Bella's POV

After the girls kicked the guys' behinds at several games, they finally shooed us away so they could play in peace without their egos getting wounded any more than they already were.

Alice grabbed one laundry basket full of bedding and handed it to me before grabbing the other for herself. "Let's go to your bedroom and choose which sheets you want on, Bella," she said excitedly. "Rose, can you switch the last load with the curtains in it to the dryer? Angela, come on! We have to have your opinion, too."

I smiled, happy to see my new friends including my old friends so easily in all the activities. "I think I know which set I want on already. I love all three sets Ang and I picked out the other day, though, so I keep changing my mind."

The others laughed.

"Bells, show them this one," Angela said as she pulled out the "smoke flower" comforter.

"Oh, yeah, I loved that one. The blues and purples are gorgeous together."

Alice cocked her head, studying the comforter and sheets that Angela had also pulled from the basket. "Yeah, I like that. That's a gorgeous shade of purple," she said, pointing to the outside of some of the flowers.

"It was a hard choice for me to narrow them down," I told them honestly. "They're all so pretty, so I got them all. Can someone help me make the bed with these and the others fold the rest so I can put them in the linen closet, please?"

"I'll help you make the bed," Rose said, taking the sheets from Angela.

"Thanks." I smiled, grabbing my side of the fitted sheet from her. "So Edward has told me a little about you guys, but not much. What do you both do?"

Alice said, "I'm a buyer for Macy's right now, but I'm also working on my own fashion line. That's what I wanna do. Jasper's almost finished with his Master's in history and education. When he finishes next month, we're moving down here, and he's gonna teach history at the high school."

"Wow, that's cool." I smiled, and Angela nodded in agreement. "Do you have any clothes already made or just drawings so far?"

"I have a few pieces I've sewn, but mostly just designs at this point. Once we've moved, I'll concentrate on that fully and will definitely sew more."

"What about you and Emmett, Rose?"

"We own Hot Bod's Auto downtown." She rolled her eyes. "Emmett wouldn't budge on the name. He said it could mean the car bodies to the customers, but everyone who knows us would know it meant the two of us."

Angela and I laughed so hard, we had a hard time doing what we were supposed to be doing.

"I don't know him well, of course, but from everything I've seen, that sounds like him!"

"Oh, don't worry. With Emmett, what you see is what you get. He's a dork, but he's my dork, and I wouldn't trade him for anything." She smiled, and it was easy to see the love she felt for him in her eyes.

"Edward told us a bit about you last night at dinner, Bella, but we'll have plenty of time to get to know you more. Angela, what do you and Ben do?" Alice asked.

"Right now, I'm an assistant librarian at the public library, and Ben works for a computer store. He installs software and hardware, finds and fixes system issues, and does some web design, as well. We're moving to Seattle because he got a promotion and they want him at the main office there. It's a great opportunity, so he really couldn't say no, even though it means leaving Bella." She frowned and looked worriedly at me.

I smiled. "In all the rush this week, I haven't even thought to ask... Are you planning on looking for a job at one of the libraries there in Seattle?"

Smiling, she nodded. "I think so. As you know, I really do love my job. I'm hoping I'll be able to find one there. If I can't, I might look at the schools and see if any of them are looking for a librarian. If all else fails, maybe I'll go back to school." She shrugged. "Who knows at this point. Hey, Bella, tell them about the book you're writing!"

"Oooh, you're writing a book? What kind?" Alice asked, grinning.

I blushed. "I'm not that far into it yet. It's gonna be a vampire romance, I think, combined with some mystery."

"That's cool," Rose said. "Mysteries are my favorite. Alice likes romance and supernatural books most."

"You guys'll have to stop by downstairs and see if there's anything that catches your eye. It's on the house for your help today," I said, smiling as we put the last of the pillows on the bed.

"Aww, thanks, Bella! Here, you put these away while I grab the curtains. We can ask the guys to hang the rods, and then we'll get the curtains hung up."

I took one stack of sheets from her, while Angela had an armful of a stack of comforters. I heard Rose and Alice head down the hall and stop at the dryer to get the curtains, and then Rose asked the guys if they would help with the rods since they were all taller than we were.

"Here, Ang," I said, walking out to the linen closet in the hall. "Put the cherry blossom one on the top shelf if you can reach, and then I'll put the matching sheets on it."

She stretched, but couldn't quite reach. "Looks like you need to buy a step stool," she said, laughing. "Hey, Edward, could you come help Bella, please?"

I shot her a glare, but she simply giggled.

Within seconds, Edward was at my side. "What's up?"

Angela handed him the comforters. "We can't reach. You help Bella, and I'll go in and help Alice and Rose control the guys. Thanks," she said before disappearing around the corner, winking at me behind Edward's back.

Edward smiled. "The place looks great, Bella. I love all the furniture you chose. Now, where do you want these?"

I instructed him the same way I had Angela and then handed him the correct sheet set to put with it. We stacked the violets set on top of that and then closed the door.

"Thank you for the help," I said, blushing. "I, uh, guess I need to get a step stool up here, too. I knew I'd need one down in the store, but hadn't thought about up here."

"No problem. Until you get one, I'm just a few steps away." He smiled and put his hand on my lower back, leading me gently back to the bedroom, where the rest of the group was now hanging the second set of curtains.

After they were hung, we all went into the living room.

Alice said, "Bella, are you staying here now or going back to Angela and Ben's house until they move?"

I looked at Ang. "Well, I still have a lot of stuff over there. I, uh, thought I'd stay there and take the week to pack it up and help them pack, if that's okay?"

She nodded. "Of course it's okay!"

I smiled with relief.

"Smart," said Alice. "Well, Jazz and I are going back to Seattle tomorrow, but we'll be back down next weekend, so if you guys need any help, please just let us know."

"That goes for us, too," Emmett said as Rose nodded. "Well, the help part, I mean. We aren't going to Seattle."

I grinned. "Thanks, everyone. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your help today." I saw Edward glance at his watch. "You should probably get back to your store, shouldn't you? I feel guilty that your assistant has had to spend so much time this week on her own!"

He smiled. "Yeah, I need to go. Don't worry, though. Sasha loves it when I leave her by herself. It's the only time she gets to play on the piano. If I'm there, I'm usually on it." He looked at his family. "You guys coming now, too?"

"Yep, we need to get home to check on the dogs, and then we're gonna take Alice and Jasper around house hunting. Bella, is it okay if we get your number from Edward later?"

I smiled. "That would be great, but only if I can get all of yours from him, too."

They all smiled and nodded as we walked back to the living room.

"Thank you guys for all your help today. It really meant a lot and made things go much faster and easier than it would have been otherwise."

Alice and Rose gave Angela and Ben hugs before coming up to me and hugging me tightly. "We'll talk to you again soon, Bella."

Jasper smiled at Angela and me then shook Ben's hand. Emmett wasn't nearly as shy and shocked me when he grabbed me in a big bear hug.

"Emmett...can't breathe," I gasped playfully.

He laughed and set me down. "It was good to meet Eddie's little friend. Don't be a stranger," he said, winking at me.

I laughed and looked at Edward, who was grinning and watching me.

Someone coughed, and then Angela said, "We'll go outside to get some fresh air and then come back inside in a few minutes, okay, Bells?"

I nodded my thanks and smiled at Angela as she ushered everyone but Edward out the door. After it closed behind them, I put my hands in my pockets and looked around shyly.

Edward came up to me and tilted my face up. "Thank you for being so nice to my family, Bella Swan."

I smiled. "It was easy. I liked them, Edward. A lot. I think Alice, Rose, and I are gonna become really good friends. The guys are fun, too...Eddie," I teased.

He growled, ruffling my hair, and then trailed his hand softly down my cheek. "Call me anytime, Bella, even if you just wanna talk. I'm a pretty good listener."

He leaned down, and for a moment, I thought he was going to kiss my lips. Instead, he brushed a soft kiss across my cheek before stepping back and quietly leaving the apartment.

Just a minute later, the door opened again, and Angela and Ben walked in, stopping short when they saw me standing there in a daze.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Angela's voice sounded concerned, and it snapped me out of my frozen state.

I nodded before collapsing on the sofa. "I'm good. Edward just surprised me, that's all." I grinned, unable to hide my glee.

"Oh? How?"

"He, uh, kissed my cheek when he said goodbye. Not that big a deal," I said, shrugging.

Angela let out a squeal and flopped down beside me.

Ben rolled his eyes and grinned before turning toward the kitchen. "Anyone want something to drink?"

We both said yes and then turned back to each other to chat.

"So, just on the cheek?" Angela prompted.

"Yes. It was very sweet," I said, defending him.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not criticizing him, Bells. I think that's great! See? I told you he liked you!"

Ben walked back in and handed us each a Coke. "Geez, Bella, even I could've told you that! Why else would he have shown up this morning and brought his family to help you move in?"

I shrugged. "Being neighborly?" I didn't want to get my hopes up. After my last experience with a guy in college, I didn't consider myself exactly a great judge of character in men.

"Nah, being neighborly would've just been to welcome you if he saw you out and about. The man offered to paint the trim around your door and window and then painted the store name and stuff, taking time away from his own business to do it. Then without any of us asking, he showed up this morning with his family, helped you move in, and kissed you? He's got it bad, Bella. Just be careful, okay? He seems like a nice guy, and your dad seems to like the family, but..." Ben's voice trailed off, and I knew he was thinking about my experience with James.

"Thanks, Ben. I know. I will be." I paused. "So...what'd you guys think of him? Of his family?"

Angela laughed. "Alice is a lot like me, I think. It's good that I won't have to worry about you wearing sweats and ratty T-shirts all the time after we move. Once she's here, I'm sure you'll be playing plenty of Bella Barbie!"

I groaned at the thought.

"Rosalie was harder to pinpoint, but she seems okay, too. Very protective of the others, which is sweet. Her husband sure is huge! I knew of them through my parents, but they obviously didn't tell me that sort of stuff! He seems like a giant teddy bear, though. Jasper was a lot more quiet, but every time he looked at Alice, you could just see how much he loved her. Edward was very sweet, and every time you walked by, his eyes were on you. Not in an obsessive way or anything creepy like that. Just like he was interested in whatever you were doing."

Ben nodded. "The guys were a lot of fun to hang out with. I think you're gonna have some great friends here. I didn't feel excluded when you ladies were in the other room and we were out here playing video games. They made me feel comfortable and included, even though I'd just met them, really."

"That's good," I said, smiling. "I'm glad they all treated you well. That's important to me, ya know? Okay, so moving on...how about we head home for the day? I need to drop off the truck, so you guys can follow me. Then I say we rent some movies and just relax the rest of the day. Tomorrow is soon enough to start packing up the house," I said almost wistfully.

"Sounds good to me," Angela said, smiling sadly. "I'm definitely up for putting off packing. Movies sound perfect."

"How about we do snack night tonight for dinner? After pizza for lunch, I say we just make it a 'bad food day' all around and do chicken wings, taquitos, chips and dip...whatever else we can find that's bad for us but makes us happy. If you guys want, I can go to the store and get movies and food and then meet you at home after you drop off the truck."

"Perfect, Ben," I said. "You guys head downstairs. I'm gonna grab my wallet and keys and will meet you down there in a minute."

After they were gone, I made sure all the trash was thrown away and the lights were off. Taking one last look around my new apartment, I glanced out the living room window into Edward's. His curtains were closed, but I could see lights on and people moving around inside. I smiled and touched my cheek softly before grabbing the things I needed, locking the door behind me as I left the apartment.

~*~*~CIBD~*~*~

Edward's POV

I left Bella's apartment, my lips almost buzzing from kissing her cheek. I'd wanted to kiss her so badly, but at the last second, I'd chickened out and moved to brush them against her cheek. I wasn't sure how she'd have reacted had I done what I really wanted to do, so I'd played it safe. Once I got to my store, I asked Sasha how the day had gone.

"It's been good. It was busy this morning, but since lunch, it's been pretty dead. I finished the paperwork you started yesterday, too."

I looked at my watch. It was only an hour until I normally closed up shop on Saturday, so I made a spur-of-the-moment decision. "Thank you so much for coming in today. Take Monday and Tuesday off. Also, go ahead and head out now. I'm gonna close up early."

"Are you sure?" She looked excited about the days off and about getting off early, but also hesitant about leaving now.

"I'm positive. You've earned it, after all the time you've spent covering for me over the last week."

"Thanks, Edward! I'll see you Wednesday morning." She grabbed her purse from behind the counter and patted my shoulder as she went by. "By the way, I'm glad it went well with Bella today. Your family said they had a good time."

I smiled. "It did go well. We all had a great time, although I think I'll be feeling it tomorrow! There was a lot of furniture!"

She laughed before heading out the door, pausing to flip the sign around to Closed. I locked the door behind her and then turned off the store lights. Closing out the register, I put the money in the safe in the office and then ran up the stairs to my apartment. I was really curious about hearing everyone's reactions to Bella and her friends.

When I got into the apartment, Rose and Alice were sitting at the table talking, while the guys reclined on the couch, watching some show about when bears attack. I went to the kitchen, grabbed a Coke, and then sat down at the table with the girls. I heard the TV click off moments before Emmett and Jasper came in, grabbed their own drinks, and sat down with us.

"So..." I said, unable to hide my grin. "That was Bella."

"That was fun, Edward," Alice said happily. "I think we're gonna become great friends. She's very sweet."

I nodded. "I think so, too, Alice. Rose, what'd you think?"

She shrugged. "She was nice. Kind of quiet. Definitely your type."

Emmett and Jasper laughed when I blushed. Together, they sang, "Eddie's got a crush. Eddie's got a crush."

It was my turn to laugh when Alice and Rose both reached out and smacked them on the back of their heads.

"Don't tease your brother," Rose said to Emmett. "It's a good thing. Now Alice and I don't have to keep trying to set him up."

I heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! Those dates were getting worse and worse," I mumbled. Everyone laughed, and I decided it was time to change the subject. "I closed up early, so if you guys wanna go look at houses, I'm up for it."

"Oh, good. It'll be a lot more fun with all of us looking," Alice said happily.

We all grabbed our stuff and left the apartment. I saw that the U-Haul and all of the cars from next door were already gone. I smiled a bit sadly, thinking that hopefully it wouldn't be too long before I saw Bella again.