Emmett clawed at the grass on the green by his Jeep and managed to form a tiny snowball big enough to toss at Rosalie.
"Cut it out," she scolded him, "Or I'll get you back twice as bad."
"Babe.." he held his hands out to the sides.
"You know I'm more than capable," Rosalie playfully threatened with one finger up in his direction. She smirked and a wide smile spread across Emmett's face.
"You're cute when you're angry," he said with a wink, making her laugh lightly as he swept in and kissed her before opening the passenger door for her.
"Em, take the main road past the high school home," Alice told him.
"Why, we-"
"Just trust me, I used my GPS."
"Why is the ESP broken?" Emmett continued to tease as he hurled his big body behind the steering wheel.
As Bella and Carlisle caught up Alice lingered with one leg out the back door. "See you guys at home," she said, "Christmas movie?"
"Sounds good," Bella agreed with a nod. A moment later the Jeep door shut. Jasper ducked in beside her on the opposite side, and Carlisle and Bella hurried to cross the street.
"I heard Alice tell Emmett to take the road past the high school to get home," Bella said to Carlisle, who was thumbing to get to the Maps application on his phone.
The two of them entered his Mercedes and Carlisle squinted. "That way seems to have some traffic." He showed Bella his phone and noted the red that coated the streets on the digital map, "The way we came is clear."
"Everyone leaving here must've gone that way." Bella huffed a laugh and Carlisle smiled.
"Guess we get to pick the movie." He whipped the car out of the parking space and headed in the opposite direction of everyone else.
Bella looked out the window as the big Christmas tree bid them a farewell, its branches waving in the wind. "I sort of wish we could still taste hot chocolate." She chuckled, "It's silly.."
"It's not," Carlisle told her almost right away. "I can barely remember what anything tastes like aside from blood." He glanced over at her. "I hope those types of memories never go away for you."
She half-smiled and looked back out the window at the house decorations while they drove. Soon, the houses disappeared and they were on the desolate back road that led to the house.
Carlisle put the windshield wipers on one setting faster as the snow picked up and coated the roadway. "People better be careful driving home," he said aloud. "It's picking up pretty fast."
"Yeah," Bella agreed. "It'll be nice to watch the snow fall out that big back window of the house." She sighed, "Its gorgeous."
"Yeah, there's a nice view of the mountains."
"Yeah." Bella swallowed hard. She snuck a glance over as Carlisle drove. For the first time in what felt like forever she felt something - the same type of something she felt when she first realized she had some sort of feelings for Edward. It was a twist of anxiousness in her stomach mixed with the excitement of the unknown.
Carlisle adjusted his hat and turned to her, causing Bella to shift her gaze back out the windshield.
"It's really coming down," she said, distracting herself with the weather.
"Yeah.. it snows here even more than Forks." Carlisle looked over at her again until they made eye contact and they both looked back out the front window.
Bella didn't even realize how close to home they were until Carlisle put his blinker on to signal they were turning right down the long, hidden driveway.
She snuck a few more glances at Carlisle and tried to tell herself to stop. Bella didn't know why she felt what she was beginning to feel but, like anything, there was guilt associated with it. A part of her felt like she was cheating on Edward; though she silently told herself how ridiculous the notion was.
It's Carlisle, Bella tried to give herself a reason to invalidate her budding feelings. It didn't work.
She took a deep breath as he hit the button on the garage opener and eased in the Mercedes.
"You alright?" Carlisle asked upon hearing her subconsciously sigh a few times.
"Yeah," she said with a nod and then chuckled to try to ease her own mood. "Yes.. did I just sigh? I have a bad.. habit of doing that."
Carlisle laughed lightly and turned off the car. "It's fine. I was just making sure."
Of course because you're so thoughtful. Bella tried to ignore those familiar signs of crushing.. or whatever it was you called it at her age. Stop, stop, stop, stop! The word peppered in her mind as they both exited the vehicle and Carlisle closed the garage door again.
He walked up a few steps that led to a door and unlocked it to enter the house.
"After you," Carlisle put a hand on her back again and Bella sighed out loud, silently scolding herself for doing it again.
"Thanks." She looked around the dimly lit interior, focusing on the Christmas tree across the way in the living room that was still illuminated as they'd left it.
Bella walked toward the front door and propped her boots on the shoe rack before finding a home for her coat just above it.
Carlisle did the same and straighter his wavy blond hair out a bit as he removed the winter hat. He then walked over to a record player that sat on some wall shelving and thumbed throat a small collection of records that sat vertically beside it.
"What are you putting on?" Bella asked with a grin.
"Christmas songs." Carlisle looked over his shoulder and set the record down on the player. Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song was the first to play.
Carlisle pulled a box from his pocket that was wrapped in red paper and walked towards Bella.
"What's this?" She asked, knowing her face would've reddened if it were possible.
"A gift," Carlisle told her, "Nessie and me."
Bella smiled wide, finding it funny that the two of them found time to collaborate on a gift for her. "Sneaky," she teased and took the box. "You didn't have to.. get me anything."
"Well, you gave me something meaningful," Carlisle reminded her, tugging on the chain of the necklace. "It's just a little something to say thank you."
"Thank you for what?"
"For.. helping me find some happiness where I least expected if."
"I can understand that." Bella smiled and undid the small, gold bow on the wrapping. As she removed the red paper it opened up to a rectangular, blue box and inside was a bracelet. Before she could thank him, Carlisle began to explain the significance.
He reached a hand out and took the bracelet from the box. "Look closely in here," he pointed to the center of the silver band where it looked like there was a little stone.
Bella looked at him with a grin and closed one eye as she put the other up to the stone. "Oh my.. oh my gosh.." she laughed, "That is.. that's so cool."
"You like it?" He grinned.
"It's amazing," Bella gushed, chuckling again as she looked another time into the snow. Inside there was a tiny picture of Jacob, Renesme and their children. "How did you even do this?"
"Nessie helped me," Carlisle confessed. "We looked online and both of thought it was.. perfect."
Bella looked up, rolling the bracket in between her fingers and Carlisle stared back at her from just a few inches away. She didn't know what she was thinking but the moment got the best of her. Bella took a breath, inhaling his scent, and then felt like she couldn't help it and kissed him.
Her brain took a second to catch up as her feelings led the way. Bella's fingers roamed the back of his head, tangling in the waves of his hair. She didn't even realize that he was kissing her back until she felt his tongue penetrate her lips to dominate her own.
"Mmm.." she moaned into his mouth from the force his kiss and Carlisle abruptly pulled back.
"Bella, I'm sorry.." he took in a deep breath and ran a hand over the bottom half of his face. Carlisle's darkened, apologetic eyes met hers.
"No.. Carlisle.." Bella had to actively stop herself from stuttering. Her awkwardness was out in full effect. "I just.." she looked down at the bracelet, "The bracelet was so nice.. and the Christmas tree.. everything.."
Stop babbling! Bella yelled at herself and ran a hand through her hair.
"I think.. I just got caught up in the moment," she confessed.
"Yeah, I understand," Carlisle agreed, clearing his throat and holding his breath as to not take in Bella's scent. "It's my fault.. I shouldn't have-"
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"I.. I, uh.." Carlisle was speechless. The moment had caught him offguard but kissing someone in that way was something he suddenly realized he missed in the worst way. And Bella. Bella had gotten into his head and defrosted his heart. He was content in her presence and she was bringing the human side, the family man, back out of him.
"Let's just.. I mean.. it was just us being caught up in the moment." Bella tried to convince both of them again. "We can just leave it at that..?" It was a cross between a question and a statement.
"Sure." Carlisle gave a nod but Bella could see there was a struggle within him. It was written all over his face.
"Okay." She took a breath, knowing she needed to distance herself from him if she wanted to restrain herself. She knew she should but she didn't want to. Still, she managed to get out, "I'm just going to take a quick walk.. okay?"
Carlisle nodded and ran a hand across his face again. When Bella left through the front door behind where she stood, he finally let out a deep breath.
Was I wrong to kiss her back?
Carlisle couldn't even actively process that Bella had initiated a kiss. He had thought about it.. for the first time in over a decade; he just hadn't expected it to happen. Not right then.
He paced toward the front door and reached for the handle to open it to see if Bella was alright, or if she was even still around. To his surprise she had was right there with her hand on the doorknob, about to re-enter the house.
Carlisle took in a deep breath. Bella did the same. There was only a fraction of a second's hesitation before he pulled her by the hand against him and their lips crashed against one another's.
Bella reciprocated, kissing him hard with her eyes pressed shut as she felt the windy, night air being replaced by the calm of the home's interior. Without missing a beat, Bella kicked the front door shut behind them.