AN: please forgive the cheesy name. This is my first attempt at a Twilight fanfic, so I apologize if it's a little rough at first. As I said in the description, the story is AU and AH, so things may seem a little OOC at times. Reviews are always appreciated and are definitely great encouragement to continue writing.

Chapter 1

Bella sits behind the counter of The Steamy Beany coffee shop, staring unseeingly at the book in her hands. She cannot maintain her focus on the story because her mind is lost in thought about the attractive man sitting at the table in the corner. He comes in every morning and every afternoon around 5 o'clock. In the mornings he orders a coffee to go, but in the afternoons he sometimes sits for hours typing away on his laptop. She doesn't know much about the mysterious man who she can't help but think about, she only really knows his name and that he tends to pull at his hair when he's frustrated with whatever it is he works so diligently on. His name is Edward and he looks to be in his late twenties, if she had to guess. He's tall, tall enough to tower over her anyways. She'd be willing to bet he's about 6 feet tall. He's a little on the lanky side, but he still looks like someone you wouldn't want to pick a fight with. There's something about him that seems dangerous. Maybe it's his reddish brown hair that always appears disheveled by the end of the day or maybe it's his black leather jacket and dark jeans. Perhaps it's those piercing amber eyes. Bella has no idea what it is about him that gives off that bad boy, dangerous vibe. She just knows that it's in her best interest to stay away.

If only it were that easy. Edward is in the shop every day. He sits in the same spot for hours on end doing who knows what on that laptop and drinking an unhealthy amount of caffeine. She can't complain because he does continue to purchase beverages and usually something for dinner, so he's not unwelcome. She just wished she didn't feel so drawn to him. She couldn't explain it. Even though her gut told her he was bad news, there was something inside of her dying to get to know him. That part of her grew more and more every time he came into the shop. Bella didn't know how much longer she could ignore it. She was afraid history might repeat herself.

Giving up on any hope of reading her book, Bella closes it and puts it away on one of the shelves beneath the counter. She gazes around at the shop, imagining the lives of its patrons. It's one of her favourite things to do. It's one of the things she loves most about owning her own coffee shop. It allows her the opportunity to become a part of people's lives. First, she gets to imagine their life. When a new face walks in, she pictures what his or her story is, what life is like beyond the walls of the shop. As people become regulars, she gets to know them. Little by little, she becomes a small part of their everyday life. Everyone in here connected by their love of coffee. There's something serene about being surrounded by people who you have something in common with, even something as simple as a love of caffeine.

She spots Mrs. Joan sitting alone by the window, gazing out at the autumn leaves. She smiles at her, even though she can't actually see her. In the years that Mrs. Joan has been coming here, Bella has learned that the elderly woman has lived alone since the death of her husband decades ago. She knows that Mrs. Joan loves to knit and was also quite the artist back in the day. Her works can be found displayed proudly in local galleries. Bella only knows this because she stumbled across them one day on a trip to one such gallery. Mrs. Joan is far too modest to brag about her success as an artist, instead she prefers to talk about her family and her love of knitting and baked goods. Mrs. Joan is always willing to try the latest treat on the menu. Bella trusts her opinion and usually decides whether or not something is worth keeping on the menu based on Mrs. Joan's judgment. They have become acquaintances over the years and Mrs. Joan has tried countless times to set Bella up with her "charming grandson". Bella always politely declines, fearful of what might happen if things didn't go well between her and the beloved grandson.

Bella's gaze gradually wanders over to Edward, who as usual is sitting alone at the corner table, typing away. She wonders how aware he is of his surroundings. Does he notice the chime of the bell when a new customer arrives? Do his nostrils fill with the scent of freshly brewed coffee? Does he feel the gentle swish of air as someone walks by his table? Can he sense her staring? She does not know the answers to any of these questions and probably never will, but she still enjoys thinking about them.

Life at the shop is all about her customers and the atmosphere they create. She couldn't dream of working anywhere else. Why would anyone want to sit behind a desk at an office when they could run their own shop? She loves the freedom to do what she wants with the shop, which leads to frequent changes and mixed opinions from the regulars. Some people love that the esthetic of the place is always changing, while still remaining relatively the same. She repaints the walls quite often, changes up the décor, changes the quiet background music, adds and removes items from the menu. She doesn't like it when things become stagnant. She believes it is important for things to change and grow, which is why she is always trying to improve the shop. Some people wish she would keep everything the same, but she disagrees. Change is what keeps people alive. Change is what makes life interesting and worth living.