I'm back for good! I promise! All thanks goes to my new, wonderful beta xrxdanixrx, whithout whom this story would be a lot more difficult to understand! Sadly - I don't own anything Twilight, clearly, as I am the one still working in retail making minimum wage. Enjoy!
I woke up the next morning unsure whether last night had been a dream, or if the most exciting, amazing, terrifying, and exhilarating night of my life had actually happened.
I sat up in my bed and looked around my room to find my window was still open, and a huge wave of happiness came over me as I realized everything that had occurred last night was true. Carlisle was coming here, to Charleston, and I was going to meet him.
Before I could celebrate just how unbelievable my life had become, another realization hit me. I stopped and squinted out my still-open window. Edward hadn't come last night and it was sunny out, which meant yet another day without him.
I dragged my body out of bed, not at all looking forward to the Edwardless day ahead of me. As I walked out of my bedroom, the powerful aroma of bacon and Sister Shubert's rolls overwhelmed me and my day was brightened, even if just a little bit.
"Ashley, you are a god," I praised her as I bounced up the stairs and into a seat.
"It's sunny, I'm celebrating!" Ashley squealed when I reached the top of the stairs, her unnaturally high voice almost burning a hole in my eardrum.
"Yay!" I replied, mimicking her screeching volume. She shot me a dirty look and then handed me a plate of the deliciousness I had smelt from down the stairs. "Thank God you can cook," I mumbled, as I stuffed my face as gracefully and lady like as a starving teenager possibly could.
My cooking skills were limited to break-and-bake cookies and instant mashed potatoes, so Ashley's fantastic cooking became just another reason I couldn't live without her.
"Thank God we finally have some sun!" she replied, positively beaming just at the thought of it. While I wanted to kick the sun from here to eternity so I could spend my day with Edward, I knew I owed it to Ashley to cheer up and enjoy our day.
Ashley decided we would spend our rare sunny day by the pool, and I decided I would actually have some fun.
Who knows, I thought, maybe the sun will take my mind off of…Edward…things.
As we lay out by the pool however, the attempt to take my mind off of Edward seemed futile. I could not keep my mind from coming back to the beautiful golden eyes and the irresistible crooked smile that awaited me tonight.
Tonight I would meet Carlisle Cullen.
Tonight, all my questions would be answered.
I was nervous. Nervous he wouldn't show up. Nervous he wouldn't like me. Nervous he wouldn't approve. I was nervous I would ask all the wrong questions. Nervous I would get all the wrong answers. Nervous I would get the answers I expected.
As much as I didn't want to think it, there was one thought that kept plaguing my mind.
What if everything is true?
It was crazy enough that two, make that three, of my favorite book characters had come to life, so how crazy could it be if the entire book was reality?
What if, somewhere out in Phoenix, Arizona, there really is a Bella Swan. What if I'm falling for a guy that's, technically speaking, already taken? What if I'm Bella Swan?
The random thought was beyond asinine, but I couldn't help but hope it was true.
Sure, my name isn't the same, and we didn't meet in Forks. I'm not really very clumsy, and I don't despise shopping. I can't cook to save my life, and I'm not embarrassed all that easily, but still…
The more I thought about it, the crazier it seemed. I wanted to be Bella Swan. I wanted Edward to fall madly in love with me. Something was happening between us, that much was clear, but who knew where it would lead.
Besides, after he talks to Carlisle he might be done with me for good. Probably be afraid he'll kill me or something stupid like that.
I heard a splash in the pool behind me, and before I could react, the lower half of my body was covered in water.
"Get in!" I heard Ashley shout behind me.
Deciding I had done enough Edward contemplating for one day, I jumped up off my pool chair, stuck my tongue out at my best friend, and dove in the water, leaving my copy of Twilight, and all thoughts of Edward, behind.
That evening, I opened the door and I couldn't stop the smile that appeared on my face the moment Edward came into view.
You're beautiful, I thought to myself. I saw him smile and I turned away as a slight blush came across my cheeks.
"I keep forgetting you can do that," I said, turning around to face him once again.
"You're beautiful," he replied, staring at me with all seriousness.
I tried to whisper a thank-you, but I was once again lost in his magical golden eyes.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked. I nodded and we began walking down the stairs. I looked around for the Volvo, but it was nowhere to be seen.
"We're not going to run there, are we?" I joked. He smiled, but I was pretty sure that mentioning his super speed freaked him out a bit, and I made a mental note to tone down the vampire references.
"I don't mind, I promise. It just takes a bit of getting used to is all," he answered, smiling at me in return. "And we're walking actually – I prefer to save running for the third date," he joked back.
Date? Did he just say date?!
Edward breathed out a chuckle, and then, so lightly that I almost couldn't feel it, he placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me forward.
The walk wasn't long; Edward was only staying a few neighborhoods down from mine. The Cullen beach house was small and quaint, nothing like what I imagined the Cullen household to be, but even from the outside I could tell that it was just as elegant and extraordinary as Stephenie Meyer had described their home in Forks. We began the walk up towards the house, and the further we walked up the driveway, the faster the butterflies pounded away in my stomach.
We approached the door, and all I could think about was how nervous I was. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt certain that I would screw something up or make a horrible impression.
"You'll be fine," he whispered as his cool fingers lightly squeezed mine. He slowly opened the door and guided me into the narrow hallway. "Carlisle?" Edward called. "We're here."
I thought that the last couple of days would have prepared me for seeing Carlisle for the first time, but as he rounded the corner and gracefully glided into the hallway, I was shocked once again. Carlisle Cullen was the exact replica of everything that Stephenie Meyer had described. From his blond hair to his compassion-filled eyes, everything was the same.
"Miss Monroe – it's a pleasure to meet you. Edward has told me so much about you." Even his voice was exactly as I had imagined.
"Please, call me Charlotte," I replied hesitantly. "And really, you have no idea what an honor it is to meet you."
"Shall we sit?" Carlisle asked. He led us through the hallway and into a spacious, yet beautifully decorated living room. I could see touches of Esme's style everywhere, and I couldn't help but break into a huge grin when I noticed the black grand piano that was seated in the corner.
The three of us sat down, Edward and I on the couch and Carlisle in the chair across from the coffee table, facing us. The furniture looked as though it had barley been used, and I felt sure that I was the only one fully enjoying the comfort of the beautifully ornate furniture beneath us.
"I hate to be so direct, Charlotte, but I'm afraid I don't have much time. I need you to tell me everything you know, and how you know it."
So, I did. I told Carlisle about Stephenie Meyer and Twilight. I told him all of the information I knew, about his himself, about Edward, and about the rest of his family. I repeated his history to him, and watched his shocked face as I told him of his past with perfect accuracy. Lastly, I told him that Stephenie Meyer planned to write another book, that his story was not yet complete.
As I finished, I leaned back on the couch, mentally exhausted after an hour of telling tales and answering questions. The house was silent as Carlisle processed the information.
Edward sat next me perfectly still. He wasn't even going through the motions of breathing anymore. Finally, it was he who broke the silence.
"I think the answer seems perfectly clear, Carlisle," Edward spoke. "We read this book."
Immediately, Carlisle shook his head no.
"It's not messing with fate Carlisle! It's figuring out what to do next! It's deciding whether this Stephenie Meyer woman is writing about us, about our future!" He wasn't yelling at Carlisle, but his voice was raised. I had never seen him this confused, this frustrated, this angry.
"Edward, if this book is true, it contains our future. If we see it, we might try to prevent it, and bad things happen when you try to stop fate. It's not a good idea, and I won't permit it."
"But…" Edward began, and then quickly came to a stop. He lowered his head in defeat, and then stood up so quickly that I didn't even realize he was standing until after the fact.
"I'm sorry," he said, this time directing his words towards me, "but I have to get some fresh air."
Go.
He walked out of the room, and less than a second later I heard the front door quietly shut behind me.
"I've noticed he likes to run," I said, in a pathetic attempt for a joke. My laugh was forced however, and the smile that came across Carlisle's face was one of pity. "I have a copy of the book with me, if just you want to read it," I offered quietly.
"That's kind of you Charlotte, but I meant what I said to Edward. If this book speaks the truth, then I'm afraid I too would be tempted to change the future. I fear that messing with something as delicate and incomprehensible as time could cause irreparable damage," he replied.
"Do you think it's real, then? Do you think Twilight is your future?" I forced the words out of my mouth, and they came out in a whisper so quiet that only a vampire would be able to hear it. It was the question that had been pressing on my heart all day. It was the question whose answer I feared the most. It was the question that brought tears to my eyes.
"Honestly, Charlotte, I have no idea. I don't think we ever will know until it does or doesn't come true."
Carlisle's answer should have calmed me. It should have made the pound of bricks that was pressing on my heart lift, but I knew that only a 'no' would do that for me. Instead, my tears only fell faster, as I was overcome with the situation I was facing.
How could I willingly allow myself to fall for a vampire that may, someday soon, leave me to be with a woman he loves more?
But then, how could I not fall for Edward Cullen?
"Carlisle…I think I should probably tell you something, about the book." I was unsure whether telling Carlisle was the right thing to do, but I was at a loss for what else to do, and I knew that if anyone would know, it would be Carlisle.
"What is it, Charlotte?" He asked.
"Twilight isn't just about your family," I answered. "It's a love story – about Edward. He falls in love with a human…." I watched as Carlisle processed the information. "I don't know what to do next." "If it's true…" I trailed off, knowing that I didn't need to finish my thought aloud for Carlisle to know exactly what I was thinking.
After what seemed to be hours, even though I knew it was only minutes, Carlisle responded. "We don't know if it's true Charlotte."
"So then, what do I do next then? What are you thinking?" I asked him, cutting my thoughts short.
"More than anything, I care about the well-being of my son. If spending time with you makes him happy, then it is of no fault with me. Edward can handle himself. In the past hour or so, however, I have grown to care about the well-being of you as well Charlotte. You're a sweet girl, and I have to make sure that you completely understand the dangers of the situation you are putting yourself in."
"I know that he could hurt me, but I also know that he won't. He's a lot stronger than anyone believes."
"You've only known him for a few days," Carlisle countered.
"I feel as though I've known him my whole life," I whispered back. "I promise Carlisle, I'm not afraid." And I wasn't afraid; of being killed that is. Being left, getting hurt, having my heart broken – those were the things I was afraid of.
"All I ask is that you be careful," Carlisle said.
"I…" I was cut short by the opening of the back door. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to erase my thoughts of everything that Carlisle and I had just discussed, so that Edward wouldn't know.
"Good evening, Edward," Carlisle spoke as he stood and offered his seat to him. "Here, take my seat. I believe you and Charlotte have some things to talk about".
Well, what's the verdict?! Love it or hate it? How about you let me know in a review!
:)
