Author's note: Howdy, folks! As we've now reached chapter fifteen and I dunno if I'm even halfway through, this is officially the longest story I've ever written (even if I've only written four, so far lol). I'm thrilled with all the praise and reviews I've received so far and it puts a skip in my step to know you're all enjoying it so much. Fingers crossed the subsequent chapters entertain you all as much. So, here's chapter fifteen-enjoy!
Chapter fifteen
A silver lion reared up on hind legs, surrounded by a sea of onyx. Its tongue whipped out between heavy jaws as a foreleg gestured forward magisterially, its tail spread out behind like a mercurial flame. Below the lion sat three trefoils and above was an elegantly sculpted hand. The Cullen crest was a thing of beauty and I studied it intensely as Carlisle's ring sat in my palm.
"It was a joint effort," the vampire beside me explained. "I had been thinking of a way to show the members of the coven how much I appreciated their company and loyalty, but the idea of a crest wasn't actually mine. I thought it was a wonderful notion, though and we all added our own design ideas into the mix. That-" He pointed to the ring. "-is the finished result."
"It's lovely," I said, turning the piece of jewellery about in my hand. "Do the others have rings as well?"
"No. Each person chose a different piece to wear it on. I have the ring, whilst Alice has a necklace and Jasper wears a leather cuff."
"Do you all have to wear them?"
"There's no obligation to, but it means a lot that they all wanted to."
I smiled at the happiness in his tone and a part of me wished I could have met him whilst the other members of his group were still around. If they were anything like the trio I already knew, they couldn't be bad people. Although I wanted to ask more about them, I noticed how few details he gave about them and decided I would leave it for another time. Taking one last look at the ring, I handed it back to Carlisle, before I ended up stealing it. He accepted it with a smile, before sliding it back onto his right ring finger.
Looking through the windscreen, I saw a sign signalling that Washington University was only a mile away. It took roughly six hours to arrive, but hadn't felt anywhere near that long and I'd only needed to stop once for a 'human moment', my codename for a toilet break earning a chuckle from Carlisle. I'd learnt a tremendous amount about him during the journey, but had a feeling we'd only scratched the surface. After his emotional life story, he elaborated a little on his time with the Volturi coven. They'd sounded like a dangerous lot and I hoped never to meet a single member. I also enjoyed listening to him describe all the places he had lived during his long life, especially when he got to the part about moving to the Olympic Peninsula for the first time. It was the most bizarre, yet most thrilling history lesson I'd ever sat through.
"The hotel is only a few minutes' drive from the University," Carlisle commented. "And, you'll be glad to know, fits well within your budget."
"Good," I replied, the excitement building with every passing minute. I couldn't wait to see Angela, see her work and tell her just how proud of her I really was. I hoped she didn't mind me bringing three people along with me. I mean, they were pretty wealthy and might be persuaded to even buy a piece or two if they liked what they saw enough.
I saw Alice's car, before I noticed the hotel. We approached it from the back and she was leaning against the yellow vehicle in the guests' parking lot when we arrived. Although the bright weather of Forks had followed us, the sun was positioned behind the building, meaning there would be no 'glitter ball' show for today. Carlisle parked his car beside hers and, before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt, she was at my door, opening it for me.
"What took you so long?" she asked. "We've been waiting here for almost half an hour."
"Some of us get cramp if we sit down too long," I remarked as I climbed out of the car.
"You girls go ahead," drawled Jasper. "We'll get the bags."
Normally, I'd insist on carrying mine myself, rather than impose the task on another, but his request simply held too much gentlemanly charm for me to resist. I hated to admit it, but, despite my slowly waning wariness of him, I found him ever-so-slightly sexy at times. Alright, maybe I found him very sexy most of the time. I knew the typical vampire trait of otherworldly beauty played a part in that, but so did the way he carried himself. He never slouched, scuffed his feet along the floor or tried to act cool like so many humans his physical age did. The accent didn't hurt, either. He had seemed so stiff and aloof during our first meeting, which had put me off at first, but, now that I knew him better and he'd started to relax around me, I realised just how affable and charming he could be.
Alice and I led the way to the entrance, followed a little way behind by the other two. The receptionist was a young blonde, with a dolled up face that would have probably looked far prettier without half the makeup she'd plastered on. Her expression when she saw Alice made me realise how I'd actually looked when I first met the pixie beside me. The blonde's eyes widened in wonder and it took her a moment to find her voice. The arrival of the two Adonises behind me only made things worse. I swear she was literally drooling at the sight of them and I empathised greatly with her, especially as she had to deal with all three vampires at once. Luckily, I'd been introduced to them one at a time.
"H-hi-" She cleared her throat and started again. "Hi. W-welcome to the, um, Merchant Hotel."
I wondered if this was a standard greeting for Carlisle and co. If it was, I didn't envy them. I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle such constant scrutiny all the time. Dr Cullen approached the desk, pulling the wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket.
"Good afternoon," he greeted. "We have three rooms booked under Cullen."
The receptionist reluctantly tore her eyes off him to check the computer screen on her right. After following the usual checking-in rigmarole, we were handed three swipe card door keys and Carlisle politely declined the offer of help with the luggage. Our rooms were on the third floor-two single rooms for Carlisle and I, with a double for Alice and Jasper. My room was closest as we exited the elevator and I took my bag from Jasper, thanking him, before Carlisle handed me my room key. His room was opposite mine, but the lovebirds were a few doors down the hall. Alice led the way, calling back that she'd see me soon.
As the door closed behind me, I got my first look at my accommodation. It surprised me how nice the room was as I hadn't expected to be able to get much with the budget I gave Carlisle, but the room was light, airy and simply, but elegantly decorated. It wasn't huge, but we were only here for one night, so it didn't bother me at all. I threw my backpack onto the bed, before heading for the bathroom to have another 'human moment'. My hands had only just finished drying when there was a knock at the door. Alice wore her customary dazzling smile as it opened, two large bags dangling from her extended arm, with another hanging from the crook of her arm.
"Um, hi," I greeted, a little unsurely. "What are those?"
"For you," she answered, dropping the bags into my hands as she glided into the room. "For tonight."
"But, I already brought clothes," I said, motioning towards my bag.
She immediately set about unzipping it and pulling all my garments out, laying them on the bed for inspection. The moment she spotted my black trousers and top, she took in a sharp intake of breath. Performing a slow corkscrew turn to face me, I saw displeasure plastered all over her gorgeous face.
"Isabella, if this nonsense continues, we may not be able to remain friends."
"What?" I asked, eyes widening at her severe expression.
"You're planning to wear your work clothes for an elegant night out?"
"W-well...they're all I have!" I protested. To be honest, I'd thought they were perfectly fine for tonight, but should have known better. According to Alice, when it came to fashion, trusting my instincts was a real no-no.
"Then it's a good job I brought those," she said, pointing to the bags I carried. She gathered all the clothes on the bed and stuffed them back into the bag, before placing it on the floor beside her. She motioned for me to come closer and I complied. Taking the carrier bags from me, I was instructed to take a shower immediately. I wanted to know what was in the bags, so refused to do so until she told me, but it turned out her stubbornness was far superior to mine. In the end, I reluctantly did as I was told, sulking the entire time.
As I washed my hair, the panic started. She'd obviously bought me an outfit, but what the Hell was she going to make me wear? Never had I seen Alice look anything less than immaculate and that should have comforted me, but it didn't. That was her look and it suited her down to a T, but, I was a plain Jane, a simple girl who rated comfort far above looks. Converse, t-shirts and jeans-that was me. Heels, dresses and glamour were three ingredients for disaster as far as I was concerned and I dreaded finding out what awaited me back in that room. A myriad of over-the-top outfits ran through my mind and it wasn't long before I considered missing Angela's exhibition altogether to spend the whole evening in the bathroom, just to escape Alice's makeover.
A knock on the door cut through the despair.
"You can't hide in there forever," said my stylist and I knew she was right. I'd just have to 'suck it up', like she'd told me to on my birthday a few weeks ago.
Wrapping a large towel around myself, I left the bathroom and saw Alice stood beside the bed. On it, an assortment of items was neatly displayed and my initial reaction was relief. A pair of black tights was the first thing to catch my eye, beside which lay a simple long-sleeved black dress. I winced a little at the length, as it seemed kind of short to me and wondered if it would even cover my ass. Still, it was nothing like the horrors I had imagined. Next to the dress was a navy blue coat and, on the floor in front of Alice was a pair of delicate black ballet pumps. Although the clothing was much dressier than I was used to, it pretty much fit my kind of style and I felt a little guilty, wondering how I could have had so little faith in her.
"You like?"
"I do, actually," I said, trying not to let too much of my surprise show, as I moved closer to get a better look. Then my eyes fell on the articles above the clothing and the fear returned. "Makeup?" I asked, my eyes glowing with the terror clutching my heart.
"Oh, good God, woman," Alice cried in exasperation. "Anyone would think I was holding a gun to your head. Yes, it's makeup, and it's perfectly harmless."
"But, Alice, I-"
"Ah-ah-ah, sshh." She placed a cool finger to my lips. "This is non-negotiable and I promise you will love the results. Now, be a darling and get me another towel from the bathroom so I can start on your hair."
I knew I wouldn't win, so, with shoulders slumped in hopelessness, I acquiesced. Opposite the bed was a small desk and chair and the latter had been pulled out for me to sit on. I parked myself down and Alice immediately set to work, starting with running a couple of products through my damp hair, before attacking it with the blow dryer. At first, she moved at a human pace, but pretty soon sped up, not quite reaching her vampire speed, but coming pretty close. What surprised me most was that, despite the pace at which she moved, not once did she snag or yank my hair. In fact, it felt rather nice. Soon, the hair was done and she moved on to my face. She had to move slower this time, as I would never have been able to open and close my eyes or mouth fast enough for her to apply the makeup, otherwise. The mascara was probably the worst part. I was terrified of being poked in the eye and each one insisted on watering furiously every time the wand came near. Success was slow, but we got there in the end. Product after product was carefully applied and I could probably only name less than half of what she used. Looking at women dolled up in the street, I'd always imagined it would feel so heavy to have all that stuff on their faces, but it felt like I was barely wearing anything.
Pretty soon, Alice took a few steps back to assess her handiwork. I felt extremely self-conscious, so kept my eyes fixed on the clothes adorning the bed as she gazed upon me.
"I think we're done," she declared, a note of pride in her voice as she spoke. "Now, for the clothes. I didn't get you any underwear, so you'll have to make do with whatever you brought."
Make do, like it was such a trial for me to wear anything I'd picked out for myself. I rolled my eyes and rummaged through my backpack to find a bra and pair of knickers. I was about to head for the bathroom to put them on when she stopped me.
"You are forbidden to look in any mirrors until you're completely dressed." Seeing my reaction, she started laughing. "Stop panicking, I'll turn around."
She span to face the wall and I spent a few moments simply gawping at her. I was beginning to understand Carlisle's point about sometimes having difficulty handling even one Alice. I decided to put my knickers on underneath the towel, before turning my back to hers as I got ready to put on the bra.
"Oh, you won't need that, by the way," she remarked and my head whipped round to see if she was peeking. She didn't look as though she'd moved, but that meant nothing, given the speed I knew she was capable of. Facing the bed once more, I reached for the tights first and pulled them up, before reaching for the dress and, as I stepped into the garment, I realised why the bra wasn't necessary; the dress had a low cut back that reached all the way down to my waist. Every insecurity I'd ever had about myself resurfaced in that single moment and I was reaching for the hem of the dress to pull it back off when I heard a gasp. I looked over my shoulder to see Alice staring at me, her hands clasped together in front of the wide grin spreading across her face.
"Put on the shoes, put on the shoes," she demanded, pretty much hopping up and down in her excitement.
"Alice, I don't feel comfortable in this," I admitted.
"I don't care; you look stunning, now put on the shoes."
"Alice,"
"Oh, for Heaven's sake, I'll do it!" She skipped forward and grabbed the pumps, pushing me gently so that I was forced to perch on the edge of the bed as she placed each shoe on my foot. Then she returned to her previous position and motioned for me to stand. I did. She made a circular motion with her finger and I did a couple of awkward twirls to give her a full three hundred and sixty degree view. "It looks even better than I imagined," she sighed, tilting her head as she marvelled at her own creation. She came forward once more and fussed with my hair a little, before moving away again. "Now, go look in the mirror."
I pursed my lips, wanting to protest, but knew it wouldn't do any good. To be honest, I felt a little miserable at that moment as the dress, which had looked perfectly fine on the bed, made me feel so self-conscious, I was terrified to leave the room. I'd worried about the length and felt it was now justified as it finished miles above the knee and I was all too aware of the air hitting my bare back. Alice could see my raging discomfort and she took a few steps to stand before me, taking my hands in hers.
"Bella," she said, all excitement gone as her eyes fixed on mine. "I know these aren't the sort of clothes you'd normally wear, but, trust me when I say that you look gorgeous right now. You haven't seen it yet, so you don't believe me, but one look in that mirror and I know you will."
She led me over to the bathroom door, where a full length mirror hung and I was situated in front of it. My jaw literally dropped when I met my reflection. I looked...like me. Well, obviously not exactly like me, more like an airbrushed, perfect version of me. Alice had gone for a pretty, but natural style and it fit me as perfectly as her own style fit her. My makeup was flawless, but subtle and everything she did served only to enhance my features, rather than cover anything up. The same went for my hair. It hung over my shoulders and down my back in soft, gentle waves and looked like it belonged to a model in a shampoo commercial. As my eyes moved downwards, I got my first look at myself in the clothing and it followed the same mantra as the hair and makeup. The dress rested several inches above the knee, but it still remained decent and I turned to check the back as best I could. Much of the skin was covered by my hair, but, even if it had been pinned up, the effect wouldn't have looked over-the-top at all. The flat shoes promoted the modest vibe and the overall effect was one of elegance and simplicity, whilst ensuring I wouldn't be the centre of any attention.
That was the moment I decided never to doubt Alice again. She was right, I did love the results. I turned and reached out to hug her.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm sorry for panicking so much. You did an amazing job."
"I know," she replied, pulling back to look at me again. "Aren't you glad I didn't let you wear your original outfit?"
"I am," I laughed and released her.
"Now," she began, opening the door. "I've got to get myself ready, so wait here and don't you dare do anything other than sit down whilst I'm gone. I'll be back in a few minutes."
With that, she left and the door clicked shut. Twenty minutes later, Alice returned, telling me to get my coat. For a moment, I couldn't speak. She looked incredible! A full length black dress wrapped around her lithe, petite form and glistening silver jewellery hung from her neck, wrists and ears. Her dark hair was no longer spiky, but smoothed down in a neat side parting and tucked behind each ear. I suddenly felt silly for ever thinking I'd attract any kind of attention to myself, let alone unwanted. With her, as well as the other two vampires, in the room, even Angelina Jolie would've had trouble standing out.
"Got everything?" Alice checked as I shut my room door.
"Yep," I replied, tapping my coat pockets.
We walked to the elevator as Alice explained the other two were waiting for us in the lobby. I could feel my face beginning to redden as we got nearer and nearer to seeing them. I began to wrap the coat tighter around myself, but, before I could do it up, Alice batted my hands away.
"Behave," she warned. "Or I take the coat away."
I behaved.
The two men were stood near the reception desk and the same blonde who had checked us in was unabashedly gawking at them. Not that I could blame her; those two blew any supermodel right out of the water. Jasper's honey curls had been tamed a little, the ends brushing against the open collar of his black shirt. Smart dark jeans covered his bottom half and I knew Alice would be the envy of every single straight woman we crossed paths with that night. Then I saw Carlisle and forgot all about Jasper. He was dressed in a pair of charcoal grey trousers, the matching jacket draped over his left arm and his torso was covered with a pale blue shirt. As I took in his swept back golden hair, the alabaster skin and baby blue top, something stirred in my brain, but I had difficulty figuring out exactly what it was. I tried to work it out; a feeling of familiarity or déjà vu, perhaps. I wasn't sure why, but I felt it had something to do with the colour combination. Realising I was probably staring as stupidly as the receptionist, I gave myself a mental shake and followed Alice to join them.
"Twenty two minutes?" Jasper remarked, looking at the silver watch on his wrist. "That must be a record, Ms. Brandon."
"Perfection cannot be rushed, Mr. Whitlock," she retorted coolly, looping her arm through his. "But, I see you didn't feel the need to make an effort."
"Perfection doesn't require so much work for some of us." His comment earned him an elbow in the ribs.
I smiled, enjoying their banter, before Carlisle stood beside me. "Perhaps we should take a separate car," he murmured to me. "Things could get ugly."
I laughed as we all made our way outside, to where his Mercedes was waiting. Carlisle and Jasper occupied the front seats, whilst Alice and I sat in the back. The drive to the university was short, taking only ten minutes at the very most. When we arrived, there was a huge sign on the side of the building advertising the exhibition and the entrance was surrounded by arriving guests. Looking at the way some of them were dressed, I wondered if I may even be a little underdressed. Carlisle parked and I attempted to exit the vehicle as gracefully as possible. Sadly, compared to the elegant creatures accompanying me, I was sure my efforts more closely resembled a stumbling toddler. Alice and Jasper went ahead, hand in hand and Carlisle offered his arm out to me. I couldn't help but smile at the gentlemanly gesture as I put my arm through his. As we headed for the entrance, I heard his sleek voice address me.
"I must say you look lovely this evening."
I ducked my head as I blushed furiously at the compliment. "Thanks," I eventually mumbled. "It was all Alice, though."
Before he could say any more, a suited young man greeted us and asked to see our invitations. I moved forward and handed him mine, explaining that the other three were all with me. He asked my name, before finding it on his list and crossing it off. With a smile, he let us through, offering directions to the room holding the exhibit and wishing us a good evening.
The directions weren't really necessary, as all we had to do was follow the line of other guests making their way down the hall. At the end, a large pair of double doors was held open and we entered a wide...well, room wasn't a big enough word to describe it. I reckoned every room in my house could have fit in the exhibition space side by side. Boards covered in pictures of all shapes and sizes were scattered about the place and, at the far end was a long table laden with food and drinks. There were quite a few people already milling around and I scanned the crowd for Angela. I doubted she'd be hard to spot, but couldn't see her anywhere and hoped cold feet hadn't got the best of her. Noting my efforts, Carlisle, who must have remembered what she looked like, started looking for her too. Alice asked me to describe her so that she and Jasper could help, but the search was cut short when someone emerged from the crowd, calling my name.
"Bella!"
I turned to my left to see Angela's tall figure race towards me and her arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace.
"Oh, I'm so glad you came," she said in my ear as we rocked from side to side.
I pulled back and beamed. "I told you I would. This is amazing!"
"Terrifying, you mean," she corrected. "I didn't think so many would show up."
"But, that's a good thing, Ange," I reminded, before her eyes fell on the people behind me. I turned to see where she was looking, but her expression made it clear she'd found the Cullens. "I brought some people with me," I explained, manoeuvring her closer to them. Up until this point, I'd always considered Angela to be one of the most stunning people I'd ever known, but, next to the vampires, even she paled in comparison. I could tell she was a little overwhelmed, so went ahead with introductions. "Angela, this is Jasper, Alice and Carlisle," I said, pointing to each in turn.
Carlisle was the first to offer his hand in greeting and I wondered if she remembered him. He did save her life, after all. She started shaking his hand and her brow creased a little. "Are you..." she began and I could see the cogs of her brain working as she looked at his face. "...the doctor who was there at that car crash?"
"Yes, I was," he answered.
"I thought I recognised you," she smiled as she ended the handshake. "I'm sorry; I never did get to thank you."
Carlisle nodded in thanks, giving the usual about how thanks weren't necessary, before stepping back to allow the other two to greet her. Once all the pleasantries had concluded, she turned back to me. "I've gotta go and say hi to a few others, but I'll be back soon for a catch-up." She looked at my three companions. "Thanks for coming tonight and I hope you find at least one thing that sparks your interest."
I rolled my eyes at her self-depreciation.
"I'm sure we will," Carlisle replied.
Angela didn't say anything else, but was smiling and I could tell she was reluctant to leave. Whether it was due to my presence, or theirs', I was undecided.
000
Almost an hour later, I was stood with Angela in the corner of the room. It had taken her a while to find a free moment to locate me again-I guess she was proving popular. Her face was flushed and her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she talked and I couldn't help feeding off her exhilaration.
"You've gotta explain to me, though," she said, changing the subject. "Just how you ended up hanging around with the Cullens."
Being originally from Forks, Angela was all too aware of the local gossip, although her residency at the university meant she wasn't quite in the loop as much anymore.
"Well, Alice works at the dress shop in Port Angeles near the bookshop," I explained. "So we started spending our lunch breaks together and it went from there."
"So, what exactly are they to each other?" she asked. "I've heard so many stories; I don't think anyone in Forks actually knows. You know, my mom reckons they're all sleeping together."
"Seriously?" I laughed. "Well, only two of them are-Alice and Jasper. She and Carlisle are cousins. I'm pretty sure they're not sleeping together, though."
"Ha, I wouldn't blame her if she was," Angela gushed. "That's one doctor I wouldn't mind giving me an examination."
"You've got it bad if you're condoning incest for him," I teased.
"Who wouldn't? Just look at him!"
I followed the prompt and started scanning the room, but didn't find him.
"So, you hang around with them a lot?"
"I guess so," I replied, turning back to her. "Mainly during the past month or so. I started hanging around with Alice first, but have been getting to know the others quite well, too. They appear all aloof and unreachable at first, but they're actually really nice."
"I'm sure they are," Angela remarked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "If I were you, I'd be getting to know that doctor a whole lot better ASAP."
"Oh, he's got a queue going from here to Forks," I chuckled. "And that's just the nurses!"
"Enough to inspire a career change, isn't it?" she sighed, tilting her head as her lips curved in a private smile. She was off in fantasy land, right then, so I allowed her a few moments to enjoy it.
Before we could begin any new conversation, someone came over and asked to speak to Angela. Shaken out of her daydream, she gave me an apologetic look, saying she'd try to find me later, but I shoved her away, insisting she enjoy herself. Alone, I realised how warm the room was getting and knew I couldn't hide beneath the coat for much longer. With my hotel key and purse stuffed in the pockets, I didn't want to risk leaving it on the coat stand by the entrance, so settled for draping the garment over my arm as I began to stroll around the exhibit and actually observe the work displayed.
Some of the work was incredible, with one photographer having blown up black and white pictures of various landscapes to an immense size, before picking out sections of colour. It was a simple, but very striking effect. A couple of the pieces were very much not my taste, though. One 'artist' had opted for insects as their chosen subject and I couldn't even bring myself to look at the magnified photo of a spider's leg. As I rounded a corner, I saw a familiar figure standing in front of a couple of long, tall boards. I couldn't help the smile crossing my features as I thought of Angela's comments about Carlisle and strolled towards him. He was paying particular attention to a collection of pictures that each focused on a different part of someone's face. He heard me coming, of course, but didn't turn round. When I stopped beside him, he finally spoke.
"They're very good, aren't they?" he said, his butterscotch eyes never leaving the artwork.
I considered his comment as I began studying the pictures myself. A soft glowing effect had been applied to each and a subtle rainbow of colours was painted over them, adding just enough colour to spark interest, without detracting attention from the subject itself. A name beneath them informed me this was Angela's collection and it wasn't just bias that made me appreciate the work. She really was good. I especially liked the one of a woman's eye, which paid particular attention to the iris. Beside it was a picture of someone's smile and I couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity it arose in me. I'd seen that smile before, I was sure. I wracked my brain, trying to think of all the women I knew, but came up with nothing.
"Any of it look familiar?" Carlisle asked and the way he looked at me made it suddenly click. It was me! The eye, the smile, the side profile of a jaw, chin and bottom lip were all mine and she had blown them up, putting them on display for all to see! When had she taken them? To be honest, it could have been at any point during my time with her as that damn camera was permanently dangling from her neck.
"What the-" I breathed, indignance and shock battling for supremacy. "Where is she?" My hair whipped across my face as my head span to scan the room for Angela. "I'm gonna find her and I'm gonna kill her!"
I started to walk, but was stopped by Carlisle grabbing me by the elbows and bringing me back to stand in front of him. "No you're not," he instructed, holding me in place. "Don't do anything rash that will ruin her evening. Murder can wait. For now, calm down, stand back-" He moved us a couple of steps backwards. "-and try appreciating what she's done. I think you'll find they're actually very impressive."
I was too obstinate at first to listen to what he was saying. I wanted to chew my friend out for using my pictures without even a warning beforehand. I mean, she could have at least asked. I might've grumbled and complained, but, if I knew how desperately she wanted to use them, I would have eventually relented...probably.
"Don't be stubborn," his voice requested quietly in my ear, clearly sensing my resistance.
After a frustrated release of breath, I let my eyes fall upon the photos of myself again. Okay, so maybe they weren't so bad and my funk was just the product of embarrassment, but I still planned on giving her a good piece of my mind when I next saw her. I could hear Carlisle's chuckle behind me and was aware of his palms still resting against my elbows. The coolness of his skin seeped through the fabric of my dress and I wondered how Angela hadn't said anything about his skin temperature when she shook his hand. Probably too busy staring focusing on the rest of him, I reasoned.
"Alright," I relented, my shoulders slumping a little in defeat. "They're...okay, I guess."
"Well, I think they're very good. In fact, I was planning on purchasing a few."
My gaze whipped round to face him, eyebrows raised in alarm.
"Oh, yes. Before we leave, I'm going to have a word with her and see if she can enlarge one to fit the entire length of our kitchen wall."
"I'm about to become the only human who's ever beaten a vampire to death," I warned and his soft, musical laughter rang through the air.
"You are far too easy to wind up, Bella." The laughter slowly trailed off as he gauged my reaction and saw I wasn't seeing the funny side. "Is it really so bad to get a little bit of attention every now and then?"
"Yes," I answered, without thinking.
"Why?" he asked and all the humour had been put aside as he scrutinised me. I could tell the speed of my answer had surprised him. Did it really matter why, though? Just because he was probably used to everyone whispering and staring at him, didn't mean the rest of us were.
"I don't know," I replied, unable to actually think of any answer other than simply not liking it. "It's just...it's not me. I'm not used to any of that. I'm not a show-off, there's nothing particularly memorable about me and I'm very happy just sitting in the corner, observing everyone else."
"Hmm," was his response, which I was unable to decipher.
His hands were still holding my arms, but I found his presence behind me quite comforting. Neither of us spoke for a while and, not wanting to look at myself anymore, I lowered my gaze to a smaller couple of pictures that focused on landscape. They were in full vivid colour and I recognised it as a view of Forks' skyline at dusk. It was a stormy day and the pattern the ominous clouds made in the sky was really quite beautiful. Why couldn't Angela have just displayed more like that?
"You're wrong, you know," Carlisle spoke softly.
I looked back over my shoulder at him, wondering what he was talking about.
"What you said just now," he elucidated. "About there being nothing memorable about you. You were wrong. I doubt any of we three would forget you in a hurry."
I blinked in surprise, unable to think of a reply to what he'd just said. For a start, I failed to see what I'd done to leave such a lasting impression, but I also wondered if it was just lip service. I didn't think Carlisle was the type to do that, though. At least, I hoped he wasn't. From what I'd experienced so far, if he said something, he meant it, but did my friendship with Alice really mean that much to them all? I couldn't understand it, as it felt like she was putting far more effort into it than I could. After all, she was the one constantly buying me things and arranging surprise birthday parties. If I had the means, I'd return the favour, but my current circumstances tended to put a dampener on such extravagances. Tonight was all I had been able to manage, so far.
I was vaguely aware of something gently rubbing against my arms and looked down to see his thumb absently running back and forth over the fabric of the sleeve. A hiccup in the stomach told me just how much I actually liked it and my blusher was quickly rendered useless by the blood rushing to my face. Was he aware of what he was doing? I had no idea when it had started and made the grave error of looking up into his face. Thankfully, the gods of dignity were on my side, as his gaze was still fixed ahead. I dreaded to think what my 'open' face was revealing at that point.
The moment was broken by Alice as she and Jasper approached. Carlisle's hands dropped from my arms and I instantly lamented their absence.
"I'm sorry, but we have to go," she said, looking apologetic, but also anxious.
"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked.
"Jasper's feeling a little...uncomfortable," she explained and my eyes went straight to him. His posture was stiff and his jaw tight. His clenched fists were held behind his back and I could see the tendons in his neck pulsating as though he was grinding his teeth.
Carlisle turned to me, but I spoke first. "You guys go to the car and I'll find Angela to explain," I said, already putting my arms into the coat sleeves.
"I'm sorry," Alice apologised, but I dismissed it by motioning towards the exit.
"Don't be, just go," I instructed, before beginning my hunt for Angela.
It took a while to find her and she wasn't happy that I had to leave, but hoped I'd be feeling better soon. I felt bad for lying, but knew it was for a very valid reason. Alice had said before that Jasper sometimes had trouble with his restraint and I could imagine being in a large crowd like this would exacerbate any struggles with willpower. I just hoped he'd be okay.
All three were waiting in the car for me when I exited the university. The seating arrangements had changed from before, with Jasper taking the back seat beside Alice, meaning I had to sit in front with Carlisle. My seatbelt was barely secured when the Mercedes sped off, taking us back towards the hotel. Nobody spoke during the short journey, but my eyes kept flicking up towards the rear view mirror, watching as Jasper clenched and unclenched his hands, whilst Alice stroked his hair and whispered into his ear. Just how close had he come to losing it? A flicker of concern for my own safety entered my mind, but I knew I wouldn't have been allowed in the car with Jasper if he was that far gone.
Once we reached the hotel, Jasper and Alice exited the vehicle and entered the hotel at vampire speed, leaving me alone with Carlisle.
"Will he be okay?" I asked as I climbed out of the car.
"Yes. Jasper always makes sure to warn us, before things get too bad and, if he is unable to, Alice can easily spot any warning signs. He just needs some time to calm down. He hasn't been in an enclosed space amongst a crowd that large for a while, but he did very well, I think."
I bit the inside of my cheek, suddenly feeling a little guilty for making him go to the exhibition. Had I known how hard it would be for him, I would have either asked someone else, or gone alone.
"Bella," Carlisle said, able to read my expression loud and clear, as usual. "Stop it."
I knew it was useless to argue and the apologising ban hadn't been lifted yet, so I settled for grumbling about perfecting my poker face, instead. Carlisle heard that and I saw the smirk on his face as we made our way, at human pace, back to the hotel.
A/N: These chapters just keep getting longer and longer, but, as none of you have complained, it can't be a bad thing :) In the words of the great Arnie: "I'll be back!"