A/N: Massive thanks to my lovely betas Heather and Alex, you guys are awesome.
Even with Carlisle's comforting presence, it took Bella longer than usual to fall asleep. When sleep finally claimed her, she did not dream.
The sky was beginning to turn purple when she woke. Briefly, she wondered where she was. The view from her window at home was always trees, never sky. The pillow seemed abnormally cool, until she realized it wasn't a pillow at all—it was Carlisle. The events of the previous night came flooding back to her: the feeling of him inside her, the way they moved so perfectly together. With a sleepy grin, she scooted her backside up against Carlisle, who had held her the entire night.
"Good morning," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Hey," she croaked, her voice rough from sleep.
She turned over, facing him. His expression unnerved her.
He was gazing down at her with what could only be described as adoration, and it made her feel undamaged. It made her feel like the jagged pieces of her heart were mending. Her gaze traveled from his warm eyes down to his mouth, and she lost her train of thought.
He bent his head down to hers, planting a kiss on her forehead, and Bella felt her stomach lurch with desire once more. She reached for him, but he drew back with a wry smile.
"It's Thursday, Bella," he murmured.
"So?" she pouted, draping a leg over his waist. He grinned, grabbing her thigh, pulling her to him.
"Someone has school…" he purred, capturing her mouth in a chaste kiss.
Bella's smile faded at the gentle reminder, and she pulled away. She suddenly felt uncomfortable, like she was a kid pretending to be an adult.
Carlisle sensed it, of course, and tightened his grip on her thighs to halt her.
"You're more mature than you give yourself credit for, and wise beyond your years," he said kindly, smoothing her hair back from her face, in a gesture of affection she was just beginning to notice.
Bella returned the gesture with a tight-lipped smile, as guilt and tension festered inside her.
Bella made it home just in time to successfully avoid Charlie. She heard the shower running, and bolted upstairs to change. Clearly, her absence had gone blissfully unnoticed. As she shimmied out of her jeans, she blushed at the remnants of Carlisle's venom on her inner thighs. She decided to leave it there; it made her feel closer to him, like he was with her. She barely registered what clothes she put on, her mind on Edward and Carlisle. After a quick breakfast with Charlie, she made her way to school, her heart falling into her stomach as she saw Jacob Black's motorcycle parked next to where she normally parked. Her burly friend had an easy smile on his face; enjoying the appreciative glances he was getting from the female half of the student body.
"Bella," he said, grinning, pulling her into a crushing hug. She heard him inhale sharply and his grip tightened painfully.
"Ow, Jake, Jesus," she complained, pushing against his chest. He pulled away, and his expression was murderous.
"The father?" He snarled loudly, "Dr. Cullen?"
"Jake, shut up!" She hissed desperately. Several people had turned their heads to stare at her quizzically.
"I can smell him on you. I can smell him there."
Bella flushed crimson. "How do you know that?" She exclaimed hotly, her mind racing.
Jake ignored her question.
"Since when are they back?" Jake asked, and his usually warm voice was hard and cold.
Bella stared at her friend, dumbfounded. She couldn't lie to him. Somehow, he knew.
"Last night. It's just him. He…he came back for me," she confessed quietly, hanging her head in shame.
Jake was shaking with rage, his body a furnace. He said nothing, instead turning sharply on his heel, and almost running to his bike. The bike roared away, tires screeching on the pavement.
The stares and whispers of her classmates made her cringe, and she hurried up the stairs to class, her thoughts a scrambled, panicked mess.
How had he known?
She was positive no one had seen her going to or from the Cullen's' house. She replayed the exchange between her and Jake over and over. He had been fine. Fine until…
He smelled her.
She had been so alarmed; she had almost forgotten that crucial detail.
"I can smell him there."
Bella blushed again. But that's impossible. You can't smell something like that, let alone trace that smell to a particular person. It's just not possible, she thought frantically.
Despite her confusing meeting with Jacob, Bella floated through the rest of the day in a cloudy trance. Her life outside of the Cullen family suddenly seemed so surreal, so trivial, like it had ceased to matter. Well, there was Jake.
Jake's friendship had been so important to her in the months following the Cullen's departure. She had no idea why he had suddenly decided to show up at her school, today of all days. Perhaps she had really bad luck.
I should have taken a shower earlier.
More importantly, something was changing in Jake. Something she couldn't put her finger on, but there it was all the same: he was getting taller by the day, bulkier, more adult. Even the way he held himself was different. There was a confidence in him that had never been there before. Until she moved to Forks, a lot of things had been fairy tales. What if Jake turned out to be another monster? One she hadn't heard of?
Don't be stupid, she scolded herself.
She stared out the window in class, hypnotized by the splatter of rain against the windows. Her thoughts drifted back to Carlisle.
Would Carlisle turn her? Could she really spend eternity with him instead of Edward?
No, she countered, not even eternity. He thought he and Esme would be forever, and look how that turned out.
She was suddenly sad, even angry with herself, effectively causing her mood to plummet to the earth like the rain. She had been a flight of fancy for one vampire, and would no doubt be the same to another.
But last night's tender exchange was so illusory, even daunting, leaving a knot of guilt and confusion in her. There was no doubt she loved Edward. Was that, then, all Carlisle was to her? Edward's replacement? A simple rebound?
She did not love Carlisle.
Not yet, anyway.
Carlisle's sudden attachment to her was disarming, and she felt guilty for not returning his feelings. Carlisle was able to give her the one thing Edward couldn't.
The day seemed to drag on forever. When 3:30 came around, she trudged to her truck, simply sitting in it for a minute. Part of her wanted to go to Carlisle, to seek comfort in him. The other part, the dominant part, wanted to be alone. She chewed on her lip as she drove home, and just as she pulled into the driveway, her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket.
New Text Message- He knows, was all the text said.
Quickly, she saved the strange number under "Carlisle". Her heart raced. How did Carlisle know? Had he been watching Jake?
Maybe he wasn't talking about Jake at all.
Maybe he was talking about Edward.
If Edward knew, would he be jealous? Would he come back, just to claim her as his, like she was territory? The sick, desperate part of her hoped he would, just so she could see him again, even if he didn't love her. On the other hand, Edward hadn't returned.
Carlisle had.
Carlisle had kissed away her grief, offering her refuge, a way to channel her rage and sadness. She couldn't ignore the fact that Carlisle gave unconditionally; that of all of her strange family, he alone had returned to see to her heartache.
She shut off the engine and shuffled into the house, her bony shoulders slumped. She was thankful that it was a Thursday and Charlie worked late. She wanted to be alone. She attempted to do homework, hunching over her books, and tried in vain to distract herself from thinking about either one of them. Though the letters blurred together on the page, and she read the same sentences over and over, Bella pressed on, determined to push both men from her mind.
When she finally looked up, the sky was dark. She dug her palms into her eyes, sighing heavily.
"This can't go on," she groaned, frustrated.
"No, it can't."
She gasped, whipping around, her jaw dropping.
It was Edward.
He stood at her window, cold and perfect as ever.
"Edward," she said breathlessly, jumping up and flinging her arms around his neck.
He did not embrace her back.
She pulled away, her forehead furrowed in confusion, desperately searching his eyes for an answer.
"Why?" he asked icily.
Bella was floored. She ran a hand through her hair shakily.
"You left!" she sputtered, "you didn't, don't want me!"
His jaw twitched.
"I did it to protect you," he said, his eyes softening, "not because I don't want you."
Bella simply stood there, gaping at him in disbelief. And then she was angry.
There he stood, as if she was in the wrong, as if what he had done never occurred, as if her pain and all her suffering meant nothing to him.
"He was there for me. He didn't hurt me!" she cried defensively, and his black eyes blazed with anger.
He had her pinned against the wall before her sluggish human reflexes even had time to register what happened. His hands gripped her shoulders painfully, nearly crushing them.
Bella gasped for air, clutching her stomach, unable to double over and regain the breath he had knocked out of her.
"You're mine," he snarled, and he kissed her.
Well, a kiss wasn't the right word.
She yelped into his mouth as his teeth pulled at her lip, drawing blood.
Her blood ran cold as he began to attack her mouth hungrily. His tongue invaded her mouth, and Bella's stomach lurched at the coppery taste of her own blood. She tried to push him away, her small hands pushing against his icy chest uselessly.
"Mine," he repeated, and Bella broke out into a cold sweat, her head spinning. She could smell her blood on his cold lips, see it on his tongue, and it made her want to vomit—if she could stop swaying.
Before she crumpled to the floor, she heard a sharp, "Edward!" a scuffle, and then everything went black.
He had sensed Edward almost immediately. The hair on the back of Carlisle's neck had stood up, his cold skin prickling. Alice had called, frantic, warning Carlisle that Edward was returning to Forks for Bella.
Bella.
If Edward knew of his and Bella's tryst, his rage would surely be directed at Bella first. A knot formed in his stomach. He had to make sure she was safe—to protect her from Edward, who would surely be paying her a visit.
The sun was setting, bathing the forest in an eerie red glow.
Hopefully not a sign of things to come, Carlisle thought darkly as he darted through the trees at blinding speed, his feet barely touching the ground. As he neared Bella's neighborhood, Edward's scent hit him like a physical blow—all the rage and jealousy flooded his nostrils like smoke. Panic rose in him, and he pushed harder, leaping onto the roof and through her window. He arrived just in time to see Bella crumple to the floor.
Edward turned on him, his black eyes furious.
"You," Edward spat, crouching.
"Edward," Carlisle pleaded, "Please don't make me do this."
"She was mine!" Edward snarled, launching himself at Carlisle.
Edward was fast, but Carlisle was faster—and stronger. His arms encircled Edward's chest. There were a series of cracks and scrapes as Edward's ribs shattered beneath his grip, the splinters and shards grinding together. Edward cried out, wrenching himself away, panting.
"She was mine," he repeated weakly, wincing.
"Edward, go. I won't ask again," Carlisle ordered.
With one last look at Bella, Edward leapt out the window and disappeared into the darkness. Carlisle watched him go. When he was sure Edward wouldn't return, he rushed to Bella. Other than the blood staining her lips, she appeared to be unharmed. Gently, he scooped her up into his arms, and silently carried her back home.
The song was familiar. As Bella slowly regained consciousness, she had the strangest sense of déjà vu. Her eyes began to adjust to the light, and the fuzziness cleared.
Ancient books lined the walls, and she recognized the ornately carved desk.
She was at the Cullen house in Carlisle's study.
Bella could hear him on the phone in the other room—she couldn't make out what he was saying, but he sounded angry.
He had placed her on the leather sofa, covering her with a thick blanket. She swung her legs over the edge, cradling her head in her hands.
"Bella," Carlisle breathed from the doorway, the relief in his voice clear.
She hadn't even heard him come in.
"Hey," she croaked.
He bent over his desk, his back to her as he stared out the window.
"What Edward did was unforgivable," he said, his normally smooth, beautiful voice quivering with rage.
This unnerved Bella. He was usually so calm, collected—except for when they were together, of course.
"How did you…get me out?" Bella ventured nervously, half of her relieved he was there, the other half angry with him for separating her from Edward.
Carlisle crossed the room, sitting next to her on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, the rage she had seen for a split second fading away.
Bella forgot her own anger briefly, his tender expression melting it away.
"I am much older than Edward, and much stronger," he explained quietly, his eyes finding hers, "he was in a state of frenzy, but he knew that much. He is my son, but he knows I'll do anything to protect you. Even hurt him."
Was he admitting his feelings for her? That he would kill his son to keep her from harm?
Bella blanched, not knowing what to say. She squirmed under his steady gaze, feeling as if he could read her mind—read that she still loved the thing that had just hurt her.
"He said he still loved me," Bella mumbled.
With a heavy sigh, Carlisle sat back into the couch. They sat in silence for a few moments.
"That's not love," he said finally.
Bella slowly lifted her head, glaring at him. If he noticed her anger, he said nothing.
"He wouldn't have left you. He wouldn't try to control you, and it wouldn't have taken jealousy to bring him back when your grief didn't," he said carefully.
"Edward's love is control," he continued, "When did you ever drive your own car? Sleep by yourself? When were you ever by yourself?"
Denial reared its head.
"You're just jealous!" she accused, and she instantly regretted it.
"Yes, I am," he admitted sadly, holding her hands in his, "I'm jealous of my son; I covet what he has; I covet you, and I'm ashamed." Tears began to well up in her eyes. Was he ashamed he slept with her? That he had come back for her? Of course he was. What vampire wasn't ashamed? She just wasn't good enough.
She felt him grasp her chin in his fingers, tilting her head up.
"No, Bella, I'm not ashamed of you. I'm ashamed that I'm knowingly making my son unhappy because of my selfishness. That I'm willing to do anything to take you from him."
Bella jerked her face away. She jumped up from the couch, and turned her back to him. This was too much.
Her emotions were reeling. She turned back around, only to see Carlisle's head in his hands, and her heart sank.
Was it possible to be in love with two men? The father and the son?
The fact she was hurting Carlisle, who had always been kind, trusting and loving, who had traveled for days just to be near her, made her heart ache. Wasn't that love? Her yearning for him, the fact she went to his room and not Edward's that night, wasn't that clear enough?
"I'm sorry I took advantage of you the night of the party," he groaned into his hands, and Bella had never heard anyone sound so defeated, so helpless. "Ever since that day at the hospital, I have wanted you, Bella. I have desired you so much; I thought I would go mad. Even I, a vampire well over 300 years old, have limits."
She was suddenly overcome with the desire to reassure him, to tell him that she was his. She knelt before him, gently taking his hands from his face, and his sad eyes found hers.
"Don't apologize for making me happy," she whispered fiercely, "I did love Edward. Maybe some part of me always will. But…you're right. I can't live with his kind of love."
His ultimatums, his smothering grip.
Hope rose in his face, but crumpled in hers.
"What you said about Esme…that vampires grow apart, that worries me," she admitted quietly.
"Bella, I didn't know Esme when I changed her, when I bound her to me, when I married her. I made a foolish, rash decision, and yes, I loved her for many years. But I never burned for her, Bella. I've never been away from her and been unable to endure it. I never would have been willing to destroy my family to have her," he pleaded.
She was overcome with affection for him; it spilled out of her in waves. She grasped his head, pulling it down to hers. For a moment they simply breathed. Tentatively, she brought her lips to his, and the kiss was gentle, more loving than passionate. He deepened the kiss, pulling her up, encouraging her to straddle him.
"Bella," he breathed, kissing her sternum, then her clavicle, with such reverence Bella couldn't help but love him in that moment. He pulled away, clenching his jaw, and she could see him regain control instantly. She supposed it wouldn't be unlike being around human blood.
Years and years of practice.
"If you're not ready, if you're not sure—"
"I've never been more sure of anything," Bella lied. She wanted nothing more at this moment than to make him happy, regardless of how she felt. She nuzzled his regal nose, like he had done to hers. He smiled brightly, his eyes lighting up.
"My Bella."
"Yours," Bella agreed, though her heart tearing apart. She was not Carlisle's. She was not Edward's.
Where had her Edward gone? The man she loved had been gentle, not a black-eyed monster that had tried to kill her.
Carlisle, she reminded herself. All thoughts of Edward melted away as he tugged at the bottom of her shirt, peeling it off her flushed skin.
This is the shirt I wore in Volterra, she mused. She was suddenly eager to have it off her, as if doing so meant washing Edward away.
Carlisle skimmed his fingers down her back, grasping her hips, tugging at her jeans.
There's no graceful way to get these off, Bella admitted grudgingly, standing up. Carlisle's eyes shined with mirth as she wiggled out of her jeans as gracefully as she could—which was still clumsy.
She bit her lip, straddling him again, slowly. She heard a clean, shrill rip as he tore her panties off, discarding them with the shirt. His fingers found her quickly, and he groaned at her wetness. There was a frenzy between them, a desperate need to be joined, to claim the other.
She gasped as he stroked her and rode his fingers, driven by her need. She made quick work of his zipper, and they both groaned)as she fisted his cock, stroking up and down roughly. He grasped her wrist gently, stopping her.
"Ride me," he growled, and desire shot through her like lightning. She remembered briefly that this was only their third time together, and her third time period. There was so much she had yet to do. In her heart she knew Edward would always want control—even intimately. Carlisle was encouraging her to explore her own desires, to have her way with him until she was satisfied.
She grasped him firmly, guiding him to her, sliding him inside her, lowering her hips. Bella's mouth fell open in awe as she savored this new sensation—the same, yet different. Fuller. He grasped her hips, grinding her against him, and Bella closed her eyes, whimpering. Every thrust stroked her g-spot, his spot, while shock waves of sensation went to her centre. She shuddered, alternating between deep and slow, shallow and quick, until she found an angle and pace that made her break out in sweat.
"That's it," he growled, his eyes fixated on her bouncing breasts. From the way they were both breathing, neither one of them would last very long. Carlisle was already grunting, his teeth bared, hissing with pleasure. His thumb found her centre, and Bella cried out, immediately riding him harder and faster.
"Yes," he moaned, his head falling back. Bella smiled, loving that she, Bella Swan, was giving him these sensations, was making him moan, and who would make him come. With Carlisle, she was coming alive. She felt that sensation in her stomach grow quickly, building and thrumming in her. She needed him just like this, his fingers were perfect.
"Yesyesyes oh fuck yes," she babbled, losing all coherence as she approached her orgasm. She shuddered as she came violently around him, her entire body seeming to clamp rhythmically, as wave and wave of pleasure crashed through her. Nothing had ever felt this good, this right. His hands snaked up her back to grasp her shoulders, pulling her down further, his thrusts stronger, rougher. Bella could do nothing but hold on as he fucked her into oblivion. He pulled her down onto him to the point of pain, roaring as he came and flooding her with burning venom. Her walls were still throbbing around him, milking him. His roars faded to groans as his thrusts slowed, and he rested his forehead against her chest, pressing closed-mouth kisses between her breasts. She wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head, giving him comfort for once. His venom leaked out of her as he softened, coating her thighs.
She gasped as he picked her up effortlessly, dashing up the stairs and into the large master bathroom. He set her down as he kissed her, smiling into her mouth while she swayed on her feet.
"There's a bathrobe in my closet," he murmured, moving to the gargantuan bathtub, twisting the knobs. She ambled to the closet, but upon opening it her stomach sank to the floor.
Wrong closet.
Apparently, Carlisle had yet to empty it of Esme's clothing. Bella shut it hurriedly, wanting to shut thoughts of Esme out of her head. More importantly, her fear of becoming another Esme in Carlisle's unending life.
No, Bella, stop it, she told herself. She couldn't let her fears ruin this night. Hadn't Carlisle explained Esme away?
She turned away from Esme's closet, and in doing so, her anxiety faded.
She found a downy white bathrobe in Carlisle's closet, and couldn't help but smile indulgently at the way it felt against her skin. She padded to the bathroom, smiling shyly.
"A little big for you," Carlisle grinned, and Bella's breath caught her throat as she admired him.
"If I could blush, Bella, I would be doing so," Carlisle said, winking as he strode past her to the light switch.
Bella fidgeted with the belt of the robe.
He dimmed the lights until they were almost out, before coming up behind her and grasping her hips.
Bella inhaled sharply as he nibbled the shell of her ear, deftly untying the robe and pushing it off her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet. Bella groaned as she sank into the hot water, closing her eyes with pleasure. She didn't even hear Carlisle get in with her—he was particularly skilled at remaining silent.
She cracked an eye open, regarding him shrewdly.
"Can you feel it?" she asked curiously.
"No," Carlisle said, tugging her gently towards him so she was nestled in between his thighs, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Not at this temperature," he continued, "The water would have to be boiling."
"Then why have it?"
She felt Carlisle smile into her hair, kissing her head.
"It's nice to pretend to be human sometimes," he said quietly, skimming her arm with his fingers, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake.
"Carlisle," she ventured carefully, "you said you've wanted me since the hospital. How…how did you, you know, keep it from him?"
He stopped skimming her arm, sighing.
"It's not important," Bella said quickly, trying to recover.
"No, no, dearest," Carlisle murmured, offering her a sad smile, "I should tell you."
Bella turned around, settling against the other side of the tub. She stared expectantly at him, and was momentarily dazzled. She doubted it would ever stop.
"Edward knew the moment it happened. What you saw in the hall, do you remember? When Edward and Rosalie confronted me? That was the start of it."
Memories swam dully in the back of her head. Her heart fluttered weakly at the memory of the van bouncing off Edward's hand, while his unearthly eyes bored into hers.
"It was, and is, clear that you are Edward's Singer," he continued, jerking her back from her reverie, "he staked his claim on you, demanding that I not pursue you. I justified the attraction to Edward and myself as a mere reaction to your blood. Hiding my thoughts is not easy—and nor did I want to hide them from Edward. I wanted so much for him to be happy. We all did. My love for my son, and your love for each other kept my feelings for you at bay, almost dormant."
The sadness on his face, in his voice was making Bella squirm with guilt.
"But that night of the party. You were so close," he said, his tongue darting over his lips, his eyes fixed on the water before him, "I couldn't resist anymore. Not even a 300-year-old doctor was a match for you. Bella, I've smelled the sweetest blood on earth, and venom has never flooded me like it did that night. I might not be human, but I'm still a man."
Bella blushed.
"But what about after?"
"Ah, yes. Edward's departure had two purposes. You see he knew, that night, he knew what passed between you and I. Edward does love you, and had I forced you, he would have killed me or died trying. But I didn't, Bella, you wanted me just as much as I wanted you, and he could never bring you pain. He wants what you want, even if it kills him. Or drives him mad," Carlisle admitted sadly. He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing.
"So he left. He left to spare himself from the anguish, and left so that we, primarily I, would follow. If he couldn't have you, no one would."
Anger bubbled up inside Bella.
"But I'm not property!" She protested hotly.
A wan smile spread over his face.
"No, you're not," he agreed, "but to Edward you always would be—a tragedy of his time, perhaps, and maybe it will change as he ages, but Bella you must understand this concept of a Singer. It doesn't mean love. On the contrary, it means death, and never are they one and the same for vampires. Edward's fascination with you was, is rooted in the instinct to kill, to possess, to destroy. And no love can come of that."
Bella processed this.
"What about the others? How did they react?"
"Naturally the whole house knew: I couldn't hide that. Sex in and of itself is not shocking to us, our entire family is very aware of and comfortable with the intimacies of the others. Had you been Esme, it wouldn't have garnered hardly a response at all. But because you loved Edward, and because Edward loved you, I had done something wrong, caused irreparable harm, unraveled our family. But all of this, was nothing compared to the hope that I could have you—that you wanted me too," he whispered fervently, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Even amidst the crumbling of my beloved family, I was elated. Our family did not all leave together. Esme and Edward went to Alaska, Alice and Jasper to France, Rosalie and Emmett to Wyoming. We process things differently, vampires, and while our family is not broken, choices must be made."
This, she knew.
They were silent for the rest of the bath, content to simply be in each other's presence.
Her eyes began to droop, lulled into a sleepy contentment as Carlisle stroked her hair, all of the stress and tension melting off her into the water.
"What does it feel like? To be like you?" she asked idly, threading her fingers through his.
He considered her question for a moment.
"Some parts of you, of the things you knew before, are numb—such as feeling temperature, eating food, they don't mean anything anymore. Not to your new body, your new senses," he explained, "but you replace those with new experiences, new sensations—it's better. Everything you never got to experience as a human—sights, smells, There is more…flavor," he added slyly.
Bella giggled.
"Is it hard to be around me at all? To be…with me?" she asked, examining her pruned fingers.
"No, not in the way you think. Being with you is one of the most natural feelings in the world—so is loving you. The only hardship is remembering that you are still human, which requires a certain amount of physical control."
"Like Edward?"
"No, not like Edward. I can love you without hardship. Physical human love, at any rate."
Bella leaned her head back farther, gazing up at him quizzically.
Carlisle smiled down at her indulgently.
"I lose myself in you, Bella, and you are so exquisite I sometimes forget that you are still human, that I can hurt you if I'm not careful," he murmured.
Bella grinned.
"I took the liberty of purchasing some essentials; a toothbrush, lotion, feminine products. I hope you don't think me presumptuous," he said almost bashfully.
"Hardly," she snorted, kissing his hand.
"Do you need a human moment?" he asked, his lips against her ear, his voice low and smooth, sending tremors to her still swollen core.
"Please," she responded, her mouth dry, "and I need my cell phone. I have to call Charlie."
"Of course," Carlisle agreed, throwing on a bathrobe before disappearing to collect her phone.
As she brushed her hair, she wondered if Edward would try to hurt Charlie.
"Is Charlie safe?" Bella asked as Carlisle returned with her phone.
"Yes," Carlisle said, "Edward's fight isn't with you. He's also quite injured, he's not in any kind of position to do anyone any harm."
Relief spread through Bella.
"Good," she sighed, dialing Charlie.
He answered promptly, sounding tired.
"Bells? When are you coming home?"
"I won't be tonight. I'm over at Jessica's, we're trying to finish a project. We won't be finished till late, so I'm just going to stay over."
"Alright. Don't work too hard, Bells, if you can't get it done tonight don't kill yourself," Charlie said.
Bella smiled.
"Thanks dad."
She hung up, feeling guilty.
"We'll tell him in time," Carlisle assured her.
Time.
As she lay beside Carlisle that night, there suddenly didn't seem to be enough of it.