Hello all! Chapter Five here. It's shorter than I anticipated, but as I was writing, I realized how I wanted my chapters spaced out, and I figured for this chapter it was the perfect length. As always, I don't own a thing, all rights belong to the lovely Stephanie Meyer. Thank you to all who read my story, and please please please leave me reviews if you can. Please enjoy! :D

Chapter Five: Cleaning the House

Later that night, I could be found in the kitchen doing dishes, while Mary Alice was scrubbing the hallway floors. Edward had been given sweeping duty, and was apparently finished, as he came up from behind me and started helping me with the dishes. He looked to me and smiled, pushing up his long white sleeves. Edward was from a rich family, of course, we all knew that. But I forgot to mention that it meant he dressed nicely. He had been wearing the whole ensemble, the fancy suit and black shiny shoes. He had taken off his coat and hung it up, leaving him in a white dress shirt that I was very worried about him dirtying. He picked up a wet plate, and began to dry it with a dish rag, setting it down on the other side of the counter.

"Please be careful, Edward," I told him, "I've already stolen you from your family for the whole day, I'd really rather not have them blame me for dirtying your nice clothes as well,"

He chuckled at this and looked up at me, "I don't mind, it's refreshing to be the one doing the work,"

"That's what I said at first too, but don't worry, it gets old quick," we both sniggered at this. I found myself feeling truly perplexed as to how this all came to be. It seemed ridiculous that I was stepping on eggshells around him this morning. "Thank you, Edward, you have no idea what you and Mary Alice being here means to me."

He looked up from the cup in his hand and smiled his signature crooked smirk, leaving me breathless momentarily. How he did that, I'll never know. "Don't thank me, Bella, I enjoy this. I relish spending time with you, no matter what we're doing." I could feel the blush creeping up my neck again, and I felt the urge to hide it.

"Well," Mary Alice exclaimed as she came into the room, causing me to drop the bowl that was in my hand, into the sink. She was carrying her mop and bucket, "I'd say those floors are ready to be stepped on and dirtied up again," she set her supplies down and dried her hands on her dress. Mary Alice was rich as well, or at least from a good family, and so I let her borrow one of my dresses to work in, I never would've let her got down on her knees to clean a floor otherwise.

"Thank you, dear," I replied, looking at her over my shoulder, and picking up the bowl. I saw Edward looking at me and grinning from the corner of my eye. I turned to him, "What are you looking at, sir," I asked, chuckling.

A smile broke out across his face in the most beautiful way. "Nothing, it's just that I've never met someone with butter for fingers," he guffawed as I scoffed angrily and hit him with the dish rag.

"How rude of you to say such a thing to a lady," I turned my head dramatically.

"Yes, of course, you're right. I'm terribly sorry," he began, but as I turned back to him, his impish smile returned, "Sorry for not doing that first," he cried as he hit me with the other dish rag. We collapsed into a fit of laughs, as we took turns hitting each other. When we calmed down I saw Mary Alice smiling warmly. I didn't announce it, but rather smiled back at her. Edward dried the last dish and set it aside, looking to both of us, almost as if to say "Ok, what next?"

"That's all for today, actually, except for breaking the news to my mother. Edward you really should go home though, you don't have to stay for this," I turned to him, hoping that he wouldn't take this as me not wanting him here and kicking him out.

"I can if you want me to. I really wouldn't mind. Like I explained earlier, I am here for support if you need it," he looked to me seriously, and I smiled warmly.

"And I appreciate that, truly. It's just that my mother only knows you from newspapers, so I'm not sure I could get her to focus long enough for me to break the news about the money," I chuckled lightly.

He laughed, despite himself, "All right, I understand. Would you like me to come by tomorrow?"

I smiled, "Yes, that would be lovely," he smiled back and gave me another hug before giving one to Mary Alice as well.

"I am very glad I've met you both, you're certainly the best friends I've made so far. My mother wishes me to make more. I am positive she'll have me meeting the other catches of the county," he laughed, as he quoted me from earlier, "I'll see you both tomorrow. It was lovely, Ms. Swan," he said, taking on a tone of formality again to give my hand a kiss, "Ms. Brandon," a kiss for her hand as well. With that, he walked out the door, giving us one final wave before the door shut behind him. I felt my shoulders relax and breath forcibly leave my lips in an exasperated sigh.

"My goodness, Isabella, can you believe it," her voice began to get giddy again, as she too came to grips with the events of today, "Edward Masen likes you!" I looked to her, expecting her to say Edward Masen says we are his friends! Or Edward Masen was in this house!

"How do you figure that," I inquired, shocked. Her eyes widened at my response

"Surely, you did not miss that, it was clear as day!"

"I heard him call us his friends a lot, Mary Alice," but even my own low self-esteem could not deny the chemistry that filled the room when it was just him and I in it. Again, I found myself wishing he had come to town sooner. If only my mother and I could reclaim our status, so I could have a semblance of a chance. I heard him today, his mother wants a girl with a high-standing family. Even if by some chance, I were lucky enough to gain the affections of Edward Masen, there was no guarantee we could even make it. It was a lost cause, and simply that. For now, I would just find comfort in him being a friend.

"Okay, Isabella, you can deny it all you want. But, for right now, I want to hear EVERYTHING," she shouted as she grabbed my hands and moved us over to the couch. I suspected this would come sooner or later. We stayed there for all hours, reliving the moments we shared with Edward Masen. If only I had known that I should've clung on to those moments, instead of taking them for granted.