Edited by Stilldreaming85 and Banshee69
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Isabella Cullen.
Life was complicated.
Life was dangerous.
Life was confusing.
Oh boy, didn't I know that. Things went from one messed up situation to another. What happened the morning before...I won't say I regret it, however, it should not have...I should have said no, I should have been stronger and pushed him away, and yet I wasn't.
In that one moment I had single-handedly screwed everything up, because I knew that moment meant something more to him than it had for me.
For me it had been a physical urge, a need for release and he provided that. In a way, one could say I had used him. However, I believe he held emotions, feelings, although, I could never be too sure with him.
I did like it though, this gentler side of him. I liked the way he touched me, with care, with need. I liked the way he looked at me as if he didn't believe it was real, as if he would blink and it would have all been over.
"Hello," Garrett said, waving his hand in front of my face. "You keep spacing out on me. What has you so deep in thought?"
"Nothing," I mumbled. We were in the backseat of the car, Vito was in front. Garrett was dropping me off to yet another family dinner. Edward had promised to meet me there, he'd been busy all day.
"Then answer the question."
Question? I had been so deep in my own thoughts, so caught-up in my own bubble, that I hadn't heard him utter a single word.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you ask?"
"Why are you protecting him?"
And here we go again, I thought.
"Is he enlisting your help on this or are you a willing volunteer?" I asked.
I knew by now how this worked. Edward's approach at drilling me for information from me hadn't worked, so he went and enlisted the help of the one person he knew I spoke openly with, Garrett. I suppose I should be thankful that it wasn't Anthony he'd asked.
I shuddered at the thought of Anthony. How was it possible for one person to be so confusing? The times I'd spent with Anthony always left me wondering if he was in fact bipolar. It wasn't normal for a person to have mood swings as fast as he did. Although, at times Edward was not far off from his brother.
"Don't be like that, Isabella," Garrett said. "He wants to keep you safe, and this guy, Michael, there's something not right with him. How do you not see it? "
That may have been so, but it was them who were reading too much into it all. The more I thought about, it the more I could see why they were bothered by Michael, but he was harmless, to me at least. Maybe there was some sort of infatuation he harbored for me, as it was I seemed to attract only crazy men. Nevertheless, this wasn't a cause for a death warrant, and that's exactly what would happen to Michael if I were to tell Edward anything about him.
Michael was here for work. People travel all the time, they change jobs all the time. I didn't see Michael's presence in New York as anything other than coincidental. I only hoped Edward would drop this soon.
"There isn't anything to keep me safe from, Garrett. Michael never did anything to me, he never harmed me in any way. He was my friend who had always been sincere to me which is a lot more than I can say for Edward and his family."
"I beg to differ," he said.
"Of course, you would," I mumbled, looking out the window.
"I heard that."
"Good for you," I said. "Can you tell grumpy in front to take a detour and pretend we got lost. I'm sure Edward would understand."
"Why?" he chuckled at my request.
"The last thing I want is to have dinner with the in-laws."
"It can't be that bad." He stated.
"Do you want to know the topic of conversation my father-in-law found so fascinating the last time?"
"Shock me," he said.
"Mine and Edward's inability to reproduce."
"I'm sorry," he said, putting his arm around my shoulder. "That is pretty low of him."
"So, detour?" I pushed my luck, it wouldn't hurt, right?
"No luck, we're here."
"You're a poor sport." I muttered as he helped me out of the car.
"You're wearing your watch. So, If Edward doesn't arrive soon and you want some help, push that red button up top and I'll think of some excuse to get you out of there."
"Would it work if I pushed it now?"
"Go," he said, shooing me away.
Garrett waiting, standing at the bottom of Esme and Carlisle's stoop for someone to answer the door and let me in.
Their housekeeper, Renta, was quick to let me in and lock the door behind me.
"Zia Marie," Sofia called out, running towards me from the other end of the hall. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," I said, catching her in my arms. I kissed one of her soft little cheeks. She was absolutely beautiful, she was the spitting image of her mother and grandmother, but Sofia's personality, I quickly found out matched her uncles, but not my husband's.
"Hey now, I'm jealous. How come she get's a kiss?"
"Uncle Anthony," Sofia said, standing in front of her uncle with her hands on her hips. "You don't deserve a kiss. Zia Marie, isn't stupid to kiss you."
"Is that so?" Anthony challenged. "How about it Zia Marie, where's Zio Anthony's kiss?"
"Nope," I said, taking Sofia's hand, letting her lead me into the dining room with Anthony following behind us.
"You're here, finally," Esme said. She was her usual cheery self. The one thing I noticed, the only other person at the table, was Carlisle.
"I heard about what happened. The first time is always hard, but you'll get over it," she said. I knew very well what she was referring to. To be honest, I hadn't given it too much thought, as horrible as that may sound. I had tucked the memory somewhere far in my mind, that was something I was good at doing. "Trust me, I don't bat a lash any more."
"Right." This was the last conversation I wanted to have with her, with any of them in fact. "Where is everyone?" I asked, hoping for a change of subject.
"Oh, Rosalie and Emmett are with Edward. I just got off the phone with Rosalie, it looks like they won't make it," she said.
Great, that was just great. I wondered if Edward had thought to call and let me know this. I sat down at the table, the furthest end from Carlisle, Sofia sat herself beside me before her uncle could take her seat.
Carlisle, who had said nothing since I'd walked into the room did his best to stare a hole right through me. I wasn't going to let myself be intimidated by him. I had my emergency watch and Garrett was only a push of a button away if I needed him.
I chanced a glance down at my wrist with Carlisle's eyes still very much on me. There was a small flashing green light notifying me of a message. It was from Edward.
Dolcezza, I am sorry, but I won't be able to make it to dinner. There is an urgent matter that has come up that I need to fix tonight. I'll make it up to you. I love you. E.
Look at that, he'd messaged me after all. The thought alone brought a smile to my face, he'd thought enough of me to let me know.
"What has you so happy this evening?" Carlisle asked me.
"Nothing in particular," I said, refusing to make any eye contact with him. I didn't like the way he was looking at me, almost as if he were about to shoot me at any second. Maybe that's what he was waiting for, an opportunity?
"Let's eat," Anthony said. "I'm starving."
~MINY~
Dinner had been uneventful, that is once Carlisle focused his attention on his food. None of us spoke a word to one another. It was, for lack of better words, uncomfortable.
Once dessert had been served and everyone had moved on, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what I was expected to do. Do I stay or do I go? With Sofia taken away from me for her bath, I felt odd just standing here. Even Anthony had vanished off somewhere.
I was going to find Esme and say goodbye at least, it would be rude not to. I walked out of the dining room to the main entrance towards the stairs. No sooner had my feet touched the first step, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"You wouldn't mind if you and I had a talk?" Carlisle asked.
I turned on my heel to face him, hoping I could somehow decipher what was going on in his head. What could he possibly want to talk to me about? Well, that was a stupid question, I think I already knew the answer.
"Of course," I said.
He put his hand on the small of my back and guided me alongside him until we reached his office. Once we entered, he removed his hand from my back and turned to lock the door. The loud click making my pulse accelerate. Why did he lock the door?
"You can relax, you know. I didn't bring you in here to kill you," he said.
How did he know what I'd been thinking?
"Your body is very tense and your pupils have dilated. Your fingers are also twitching," he said.
"And all of that means I thought you were going to kill me?"
"No, not necessarily. However, you are nervous to be in here with me. Your body language gives you away."
Of course I'm nervous, I'm locked in here with you, I thought.
"Why did you lock the door?" I asked.
"I do not like to be interrupted and my son has a tendency of doing just that. His timing can be a little annoying."
I would have never thought I would want Anthony to open a door so badly then I do right now.
"Sit down. Would you like something to drink?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Sit down, Isabella," he said again, only this time, it was a demand.
Hesitantly and without a choice, I sat on the couch he had directed me to. My finger played over the red button on my watch. Should I alert Garrett? What good would it do if I was locked in here with Carlisle? It wasn't as if Garrett could simply walk in.
"Why am I in here, Mr. Cullen?" I asked, wanting him to get this over with already.
"Mr. Cullen? Are we back to formalities, Isabella. I thought we were past that?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, Mr...Carlisle. What is it that you want to speak to me about?"
"You and my son have been getting closer and closer it would seem," he said.
Did Edward speak to his father about us? He wouldn't do that, would he?
"I guess," I said.
"Are you aware of how a family's bloodline works one generation to another?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Then, you won't mind me expecting that you and my son reproduce an heir, and soon."
"Excuse me?"
"You see, this thing of ours, it's been passed down from generation to generation. My father to me, his father to him, you get the gist. The thing about our family, unlike most others, we've had the same direct bloodline of power all along, no uncles or nephews or even godsons have interfered with that, they tried," he chuckled, "but failed miserably."
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
"Edward is the head of the family now, he has been for the last four years and our family has yet to see an heir, it does not look good."
"So you want Edward and me to have a child for the sake of appearances?" I asked, but not believing what I was hearing.
"If that is the way you want to look at it." He shrugged.
"Are you out of your mind?" I asked.
"I would watch the way you speak to me," he warned, as he sat on the coffee table in front of me.
"Carlisle, that's insane. I can't do that. I'm sorry, I can't," I said.
"No is not the correct answer."
"It's my body. I'm not going to have a baby if I don't want to," I said, standing up, he stood up with me.
"And it's my family," he said, grabbing onto my chin roughly.
They were insane, all of them, they had to be. Was Esme in on this as well? Did Edward know of his father's request? Is that why he wasn't here tonight, he didn't want to face him so he let me do it on my own?
"I tell you what," he smiled, however, there was nothing friendly about it. "I wouldn't even be offended if you called your firstborn Charles."
I felt physically sick at the mention of my father's name. I hadn't thought of my parents for so long, it was better that way. Why would he do this to me? Why would he bring my father up.
"How can you say that?"
"I thought it would be a beautiful tribute, considering."
"Considering what?" I demanded.
"You don't know do you. My son really kept it from you all these years," he laughed.
"Kept what from me?"
"Your father is dead, Isabella. He killed himself after your funeral," he said. "I cannot believe Edward kept this from you."