Edward's POV

As soon as the lunch mess was cleaned up, Drill Sergeant Bella appeared. It was a little frightening, actually. It was like she'd suddenly channeled Alice.

"I'm gonna work on these boxes of books. You, Mr. Music Man, unpack that box of CDs and put them on the shelves under the TV. I have that crappy little stereo system, but I think I'm gonna buy a new one."

She was talking a mile a minute, and even though it was funny, I was afraid to laugh. Instead, I chose to ask, "So, uh, how would you like these organized?"

She waved her hand. "Oh, I don't care." Laughing, she continued, "As soon as I start playing them, they'll get unorganized really quickly."

I opened one case and popped the CD into the stereo. The sounds of The Cure blasted out over the speakers, and I laughed as Bella sang along to "High," from their 1992 album. I joined on the chorus, and we continued to sing along with the entire CD.

By the time I had all of her CDs unpacked, she was only about halfway through her books. I moved across the living room to help finish emptying those boxes.

"Geez, Bella, like to read much?" I teased as we opened the fourth box.

She nodded. "I do. Very much so." She held up a well-worn copy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. "I read practically anything, but the old books like this are my favorites. What about you?"

"I read...some." I laughed. "Not nearly as much as you. I have as many boxes of CDs and records as you have of books. I do have a bookcase full of books, though. I think I even have a few you don't."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Now that I'll have to see." She winked and went back to putting her last few books on the shelf.

"Anytime. In fact, would you like to come over after the poetry reading tonight? We can have a glass of wine to balance out the coffee I'm sure we'll drink earlier in the evening."

"Sure." She smiled. "At some point tonight, though, I do need to make sure everything's ready for the opening tomorrow."

"How's this sound? We could grab dinner at the coffee shop while we're there, then come back here and double check things down in the shop, and then head up to my place for a nightcap."

"Sounds perfect." She stood up and stretched. "Okay, kitchen's done. Books and CDs are done. The girls unpacked all my bedroom stuff when they were here, and Sue unpacked the kitchen. I've already done my bathroom. All that's left are the boxes of my mom's stuff that my dad brought up."

I didn't want to insinuate myself into something that was private, so I asked, "Want some help, or would you prefer to do that while you're alone?"

She shook her head. "No, I'd like you to stay, if you don't mind."

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her softly. "I don't mind at all. If you'll tell me where the boxes are, I'll bring them in here, and we can sit on the sofa and go through them."

"Thanks. There are three of them in the bedroom against the far wall. Want a drink?" She glanced at me with an eager, questioning look.

"Just water, thanks."

I moved the boxes, which were surprisingly light, from the bedroom to the living room and took the bottle of water from Bella when she sat down beside me.

She hesitated before pulling off the tape from the top box. The first thing she pulled out was a folded quilt. When she opened it up, I could see a pattern of red and gold circles sewn all over the top.

"This was my grandmother's. She passed it down to my mom when she and my dad got married. The pattern's called a Double Wedding Ring, and it's traditionally given to a bride and groom. My grandmother's aunt quilted it herself and gave it to my grandmother on her wedding day." She was touching the quilt reverently with her fingertips.

"It's beautiful. I'm sure it was a lot of work, but it was well worth it," I said quietly.

She smiled back at me, seeming pleased with my observation. Together, we folded the blanket and set it aside, and then Bella reached back into the box. She pulled out an old, wooden jewelry box. When she opened the lid, I saw a handful of pieces, including a few rings, bracelets, a watch, earrings, and several necklaces.

"Most of this stuff isn't worth much. I've already got the more expensive and more important pieces, like her wedding sets and the diamond earrings Phil gave her. Now that I have more of my own space, I can make room for this stuff as well."

I picked up one of the necklaces and held it out. "This is pretty." The green stone looked beautiful against her pale skin.

"It is. I think Phil gave her that on their second anniversary. There's a ring in here that matches it."

"You should wear some of this stuff, Bella," I encouraged. "I doubt your mom would want it to just sit around gathering dust. She would be pleased to have you wear it and remember her, I'd think."

She nodded and said, "I'll think about it. I'm not huge into jewelry, but a necklace or bracelet sometimes would be nice."

She set the jewelry box aside and reached back into the box. Her eyes teared up when she pulled out a stack of videos.

"Home movies?" I grinned.

"Yeah," she answered with a laugh. "Oh, God, you can not watch these. I was such a weird little kid."

"Oh, see, now I have to watch 'em!" I teased. "I'm sure you were absolutely adorable."

She shook her head, set the movies on the coffee table in front of us, and then reached for the next box.

On the top of the second box was a sealed bag. "Oh, her wedding dresses. I think both are in this bag. Her wedding to Phil was much more elaborate and fancy." She laughed. "Her wedding to my dad was pretty laid-back. They got married outside at his friend Billy Black's place. She was wearing a simple white dress, slippers, and no veil or anything. Her dress for her second wedding was white too, but it was long, lacy, with a train and a veil."

"What are you gonna do with these?" I asked gently.

"Not sure," she said, her brow wrinkling with thought. "I think I should get them sealed better so they stay in good condition."

"We could ask Alice. I'm sure that if she doesn't know herself, she could easily find out."

She nodded absently, already setting the bag aside to look underneath it in the box.

"Oh!" Bella's hand flew to her mouth as she pulled out a little pink dress. "I'd forgotten my mom had saved some of my baby clothes."

"Damn, you were tiny," I mumbled, looking through some of the other clothes in the box.

She laughed. "I wasn't that tiny. I was a baby. All babies are small!"

I held up one outfit that looked distinctly like a clown costume. "Your first Halloween?" I smirked.

"Oh, geez, yes. I don't remember it, of course. I was only a few months old. Mom had a picture somewhere of me in that silly outfit, complete with a bright orange wig. I guess I was lucky she didn't find a small red nose to put on my face."

I laughed for a minute and then began setting the baby clothes aside so she could look underneath them.

The only other thing in the box were photo albums. She pulled them out one by one, and we began looking through them together. One was full of pictures of her life with Charlie. They looked so young, and she looked very much like another version of Bella.

"She was beautiful," I told Bella. "She looks a lot like you, although you still look more like Charlie, I think."

A second album was full of Bella as a baby, all the way through her high school graduation. When she turned one page, she groaned when the aforementioned clown picture came into view.

"How embarrassing," she mumbled, trying to turn the page.

I stopped her with a hand on hers. "I think it's adorable. Really," I told her sincerely.

She smiled and then continued flipping through the pages until we'd gone through the entire second album.

The third was pictures of her and Phil, with a few that included Bella.

"He made her so happy," Bella said, running her finger lightly over her mother's face in one picture from Renee and Phil's wedding. "He was a good man. My dad's a good man too, but Renee outgrew him. She needed more excitement than Forks and Charlie could provide for her. Phil was able to give her adventure, excitement, and still love her and keep her safe. I think Charlie resented her for a lot of years, for leaving him and taking me away, but he was happy when she found Phil. He treated her well and treated me well, without trying to replace him in my life, and that's what really mattered to Charlie."

She started crying, big, wet tears trailing along her cheeks, and I reached to take the album from her. I set it on the table and then pulled her into my arms. "It's okay, love. Cry if you need to. Let it all out." My breath caught for a moment when I realized what I'd said.

We sat for a few minutes, until her tears slowed and then stopped. I reached over for a tissue from the box on the table and handed it to her. She wiped her eyes and nose and snuggled farther against my side.

"Thanks. I haven't really cried for them in a while. It's gotten easier, but I think with the move and Angela being gone now, it's kind of coming to a head again."

I shrugged. "You're entitled to cry. No one, especially my family or I, will think less of you for it. My shoulder is always here for you, okay?"

She nodded. "I think the other boxes are just clothes. When I went through their things after it happened, I donated most of it. I did keep a few things I might want some day. Oh, there's one thing you might like, though. I'm not sure why I kept it, since it was Phil's, not mine."

I pulled the boxes over for her, and she opened one and began looking through it without digging anything out. When she pushed the first box aside, I moved the other in front of us and opened it for her. She began looking through it and then made a sound that let me know she'd found what she was looking for.

"Got it?" I asked, smiling at the look on her face.

"Yep!" She pulled out a leather jacket and held it out to me. "Try this on," she said, handing it to me.

I took the jacket and stood, sliding my arms into the sleeves. It was the perfect fit. Soft, worn leather, but still in excellent condition.

I was stunned at her thoughtfulness. "Bella, are you sure you want me to have this?"

She looked uncertain. "I mean, if you don't want it, you don't have to—"

I pulled her up and into my arms and kissed her deeply. When we moved apart, we were both breathing heavily, and her eyes had darkened to a deep, dark brown.

"Oh, yeah, I want it. Thank you," I said, smiling against her hair as I hugged her.

It meant a lot that she wanted me to have the jacket. It wasn't that it was horribly expensive, or even brand new. Just the thought that she already cared enough about me to share this experience of going through her mother's things made me extremely happy.

"You're welcome," she replied as she hugged me tightly. "Okay, so most of the clothes I'll probably just store. I'll go through them all some other time, though, so we can reseal those two boxes. Can you retape them while I put the other things away?"

"Sure. Where's the tape?"

"Should be in one of the kitchen drawers," she said.

"Okay, I'll find it," I called as I walked into the kitchen.

Sure enough, I found it in the first drawer I checked. By the time I'd finished taping the two boxes of clothes and had put the tape back in the drawer, Bella had put the photo albums and home movies on the bookshelf and under the TV.

"Bring the jewelry box, please," she requested, motioning toward the little box before grabbing the quilt.

We moved into her bedroom, and she put the quilt on the dresser and pointed beside it. I set the jewelry box there to the side.

"Are you gonna put the quilt on the bed?"

She shook her head. "No, I think I'll buy a quilt stand and put it over in the corner, away from the windows. Not sure where I'll put the jewelry box, but it can go on the dresser for now."

"What about buying a shelf for the room? You could put the shelf on the wall near the quilt and then put the jewelry box and a favorite picture of your mom and Phil, and even one of Charlie if you want, on the shelf beside it?"

"Hmm, maybe, yeah. That way it's there, but not taking up space on the dresser. Thanks, Edward. For everything, I mean."

I held my arms open. "You're most certainly welcome. Now, how about we pick out a movie and curl up on the couch for a while? You're gonna be really busy starting tomorrow, so you should relax today while you can."

She nodded against my chest. "Sounds good. Come on, help me choose a movie, 'kay?"

"Of course. Can't let you have all the fun," I teased.

I smiled when she laughed softly, and then I took her hand and led her back to the living room. I was determined to pick a movie that would put a smile on her beautiful face.

Twenty minutes into The Hangover, Bella's head was on my shoulder. Ten minutes after that, I felt her soft exhalations as she drifted into sleep. I turned the volume down, pulled her more fully into my arms, and continued watching. By the end of the movie, I wasn't sure which I'd enjoyed more: the crazy antics in the movie, or the feel of Bella sleeping in my arms.

When the screen went black at the end of the movie, Bella stirred. She sat up and rubbed a hand across her face as she yawned.

"Wow, sorry! How long as I out?"

I chuckled. "You fell asleep about thirty minutes in, but honestly, I'm not sure you saw much after the first twenty."

"Sorry! I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I guess your shoulder was just comfortable." She shrugged sheepishly, blushing.

I ran a finger softly down her cheek and smiled. "Don't be sorry. You can use me as a pillow anytime."

She smiled and asked, "How long until the poetry reading starts?"

I checked my watch. "It starts at six thirty, so we have about three hours. Do you wanna go down and finish getting ready for your opening tomorrow?"

Bella perked up right away, grinning excitedly. "Yes, please."

"Let me gather up my stuff and take it back to my place, and then I'll meet you down there, okay?"

"I'll help you," she offered, "and then we can go down together."

I smiled as I stood and then held my hand out to help her to her feet. We quickly gathered up the stuff from lunch and left her apartment. After dropping everything off in my kitchen, I took Bella's hand as we walked down the stairs and into the front door of Bella's Books.

"Okay, so what still needs checked?"

"Well, I have cash for the register locked in a lockbox upstairs. Angela and I went over the inventory the other day. I wanna make sure the register is working and that I have plenty of receipts, that the shelves are dusted, the sign's straight, and—"

Her voice got higher and higher with each word, until I thought she might start hyperventilating. I pulled her to me and kissed her softly.

When we pulled apart, she blinked up at me. "Thanks." She sighed. "I was, uh, getting a little bit worked up, I think."

I hugged her again and smiled. "Yeah, you were. You're entitled. Now, we'll take it one step at a time, okay? Work together to make sure you're ready."

Over the next hour and a half, we checked the register, swept the floor, made sure the shelves of books were dusted, and just did anything and everything Bella could think of to make sure the store was ready for the big day.

"I dunno about you, but I think I want another shower before going out. Come pick me up when it's time go?" she asked, smiling.

I nodded. "Will do. Don't forget, dinner at the coffee shop and then wine at my place after the reading, right?"

"Mmhmm," she said, wrapping her arms around me. "I'll be ready."

She reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. It was a quick kiss, but she'd been the one to initiate it, which made it that much more special.

When she dropped her arms and stepped back, I smiled. "I'll see you in a bit," I murmured before turning away.

As I stepped through the door, she whispered, "See you."

~*~*~CIBD~*~*~

Bella's POV

Four hours later, we walked back hand in hand to Edward's apartment. The poetry reading had been fun, but I was looking forward to a glass of wine and the chance to snoop.

Edward unlocked the door and then stood aside to let me walk in ahead of him. "Please, come in," he offered with a smile. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll pour us some wine."

He was headed for the kitchen when I called, "Mind if I snoop through the bookshelf?"

Edward laughed. "Not at all. Mi casa es su casa," he answered back.

When he walked back into the living room, I had a book in each hand and my eye on the shelves.

"You have a great selection."

"Thanks. You're welcome to borrow any you haven't read," he said, but his eyes were twinkling with amusement.

I put one of the books back on the shelf. "Thanks. I'll take this one and get it back to you when I finish with it."

"Wine? I hope red is okay."

I nodded and moved over to the couch, setting the book down on the table in front of me. "Thanks."

He sat beside me and handed me the glass. "So I was thinking..." He grinned. "Wanna play Twenty Questions?"

I laughed. "I haven't played that in years. Sounds fun. You go first."

He thought for a moment and then asked, "What's your favorite candy?"

"Skittles," I answered immediately. "If I could buy the green and red ones by themselves, I would."

"I like the purple. I love grape," he explained with a laugh.

"Ugh, no thanks. I hate grape gum, grape candy..." I shrugged. "I like grape juice and grapes themselves, but other grape-flavored things, no thanks. Okay, my turn. If you could have any super power, what would it be?"

He thought for a moment. "Invisibility. I'd love to be able to disappear when I needed to."

"Oh, good one! Me, I'd love to be able to read minds."

He shook his head. "I doubt that's all it's cracked up to be. Think about having to hear every thought of everyone around you. Teenage girls, bad guys...no thanks."

"Mmm, I hadn't thought of that. Okay, next question!" I laughed, taking a sip of my wine.

He smirked. "When was your first kiss?"

"John Stone, in second grade. He ran up on the playground, kissed me, and then ran away," I answered quickly.

Edward laughed, his head thrown back and a huge grin on his face. "Okay, silly girl, first real kiss."

I blushed. "Wesley Stephens, my first semester of college."

I watched his jaw drop. "College? Seriously?"

"I, uh, didn't really date in high school."

He shook his head. "Bella, you're a beautiful woman. I've seen the pictures of you when you were younger, and you were just as beautiful then. Were the guys in high school blind, or just stupid?"

Laughing, I said, "Neither, really. I was always too busy studying or writing to date in high school. Wes was the first guy I really connected with." I wanted to turn the conversation from myself, so I asked my next question. "Do you have any piercings or tattoos?"

"Mountain lion on the back of my shoulder," he answered quickly. "Wanna see?"

I grinned. "Maybe later. Sexy... Why a mountain lion?"

"I got it in college. I felt really out of place at first. In high school, I'd been kind of a big shot; all the girls liked me, all the guys were jealous of me. I went from being the Big Man on Campus to being a little fish in a big pond. No one really took me seriously when I said I wanted to concentrate on music instead of going pre-med. I almost caved, until Emmett and Alice convinced me not to give up on my dream." He took my hand, stroking my palm with his thumb softly as he continued to talk. "I like the mountain lion. It's sleek and fast, puts up a good fight. I got it on my shoulder to remind me I needed to fight for what I wanted." When he finished, he looked up and smiled. "So that's why a mountain lion."

"Wow." I smiled. "Well, if you're happy, then Emmett and Alice were right."

"I am happy," he said, nodding. "Okay, my question. Do you like to dance?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I've never been dancing, actually. I really have no sense of balance."

I squeaked when he quickly took both glasses of wine, set them on the table, and then got to his feet. He took a couple of steps to the bookshelf, fiddled with a CD, and then hit the play button. The beginning notes of Lifehouse's "You and Me" floated out of the speakers.

He held out a hand, bowing slightly, and asked, "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me now, Miss Swan?"

"Edward, really," I said, feeling somewhat apprehensive. "I don't wanna hurt your feet."

"Please, Bella, trust me. It's all in the leading."

I'd kicked my shoes off at some point during our conversation, so when I took Edward's hand and stood, my eyes came to his chin. He slid his left hand to my right and moved it to his shoulder and then moved his hand to my waist. His right hand took my left and held it between our bodies, entwining our fingers and resting it against his warm chest.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his chest. We moved and swayed gently to the music, our feet barely even moving. The music switched to the next song, Kelly Clarkson's "Addicted." Edward let go of my hand and slid his other arm around my waist, holding me tightly against him.

I looked up into his eyes and watched as his head slowly descended to mine. The moment his lips touched mine, my eyes fluttered closed and I leaned into the kiss. His touch was tentative at first, until I parted my lips, silently inviting him in. His tongue traced my lips before sliding against mine. He moved his hands down to cup my bottom and his leg over to cradle me against his hard thigh.

I couldn't seem to get close enough; I had to feel his bare skin. I yanked up the hem of his T-shirt with determined hands and then ran my palms over his chest. Hot, smooth satin. Pebble-hard nipples. Rigid stomach muscles jerked in response as my exploration moved lower.

When his hands pressed me tighter against his thigh, I moaned against his lips, and the sound broke the fog of lust around my brain. I pulled back slightly, breathing heavily.

He leaned his forehead against mine. "God, Bella, you're addictive. One taste, and I want more."

I giggled nervously. "I know the feeling."

I flexed my fingers. My fingernails raked gently across the skin right under the waist of his jeans, where my hands had ended up before I stopped.

Edward moaned softly. His tortured "Bella" brought me to my senses, and I stepped back out of his arms.

"As much as I wanna continue this, now isn't the time," I whispered, hoping he would understand. "I have a big day tomorrow, it's late, and—"

He took a step forward and pressed a finger to my lips. "You don't have to explain, love. If we ever take that step, it'll be the right time. Tonight isn't the right time. I'm okay with that."

My heart skipped a beat at the new term of endearment, but I tried to push it to the back of my mind, sure he didn't mean it the way it had sounded. I was pulled out of my thoughts when he kissed me once, tenderly.

Humming, he smiled against my lips. "I do love kissing you, though, and we will be dancing again. We move together too perfectly not to."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I like kissing you, too, Edward," I said softly. "Walk me to my door?"

He smiled gently. "Of course."

He waited until I slipped my shoes on and grabbed the book I was borrowing, and then he took my hand. He didn't bother locking his door when we walked outside. We walked slowly across the landing to my door. I unlocked it and then turned to face him again.

"I had a great day today. Thank you."

He smiled and pulled me into his arms. "I'm glad. I had fun today, too. Get some sleep tonight. I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll look forward to it," I whispered.

I kissed him once more and then turned and walked inside. I waited in the doorway until he stepped inside his apartment. He turned and waved once before shutting the door behind him. I closed my own door, turned the lock, and then slid to the floor.

I'd come very close to making love with Edward Cullen tonight. I knew it would happen eventually. After all, I was already well on my way to falling in love with him. The thought didn't scare me like I'd thought it might. Instead, I picked myself up off the floor and began the walk to my bedroom, a tiny smile on my face the whole way.