Chapter 3: Catching up

Once we were comfortably seated, I suddenly felt completely exhausted; the result of lack of sleep and the abrupt entrance of a Cullen family back in my life. Carlisle was quite aware that I was close to my wits end, and he reached over and easily pulled me against his body for support. I knew that I shouldn't be so aware of his taut, muscular body-but I was. He quietly stroked my hair and kept me close until I was calmer. "Carlisle, why are you back? Where are the others? What is it that you are not telling me?"

"Oh Bella, I am here because I need to get away from my family and all the complications" he gently took my face in his hands so that he could look deeply in my eyes. "The only members of my family left in our home in Washington are Emmett and Rosalie", he went on to explain: "Jasper felt so guilty after he nearly killed you at your birthday party, that he banished himself to Alaska, and of course Alice joined him." We forgave him, and convinced him that he couldn't have changed Edward's resolve to protect you by leaving you. "WHAT?" I exclaimed, "Are you saying that Edward left to PROTECT me?"

Carlisle's jaw clenched. I could tell that he was furious, but he prided himself on keeping his cool. "What did Edward say to you when he left?" he demanded. "I suspect that he didn't tell you the truth." It was my turn to shake with anger at the deception. "He told me that I don't belong in your world, that I am not good for him and that he was sorry to string me along" I murmured angrily. Carlisle rose to his feet, and swiftly drew me off the couch to stand next to him. He held my face between his elegant cold hands. "Bella, you are good enough, better than enough-you have brought the best out in all of us, you...well you reassured me about the existence of my soul when I needed it most" Carlisle dropped his handsome face onto my shoulder. "If I knew what knew what you were going through, if I had just known what my son did to our precious Bella, I would have come back. We all thought that you would be fine…"

"Carlisle, it's fine, I'm OK." I lied. "No it's not" he hissed and grabbed a vase off the table with Vampire speed and threw it through the large kitchen window.

After Carlisle calmed down I asked carefully: "You said that there was a lot to catch up on, and the only

person you haven't mentioned is Esme-is she OK?" I immediately knew that I had hit a nerve. Carlisle's

magnificent features froze for a moment as he looked into space. "Esme has left me" he stated quietly. "We were staying in Tanya's coven for quite awhile after leaving Forks, and she and Tanya, well, became involved" he explained. "Do you mean involved, involved? I am confused, you two are so in love, and I thought that once Vampires bonded that it was very rare to change mates" I regretted my barrage of questions immediately, "I'm sorry, it's not my business" I stammered. Carlisle smiled at me with his sparkling white teeth, "Yes, you are family. You should know the truth. I was very surprised myself, but I think that Esme was so young when I turned her that she had not yet fully developed her sexual identity. I became aware that although she loves me greatly, there were, well, some issues in the bedroom. I guess I assumed that I simply wasn't attractive to her" he murmured almost inaudibly. At this point at had a compelling urge to interrupt and tell him how damn attractive he is. "I'm not angry, because I know that she has to follow her heart, and that she would never intentionally hurt me or my family. I am very lonely and I miss her terribly, but in time I hope that we can come together as good friends" Carlisle's words sounded very rational and resolute, but I heard a telltale hitch in his voice when he mentioned Esme's name. He paced as he explained the situation, and I really wanted to embrace him and try to take some hurt away. "Well, I guess we are lonely souls, together. I have accepted an offer to return to the Forks Hospital. Please know that you will always be welcome here and, in fact, I would love for you to stay with me Bella." The thought of staying with Carlisle made me ridiculously happy, and I felt a creeping sense of guilt because of Edward. The other revelation I had was that I was furious with Edward and his deception, and it felt good to be angry. One more extremely surprising revelation was that I hadn't noticed until now that Carlisle was unbelievably handsome and sexy. I had always known that he was good looking, but I had looked at him in the context of a future father-law.

I blushed like a school girl. If only I could show him how fabulously sexy he was….