Hi, hello, bonjour :D

Thank you so much for the nice reviews, it's very encouraging!

I realized that I never told you: the story is not happening in 2004. I know the book takes place in 2004 and all, but I was like 8 at the time, so I don't really remember what it was like ^^' I will probably be mentioning laptops or smartphones sooner or later in the story, so don't be surprised ;) I'm not saying it's happening in 2017, but it's definitely taking place after 2010.

Also, I did not mean to make Bella so mean. Just very curious. Hopefully, she's not becoming the bad guy of this story XD

I also wanted to tell you that I won't be at home this weekend, so I won't be able to write anything, which means I probably won't be posting before Thursday (hopefully I'll post something then)

I hope you'll like it!

Enjoy!

Carlisle Cullen couldn't dream. But he didn't need his subconscious to tell him what he already knew.

He sat in his office, surrounded with old books and old paintings he collected over the years, and he thought, just like he had the night before. He thought about the day Rosalie came back from a hunt with Emmett, and how she begged him to turn him. He remembered how surprised he was. Rosalie never hid her disgust for what they were. But Emmett changed her. Just like she changed him. He remembered how relieved he felt when he saw them both happy together. He thought back to when he first met Alice. She was so cheerful. It didn't take him long to understand it was just the way she was. It surprised him when she called his name for the first time. They had never met, and yet she knew so many things about him. Alice was easy to live with. It wasn't a difficult add to the family. Even Jasper was sincere about becoming a "vegetarian". Alice talked a lot. She knew many things. Things she wasn't always supposed to know. Most of these things Carlisle called theories because it had never been proven. Not really. But the mate theory didn't really need any more proof. Rosalie and Emmet, Alice and Jasper were meant to be, and even if there was no such thing as destiny, together they were the best version of themselves, and they were a family.

Carlisle sat alone, thinking about the last two days, about how a sixteen years old teenager had possibly changed him forever. He was haunted by the memory of her fragrance. It stuck to him, never allowing him to forget how desirable she was. It was like a curse. He had spent his immortal life trying to stay away from humans, never getting close to anyone, making sure he would never hurt anyone, just to be told that the sweetest, most beautiful, most fragile human girl he had ever met belonged to him. And he belonged to her.

From the very beginning of his second life, he believed unconditionally that he was damned, that he deserved to be thrown in Hell like the monster he was. He managed to find a way to live he could be proud of. Proud enough to make himself a family he loved. But even if he never admitted it, not to anyone, not even to himself, he was waiting. Waiting to find his Rosalie or his Alice. Someone to share eternity with.

Was Angie the one? It seemed ridiculous to wonder. She was human. Any kind of relationship with her was impossible. And even if she really was the one, he had a duty to protect her. Alice couldn't be right. But Alice was never wrong.

Angie took him by surprise. He wasn't expecting his other half to be human. It never occurred to him it was even a possibility. He was expecting someone that was already damned, someone like him. Not a pure and innocent young girl. What could he bring her but death, pain and misery? They had no chance at happiness. Not one.

Carlisle listened as Edward left the house, just like he had the night before. He knew exactly where he was going, and he fought the urge to follow him.

He thought back to the night before, when they were all arguing. It was the worst fight they ever had as a family. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper wanted to leave. They didn't want to take the risk to stay now that their secret had been exposed. Carlisle listened wordlessly as Alice and Edward argued against them. He knew it would be better if they left, it would be safer for everyone. But as his "children" yelled at each other, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Her big blue eyes filled with terror, fascination and confusion. Her long brown hair falling on her chest, her rosy cheeks, and her small beating heart. She looked like a doll. She was perfect.

Alice's words echoed in Carlisle's mind: "It's her," she shrieked. "It's both of them." She looked so happy, so excited. Carlisle envied her. She had no doubt.

He remembered when he told her about Angie. "You were right," he said, like someone had just died. His eyes were filled with sadness, his heart with disappointment.

"It's a good thing, Carlisle," Alice told him. "I promise."

The days passed slowly, and he still hadn't seen her again. Every night, when he came back home, he looked for Alice. And Alice was waiting for him.

"She's happy," she told him. "She laughs a lot. And she eats a lot, too," she chuckled. "She didn't mention you. But I know she thinks about you. About what you told her."

"Did Edward tell you that?" he asked with a small sad smile.

"Yes. But they made a deal not to listen to each other's thoughts. So, he's not supposed to know."

Carlisle tried his best to look as normal as possible, but he couldn't fool his family. Especially not Edward, who was going through a similar path. Edward wasn't as strong as Carlisle, though. He couldn't help himself. Every night, he would go to Bella's house and watch her sleep. It fascinated him. She would often say his name in her sleep. Every time she did, it would prove Alice right a little bit more.

"She dreams about you," Edward told his father on Sunday. "It's like, her subconscious is trying to tell her something," he chuckled. "I wish I knew what Bella was dreaming. It seems like she always have nightmares…"

"I thought you weren't supposed to read her mind," Carlisle said.

"I can't help it sometimes. When I wonder what Bella might be thinking I always check Angie's mind. They're sisters, after all."

"You said they weren't close."

"No," Edward said. "Angie always kept to herself. It's harder now. Bella suspects she knows about us. She's giving her a hard time."

"She doesn't understand why you would tell her sister, but not her," Carlisle nodded, understanding. It pained him that Angie wasn't close to her sister. He imagined she was never close to anyone.

"I don't think I can stay away much longer," Edward confessed.

"Alice says Bella will know soon."

Edward shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

"We could have left," Carlisle said. "But we chose to stay here. We were selfish. Now, we have no other choice."

Edward put his hand on his father's shoulder. "Carlisle. You're a better man than I am. You're stronger. But you're too hard on yourself. You deserve to be happy."

Carlisle smiled. "You do too," he said. "Stay out of her mind," he ordered in a serious tone. Edward chuckled, but nodded.

On Monday, the school took the junior years to a greenhouse. Edward was decided to talk to Bella. But he was still unsure of what he was going to do. He knew what he wanted, but he also know what he should do.

He listened, as Mike Newton asked Bella for prom before they got in the yellow buses. It amused him when she turned him down.

"I'm going to Jacksonville that weekend," she said.

Edward wondered if it was a lie. It was frustrating not to be able to read her mind.

He was more focused on Bella than on anything else there was to see in the greenhouse. After days of complete silence, he finally spoke to her again:

"What's in Jacksonville?" he asked suddenly, as she walked past him.

Bella didn't hide her surprise, or her annoyance.

"How did you know about that?"

"I…" Edward stuttered. He couldn't come up with a lie. "You didn't answer my question."

"Well, you don't answer any of mine, so…" Bella sighed, annoyed. "I mean, you don't even say hi to me."

"Hi," he said.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Are you gonna tell me how you stopped the van?"

"Yeah. I had an adrenaline rush. It's very common. You can Google it."

Bella scoffed. "Is that the lie you told Angie? 'cause I'm pretty sure she's not stupid enough to buy that."

"You need to be nicer to her," Edward said.

Bella looked up at him. "She's keeping things from me," she told him.

"Whatever she's not telling you, maybe she shouldn't be the one telling it to you."

"Yeah, that's what she said," Bella sighed. "She said it wasn't her secret to tell. Which means you have a secret. And you did tell her. But you don't want to tell me. And I don't understand why."

Edward frowned. He didn't know what to answer. Thankfully, he didn't need to, as Jessica interrupted them.

"Bella! Guess who just asked me to prom?"

And with these words, Edward was gone.

He waited for her outside, hoping he would catch her alone. He stood there, listening to the other students fooling around, playing with dirt, being stupid teenagers. They definitely lived in two different worlds.

"Bella, look! It's a worm," Eric giggled as she walked past him.

Edward went after her. Decided to do the exact opposite of what he wanted.

"Bella we… we shouldn't be friends," he said.

"You really should have figured that out a little earlier," she told him. "I mean, why didn't you just let the van crush me and save yourself all this regret?"

"You think I regret saving you?"

"I can see that you do. I just… I don't know why."

"You don't know anything," he said.

"Then, tell me!" she demanded. "Angie knows. I don't understand why I'm left in the dark."

"Hi!" Alice interrupted them. "Are you gonna be riding with us?" she asked with a big smile, hopeful.

"No, our bus is full," Edward said before he got in.

Alice pouted, disappointed, and watched as Bella walked away.

Edward was miserable. All he wanted was to be with Bella. All the time. The smell of her blood was intoxicating. But it wasn't just about her blood. He was fascinated by her. Everything she said, everything she did, was captivating.

The rest of the week was difficult. He ignored her again, which wasn't easy as they were lab partners in Biology. Edward wasn't the only person who didn't talk to Bella. Angie had been quiet all week as well. Which was hard. Bella could see there was something else than the Cullens's secret on her sister's mind, but she couldn't ask what. She wasn't sure she was going to have an honest answer, and she didn't want to give her sister another opportunity to lie.

Angie was anxious about Bella. She was relieved that her sister wasn't asking questions anymore. But Bella was barely saying hello to her. She didn't like it when her big sister was angry at her.

Angie's insomnia had bipolar tendencies. One night she would sleep lie a baby, and the night after that, she would lay awake in bed, incapable of finding sleep. It was always the same thing that kept her awake. And always the same person. And every time she slept, she dreamt. And she always dreamt about him. It was hard to ignore her feelings. But it was harder to pretend she didn't have any.

Even though she never talked about him, Alice often thought about her father. Angie didn't like listening to other people's thoughts, but every time she heard Carlisle's name, she would keep listening. She learnt that he worried about her, but mostly, that it was getting harder with time to stay away. Angie knew exactly how he felt. She put her feelings on the count of mere curiosity. After all, she was told he was her soulmate. It was more than normal to be interested in learning more.

Thursday morning was routine for Dr. Cullen. When he was in the hospital, he could focus on his work. The week had been extraordinarily calm. Running noses and sprained ankles were business as usual for the hospital of the small and rainy town of Forks. The small ER was never too busy, and he had just finished taking care of yet another sprained ankle when, suddenly, he smelled her. Panic immediately seized him as the delectable smell of her blood was invading the room. Why was she there? Was she hurt? How bad was it? He couldn't think clearly, and he stood there, in the middle of the ER, looking for her, trying to figure out behind which curtain he was going to find her.

"Dr. Cullen?" a nurse called. "Dr. Cullen?" she had to repeat several times for him to realize she needed something.

"Yes?" He did his best to compose himself, making sure he didn't let the nurse see through him.

"There's a young a girl with a possible sprained wrist," she told him. "She hurt herself in Gym, at school. But she's not letting anyone touch her. She's been asking for you. She's the sheriff's daughter. Evangeline Swan?" It was obvious, both on her face and in her tone, that she was curious.

Carlisle smiled, and nodded. "Yes, she's a friend of my kids," he told her. The nurse seemed content enough with his answer. "Thank you Joan," he smiled again, as he took the paperwork from her.

He didn't wait another second, and made his way to the bed Joan had indicated. Though, he would have found her easily. He didn't know how he managed to walk so slowly. There was a voice in his head, screaming at him to run, to hurry, as if it was a matter of life and death.

He pulled the curtains, just to find her sitting there, on the bed. She immediately looked up at him with her beautiful big blue eyes. He could hear her heart started to beat a little faster. She was wearing jeans and a black hoodie, just like last time. Her damp hair was tangled in a beautiful mess. She was holding her right wrist carefully.

Carlisle quickly pulled back the curtains, it was just the two of them now.

"Are you okay?" he immediately asked. It was all that mattered. It was the only thing he could think about.

"I'm fine," she said in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry I asked for you. I didn't want to…"

"It's okay," he stopped her. "I'm glad you did."

Angie blushed and looked away. "I didn't want to bother you," she whispered.

"You're not bothering me," he told her in a soft voice.

He took one step, closing the distance between them. He laid the clipboard on the small metallic table next to him. He looked down at her, she was still looking away, nervously rubbing her wrist. Finally, he was seeing her again. Eight days later. She was there.

He couldn't help it, he gently lifted her chin with his finger. She immediately looked up, surprised by his action, and his cold skin. She trapped him effortlessly in her magnificent eyes. He wondered if she was listening to his thoughts. He wondered if she was feeling the same way he did.

He stroke her right cheek with his thumb, before he looked down at her wrist.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I was playing badminton. I made a false move."

"Can I?" he asked, gesturing toward her wrist.

She nodded. He took her wrist as gently as possible but she winced anyway.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized. She was looking down. She shook her head. "You look tired," he said.

"Yeah…" she whispered.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" he asked.

She nodded again. It surprised him none of his children had told him. Maybe Edward was too obsessed with Bella to hear Angie was still awake in the next room. Carlisle wondered why Angie hadn't noticed his son was visiting her sister at night. He thought maybe she was too busy thinking about something else to pay attention.

"I'm sorry," he said. He knew it was his fault if she wasn't sleeping.

"It's not your fault," she said. "I blame Alice," she tried to joke.

Carlisle chuckled. "Me too."

He brought her sleeve up and was relieved to see she hadn't hurt herself again.

"It's definitely sprained," he said, after a minute. "But you should be fine. It'll be better in a few days. It'll be alright," he told her. "I'll be right back."

He didn't want to go, but he had to get new bandages. He took a step back, but it was only when he tried to turn around that he noticed Angie was clinging at him.

"Sorry," she immediately apologized as she let go of his white coat. She looked surprised, like she hadn't noticed it either. She turned bright red and looked down, embarrassed.

"I'll be right back," he repeated.

She nodded, avoiding eye contact. When he came back, they both stayed silent as he bandaged her wrist. He was just enjoying the smell of her blood, and the sound of her heartbeat. He didn't know when he would see her again after that, he was only enjoying her presence. Angie's mind was busy thinking. Asking herself the same question again and again: Was Alice right?

"Are you listening to my thoughts?" he asked suddenly in a quiet voice. He didn't sound upset, but merely curious.

She looked up at him, he was busy with her wrist. "No."

He gave her a small smile. "It seems unfair, you can know what I'm thinking, but I have no idea what you're thinking," he told her.

"I have no idea what I'm thinking either," she said in a quiet voice.

Carlisle frowned. "About Alice's theory?" he asked.

Angie nodded. "You believe it's true," she said. She didn't need to ask. She knew.

"You don't," he said, trying to sound neutral, and failing completely.

She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm thinking," she repeated.

When he was done bandaging her wrist, he brought the sleeve back down, and at the same moment, as the thought of him leaving again crossed her mind, she immediately grabbed his coat with her left hand.

"Is it?" she asked.

"What?" He looked up at her and met with her eyes.

"True. Is it?"

Carlisle looked at her with sad eyes. "Don't you know?" he asked.

"Alice believes it's true," she said, looking away. "Edward doesn't want it to be true, but he thinks it is anyway."

"You don't want it to be true," Carlisle said.

The pain in his voice hurt her. He was right. She didn't want it to be true. But that didn't make it untrue.

"But what I want doesn't matter," she said. "It won't change the facts."

"What you want is the only thing that matters," Carlisle said.

Angie frowned. "That doesn't seem fair."

"To whom? To me?" he asked. "Don't worry about me," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Only you matter."

Angie was stunned. Shock quickly turned into anger. "Don't say that," she said, a little too loud, surprising both of them. She had the sudden urge to protect him, to make him feel better. Like his heart was bleeding and the only way to make it stop was to shout "You matter too".

"If Alice is right, then we don't know what we really want," she said.

Carlisle was surprised. She understood the situation better than he had imagined.

"You can't have a normal life if we act upon what we know to be true," he said.

"I'm a telepath," she reminded him. "What kind of normal life can I have?"

"Any life in which I'm not involved would be better for you."

Angie felt like he had just stabbed her in the heart. "I don't believe that," she whispered. "And it's crazy because I don't know you, and we met a week ago. But I still don't believe that. Alice doesn't believe that."

"Alice is an optimist," Carlisle smiled sadly.

"And what are you?"

Carlisle frowned. He thought for a moment. He knew exactly what he was, it was the reason why he stayed. He couldn't deny it. He wasn't strong enough to fight it.

He got lost in her beautiful eyes again, he slightly smiled, and cupped her left cheek with his hand.

"I'm yours," he said. "Do anything you want with that."

Angie was dazed. She felt like her heart had just stopped. She was speechless. She had been thinking about the theory all week, she had imagined many situations, wondered how he could possibly be feeling. She imagined disappointment, anger, sadness, confusion, maybe even disgust. But not acceptance. Not this.

She could see in his eyes he was sincere. She could hear in his mind he meant it. He had no doubt. Unlike her, he wasn't confused. He believed it unconditionally.

"What if you're wrong?" she asked in a trembling voice. "What if Alice is wrong?"

"Alice isn't wrong," Carlisle said. "Alice is never wrong."

"So, you're just gonna believe her? No question asked?"

Carlisle smiled. "I asked many questions," he said. "I tried to prove Alice wrong. But I couldn't. I know how I feel. Even if it took me a few days to accept it. Even if it's hard to understand. Even if I shouldn't feel it. I know how I feel when I'm with you. And I know how I feel when I'm not. It's hard not to believe it when I'm looking at you. It seems obvious."

Angie was feeling dizzy. His words echoed in her head. She could feel tears in her eyes, but she didn't know what was making her cry.

Angie took a deep breath. "You make it sound so easy," she breathed out.

"You can do whatever you want," he told her. "You can decide Alice is wrong and never see me again. The choice is yours."

Angie didn't know if his words were more painful to him or to her.

"Take your time," he said, then he took a step back. "Your father is here."

Charlie interrupted everything. As soon as he arrived, Carlisle was gone. He prescribed medication for the pain, wrote a note for Angie's teacher, and then left to take care of another patient, without even looking back at Angie. Though, if he had, she wouldn't have noticed it, as she kept staring at the floor.

"Three times in two weeks," Charlie sighed, once in the car. "That's bad luck."

Angie didn't reply. She was still in shock. She was incapable of thinking clearly. Carlisle's words were playing in her head all over again. She had no idea what to do, or what to think. It wouldn't help her sleep better, that's all she knew.

The next day, Angie was barely able to keep her eyes open. The long and sleepless night had been excruciating. But also revealing. Thinking that Alice was wrong was just lying to herself. She knew she wasn't. She had heard it in Edward's mind, she had heard it in Carlisle's. He was her soulmate. Now, all she had to do was decide what she wanted.

Edward was decided to be better. Friendlier. Alice didn't stop pestering him about his behavior at the greenhouse. He wasn't strong enough to do the right thing. And Angie didn't help. Her happiness went away during the weekend. She was feeling bad for not telling Bella. Bella wasn't particularly mean to her. She just decided that, if Angie wasn't talking, then she wouldn't be talking either. It was nothing unusual for them, not to talk.

This day, at lunch, he sat alone. When Bella entered the cafeteria, he raised his hand and motioned for her to join him. He was ready to be nice. Ready to be her friend.

"Does he mean you?" Jessica asked with insulting astonishment in her voice.

Bella ignored her, and made her way to him, surprised and curious.

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asked her with a smile.

Bella raised an eyebrow, skeptical, but sat anyway, to his relief.

"This is different," she said.

"Well…" he paused. "Your sister kept insisting I talk to you. So did Alice," he sighed. "And, I decided as long as I was going to Hell, I might do it thoroughly."

Bella waited for him to add something that would actually make sense, but he stayed silent. "You know I don't have any idea what you mean."

"I know," he smiled.

Edward could hear everything Bella's friends were saying and thinking. He wondered if she minded. "Your friends are angry with me for stealing you," he said.

"They'll survive," she told him.

It wasn't surprising she would rather spend time with him. It certainly made Alice's theory a little less refutable.

"I might not give you back, though," he grinned.

Bella frowned. "Why the sudden change?" she asked.

"Many reasons," he shrugged. "But I figured it was unfair to let you be mad at your sister. She's done nothing wrong."

"Are you gonna tell me how you stopped the van?" she asked again.

Edward pressed his lips together.

"Or not," she sighed. "So, are we friends now?" she asked.

"We can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you,"

"Your friends with Angie."

"Alice started it."

"Was it Alice who told Angie? About… whatever you're hiding?"

"No," Edward said, leaning back in his seat.

"Are you gonna tell me what you are?" she asked next.

Edward chuckled nervously. "Do you have any theories?"

Bella shook her head. "I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Too embarrassing."

"What if I promise I won't laugh?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Can you do me a favor?"

Edward frowned, suddenly wary. "That depends on what you want."

"Could you warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good? Just so I'm prepared."

"That sounds fair," he smiled.

"Thanks."

"Can I have one answer in return?" he demanded.

"One."

"Tell me one theory."

"Not that one," Bella immediately retracted.

"You didn't qualify, you just promised one answer," he said with a grin.

Bella sighed.

"I won't laugh," he promised.

Bella shook her head. Edward looked down, and then glanced up at her through his long black lashes.

"Please?" he breathed, leaning toward her.

Bella blinked, her mind going blank. She couldn't resist him. Not when he was trying to mesmerize her on purpose.

"Um, well… bitten by a radioactive spider?"

"That's not very creative," he scoffed.

"I'm sorry, that's all I've got."

"You're not even close," he teased.

"Was Angie close?" she asked.

Edward sighed.

"I just keep asking myself what obvious clue I'm missing. If you didn't tell her, if your sister didn't tell her, then how does she know?"

Edward turned around to look at the table where Angie and his sister were. He looked for a few seconds, before he turned back toward Bella.

"I guess that's something you'll have to talk about with her."

"But she's not telling me anything," Bella complained.

Edward sighed again. "I guess if I told you the truth, she would too."

"Then tell me," she demanded. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Spider-man is… a superhero, right?" he said. "What if I'm not the hero? What if I'm the bad guy?"

"Oh," Bella said, her eyes lit with realization. "I see."

"Do you?" he asked, suddenly worried he had said too much.

"You're dangerous," Bella guessed. "But not bad. I don't believe that you're bad."

"You don't know anything."

"Yeah, you keep saying that," Bella sighed. She paused for a minute before she sighed again. "Why don't we just… hang out?" she asked.

Edward chuckled.

"Everybody's going to the beach. Come. Have fun," she said.

Edward considered it for a minute. "Which beach?"

"La Push."

Oh oh.

"I don't know," he said, awkwardly. He was a terrible liar. How did he keep his secret for so long?

"Is there something wrong with that beach?" she asked.

"It's just a little crowded," he lied.

Bella shrugged. "We're going to be late," she said.

"I'm not going to class today," he said.

"Why not?"

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then," he grinned.

"Well, I'm going," she said.

"I'll see you later, then."

Bella shrugged again, before she rushed out of the cafeteria.