My Hero
Chapter Seventeen
The Conference (Part Two)
Bella's POV
I somehow made it up into the room and stumbled weakly through the door which Carlisle held open for me.
The room was fairly small and there were two single beds, barely inches apart from each other. I swallowed nervously, before lying exhaustedly onto the nearest bed next to me. The mattress was hard and the pillow was a little lumpy, but I didn't care; I just needed some rest.
I closed my eyes and peeked open as I felt the bed slump down on one corner; Carlisle was sitting on the edge, looking at me worriedly. I propped myself up against the headboard.
"Bella," he said quietly. "You really don't look very well. I'm quite concerned... are you feeling sick?"
I exhaled heavily before answering. "I don't know... I think it's just sickness from the travelling, it'll pass h-hopefully."
His expression didn't change. "Bella, we're supposed to be at the hospital in an hour's time... will you be alright by then?"
I honestly didn't know, but I didn't want to cause him any unnecessary anxiety.
"I think so," I whispered, smiling feebly. He still didn't look convinced, but he rubbed my hand and stood up.
"I'll just..." He hovered around. "Just sit over here."
He placed himself on a chair and coughed awkwardly, staring ahead. I frowned at him.
"Carlisle, you look really uncomfortable," I commented, a smile tugging on my lips; his posture from sitting on the chair was oddly humorous. He grinned, looking happy for the first time today.
"I'm sure the mattresses aren't any better," he replied. "It looks more like a pancake."
I laughed. "It feels like it too." I wriggled around a little. "And the pillow is all lumpy like..."
"Porridge?" he suggested and I guffawed, feeling my face grow red. He smiled back at me.
"You know something?" I said a little later, sitting upright. "I feel a little better now." It wasn't a lie, I truly did.
He smirked. "I'm clearly the perfect medicine."
"Indeed," I agreed, heading towards the bathroom.
"Are you sure you're well?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm good. Actually, I'm just going to get ready." I jerked my thumb towards the door. "I'll be a few minutes."
He nodded after me and I closed the door happily after me. Perhaps this was going to be good after all...
Carlisle's POV
Seeing Bella's eyes gleam with amusement had staggered me; I didn't believe it was possible, but it had made me fall even more in love with her. I sighed and stood up from the seat.
Stepping out into the balcony, I looked up at the sky and noticed the gathering storm clouds. Did it ever cease raining here? I shouldn't complain, though; if it was sunny all the time, my identity would be revealed. I shuddered and inhaled the cold air; I could see the hospital in the distance just across the road and felt a rush of excitement. This was going to be incredibly interesting at the least.
I stepped back inside and Bella dashed past me, dressed in her uniform. I smiled uncontrollably in response.
"The bathroom's free now, if you need it," she told me, sitting back down on the bed. She was barefoot and I couldn't help noticing something on the soles of her feet.
"Bella?" I asked as I walked by. "Those are nasty scars on your feet..." I trailed off as she blushed.
"Yeah... I... I trod on some glass. Very c-clever, I know," she laughed and I frowned. She really did need to be more careful.
"Does it hurt?" I continued and she shook her head.
"No, they're from a month a-ago now," she replied, and I nodded. It still disturbed me that she was harming herself.
"I'm sorry if that was a sensitive question," I suddenly added, aware of how she might have interpreted it. "I was just concerned.
"It's fine, Carlisle. I appreciate it."
After flashing her a smile, I disappeared into the facility.
Bella's POV
An hour later, Carlisle and I stepped down the stairs, his hand on the small of my back for support. I tried to ignore the thoughts his touch sent to my head.
We met with the others outside the entrance of the hotel and slowly made our way towards the hospital. I tired to ignore the almost constant flow of comments coming from James. He really was a jerk.
Stepping into the hospital felt oddly familiar, though, and I relaxed immediately. It was going to be fascinating to see how they worked here. We were greeted by a small, balding man and everyone gathered around as he started speaking.
"Urgh," I mumbled, lying back onto the bed later that evening. Carlisle's response was similar.
"That was... disappointing," he commented, sitting beside me. I nodded in agreement.
"That's a polite way to describe it," I sighed, closing my eyes. For the past few hours we had been dragged around the hospital, receiving a lecture from the man. I expected it to be interesting, but after a few minutes of his dull, monotonous voice, I was daydreaming. It didn't take much brainpower to guess who about...
I heard him laugh lightly and I glanced at my watch: it was seven. My stomach seemed to rumble accordingly and I clutched at it, blushing.
"Don't worry," Carlisle smiled. "I think there's some food downstairs somewhere."
I smirked. "If I look like a pig, it's only because I'm eating for two."
"Of course," was his reply.
We sat there quietly for a long time, and I slowly sat up, "Guess I'd better get changed then." I quickly gathered some belongings from my suitcase and headed towards the bathroom once more.
Carlisle's POV
Bella stepped out of the bathroom in a tight black dress and I stared in awe: she was exceptionally beautiful, and I couldn't remove my eyes from her. After gathering my racing thoughts, I blinked twice.
"You look wonderful, Bella," I breathed and she blushed again, the pink colouring her cheeks. I couldn't help noticing how her skin seemed to glow and how her hair lay neatly past her shoulders, shining under the light.
We stood still on the spot for a few moments and I spoke suddenly. "I'd, uh, I'd better..."
"Yeah," she replied, and I squeezed past her, feeling her soft skin momentarily on mine.
I narrowly dodged walking straight into the wall.
We walked together into the dining room, trying to find a table away from all the other colleagues. I was sure Bella had just about had enough with James and I couldn't agree with her more. He was intolerable.
A young waitor quickly pounced on us after we took our seats. He smiled warmly at Bella and I tried to control the sudden jealousy I felt.
"Good evening," he said and I felt like wincing at his voice. "Would you like some beverages?"
Bella looked towards me and I shook my head. She dithered and quickly murmured, "I'll just have some mineral water."
The man nodded encouragingly and I frowned at him. Did he have to be so blindingly obvious? His voice interrupted my thoughts, "I'll bring you the menus in a moment." He gave me a quick, cold glance and I watched as he walked off into the distance. I wished he would stay there.
Bella coughed and I turned my eyes towards her. I opened my mouth to speak, but the waitor reappeared at her side, cutting me off.
"Here you go, ma'am." He then thrusted a menu in my face before grunting, "Sir."
He hovered by the side and I gripped my hands tightly around the paper. It was going to be a shame wasting this food, but I had to order something or everyone would be suspicious.
"I'll have the lasagne," I said, before quickly adding, "Please."
He nodded, and Bella said, "I'll just have the pizza and fries please."
I exhaled a sigh of relief as he finally left our sides and we talked, waiting for the food.
Half an hour later and our food eventually arrived, much to Bella's distaste. She took a single bite of the pizza and her face contorted in disgust. I eyed her carefully while I fiddled with my knife and fork, not planning to eat anything.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked and she looked up towards me with watering eyes.
"This..." she spluttered, "This pizza, if you can call it that, is... is... vile."
She coughed and I couldn't help laughing; her face was quite a picture. It was at this moment that the irritating waitor decided to visit us. I clamped my fists under the table. He was like an irritating fly, buzzing around constantly.
"How is your food, ma'am?" he asked, and Bella nodded, stealing a quick glance at me.
"It's... delicious," she smiled, chewing on her mouthful of food. The man smiled proudly before leaving and, probably, annoying another group of people. As soon as his gaze was turned, Bella shuddered and I raised an amused eyebrow at her.
"Urgh," she grumbled. "I wish he'd leave." She continued mumbling something undecipherable and I chuckled. It was then that her eyes diverted to my full plate.
"Is yours disgusting too?" she asked. I nodded, feeling guilty for lying.
She shoved her fork down on the plate and sighed. "Can we just get a takeaway or something?"
I laughed. "That sounds perfect."
We hastily left and headed towards the shop; I had a plan. I was going to order something but insist that Bella would eat it, for her child's sake. It sounded fool proof to me and I was pretty pleased with myself.
Bella's POV
"Now that was real food," I sighed, licking my fingers. I saw Carlisle looking at me, seeming a bit baffled and disorientated. I stared back at him, slightly in awe at his suit that he was wearing. He looked so good wearing black... and that tie...
"It just seems like processed fat to me," he said, interrupting my thoughts and looking at the remains of my meal.
I sighed. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"
"Positive," he smiled and I listened to some sudden music coming from downstairs. "What's that?" I asked.
Carlisle looked at a leaflet on the bedside table relating to the hotel's entertainment, his eyes scanning quickly across the paper. He passed it over to me after he had finished.
"It's a party of some sort," he commented while I read the text. "Do you... want to go?"
I looked up at him and he stumbled slightly. "I... I mean, if you would like to... I'm sure you don't want to stay here all night."
Seeing him flustered was adorable and I stood beside him, smiling. "Maybe we could go. It's good to be sociable," I pondered. "And you're right, I don't want to be stuck in this small room all of the time."
He grinned, taking my hand, an action which seemed even more natural than ever. "Let's go."
The music blared loudly, causing my ears to ring, but I didn't care. I was spending plenty of time with Carlisle and that was all that mattered. I had experienced so many laughs and funny moments today that I prayed it wouldn't end. I'd completely forgotten about the dismal hospital visit; it was just a small, forgetful moment in the past now.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, here's a slow song for you to dance to," the DJ suddenly announced, and a ballad began playing through the speakers. I smiled at all the couples dancing together romantically, but then felt a pang of pain. Why couldn't I be like that? Carlisle's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Do... um, do you want to dance, Bella?" he asked shakily, staring into my eyes. I couldn't refuse, so I nodded weakly, taking his hand as we stepped up. Sparks of electricity shot through me as we stood still and he placed his hand on my waist. I wrapped mine around his shoulders and we were inches apart, nearly touching. It took all my strength to keep standing. Even close up, he was perfect, glorious...
His eyes didn't move from mine as we slowly danced around the room and it was almost too intense for me to bear. The whole room became a blur and the music was a distant noise as I looked at him, feeling his steady breath on my face. I could feel my pulse racing and I took a few calm breaths to steady it. It didn't work, though. As if it would.
As the song started to come to an end, I sighed sadly. I so badly wanted to run my hands through his wonderful hair... It was brushed neatly back and looked so perfect; I just wanted to ruffle it up a bit.
When I was thinking about that, though, I truly believed that something else was going to happen... I thought that his face edged closer to mine, because our noses were nearly touching and-
"Bella?"
I wheeled around in complete frustration and saw James staring at me. I focused heavily on not throwing something at him.
"Yes?" I said, stealing a glance at Carlisle who was looking at the floor with his eyebrows furrowed together.
"I was wondering if you wanted to dance?"
I stared at him in disbelief, trying desperately to think of a quick excuse. I clutched at my stomach. "Um... sorry James, I'm actually feeling a little tired," I told him. "This little one takes it out of me."
He nodded in understanding. "Alright. Okay, well... see you tomorrow, I guess."
"Yeah." He walked off and I turned towards Carlisle who looked oddly irritated.
"I think I'm going to go up now," I sighed. "I feel exhausted."
He nodded. "And I think I'll join you, if you don't mind."
"Of course not." I tried to ignore my thumping heart which was racing erratically.
Carlisle's POV
I was so close to her... I could see the details of her beautifully clear skin and wanted so much to kiss her soft lips...
I sighed, thinking back at the memory and trying to control my frustration. Bella was now in the bathroom once more, changing into her bed clothes, and I sat staring at the ceiling, reflecting to myself. Today had been an exceptionally enjoyable day; it was a pleasure being in Bella's company so much. But it had to come to an end eventually.
The woman in question stepped into the room with her pyjamas and I could see a visible bump from her stomach. That didn't stop me smiling at her, though.
I switched off the television which I hadn't been watching and the room was silent apart from our slow breathing. She pulled up the covers and lay in the bed beside me, and I turned my face to look at her. She looked truly drained.
I reached for the light. "I won't keep you awake."
She took one last look at me before the light disappeared. I was, again, thankful for my exceptional eyesight, because I could still see her face in the dark.
"Night, Carlisle," she slurred sleepily.
"Goodnight Bella," I replied, something I had never expected to say. Maybe I would have more opportunities to in the future...
I shook my head. No, that was never going to happen.
I stared ahead and could hear Bella's breathing slowing. I couldn't stop looking towards her; she seemed so peaceful and it warmed my heart. I sighed heavily and realised that she had fallen asleep completely without me noticing. It wasn't long before she started tossing and turning, and to my surprise, she started talking.
"No..." she gasped and I leant up, looking towards her; her face was crumpled with anxiety. "No... please... don't... the baby!" She rolled over but her breathing didn't slow. She seemed incredibly distressed. But it wasn't that which made me stop still; it was the one single word she said.
"Carlisle..."
She had said my name.
She was dreaming about me.
I couldn't stop the sudden happiness which flooded me; I knew it probably didn't mean anything, but it seemed like a lot to me. I sat there smiling as Bella finally quietened and settled into a peaceful, deeper sleep.