."I've been wanting to ask आप out all week, and Alice being Alice, of course figured that out. Disadvantage of having a twin." A smile twitched on his lips. "And then she pulled this. I'm sorry that she ambushed you."I had to contemplate what he had just कहा for a moment before I could say anything."You wanted to ask me out?" I eventually managed to get out."Well, yeah." He finally looked at me again. "I thought that was obvious.""Definitely not.""It was to Alice." He chuckled. "But then again, she knows me better than anyone." He looked down the सड़क, स्ट्रीट in the direction that Alice and Jasper had disappeared. "Did आप want to go to the bookstore?”"Sure." I nodded, and we began walking down the सड़क, स्ट्रीट again."Hang on…" He कहा after a minute. "Why were आप apologizing about Alice taking off like that?"Damn."You noticed that, huh?" He waited patiently as I tried to form an intelligible response without making a complete idiot of myself. He already कहा that he wanted to ask आप out, a little voice in my head reminded me. "I just thought that she had figured out that I… kind of… wanted आप to ask me out.""Really?" He smiled hopefully."I thought that was obvious." I used his own words, and he chuckled."Nope." He shook his head. "Good thing Alice is so indiscreet then, या we could have continued to beat about the झाड़ी, बुश for quite some time." We stopped in front of a brick building and I looked up to see the words 'Port Book and News' printed over the display window. "We're here." He held the door open for me."This is great." I कहा as we walked into the store. "I've never really liked the big chain stores.""It's actually my प्रिय खरीडिए in Port Angeles." He admitted. "They have a great selection, and reasonable prices."
We spent a good half घंटा in the store, browsing through the various shelves. Normally, I preferred going to bookstores द्वारा myself, but being here with Edward was even better.By the time we left, I had bought two newly released पुस्तकें that I had heard were good and a beautiful old paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice, to replace the one I had dropped on my first दिन at Forks High – I needed a new one that I could keep in my bag at all times. Edward had bought an amazing, leather bound copy of Whitman's Leaves of Grass."Alice कहा that there was a संगीत store here somewhere." I said, looking around as we crossed the street."Oh yeah." He stopped on the sidewalk. "We actually have to go back the other way.""That's OK, we don't have to." I said, but he had already started walking back across the street."We're not in a hurry, are we?" He looked at me, that crooked smile on his face, and for a सेकंड my brain shut down, just like it had the first time I had seen him in the cafeteria. "Bella?""Huh?" I shook my head a little. "No, I guess not.""Come on then."The संगीत store mainly carried used CD's, so they didn't have the one I was looking for. But I managed to find a copy of U2 live from Boston."Bono fan?" Edward noted as I waited in line to pay."I was at the संगीत कार्यक्रम in Phoenix in 2001, and they're amazing live." My mom had a friend who worked at the America West Arena, so she had gotten the tickets for free. I hadn't really been a U2 प्रशंसक before that, but it had been an incredible experience."I know. Carlisle, Emmett and I were at one of the concerts in Anaheim.""That must have been great." It was my turn to pay, and I handed the money over to the girl behind the counter."Do आप want to get some coffee, या would आप rather head back?" Edward asked as we left the store."Coffee sounds good." I replied, not wanting our time alone together to end quite yet. And it was pretty cold, so some hot coffee would be perfect.He took me to a cozy place called Bella Rosa a couple of blocks from the संगीत store. He insisted on paying for my coffee and ब्लूबेरी muffin, and I eventually let him.The coffee was heavenly after the कड़वा cold outside, and the ब्लूबेरी टिकिया, मफिन was delicious. We started talking about books, realizing that we had a lot in common in that area. We both loved the classics, but also enjoyed a good crime novel from time to time. Since he admitted – after having made me swear never to mention it to his brother – that he actually liked Jane Austen, I let it slip that he hadn't read anything द्वारा my contemporary favorite, Paulo Coelho. He did, however, agree to read The Alchemist if I lent it to him.When we ran out of coffee, he went to get more, and we just kept talking. I had no idea what time it was when he looked at his watch."Uh oh." He frowned. "We should probably get going. Alice will kill me if I get आप there late."I looked at my watch, and was surprised that we had been at the coffee house for over two hours. It was already twenty to six."Let's go." I कहा grudgingly. I would have been happy to stay a whole lot longer, but I had promised Alice I would come for dinner.He helped me put my कोट back on, and we left the coffee shop, hurrying down the सड़क, स्ट्रीट in the direction of the lot where Alice had parked earlier. I followed him to a black car with white stripes on the हुड, डाकू that was parked as far from the other cars as possible."Ah, the famous car." I commented."My baby." He unlocked the passenger door and held it open for me before sliding into the driver's seat. "I have no idea how Carlisle managed to find it, but I'm ever grateful.""It's nice." I liked the smell of the old leather seats."Nice?" He stared at me. "It's a classic! It's got a V8 engine with almost…"I'm sorry, but that means absolutely nothing to me." I interrupted, not up for a complete सूची of the cars amazing qualities."Right. Sorry." He grinned at me. "I tend to forget that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for this car.""It's OK. But it is nice. Are the seats and everything original?" I touched the worn leather."Yeah. I put in a new stereo, but that's it." He indicated the high-tech piece of equipment. "The guy that sold it to Carlisle really kept it in mint condition."He started the car and pulled out of the lot. As I realized what song was playing on the stereo, I raised an eyebrow."Sorry." He reached forward, turning the volume down.
"No." I turned it back up. "Do आप mind if I change the song though?" He shook his head and I skipped to track six. Jeff Buckley's voice once again filled the car.I heard there was a secret chordThat David played and it pleased the LordBut आप don't really care for music, do you"Definitely one of the greatest songs ever.""Have to agree with आप there." He gave me a curious glance. "What's in your stereo right now?""In the truck?" He nodded. "David Gray, A New दिन at Midnight.""I haven't gotten around to listening to that yet, got it somewhere, but I really liked White Ladder. Is it any good?""It's great.""So how'd आप stumble across David Gray anyway?" I pondered his सवाल for a moment."This year's प्यार was in a movie called Crazy/Beautiful. I fell in प्यार with it the first time I heard it." It was true, I'd had to pause the movie to गूगल the lyrics."I haven't seen the movie, but the song's amazing."We spent the rest of the drive talking about music, discovering that we had quite a few प्रिय artists and bands in common.When we got to Forks, he drove through the town and continued north. We crossed the river and passed through और and और deserted areas. Eventually, all signs of human settlement disappeared, and a few मिनटों later Edward turned onto a barely visible dirt road that took us even deeper into the woods.After a while we reached a clearing, and in the middle stood a huge, white house, surrounded द्वारा a deep porch."Wow." I exclaimed quietly."You like it?" He smiled and got out of the car, and I followed."It's beautiful." He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me towards the house and up the steps to the porch."Esme's an architect; she would never be able to live in a house that didn't appeal to her esthetically." He opened the door and we stepped into a large, open अंतरिक्ष that took up most of the ground floor.The entire back दीवार was made out of glass, with two sliding doors in the middle, and through it आप had an amazing view of the river. Just outside there was a stone patio with a Jacuzzi and a rather large pool that seemed और suitable for a sunnier climate. To the right of the front door was a large staircase leading to the upper floors, and the रसोई, रसोईघर area. A bar counter divided the रसोई, रसोईघर from the rest of the room, which consisted of a dining room with a large तालिका, टेबल and a living room area to the left. In the corner to the left of the door, a पियानो stood on a small, elevated platform. I briefly wondered who played.The रसोई, रसोईघर was buzzing with activity; Alice was cutting something on a chopping board on one of the counters, Rosalie was stirring something on the stove and a woman in her mid-thirties with कारमेल colored hair who I assumed was Esme was taking plates from a cupboard.As she turned and headed towards the dining table, she spotted us."You're back." She greeted with a smile, putting the plates down before walking over to us. "You must be Bella. I'm Esme." She extended her hand, and I shook it."It's nice to meet you. आप have a beautiful home.""And it's nice to finally meet आप too." She gave Edward a pointed glance."Bella!" Alice squealed and bounced over to us. "I hope you're not very mad that I abandoned you." She whispered in my ear as she hugged me tightly."I'll try to forgive you." I muttered back, and tried to glare at her as she pulled away, but she just winked at me and I knew she didn't buy it."Why don't आप give Bella a tour of the house, रात का खाना won't be ready for another fifteen मिनटों या so." Esme suggested. Rosalie waved from the kitchen, and I waved back before following Edward up the stairs.We ended up in a long hallway with four doors leading from it. As we walked down it, Edward pointed out Rosalie and Alice's rooms as well as Carlisle's study and the master bedroom. We climbed another set of stairs, and found a new hallway, with four और doors."This is us guys' floor." Edward said, leading me down the hallway. "Emmett's room, Jasper's. But they sleep downstairs most of the time, so I usually get the whole floor to myself." He pointed at the first door on the right. "Library." I looked through the open door and discovered shelves upon shelves of books."Wow.""And my room." He opened the last door on the left and I stepped inside.Just like on the bottom floor, the entire back दीवार consisted of glass. Against the right दीवार there was a डेस्क and several bookcases filled with पुस्तकें and CD's, and to the left was a large बिस्तर with a wooden headboard and a comfy looking leather couch. There was a small टेलीविज़न perched on the edge of the desk, and a stereo in one of the bookcases."I like it." I walked over to the bookcases and studied his CD collection. A lot of my own favorites, some I didn't like that much, and quite a few I had never heard of. "Quite a collection you've got.""Esme's sister runs a संगीत store in Santa Barbara. She sends me what she knows I like, what she thinks I will like and what she thinks I should listen to.""That's just unfair." I grumbled, and he laughed."Come on." He held his hand out to me, and I took it. A tingle traveled up my arm. "Dinner should be ready soon."When we came back downstairs, Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper had joined the others. Emmett and Jasper were watching some game on the TV, and Carlisle was sitting with Esme at the table, speaking quietly. Alice was just putting down a large bowl of सलाद on the table, and Rosalie was filling a pitcher with water."Hello again, Bella." Carlisle looked up and smiled at me. "How is your wrist?""It's OK, hurts a little now and then but not too bad." I actually hadn't even thought about it for several hours.“That's good; it means that it's healing.""Dinner!" Alice yelled at Emmett and Jasper, who obediently turned the TV off."Alice!" Esme gave her a look. "We have guests.""It's only Bella." Alice shrugged and sat down at the table, everyone following her lead. I was strangely pleased द्वारा the way Alice didn't consider me a guest.Dinner was delicious, just as Alice had said. And though there were eight people around the table, conversation ran smoothly. After we had finished dessert, which consisted of white चॉकलेट panna cotta with रसभरी, रास्पबेरी sauce, it was almost ten."Thank आप so much, Mrs. Cullen, रात का खाना was wonderful." I कहा as I brought my plate into the kitchen."Thank you, Bella. And please call me Esme. Mrs. Cullen makes me feel old." She smiled at me, and I smiled back."It's getting late, maybe आप should take Bella home?" Carlisle suggested to Edward. "Charlie might be worried.""Oh, he's out fishing, he's probably not even घर yet." As I कहा that, my cell phone started ringing. I checked the display. Charlie. "Hi dad.""Are आप still in Port Angeles?""No, I'm at the Cullens', we just had dinner. I told आप that.""Oh. Yeah. Just don't stay out too late, OK?" I sighed."I was just heading home.""Good, see आप in a bit then.""Bye dad." I ended the call. "Guess I'll need that ride after all.""Let's go." Edward said.I thanked Esme and Carlisle again for the amazing dinner, कहा goodbye to everyone and gave Alice a hug before following Edward out to the car."Did आप enjoy yourself?""Are आप kidding? Your family's amazing." Granted, compared to my own slightly dysfunctional family, most others seemed perfect."They're alright."I could sense him glance over at me several times as we drove back to Forks, but he didn't say anything. As he pulled into the curb behind my truck, I hesitated.He had admitted to wanting to ask me out. Was he going to? या did he change his mind, having spent all दिन with me? I thought we'd had a good time, but maybe he didn't. What if…"Bella?" He interrupted my train of thought."Yeah?" I could feel the तितलियों start to tap dance in my stomach."Would it be OK if I picked आप up for school on Monday?"OK, not what I had hoped for, but better than nothing."Sure." At that moment, I thanked the higher power that had made me break my wrist."I mean, do आप think Charlie would be OK with it?" He rephrased."Sure, he's been going in to work later than usual because he's had to take me to school." That was true, but just in case I would only tell Charlie that I would catch a ride with a friend. He didn't need details."Great." He gave me a smile that, had I been standing, would have made my knees buckle. "See आप Monday morning then.""OK." I opened the door and was about to get out when he again called my name. I turned, and found myself much closer to him than I had expected.”Do आप have any plans for Friday?""Uh… Friday?" I desperately tried to connect the word 'Friday' to something meaningful. "Uh, no.""There's a great Italian place in Port Angeles, and if आप wanted, we could maybe see a movie too."He was actually asking me out. It was really happening."That sounds nice." या perfect, whatever आप prefer."Great." He leaned back, and I got out of the car. "See आप Monday." I closed the passenger door and he sped off down the street.I had to inhale the cold air for a few moments to be able to form any sort of coherent thought before walking into the house.