Stuck Between a Vampire and a Hard Place

Chapter 9: Only Human

"I guess it's the end of our little journey, Carlisle." Stepping up to the front door as my mysterious neighbor followed, I stared into his eyes, questioning when I'd see him again.

I really yearned for the day that I could continue another odd conversation with him. Not just gape as his countenance, but I'd hold up a friendship with him. Carlisle seemed to be the guy or flat out person that would understand any situation or mishap and then be there to help you out of it. No, I did not in any way consider him as like a girl's gay best friend. No… no, no, no… But more so… the groom? Nah, not that yet… but still, a best man?

Sure, best man. I didn't know him so well, but he gave me the vibe that I could count on him. Now-a-days, that type of trust is hard to come by. Even in my own house, it's difficult to get my sisters to listen. Refusal to back down from their own plans and premade decisions, it took a toll on the relationship among us. Thinking that maybe half a millennia is enough? Of course, all the time; but that doesn't stop us from loving each other as best friends. Way off subject there, but at least I pulled a point:

My friends wouldn't always be there for me. And I needed someone who could.

What was I thinking, though?

Carlisle was only human- he wouldn't be here forever.

Like me…

"Come to think of a date, yet?" he inquired with a doubtful look on his face.

It was only until the very last second that I'd really put thought into his question. I wasn't the type to procrastinate, but when I talked to Carlisle, it was as if my mind was set in slow motion and a forgetful pit. An hour had gone by since the first time he'd asked, and I still had no answer.

"A conclusion hasn't found me… But if you and your family would like to visit us, on the contrary, I believe we're free all week."

It settled in his mind; and once he finished pondering his options, he looked back to me. As usual, I was sucked into a frenzy of his magnificence and beauty. The amalgamation of his physical and mental traits would feel like a casualty in war once he left.

"I'm sure it would be lovely, if it's alright with the rest of your friends," he replied with a grin.

"If it fits your schedule, it fits ours. We don't exactly have jobs or studies at the present moment… so… you see how it's not our dilemma." I smiled in return; and he took a step closer to me.

I stared –I couldn't help it- at his every feature. How could anyone be this flawless?

Anyhow, I had bigger problems to face than being captured by his essence.

Where's my key?

I instinctively patted down on my sides as I would to feel an object in my pockets with the shape of a key. Only thing was… these weren't my pants. Come to think of it, my dress from yesterday didn't have any holders for my key, which meant my pass was in my house. Thinking even deeper, I realized I'd left my dress and shoes and Carlisle's house…

Great.

"No key?" he questioned.

"Nope… and I think I forgot my other pair of clothing at your house…" I grimaced at the embarrassment.

"Oh, it's fine. I can probably just drop them off here tomorrow on my way to work." He seemed untroubled by the minor detour that he would have to take.

"No, no, I can get them some other time… I wouldn't want to complicate your drive."

"Yes… I wouldn't want to be stuck in traffic, Raven. This private road gets so busy during rush hour," he sarcastically said. He smirked and chuckled when I gave in with a blush.

"Fine… have it your way, then. But still… I'm sure that problem can wait until later, if you know what I mean." I gestured to the door, trying to pull the point that I couldn't very well get into my house.

"Well," he paused with a smile, "there's always the window."

I froze with a terrible sensation of irony. Wow.

"What? Does that amuse you?"

"Ah… I hate irony."

He chuckled once and moved past me towards the door. He turned towards the wall to his left and observed a little box. "Ever try ringing the doorbell?"

I rocked my head from side to side. How could I be that stupid?

"I recommend you stop me before I answer that…" I mumbled as I reached towards the button.

I pushed it in once and heard a faint echo from inside the house. I veered my face to look upon Carlisle's. He smirked as he thought of a proper farewell… Okay, maybe not proper.

"My dear friend, I am so apologetic about oursudden departure. But, I must take my leave… as much as it will pain me in the near future. My beloved regards to your family, Raven."

I laughed. Spending time with Carlisle was a lot more fun then I expected. Composure finally circling me, I replied, "Enough! I've had it with the over-elaboration!"

He snickered at my revolution and I heard footsteps nearing the door. "Alright, dear Raven, until next time…" his voice tailed off with a kiss of my cheek and a pat on my left shoulder.

Every time! Leaving me stunned? Gosh… When do I ever get even with this man!

My eyes followed his trail as he left the porch. Hands in his front pockets, he began his way down the driveway, never looking back. But a mental entity told me that he was fighting not to gaze at least once towards me. Although something gave me an urge to call out to him and ask him to stay, I knew he probably had things to do. Like always, my excuse to not pester him was that he consistently had 'things to do.' I didn't ever want to be an inconvenience, but his lean body was irresistible and pungent with the want to claim it as my own. A fondness to him that I'd been fighting was itching at me and begging me to make a move. I wasn't the type to assert myself to any man's will, therefore explained that I also was not an adherent woman. Naturally, I was of my own strength of character; but a peculiar and rash feeling made me want Carlisle. There, I admitted it. I was forcefully submitting myself to my own disastrous feelings. The feelings that compelled me to stare at him until he turned and was hidden by the forest's arms.

An unfamiliar feeling of sadness swept over body. When he vanished from my vision, a sensation receded back into me, stronger than it ever was before: loneliness. Maybe I felt this yesterday, but I just didn't realize it. Once I'd had the taste of someone that posed as the character of my emotions that Carlisle had, I supposed that I realized how much sentimental value I was missing. Hopefully, my sisters would understand when or if I even told them. Thinking again, I probably shouldn't for the sake of my own well-being.

Regardless, they would eventually find out. Through Michele's mouth or Regan's bitching, they would all unearth this affair of mine somehow. Even if I was blowing this a bit out of proportion.

"Uh-hem?"

Oh, boy…

Judging by the periodic breathing in a more than distressed tone, the recognition of distinct floral perfume, the specifically high-pitched sigh that followed the harsh clearing of an unobstructed throat, feminine shadow beside me… my bystander was more than likely to be none other than Miss Mia Vitug-Facinelli.

Was I in some deep trouble now…

Whipping around with a dashing smile on my hiding-the-guilt face, "Why, hello there! Fancy the weather today!"

"Raven."

The basically… raging fire and fuming, livid, piqued, displeased, indignant, vexed expression that peered from her pupils of complete madness pretty much described the words "abominable anger."

"I take it you're more than just cross about this?" I grimaced uneasily.

"You could've called… or at least not hung up on us." She left the doorframe and stormed back into the house. I hesitantly followed.

"I didn't think I'd have to, Mia. And by the tone you used, I really didn't want to deal with that, at the time."

"Says the chick who didn't even want to get in-touch with the humans," she grumbled.

I starred astonished at her accusation. I then sighed, knowing that we weren't alone. "Michele, Shadia, Edelle, Regan… I know you're listening."

One by one they appeared from their hiding places, apparently too afraid to answer the bell themselves. Way to grow some testosterone, Mia. They feared arguing with me. Mia didn't enjoy it, and most of the time didn't find the need to; but she was the one to speak up- even if naturally a quiet person. Half of the others only criticized me; the fifty percent that kept quiet, they only rarely stood up to my plate.

My intellectual battles were in dangerous territory. Aha… Carlisle and I were more similar than I suspected.

"So… had fun last night, I presume?" Michele mumbled quietly. A guilt embedded in her throat from a reason that was presently equivocating to my mind.

"I didn't do anything… We were just talking. I fell asleep. Simple as that, guys," I explained.

"You didn't do anything? Boy, does that sound ambiguous!" Regan sounded from beside Shadia. A scoff enlisted in each hiss of a word she spoke, Regan sounded more than pissed …Hurt?

"What? How am I being ambiguous? There is no different way of how to say that! I'm not hiding anything. There's nothing to read between the lines, this time, Regan! Why are you guys being so begrudging about this?" I took my side up defensively. We never fought- maybe once or twice every decade. Being immortal had its privileges with reason. We always found the explanations to whatever was to be a future quarrel so it never had to happen. But with this situation… I knew it would turn out differently.

"Look. You're the one who told us to back off in the first place. So don't go hypocritical on your word, Ray." Ouch… Mia always knew how to pack a punch.

"Fair enough," I responded. Maybe this would require that dirty, little secret that I was hiding from them. "But… what if there was a complication?"

"Like what?" Mia groaned.

"Like…" I sighed in frustration, "like… liking somebody?" A grimace surrounded my face and pulled me under a deep shade of bright red. "Like… maybe… liking…" I gulped, "Carlisle Cullen…?"

Silence.

Then again, what could they expect? I was sure they saw it coming… But my sisters weren't anticipating me to admit it so easily. Although I spilt my guts on this, it ended the minor argument for now.

"We're adults, Ray. We call crushes these days a word named somatic-attraction," Shadia announced with a smile slowly seeping across her full lips.

And so the squeals began… GREAT. Ugh…

"So what did you guys talk about last night, huh!"

"I knew it! I knew it! Just by the looks he gave you!"

"When's the wedding!"

"What! W-W-What are you guys talking about! I just said that I 'might' like him… a little… and you people are already starting marital plans!" I shrieked of subdued humiliation.

"Yep! You got that right, sista! When can he come over?" Michele blurted with joy. Consequentially, the flowers that lay still in their vases around the room suddenly exploded with fresh buds and blossoms.

"Think! You and him will be raising some kids one day!"

Mortified.

Wow. One word can do you a lot these days.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no… no," I stuttered in dread. These women would drive Carlisle away for sure if this continued. Well… optimistically speaking, they weren't angry anymore.

"No! No! No! No! No dating! No details! No marriage! And definitely no kids!"

Their illuminated faces looked to me with smiles. Such children I lived with…

I moaned. I should've taken their wrath rather than this humiliation that I now suffered consequently from an involuntary attraction. Why…

Oh, how I so dearly wished that Carlisle were here to somehow back me up in this terrible predicament. Somehow turn this into a rosy day when all for me could be merry. To demolish this agonizing embarrassment I felt because of him! Mortified of my own sisters' acidic words! The wretched fire burning in my cheeks harassing me to just die under a couch to escape the mocks!

"Carlisle save me!" I screamed accidentally aloud.

Ohhh… Fuck.

I slapped my innocent hands over my mouth as if that action could reverse the words back into my throat, then burn them before they could escape again.

"Oh yes, Raven! Let your fiery-hot-man Carlisle Cullen wisp you away!" Mia rolled her tongue and then exploded with laughter that rarely vamoosed from her tiny, pink lips.

I slapped my forehead. "Dear… God…"

"Carlisle Cullen!" Michele cooed every few seconds between laughs.

"Ugh! While you ladies have your fun DESTROYING my love-life, I'll be upstairs taking a bath…." I stormed up the staircase grumbling things to myself with an unbearable red pigment stained on my cheeks. I had a bad feeling that the color wouldn't wash off in the shower.

I slammed the bathroom door shut trying to block out their echoing laughter. I peeled my clothing off until I was bare in my underclothing. I stared in the mirror at my pale figure, wondering what Carlisle would look this unclothed…

Dear God! …Really, Ray?

I slipped off what was left of my under garments and turned on the chilling water. I preferred cold showers, at least when I had to get my mind off of something- more so, someone.

The water not only cleansed my troubled soul of the dirt and grime, but the earthy layer of skin that had already been drenched by nature's rain. I felt like I was a forest: the hint of pine and mud smell. Ugh… Did Carlisle smell this the entire walk home? I hoped not…

Carlisle… His warm- actually he wasn't that warm when I thought of it… Besides that, his touch was of silk. He was so firm like stone, in a way; I'd noticed his hard interior twice: once when he hugged me, the other when I bumped into him. He was just as "meaty" or "hard" as Emmett, but gentle to the touch. His fingers pressed so lightly when truly he must have had unending strength searing beneath his surface.

Carlisle was a true mystery to me… and I… loved him. I admitted it to myself the night I was held contently in his affectionate arms. Although I tried to hide it from that moment on, and try to forget… it just kept occurring to me that I did have powerful feelings for him. Over and over it lashed me with the words… I tried not to accept it. But I failed once I took in the sight of him. It would hit me until I accepted it to be evident.

Okay, you can't hide it anymore you love him.

Finally, I saw my tenderness to Carlisle… as… love.

There. I wouldn't ever forget it now.

I was in love with Carlisle Cullen.

I was in love with Carlisle Cullen…

I was in love with Carlisle Cullen!

But… I was a witch… an immortal witch. Carlisle was only human.

How would I love him forever… when eventually he would die?