Chapter 14: Makeover

E POV

"Edward!" Carlisle calls through the door. "Wake up son!"

I groan, it's a Sunday. I should be sleeping in until noon. I peek out from under the sheets, it's just past 8.

"Not now, Need more sleep!" I shout back.

"I'm coming in." Carlisle warns. I don't know why he bothers. I don't sleep in the nude, not with Emmett in the house. I never know when he's going to bust in trying to pull a prank.

Carlisle opens the door and stands in the frame. "Your mother needs you to get up. She needs you to help take some stuff over to the Swans."

"Be down in ten." I leap out of bed.

I shower, clothe and grab a protein bar. Mom and Alice are already awake and cheery-eyed, damn morning birds.

"Morning dear." Mom greets as I enter the kitchen.

"Mornin'" I grumble.

"We got her Gentle Wave, kind of a lightish blue, Winter Delta, this creamy chocolate and a darker blue called Homecoming blue paint. We also found a matching area rug, bed set and some organizers and wall art." Alice brags. "That furniture that we're taking over is going to be perfect. I saw her room and it was in desperate need of some paint and her furniture was falling apart, literally. I think her bookshelf was only being held together because of how many books were crammed in that thing."

"Oh goodie!" Mom claps. "I've been itching to do some remodeling. I was contemplating redoing the theatre room because I was so desperate."

"Morning gorgeous." Carlisle walks in and greets mom. He strolls over to her, lays a kiss on her lips that pushes the limits of a PG-13 movie and smiles. He grabs a cup of coffee and leans against the counter.

"Well," Mom collects herself as she announces. "If everyone is here, we might as well get to work. The furniture is already in the garage under the sheets, we just have to load it into Emmett's Dodge."

We all head out to the garage, Carlisle and I do the heavy lifting, which is fairly easy because the desk and bookcase are made of light wood. Carlisle hops in the driver seat of the Dodge and I hop in the passenger. Mom and Alice are following us in Alice's Bug.

We immediately unload the furniture upon arriving at Bella's house. We get to the open door with the bookcase.

"Hey Bella." I smile and wink as we head through the door with the awkward-to-carry-because-of-its-length bookcase.

"Hi." she waves, still with sleep in her eyes and voice. She's not a morning person either I guess. "Up the stairs last door on the left." She directs.

We manage to get the bookcase up without hitting the walls. Wow, Alice couldn't have been more right about her room. The neutral yellow color that mothers paint babies walls is faded and chipping. Her bookcase is trying to mimic the Leaning Tower of Pisa and her desk is tiny. She had packed up most of her room and moved things around so that we could get to work right away.

"Ok!" Esme starts, "First things first, get rid of the bookcase and desk."

When we try to lift the bookcase it falls apart into slats of wood on the floor. Well, good thing she got an upgrade. We take the bookcase out in pieces and put it onto Charlie's wood pile outside. Might as well burn it since it's good for no other reason. The desk is taken downstairs and left out by the trashcan on the curb for the trash collector to dispose of.

When we get back upstairs with the new desk we are directed to leave it in the hallway. Mom and Alice have lost no time in our absence. They have the whole room taped and are now laying down plastic sheets to catch spills.

Carlisle admires how efficient they are and excuses himself saying that he has to run into the office for a bit and that he'll see us at the house later this afternoon. He wraps his arms around mom and plants a kiss on her, this one more steamy than the one I witnessed this morning,

Bella is dressed in an old pair of sweats and an old shirt that hangs off one shoulder. I have to check myself before I let my mind get away from me. It's the most skin I think I've seen on her, her shoulders are beautiful, so smooth and strong but feminine. She's carefully pouring the light blue paint into three trays.

"What can I do?" I offer my service as I come up behind her.

"Oh," she responds. "Um, help paint if you really want to."

I grab a roller and dip it into the tray making sure it has a nice even coat. Esme directs me to paint every wall but the one with the large window in light blue. Alice brings in a radio and the fun begins.

"I love this color!" Esme gushes as the first coat is in full swing.

"Thanks," Bella accepts. "I love the color blue. It's just so carefree and relaxing. It complements the warmness of the brown."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Esme agrees.

We work at a pretty fast pace, mom works on the trim while Alice, Bella and I use the rollers to do more surface. We do the wall with the large bay window in chocolate, that takes less time than the other walls as all four of us are working on one wall.

We finish a second coat on the blue wall and by 11:30 have all walls done in two coats. We pull the painters tape off. A thick streak of yellow is left all the way around the blue and brown walls.

"Umm," I point. "Is that an accident or did you mean to do that?"

"It's purposeful," Mom bites back. "Take a chill pill and trust me." She opens the dark blue paint and starts free-handing the outer strip on the blue walls a dark blue. It makes a cool framing effect and makes the light blue seem even more light blue.

"Okay," Mom turns to Bella as she finishes the last of the blue trim. "You need to leave the room now that we're done painting. I don't want to ruin the big reveal."

"What?" Bella asks a look of confusion on her face. "I thought you needed my help?"

"Nope, not for this part." She shakes her head. "We just needed help with the painting part."

"Well, then," Bella blushes. "Can I make lunch for everyone for helping me?"

"That would be lovely." Esme agrees. "Edward why don't you help her too? We'll call if we need you two." Mom gives Alice a smirk and turns back to pick up the paint and plastic sheets. What are they up to?

Bella and I head down to the kitchen. She grabs out a cookbook and peruses through it until she finds something that looks good.

"So." I start. "What are we making?"

"Wash your hands then sit here." She points to the chair across from her without answering my question. So bossy, it's a refreshing change from her being so undecided and unsure of herself.

She stands up, closes the book and hands me a cutting board, knife, tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, green pepper and green onion. "Cut into pieces the size of your thumbnail."

She goes to the sink to wash her hands as well and then grabs ground turkey, chicken stock and a large onion from the fridge.

She cuts the onion quickly, faster than I've even seen mom cut an onion and tosses the little pieces into the pan that has been warming on the stove. She pours a little chicken stock in and let's it simmer for a bit as she opens the ground turkey package.

She looks back at me, then points to the still uncut vegetables sitting before me. "Are you going to cut those?" She asks pointedly.

"Oh yeah." I shake my head. I could watch her cook all day, it's almost hypnotic. I get to work cutting up the lettuce, much more slowly than she does. I keep track of her actions, but less absorbed this time.

After distractedly cutting the veggies and her whipping around the kitchen with a grace and confidence I had not thought she possessed, she pulls me from my gawking.

"I think we're done." She announces as she pours her homemade pico de gallo in another serving dish. "Will you go grab your mom and Alice?"

"Yeah," I take the stairs two at a time and knock on the closed door.

"Just a minute!" Mom shouts from behind the door. I hear a scramble and then the door opens a crack to show Alice's face.

"Yes?" She asks.

"Lunch is done. Bella says you and Mom can come down to eat." I answer quickly.

"Okay great." Alice smiles as she shuts the door and delivers the message.

Within ten minutes they're downstairs. The lettuce is sitting in the bowls and a taco bar is essentially set up along the counter.

"Help yourself to some taco meat and whatever else you want in your salad." Bella offers. "What does everyone want to drink? We have iced tea, milk or water."

"I'll take a water." I agree.

"Same here." Mom and Alice agree.

"So where's Charlie?" I ask as I dish up.

"Oh," Bella smiles. "Today is Sunday, his fishing day."

"Well that's nice for him." Esme answers. "It's good to do things for yourself on a regular basis."

We all take a seat around the kitchen table.

"So," Bella begins, "What do I owe you for the furniture?"

"Absolutely nothing." Esme answers brightly. "I'm more than happy to be paid in nothing but being able to help you with this, and lunch, which is delicious by the way." She adds taking a bite out of her salad.

"You should see her cook." I admonish. "In the time it took me to cut the vegetables she had cooked the meat, warmed the beans, made the salsa, and fried the tortillas."

Bella waves a dismissive hand. "It's nothing. My mom has been watching the Food Network since I was little. She was fascinated by it but never had the patience to apply any of it. I soaked it up like a sponge though. I love to cook now."

"Well you definitely have a talent for it." I coax a blush from her.

"Thanks." She ducks her head. "So how's the room coming?"

"Superb!" Alice answers. "We're done placing furniture. We're just waiting for the paint to dry enough before we start on the wall decorations. It should be fine by the time we head back upstairs. Good thing we got the quick dry kind."

We finish eating and chatting about school, the weather, stuff like that. Mom and Alice head back up to the room as Bella and I clear the table and begin cleaning. I work on getting leftovers into Tupperware as Bella loads the dishwasher.

"Thanks for helping today." She says.

"No prob." I answer. "Thanks for making lunch. It was delicious."

She gets quiet again. I can't stand it. We've known each other for a month and she still isn't comfortable around me to accept a couple of nice words.

"Can I ask you something?" I begin.

"Um, sure." She visibly tenses.

"Why is it that whenever Alice or Rose compliments you you don't seem to mind, but if I tell you you're a great cook you shy away?"

"Honestly?" She asks as she closes the dishwasher door and turns back to me. "I guess because I don't know what it means coming from you."

"It means exactly what I say." I shrug.

"Well yeah." She shakes her head. "I hear what you're saying. I just don't know why you're saying it."

"I say it because it's true." I admit. "You are a good cook. You have a distinct talent for it."

"Well thank you." She nods. "It means a lot."

"That's better. You're very welcome." I smile. I walk up to her and look down at her. She bites her lip again.

"Why do you do that?" I ask as I run my thumb across her lip, the small touch makes my thumb tingle.

"Do what?" She releases her bottom lip.

"Bite your lip." I whisper.

"I don't know. Nervous habit?" She asks light-heartedly.

"Well it's distracting." I move my hand to the side of her cheek. What is wrong with me? I can't stop touching her face.

"Edward-" she groans as she grabs my hand and moves it away from her cheek. She pushes me back with her fist a few inches. "What are you doing?" She laments.

"I don't know." I answer. "I thought I was comforting you and your incessant need to be tense around me."

"I don't think I can go on this trip." She chokes.

"What? Why?" I ask a little loudly.

She winces. "I don't know that you and I have the same idea of what it means."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I answer tersely, crossing my arms.

"You know what I mean." She crosses her arms in return. "You seem to have some idea in your head that shouldn't be there. I'm broken Edward and I don't think I can be what you think you want me to be. The best I can promise is friendship. If this trip is going to be some way for you to try and get me to do something, then I don't know if I can go." She admits.

Did she just accuse me of trying to make a move on her? Is that why she thinks I gave her the ticket. So I could get her alone and try to take advantage of her? Well, I kind of did, but not without her full and willing consent. I wasn't going to force her to be attracted to me. If a friendship was all she needed right now, I could do that. I didn't have to voice my thoughts to her about how great she looked in that shirt.

"Bella," I sigh. "Bella Bella Bella." I shake my head. "When I told you I was different from other guys I meant it. I'm not going to push you to like me in that way. If a friendship is all you can do right now then okay, I'm fine with that. But should you decide that you do like me as more then friends..." I trail off.

"You'll be the first to know." Bella rolls her eyes. "I don't see that happening but okay."

"BEL-LA! ED-WARD!" Alice sings from the top of the stairs. "You can come up now!"

Bella uncrosses her arms and pushes off from the counter. She leads the way up the stairs and into her room. Alice puts her hands over her eyes and leads her to her new and improved room.

"One, two, three." Alice counts before unfolding her hands from Bella's face. "What do you think?" She squeals.

Bella's mouth drops open and a small choke escapes her lips. The room reflects the woman that Bella is. It's warm and inviting but also relaxing and soft. The paint looks the same but different. Seeing it with everything in place makes it that much more powerful.

The area rug adds more energy and warmth to the room. Her bookshelf is in the corner opposite her dresser. The bed is still against the right wall and the desk is up against the wall opposite the bed. Her organizers are on the other side of the bookshelf and the wall decorations make the paint pop even more.

I mentally count in my head how long it takes her to absorb everything and respond. I get to 56 seconds before she manages to say anything.

"It's beautiful." She croons. "I couldn't have done it better myself Esme. Thank you so so much! Alice thank you for being so selfless and buying this for me."

"You deserve it Bella." Alice smiles. Bella hugs her and then transfers to Esme.

"I am speechless." Bella admits. "It's so much more then I imagined." A sob gets stuck in her throat. "I owe you."

"Oh hush," Esme dismisses. "You don't owe us anything. We had fun, it was all worth the look on your face. Just promise you'll come by so I can give you a tour soon." Bella nods as she wipes a tear out her eyes.

I want to reach over and hug her, kiss her forehead and wipe the tear from her eye, but resist. I just promised her friendship and those actions are way more then just friendly. This trip wis going to be way more difficult then I anticipated. I just have to be the little engine that could. Yes I can, Yes I can, Yes I can.