Thursday
Bella's POV

According to the note they'd left in the kitchen for me, I'd woken up shortly after Angela and Ben left for Forks. I was really happy to see the addition from Ben at the end that said he'd loaded the boxes I'd labeled to take to my apartment into my car for me. Since I didn't have a ton to do today, I wasn't in a big rush. A long, hot shower was up first, just to relax, and then a breakfast of eggs and fruit before I started making up an ad for the paper.

I was planning on splurging and getting a half-page ad for Friday through Sunday, and after some thought, I decided to keep it in for Monday, as well, since that was officially the grand re-opening. In addition to the store name, I included the beautiful line about dreams and imaginations that Edward had painted on the window, the address, and all the other important information. I also added a "coupon" of sorts, saying that if they brought in the ad, then they would get one book free with their purchase. Finally, I found some cute artwork online and printed it out in black and white to have the newspaper include in the ad.

While in the shower, I'd had a neat idea for the store, so after getting the ad stuff ready, I made a shopping list of the things I would need. I left Ang a note, even though I expected to be back way before they were, grabbed all my stuff, and left the house, planning to stop at the newspaper before heading to Wal-Mart.

The stop at the paper didn't take as long as I expected. The young woman that helped me was short and quite perky, reminding me a lot of Edward's sister, Alice.

"This'll look great, Ms. Swan! I love the picture of the books you chose to go along with it. I'll definitely be coming in on Monday to check out your stuff." She lowered her voice to a near whisper and leaned in, confiding, "I hope you have a good selection of Harlequin romances. I'm a closet freak about them!"

I chuckled. "Please, call me Bella, and yes, I believe I do have a decent selection. I love them myself, as well. Of course, I read just about anything."

She smiled. "I knew I liked you, Bella! We trashy romance readers have to stick together. You wouldn't believe the flack I used to get when I told people I liked those types of books!"

Nodding, I agreed with her. "Believe me, I would get the same types of comments. I just always told them that I believed there was a place and time for every sort of book, and when I felt the need to have an easy read and be able to dream of the perfect man and perfect life, those were just the thing. Not everything has to be Shakespeare, right?"

"Exactly," she said. She'd been working on the computer as we talked, so when she turned it around so I could see the mock-up of the ad, I was more than pleasantly surprised. "Is this what you were thinking?"

I double checked all the information against what I had written down, pleased to note that everything was correct. "It's perfect! Thank you so much. When you come in Monday, you get two of the romance books on the house," I said, smiling.

She squealed quietly and bounced in her seat. "I'll be there!"

I smiled as I pulled out my credit card so I could pay and then told her I would see her Monday.

"Thanks again, Bella. I'll see you then."

I left the newspaper office and headed to Wal-Mart to get all the supplies I needed before going over to the store. Thirty minutes later, I pulled up, grabbed my purse and keys before getting out of the car, and then headed into Masen Music.

Edward was behind the counter, reading a book, and his assistant was dusting some of the shelves. "Hi, Bella!" The beautiful timbre of his voice surprised me, just as it did every time we talked.

"Hi," I answered, suddenly feeling shy. "Good morning, Sasha," I called back to her.

"Morning, Bella! How are you today?"

Shaking myself from my thoughts, I replied, "I'm well, thank you. You?"

"I'm great today, thanks." She smiled before turning back to the shelf she was cleaning.

"So what brings you here, Bella?" Edward asked. "Not that I mind in the least, of course."

I smiled what I hoped was a charming smile. "I was wondering if I could buy you a cup of coffee in exchange for helping me carry up a few boxes of clothes and books to the apartment."

He grinned and looked at Sasha. "I suppose I could be bribed that way, as long as Sasha doesn't mind keeping an eye on things for me."

"Bring me back a muffin and cup of tea, and we'll call it even," she said without even turning around.

"Deal," Edward and I agreed simultaneously, laughing.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he told her as he ushered me to the door. "I have my cell."

"Thanks for the help," I told him as we walked toward my car. "I could've carried them, but it would've taken quite a few more trips." I didn't tell him that my other, and possibly the most important, reason for asking him was that I just really wanted to see him.

He smiled. "It's not a problem, I promise. Is this the last of your things?"

Nodding, I answered, "Aside from the things I left unpacked to bring over when we all leave for good tomorrow, yes." The thought of tomorrow made tears fill my eyes suddenly, and I quickly wiped them away, not wanting depressing thoughts to take over the only few minutes I had with Edward.

We reached my car, and I opened the trunk first for Edward before reaching into the back seat and pulling out the bags of supplies I'd gotten at Wal-Mart.

"Is this everything?" he asked.

"Yep," I answered before turning around to see Edward holding the five boxes precariously in his arms. Laughing, I took the top box from him before closing the car door and then the trunk with an elbow. "I didn't mean you had to get all five boxes yourself!"

He shrugged as easily as he could with his arms loaded down with heavy boxes of books and clothes. "Not a problem." He chuckled. "Of course, when I topple head first down the stairs because I'm off balance and can't see where I'm going, then it might be an issue!"

I grinned and walked with him to the door, unlocking it with the hand holding the bags from the store. "Well, as soon as I set this stuff down in here, I can take another box. That should help a little."

I flipped on the light, locked the door behind Edward, and then moved to unlock the office door. Dropping the bags in the office, I grabbed another box from Edward before heading up the stairs to the apartment. We were quiet until we got into the apartment.

"The bottom two boxes are books that you can just set down here by the bookshelf with the others. The top box is clothes, so I'll take it and run these into the bedroom. Then we can go get coffee."

He set the boxes down, and instead of handing me the third box, he took the two from my arms into his. "There's no way I'm making you carry them in there when I'm right here," he insisted when I tried to argue that I could take them.

His tone brooked no arguments, so I simply smiled and nodded my thanks.

He was back within seconds.

"Ready for coffee now?" I asked.

"Oh, Bella, you have no idea. I was born ready for coffee. If I could have it continuously fed to me through an IV drip, I would." I laughed when he said, "In fact, when I was fourteen, I actually asked my dad if he would do that for me. I thought, with him being a doctor, it would be something he could do easily." He shook his head at the silly memory. "That was the day my parents began to really watch my caffeine intake, limiting me to one cup a day until I graduated high school. Of course, they never said anything, but I'm sure they knew that I was stopping at the coffee shop on my way to school every morning for another cup, or two, and again on the way home."

We'd been walking as we talked and were leaving the store as I answered. "Wow, that is a serious coffee addiction! I thought I was bad..." I grinned when he playfully shoved my shoulder.

There was an easy silence until we got to the coffee shop on the corner.

Walking to the counter, we waited until the young man working the register looked up at us and smiled. "Hi, how can I help you?"

I thought for a second and then ordered a chocolate chip muffin and a medium cup of coffee. Edward ordered a banana nut muffin and a large coffee, setting more than enough money on the counter before I could even get my wallet out of my purse.

He smiled as he picked up the cups. "Grab the muffins, please, Bella."

"Edward!" I hissed quietly. "This was supposed to be my treat!"

He laughed for a moment, his tone flirty when he replied, "Your company's all the payment I need." Sobering, he looked at me for a second before speaking again. "Please, Bella. Don't worry about it. Just sit and talk to me and enjoy yourself for a few minutes."

I opened my mouth to argue, but decided not to fuss about it. "Thank you, then."

He grinned triumphantly. "You're welcome. Choose a table."

I led us to a booth near the back, not bothering to question my motives for wanting the privacy. I slid into one side, expecting Edward to sit down across from me. Instead, I was surprised when he sat down beside me, nudging me over a bit more with one hip.

He suddenly looked nervous and asked, "Is this okay? I can move over if—"

I cut him off with a finger to his lips. "Don't move," I answered quietly. "You're perfect where you are."

Blushing, I took my finger away and busied myself with pouring sweetener and creamer packets into my coffee. Sneaking a look at Edward, I almost giggled when I saw him sitting there in a stupor with a huge grin on his face.

He shook himself out of it and then grabbed the napkin with his muffin on it. The next few minutes were quiet as we concentrated on the food and drinks in front of us. I was relieved that, once again, just like on the way here, the quiet was a comfortable one. It didn't feel forced, and I didn't feel like I needed to talk just to break the silence.

After we finished our muffins, he finally spoke. "Not to bring down the mood, but how are you doing? I mean...about tomorrow."

I was quiet for a few seconds, unsure of how to answer. As if he could feel my inner conflict, Edward slipped his hand into mine for support. I smiled gratefully before answering. "I'm doing okay. Better than I anticipated, actually. I won't lie; I'm sure I'll be a wreck tomorrow night, but for now, I'm doing okay."

Edward nodded, squeezing my hand lightly. "I know it won't be easy, but you're strong, and remember, Bella..." He waited to continue until I turned my head to look at him. "You aren't alone."

Smiling, I nodded, relaxing back against the seat. After a moment, the rest of my plans for the day popped into my head. "Oh! I need to call the cable company and see about getting someone out to set up my cable and Internet. Everything else, utilities-wise, was on already, so they're all in my name now, but I don't have cable or Internet yet."

I'd programmed in the company's number to my cell phone so I could call when I got the chance. I found the number and dialed, sitting there with the phone in one hand and Edward's fingers still entwined with mine on the other.

"Thank you for calling Wave Broadband. May I help you?" The woman's voice was pleasant as she answered the other end of the line.

"Yes, hi. I just moved into a new apartment and need to get cable Internet and TV hooked up."

Edward's thumb was idly rubbing circles on my skin, nearly making me forget what I had been calling about.

"Sure, I can help you with that. Do you have an account with us already?"

My voice hitched as I explained the circumstances, once again remembering that Angela would be leaving tomorrow.

Edward squeezed my hand, and I smiled gratefully as I continued chatting with the lady at Wave.

When she mentioned when she could have someone out, it took me a moment to realize she was serious.

"Really? You can have someone out later today? That's fantastic!"

Edward raised his eyebrow, looking surprised. I knew why. Even here in little Port Angeles, the wait for things like that could take forever.

I got the appointment scheduled and then hung up the phone, reaching for my coffee before turning a bit toward Edward.

"I was lucky," I said happily. "They had two cancellations today, so they'll be able to come and install Internet for the store, as well as Internet and TV upstairs in the apartment."

He smiled, squeezing my hand again, looking happy for me. "That's great. I had to wait weeks for mine last year."

I laughed, nodding. Angela and Ben had had to wait almost two weeks for theirs, too.

"You should do that more often."

With a raised eyebrow, I silently prompted him for more information.

"You light up the room when you smile and laugh," he told me, sounding earnest, not like he was feeding me a line.

I felt my face flame and quickly started talking about something different to distract him. We spent a few more minutes just sitting there, holding hands and talking until Edward decided he needed to get back to the store. We walked up to the counter, where he ordered the muffin and tea for Sasha. I carried the sack with the muffin, he carried the cup of tea, and we held hands as we quietly walked back down the block to the stores.

"Thanks again for the help," I said when we were standing outside my door. "And the snack."

He grinned, dropped my hand, and brushed his fingers against my cheek. "My pleasure. Talk to you soon."

I smiled as I handed him the muffin and then watched as he made his way back to his store before unlocking my door and heading inside.

I turned the lights on and unlocked the office door, sitting down at the desk. Pulling out all the stuff from the store bags, I began working on my project. About thirty minutes later, I looked proudly at the board in front of me.

I'd made a sign to go behind the counter, explaining the prices of the books, the amount of money I would give for trade-ins, and other information customers would need. It looked professional, but still pretty and homemade, exactly how I'd imagined it when I thought up the idea.

I'd just finished it when there was a knock at the door. I walked over and saw that it was the Wave Broadband guy. He was tall, with dark skin—the color somewhere between my coffee and Edward's—and a shaved head. He was a really good-looking guy...who was looking at me curiously when I hadn't opened the door for him, I realized.

"Sorry!" I said, laughing as I let him in. "It's been a long week, getting moved in and everything. I'm a bit spacey at the moment."

He smiled. "It's okay. I've moved several times, so I know what it's like. I'm Derek. Bella Swan, right?" At my nod, he said, "Okay, just wanted to make sure I had the right paperwork with me. It says here you need Internet down here and Internet and TV upstairs, correct?"

"That's right. Where do you wanna start?"

"Down here's fine."

I led him through to the office, cleared off the desk, and set the computer back in the middle of it.

"Great. If I need you, I'll let you know, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Okay, thanks. I'll be sitting out there reading. Just lemme know when you're ready to work upstairs." I smiled and then made my way back to the front of the store, locking the door before grabbing a book from the shelf that I hadn't read yet and settling down in one of the two chairs by the window.

A few minutes later, Derek called me into the office and had me sit down and check the connection, showing me where he'd hooked up everything and giving me the information I might need at some point. When we finished with that, I led him upstairs, unloaded my laptop, and asked that the Internet equipment be hooked up on my TV stand, along with my wireless router.

I set the computer down on the coffee table and then went to get something to drink while he worked. "Derek, would you like something to drink? I've got soda, some juice, and water."

"A glass of ice water would be great, thank you," he called back from the living room.

I pulled out a Coke for myself and fixed him a glass of ice water, taking it to him in the living room before going back to the kitchen to sit at the table and read while I waited. Thirty minutes later, he called me in.

We spent fifteen minutes going over the information for the TV, since the Internet was essentially the same information as it had been downstairs.

"Here's all your paperwork, including the remote control and cable box instructions. If you have any problems, you can give us a call, but it really is a pretty simple setup, so you shouldn't have any issues." He smiled and handed me his now-empty glass. "Thanks for the water."

"You're welcome. Let me put this in the kitchen, and then I'll walk you back downstairs so I can let you out."

When we got downstairs, I unlocked the door for him. "Thanks, Derek. I really appreciate you making it out here today."

"No problem. Remember, give us a call if you have any questions or problems," he said, smiling. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing me a business card. "My number's on there. Call me sometime if you're interested in going out to dinner." He smiled again and then walked out to his truck without waiting for a response.

I stood there quietly for a minute, unsure of what to think. I was certainly flattered by his obvious interest, and he was a good-looking guy, but I could still feel Edward's hand in mine and knew what I had to do. I went into the office and threw the card in the trash.

Looking at the clock, I realized that it was probably time to head home. Grabbing my keys and purse, I turned off the lights and locked the doors, waving in the direction of Edward's store before hopping in the car and driving away.

Angela and Ben arrived home shortly after I did, and we spent over an hour making and eating dinner while they told me all about their visit back in Forks. After dinner, we relaxed and let our stomachs settle before moving furniture from the kitchen, living, and bedrooms into the Pod out front. We used the dolly that had come with the Pod to move out the washer and dryer and all the packed boxes.

By the time we were finished, it was late, we were all sore and exhausted, and the house was virtually empty. All that was left were the mattresses, the suitcases and boxes that would stay with everyone instead of being packed away, a few lamps, and the food items to be taken with me or donated.

We agreed on a time to wake up in the morning and then parted company, each of us tired enough that we knew it wouldn't take long for us to fall asleep. I set the alarm on my cell phone, stripped to my T-shirt and panties, and crawled into bed.

~*~CIBD~*~

Morning came much too early for me. When my alarm went off, I climbed into the shower, waking myself up as much as possible without a cup of coffee. I dressed in clean clothes before packing up the last of my things and gathering the sheets from the bed and the towel I'd used to put with the other dirty clothes that Angela and Ben would take with them.

I left a note on the counter, carried everything of mine to the car, and then made a trip to the donut shop a few blocks from the house, where I got enough donuts for the three of us, as well as huge cups of coffee. I walked in and found Ang sitting on the floor in the living room, notebook in hand, marking things off a list.

"Ben!" I called out. "Coffee and breakfast are here!"

I laughed as he came slowly out of the bedroom, dragging a mattress that was wrapped in plastic.

"Quit laughing and help me with this thing," he muttered. "Ang, get the doors, please."

We loaded both mattresses before collapsing on the floor of the living room with our coffee and donuts. "So, what's left?" I asked, trying to sound chipper.

Angela grabbed her notebook. "We got the rest of the stuff loaded while you were gone, aside from the two mattresses, which are in there now. So aside from the boxes of food to donate, all we have to do is clean a bit. I wanna vacuum, clean the kitchen, including the fridge and oven, and the bathrooms. I think everything else is good enough."

"Okay, well, I'll vacuum the house and clean my bathroom, and you guys can get the kitchen and your bathroom."

Ben asked, "Are you sure? That'd mean you were doing more than your fair share."

I nodded. "You shouldn't have to clean my bathroom, and I'm not the one that has to make the drive to Seattle later today."

"Thanks, Bella," Angela said with a smile. "We'll take you up on that offer, then."

We finished eating and got to work cleaning the house. Since I kept my bathroom fairly clean, it really didn't take long to make it perfect. Vacuuming took a bit longer, but by the time I finished, Angela was finished with her bathroom and was helping Ben finish the kitchen. I flopped down on the floor and chatted with them as they worked.

Once the cleaning was done and everything loaded into the cars and Pod, Ben called the Pod people to come pick it up. We sat there on the floor, tears pouring down Angela's and my cheeks as the timing finally hit us. In a few minutes, they would be on their way to Seattle, and I'd be on my way to my new apartment alone.

An hour later, the Pod was gone, and the three of us were standing outside by the cars.

"You guys be careful driving up there, and call me once you get there, okay?" I sniffled, fighting back tears.

Angela had stopped fighting them and was bawling as she threw herself into my arms. "I'll miss you!"

"I know, Ang. I'll miss you like crazy, too. It's not like we won't talk and won't ever get to see each other, though. Now, stop crying, or you'll make Ben start, and you know how hard it is to get him to stop," I teased.

My plan worked, and she laughed, wiping her eyes. "Thanks, Bells. I love you!"

I motioned for Ben to join the hug and wrapped my arms around them both. "I love you both, too. I don't know what I would've done without you for the last couple of years especially."

"There was never any choice, Bella," Ben said firmly. "You're family. Always."

I gave them each a hug and kiss, got them into their cars with a promise to drive safely and call when they got to the hotel in Seattle, and then waved as they drove away. Then I got in my car and numbly drove to my new apartment.

I spent the next three hours curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. Angela finally called to say they'd gotten there and gotten checked in.

"Good! Let's plan to talk Monday night so Ben can tell me about his first day in the new position and I can tell you all about the grand re-opening," I said, relieved that they were there safely.

"Okay, we'll call you then. Love you, Bells," Angela said softly.

"Love you, too. Bye," I whispered before hanging up.

I got up and poured myself a glass of wine, bringing the bottle into the living room with me.

~*~CIBD~*~

Around mid-afternoon, I fell asleep, thanks to a combination of stress and the half bottle of wine I'd drunk. When I woke up, it was dark outside. I ran to the bathroom and threw up, the emotions of the day combined with the alcohol on my empty stomach taking a toll on my body.

I cleaned up, washed my mouth out as well as I could, and then stumbled back to the living room. Curling up on the couch, I wrapped myself in the blanket and picked up the phone.

The phone rang twice, and when it was picked up, I said the only thing I could get out coherently. "Edward? I could really use that shoulder now."