After Bella leaves to greet Caius
Carlisle POV
"Edward, leave her be." I advise him. He turns sharply and glares.
"We weren't done yet." he sneers.
"Give her space Edward. The more you push and pry the more risk you take at pushing her away." I state calmly. He drops his sneer and looks away.
"She's already pulling away on her own." He states dejectedly and begins to mope away.
Edward, he stops and turns his head enough to indicate he is listening to my thought ,give her some space. She will come to you herself.
He huffs and takes off back into the woods.
"He will come around, my sweet." Esme says from my left side.
"Eventually." Aro chimes in.
"Carlisle, do you know what his connection is to Bella?" Marcus asks.
"We believe that they are mates." I answer honestly and slightly confused.
Aro and Marcus share a look as Marcus touches Aros palm. "il suo cantante." Aro growls lowly as his eyes darken with fear driven rage.
"Calm yourself brother." Marcus intones and turns his sharp gaze onto me. "Isabella is your boys singer. I have seen it in my bond sight. What confuses me is how he and Bella can be so close to one another and he not try to drain her life's blood from her."
Marcus POV
Carlisle's face seems to pale further after the true bond between his boy and my girl is revealed. Esme his wife has the same reaction.
"Are you sure. They have been together for nearly a year now. Edward has only tasted Isabella's blood once when he sucked James' venom from her veins." Esme informs worriedly.
I place my hand on Aro's shoulder when he growls again.
"Was he able to stop on his own?" I ask somewhat intrigued.
"He stopped when I told him he was taking too much of her blood." Carlisle answered. "He was angry with himself and refused to leave Bella's side until she woke up in the Hospital a few hours later." He added.
"A week later he wanted all of us to leave Forks and called for a vote. Majority rules so we stayed." Esme chimed in and then added; "We wouldn't have been able to leave her unchanged with knowledge of our kind, so if we left she would have had to come with us regardless."
I glance at Aro and he seems to be in deep thought. "You are right that you wouldn't have been able to leave her unchanged, however, I am curious; why not just let her be changed when the other Vampire bit her?" Aro asks after gathering his full thought.
"Edward, believing Bella to be his mate, chose to keep her human so as not to tarnish her soul. He feels that if she is to be changed it should be her decision when she is ready and no one else's. Even though he would prefer her to stay human all her life." Carlisle explains.
"We will speak of this more later. Caius has just arrived." I interject and after watching Carlisle kiss Esme and take off to the forest and Esme return indoors I turn with Aro and we go to greet our brother.
After reunion and in car with Caius and Bella
Bella POV
We have been on the road for five minutes and the tense silence in the car is unbearable.
I glance at Caius. I didn't notice anything he was wearing before I attacked him with my hug. His focus is on the road oddly enough his hair is braided back. Probably so his hair wouldn't shift while wearing his helmet.
His face is how I remember it but different at the same time. It seems softer more relaxed. Following his jawline to his neckI spot a strip of red cloth poking out above his jacket's collar and I gasp.
It can't be. He wouldn't have kept that all this time.
"You like what you see Bell?" He says with a teasing smirk while not even taking his eyes off of the road.
I know I am blushing from embarrassment and I know he knows I am blushing so I don't even try a smart ass comment.
"You still have the scarf I gave you." I blurt out.
He clears his throat "Yes, well. I had planned on returning it to you."
Not knowing how to comment I hesitantly stroke the deep red fabric and find it to be just as soft as the day I gave it to him. As I was about to pull my hand away we hit a pothole and the back of my hand brushes across Caius's skin. His skin, it's warm.
I almost touch his skin again on purpose just to be sure but I pull away and sit properly again.
I suppose Caius senses the tension because he clicks on the radio.
Lyrics from radio in bold italics.
I want to break free!
I can't help the excitement that runs through me at the first lyrics that break away from the speakers. I make a squeeing noise and begin singing along.
I want to break free.
I want to break free from your lies
You are so self satisfied I don't need you
I have got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free
Caius lets out a bark of laughter at my antics which drives me to step up my performance. I start dancing dramatically in my seat while singing along with the rock legend Freddie Mercury.
I've fallen in love
I've fallen in love for the first time
And this time I know it's for real
I've fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love
Caius continues his chuckling and I continue my own antics while trying not to bust out laughing myself
It's strange but it's true, yeah
I can't get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure
When I walk out that door
Oh how I want to be free, baby
Oh how I want to be free
Oh how I want to break free
At this point Caius is still somewhat laughing but he has also joined me in singing and dancing. We turn to one another and sing the last part Caius glancing back and forth between the road and me.
But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without, living without
Living without you by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own
So baby can't you see?
I've got to break free
Caius and I both simmer down for the outro and then it is only me singing with the radio again.
I have got to break free
I want to break free, yeah
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free.
I end singing while pretending I am holding a microphone to my face and leaning on Caius's shoulder breaking more chuckles from him.
I turn the radio down and look at his grinning face. "What are you grinning about?" I laugh.
"You're still the same silly Izzy bell of old just more grown up." he responds while glancing in my direction.
I blush at the complement but let out a laugh nonetheless. "Ehh, it's good to cut loose and be silly from time to time." I grin and then add. "Besides, I don't know a single soul who could resist singing along to Queen."
"You know neither do I." He responds with another laugh.
sorry for my extended absence. I ope you all continue to enjoy the story. Happy reading :)