Twenty-Five

B

"So, you're doing laundry at his house," Rose says around a mouthful of food. If I didn't know her so well, I'd find it disgusting, but I'm used to her ways.

"Yeah, it was a little strange being there without him."

She steals a fry off my plate. "Did you snoop? If I were you, I'd be checking doors and drawers for whips and chains."

I snort sweet tea through my nose and reach for a napkin. "No. I mean, I had to open a few doors to find the basement where the laundry room is. I just found two well-stocked linen closets and a really nice guest bedroom."

Not to mention a rather bare pantry. I need to teach my old man the art of grocery delivery services.

"Sounds like he's stable in life." Rose nods to herself. "Does he have any brothers?"

"Unfortunately, no. He was an only child. And before you ask, his best friend is engaged and has a kid."

She pouts and snatches the check when our server drops it off.

"I can pay," I say, reaching for my wallet.

I don't make as much money at Rebar as I did at my old job, but I'm far from struggling.

"Nah. My idea, my treat." She slips her credit card in the folder. "You can get it next time."

"Deal."

When we're standing at her car, Rose asks me what I'm doing for the rest of the day.

"I need to run a package to the post office for Dad's birthday because I can't make the trip."

She rolls her eyes. "Tell the truth. You don't want to go home and run into Jake."

She knows me so well. "That too. It's just so awkward, and now I have Edward. I'd rather focus on my future, not my past."

"And Edward is part of that."

I nod, and she smiles.

"I'm happy for you, Bella. I'd like to meet him eventually, and I hope to see you at home from time to time."

"Of course." I give her a hug. "We should plan a spa night so we can gossip about boys. I'm off Sunday through Tuesday."

"For sure. I have to get back to work. Love you."

"I love you too."

I'm standing in line at the post office when I realize I don't have Edward's cell phone number. Something I plan on fixing tonight.

I call the bar, and he picks up on the second ring.

"Rebar, this is Cullen."

"Hey, handsome." I smile into the phone.

"Hey, everything okay? Did you run all your errands?"

"Most of them. I'm calling to see if you have any allergies besides pineapple."

"You remember that?" he asks softly.

"Of course, I do."

Turns out aside from pineapple and coconut, he's got an aversion to green vegetables. All things I can work with.

"Is there a reason you're asking me this?"

I move up a place in line. "Yeah, if I'm going to be spending time at your place, I'm going to need food besides grilled cheese. Do you have a crock pot?"

"Okay, now I'm confused." He chuckles. "But yeah, I do."

"Good. I'm going to the grocery store, and I want to make you dinner. Something we can eat when we get home."

"Home. I like the sound of that."

I sigh because he's so perfect.

"Listen, I have to go. I'll see you at four." He says something unintelligible in the background. "Be safe. Love you."

My breath hitches. I don't think he meant to say it, but it still sends a thrill up my backbone. Edward is quiet on the other end of the line, but I can hear his erratic breathing.

"Edward?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I love you, too." I don't wait for a reply. I just hang up.

I know it's soon. I mean, we've been officially together for less than a day, and he probably said it out of habit, but I've never been the type of person to hold back.

What I feel for Edward is nothing like how it was with Jake. Did I love him? Yes, but it was more of a friendship between us than it was romantic.

With Jacob, it felt forced. Like I owed it to my dad to give it a shot, and he was great and all but smothering. I was overwhelmed by his dreams for our future, and it didn't take long for me to realize it was because we didn't have one. My mom saw right through it, and she wasn't surprised when I ended things before I moved out here.

With Edward, it's different. He makes me excited to see what the future has in store for us. Do I love him? I can honestly say I do. Is it crazy to feel this way after such a short time? It's been months, and I feel like I know him. The kind of man that he is.

Sure, it may be early, but if he feels the same, we can be lunatics together, I suppose.