Author's note:

This outtake was written for Fandom for Texas Wildfire Relief. It takes place prior to Chapter 24.

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The Player


Bella drove to the outskirts of Seattle, armed with a map she printed off her computer and the four pages of sheet music Edward had given her for her birthday. She read the building signs carefully until she spotted what she was looking for. There was a lot adjacent to the store, and she pulled inside of it to park.

The door of Cullen's Chamber, a full service music store she found on the Internet, had a large sign that read "Moving Sale." It was busy inside, Christmas being a week away, and Bella had to wait at the counter for what felt like an eternity before a sales associate was available to assist her.

"Can I help you?" a young man asked. He pushed up the sleeves of his hooded sweatshirt, revealing skin concealed by colorful tattoos. There were metal rings in his nose, lip, and eyebrow. He brushed a lock of long, black hair out of his eyes. They were a deep shade of brown and lined with black makeup. He stared at Bella with such intensity that it made her uncomfortable.

"I, uh . . ." Bella stumbled over her thoughts. "I was hoping to get a song recorded." She held up the sheet music.

The man squinted as he looked at the papers. "Piano?"

"Yeah."

He reached under the counter and pulled out a laminated sheet of paper. "These are our recording studio rates. You can use one of our pianos at no additional cost."

"Oh." Bella frowned as she looked at the pricing guide. "Is there anything shorter than an hour? It's just one song."

"Sorry," he answered. "One hour is the minimum for studio rental."

It was a lot of money, and as much as she wanted to be able to hear the song, she wasn't sure if she could justify the expense. "It doesn't need to be professional sounding or anything. If someone can play it, I can just use my phone to record it."

Realization dawned on him. "You need someone to play it?" He flipped through a schedule sitting behind the register. "Rose is out until after Christmas. I'm not sure what she charges for something like that, but she'd probably do it for a reasonable fee."

"After Christmas?" Bella didn't know when or if she would speak to Edward, but she wanted to have the song ready in case he called. "Do you know of anywhere else I can go? I'd really like to get it done this week."

"Hmm . . ." The man looked out the window, deep in thought. "Encore Music has recording studios, but I don't think they have pianos. Hey Carlisle!" he called out to another man who was walking swiftly past the registers. He had dark blond hair and a friendly smile. Stopping in his tracks, he turned and made his way to the pair.

"What's up, Jasper?"

"Do you know where she can go to get something recorded on piano?"

Carlisle gave him a blank stare. "We have a recording studio here."

The first man, Jasper, sighed. "She doesn't play," he said exasperatedly, as though it were common knowledge.

"What have you got there?" Carlisle asked Bella. She handed him the composition. He took a couple moments to scrutinize the piece. "For being handwritten, that's pretty detailed. Where did you get this?"

"A friend," she answered vaguely.

"Your friend wrote it?"

"Yes. He sent it to me for my birthday. I've never even heard it."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Bella."

"I'm Carlisle." He held out his hand, and she eagerly shook it. "Come on back with me, Bella." Carlisle gestured for her to follow, his eyes never leaving the pages of notes.

Bella trailed behind him. "You know someone who can help me?"

"Sure." Carlisle looked up at her and smiled. "I'll play it for you."

"Really?" Bella could hardly contain her excitement. They entered a soundproof recording room. A small piano sat in the corner.

"It's a good thing you came in when you did. We were just about to dismantle the recording rooms for the move."

"Is it okay if I just record it on my phone? I can't really afford to rent the room."

"Nonsense." Carlisle waved off her concern. "It's on the house."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I won't tell if you won't." He winked before turning on the recording equipment and taking a seat behind the piano. "Now, let's see what we have here."

Bella sat quietly on the other end of the small room. Hearing Edward's music for the first time took a toll on her emotions. The song was complex and beautiful. It was also haunting and sad. The melody held so much pain that her chest hurt, yet she found her heart beating faster in hopeful anticipation.

Carlisle ran through the piece a few times before he was satisfied with the results. When he was finished, he noticed tears pooling in Bella's eyes. He stood from the piano silently, letting her have a moment to herself. It only took him a minute to cue the recording to the proper spot and burn the final recording onto a CD. When he was finished, he placed it in a jewel case, along with a business card, and handed it to her.

"Your friend is very talented," he said. Bella nodded and wiped at her eyes. Carlisle took a seat in the chair next to her and thumbed through the pages again one last time. "This is amazing. How long did he work on it?"

"I'm not sure. A few months, maybe?"

"Wow. It's brilliant. Does he compose for a living?"

"No. He can't even play right now." Bella's lips turned into a pout, and she struggled to keep her tears at bay. "I'm going to play this for him over the phone. For Christmas. He's never heard it either."

Carlisle hesitated at first, but his curiosity got the best of him. He had to know more about the mystery musician. "Illness? Injury?"

"No, nothing like that," she answered, shaking her head.

"I take it he's not local."

"Um—"

"I'm sorry to pry, but talent like this is so rare. And to know he composed it without the use of an instrument . . ." Carlisle shook his head in wonder.

"He's local. He's—" Bella took a deep breath. "In prison."

"Prison." For a moment, Carlisle was at a loss for words. Then he smiled. "It must be hard for you. To be away from him, I mean. Young love is hard enough without any added challenges." He held up the pages in his hand. "It's obvious how much he loves you."

"Oh, no," Bella said quickly. "It's nothing like that. We're friends." Referring to Edward, who was virtually still a stranger, as a friend was odd for Bella, but it was the second time she had to clarify that their relationship was strictly platonic.

"My apologies," Carlisle said. "I just assumed . . . well, it's apparent you're very special to him. I'm sure he doesn't send things like this to all his friends."

Bella laughed humorlessly. All his friends. "No, I'm sure he doesn't."

"What's his name?"

"Edward."

"Well, I wish you and Edward the best of luck, wherever your lives may lead you." Carlisle handed the sheet music to Bella and the two of them stood. "If he sends you any more music, you're more than welcome to come back. Just ask for me next time." He tapped the CD case where his business card was visible through the clear plastic. "We'll be moving after Christmas. This is the new address."

"Thank you ." Bella's eyes widened as she read his name. "Carlisle Cullen. This is your store?" she asked.

Carlisle's laugh was as bright as his smile. "That's right, and it was my pleasure to help you out today."

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Cullen."

"It's the least I can do. Besides, I can't say it's completely unselfish on my part. I'm anxious to see what else your friend has up his sleeve."

Bella thanked Carlisle profusely. She clutched the CD to her chest the entire way home.