Thank you everyone who is reading my story! Only three days left before I have to go back to school and my life will be about planning, grading papers, etc. I will try to get in one more chapter before my vacation is over and then I will do my best, probably every one-two weeks. Enjoy!

AN: I do not own Twilight and all errors are my own.

Chapter 15

The Beginning of Friendship

EPOV

Now that Bella was done with school until mid-January she was all geared up to work as much as possible. Outside of a couple of evenings that she was babysitting for Emmett and Rosalie she was free for every shift available. She wanted to earn some cash for Christmas presents, a new laptop, and her books for next semester. I was more than willing to oblige. Not only would she be a huge help in getting us through our holiday rush, I would get the thrill of seeing her almost every day.

I couldn't fucking wait.

My stomach was in knots the morning after I helped Bella ditch that toolbox, Mike. As it got closer for me to go open the bar I kept questioning everything I did and said the night before. Bella was scheduled to work and I wasn't sure what kind of vibe would be there now that there was no alcohol in her system and no fucking courage in mine. The questions plagued my mind.

Will it be awkward?

Will she pretend like last night never happened?

Should I act like it never happened?

Did I really admit that I wanted her to be my girlfriend?

Does she hate the idea?

She can't be too repulsed by me. Otherwise she would have just told Mike that she wasn't interested. Right?

Will I ever get to kiss her again?

I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. I was turning into a fucking pre-pubescent teenage girl. What the fuck was wrong with me? Knowing Bella, things were going to be just fine today. I was reassured by the warm and genuine smile she greeted me when she came in for her shift. Now I just had to play it cool.

"Hey, Edward. Um, thanks for last night. You really helped me out of a jam. I owe you one."

Play. It. Cool.

"Well, since you owe me, how about you let me take you on a date. You know…since you owe me and all." And then I winked. Fucking winked. Like a creeper.

Not cool, not cool at all you idiot.

The smile I had been enjoying slowly faded. She was not expecting that turn of events and it was obvious I made her uncomfortable.

"I don't think…" I knew what she was going to say and I didn't want to hear it.

"I know you what you're going to say and let me just say this first. I didn't mean to ask you on a date. Well, I did but not now and certainly not in the weird way that just happened, which by the way was really weird even by my standards and just… really fucking awful…" I was rambling and sounding more and more crazy with every word. I needed to get a grip before she thought I was completely insane and ran away.

Get your shit together, Masen.

I stopped talking, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. When I opened them, she was still there which was a very good thing.

"What I meant to say is I didn't mean to ask you like that but since it's out there, if you are willing I would love take you on a date. A real date. However, I understand why you would say no and you can say no if want and I won't take offense. I promise." The relief on her face, to my chagrin, was monumental. "But that being said, just promise me that you will not completely rule out the possibility of saying yes sometime in the future." At first she didn't answer and I thought I was completely fucked. Finally, her stance relaxed a little as she figured out how she wanted to answer me.

"Okay, Edward. I won't rule it out completely." I must have looked like a kid on Christmas because she held up her hand to calm me down. "But honesty, I don't see it happening. However, I think I the idea of trying to become friends. That is if you still want that." I nodded enthusiastically.

"Trust me, I want. Friends it is."

I just had to figure out how to do that. Being friends with a woman, any woman was a new concept for me. Trying to be friends with Bella when all I wanted to do was ravish every inch of her body seemed next to impossible. But I was determined.

I desperately needed an impartial expert. I was just about to ask Jasper but then I saw Alice make him try on a Christmas sweater that had Rudolph on the front with a nose that actually lit up and decided that his perspective was not what I needed or wanted. Luckily Fred came in for a bite to eat a couple days later saving me from having to ask Jasper.

"So friends, you say?" Fred eyed me like I was full of shit.

"I'm really trying to be patient and what she needs. That's what you told me, right?" He nods. "So right now she has made it clear that she needs nothing more than a friend. At least that's what she needs from me. But I suck at this. I have no idea how to be a friend to a woman, especially one I'm interested in. You have to help me."

"Well first let me ask this. Do you pretty much only see her here, at the bar?

"Yeah, she's works a lot."

"Okay, I guess my first suggestion would be to spend some time together outside of work. Get to know her in a setting that she'll be more likely to open up to you." That sounded good except that…

"How do I ask her to do something with me without it sounding like I asked her on a date. Because I already did that and she looked like she was going to pass out." I got queasy just thinking of that awkward moment.

"You just have to ask her to do the right activity. Choose something that is not intimate whatsoever and that you can do during the daytime." I started to rack my brain, coming up with nothing but blanks. Just then Fred's face lit up. "I got it. Christmas shopping.

Christmas shopping. It was perfect. I could ask her for some help. She was familiar with my family and their tastes, she already knew I was a horrible shopper, and a crowded mall was anything but romantic. And it's something friends would do together. Why didn't I think of it?

"That's brilliant, Fred! Thank you. Your dinner is on me." I smiled. He grumbled.

"Now Edward, every time I come here you find a reason to take care of my bill. I'm sure they taught you this is business school but in case you've forgotten, to make money you actually have to charge the customers. Now, I'm paying for my dinner and that's final." I just walked away because that was so not happening.

~GTa M~

Three days later on a Sunday I was fighting the mother of all erections brought on by Bella's scent that engulfed the entire car. I had picked her up a few minutes before so that we could go Christmas shopping. When I asked her, she seemed a little skeptical but agreed to help me.

"Now, the mall is going to be crazy. Let's make a list of what who we need to buy for and plan our path accordingly. That way we won't do any unnecessary double-backing. It should save time." I had never enjoyed shopping of any kind, but I found myself thinking that this was going to be fun. We spent the rest of the car ride talking about our family members and what we wanted to get them. It morphed into a conversation about the best and worst gifts we had ever received. I don't think I had ever laughed so hard in my life.

"Dry gas? In the mail? What the fuck?" Was all I could say as Bella told me of a Christmas present gone bad.

"It was the year I turned sixteen and my dad had bought me my truck?" I interrupted her.

"You mean that behemoth of a truck you drive now? The same one?"

"Hey, no hating on Hilda. She's seen me through everything," The adorable pout on Bella's face was begging me to kiss it. But I didn't.

"Fine, I'm sorry for insulting Hilda. What kind of a name is that? Anyway, it was the year you turned sixteen and you had just gotten Hilda." I urged her to continue.

"Grandma Swan thought I should have an emergency road kit. It had a bunch of stuff like Fix-A-Flat, a flashlight, jumper cables, road flares, and dry gas. It was really a good idea."

"Yeah, if you want to blow something up. Dry gas and road flares…in the mail? That's gotta be against the law."

"Probably but Grandma Swan didn't know any better. The worst part, the dry gas leaked and everything in the package was ruined. We had to throw all of the gifts away. To this day she has no idea. My mother bought a shirt that looked identical to the one Grandma gave my father just so she could send her a picture of him in it." I loved her smile as she fondly remembered the image.

"Oh my god, that's awful. At least no one was blown up." I snorted out a laugh.

"There is that." She said before we both broke out into another round of giggles.

A few hours later we had tackled the entire mall and came out victorious. She had bought for everyone on her list and I had found something for everyone on mine…except for one. Her.

I would have to take care of that later.

I suggested a victory coffee a little diner a few miles from the mall. She eagerly accepted stating that she needed something to revive her from all that shopping. When we got there we realized we never had lunch and decided to have an early dinner as well.

"Are you sure this isn't anything else I can get for you?" We had finished our meal and the waitress with the Double-D fake tits was checking on us. "Dessert? Some more coffee?"

"Do you want anything else, Bella?" She shook her head and scowled a little bit. What that was all about, I had no idea. But it had me worried. I turned back to the waitress. "I think just the check. Thanks." I turned back to Bella but she was completely fixated on the waitress.

"The Masen effect strikes again. Another victim bites the dust." She muttered as the waitress sashayed across the diner.

"I'm sorry, the what?" I really had no idea what she was talking about.

"The Masen effect. That voodoo magic that seems to have women dropping their panties at your feet." My mouth must have dropped too the floor and I was too stunned for words. Bella just rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You know you're gorgeous. With that chiseled jaw, sparkling green eyes, and hair that screams I just fucked a girl within an inch of her life…and she loved it? That shit is like a tractor beam to our gender." I was shocked. I mean, I knew I was good looking and never had a problem using that to my advantage in the past, but to hear Bella talk about it…I don't know. It made me feel uneasy.

"That's just…I never meant…" I started to say a couple of things to defend myself but nothing seemed right or even true. I was suddenly very uncomfortable in the direction this conversation was headed.

"Hey, it's not your fault that you can't even grow a few pimples once in a while." She chuckled dryly to herself as she moved food around her plate with her fork. "Women naturally gravitate to you just by you being you. I mean, look at me. I was no different."

And there it was. The pink elephant in the room. The thought of her putting herself in the same category as all of the other women before her made me sick. She looked up and I didn't like the sadness in her eyes. After all this time, she was still hurt by what happened between us.

"Bella…" I waited until she was really looking at me. "I know I apologized for everything that happened, but I really want you to know that I truly regret how I handled things after that night. Whether it was only meant to be that one time or something that would have grown into more, I realize now that what we shared was beautiful. And I ruined it. I wish I could go back and redo everything I said and did but I can't. I just hope one day you can look at me and not see the awful person that I never want to be again."

"I hope so too."

As do I, Bella. As do I.

Thank you so much for reading! ~Isannah