Chapter Two: Not Pretending
Carlisle POV
Esme and I got married when we were only twenty years old. We never thought we'd be the kids to get pregnant, and married so soon. But time meant nothing when I was with her, and I knew if we married at twenty or eighty, we'd be together forever. But, suddenly, our life wasn't the perfect one people envied us for. She didn't want to rely on her mother for help when Alice was born, so she dropped out of school and began taking online classes so she could have some sort of degree. It worked while the kids were little, but as they grew up, so did Esme.
Ever since she was a little girl and helped her father repaint her parents bedroom as a surprise, she wanted to be an interior designer. With the kids practically taking care of themselves, I thought it was as good a time as any to help her fulfil her dream, and sent her back to a local interior design school. After she finished, I surprised her with her own little office and a job already set up. Her business soared from the first room she decorated, and I couldn't have been more proud of her.
But ever since her business took off, our marriage plummeted with it. I loved her with all my heart, and wanted to fix what we had left. I was completely dedicated to fixing our once romance. But, Esme, seemed to drift further apart with every new client she got. She'd stay at the office late, and would stay at a clients house all day sometimes. Charlie, one of my best friends, suggested she was having an affair. But, I couldn't bring myself to believe him. Esme and I may not be as close as we were when we married, but she wasn't a cheater and she held true to her vows.
Esme's issues with me were beginning to take a toll on our family. Edward, who had been madly in love with his girlfriend, Bella, seemed to just not care anymore. I heard what was going on between the two of them from Bella's conversations with Alice. And I also saw how much it was killing him by the look he walked around with, like all hope was lost. I hated seeing him like this, and I hated he was basing her relationship off of his mothers and mine. It also was taking a toll on Alice. She was handling it much better than Edward, but I knew she was hurting. She was so scarred we'd end up like her best friends parents, who after getting a divorce, dragged her from city to city to get rid of the other.
But, unlike what people thought I should do, I had faith in my wife. I had faith that one day she would remember those vows we said so long ago, and realize we were meant to be together. I had faith one day, she would get her priorities together and begin putting her family first instead of her business. I had faith, and that's what has gotten me through difficult situations, and I would continue to have faith until all our problems were over.
"Daddy?" Alice asked be at the doorway of my study. I quickly hid the shot glass and bottle of whisky before turning to her. "Bella fell and I think she may have broken her wrist."
"How did she fall that badly?" I asked, getting up and grabbing my medical bag. "Is there a bump?"
"I don't know, I didn't look that closely but she like just fell and it's already swelling." She said as she led me into the living room where Bella was sitting on the couch, gripping her wrist. I could see the swelling all the way over here, and I prayed we wouldn't have to make a trip to the hospital if it were broken. Her face turned red as I inched towards her, and couldn't even look at me once I sat down in front of her. I began twisting and turning it, making sure there was no visiable break. I saw her wincing in every move I made and I looked as fast as I could.
"It's not broken, just a sprain. Alice, will you go get me some ice?" I asked as Alice skipped off to the kitchen. "It should heal fairly quickly." I said, trying to laugh about it. I could tell she was still incredibally embarrased about what happened Saturday morning.
"Thanks." She mumbled, still not making eye contact with me.
"Bella, this is silly. What happened Saturday is nothing." I told her as she finally met my gaze. It really was, I remember a time I walked in on Esme's mother after showering before our wedding, and she laughed about it at the reception later that day. Alice came back in with the ice, and I sent her to the stpre for some pain killers for Bella "Please, I don't like it when we don't speak." I admitted before I knew what was coming out of my moutn
"What?" She asked me as I wrapped the bag of ice in a paper towel and gently placing it on her wrist.
"Over these last few months...you have seemed to keep each of us from going crazy. I know Edward isn't being the best boyfriend lately...but I don't know where he would be if you weren't around. And Alice, she loves you and I'm so grateful she has a friend like you."
"That's why you have friends, isn't it?"She asked as she looked up and met my gaze. "To help them through the good and the bad?"
"Yeah, that's what...that's what friends are there for." I whispered to her. My heart rate began to pick up and I could feel my hands begin to shake. I hadn't felt this stricken since I saw Esme for the first time. Without thinking, I lifted my hand to her cheek and began inching closer to her, just wanting our lips to touch. Our lips had almost touched when I heard the front door swing open, and I jumped away from Bella.
"Here's the painkillers." Alice said, handing me the bag. "They said no charge for repeat customers." I waited for my hands to stop shaking before placing the splint on Bella's wrist. I walked out of there, not knowing what had happened. It'd been so long since my heart rate had picked up that much in the presents of a beautiful girl. Id just tried to make a move on my son's girlfriend...and yet I couldn't feel guilty about it cause when it happened, it seemed like the best thing I could do.
Esme came home later than usual that night, and I was beginning to think Charlie was right...that she was having an affair. But, when I saw her I didn't want to think of her being with another man. She came inside, and tried walking away without even recognizing my being there.
"Esme?"I whispered as she tried rushing upstairs.
"What is it Carlisle?" She asked, annoyance in her voice. "I'm exhausted."
"Yeah, well maybe you should have been home at a normal hour!" I said, trying to stay calm. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she wasn't acting like the woman I married nineteen years ago.
"I had work to do!" She screeched. Edward, Alice, and Bella were all upstairs and I didn't want them to here this.
"Something or someone?" I asked before I could think about what I was saying. I never wanted to accuse her of anything, but I've been bottling it up inside for months now.
"Excuse...me?" She asked through clenched teeth. "I'm trying to run a business...I need to stay late."
"Yeah, I'm sure." I whispered. "Esme...I want the truth. What's going on with you?"
"You want the truth? Fine...your accusations are correct." She answered and I felt my stomach drop. "I'm sleeping with an old friend of mine. I redid his kitchen when his wife left and we've been sleeping together for about...oh I'd say four months."
"You're...you're...you're FUCKING SOMEONE ELSE?!" I screamed, the nausea gone. "HOW COULE YOU DO THIS, ESME? WE'RE MARRIED!"
"YEAH...WE ARE CARLISLE. AND I DO LOVE YOU AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BUT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING LEFT!"
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ISN'T ANYTHING LEFT?"
"WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER TOO LONG, CARLISLE!"
"Yeah...being married tends to do that." I said, feeling the tears beginning to form in my eyes. "You made a promise to me, Esme. How could you...how could you do this?"
"We shared a drink together once the kitchen was done...one drink turned into an entire bottle...and a night of friends hanging out turning into..."
"Don't finish!" I was quick to say. "Fine...one night I could look past...but why would you keep this going?"
"I realized what I'd been missing all these years." She admitted. I could see the slight hurt in her eyes. Whatever was going on in her head, this was hurting her too. "Carlisle, we were so in love when we got married...but we were so young."
"And?"
"I didn't know anything else." She said as she sat down. I so wanted to wrap my arms around her, and tell her it was going to be fine. That we'd work this out. But ever time I thought about going close to her, I pictured her with him.
"I...I want you out." I whispered, tears streaming down my face. I never wanted things to end like this, I didn't even want things to end. But, I had to do this. She'd gone too far and I wouldn't ever be able to see past this.
"Carlisle...please."
"Esme...you've been the one pushing me away months ago." I pointed out. "I think it's best for us if you just leave now."
"What about the kids?"
"Alice is nineteen...she can make her own choices and Edward's going to be eighteen in four months. Let's not drag him through a custody battle. He needs to stay here, so go where you want but he's going to finish his senior year with his girlfriend and friends at Forks High."
"Then why don't you leave?" She asked me, as her sobs died down.
"Because...I'm not the one who created this problem." I said, my voice cold. "Esme...I think you should leave." I told her. She looked at me, longing in her eyes before grabbing her bag and leaving. I cringed at the sound of the door slamming and I threw the crystal bowel we'd gotten for our wedding. I turned around to see Bella, standing on the stairs, her eyes full with tears.
"I'm sorry...we didn't mean to wake you." I whispered, trying to compose myself. She looked like she had just witnessed her parents going though this, broken hearted and confused. She walked over to me, and wrapped her hands around my waist. I was taken aback at first, but it was the comfort I needed, and I hugged her tightly back.
"I'm so sorry, Carlisle." She cried into my shirt. "I'm so sorry." She whispered again. I looked up and saw Edward and Alice standing at the top of the stairs. Alice always fell asleep with her headphones on and Edward was the heaviest sleeper I'd ever met, and I was glad they hadn't heard what had happened.
"Daddy?" Alice asked as they came downstairs. "What's going on? Edward said he heard glass breaking." She said and I looked at him. His room was the furthest from the living room and I imagined Bella had shut the door when she walked out.
"I had to use the bathroom when I heard it." He shrugged, as Bella went to grab his hand. "Dad...what happened? Where's Mom?"
"I think you guys should sit down." I told them, motioning to the couch. Bella, already knowing the answer to their question, buried her head in Edward's shirt as he stroked her back. "Your mother and I...we aren't going to make it."
"W-what?" Alice stuttered, her eyes filling with tears. "You guys have to make it. You're...you're perfect for each other. You can't end it." She sobbed.
"Your mother ended it...when she," I began to tell them the truth, but the looks on their faces told me they didn't need to know. I didn't want them to hate their mother because of this. As angry as I was with her, I could never hate her.
"She cheated on you." Edward said bluntly. "Didn't she?"
"Edward." I stopped him. They didn't need this on their mind.
"Tell us the truth, Dad. We aren't little kids anymore."
"Yes. Your mother had an affair with one of her clients." I told them and Edward got up and went back upstairs, slamming his bedroom door. I looked over at Alice who was lying her head in Bella's lap and I could see that Bella's tears had subsided, but she looked like she did when she found out her mother was having an affair, and eventually left her father for him. Alice cried herself to sleep, and since she was still so tiny, I carried up to her room. Bella remained seated on the couch, in the same spot she'd been in for hours.
"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting down beside me.
"You're asking me...if I'm okay?" She asked, looking at me. Our eyes met once again, and I could feel my hands begin to shake. I'd just ended my marriage, and this eighteen year old girl, was still managing to make me feel shaky with anticipation.
"I am." I told her and she couldn't stifle her giggle. "What?"
"Your marriage just ended...I should be asking you that question."
"It's my job as a father and doctor to make sure people are okay. That they understand." I told her, pushing a piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. I knew I was being absurd, she was Edward's girlfriend, and I had just ended things with my wife. but when I was in Bella's presence, nothing seemed to matter. I knew she was beautiful, but I'd never paid attention to her like this before, and I suddenly noticed everything. The little crook in her nose from when she broke it, the small scar on her jaw line, the exact color of her eyes. I saw it all and before I could stop myself, I was leaning forward into her.
"Carlisle..." She gasped as I inched closer. My lips brushed against hers, and I pulled back, afraid to continue. But, when she placed her hands behind my neck and pulled me towards her, I knew that she wanted it as much as I did. I brushed my tongue past her bottom lip, and she gladly opened. When I felt we'd gone too far, I pulled back, both of us out of breath. I looked at her, looking flustered and confused, but she looked happy.
"Umm...I'm sorry. That was out of line." I apologized once our breathing went back to normal.
"No...don't apologize. I haven't been kissed like that in months." She smiled.
"Me either." I told her, kissing her forehead. "Would you like to watch a movie with me?"
"Sure...but no love stories. They make me barf." She laughed, pulling the blanket over her legs. We decided on a movie, but she'd fallen asleep on my shoulder before it was halfway over. The next thing I knew, I felt sun on my face. I opened my eyes and saw through the window that the sun was beginning to ride.
"Bella." I whispered, gently shaking to wake her. "Bella, wake up."
"What? What is it?" She asked, lifting her head off of me. "We fell asleep?"
"Yeah, but...look." I told her, pointing towards the window. She gasped and got up off the couch and moved towards the front door. I saw her lean against the rail, and grab her arms as the wind blew. Even in August, it was cold in Forks. I grabbed a sweatshirt off of the coat rack, and took it outside to her. I gently wrapped it around her as I watched the sun rise into the sky.
It had to be the most beautiful thing I'd ever witnessed, other than my children being born. The sky was a bright pink and purple was stretched throughout. The sun was a big ball of yellow and red and orange, and it didn't seem as bright as it normally does. I smiled as it rose higher and higher in the sky, and sharing this with Bella made this moment even more glorious.
"This is so beautiful thing I've ever seen." She breathed as it neared it's stopping place in the sky.
"It really is." I whispered, starring at Bella rather than the sun. Things were about to crumble beneath me, but I was going to enjoy this last moment as best I could. I had confidence things would work out, even if Esme and I weren't married anymore. But, I knew it would never work with Bella, no matter how much either of us wanted it to work.