THREE

Rosalie and Esme had vacated the office about an hour before, leaving my mate and me to talk alone with Alice. She continued to assure me that everything would work out fine. After only ten minutes or so, I had asked Carlisle for some time alone with him and, to my surprise, he had led me upstairs to his room. Now, his eyes were glittering black as he braced himself over me on the bed with one arm. With his free hand, he pushed my hair away from my face then stroked my cheek gently. "Bella," he breathed, my name sounding like a prayer upon his lips. It sounded so familiar, so comfortable. "Bella mia… Mia vita…" He dropped his head to my shoulder, kissing and licking his way to my neck, where his tongue dragged over my racing pulse. "Mia piacevole."

My lips tugged into a smile and I let my hands run languidly over his broad shoulders. When he started whispering sentences in Italian, I giggled, realizing that I had never heard him speak the language at all until tonight. If I were going to be honest, I felt rather special and slightly amused. As his head came up and as his dark eyes searched mine curiously, I chortled. "You stopped speaking English altogether."

I knew in an instant that he was blushing because of the way his eyelids fluttered closed for a moment and he bit the inside of his lip. There was no blood in his cheeks, but he was most definitely blushing. "Does it bother you?" he questioned softly.

I shook my head. "No, not at all. I like it. A lot," I said with a grin, "even if I can't understand half of it. Cara and bella I get. It would be rather sad if I didn't recognize the humor of my name."

"Bella Cigna," he said my name with a smirk. "Mia diletta." His eyes gleamed down at me with wistful adoration, and when I repeated the unrecognizable term, he beamed. "Delight."

"Piacevole?"

He purred low in his chest and moved his face to nuzzle my neck. His lips parted and latched onto my flesh, sucking gently before giving a flick to the sensitive skin with this tongue. "Very loosely, it means my pleasure or delicious. Though you are also quite deliziosa."

"So I've been told," I moaned as his talented mouth explored every inch of my throat and shoulders. When his cool hand caressed one breast through the fabric of my dress, I gasped and arched into the touch. It was so natural, like his hand had roamed this path before, like I had given into it just as I was now. I blushed when my arousal grew more apparent, the wet heat pooling between my thighs. I knew he could smell my desire and I shivered as I watched him stop to inhale deeply, the soft purr changing to a sensual growl.

While his purr was a sound of absolute beauty, that growl was a pure erotic delight. Before I could even tell my brain to tell my mouth to keep itself shut, I voiced my blissful thoughts through a harsh moan. Despite the pleasure coursing through me, I immediately cringed. I knew that Carlisle had only just seemed to start accepting the more instinctive parts of his nature, and I did not want to damage that progress. To my relief and utter glee, he only growled louder.

His hand found its way underneath my back and somehow, without me having ever felt anything, he had the zipper of my dress undone and was gently pulling the garment off my shoulders.

I chortled, my chocolate eyes catching his bemused gaze, and smirked mischievously. "My, my, you work fast, don't you, Doctor Cullen?"

He went silent for a moment and his obsidian eyes widened briefly before narrowing into contented slits. He claimed my lips in a tender kiss, his tongue tracing the inside of my lip before battling me for control. He murmured Italian endearments into my ear when I raised my hands to undo the pale blue shirt, and as soon as I had the material free from his body, my hands roamed over his marble muscles.

To say that I flipped him onto his back would be wholly inaccurate. However, Carlisle did indulge me and rolled us over when I pushed lightly on his shoulders. While he lay beneath me and stared up at me with dark eyes, I pulled the green dress up over my head, flinging it to the floor. The sudden loud rumble that vibrated through his chest shook me to my core and had me trembling in anticipation. I carefully braced my weight on his chest, knowing that I was as light as a feather to him, and let my gaze caress agonizingly slowly over his pale, gorgeous form.

"Carlisle Cullen," I whispered in my most reverent voice and continued to memorize every line of his body, "you are truly the most gorgeous man upon this Earth." I looked back up at him, my eyes locking with his. "I know that I cannot make you see what I see when I look at you. I know that you will not trust in your humanity overnight. But I want you to swear to me that even when you doubt yourself, you will never doubt me because I see the real you. You assume that your physical form is only a disguise for a predator beneath, but I know the truth. The physical beauty that I see before my eyes only reflects the divine beauty of your soul, Carlisle."

I knew that if he could cry, he would be. His eyes looked haunted again, regretful, wistful, and were glazed with venomous tears that could never fall. I smiled reassuringly at him when his hand reached up to stroke my cheek. "Carlisle, you seem to believe that you are a monster hidden beneath the façade of a human. That's not true. Your soul is purely human and perfectly infused with the form of an immortal being. You, Carlisle Cullen, are truly the most beautiful being in this world." I leaned down and kissed his lips tenderly. "And you're mine."

I suddenly found myself on the mattress, my mate's arms wrapped around me securely, his face buried in my curls as he held my body against his. "Oh, bella mia. If you only knew the things I have done, what ghosts trouble my past," he murmured into my hair before pulling away to gaze at me. "I can hardly believe that I have you. Mi amore, if there is an afterlife for my kind then I do not fear judgment, for I could not be damned and have such a treasure as you, cara mia." He looked more like he was trying to convince himself of this, like he was assuring himself that he would be saved from a burning hell by my existence in his life. He kissed the top of my head, my forehead, and my eyelids. He kissed every inch of my face before sighing in contentment.

I felt a movement that barely registered in my mind, and as the thick blue blanket draped around me, I realized that he must have picked me up and placed me under the covers with his speed. I was, however, a bit disappointed not to feel his cool skin against mine and apparently my displeasure at not having him so close was written on my face because he chuckled. "I do not need my mate freezing to death in the middle of the night."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm staying the night?"

He nodded. "Alice called about five minutes ago to tell your father that you were having an amazing time." He smirked, obviously pleased with himself for that. "She asked if you could spend the night. Apparently, there is one more person to add to the list of people that can't say no to Alice."

I laughed. "He adores her."

"That could be quite useful in the future, I do believe."

I shook my head in amusement and reached up to stroke his face, noticing almost immediately that his eyes were still solid black. I nibbled on my lower lip and worried about whether or not I should ask him about hunting, particularly with Edward in the woods. Throwing caution to the wind, I rose up and kissed his cheek. "It's been a rather interesting evening. Is it all right for you to go hunting, considering Edward is less than happy and having a tantrum in the woods?"

His lips pulled downwards in a frown. "I did not wish to worry you immediately with that and was planning on telling you after you'd relaxed for a short time. However, now that you bring it up, I feel that I should tell you that not long after Esme and Rosalie left, Esme returned with some news. I heard her talking to Alice downstairs. Apparently, Edward attacked Rosalie when she made it to the clearing. He managed to put a rather nasty crack in her cheek, which displeased Emmett to say the least. When Emmett tried to attack Edward, Edward managed to outmaneuver him and started running toward the house. Jasper decided that he was tired of having to keep Edward under control and simply rendered him unconscious. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper are taking Edward to the Denali clan in Alaska." He sighed. "The Denali sisters are rather powerful themselves and will keep him under control until he calms down."

He studied me carefully, concern etched into every line of his face. "I need to go hunting, but I do not wish to leave you alone." He cast a sharp glance at the bedroom door and rolled his eyes. "Though, Alice says that she and Esme can keep you company if I go."

I gave him a small smile and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "You should go hunting. Edward's gone. He can't hurt either one of us. You go hunt, and I'll go eat a piece of the cake since I didn't get to before. It would be a shame for Alice to have spent all that money and just leave it there to sit."

He chuckled then leaned down to nuzzle at my neck. I felt myself relax considerably when a slight rumble came from his chest and he questioned, "Are you sure you will be okay?"

"Yes. I promise." I threaded my fingers through his silky blond locks. "Mmm… That truly is the most beautiful sound. It makes me feel safe, cherished."

"You are, mia passerotta."

"Passerotta?"

His purr grew louder. "Literally, it means little sparrow. Figuratively, it means something more like pet."

"Lovely," I chortled, before suddenly asking, "Have I told you that I adore you?" When he just growled in response, I giggled and then gently pushed at his shoulders, hopping out of the bed. I was surprised yet unquestionably thrilled by how comfortable I felt with him, and with a wicked glance at my mate, bending down to retrieve his shirt. It was several sizes too big for me, but I slipped it on anyway. I grinned as his eyes took in my every move and I slowly sashayed toward him, buttoning the material as I moved. I let my hands trail up his beautiful marble chest and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm okay, Carlisle. I'll wait up for you."

He seemed very hesitant about leaving, as if doing so would cut some lifeline. Eventually, he nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of my head before reluctantly making his way to the window. He glanced back at me as he pushed the window open.

I smiled and had just turned my back to him when suddenly the Earth had spun and his lips were against mine, an unusual and soft growl coming from his throat. "Make me," he whispered harshly, his voice filled with pleading. "I don't want to leave you. Tell me to go."

I sighed softly, feeling my heart ache for him, and stroked his back. "You, Carlisle Cullen, need to go hunt and come back to me fast." I hugged him tightly and cooed in his ear, "I promise, Carlisle. I'm okay. What's happened tonight is a lot to take in, but I'm a big girl. I can handle it. As long as you are mine, everything is okay."

"I am yours forever, cara mia."

"And I'm yours. Always." Those words flowed so freely that it surprised me. It was like my world — a world that had been tipped on its axis by Edward — was suddenly righted, and that balanced seemed far better than it had previously been. It felt like I had just recovered some missing pieces of an invisible puzzle. I stepped back and stared intently at him. "Carlisle, I am yours. Only yours. I want you to go hunt. I'll be waiting downstairs for you. Okay?"

He inhaled deeply, as if drawing all his strength, then turned faster than I could comprehend and disappeared into the night.

I picked up my dress and draped it over the foot of the bed. I momentarily considered searching for something to wear under Carlisle's shirt, but decided that it was long enough and covered everything appropriately. I took my time walking down the stairs, mostly because I doubted that the male vampire would be too happy to come back to find his mate with a broken leg. When my feet hit the floor, I heard a chuckle and glanced over to see Alice and Esme both smirking.

They had obviously cleaned the living room while I was upstairs. All the glass, candles, and roses were gone and the presents were stacked in the corner. The cake, however, was right where it was before the unfortunate attack.

As I started across the room, Alice was in front of me, holding out a plate with a slice of cake and a glass of milk. "How are you?" she asked.

I inhaled deeply, my eyes drifting shut for a moment before they snapped open. "I'm really okay." I let her lead me to the sofa where I sat between her and the matriarch of the family. "I'm not going to lie: it's a lot to deal with. I mean, it is, but it isn't. Before I walked in the door, I thought I loved Edward. He was with me practically all the time, but now it feels different."

I paused trying to think of a way to explain it. "Before, I felt like I was Edward's, and now, in this moment, I feel like I've been pulled out of a vat of cotton candy or something. I was so immersed in Edward that it never occurred to me that the hazy feeling wasn't… right. And it was always awkward with Edward. It was like he wanted to control me." I shook my head, annoyance welling up inside me. "And he kept saying that I was too good for him, yet he never let me be me. He never wanted me to think for myself, and the few times he let me, he was not happy about it. There was always this tension in the air and it was so… real. The tension was so thick it was like you could reach out and touch the invisible cloud of strain."

I worried my lower lip between my teeth for a moment before speaking. "When I first saw Carlisle, I felt something. I couldn't tell what it was. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so I chalked it up to the fact that he was a vampire, a very attractive vampire." I hummed to myself thoughtfully. "I felt this pull toward Carlisle every time we were close, but that wasn't often since Edward didn't want me around your family." I snorted indignantly. "Now I see why. But if I'm Carlisle's mate then that's going to have to be something that Edward has to accept. I feel bad that he's hurting, really, I do. But the truth is that as much as I loved Edward, I can't deny what I'm feeling now. It feels right. It feels…familiar."

I glanced at Esme with worry, nibbling on my lower lip, and she noticed immediately. "Bella," she said gently, "you needn't worry about me. Carlisle and I are the dearest of friends, but nothing more. While it is true that I have been without a mate for a long time, he's been searching for his for almost four centuries. I'm happy that he's found you." She pulled me into a motherly hug and stroked my hair in a comforting way that I could only wish that Renée had done as I was growing up.

When she released me, I offered them both a watery smile. "I-I just feel like your family is going to be ripped apart because of me. I don't want that to happen."

"Bella," Alice huffed, "I keep telling you that it's not your fault, and it's not. Edward picked and chose what parts of my visions he wanted to see. He knew all along that you belonged to Carlisle. He not only chose to ignore that you are Carlisle's mate, he continuously dazzled you to keep you somewhat under his control. What he did was wrong, and now he has to face the consequences. It won't be easy, Bella, but in time, Edward will get over it. It will take a while, but it will happen. I promise."

I believed her.

.

I was curled up in a warm afghan on the black leather sofa, eating cake and drinking chocolate milk. I was certain that a few of my friends would laugh if they knew that I was guzzling down chocolate milk like a child. But it was my comfort beverage, and by George, after my insightful evening, I felt that I damn well deserved several ounces of comfort!

It occurred to me that with Edward gone, along with Jasper, Alice and I would be the only two going to school tomorrow, and I was quite nervous about that. Rosalie and Emmett were supposed to be off at college, so only Alice, Edward, and Jasper still attended high school. While I shared several classes with Edward, I only shared one with the pixie and the Texan. This meant that for the majority of the day, I would be alone, a thought that did not appeal to me in the slightest. Also, with Edward being away for who-knew-how-long, we would have to come up with a reasonable explanation. Saying that he was ill with a virus would only buy us a few days at the most. Saying that he had something more serious would probably raise questions. It was briefly discussed that Edward could have found his birth parents and had moved to be with them, but that was a step that the family was not willing to take yet. They believed that once he had calmed down he would come back. For the time being, the best solution was to say that Edward was checking out a few colleges in Europe. This would give us, at least, a week or two to see how Edward would handle the change of events.

I had finished my cake and milk and was taking in the light and airy appearance of the room, the white walls and carpet, when another thought came to me. I voiced my concern, or rather my curiosity, to Esme and Alice. I was a bit surprised to have had such a change of emotions in the span of only a few hours. Fortunately, they both calmly explained the intricacies of 'vampiric mating habits' to me. The term had my lips twitching, and I had the sneaking suspicion that Alice used it on purpose to try to get a reaction from me. It almost worked.

Between two vampires meeting their mate, the pull was usually instantaneous and almost entirely irresistible. Under normal circumstances, the draw between a vampire and a human was almost as equally intense. The fact that Carlisle had struggled to resist the pull and his own nature had put a strain on the spiritual thread that connected us. To make it more difficult, Edward had often kept me dazzled, masking it in a hazy blanket of confusion. So between Edward's ability and Carlisle having buried his nature for centuries and allowing me to remain with the younger vampire, the bond between us was rather wan. When I questioned them about what would have happened had Carlisle continued to ignore the pull, Alice's expression turned grave. All she would say was that it would have ended disastrously. The look in Esme's eyes told me that 'disastrously' was the pixie's kind way of saying that Carlisle would have died. I could only presume that a broken heart would have led to him having someone take his life.

Alice lightened the mood, however, by continuing her explanation. She said that due to the Cullen leader admitting his feelings and telling me of the bond between us, it released the biggest pressure from the strained lifeline. And that release allowed that bond's energy to grow. I thought, given the career of one of the persons involved, that her analogy of pinched IV tubing was quite ironic and humorous.

I voiced this, but just as the words left my mouth in a loud giggle, his bedroom door flew open and he blurred down the stairs before stopping suddenly. He took in my relaxed appearance and bright smile and made to step forward, but froze. He did not pause like a human being. Instead, he quite literally froze. He was totally immobilized, as solid and as unmoving as a statue, and that made me nervous.

When I started to stand, Esme stopped me with a hiss. "Do not move, Bella."

.

TBC

In the words of Bob Ross:

Whatever makes you happy, you put in your world.