3. AN APPLE A DAY
The next day I woke to find my bed empty, but I felt anything but that. I smiled. I could almost feel the tingling on my cheek where my love probably kissed me before climbing out my window and into the early morning before sunrise. Today was a gorgeous day. I opened my window and let the fresh air flood in. I looked about my room, wondering what to do myself on this bright and sunny Saturday morning. Usually, I would spend my weekends with Edward, doing something more fun than usual like going out to eat or catching a movie in Port Angeles. No such luck this weekend. Sun. Sun. Sun. Jacob was sadly the first person to come to mind. He betrayed me. He turned me in to Charlie when I had gotten back from Italy. He told him about the bike that he fixed up for me and Dad flipped. I was grounded for months. I'd never been grounded before in my entire life. It was a life altering experience.
My thoughts took me to my pretty, cherry red motorcycle that Charlie had chained up outside. How much fun I had with it when I was doing anything and everything to get over Edward. Jacob and I had a fun time learning how to ride, and I thought he taught me exceptionally well. My bike. I would love to ride it just one more time. It seemed like a death trap, but I was actually getting kinda good before I got it confiscated. To ride, or not to ride? Charlie was at work. I actually knew where the key was. For a police chief, you'd think Charlie would hide the key somewhere a little more innovative than under a broken kettle in the kitchen cupboards. The bike. I would ride it around a bit and no one would be the wiser. I wanted to. Truly. So why were my palms sweating at the thought? Why did I think this would turn out badly?
I put on a yellow tank top and blue jeans for the day. It reflected my mood. I was happy. Though it would be better if Edward and I could spend the day in his meadow instead. I jumped downstairs and poured a glass of orange juice for myself. I guzzled it down and made my way over to the cupboard. I lifted the rusty old kettle that couldn't sing and found my motorcycle key sitting under it. Looking old and neglected, somehow. I lifted the piece of metal into my hand and looked at it. Was this a good idea? I was a klutz. If this didn't go well..it was going to be very, very bad. I shook the thought. I was a 'magnet for danger' as Edward put it, but I couldn't let that run my life. There was a beautiful red bike locked up in the shed in my back yard. And I would ride the thing if it was the last thing I did. Which it probably would be, knowing me.
Enough with the negativity Bella. You can drive, right? Right. So why can't you ride a bike? Who cares if the motorcycle has more of a danger factor than my 150 speed bike
"I can practically hear Edward now. 'Bella, what the hell are you thinking?!'" I laughed. No. I would be good. My boredom wouldn't get the best of me. I poured myself another glass of juice and sauntered to the livingroom where I turned on the tv and watched infomercials for an hour and a half. I couldn't stop thinking about the bike. I chomped on my nails and watched the screen blankly and tried not to think about the freedom. The wind on my face. The excitement of danger without someone nagging in my ear. Memories of riding with Jacob at La Push made the longing even more unbearable. I looked back at the television and glared at the woman on the screen who wouldn't stop trying to sell me a silent juicer before rising from the couch
I sighed and trudged outside. I was going to have fun today damn it. I would go visit Jessica. Yeah. I hadn't spent a good day with her in a while. I made my way to the shed out back and opened the defective deadbolt with my hand and pushed open the wooden door. It was dark and damp inside, but my bike gleamed. It was so shiny. I hadn't grown attached to it enough to dirty it. Today, perhaps? I walked over to the bike and put my hands on the front handle bars to wheel it out. If Edward found out about this, I would never hear the end of it. My helmet sat on a shelf beside some bottles of spray paint that Charlie probably confiscated from a few of the town-kids. I don't know why else he would have purple paint in a can. I reached up on tippy toe for it and checked it for cobwebs or anything else as unpleasant before slipping it onto my head.
Paranoia began to set in. Neighbors were few and far in between, but what if someone saw? I took a deep breath and wheeled the beautiful vehicle to my front driveway. If Edward was allowed to live fast, so was I. Once out on the asphalt, I mounted the bike like Jake taught me to do. Kicked up the stand with my left heel. Put the key into the appropriate spot. Turned. It didn't work. I gave it another go and the loud engine screamed before simmering to a low grumble. Exactly how a bike should sound. My confidence grew in abundance as I got the hang of things again. The memory of doing it before came back and everything I did was natural. I lifted one leg up. Pushed off with the other. Revved the engine and took off down the driveway slowly. I made my way to the road down below me with as much care as I could manage. I turned onto the road heading west and felt the warm wind in my hair. I was still driving slowly but it felt nice. I looked at the speedometer. I was driving at a wimpy 40.
My truck can do better than this
I pushed the bike harder till the gauge read 50. Then 70. 75. 80. That was where my comfort zone was at it's peek and my adrenaline pumped the most without being thrown from the motorcycle. I rode like a pro and it felt amazing. If Edward saw this he would be proud, I think. I drove for a good twenty minutes before sighting a brown bricked house that belonged to Jessica. It was closer than I thought. I slowed down to make a turn into her driveway but didn't do it quick enough. I fell from the bike and skid on the pavement of her driveway. The bike screeched sideways a little ways against the road before stopping. The engine still going. All this caused a lot of noise.
"Bella?!"
Oh no. I was almost hoping no one was home to see this. Jessica came running from her house and to my aid. "Oh my god, it is you! What on earth are you doing? Who's bike is that?! Oh god, you're bleeding!"
Pain shot through my legs. It was a moment before I could even think of moving them. I looked at my legs and saw that my knees and parts of my left thigh were shredded. The skin was ripped and blood oozed out slowly.
"Jessica, who- Oh my goodness! Bella!"
Jessica's mother came running from the house. Oh god, why did I do this. Her mom was the biggest gossip ever known to existance. Charlie would definitely find out about this. Jessica put my arm around her shoulder and tried her best to hoist me up.
"Ow!" I cried, trying to steady myself. Jessica's mother came to evaluate the situation. She gasped.
"My goodness! Oh, Bella..we need to get you to a hospital."
No. No, no, no, no, no! This was a bad idea! Why are you so stupid Bella, why?!
But I couldn't object. It looked pretty bad. I might have even fractured something in my hand which was throbbing from trying to break my fall.
"My bike..." I mumbled. It needed to be moved from the road.
"Don't worry about that now Bell-"
"Please. That's my bike. It should be fine. Can you just..put it away somewhere for me?" I don't know why I cared so much about the thing. I would probably never ride it again after this. It had gotten me in more trouble than anything else. But it's all I had left of Jacob now. He worked so hard on it. We had so much fun with it. It was mine.
"Okay..Okay I'll put it out back, don't worry. But we need to get you to a hospital. Now!" Jessica rang.
She passed me over to her mother who carried me over to the car and opened the back door for me. She put a large old t-shirt she got from the trunk over my wounds to stop the bleeding and got up front. I did my best not to bleed too much on the seats of her car. I felt terrible. I saw from the window Jessica having a hard time lifting the heavy machinery from the road. Once it was out of the way and she was wheeling it to her own back yard. I sighed as if one of the greatest hurtles were overcome and listened to the worried bickering of Jessica's mother backing up from the house and taking me to the hospital. Up until then, I had been pretty dazed about the whole ordeal. It just occurred to me that I was bleeding. A lot. The smell was starting to make me nauseous. I felt Jessica's mother watch me from her rearview mirror.
"Bella, you look pale!" She shrieked.
"Could you wind down the windows please?" I asked. Immediately she did using a button and I couldn't smell it anymore. Now, if I could close my eyes and try to forget about the blood I would be fine.
I will not vomit in her car. I will not vomit in her car.
"Please..." I started. "Don't tell Charlie. It was stupid of me to ride it again. But I really don't need for him to know..I'll be fine."
I could almost hear the woman contemplating in her own mind. It made me angry.
Just give me your word and be done with it.
"Alright. But only if you aren't that bad. Just pray something isn't broken" She sounded like she was scolding me. I watched the sky from the window. It was becoming grey extremely quickly. Forks weather, for you. The sun was soon hidden by clouds. My mood suddenly felt the same.
Upon reaching the hospital, Jess' mom jumped out of the drivers seat and came around to help me out.
"Come on, Bella, honey. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine.." I said wearily. Lying.
"Bella?" A deep voice of concern rang. I thought it was Edward, but the tone of voice was different.
"Dr. Cullen?" He approached the car quickly and helped Jessica's mom lift me out of the car. I whimpered in pain as I tried to stand straight. Immediately, my feet left the ground and I was secure in Carlisle's arms.
"Mrs. Stanley, I'll take it from here. Thank you so much for your help, not to mention keeping it quiet." Dr. Cullen smiled at the redheaded woman. Flashing his white, perfect teeth. She seemed dazed. It amazed me. did just a good job of 'dazzling' as Edward. I wonder, did he teach Edward how? The thought almost made me laugh.
"No problem at all.." She said with a look of wonder in her eyes. At this time, Mr. Cullen turned around, still holding me securely in his arms. He walked to the ER building and stepped through the sliding doors. He walked past the office with me.
"Back already, Mr Cullen?" A young nurse giggled flirtatiously as if he wasn't carrying a wounded girl in his arms. Carlisle took no notice of her tone and smiled.
"I found a patient waiting outside. Pull up a file for me please, Susan. Swan, Isabella."And without another word, he kept on walking.
"Oh..you were on your way home. I'm sorry. It's okay, just put me down. Another doctor can look after me."
"Don't be ridiculous Bella." Carlisle said with a smile that made me shiver. He was good. Almost as good as Edward. "And just relax, everything will be fine."
I supposed he could hear my heart beating quickly. I felt like an idiot. This day had already taken so much out of me. We reached an empty room where he put me on a paper covered bed with perfect ease. Carlisle made his way to a sink at the end of the small room and rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands. He even did this in a professional manner. Using swift movements and not hiding his abilities from me to get the job done faster. He wiped his hands clean. A small knock came at the door and a small head poked through.
"Here's the file, Dr. Cullen." She said in a high voice that annoyed me. But I couldn't blame her. The man was deathly handsome. Charlie had mentioned something about nurses being distracted from their work. Carlisle retrieved the file from the girl.
"Thank you Sue." He smiled gratefully and turned around. I could see the blood rise to her face before she closed the door. It probably happened when he called her "Sue" instead of "Susan" I knew how these things worked. I fell victim to a Cullen man too. Carlisle wasn't dressed in his doctor attire now. He wore a black button down and blue jeans. His hair was slicked back from his fingers running through them at some point. A realization dawned on me. He wore this last night. He hadn't been home since. The thought made me sad and my admiration for him grow. He was so dedicated to his job.
"Okay Bella, what's the story this time?.." He smiled suavely and walked in front of me.
"I was riding my motorcycle and wiped out."
"Motorcycle? Well...you are full of surprises.." He picked up my file and scrawled in it quickly before turning to me again.
"Looks pretty painful.." He said slowly. He reached forward to touch my knee. I jumped because of the cold. It was silly. I was used to that by now. I just didn't expect him to touch me so quickly.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt-"
"No..just startled me. My fault" He smirked a comforting smirk and then went back to work. He examined the wounds I had on my legs ever so carefully. At times only looking at my leg and taking a deep breath. I hope I wasn't bothering him. But he was used to blood. He had been working as a doctor for hundreds of years.
"I hope you don't mind..." He spoke.
He stared at my legs pensively before reaching forward and ripping the left leg of my jeans from the knee up higher to the thigh. I gasped at the suddenness of it but stayed as still as I possibly could. I didn't mind. These jeans were stained now anyway. He ripped the material away until it looked like half my pants were shorts. He rolled up the leg of my right pant leg over the large scrape on my knee. My left leg was very obviously more damaged than my right. Which wasn't fair, in my opinion. I had already broken that leg only last summer because of my little accident in Phoenix with James. Carlisle said what I was thinking.
"This poor leg..." He whispered with a small smile on his face. I couldn't help but do the same.
His fingers moved up and down the length of my leg. Suddenly the stinging of the scrapes were numbed away and all I could fell were the burning chills that his fingers left along my skin. His finger circled the cut across my right leg. My skin tingled. The pain alleviated. His right hand moved against my left leg. Slowly. All the way up to the thigh. My face was red and burning. I stopped breathing. I was dizzy. I felt his eyes on me. The same piercing sensation I felt in the girls change room two days ago. At the dinner table last night. I looked up at him. Stared into his golden eyes that looked so much like Edward's and got lost in them. His fingers didn't stop moving, and I noticed that above all. Up my thigh they grazed and rested. I remembered a similar feeling. Edward doing the same thing while I sat on their piano. Driving me insane and then stopping.
"Dr. Cullen..." I whispered almost inaudibly. He blinked at me. Unspeaking. Beautiful. Ancient.
"Carlisle." He corrected.
He bent himself lower to be more level with my legs. My heart pounded. My head swam. Why was time ticking by so slowly? I stared at the back wall. Trying to bring myself back to reality. Trying to make some sense of why Carlisle's hands were leaving my thighs and moving to my hips. I closed my eyes, bit my lip and prayed to be awakened from this dream that made no sense. A shock ran through me. I gasped. My eyes flew open. Carlisle's lips were grazing over the wounds on my leg. There was no sting of venom. I was safe, but still so confused. My body almost went limp as he began lapping up the blood running down my leg with his tongue. He used his mouth fearlessly when he was away from the wound. But when he had consumed all the blood that ran down my legs he began to kiss around the wound sweetly and pecking at my thighs again. My arms that were perched behind me to hold me up weren't doing such a good job anymore. A moan escaped my lips unwillingly and my head slowly rolled back at the feeling of his soft lips against my legs. His hands on my hips. I felt those eyes stare at me again. I lifted my head and looked down to see him staring at me as his lips pressed against my flesh. It was disconcerting. Surprising. Erotic. Scary. Exciting. Wrong. But my heart wouldn't stop pounding. It went on like this forever. I panted and sighed at his simple acts until I saw my actions from the outside. I was Edward's girlfriend. This was his maker. His father.
"Stop...stop.." I sighed. He didn't. I was breathless. I sucked as much air I could into my lungs
"Stop." I rang. He ceased.
Slowly he stood and turned his back to me. My head still swam. My legs were trembling. My face was flushed as ever. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the strength to jump down to leave or stay and talk this out and ask questions. As I exhaled, another groan left my lips. I felt terrible. I raised the back of my hand to cover my lips before I could embarrass myself further.
"I-I'm sorry Bella." I didn't say anything. "You must think I'm a monster. What kind of father does that to his son's girlfriend.." He paused, still looking away from me. "I don't know what I was thinking..I don't know what I was doing.." He hissed. His face looked angry. Disappointed in himself. I could almost imagine his face reddening to the extent mine was. "And Esme."
"You didn't mean it.." I said timidly when my voice returned. "You love Esme. I know that. Just as much as I love Edward. It's not your fault. My blood tends to do crazy things to vampires."
"Yes.." He said. "It does.." There was silence for a while. He walked about the room in the same shamed demeanor while gathering the things he needed to dress my wounds. I tried my best not to look directly at him. When he came back to me he put some antiseptic on a hunk of cotton and spread it over the wounded area of my legs. Cleaning off the blood at the same time. It began to sting.
I winced a little, but it didn't escape Carlisle's notice.
"I'm sorry." He said almost inaudibly.
"It's okay..."
He covered the cuts on my legs with gauze and tape. I noticed as he did this, he tried to use as little surface area of his hands as possible. I really wished he wouldn't. It made things even more awkward.
"Your hand?.." He reached his own out to me to put my own in.
"I-" I didn't know what to say. I looked at him as he waited.
"I'm going to need to see it. I'm sorry..."
"No, it's okay." Quickly I slipped my hand into his. My hand was smaller than his. His fingers were long, pale and cold. They were nice hands. If hands could be considered attractive at all, his definitely would be. He squeezed down gently on my wrist. I winced again and almost pulled my hand back.
"Sorry." He said again. He felt my fingers delicately one by one. "Nothing's broken. Your hand is sprained though. I'll wrap it up. It should be fine in seven days." I groaned in disappointment.
"I assure you, it will take no longer.." He comforted with a light voice.
"I know. I just wanted to get by Charlie's notice. Edward is a lost cause as it is." Carlisle smiled a little and immediately began weaving a white bandage around my hand and wrist in a way that made the pain disappear almost instantly.
"This should be nothing to Edward and Charlie now..." He said with an amused tone. Well, at least someone didn't treat me like a porcelain doll. "There. Done." He said.
"Thank you." I examined my hand and then brought it closer to me. "Very much." Carlisle's upbeat attitude that was just returning faded from his face again.
"You owe me no thanks Bella. I behaved...very uncouthly this afternoon. And I do hope you'll forgive me. And that Edward does as well."
"Don't worry about it. He doesn't need to know. Simple accident.." I said with a cheery voice. Really, I was just trying to convince myself. Carlisle looked as if he knew this because he still refused to look at me.
"Come then..I'll drive you home." He said with a morose look in his eyes. I nodded. He helped me down from the bed and we walked from the room and out the front of the ER together. We went to the doctor's parking lot and strode up to his black mustang. He opened the door for me before running around to the other side and seating himself into the car. The scent of him filled my senses in the confined space. It smelled good. Musty. Deep and sensual. I liked it. It was calming. I didn't notice it as much when he treated me at the hospital when I broke something. Or when he gave me fatherly hugs when Edward and I turned out to be okay after doing something stupid. Unlike Edward, Carlisle only went a few miles over the speed limit. In no time Carlisle was pulled up in front of my house. I looked over to him. He was staring at his hand that was still on the steering wheel.
"Are you alright to get out on your own?"
"Yeah. I should be okay. Thanks again." Carlisle nodded silently. Not moving the rest of his body an inch. Slowly I opened the door and stepped out on the curb with caution.
"Bella." His voice rang. It gave me shivers.
"Yes, Dr. Cullen?" I turned around to look into his eyes. They were dark. I took a deep breath in thanks that his eyes weren't red from the intake of my blood. The few drops he lapped up wasn't enough.
"Please, call me Carlisle." He paused. I could never seem to remember to call him by his first name. The fact that he needed to remind me once again brought the blood to my cheeks. "Once again, I am very sorry for my behavior. There's no excu-"
"There is nothing to be sorry for." I assured him. I instinctively put my hand over his, as I always did when I comforted Edward. I had to keep reminding myself that he wasn't Edward. A shock spread quickly through my fingers and through the rest of my body. It made my breath hitch and my hand pull back quickly and instinctively.
"Take care of yourself, Bella" Carlisle said with what seemed like it took effort. His last sentence was final. My cue to get lost. I stepped out of the car and walked carefully to the front door to let myself in. I listened for the screech of tires as he sped away but I heard nothing. He could have been gone. Drove away at a normal speed unlike his son, but I had an inkling. I peeked out the window of the door and saw that the black car was still parked outside. I must have stared at the car for five seconds but it felt like forever. The car just sat there with Carlisle inside before speeding away noisily. After the car was gone I moved from the door. My heart was pounding. What was happening? I shook the confusion from my head and made my way upstairs. I showered and did some homework before crashing in my bed at around 10. I was too tired to wait for Edward. My eyes wouldn't stay open. During the night, I was roused a little by the feeling of cold lips on my cheek. I smiled. Half asleep.
"Edward..."
"Shh...go back to sleep." He mused in his wonderful voice. "Wh- Do you smell blood?" He began. What a funny thing to ask your mortal girlfriend. Even if she could smell it. "What the hell happened to your hand?" He whispered in a harsh, concerned tone."
"I- I fell..and skidded.." I mumbled. I wasn't explaining myself clearly, and I obviously wasn't getting my point across fast enough.
"Forget it. I'll deal with you in the morning. Go back to sleep."
"'Kay" I mumbled before slowly slipping back into dreamland.
"I can't leave you can I? Not for a damn minute without you mutilating yourself..." He mumbled. Clearly worried and annoyed. Though I was almost back asleep, I took in everything he said.
He probably continued to mumble nonsense to himself about me before I got too tired to pay any attention at all. Sleep was good.
