*Disclaimer I do not own Twilight or any of these characters*
Chapter 1
I pulled my rusty old truck into the Cullen driveway. The house or as I like to call it, the mansion, was as beautiful as always, the yard was freshly cut, and Esme's gorgeous garden that had started out behind the house, had somehow expanded, covering the perimeter of the house.
It was unusually quite when I walked into the Cullen home. There was no Emmitt screaming at the TV, or Jasper bragging about beating Emmitt at a video game, Alice wasn't bouncing around trying to go shopping, Rosaline wasn't sitting beside her doing her fingernails, there was no Esme asking me if I was hungry, and Edwards beautiful melodies didn't fill the house. Overall the house that has over time became my home, was empty, without the six vampires here, I'm use to Carlisle not being here, I mean he does work at a hospital, but usually someone was here. Sighing I walked into the living room, and sat on the couch, chuckling to myself, there has to be something wrong with me, if I'm sad that this house is void of vampires.
"Bella, is that you dear" a smooth, silky voice called from upstairs. The voice as always enticed me, and I had to stop myself from licking my lips, clearing my throat I answered in a soft voice knowing he would be able to hear me, "yes, Carlisle it's me". Hearing light footsteps make their way downstairs towards me, I took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart, why and the world am I reacting like this to Carlisle, my fiancé's father at that.
He entered the room graceful as always, giving me a small smile, "may I sit" he waved his hand to the other end of the couch. This confounded me, why would he need to ask to sit in his own house, yes he is a gentleman, but usually he sits without asking. He must have taken my silence as a rejection, since he turned his head, mumbling quietly about sitting somewhere else. Confusion was clouding my mind, causing my mouth to open, but no words came out, why in the world would I not want him to sit by me. Snapping out my daze I quickly answered, with a large nod, "of course you can sit, Carlisle".
His face lightened instantly, and he hesitantly took a seat, as far away from me as possible, making me frown. This is a totally new Carlisle, yes he is usually quiet, but he has never hesitated, or been nervous around me, even when I first guessed he was a vampire, he wasn't hesitant around me. I scooted closer to him, under the pretense of reaching the remote, which was resting near him, on the middle cushion.
He tensed immediately, his hand clasping into a tight fist, and his eyes clenched shut. I sighed quietly, he must not want me near him, and remote in hand I prepared to return to my original position, when a hand grasped my wrist. My head shot in his direction, his eyes wrenched open, the usually bright topaz was now a darken gold, a slight glint enter his eyes as he swept over my form, unconsciously causing me to shiver. His eyes met mine, and I swear a smirk crossed his mouth, before he asked with a slight grin, "Are you cold".
He was gone before I could answer, returning with a blanket that he laid across me, his hand accidently brushing my thighs, sending sparks throughout my whole body. He hesitantly took a seat, this time closer to me, my leg brushing his as I cuddled into the blanket. I could feel chill from his body, but unlike Edward it sent heat racing through my body. I could feel my heart racing, and I had to do something, anything to break this connection, that apparently only I felt, as Carlisle nonchalantly reached across my lap to grab the remote.
This was a far cry from the man who was hesitant to even sit next to me, "Carlisle, where is everyone". His eyes stayed trained on the TV as he answered me flipping through the channels before stopping on the history channel, "they said something about bonding time, since the wedding is fast approaching and you will be turned soon, they said we don't spend enough time together, so here we are".
One question floated through my mind, the question that I wanted answered the most, why was he so hesitant to touch me. When I think back he has always been like that, ok maybe he had never been nervous to sit by me before, but, he has always never touched me unless I was hurt. Whenever he has to pass an object to me, he makes sure that our fingers never accidently touch, and when he tends to any of my injuries he makes sure to only to touch the wounded area.
"Carlisle" I started cautiously, his turned to me giving me his full attention. His intense eyes drilled into mine, making it almost impossible to turn away. My mind turned to mush, damn, he dazzled me, clearing my throat I shook my head clearing my mind, "umm," crap how am I suppose to ask this. "Carlisle, I have noticed that you," taking a deep breath to clam my nerves I continued "I have noticed that you, don't seem to want to touch me".
I heard him inhale sharply; he mumbled something under his breath, before he turned his full body towards me. Taking my chin in hand he stared deeply in my eyes "Bella" he started, before the shrill ring of his phone interrupted us. Causing me to jump closer to him in fright, my body pressed against his arm. I heard his breath hitch again, and the couch cushion ripped slightly from the pressure of his fingers.
I blushed brightly jumping away from his well toned arm, was I so repulsive to him that he didn't want me near him, hearing him curse under his breath; I murmured an excuse of going to the kitchen to get something to drink, as he answered the phone. Leaning heavily against the counter I sighed, it was obvious Carlisle didn't want me around. While it hurts me deeply, I don't want to be somewhere I'm not wanted, pulling my keys out my pocket, I quickly made my way out the kitchen.
So determined to make my way home, I roughly brushed my thigh against the corner of the counter, sheer pain spread down my leg, I held onto the counter, trying to both keep myself balanced and keep the weight off my hurt leg. But I didn't realize that when I grabbed the counter to keep myself upright, that there was a knife resting on the counter, my fingers dug into the blade pricking them. My reaction was instant, when I pulled my hand away from the sharp edge, the knife fell to the ground, but not before it cut through my shirt, painfully digging into my skin, cutting it open.
Pain shot throughout my body, and I cried out. Later I would wonder why the first name I thought of to help me wasn't Edward. "Carlisle" I cried softy.