Author's Note: More Carlisle drama. Right in front of Edward's eyes. *dramatic music*
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. And I don't suggest sleeping with your professor, especially if he has the last name as your boyfriend...
Chapter Twenty-Five: "Isle Esme" Bella's POV
The destination on our plane tickets was printed as Rio de Janeiro, which almost made me have a fit. "Brazil?" I had screeched as we sat in the terminal.
Edward, Alice, and Emmett just shrugged, though they were clearly excited. "Our mom's idea," they said at the same time.
Jasper and Rosalie were hyper with the anticipation, though. Clearly they had been to Brazil with Edward's family before, because they were jumping up and down in their seats. "It's so much fun," Rosalie enthused to me. "Beaches, shopping, parties…"
"Surfing," Jasper cut in. "Great waves."
Was Rio even close to the ocean? I had no idea.
I was a bit startled on the plane when Edward woke me up with an exuberant kiss. "Good morning," he smiled at me. "Guess where you are right now?"
"An airplane?" I muttered, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
"Ha. Yes, but you're on the ground…"
"Shit!" I exclaimed. "I'm in Brazil! South America!"
He laughed. "Yes, ma'am, you are. And you're going to be one of the first people off the plane."
I glanced around the cabin, wondering how I had slept through the landing. Must be these big, comfortable seats. I noticed Alice was now the one bouncing in her seat. She gave me a big thumbs up before shouting across the cabin. "We're Brazilian babes, Isabella!"
Jasper's sleepy head popped up from her lap. "Darlin', stay quiet," he groaned. "It's too damn early."
"We're here!" she squealed.
"Mmm, that's nice," he replied, dropping his head on her shoulder.
"Why aren't we getting off the plane?" I sighed to Edward.
"The pilot asked us to wait for a few minutes. No idea. Stay patient, baby. Good things come to those who wait." He patted my head condescendingly.
"Haughty bastard," I said before sticking my tongue out at him.
He flashed me that beautiful crooked smile. "You know you love it."
Finally, we were able to get off. I grabbed my carry-on bag and took Edward's hand, leading him off the plane. As soon as we exited the tunnel, we stepped to the side and waited on the others.
We all finally congregated and went to baggage claim. My bag was one of the first to emerge, which made me feel a bit smug. That never happened to me. I took it as a good omen for this trip.
Edward's phone rang just after he collected his bag from the conveyor belt. He answered it with a "Hey, Mom" before pulling me into his arms and kissing the top of my head. I saw two obviously South American teenage girls giggle at him.
"Actually, we just landed," he said. "Are you guys at the house yet?…No?…Oh, that sucks. Sorry, Mom, I know you don't like that word. When do you think you'll be here?"
Alice and Emmett stared at Edward in frank curiosity.
"Okay, I have a key to the house and the boat, so don't worry. We'll get there easily. Um, I'm really sorry you're stuck in a terminal with Dad, but please keep your cool. Sit on the other side of the terminal if you need to. I swear I'll hurt him if he tries to start something, but you don't need to egg him on…"
"Shit," Alice sighed.
Edward nodded in agreement with his sister. "Alright, Mom. We'll see you soon. Call us when you take off. I love you."
He hung up and looked at us. "They flew through Miami because the first class flights from Houston were full. There's a big storm in Florida and all the flights have been cancelled. They're predicting the storm to last for a few hours or so…it looks like we have the house to ourselves for a day. They're going to call us when they hit Rio so we can pick them up at the dock."
"Hey, I'm not complaining!" Emmett exclaimed. "We can get in the wet bar and then replace all of it before Mom and Dad get here."
"No way," Jasper replied. "If the waves are good, we're surfing. Isabella, have you ever surfed?"
I snorted. "I can barely walk. Do you think I've ever surfed?" I quickly elbowed Emmett in the ribs when he guffawed.
"Alright," Rosalie commanded the group. "Let's quit talking about surfing and actually go do it.
We trekked through the hotel and ended up having to hail two cabs. Edward and I shared with Alice and Jasper.
"Do you think Mom and Dad will be okay?" Alice asked Edward as soon as they had given the driver directions in pretty impressive Portuguese.
"I hope so," Edward sighed. "If they decide they hate each other in the terminal and ruin this vacation…"
"They won't," Jasper said. "If I know Esme, then I know that she'll keep up appearances. Other people are coming to this thing, right?"
"Yeah," Edward replied. "The cousins from Alaska, and some of Mom's girlfriends. You know, the ones who are orange with spray tans and they get a new husband every year…"
Alice snorted. "The ones who flirt shamelessly with you guys? Bitches."
I only absorbed half of the conversation as I watched out the taxi window, soaking up as much Rio de Janeiro I could get.
Finally, the taxi pulled up to a dock, filled with boats lined up neatly. Every boat was more impressive than the last.
"Where are we going?" I asked Edward as we carried our luggage down the deck. "Do you guys have a yacht?"
"Yes, but we keep it in Greece," he replied.
I stopped walking and stared at him. "Seriously?"
"Yes." He raised an eyebrow. "We cruise the Grecian islands every couple of years. We have a speedboat for Brazil. That's what we're looking for right now. Come on, sweet girl. You're wasting alone time on the beach."
I giggled and took his hand, following him down the deck. Emmett had apparently found the boat and was throwing Rosalie's massive amount of designer luggage on board.
It was a beautiful boat, and it looked very fast. There was a nice deck with plenty of cushioned seats, a nice radio, and apparently some room in a cabin beneath. Emmett chunked my rolling suitcase onto the boat and Edward took my hand, helping me on it.
I sat in Edward's lap as he took a seat behind the controls. He expertly cranked the boat and adjusted a few levers. "Untie her!" he yelled to Emmett and Jasper.
After some wrestling with the ropes, we were speeding across the water. Cool water sprayed my face, making me giggle. Edward pressed a kiss to my neck as he steered the boat in a new direction.
"Where are we going?" I asked him over the roar of the boat.
"Isle Esme," he replied.
"Where?"
"My mother's island."
"You own an island?"
"My parents do," he shrugged, looking at my face from behind his Ray-Ban sunglasses. "Bella, I've told you that we're quite wealthy."
"I know…" I said. "This is just weird for me, that's all. I mean, your sunglasses probably cost more than my whole outfit."
He shrugged again. "We were dirt poor when I was little. We've enjoyed transitioning to the lap of luxury. Don't think of us as wasteful freaks, please."
"I could never think of you as a freak," I replied. "I'm just…well, my head is spinning with the fact that you own a yacht and an island."
He kissed my mouth very suddenly, shutting me up.
"And that's not helping…" I groaned when he pulled away.
He laughed and set some control on the boat so we would go in a straight line. I snuggled into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. We kissed once before I surveyed the beautiful scenery around me.
After an immeasurable expanse of time, I could finally see a bunch of trees in front of me. "That's our destination," Edward announced, pointing. I gasped at the vibrant colors of the trees and plants. And the white sands. It was beautiful.
When Edward pulled up to a little dock by the water, Emmett and Jasper once again worked the ropes, except that this time, they were securing the boat. Edward cut the engine and grabbed mine and his suitcases.
And so we began the trek along the sand. Glad I had worn sandals, I pulled them off of my feet and luxuriated in the soft sand. It felt like the warmest, most perfect pedicure. I could imagine the sand rubbing away any flaw my feet had, making them beach-beautiful.
"Great waters today," Emmett mumbled sarcastically. I turned my head and saw that the waves were gentle and lazy. Nothing thrilling there. I smiled broadly. I loved the slow, sleepy ocean more than almost anything.
Finally, we made it to a huge white house. It was beautiful and classic, with big windows and a beautiful garden around it.
"Is this where we're staying?" I gasped.
"The one and only Esme Plantation," Emmett snorted. "Without the slaves, of course."
"Definitely not a plantation," Alice argued. "It's more tasteful than that."
"Well, it's big and white…"
"Wait until you see the inside," Rosalie told me. "It's incredible."
Edward had a house key so he went in first. I followed him tentatively into a foyer that led to a living room and a kitchen.
"Wow," I murmured, staring. Everything was white, from the walls to the carpet to the overstuffed couches. There were colorful vases full of fresh exotic flowers. But what caught my eye was the black-and-white portraits that lined the foyer walls.
"Is that you?" I giggled to Edward, pointing to a little toddler with messy hair that could only belong to my boyfriend.
"Oh, hush," Edward snickered, dropping the luggage and embracing me from behind. "You know it's cute."
"It's very cute," I agreed, looking at the pictures of Emmett and Alice. "All of you were adorable."
"Hey, I still am adorable," Emmett argued.
"Of course you are, Emmy," I teased him.
"If you want to see something funny, look over here," he laughed, pointing to a picture of who could only be Jasper and Rosalie as children. They looked insanely alike, insanely beautiful…and Jasper had buckteeth.
I laughed. "Jazz, I love the Bugs Bunny look!"
"Aw, hush, Izz," he drawled. "Esme insisted on having us photographed, too. Which makes sense, I guess. We've always been part of the family."
"Come on, I'll give you a tour," Edward said, pulling me and our luggage toward the kitchen.
It was amazingly high-tech, with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops. "This is the kitchen," he said.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I rolled my eyes.
"This has anything you can possibly want." He opened the huge refrigerator, and I was surprised to see that it was packed with both American and foreign goodies. "Also the cabinets…" He opened them so I could see inside.
"How do you get food out here?" I asked him.
"Dad pays a crew to clean and stock the house. They're poor people, so they really love us."
"That makes sense," I said as he pulled me to the living room. It had recliners and couches that looked remarkably comfortable, a beautiful coffee table, bookshelves overflowing with novels, and a huge flat-screen TV. More tempting pictures decorated the room, but Edward pulled me to a hallway.
"Mom and Dad's room, though I suppose they won't be sharing. Emmett's room…Alice's room…my room."
"That's what I want to see," I decided, opening the door. I was surprised to see a colossal bed and a keyboard. "Very charming," I smiled at him, pulling him inside.
"Thank you," he grinned at me. "Kind of plain, but I couldn't think of anything besides a keyboard I would want in my vacation room. Emmett has an X-Box, even though there's a game room."
"I like it," I replied, running and bouncing onto his extremely-comfortable bed. "I think I can sleep here for the next week."
"There won't be much sleeping if I have my way," he growled before running and pouncing on me. We both laughed as he kissed me, but we were interrupted when a Frisbee was thrown at Edward.
"Thanks, Em!" he called, chunking the Frisbee back into the hallway.
"Time to stop groping my future little sister and come play on the beach!" his brother called back. Color filled my cheeks immediately. Future little sister?
"We'll be there soon!" Edward replied.
I playfully bit at Edward's neck before pushing him off of me. "I have to unpack," I said. "Can I borrow that chest of drawers?"
"Of course. We'll share it. We also have a closet." He pointed to a door. "And a private bathroom." A sudden dreamy smile graced his face, but he blushed quickly.
"What are you smiling about?" I teased him, taking his hand and playing with his fingers.
His blush became even more red. "I…just…it's…" He sighed. "It's a nice idea to share a closet and drawers and a bathroom with you. That's all."
I smiled at him and kissed the tip of his nose. "I like it, too."
We unpacked together, dividing the drawers and closet up. We both giggled childishly as we left our respective shampoos and body washes in the shower, and Edward made a big deal of putting my pink toothbrush by his blue one.
I was about to change into one of my new bikinis, but Edward stopped me. "I want to show you the rest of the house," he said.
"We can do that half-dressed," I hinted, but he shook his head. So I followed him further down the hall, where it abruptly turned into a staircase.
"That's where our other guests sleep," he said. "Nothing to see there." He turned around and led me back to the kitchen. He pointed to a door I hadn't noticed before. "That goes down to what was formerly the basement."
I held his hand as we walked through the door and down the stairs. He hit the lights, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there was a fully-loaded game room. There was a pool table, an air hockey table, a ping pong table, and more huge couches that surrounded the biggest television set I had ever seen. There was a shelf crowded with every game system you can imagine-PlayStation, Wii, X-Box, even old-school stuff like Super Nintendo and Dream Cast. I looked around and saw the karaoke station, with a stage and lights you could play with.
"This is insane," I mumbled. "Let me guess-this is the favorite room of the boys?"
He smiled at me. "It's definitely Emmett and Jasper's favorite. But it's only my second-favorite."
"What's your absolute favorite?" I asked him.
"Right this way, ma'am," he replied, taking me back up the stairs into the kitchen. He went through yet another doorway into a dining room, and then to another room.
This was a beautiful room, with floor-to-ceiling windows. But the most impressive part was the huge grand piano in the middle of the room.
"Wow," I whispered, my fingers lightly touching the polished wood.
"Do you like it?" he murmured into my ear.
I nodded eagerly. "I wish I knew how to play."
"Ah, I can teach you," he replied, lifting me up by my hips and sitting me down in his lap on the bench. He twisted us around to face the keys, and he lifted up the heavy wooden cover to reveal spotless ivory. "Do you know Chopsticks?"
"Um, yes, well, the basic idea," I stumbled.
He laughed and took my hands. "Start right here. You know the dun, dun, dun…"
I stared at him in amazement. His voice was absolutely in pitch. Lovely.
"What?" he asked me a bit self-consciously.
I shook my head. "Nothing," I replied seriously. "It's just…you have a beautiful voice."
He laughed. "I play better than I sing. Come on, if you'll do this part, I'll do the other one."
My fingers clumsily played out my assigned part. I messed up a few times, but Edward would patiently kiss my cheek every time. Finally, we managed to make a perfect tune.
"Good job," he complimented me. "You have potential as a music student."
I snorted rather unkindly. "Play me a song."
He kissed my lips once before turning his attention to the keys. And then his fingers started to dance. There's no other way to describe what he was doing. I had never seen something so graceful. He moved over the keys slowly, still hitting every perfect note. The song was unbearably sweet, and I literally closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder, just breathing in his scent and listening to his beautiful music. When he finished playing, I kissed him again.
"What was that for?" he murmured.
"For that beautiful song," I replied. "I'm feeling extremely insignificant right now. What is it called?"
His face grew crimson once again.
"What?" I asked him.
He coughed once. "Um…it's called 'Bella's Lullaby'. You really like it?"
"Wait, wait, wait," I said. "Hold it. Did you just manage to find a song with my nickname in it?"
"Not exactly," he replied, glancing down sheepishly.
"So you…composed it?" I said, stunned.
"Yeah…"
"Edward," I gasped. "Edward! You're so talented!"
He grinned, still staring at the keys. "Thanks, love. But I'm not that great."
"Yes, you are," I replied. "When did you do that?"
"On the keyboard in my dorm. I've been working on it ever since we started hanging out."
"Wow," I breathed out slowly. "Edward…I love it. You'reso…perfect."
"I'm really not, love," he replied. "But I'm glad you like it."
I burrowed my face in his neck, kissing it softly. He held me there for a minute before breaking the silence. "There's a reason why I wanted to be alone with you for a while."
"And why is that?" I asked politely, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes.
"Because…Bella, I just want you to know that I love you. I know that our relationship has mostly consisted of childish fun, but you're just…the most incredible, beautiful girl I have ever met. I've honestly never felt this way about anyone before, and I'm convinced that it's love. I love you so much."
His words took my breath away, but I finally managed to squeak, "I love you, too, Edward."
And then he kissed me until I was dizzy.
Edward's parents called us as soon as they landed, so we all piled back on the boat. I was just a little nervous about meeting his parents. What would they think of me? I definitely didn't come from money like Jasper and Rosalie did. Would they think I wasn't good enough for their youngest son?
"Relax," Edward told me, kissing the back of my neck. "They're going to love you."
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" I sighed, leaning back against his body. Emmett was commandeering the boat this time, so Edward and I sat up front, letting the wind and water spray us down. It felt amazing.
"You're tense and you're about to meet your boyfriend's parents. It seems like a simple enough diagnosis. Nerves."
"Thank you, doctor," I muttered sarcastically, and I felt him smile against my temple before he kissed it.
As soon as we made it to the dock, Rosalie announced that she had to run to the ladies' room at the restaurant across the street. She didn't want to go by herself in a foreign country, which seemed to be prudent, so I volunteered to go with her. I could probably use a mirror to make myself look presentable.
While Rosalie disappeared into the stall, I managed to wrestle my wild, windblown hair into a ponytail. She came back out and washed her hands.
"You're going to love Edward's parents," she told me. "They're going to love you, too. Don't worry."
"I'm kind of nervous," I admitted, a little surprised at her rare moment of affection.
"Why?"
"Well…" I sighed. "You probably don't understand this, but these people are obviously really wealthy and high up in society. I'm not. My dad is a policeman, and my mom teaches kindergarten. We're not exactly swimming in money."
"You're right," she shrugged. "I don't understand that. My father is a very wealthy stock broker, and my mom was a fashion model."
Ah, the Rosalie I knew was back. "Yeah," I said. "You're a good match for Emmett. Hell, you'd be a good match for Edward. I'm…not."
She rolled her eyes. "Get over it, Isabella. Edward's parents are actually pretty down-to-earth. If you worry and act self-conscious and fidgety, it will only make Esme think that she isn't being a good hostess. So just enjoy yourself. They'll like you a whole lot more if you act confident."
"Right," I said, feeling convicted. Of course Rosalie was right.
"That means no biting your nails," she said, eyeing my stubby cuticles.
I sighed heavily.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll get manis and pedis in Rio." She flipped her long blonde hair behind her and we left the restaurant.
Apparently Edward's parents had beaten us to the boat, because Edward, Emmett, and Alice were all embracing a tall, thin, graceful woman with hair that I can only describe as reddish-caramel, if that makes sense. I realized that Edward must have inherited his fiery hair from her side of the family. She wore a tank top and shorts, and had designer sunglasses on her face. Her hair was in a side ponytail.
Edward's face grew exultant when he saw me. "Come here, beautiful," he said, and the beautiful woman turned to me. I quickly walked to Edward's side, trying to remember to be confident. "Isabella Swan," he said grandly, putting an arm around me and kissing my temple. "This is my mother, Esme Cullen. Mom, this is my Bella."
Something about the name Esme Cullen sent a shiver down my spine. It sounded utterly familiar, but I had been hearing my friends talk about her all day. Isle Esme. Esme Plantation. Esme the hostess. Esme keeps up appearances. Of course that name would ring a bell.
I stuck my hand out, but she pulled me into a hug. She smelled of honey and lilac. I hugged her tightly, and when she pulled back, she gave me a huge smile. Yes, Edward definitely took after his mother. "Oh, now I've seen all of my babies!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to meet you! I've heard so much about you. And just so you know, Edward tells me everyday that you're beautiful, but I still don't think his words do you justice!"
My cheeks burned, but I was glad to see that she seemed to like me. "Thank you, Mrs. Cullen," I replied. "It's great to meet you, too."
"Oh, please, call me Esme. I won't be a Mrs. for long! Wow, Edward, you've really found a beauty."
"I know," Edward said smugly, kissing the top of my head. "Sorry, Mom, but I think I've found my third woman."
I was a little lost as they shared a laugh, but Alice was quick to explain. "We joke that Edward and Emmett both need a 'third woman'. Because Mom and I are the first two in their lives."
"Oh," I said, flattered.
"Jasper Hale, tell your almost-uncle to get up here!" Esme called.
Jasper laughed from below the deck. "Yes, Aunt Esme." He emerged then, and came and kissed her cheek. Esme playfully swatted at him. She obviously loved her children and their friends.
"I told you she wouldn't bite," Rosalie murmured in my ear.
I turned around to look at her. "Thank God," I whispered back.
I suddenly saw Rosalie turn her attention to someone else. There was a blond man who was on the opposite side of the deck, bending over, obviously checking something on the boat.
"Oh, Carl, that can wait," Esme scolded, and my heart leapt into my throat. "Come meet the latest addition to the zoo crew."
Because as soon as Edward's father turned around, I instantly recognized him.
And he recognized me, too. His blue eyes widened in surprise.
"Isabella Swan," Edward said a bit anxiously, obviously gauging my reaction to his father. "This is my father-"
But the man interrupted him. "Carlisle Cullen," my professor stated quite matter-of-factly.
As my reader AliBelly said, shit is going to hit the fan.
Sorry for the cliffhanger, but this is a long freaking chapter.
I know I'm about to get some rants about how Bella is an idiot for not putting the pieces together. Trust me, she'll be kicking herself for it in the next chapter!
P.S. I now have 100 reviews. Can I have more please? Even though I met my goal, my reviews are still dwindling.