Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
Edward's POV

I reached up and ran a hand through my hair. Yesterday had been an unbelievably busy day, but so far, today had been crawling. I was standing by the window, staring out into the gloomy gray that seemed to fit my mood, when I saw one of the new Volvo C30s pull up in front of the bookstore. From where I was standing, I couldn't see into the car, but I was guessing it was someone coming to take a look at the space next door. Whoever it is can't be that bad. They obviously have great taste in cars, I thought with a smirk.

My heart skipped a beat when the door opened and the woman who'd haunted my dreams for the last week got out. I watched as she went to the back, pulled out an armload of stuff, and headed toward the store. I nearly ran out to help when I saw her trip over the curb, but she caught her balance before she could fall. She bit her lower lip and looked around sheepishly, and I felt a stirring in my pants when the most beautiful blush crept up her cheeks, turning her the most wonderful shade of pink. Thankfully, she didn't see me inside the store, or I'd have felt more like a Peeping Tom than I already did.

She straightened up and shook it off before continuing up to the door, out of my view. I went back to the counter to finish the inventory sheet I'd been looking over earlier. When the bell over the door dinged, I set it aside and then spent the next few minutes helping a father and son pick out the little boy's first trumpet.

Once they'd paid and left the shop, I realized I hadn't seen anyone else come or go from the bookstore. I decided to take a quick peek outside to see if she was waiting for someone. When I didn't see her outside, I stepped out and walked casually down the sidewalk a bit, keeping an eye out for customers back at my own place.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut when I saw that the realtor's sign was gone from the window and the windows themselves had been covered with paper. Written in thick, black marker were the words: BELLA'S BOOKS OPENING SOON!

Bella. What a perfect name for her. I was almost giddy with excitement, feeling like a teenager again as I walked quickly back to my shop. Once inside, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and then picked up the phone.

"Alice's Love Line. May I assist you in finding love?"

I rolled my eyes when I heard her insane greeting. "I take it Emmett filled you in..."

My little sister's voice almost twinkled when she laughed. "Of course he did! Now you tell me. Emmett said she was cute?"

I sighed. "Normally, Emmett tends to overstate things, but in this case..." My voice trailed off.

"Yes? C'mon, spill, big brother."

Damn, she was nothing if not persistent. "She was...is...beautiful. I was calling to tell you, but dumbass beat me to it. Here's something you'll learn before Em, though. Her name's Bella, I think, and she just bought the store next to mine. A sign in the window says Bella's Books will be opening soon."

I had to laugh when she squealed so loudly that I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "So, dinner Friday night, all five of us at Em's? We can talk more about her then."

"Sounds good. I'll call Rose and talk about what Jasper and I can bring. You bring the wine, and lots of it, since we're gonna have lots to talk about. See you Friday, Eddie!"

"See you then." I heard her hang up, laughing, as I added, "And don't call me Eddie!"

~*~*~CIBD~*~*~

Bella's POV

I got back to Angela and Ben's apartment, changed into sweats and a T-shirt, and then started getting dinner together. I had a few hours until they'd be home, so I figured a homemade lasagna would be a nice way to celebrate the new store.

Once the lasagna was in the oven, I decided to sit down and try to write some. I'd been working on this stupid novel for a few months and barely had a few chapters to show for it. Of course, if I'd been satisfied with everything I'd written, it would probably already be nearly finished. As it was, I'd written and rewritten so many chapters that I could recite every bit of by memory by now if I had to.

As was the case on most days, Angela arrived home later to find me knee deep in crumpled paper. Figuratively, of course, since I was on a laptop and not a typewriter, but she could always tell by my expression how well a writing session had gone.

"Hey, Bells! Make any progress?" She was my biggest supporter and was always checking with me when she saw that I'd been writing.

I sighed. "Not much. A few pages." I closed the laptop and followed her back into the kitchen. After I washed my hands, I began to make a salad and some garlic butter to spread on the bread. "How was your day, Ang?"

Angela was the assistant librarian for the Port Angeles Public Library, a position that I knew she loved. Ben had gotten a job with a computer place here in town after graduation, and they'd moved here, wanting to stay close to their families. When I'd finally decided what I wanted to do, they'd invited me to stay with them for as long as I needed to. They were also the reason I'd decided to stay in Port Angeles instead of going back to Seattle. Being so much closer to Charlie was another plus, as well.

She set the bottle of wine she was carrying on the counter. "It was great! As you know, today was preschool day, so we had little kids running around all morning listening to story time."

I laughed when she put air quotes around listening. "Did they leave a mess this week, too?"

"No, thank goodness! No crafts today, just stories." She pretended to wipe her brow before smiling. "Need any help?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "I've got it covered. The lasagna should be ready in another twenty minutes or so. I'll pop the bread into the oven while that rests and put the salad in the fridge when I'm done with it until we're ready to eat. You have time for a quick shower if you want, or we can just have a glass of wine and chat."

"Thanks, Bells. Pour me a glass, please? I'm gonna go change clothes, and then we can talk." She smiled and then headed back to their bedroom.

When Ben got home a few minutes later, we were on our second glass of wine and talking about the stuff I'd done at the store after I'd signed the papers. He gave Angela a kiss and then pulled a pretty bouquet of sunflowers out from behind his back, presenting them to me with an exaggerated flourish.

"What in the world?" I asked, confused, but pleased. It'd been much longer than I cared to admit since I'd gotten flowers from a man.

"Congratulations on getting the store, Bella! Ang called to tell me right after you called her today. I just wanted to show you that we're both very excited and happy for you." He gave me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before taking off his jacket and hanging it up in the coat closet.

My eyes welled up with tears. "Thanks, Ben. You guys are the best! I couldn't have done it if you hadn't invited me to stay with you."

He chuckled and sniffed the air appreciatively. "Well, it hasn't exactly been a hardship, Bella... That is your lasagna I smell, isn't it?"

Laughing, I handed him the glass of wine I'd just poured and said, "Go change clothes, hungry man. It should be ready by the time you get back."

Angela got the salad from the fridge and set the table while I pulled the lasagna out and quickly smothered the bread with my garlic butter before sliding it into the oven, keeping a careful eye on it so it wouldn't burn. I was piling the bread into a basket and setting it and the lasagna on the table when Ben came back into the kitchen.

The three of us sat down at the table, and Angela poured us all fresh glasses of wine.

I raised my glass and said, "I'd like to propose a toast. You guys are the best friends I could ask for. Thank you for everything and for being here to help celebrate my purchase!"

We took a drink, and then Ang cleared her throat and said, "Actually, Bella, we have a few other things to celebrate tonight, too."

I raised my eyebrow in curiosity, and she reached into her pocket, fiddled with something in her lap for a second, and then held her left hand up to me. On her finger was a beautiful diamond ring.

"Ang!" I gasped.

She blushed and smiled happily. "Ben asked me last weekend to marry him, and I said yes. We wanted to tell both our families before we told anyone else, and I knew you were nervous about getting the store, so I waited to tell you until it was a done deal."

I reached over and hugged her tightly. "That's so fantastic! I'm so happy for you both!" I smiled at Ben, who smiled back, looking a bit nervous. "What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly feeling a tension in the room.

Angela sighed quietly and looked down at her hands.

Ben reached across the table and took her hand in his before he answered. "Last week, my boss called me in and said that they had been really impressed with my work and that I was being given a promotion and raise."

I waited, knowing that he had to have more to say since that alone wouldn't have caused Angela to get so tense and anxious.

"The new position is in their Seattle office. They want me to start in two weeks."

I took a deep breath, feeling like I'd been punched in the stomach. I didn't really know many other people in town very well. What would I do without them? Then I took one look at Ben's gaze moving over Angela's face and saw her eyes filled with unshed tears. I knew how I had to handle the news.

Pasting a smile on my face, I said, "Ben, that's great! Of course, I'll miss you both like crazy, but Seattle's only a couple of hours away. This is a great opportunity for you guys, and I couldn't be happier! Ang, sweetie, I'm okay, really. I can tell you were worried about telling me, but I'm a big girl. We'll talk all the time, and you won't get out of letting me help plan the wedding!"

At that, she finally broke down, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I'll miss you so much, Bells. Thank you for being so happy for us!"

I squeezed her tight and then held her away from me so she could look at my face. "Ang, no more tears! This is a celebration! I've got a brand new bookstore of my very own, Ben got a promotion, and you, my dear friend, are getting married! I'm truly thrilled for you both." I waited until her tears stopped and the smile reappeared, and then I let her go and asked, "Okay, so, who wants lasagna?"

We sat and talked while we ate and drank most of the bottle of wine Angela had brought home. Finally, Ben told us to go on and relax, that he would do the dishes since I'd cooked. Ang said she would help him, so I gave them each another hug and said good night.

I went into my room and shut the door. After that dinner, I was definitely in the mood for a nice long soak in the tub. I grabbed a book and went into the guest bathroom, which was conveniently attached to my bedroom. Locking both doors, I filled the tub with hot water, turned the radio on the counter to a soft rock station, undressed, and slowly slid into the bath. Then, and only then, did I drop the mask and let my tears fall.

I cried for what seemed like hours. I cried because I was going to miss having someone around to talk to about my day. I cried because I realized I would be all alone when I made the biggest move of my entire life in opening and running the bookstore. Finally, I cried because as happy as I was for the woman that had been my best friend for years, I was also insanely jealous and incredibly sad that I had no one special in my life, now or in the foreseeable future.

The cool water in the tub finally alerted me to the fact that I'd been in there too long. I got out, pulling the plug to drain the water, and wrapped a towel around my body. Another went around my head to soak up the water from my hair.

I got ready for bed, and as I lay there in the dark, drifting off to sleep, I heard Angela and Ben whispering softly to one another as they made their way to their room. My bed suddenly felt huge and empty. I wrapped the quilt around me, and for the first time in a long time, I cried myself to sleep.