Disclaimer: Do not own. Never will. I is a sad panda.

A/N: Starting Nov 1, I will be doing NANOWRIMO. Basically, you have the month of Nov to write a 50,000 word novel. This will be my first year attempting to do this, so my updates may once every two weeks once Nov hits. Seeing as how I'm able to write around 5k words a week, I'm fairly certain I can write a craptastic novel in that time and keep up with this story, but just in case I can't, you've been warned. If anyone is interested in joining, just go to www (dot) nanowrimo (dot) org. Thank you to everyone that is reading and reviewing this story! Makes my day to see those reviews! Chylex28 ... you are the goddess of grammar. Thanks for fixing my crap.

Design For Life

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." ~Charles W. Eliot

EPOV

Bella and I had a thing. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was something. We spent four nights a week together. Cooking, eating, laughing. It was almost like we were dating, but we weren't. Or at least, I didn't think we were. She'd kissed me on the side of my lips a few times and always gave me hugs. It left me confused. I would have asked Jasper his opinion on it, but I was afraid that he'd make fun of me, so I did the next best thing. I called my dad.

"Hey, son."

"Hey, Dad."

"What's up?"

I let out a sigh. I hated feeling stupid. I explained my situation to him and asked him what he thought.

"Why don't you ask Bella?"

"Uh ... because I already feel like an idiot, and asking her if we're dating would make me sound like one."

"Just talk to her. That's the best advice I can give you."

I hung up with him and made the decision to talk to Bella. It was Bella's night to cook, so I decided to stop at the florist on the way home and pick up more flowers for her. It had become a tradition. She cooked, and I brought her flowers. Different ones every week. I was now on a first name basis with Lydia, the owner of Blooming Buds.

At six, I left the library, frowning at the weather. Snow was coming down, and I was worried about Bella driving in it. I made a quick stop at Blooming Buds, and picked up a bouquet that was all zen-like. It had purple dendrobium orchids, green carnations, dark pink Sweet William, an emerald palm leaf, and other tropical greens, arranged in a square kiwi-colored container. It was something that Bella would appreciate.

I got home, changed clothes, and looked out the window, noting that Bella's truck wasn't in the drive. That was odd. I called her cell, leaving a message when I got her voice mail. Twenty minutes passed, and there was still no call from Bella. I was doing my best not to freak out, but it was hard. I told myself that she was driving slow, and would call me once she got the chance. Forty-minutes later, I was a frantic mess. Remembering that Bella had given me both Jake and Seth's number in case of an emergency, I quickly dialed Jake. Frantically, I asked him if he'd heard from Bella. He hadn't, and was as worried as I was. Finally, my phone rang. It was Bella. Fingers trembling, I answered the phone.

"Bella! Where are you? Are you okay?" I blurted out, my voice full of panic.

"I hit a tree," I heard her say. Oh, God. Please let her be okay.

"Where are you?"

"On the 101, about fifteen miles outside of Forks, I think. I hit a patch of ice. I hurt," she whimpered.

"Hang on, Bella. I'll call the police and ambulance. Dad and I will be there in a few. Just stay on the line with me, okay?"

Grabbing my house phone, I dialed 911 and reported Bella's accident, then I hung up and called Dad. I explained the situation to him, and he told me he'd be right over. I called out Bella's name to make sure she was still on the cell with me, but I got no response. For the first time in my life, I let the swear words fly.

As soon as Dad pulled into the drive, I raced out to his car and threw open the door. Climbing in, I urged him to go.

"Son, you need to calm down. The ambulance is already on the way, and with the weather getting worse, it's best if we meet them at the hospital."

Knowing that he was right, I agreed. We made it to the hospital in record time. We'd been waiting for about thirty minutes, when the ambulance pulled in. Bella was on a stretcher, a brace around her neck. I rushed over to her, but was quickly pushed back by the EMTs. Dad grabbed my arm, to keep me back.

"Let them do their job. I'll find out what I can," he told me in a stern voice.

I nodded as I watched them wheel her away. Time seemed to drag as we sat and waited for any word. Seeing my obvious impatience, Dad wandered down the hall to see if he could garner any information.

"She's going to be okay," he said once he came back. "She has a couple of bruised ribs, a gash on her head that required stitches, a minor concussion, and a sprained wrist."

I made a choked sound as he described her injuries. Dad was quick to reassure me that it could have been worse. He was right. A little while later, we were allowed to go back and see her.

"Go ahead. I'm going to call your mother and let her know that Bella's okay."

I realized that I should probably call Seth and Jake and let them know as well.

"Hello," came the tense voice of Jake.

"It's Edward. Bella was in an accident. She hit a tree."

"Fuck! Is she okay? I knew I should have insisted that we drive her home. "

I listed her injuries to him, then told him what room she was in. He promised to come and visit her tomorrow when the roads were clear. I hung up the phone and headed into her room. Tears prickled my eyes when I saw her. She looked so fragile, lying in that bed. There was a bandage on her head, as well as a nasty looking bruise, and her left hand was in a brace.

She gave me a weak smile when she saw me.

"Hey," I said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," she said in a wobbly voice. I wanted nothing more than to reach over and wrap her up in a hug, so that's what I did. She clung to me, holding on tight, loosing the battle to hold her tears back. My heart broke, seeing her in pain. I pressed kisses in her hair as I rocked her gently.

"I'm so glad you're here," she mumbled into my chest.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. I'm just glad that you're okay and that you're safe," I said before pulling away.

Her eyes were puffy and red, tear tracks marked her cheeks. Reaching up I wiped a tear away with my thumb. My poor sweet girl. I let her know that I had called Jake and assured him that she was okay.

"Do you want me to call your parents?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll do it when I'm feeling a bit better. I'm not up for dealing with my mom right now," she said on a sigh.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and held her hand. We talked quietly until a nurse came in to take her vitals, check her pupils, and give her a dose of medication. They wanted to keep her awake as much as possible because of the concussion. I volunteered to stay as long as they'd let me. After the nurse left, Dad knocked lightly on the door.

"Hi, Bella. How are you doing sweetheart?"

"Meh," was her reply. Dad gave her a smile.

"Once those meds kick in, you'll be feeling pretty good," he said with a laugh.

Dad stayed for a bit, letting me know that he'd pulled some strings so that I could stay with Bella. I was glad. There was no way I could leave her right now. I curled up in an uncomfortable plastic chair, holding onto Bella's hand the whole time. At some point during the night, I must have nodded off. I felt a hand playing with my hair, running through it and tugging lightly on the ends. Slowly, I opened my eyes, confused as to where I was for a moment. Then, I remembered. Bella. At some point I had laid my head on the edge of her bed, and now her fingers were playing with my hair.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

I let out a yawn, unwilling to move my head away. "It's fine," I purred as she continued her ministrations. Reaching up, I caught her hand and pressed a kiss to it. I couldn't stop myself. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her and make her mine, but knew that it wasn't the right time.

"Hey, Edward?" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go on a date with me on Friday night, if I'm feeling better?"

My head jerked up, yanking her hand from my hair. What? My mind stuttered. I was sure that I was gawking at her. She began to fidget with the blanket, her head down. I thought I heard her mumble 'never mind' under her breath. I reached over and lifted her chin, although she avoided my gaze.

"Bella. Please look at me," I whispered. She slowly drew her eyes up to mine. "I would love to go out with you. I was actually attempting to work up the nerve to ask you," I told her with a nervous laugh.

Her smile bloomed. "It's a date, then! Assuming they let me out of here by then."

"I'm pretty sure that they're going to spring you later today. That'll give you a day to rest up before Friday. So, what are we going to do on our date?"

A smirk graced her lips, and I felt a bit nervous. "Well ... I thought we'd get the hot, sweaty, animal sex out of the way, then maybe go out to dinner and a movie."

I choked on air. My brain was frozen, stuck on the whole animal sex part. She wanted to have sex with me! I couldn't believe it. She must be joking. I didn't even know how to have sex. I mean, I knew the mechanics of it all, but there was no way I could live up to what she was probably used to.

She let out a laugh at the stunned look on my face. "Calm down, Edward. I was kidding. Let's date for a while, then we'll get to the sex."

That didn't help me calm down at all. Was she seriously thinking about having sex with me?

"Seriously?" I croaked out.

"Seriously. I find you very attractive, and we have a good chemistry. Why wouldn't I want to sleep with you?"

I had no answer. I was pretty sure that I was going into shock. I opened my mouth a couple of times to say something, but nothing came out. Her hand came up and gently cupped my cheek.

"Oh, God. Did I break you?"

I snorted out a laugh. "No. I'm just ... processing. I find it very hard to believe that you would be attracted to me."

"Well, that's just stupid. You're a very attractive man, Edward."

The blush that I'd felt rising, swept up and took over my face. I ducked my head, unable to hold her gaze. "Thanks," I mumbled.

Not a few minutes later, we were interrupted by Jake and Seth. They both rushed in and wrapped her up in gentle hugs. They were beside themselves with guilt, but Bella was having none of it. She explained to them it wasn't their fault. It could have easily happened even if they had driven her.

"Hey, Little Cullen," Jake said, sitting beside me, while Bella and Seth talked.

Little Cullen? "Hi, Jake."

"How you holding up?"

"I'm better now. I was a terrified wreck earlier, when she didn't answer my calls. Then when she did, she said that she'd hit a tree. My heart about stopped."

"You care for her a lot, don't you?" he asked me softly.

I nodded. I wasn't ready to tell him exactly what my feelings were for her. I was still figuring that out, but I was almost positive that I was in love with her.

"We're going out on Friday, if she's feeling better," I told him.

"Nice. She had said she was going to ask you out. Glad that she did. You two are good for each other."

It meant a lot to me that Bella's closest friends thought we were good for each other. Despite the fact that we spent a lot of time together, I sometimes felt that I wasn't good enough for her. We all hung out for a while longer, until the doctor came in to check on her. After checking things out, he declared that she was well enough to leave, but to be careful. Dad came and got us and drove us to her house. We got her settled in, and I told her to call me if she needed anything. I didn't want to leave her, but I needed to go to work. Both Mom and Dad promised to stop by and check on her throughout the day, and that eased my worries some.

I got to work a bit late, but Mrs. Cope let me know that it was fine. It's not like we were busy. A few minutes after I started stamping the newspapers, Jasper sat down in the chair next to mine.

"How's Bella?"

"She'll be okay. She has some bruised ribs, some stitches, and a sprained wrist. It could have been so much worse," I said, my voice choking up a bit. I held the tears at bay, not wanting to come across as weak.

"I'm glad that she's okay, and that she has you to take care of her."

"Me, too. We're going out on Friday, if she's up for it."

His eyes lit up. "Nice! Way to go, bro."

I snorted. "She asked me. I hadn't quite worked up the nerve to ask her."

He shrugged his shoulders. "No matter. The point is that you're going on a date, with one, Bella Swan. Where you guys going?"

"Dinner and a move, I think."

"Don't you guys already do that? Like every week?"

Now that he mentioned it, he was right. We basically did do that. "Huh. I guess you're right. Maybe we'll do something else then. Nothing too stressful though. Her ribs are bruised pretty badly, and I know that must hurt her more than she lets on."

"Well whatever you end up doing, don't keep her out too late. She and I have a date on Saturday," he said with a grin.

My head snapped up, and I let out a low growl. He raised his hands in surrender as he laughed.

"Chill, dude. Not like a date date, but she's going with me to help pick out a ring for Ali. Why don't you tag along?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to get in the way."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Dude, it's fine. I need all the help I can get."

We spent the next twenty minutes talking, and telling Angela and Mrs. Cope of Jasper's plan to propose to my sister. They were very excited, both of them voicing ideas on the kind of ring that Jasper should buy. At around eleven, I got a phone call from an irate patron. I hated those phone calls. The kind where the person on the other end yells at me and informs that I have made a mistake. That there was no way they should have a fine on their card, and they swear up and down that they returned something. I put the jerk on hold and went to check the shelves. I came up empty handed and explained to him that it wasn't there.

"I turned it in! This is bull! I came in and handed it to you the other day! Now you're trying to say that you never got it! Is this how the library gets its money? By scamming people. I'm coming down there!" he yelled, before slamming the phone down in my ear.

I scowled. Great. Twenty minutes later, Mr. Newton stomped into the library. Mrs. Cope and Angela abandoned me, while Jasper, the coward, hid in the local history room. Mr. Newton leaned over the counter and got in my face.

"I turned that stupid book in last week. It's not my fault that you're inept at your job. I want that fine taken off of my card."

It was fifty cents. Fifty cents. Not fifty bucks. Cents. If he had been nice about it, I would have taken it off, but since he was being so rude, I refused to take it off.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't remove the fine. According to our records, you still have the book out. I can renew it for you if you'd like?"

"What I'd like is for you to remove the fine! I turned that book in. I even gave it to you."

"I don't recall you handing me the book, but I did a shelf check, and it isn't there. Chances are it's somewhere in your house," I told him calmly.

"Are you calling me a liar?" he roared.

A took a deep breath, steadying myself. I hated confrontation and didn't do well in these kinds of situations. Where was Emmett when I needed him?

"No, sir. I'm just saying that you might be mistaken. All I ask, is that you look at home again. I'll go ahead and renew the item so that you don't get any more fines."

I quickly renewed the book and wrote down the new due date for him. He snatched the paper out of my hand, stomping off, growling about stupid people. I'd bet a hundred dollars that he still had the book at home. I was right. Several hours later, Mrs. Newton came in.

"Hello, Edward."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Newton. How may I help you?"

"I just wanted to give these to you," she said, handing me the book that was supposedly returned, as well as a covered plate. "I'm sorry about Larry. There was no need for him to be rude to you. I hope you'll accept these muffins as an apology."

I thanked her, checked in the book, and took the plate of muffins to the back. Peeling the tin foil off, I found six banana bread muffins. Afraid that they might have been poisoned, I took a small bite. They weren't that great. A bit dry, but I could appreciate the effort that she put into them.

After closing, I headed to the grocery store to pick up something to make for dinner. Knowing that Bella probably wasn't up to coming over to my house, I figured we could just eat at hers. I gave her a quick call, just to make sure she was still up for dinner. She was, so I grabbed a frozen pizza and some chips.

I pulled into my drive, grabbed my groceries and headed over to her house. After a few seconds, she opened the door. She looked tired. Dark circles were under her eyes, and they looked rimmed with red. With my bag of groceries in one hand, I reached over and gave her a gentle hug.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," was her reply.

"We don't have to do this. I can go home and let you get some rest."

"Stay. Please. I've been resting all day."

"Doesn't look like it. You don't look so good," I said setting the groceries on her kitchen counter. Digging the pizza out of the bag, I read the directions, then turned the stove on.

"Gee, thanks. Way to make a girl feel good about herself," she said, a tinge of hurt in her voice.

Ah, man. I just messed up. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. You just look tired. You're still beautiful."

"Hmph."

Dang it! Fix this, Edward! "Look at me, please. I really didn't mean anything by it. I—God, help me, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm just messing this all up. I meant to say that you look tired. Like you haven't rested well. You know I think you're beautiful. Dark circles and all."

Realizing what I'd said, I dropped my head into my hands. She wrapped her arms around my waist, resting her cheek against my chest. "I know you didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry. I'm being bitchy. My ribs hurt like a motherfu—like a mother. The pain pills the doctor gave me take a while to kick in. Plus, it hurts every time I breathe."

I loosely wrapped my arms around her, cuddling her close, pressing kisses to the top of her head. I loved the way she felt in my arms. I could easily see her there forever. That startled me a bit. We weren't even dating yet, and I was already thinking in terms of forever.

Pulling away a bit, I led her into the living room. I helped her get situated on the couch, and told her not to move. "I'm at your beck and call tonight. Whatever you want, I'll get it for you."

"Whatever I want?"

Gulping slightly, I looked her in the eye. "Whatever you want."

"Hmm...," she said, tapping her finger against her bottom lip. "The possibilities are endless, but for now, I would like a glass of tea with lemon, please."

"Sure thing," I said winking. I wasn't sure where this confident Edward had come from, but I was hoping he'd stick around a bit. I poured her a glass of iced tea, popped the pizza in the oven, set the timer, and wandered back into the living room. I handed her the glass, then sat down next to her.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Are you sure you're going to be up to going out tomorrow night?"

"Trying to get out of a date with me?"

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous. I just don't want you to overextend yourself," I said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"As long as we don't go snowboarding or anything like that, I should be fine."

"Like I snowboard? Please. Haven't you figured out by now, that I'm a rather boring kind of guy."

She frowned. "I hate it when you put yourself down. You're not boring. A bit safe, but not boring."

"So you're thinking dinner and a movie?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Is that okay?"

"That's fine. Although Jasper pointed out to me, that we basically do that every week."

She let out a laugh. "He's right. We do. What should we do instead?"

I had no clue. It wasn't like I ever went on dates. I leaned my head on the back of the couch, thinking of what we could do at night in Forks or Port Angeles. Not a whole lot came to mind.

"I have no idea. Forks has nothing really. Maybe we can Google Port Angeles and see if there's something to do at night," I told her.

"Or we could stay in and cuddle on the couch. Have a romantic dinner here and watch a movie."

"Cuddling on the couch?"

"Yup. Haven't you ever cuddled on the couch?"

"No."

She looked shocked. "We'll have to fix that."

The timer went off, and I got up to get the pizza out of the oven. While it was cooling, I set the table for dinner. I thought a bit about what she said. Cuddling on the couch with her after a romantic meal sounded like a good deal to me. It meant I wouldn't have to share her with others. Then a thought hit me. What if she didn't want to go out because she was ashamed to be seen with me? I frowned at the thought.

"Why are you frowning?" her soft voice asked.

I spun around, not realizing that she had come into the kitchen.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me," she said in a stern voice.

Holy heck, that was hot. "I was thinking that maybe you wanted to stay in because you're embarrassed to be seen with me."

Anger stole over her face. "Edward Cullen! How could you think that? I'm not embarrassed by you. How could I be? You're gorgeous, you're smart. You're a perfect gentleman. I'm proud to be with you."

I shifted my feet, feeling embarrassed and sheepish. I hated that I'd made her angry. I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging on the strands. "It's hard for me, Bella. I haven't dated in forever, and I obviously have some self esteem issues that I need to work on."

She held out a hand, which I quickly took. She tugged me to her. "Don't let me hear you beating yourself up again, or I will smack you. Got that?"

I nodded. "Good. Let's eat so I can take a pain pill afterward. My stupid ribs are killing me," she said, before placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

Best five seconds of my life. Her warm lips pressed against mine. Tingles erupted throughout my body, and I could feel myself start to react to her. When she pulled away, I felt lost. She sat down at the table as if nothing had happened. How could she be so calm? Following her lead, I sat down and we began to eat. Over the course of our dinner, we decided that if she was feeling better and the weather was decent, we'd go out. If not, then we'd stay in and have a romantic dinner for two. I had no idea what that meant.

"As far as I'm concerned, any dinner I have with you is romantic."

Her brown eyes melted. "You are too sweet."

Ha. Did she not remember how I nearly messed up earlier?

After dinner was done, I made her go sit on the couch while I cleaned up dinner. Once done, I joined her on the couch. Sitting next to her, I realized that I had the perfect opportunity to cuddle with her. It took me a few moments to work up the nerve, before I placed my arm around her shoulder, pulling her into my side. I saw a small, almost smug, smile grace her lips as she leaned her head on my shoulder. Sometime during the documentary on tattooing that we were watching, my fingers found purchase in her hair. It was silky and smooth, and I couldn't resist touching it. She let out a contented sigh, snuggling as close as she could without causing her ribs to hurt anymore than they already did.

Once the show was over, it was time to head home. I hated leaving her. She walked me to the door, then hugged me. I loved her hugs. I held her gently, burying my face in her hair. It smelled like strawberry. I liked strawberries. I inhaled once more and she noticed.

"Are you huffing me?"

"No. I just like the way your hair smells."

"Thanks," she said giggling.

Standing on tiptoe she pressed a kiss to my lips again. This time, I had the sense to kiss her back. I had very little experience in the kissing department, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. Her lips felt perfect, pressed against mine. Her kiss did things to me. It drove me crazy, and I tried to discretely adjust myself. I had no control over my body when she was this close to me. Finally, we parted, our glazed eyes meeting.

"Good night, Edward."

"Good night, Bella," I told her softly, pressing one last kiss to her lips.

I slowly walked to my house, hardly daring to believe that I had just kissed Bella. Then Katy Perry's song, I Kissed a Girl, started playing in my head. I had kissed a girl, and I liked it. I was such a dork. But I was a dork who had a date with the most beautiful woman on earth, and I couldn't wait.

a/n: Some how 'bout them apples? Got a bit of smooching going on! Next up will be the date. Let me know what you thought!