Edward's POV

I realized morning had come much too early when the sunlight streaming through the window splashed across my face, waking me up. I thought about staying in bed and trying to fall back asleep, but realized I probably needed to get up. I had to go to the store so I could get everything ready for my lunch with Bella. Groaning, I looked over at the clock and saw that I had three hours before I was supposed to be there, so I decided to take my time and enjoy a long, hot shower.

Once I was in the shower, memories of my thoughts and actions from the day before came to mind, and I felt all the blood flow move from my brain to my groin. Christ, you aren't a teenager anymore, man. Suck it up! Think of something else. Baseball. Yeah, the Washington Nationals. Tim Raines, Hall of Fame... I looked down and shook my head. Yeah, that did it.

I quickly finished showering and then hopped out and dried off before throwing on a long-sleeved, dark blue T-shirt and jeans. After strapping on my watch, I pulled on a jacket to ward off the early morning chill, stuffed my wallet and phone into the pocket, and locked the door behind me. I had no need for a grocery list since the soup and sandwiches I planned on making for Bella were ones I'd made many times before.

I turned around and realized Bella was sitting on the top step between our apartments, bundled up against the cold, her coffee in hand. "Morning, Bella." I smiled, inordinately happy to see her first thing in the morning.

She turned her head and flashed her gorgeous smile my way. "Good morning! What are you doing up and out this early?"

When she scooted over a bit, I carefully sat down beside her, turning slightly to face her. "I needed to go to the store and grab some stuff to make lunch today." I cocked my head in the direction of the cup of coffee in her hand. "I see that you've been out already this morning, as well."

"Mmm, I didn't feel like making my own this morning, so I ran down to the corner to grab a cup. Want a drink?"

Grinning—and needing that hit of caffeine—I took the cup carefully from her hand and smelled the deep fragrance coming up through the hole in the lid before taking a cautious sip. Handing it back to her, I sighed. "Ahh, perfect. Will have to stop there on my way to the store. How'd you sleep last night?"

She smiled and tucked her free hand into the long sleeve of her sweatshirt before answering. "I slept well, actually, for the first time in a while. It's hard for me to get used to the new place. It always takes me a few weeks to get comfortable someplace. Apparently, I was tired enough, or just in that good a mood, because I fell asleep pretty quickly. I slept all the way through, until about thirty minutes ago when the sun woke me."

"Damn sun," I grumbled. "I know the feeling. Even the curtains can't keep it out." Her laugh was like bells on the cool summer air. I took a look at my watch and realized I needed to get out of there. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really should get to the store. See you at noon?" I asked quietly.

When she nodded, a few strands of hair fluttered around her face. I reached over carefully and tucked them behind her ear, caressing her cheek softly.

"Thanks," she whispered, smiling up at me.

"My pleasure. Don't stay out here too long. You don't wanna be sick for your opening tomorrow." My voice was stern, but I knew she could tell I was teasing when she grinned.

"Yes, doctor. See you in a few hours, Edward."

"Of course." I leaned down to kiss her softly and then turned around and quickly made my way down the steps to my car.

I drove up the block to the coffee shop, and as I ordered my coffee, I thought of how cute Bella had looked. The cool air had turned her cheeks a beautiful pink, her hair had been combed, but not sleekly styled, and her jeans and sweatshirt had done nothing to hide her gorgeous curves. When the cashier had to say my total several times to get my attention, I chuckled and tried to get my mind off Bella. Think lunch, Cullen, I growled internally.

Taking the large cup of black coffee from the young woman behind the counter, I smiled my thanks and headed back out to the car. After turning around, I drove back by the apartment to go to the grocery store I frequented. Bella was just heading to her door, so I honked my horn and waved as she turned and saw me drive by. Her smile lit up her face as she waved back, and then she was gone as I drove past.

The drive to the store was quick, and since I'd only drunk half my coffee, I decided to sneak it in with me, along with the green grocery bag I used. I grabbed a cart and headed to the produce section, thinking over what I already had at home. After grabbing the veggies I needed and then the sourdough and half n' half, I moved to the deli.

The older woman behind the counter looked up at me and smiled when I approached. "May I help you?"

"Yes, please. I'd like two extra thick slices each of the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pecorino Romano, and Parmesan cheeses, please. I wanna be able to shred them before I use them."

"Oh, we have a grater in the back. If you know how much you need of each, I can go ahead and shred them for you, if you'd prefer."

I nodded. "That would be great." I thought for a minute and then asked, "Could you give me five ounces of each, please? That'll be a bit more than I need, but I can always use the leftovers another time."

"Sure, give me just a couple of minutes. If you have other shopping, you could finish that before coming back to pick this up," she offered helpfully.

"Thanks. This is my last stop before checking out, so I'll wait here."

She nodded before taking the four cheeses from the case and making her way to the back.

I finished my coffee and tossed the empty cup into the trash can beside the deli case.

Less than five minutes later, she was back with four small baggies of the shredded cheeses. "Here you go." She handed me the bags, each of which had a barcoded sticker on it. "You can pay up front with the rest of your items."

"Thank you very much," I told her warmly. "You saved me some work later. I appreciate it."

"Not a problem. Enjoy it!" She smiled again before turning to the man who was behind me in line.

Quickly moving to the front of the store, I paid and carried the bag of groceries out to the car. The clock showed only ten thirty, so I had plenty of time. I ran into the coffee shop for a minute and ordered two cups of coffee, then doctored one before going back to the car. I drove down the block and parked in front of my store. Carefully carrying the two cups in the cup holder balanced in one hand and the grocery bag in the other, I knocked gently on Bella's door with one foot.

When she opened the door and saw me, I smiled at the surprise on her face. "Edward, hi! What's up?"

I held up the coffee. "I figured if you were anything like me, you could probably use a second cup. I stopped to get one for myself and went ahead and got one for you. The one with the black lid is mine. Yours has milk and sugar in it already. I hope I got the amounts right."

She took it carefully from the holder, barely moving the container and other cup in my hand.

"Thank you! I was just reading and thinking about trying to dig my coffeemaker out. Now that can wait till later, thank goodness." She smiled up at me before taking a sip. "Mmm, perfect. Thank you again," she murmured.

"No problem. I'm gonna go put these into the fridge before I drop them."

"Is that all for lunch?" When I nodded, she laughed. "Why don't you just come in here and put it all in my fridge? No point in carrying them to your place, then having to carry them back over here in an hour."

Grinning, I agreed. "Sounds good."

She stepped aside so I could enter the apartment, and then she shut and locked the door behind me. Her phone rang just as she finished locking the door. "Just head into the kitchen. I'll be right there."

I heard her answer the phone as I set the bag and my coffee down on the counter. Unloading the cheese for the sandwiches, I found places in the fridge for it all. Then I took the bread out of the bag and put it out of the way on the counter. Bella walked in then, and I held up the bag with a smile. "All done. The rest I'll take home with me to start lunch over there."

Nodding in understanding, she said, "My dad said hi. He was just calling to check and see how my first weekend was going. I mentioned that I was seeing you today, so he wanted to be sure I told you thank you again for your help. I'm also supposed to tell your family." She chuckled, shaking her head.

"It was definitely my pleasure," I assured her. "Tell him I said hello the next time you speak to him." I picked up my coffee, holding the grocery bag and the cup holder in one hand and my coffee in the other. "I'm gonna head over to my place. I need to do a few things before coming back over."

"Oh, okay. Sounds good." She walked me to the door. "See you in an hour."

"Bye, Bella," I said softly, leaning down and brushing my lips across her cheek.

She blushed and opened the door for me, letting me out onto the small deck between our apartments.

I was nearly to my door when I heard her door shut, and I let myself into my apartment with a smile on my face. It was already a great day, and it was only eleven in the morning. Such a pussy... If only Emmett and Jasper could see me now. I rolled my eyes and realized I didn't care. Spending any amount of time with Bella made me happy, so I wasn't going to question that.

I did feel a little better when I heard a girly squeal and then giggles coming from Bella's apartment. I wasn't the only one feeling like I was.

I planned to make the soup at my place and then take it over to keep warm while I made the grilled cheese at Bella's. I had an hour, and the soup wasn't going to take that long to cook, so I just put the veggies in the fridge and went to check my e-mail. I didn't really have anything else to do, and that would keep me occupied until I had to start cooking lunch.

~*~CIBD~*~

An hour later, I knocked on Bella's door, and my breath caught when she opened it moments later. She looked great in the jeans and red sweater. Her hair was clipped up casually, with a few strands falling down around her face, and her makeup was light and fresh—really natural-looking. I was glad. She was pretty enough without looking too made-up.

When she spoke, I realized I'd been staring and quickly shook myself out of it.

"Come in, Edward." She smiled and stepped to the side, giving me room to enter the apartment.

"Thanks, Bella. You look beautiful."

Her eyes fluttered closed when I leaned toward her and brushed my lips across her cheek softly.

Since I'd made the soup ahead of time, I knew it wouldn't take long to get the rest of lunch ready. Making my way to the kitchen with Bella at my side, I requested, "Sit and keep me company while I cook?" I smiled when she took a seat at the kitchen table. I put the soup on the stove and the bag on the counter.

"So what're we having? What smells so good in that pot?" she asked.

I opened the lid and brushed my hand over it, as if I could push more of the smell of the soup toward her. "Homemade tomato soup and one of my favorites: grilled cheese sandwiches." I shrugged. "It seemed kind of homey. I hope that's okay."

"Oh! I haven't had grilled cheese and tomato soup in a while. That sounds delicious, and it smells even better. Are you sure you don't want some help?"

I shook my head. "I've got it covered." I turned the stove burner on low to keep the soup warm and then looked over at her. "You can direct me to a heavy skillet. I brought my own grill pan over in case you didn't have one, but I figured you'd have a skillet."

"Umm, I think it's in the cabinet on the bottom, just to the right of the stove." She chuckled. "I didn't unload the kitchen stuff myself, so I'm trying to remember where Sue put it."

I checked and found the skillet I was looking for, setting it on the counter so I could unload the stuff I'd brought in the sack. "Okay, olive oil and grill pan, as well as some sour cream to put in the soup or on the sandwiches if you'd like."

We talked while I fixed the grilled cheeses. I didn't think I'd ever get tired of hearing Bella's voice. She asked about my family, and I told her more about my parent. Once I set the food on the table, the only sounds were quiet moans of contentment.

"This is so good," Bella said around bites of soup and sandwich. "What kind of cheese did you use?"

"You can use any combination, or just one if you prefer that simple." I recounted the four types of cheese I'd included in the sandwiches and then admitted, "This is usually the kind I make, so I'm glad you like it."

"I do! The sourdough is really good with it, too. Nice and crispy, but with a bit of chewiness to the inside. It's perfect. You make this a lot?"

I nodded. "It was a staple of mine during school. My mom taught us all a few dishes for each meal when we were in high school. This was one of my lunch dishes."

"That's good. It's important that a man knows how to cook. I did all the cooking when I visited Charlie. I was okay with that, but it would've been nice to share the burden."

"I'm not a fabulous chef or anything," I rushed to say, "but I can definitely hold my own in the kitchen. If nothing else, I can read a recipe like no one's business."

I grinned when she chuckled in response.

"So, you still up for helping me unpack?" she questioned. "There are a lot of boxes!"

"Of course!" I tried putting a little smugness into my voice. "I don't back out when I give my word," I teased.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you!"

We laughed and finished our lunch in peaceful quiet.