Writing on the Wall

Chapter 6: Unexpected Trip

Bella

As expected, Carlisle listened to me and kept his word.

I did tell him not to rush. He followed my words to the letter. The next few weeks were grossly uneventful despite our recent…encounter.

God, I would blush and feel my palms sweat every time the memory crossed my mind.

He never tried to initiate contact outside of class. At one point, I even thought I'd daydreamed the whole thing. He was still Professor Cullen, and carried on with his lessons as if hardly anything had ever happened. Meanwhile, as he stood in front of the class talking about Mary Shelley and the social parallels of Frankenstein, I was a blushing, distracted mess the whole time.

However, every after class––I would hang back a little bit longer than I needed to, as I always did––he would never fail to lightly guide me by the small of my back as I walked out of the hall. A small, gentlemanly gesture, but a reminder nonetheless that I didn't dream it all.

While the slow pace was frustrating, I was still very grateful. Now that I thought about it, the encounter had come at a very stressful time for me academics-wise; I had to spend a lot of time on my midterm requirements, on top of working twenty hours a week at the coffee shop.

Just a few weeks and it's fall break, I thought the entire time. Then we'll deal with this.

Bruce, on the other hand, was becoming a tiny bit of a pain.

A few days after the incident, he caught up with me after one of my other classes when I was on the way to the library. I had been reading while walking, and his way of greeting me was covering my eyes with his large hands.

"I know it's you," I said simply.

"Of course you do," he said, removing his hands and putting them in his pockets, and settled with walking side by side with me in the hallway. "I have practice today."

I pursed my lips. "Oh. I was actually thinking of catching up on some work today, but if you'd like me to come by…"

"It's no problem," he shrugged. "How about a late dinner then?"

I stopped walking. "Dinner."

He nodded slowly, looking at me like I was weird.

"Like…a date?" I managed, my face cringing just a bit.

Bruce laughed, throwing his head back. "If you'd like."

I sighed. There was no way around it. "Bruce…I have to tell you, I'm kind of seeing someone."

He visibly paled, his expression turning serious. "What? Since when?"

I panicked a bit then, trying to work out the best way to explain it to him without throwing in too many details. "For a while. Sort of. I mean, it's not really serious yet, but I'm hoping it'd get there, somehow. I'm sorry."

He puckered his lips into a frown, and I instantly felt bad. After a while, he cleared his throat, and he put on a small, sheepish smile. "It's okay. I mean, I get it. I just wish you'd told me. I was being really obvious about it for a reason, you know."

"Bruce…" I began.

"We're friends, though, right?"

"Of course," I said immediately.

"That's great, then. Because friends have dinner." He smiled mischievously before turning swiftly around to leave, not even giving me a second to respond.

Soon enough, I was working my final night at the coffee shop.

"You could head on out early you know," my manager was telling me with a knowing look, probably noticing that I was checking my phone every five minutes.

I laughed nervously, going back to picking up the empty mugs from the tables. "Oh, I'm good, Jackie, it's just a half-hour left."

She rolled her eyes. "What are your plans for fall?"

"Um," I mumbled intelligently. "No idea."

It was true. I'd spent the whole day opening and closing my messages screen with Carlisle's number, but ending up too unsure of what to say. How did this work anyway? Do I ask him out? The image of Carlisle heading out to catch a flick with me at the movies was too comical and surreal.

I was beginning to think I was way in over my head.

As I was washing the mugs, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I picked it up and frowned at the caller's ID.

Jackie gestured for me to take the call in the kitchen.

"Dad?" I greeted when I picked it up. I felt a massive dread in the pit of my stomach. While Charlie and I frequently emailed and texted throughout the semester, he never called.

"Hey, Bells," I heard him say. He sounded tired.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Of course," he tried to assure me. "But, um…Billy's not doing so well."

My heart sank. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't want me to tell anyone at first," he said morosely. "But I don't think…He's had an accident a couple of weeks ago, Bells, and he's not doing so well right now. Thing is, I don't know much about it because he won't even let me see him. We're all worried…I just thought you'd want to know, since the Blacks are basically family."

"I know," I responded. He was right; I owed a lot to Billy and Jacob, especially for the past couple of years. I'd spent almost every day hanging out at their small red house at the reservation. Each time I did, I remember Billy never failing to cook my favorite dish: his eight-layered lasagna.

I decided. "I'm taking the next plane to Forks."

"What?"

"I'm heading down there," I repeated, leaning against the counter. "It's fall break anyway."

"Bella…" He sighed. "I mean, of course, I want you down here. I'm just thinking about the hassle for you, not to mention the ticket––"

"Don't worry about it, Dad," I cut him off. "I want to see Billy. And you, of course."

A pause, then another sigh. "If you're sure."

"See you soon," I said before hanging up.

I took a deep breath before heading on out the kitchen doors. Jackie was right outside, looking at me with concerned eyes.

"You okay, Bella?"

"Fine," I lied in a monotone.

She didn't buy it, of course, but chose not to push. "Alright, 'hon. There's a new customer at the booth. Take his order, but I insist you take your leave right after, okay?"

I nodded, too upset to resist. I felt myself drag my feet to the booth, feeling a heaviness in my chest that probably only one person could possibly cheer me up from––

I nearly dropped my pen and order notebook when I recognized the blond, beautiful angel sitting leisurely and clearly out of place in the dingy coffee shop, warm golden eyes looking up at me expectantly. As upset as I was, I felt my heart leap out of my chest immediately.

Stunned, I couldn't bring my faculties to do anything else but stare dumbly at Carlisle Cullen.

He stood up from his seat to greet me. "Hello," he said with a small, sheepish smile.

"I––What are you…I'm…" were my brilliant next words. I cleared my throat. "Sorry, I just––I didn't expect to see you here."

He looked down at his feet, looking unsure and maybe even…shy? Fuck. "I apologize. I probably should've given you prior notice, but I just couldn't help myself."

My stomach fluttered. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted to see you," he said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

I wanted to kiss him again right then and there. I felt lighter and easier already, despite only having spent a minute so far in his presence. Whether or not I was in way over my head, I decided I didn't care.

"Jackie?" I called out, not looking away from his gaze. "I think I'll head out now, if that's okay."

"So, you know where I work," I opened conversationally, as we walked side by side in the direction of the parking lot where Carlisle said he'd parked his car.

He pursed his lips and looked at me from the side, tucking his hands inside his coat pockets. "I didn't want to. I want to respect your privacy. But I couldn't help overhear a few conversations at times, particularly with your…friend, Bruce."

"At least you try not to. I remember E––" I immediately cut myself off, realizing the awkward turn of the conversation. I was literally about to compare him to his own adopted son.

"Bella," he began, his voice soft. "The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable around me. You can speak your mind about anything, I assure you."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just…all different, you know? This whole thing's new to me."

"Don't worry, I feel the same," he agreed, giving me a half-smile that made my knees go weak.

We eventually reached the sleek Mercedes. "Where are we going?"

"I'd like to keep that as a surprise, if it's alright," he said smoothly, an adorable smirk playing across his lips.

I bit my lip. "Well, I hope it's not going to be too late. I have a plane to catch tomorrow."

He froze in his seat, with his expression of pure surprise. "Oh. Where are you going?"

"Forks."

HIs expression remained the same.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I said sheepishly. "I literally just got a call from Charlie right before I saw you…Billy Black, if you know him, he's not doing so well."

He frowned then, but said nothing else.

I sighed. "Yeah, he's basically family to me. After you left––" I noticed a minute clenching of Carlisle's jaw "––Jake and his dad really took care for me. He became my best friend, and Billy…well, he was like another dad to me. I want to be there, just in case."

His expression softened then, and he seemed to be deeply contemplating something.

"Say something," I said, laughing nervously.

He opened his mouth a few times, but closing them again. After a few moments, he managed to say: "What if I accompanied you?"

I'm pretty sure my face was a sight, because Carlisle immediately looked like he regretted saying anything.

"It was just a thought," he retracted. "I didn't mean to impose."

"No, please," I responded, still a bit dazed. "I'd love for you to come. In fact, all I've been thinking about the past couple of weeks was seeing you for fall break. I'm just worried about the…situation, you know, with my dad being there and all, not to mention Jacob and the others…"

I literally cringed in my seat, with the image of Charlie seated across from me and Carlisle, holding hands, in my mind. Hey Dad, remember those months I was crying and screaming like an idiot for my ex-boyfriend who abandoned me? Well, I'm seeing his father now.

He seemed to have an idea in mind already, but merely hesitated in voicing it out. Eventually, he sighed, and pulled out a phone from his coat pocket. I watched him as he typed out and sent a quick message. Wordlessly, he turned on the engine and made to bring us out of the parking lot.

"Where are we headed?" I asked.

He smiled and reached out to lightly rub the side of my knee––I was sure it was meant as an innocent, assuring gesture, but it gave me the butterflies anyway. "Slight change of plans, but I still want it to be a surprise."

I chuckled and leaned back in my seat, heart racing a bit.

Carlisle chose to keep his hand on my knee, resulting in a strange mixture of comfort and anxiety bubbling under my skin; his touch generally made me feel at peace, but there was no stopping the butterflies at the pit of my stomach throughout the whole ride. Within twenty minutes, we reached our destination, and I was surprised when we headed into the familiar driveway: his home in Kingston campus. I noticed there was another car parked at the open garage––a flashy black Lamborghini.

"Um…" I said, suddenly feeling my face go hot. I knew it wasn't the first time I was at his place, but there was just something about him picking me up and bringing me to his home––as a surprise, no less––that made the butterflies even more agitated in my stomach.

He pulled his hand away and I immediately sighed at the loss. Carlisle gave me a reassuring smile, stepped out of the vehicle, and was opening mine within a second.

He led me by the small of my back to the door, and to my surprise, raised his hand to knock.

The door opened and revealed another beautiful, stone angel––dressed in a silky purple dress that screamed expensive––that I thought I would never see again. She immediately wrapped her cold arms around me tightly, her words like a gentle song in my ears.

"My dear Bella," Alice exclaimed, "you have no idea how long I've waited to see you!"

Carlisle

When my original plan––which involved driving Bella to meet Alice and Jasper to watch a Victorian play at a nearby theater––was unfortunately unfeasible due to Bella's change of schedule, I'd reluctantly decided that I would take Alice in on the new plan to accompany her to Forks. Luckily, she'd gotten my 'Meet at my place, Bella is going to Forks tomorrow' message as soon as I'd sent it that the couple had arrived at the house before we did.

I watched as Bella reacted to Alice's presence, and my heart warmed at the fact that she seemed to extend her forgiveness to her immediately. I saw tears of joy forming at the corner of her eyes as she embraced and greeted her lost best friend.

"Carlisle has kept you from me for too long," Alice said, kissing Bella on the cheek.

"You must've seen me coming, right?"

Alice nodded before pursing her lips sheepishly. "Correct, but…I must admit, my first instinct was to leave. I thought you would never forgive us." She winked knowingly in my direction. "It was Carlisle who convinced us to have hope and stay."

Bella turned to me with a gentle expression in her watery eyes. "I see," she croaked.

"Bella Swan."

We all turned to the staircase where the voice had come from, and Jasper stood awkwardly leaning on the banister. He looked unsure and apologetic.

"Jasper!" Bella exclaimed, and to my surprise, she immediately ran to him––even tripping on the first step––and hugged him tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Jasper shared our surprise, but after a few moments, he proceeded to gently embrace her back, patting her shoulder gently as if to assure her. "In case you've forgotten, I almost tried to kill you the last time I saw you."

She stepped back, her face a gorgeous shade of scarlet. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you––"

Jasper laughed incredulously then, and so did Alice from my side. "No, I'm sorry," he explained. "And I swear to you, I will never let anything like that happen again. Though, I'm sure Carlisle wouldn't let me even if I did."

"You give me too much credit," I joked, although I knew his words were accurate.

Alice let out an excited squeal, before pulling Bella by the arm to the living room. I followed close behind, squeezing Bella's arm before separating from the group and heading to the kitchen. I had a feeling she hadn't had her dinner yet.

As much as I tried to tune out their conversation as I scanned the fridge––to keep up appearances, I always maintained it fully-stocked––I couldn't help but overhear some of it.

"…think of me any different?" Bella was saying, sounding unsure of herself.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, you don't have any judgment towards me for––I mean, I did see Edward before…"

Yes, I often wished I didn't have my condition, but I haven't had such a desperate desire to have normal human hearing in a while. It wouldn't be sincere if I said Bella's history with Edward never bothered me in the slightest. It did bother me, albeit only slightly.

Edward's place in her past put me in a disadvantage, wherein my actions might never be fully separate from her previous experience, especially at this early stage. Through no fault of her own, there would always be a hesitation and unconscious comparison on her part.

While I'd completely come to terms with that, I wish she would do the same.

I heard Alice's familiar bell laugh as I placed the steak on the pan. "You're adorable, Bella. Believe me, all we have is utmost respect for you. Isn't that right, Jas?"

"Yes," Jasper agreed. "If anything, it's made me believe that things work out, one way or another. After all, Alice said––"

I was quick on my feet. "Jasper, some help in the kitchen, please?" I called out.

He was next to me by the stove in the next second, looking slightly confused. "You know I'm not a very good cook, Carlisle."

"Fix up some lettuce for the salad," I ordered.

He did as he was told, though I felt his eyes still look at me curiously. After he washed and dried the leaves, he finally asked: "You haven't told her about the vision yet, have you?"

I pondered on whether or not to reply to that. It was only after putting the now-cooked steak on a plate that I sighed, "In time. The future isn't set in stone."

Jasper added the salad and toppings on the plate, and wordlessly held up two bottles he found in the fridge. I pointed at the Caesar dressing. As he drizzled the sauce, he continued, "You shouldn't be worried, Carlisle."

I merely raised an eyebrow.

"I feel your anxiety about the situation," he continued, pulling out a can of Coke from the fridge then pouring it in a mug. "But it's unfounded. I felt her, too."

"What do you mean?"

"Her sincerity," he said, "and feelings for you. It's different from what I felt from her back then. I understand what you mean now, when you said she's grown. It's no longer just adoration, but rather…a peaceful kind of love and devotion. Quite similar to what I have for Alice."

I maintained my composure despite my chest warming at his words. I patted him on the back, put the food on the tray, and headed out with him back to the living room.

When our eyes met, I couldn't help but see what Jasper had seen.

A peaceful kind of love.

"You shouldn't have," she said, blushing immensely.

I nodded in the direction of the dining area, and the group followed. I sat at the head of the table while Bella took a seat at my right. Despite having no real business being there, Alice and Jasper sat across from her, the former leaning her back on the shoulder of her partner.

Bella looked at me, and I gestured for her to take a bite. I couldn't help but be mesmerized with the way she did. "God," she exclaimed. "Is there anything you can't do?"

I saw Alice at the corner of my eye as she giggled, gently biting Jasper's hand at her shoulder.

"I could think of a few," I decided to respond.

She shook her head incredulously, before taking more bites.

"Anyway, while you were busy in the kitchen," Alice said, "we've finally sorted it all out. We're all heading to Forks! Isn't that exciting?"

Bella swallowed and chuckled. "Yeah, Alice seems to really enjoy making well-thought out lies."

"I'm well aware," I said, leaning back on my chair. "After all, she's usually in charge of setting our new background stories whenever we move to a new place."

"It's fun," Alice insisted. "Like role-playing! And what I have in mind isn't even much of a lie in the first place. Bella moves to Kingston, meets me coincidentally at a coffee shop or party nearby––"

"Coffee shop's good," Bella chimed in. "I could say I found you while I was working."

"Alright, coffee shop nearby, I beg for her forgiveness, et cetera et cetera, and we're best friends again! I invite you to meet the family again––Rosalie and Emmett are somewhere out there being married, and Edward's not gonna be a problem anymore, since he's studying in South America––and…"

"I'm guessing we omit the part where I'm Bella's professor," I deadpanned.

That made all three of them laugh.

"Right," Alice said after a fit of laughter. "You come by to visit from working in Los Angeles. You're living your best life after the amicable divorce, and when you two meet…" She raised her eyebrows knowingly.

Bella's expression changed. "Um…I was hoping we skip that part, too. For now."

All three of us stared at her.

"Not that I want to," she immediately assured me, reaching out to take my hand on the table. "I'm not…ashamed or anything, not at all. It's just…I was hoping we wait it out for now. I don't want to jump Charlie yet, or Jacob."

Alice and Jasper looked at me expectantly.

Of course, I completely understood. "No worries. It's no pressure. I'll be accompanying you all to Forks as part of my vacation, and to spend time with my children."

Jasper's expression was unreadable, while Alice outright frowned. "Yes, I suppose, and it'll definitely work," she said. After a beat, her excited smile came back. "Well, like I said, we have it all sorted out! I've also already taken the liberty of buying us all first class tickets––"

Bella visibly balked at that. "Alice!"

"Right, I forgot how you are with these small things," Alice said, looking mildly annoyed. When she noticed my pointed glare at her, however, she continued: "Well, I'll try to take note of it in the future. I already bought them, after all."

I rolled my eyes.

Bella shook her head incredulously, but eventually said, "Really, thank you, Alice. It's very generous, and I appreciate it."

Alice smiled widely at that.

"It's getting late," Bella continued, glancing at the clock on her phone. "We're heading out in the morning, right? Fuck, I haven't packed."

"Don't waste your time, Bella, I have enough clothes for you in this house to last you months," Alice assured her. After a pause, she added, "Only if you'd like, of course."

She winked pointedly in my direction.

Bella thought about it for a moment, but nodded after a while. "As long as it's not too much trouble. I don't have a big collection back at the dorms, anyway…"

"I knew you would see sense eventually," Alice joked, standing up and taking Bella's hand. "It's a sleepover!"

As it turned out, Bella was extremely tired from her long day. After humoring Alice with a few rounds of dress up while packing, she eventually passed out quite unceremoniously on the guest room bed.

I was the one who tucked her in, and when I did, I couldn't help but notice how serene and beautiful she looked as she slept.

I retreated to my study after that, but after a couple of hours, Alice knocked on the door.

"Yes?" I greeted.

"Jasper and I are heading out for a hunt," she said casually, but there was a twinkle in her eyes.

"Alright," I responded slowly. "I would accompany you, but I'd like to keep an eye on Bella in case she wakes."

"Of course," she assured me. "We'll be back in time to leave. We'll just be a message away if you need anything, alright?"

I nodded, waving as she left.

Not even an hour later, I heard a clattering coming from the kitchen.

I was there within a couple of seconds. I found Bella squinting the dark, feeling the walls of the room. So as not to scare her, I cleared my throat.

She looked around, still squinting. "Carlisle?"

I chuckled, finding the light switch easily and turning it on. She narrowed her eyes as they adjusted to the light. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander at her rather scanty outfit, which was a silk purple night dress that only hung to her upper thighs. I immediately looked away, trying to wave off the profane, ungodly thoughts that began to quickly intrude my mind.

They remained.

"Are you looking for something?" I asked her, managing to keep my eyes on her face.

"Yes, sorry, I was thirsty," she said, sounding flustered. "Actually, I thought no one was home. Alice left a note saying she was going hunting."

"I stayed behind," I explained, putting my hands in my pockets.

For some reason, more blood rushed to her cheeks at my words. She bit her lip and mindlessly played with the tips of her hair for a few seconds, before clearing her throat and turning to the fridge. I beat her to it and pulled out a pitcher of water from inside, pouring the cool liquid into a clear glass.

"I read the journal you left me," I heard her say conversationally behind me.

I smiled, turning to hand her the glass. "How did you find it?"

"Fascinating," she said, taking a sip, her eyes looking up at me the whole time. "You're all…amazing. I'm pretty sure I went through your book five times already."

I hummed in interest, leaning back on the kitchen counter. "What were your thoughts on the Volturi?"

"They're scary, to tell you the truth," she admitted. "Wouldn't they kill me? If they find out I know everything about you?"

"They won't find out," I assured her. "We're very far from their reach. I've also maintained a good rapport with them, so they wouldn't really go out of their way to bother us."

She nodded, taking another sip from her drink, finishing it this time. When she did, she cleared her throat and fixed her hair. "I guess I'll head back now."

"I'll walk with you," I offered.

In generally comfortable silence, we headed back upstairs to the bedroom. I led her with my hand on her back as a habit. When we reached the door, she turned to me, her bottom lip tucked under her teeth. I instantly felt weak around the knees; was she aware of the effect that had on me?

A few deafening seconds of silence.

"Good night, Bella," I finally said, leaning down to plant a small kiss on her forehead. Before I was able to pull away completely, however, she held my arms in place.

"Or…you could stay," she said breathlessly.

Shit. It wasn't in my nature to swear often, but it just seemed very fitting this time.

I looked down at her, and immediately my chest tightened at the vulnerability in her expression. She looked up at me with such warmth and…need.

I quickly went through my options in my head, and decided that it made no sense to hold back something that I was sure both of us wanted. This relationship, after all, had been unconventional from the beginning. She was different. I was unusually and completely drawn to her, and after looking into her soft, brown eyes, I was sure the feeling was reciprocated.

I finally let myself be completely powerless for once, pushing the woman who constantly haunted my thoughts quite roughly against the door behind her. I nearly groaned as her eyes clouded with anticipation when I did, and I leaned down to kiss her with abandon.