl."

Okay, that was something I knew I had very little of. Fuck me.

"Why patience?"

"Because, Bella is not ready to even think of you as a romantic interest because she doesn't trust you and is probably even a little angry at you, am I right?" I nodded.

Understatement of the year.

"If you profess your love to her, she will not want to hear it. She will only get angrier. You need to let her work it out without you putting any pressure on her. Instead, give her some space and watch her. Try to figure out what she needs and then be that person for her. It may not be what you want now, but eventually she'll learn to trust you again and then you can build from there." It sounded sensible.

"You sound so sure. How do you know she'll come around eventually?"

"Because, my friend, I've been there. It took a whole lot of patience when it came to making Gladys mine. That girl…she wouldn't give me the time of day. It just about did me in. But you know what? She finally, finally gave in to it and we spent thirty-five years loving each other. All that patience was one-hundred percent worth it." He started to get choked up but was able to get himself under control quickly. "It may hurt now, but I can't tell you how happy I am that I stuck it out and waited for her."

The way he felt about his wife was so passionate, so consuming. I wanted that. Every bit of it. If being patient was the way to make Bella mine, then I was all in.

Twenty minutes later I was shaking hands with Fred, assuring him that I would give Bella the flowers and telling him how much I appreciated our talk. He promised he would come in sometime for dinner and I hoped he did just that.

The next few weeks I did exactly what Fred has said. I gave Bella her space. I was nice to her and gave her as many smiles as I could, but I didn't hover and I let her take care of things at her end of the bar all on her own. There were times I had to clench my teeth and ignore an asshole with suggestive comments, but I vowed I was not going to swoop in and try to rescue her unless she asked for help. She never did ask and to my surprise, she always did just fine.

I also took the time to observe her. Try to figure out what she needed from me. I had to admit it was a struggle for awhile, but then it just kind of happened.

Thanksgiving had come and gone without any fanfare. I ate turkey with the family, I slept, and then it was over. The next push would be Christmas. The bar was usually busy with office parties and such, but I found this would be my opportunity to be what Bella needed. To my chagrin it wasn't as a boyfriend or a lover. No, what she needed at the moment was just an understanding boss.

"Hey, Bella." I said as she walked in the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. I finally saw something I could do that could really mean something to her. "Can I talk to you about the upcoming schedule?" She nodded but it wasn't without hesitation. She was wary, I could tell.

"Sure, do you want to change it or something?"

"Actually, I know you have finals coming up and you'll be needing to focus on getting ready for them. I was thinking you could pencil yourself in for whatever shifts you think can do over the next few weeks. No pressure. I can work around whatever works the best for you." She took a look at the calendar I had out. I could tell that she was surprised which wasn't a shocker considering the last time she tried to put her schooling first I totally acted like a dick.

"Um…" She continued to look at the calendar while figuring things out in her head. "Can I do different shifts each week depending on what's going on?

"Sure and if you want, you can think about it. Let me know by Wednesday or so. If that would help, that is." Bella didn't say anything. She just stared at me with this intensity that made me wonder if she thought I was full of shit. I was starting to feel awkward under her gaze, but I had nothing to add. For once I had no hidden agenda. I just wanted to be what she needed, a good boss. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity she spoke.

"I can do that." She looked down at the calendar once more before lifter her eyes to meet mine. Her lower lip had been momentarily taken hostage by her teeth and a few pieces of hair had escaped her pony tail and framed her face perfectly. God, she was fucking beautiful. All I wanted to do was take her in her arms and kiss her like she's never been kissed before. But as Fred said, I needed to be patient.

Patience sucks ass.

"Okay then, let me know." I said as I picked up the calendar with the intent of putting it back in my office. My legs felt like lead as I walked away from her. I only got to the end of the bar when I heard her voice.

"Edward?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to acknowledge her. When I did I was taken back. She was smiling a real genuine smile. Her eyes radiated a warmth that just drew me in and covered me like a blanket. And for the first time in what seemed like a very long time, they were for me.

"Yeah." I responded.

"Thank you, really. This will help me a lot." And then, her smile got just a little bit wider and reached all the way to her eyes. I smiled back.

I decided right then that having patience wasn't really that bad after all.

Thanks again for reading! ~Isannah