Right Through Me

Chapter 3: Bonfire

Bella decided to linger for a few days.

She rarely went on vacation anyway, much less out of town. She realized that while Forks was a gloomy little pocket in Washington, it was starting to grow on her. Being in the town made her feel like she was stuck in another time and world, away from everything that worried her. Mike. Swan Markets. Charlie.

She was at peace, and she needed peace.

The issue over MCB was a whole different story, though, but she found it strangely easy to accept the company's rejection. It was all she'd expected, anyway. While she still believed Edward Masen was an arrogant piece of shit, it wouldn't be right to say that everything he said was unfounded.

It was a wake-up call.

As for that interaction with Carlisle…She purposely avoided any thought of him. It was dangerous.

Sighing, Bella pulled up her car in the parking lot at edge of the beach. She'd merely followed the directions she was given by the companion she was planning to meet.

It was only a bit later than noon, but the weather made it feel like it was already nearing nightfall, and the cold was biting––but even the cold was growing on her. She stepped outside the Coupe and zipped up her windbreaker. She took in a deep breath through her nose, and released the calming sea breeze through a sigh.

Not even five minutes later, an unfamiliar voice greeted behind her, "Bella Swan?"

The man was very tall, at least six-foot-two. He also looked like some kind of minor league weightlifter, by the size of his arms. His skin was perfectly tanned, like a surfer's. To Bella's surprise, however, his face––which was framed by cropped, raven-black hair––betrayed his true age; there was a slight boyish roundness to it, and she realized he couldn't be older than twenty-three. It was a handsome face, regardless. Cute, as his cousin had said.

He smiled and held out a large hand, which she enthusiastically shook. "Jacob Black," he introduced. "I hope Forks has been treating you well."

"It definitely has," Bella assured him. "I hope it isn't a bother for you to show me around. You didn't skip work for me today, did you?"

He shook his head. "Friday's a free day for me. Anyway, I hope you're hungry."

Jacob led her to an open-air restaurant at the side of the beach. It was a small, simple establishment, and Bella noticed the waiters and a few of the seated customers wave in her companion's direction when they stepped inside.

"You a regular?" she asked as she sat on the wooden mesh chair Jacob had pulled out politely for her at the corner of the restaurant.

"I guess so," he chuckled, sitting across from her and raising a hand to call a waiter's attention. "I'm here every weekend to surf."

Figures, Bella thought, smiling to herself.

"Hey, Jake!" the very young, baby-faced waiter greeted when he arrived at their table. He patted Jacob on the back then turned to Bella, a curious glint in his eye. "And who's this lovely lady?"

"Seth, this is Bella," Jacob introduced for her.

Bella waved. "Tourist."

"Wow. We don't get a lot of those, that's for sure." Seth laughed, then pulled out his notepad. "You allergic to anything, Bella?"

She shook her head, flipping through the menu. "You have something to suggest?"

"We have some fresh halibut, just came in a couple of hours ago," he said cheerfully. "Would baked work for you?"

Bella smiled and closed the menu. "Surprise me, Seth. And I'd also like a couple of MCB beers, if you have them." She turned to Jacob, who was grinning widely at her. "Are surfers allowed to drink?"

"When offered," he shrugged. He turned to Seth. "Make the second beer a Long Island instead, will you?"

Bella stared at Jacob curiously as Seth moved to prepare their orders. "Not a beer guy?"

Jacob hummed in thought for a moment, before saying, "Just not an MCB guy."

"Oh," she said, though not completely surprised. She knew her hypothesis about small town folks not liking new beer was right. Still, she pressed, "There's a new factory here though, right? Have you heard about that?"

"Of course I have," he said, his tone suddenly bitter. His eyes were fixed on his large hands on the table as he spoke. "I worked there."

Bella's jaw immediately dropped on its own accord. "Y––Oh." She cleared her throat and tried to collect herself. "How was it?"

He pursed his lips then lifted his gaze to meet hers. "I mean, I only stayed a couple of weeks, so I don't know if it counts. It was an internship on supply management, and since it sounded really good on paper, I was ecstatic when I got in. The HR was pretty nice, too. Solid benefits and whatnot."

The ever-cheerful Alice, she thought. "But…?"

He bit his lip. "You might think of me as entitled. I know you're a CEO and all––Jessica's boss, right?"

"Don't worry about that," Bella insisted. "I want to know."

He sighed. "It's the owners. They don't sit well with me."

"You mean…Edward Masen?" She pretended she wasn't sure of the name.

Jacob nodded grimly. "The other one, too. Though it was mostly that prick Masen. Don't get me wrong, I get pricks, I deal with them almost everyday. Working with them's not a problem. But those two are just…strange." His hands began moving animatedly as he spoke. "They hover. A lot. Imagine, the two millionaire business owners watching me do accounting at my desk, scrutinizing my every move. And when I make a mistake…" He groaned exasperatedly. "I was the fucking intern, for God's sake."

"They were hard on you?" Bella said slowly, not even noticing when Seth arrived with their drinks and set them on the table.

Jacob sighed and took a small sip from his Long Island iced tea. "I could've stayed on longer to finish my contract. But…Masen said something."

"What, did he swear at you? Jacob, I can help you report––"

"No, that's the thing," he cut off, a strange incredulous smile on his face. "The last straw wasn't him biting my head off. Quite the opposite actually. He said…that it was okay." He paused, then looked up to meet Bella's eyes again. "That he didn't have any expectations for me, anyway. Like he stopped caring whether I did my job right or not."

"I don't understand."

"They stopped hovering after a while," he continued. "Even if I knew I still wasn't getting anything right, they stopped caring. Instead of berating me, they would just say it's okay. Even though I knew it wasn't. That's when I knew––they were just waiting for me to show myself out. It was the most condescending shit ever, so of course I left as soon as I had the chance."

Strange, Bella thought. At first glance, she'd think it'd make him happier if the owners stopped hovering. But…Jacob looked sincere, and still clearly bitter about the whole situation.

There was a strange culture over at MCB, she supposed.

"Anyway," he sighed, folding his hands on the table. "That's my story. I'm better now, of course. I realized the uppity corporate world just wasn't for me."

Bella nodded slowly, taking a swig of her beer. She opened her mouth to change the topic of the conversation, but was interrupted by her own phone loudly ringing. She pulled it from her pocket and instantly grimaced at the caller's ID.

After a split-second decision, she looked up to Jacob apologetically. "I'll have to take this real quick, alright?"

Jacob shrugged, sipping his drink.

Bella stepped outside to face the shore, leaning against the outer wooden fence of the restaurant. She heaved a deep sigh before accepting the call. "Mike."

"Babe," his voice cracked. "Why are you in Forks?"

She widened her eyes in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

"I––I called your office when you wouldn't pick up," he said. "I also dropped by the house, and you weren't there. When are you coming home?"

"I don't know," Bella admitted, tucking her free hand in her pocket. "I'm just taking a break here, enjoying the fresh air and all. But I'll probably be back soon."

Mike hummed at the other end. After a few long seconds of silence, he quietly asked, "Can I come home?"

Bella took her time before responding. To be honest, she had no idea what she wanted. If she could, she'd choose to linger in Forks forever, stuck in this strange wet limbo, away from her responsibilities. Even from her own beloved fiancé.

But she knew that wasn't part of the choices. She'd made…commitments.

"Go ahead," Bella decided, hanging up.

She walked back into the restaurant and found their table filled with more than just the baked halibut she'd ordered; there was also steamed crab, sautéed pork, mashed potatoes, and so much more. She raised an eyebrow at Jacob, who was already digging in to his own portion of the halibut.

He grinned cheekily. "Like Seth said, we don't get a lot of tourists. You'll need the full Forks experience."

Bella appreciated Jacob. He didn't ask a lot of questions, as most of the people around her age did––God, am I that old? she thought. No, Jacob was a sweet boy with a good heart, and just genuinely wanted her to have a good time. Even if they were practically strangers.

After the beach restaurant, Jacob took her to the town museum. It wasn't very fancy, as she'd expected from the general rustic, worn-down theme of almost every establishment she'd passed. Apparently, the town had a few mystic legends involving vampires and werewolves, which Bella found pretty interesting. Though maybe it was only because Jacob was a great storyteller.

Bella lent him the keys to the Coupe, much to his very apparent enthusiasm. She was getting tired of driving, anyway.

"You have a license, right?" she said, closing the door to the passenger seat.

Jacob adjusted the seat––she chuckled as she momentarily saw him scrunched uncomfortably too close to the wheel, as her frame was much smaller than his. He pursed his lips, saying, "Well, technically. I drive a motorbike back home."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Not a scratch, Jake. Or I'll have to take you back to Seattle and work for me to pay up your debt."

Jacob feigned a grimace. "Oh, no. Anything but a free job in this shit economy."

In fairness, Jacob was a smooth driver. Probably even smoother than she was; she'd always been told she was too impatient and shifty on the road. Her temper didn't help, naturally, so she'd ended up getting into trouble a couple of times before.

Jacob snorted when she mentioned it. "I wouldn't want to get on your bad side, that's for sure."

"Good. Don't. I'd hate to lose my tour guide." She looked out the window and frowned as she noticed the forest was thickening on the opposite sides of the road, and she couldn't see any buildings or houses nearby. "Speaking of…Where the hell are you taking me?"

"That's the thing, Bella, I'm actually a serial killer."

Bella stared at him blankly.

Jacob couldn't hold his serious expression for too long. "God, you didn't actually believe that did you?"

"Of course not," Bella said, shaking her head. "You don't look like you have the guts for it."

"Thanks…? I mean, I always assume not looking like a serial killer's a compliment." Jacob slightly shook as he laughed. "No, I'm taking you––"

"Wait, what's that?" Bella suddenly said, squinting at a large white blur between the trees.

Jacob slowed down the car as soon as she said the words. That was how Bella realized that the blur was actually a secluded, wide craftsman house at the edge of town. It didn't look lived-in, and the grass in the wide front lawn was unkept.

There was something about it that made her curious.

"Can we move closer?" Bella asked, not looking away.

Jacob didn't say anything, but maneuvered the car to turn right at the path that she guessed was the driveway. The grassy road had a perimeter of small, metal lanterns that she was sure would have lit the area beautifully if they were turned on. Bella's breath hitched as the car moved closer to the house. At first glance, it wasn't much; the front porch was wide and had a couple of wooden rocking chairs on each side of the large door. There was an overlooking balcony on the second floor, which she could tell was directly connected to the large master's bedroom upstairs. There were a few cobwebby gnomes and plastic flamingos sticking out of the vast, unkept lawn.

It was perfect.

Jacob pulled to a stop, and turned to look at his companion. There were a million questions in his eyes, but he waited patiently.

"When I was a kid," Bella began, still staring at the house, "I had this…dream."

Jacob hummed, to let her know he was listening.

"The perfect family," she said, finally turning to face Jacob. "It sounds pretty stupid, I know––"

"No, it's not."

Bella sighed. "I grew up with my mom for the most part of my life. She wasn't married when she had me, and my dad…Well, Charlie Swan's always been a busy man. He supported us and gave us everything we needed––everything except actually being there. My mom and I lived in an unnecessarily large penthouse back in Phoenix, I always got the most lavish gifts for my birthday and Christmas, and yet…" She sighed. "I couldn't show I was unhappy, of course, not to my mom. She never got over Charlie. I had to be strong for the both of us."

"I understand. How is she now?"

"Fine." Bella paused. "She died a few years ago. Cervical cancer."

Jacob immediately widened his eyes. "Oh, fuck––I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Bella assured him with a chuckle, turning to face the house again. "Anyway, ever since I was a kid, I started fantasizing about this––this dream house. Not an apartment, not a fucking penthouse, but a real, solid, house. It would be white, paneled, at least two floors. It would have a front lawn for…my kids to play. We'd put out an inflatable pool right there during the summer." Bella pointed to the side of the lawn. "We'd have family day every Sunday and unfold a picnic table right out here. Then dinner parties––God, I've always wanted to host a dinner party, just like in the movies."

"And your husband? What would he be like?"

"Around," Bella said automatically, bringing her legs up on the seat to hug her knees. "Charming. Good with kids. Not too busy––maybe not even busy at all."

Jacob quirked an eyebrow. "What, like a stay-at-home? You're okay with being the breadwinner?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't mind either way."

He stared at her a few moments thoughtfully, before smiling his toothy grin. "Well, you're close to reaching that, right? You've made it. You're running a company, and not to mention you're engaged. I mean, I'm guessing the lucky man has all those qualities you mentioned."

That surprised her, for some reason. Bella realized that as she was explaining her dream man, she didn't have anyone in mind. She didn't even think of Mike.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought about it. Yes, hypothetically, Mike would be around a lot. She thought darkly that maybe, subconsciously, that was why she didn't really mind that his career was going sideways. But then again, she wasn't quite sure about the kids part; while he wasn't necessarily bad with them, he more of just tolerated them. For some reason, Bella couldn't see him as a wise, fatherly figure.

Why the fuck was she only thinking about this now?

"Is this an abandoned house?" she asked then, desperate to change the subject. Her knee had begun twitching in growing anxiety.

Jacob shrugged. "It used to be a summer home, I think. Which is funny, because it's never really summer over here. The original owners skipped town a long time ago and never came back. The title automatically went back to the town after a while." He tilted his head. "What, are you interested in it?"

She hummed, deep in thought. "Maybe one day."

"Well, hypothetically, you'd have neighbors," he said, nodding to the downhill grassy path in front of them, which she hadn't noticed before.

Jacob was right. While the next house was several meters away, she could still clearly tell that it wasn't anything like the conventional craftsman house of her dreams. It was a three-story gated monolith of pure glass and wood, an aesthetic that seemed vaguely familiar to her. The front yard was well kept, and even had trimmed bushes around the perimeter. Although the windows were dark, she was sure someone was living there.

"There are a few of these around this area," Jacob continued. "Retreat houses that are aways from the main town. It's usually for recluses, or newcomers who want to start fresh."

"You seem to know a lot about houses," Bella commented.

"My dad's in the town council," he shrugged. "Finance director. He knows the ins and outs of properties around here. When I realized the corporate ladder isn't the right path for me, he's been drilling me to take over in the future."

Bella nodded her head slowly, raising her eyebrows. "Wow, a public servant. I guess I kind of see it."

He rolled his eyes. "Speaking of the town council…Can I finally take you where I want to take you?"

"Council? Are you taking me to a meeting?"

He snorted rather unattractively. "No. It's the annual bonfire tonight. We celebrate the town's foundation every July this way." Jacob nodded to the road behind them. "We're actually real close to the clearing."

"Bonfire…" Bella hummed thoughtfully as Jacob turned the car engine back on and maneuvered to head back to the main road. "Sounds pretty cozy."

"Oh, no," Jacob said, chuckling. "It's the rowdiest night of the year. CEO's are allowed to get wasted, right?"

Bella leaned back in her seat. "Discreetly. Just don't tell anyone who I am. Deal?"

Jacob wasn't lying about the rowdy part.

The bonfire was a bigger event than she'd expected it to be. It was closer to a wild college bonfire than anything else, except the people were of different ages. But even those around her age––maybe even older––were dancing to the deafening music blasting from the surrounding speakers. There was a stage in the middle of the clearing, behind the huge bonfire, where a DJ was positioned. Countless standing tables and picnic blankets were set up on the grass, and several stalls surrounded the clearing, serving drinks and snacks.

"This would be terrible if it was raining," Bella commented, closing the passenger door.

"Meticulous planning involves a bit of weather prediction, too," he said. "You said something about not telling anyone who you are. How am I supposed to introduce you?"

"Bella Dwyer," she said automatically. "Up to you how you want to spin it."

Jacob puckered his lips as he thought about it, while leading Bella to one of the available standing tables at the corner of the clearing. He had to yell to reply, "Grandmother?"

"Asshole!" Bella yelled back, shaking her head.

"A friend then," Jacob laughed. "Hold on, I'll get us some drinks."

Jacob disappeared for a few moments, during which Bella pulled out her vape pen and took a couple of hits. She looked around and grimaced when she noticed a couple shamelessly tonguing each other on one of the picnic blankets on the ground.

"Yeah, it happens," she heard from behind her, and found Jacob holding a couple of blue cups that had the MCB logo on both of them. He handed her one as he took a long gulp from his own.

"Thought you weren't a fan," she said, eyeing the cup before taking a long sip. In fairness, the mix was delicious.

He rolled his eyes. "They're sponsoring."

Bella wasn't surprised. She would've taken the opportunity to sponsor a large event like this if she were in MCB––which she wasn't, she had to remind herself.

It was only then that she noticed that Jacob had brought two more people with him when he came back, a boy and a girl. They seemed to be around his age. The boy was just as tall as Jacob was, too, and had an arm snaked around the small, wide-eyed braided girl to his right.

"Bella, this is Sam and Emily," he introduced, nodding his head in their direction. "They're my friends from college. Guys, this is Bella. My…"

"Grandmother," Bella said with a straight face, reaching out to shake their hands.

Emily chuckled. With a vague, foreign accent, she said, "Jake tells us you're from out of town. How are you liking our little Forks so far?"

"More than I'd expected to," she said truthfully.

As it turned out, just like Jacob, the couple didn't ask a lot of questions. She wondered if it was a Forks thing; people just didn't bother about each other's lives too much. Like the town was a safe space for all the misfits, or those with something to hide.

She greatly appreciated that.

Emily Young originally came from the reservation not far from the main town, and only moved for college. It was how she'd met the childhood best friends, Sam Uley and Jacob, and ultimately fell in love with the former. They'd been together since their first year, and had just celebrated their fifth-year anniversary.

Bella had to consciously stop herself from wincing at that. Five years…It was just as long as her own relationship with Mike, and yet the two could hardly keep their hands off each other. Sam looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world, and Emily preened and glowed with his attention.

"Can you imagine having to deal with shit for five years now?" Jacob chuckled incredulously, as Sam pulled his girlfriend in for another kiss. "You'd think it would die down sooner rather than later, but it just seems to get worse as time goes by."

"I think it's great," she whispered back, purposely chugging her third cup so she could hide the wistful tone in her voice. "Why don't you just get a girl for yourself so you don't feel left out?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Relationships aren't for me."

She tilted her head. "But you've had some, I'm sure?"

"A few," he conceded, taking another sip. "It's just…I'm not like you, Bella. I haven't met the right person yet. And I'm in no rush to find her."

The right person. She bit her lip. "So, what, you just fool around? Enjoying the vigor of your youth?"

"Vigor of my––" Jacob choked in his own laughter. "You make it too easy to make fun of your age, you know, so you really can't be offended. But…yeah. Basically. No commitments."

"Interesting," she hummed. "Sounds like a lot fun."

He looked at her curiously then, a humorous glint in his eyes. "Bella. You're not coming on to me are you?"

Her drink almost went out through her nose as she heard the words. "What?"

"Just making sure," he laughed loudly, tilting his head back. "It sounded like you were offering."

"I'm engaged," she said incredulously.

"And that's my only problem with it," he shrugged.

Bella decided not to read into his words any deeper––well, she was starting to not have a choice, with the alcohol suddenly kicking in pretty drastically. She could also tell the rest of the group was hit as well, with Jacob slightly slurring his words as he conversed with Sam and Emily. The music was starting to feel hypnotizing, and Bella found herself moving to the beat on her own. She continued to drink, to dance, and to enjoy the night with three practically-strangers who didn't know about her worries, and didn't care.

As the night progressed, Bella found herself utterly drunk and needing to pee. Emily was too busy being intwined with her boyfriend, so she didn't bother asking for company. Jacob offered, but…she decided it would be best to keep her distance and avoid being intoxicated and alone with the man, after the odd turn of the conversation earlier.

The bathroom stalls were inconveniently far away from the main gathering area, and was situated behind the stage. It took her a long walk, and as she made her way, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself when she noticed her gait slightly wobbled. When she reached the outdoor stalls, she was mildly surprised that there wasn't a line; perhaps the bonfire-goers were comfortable doing their business in the surrounding forest?

As she approached the stall, she vaguely noticed two figures near the stone wall at its side. It was only when she was a yard away from the door that she realized she recognized one of them.

She unconsciously held her breath.

The woman was leaning her back against the wall. She looked to be in her thirties, and was undeniably beautiful with her long, curled blond hair. She had a coy smile across her lips as she faced the man in front of him, who had a hand leaning against the wall next to her head, looking down at her. He was dressed a little more casually this time, in a white button down and a pair of blue jeans. His rich, golden hair with strawberry blond streaks were no longer slicked back, but slightly tussled, as if someone had just run their fingers through them.

Even his expression was different. It was neither the light and playful or the strange sadness she'd seen back in the balcony of MCB. No, it was seductive. His cerulean eyes were shamelessly darting up and down the woman in front of him, and his plump lips were in a permanent smirk as they murmured what she could only guess were words that had caused the woman in front of him to flush and bite her smiling lip.

She watched Carlisle bring a hand up to the side of the woman's dress by the waist, his fingers lightly grazing across the thin fabric, and Bella could no longer control herself from releasing a sharp breath.

Immediately, electric blue eyes turned to face her, and his hand fell limp on his side.

"Sorry," Bella immediately blurted out, raising her hands as if in surrender.

"Bella?" Carlisle called softly in his angelic voice, his expression morphing to complete surprise, and she tried to ignore the twisting in her stomach as she noticed him look her over several times. And it was nothing like the way he looked at the woman he was with.

The woman in question had also adjusted herself against the wall, standing up straight and turning away from Bella, as if she was ashamed she'd been caught in such a position.

Bella pursed her lips. "Mr. Cullen," she greeted, feeling the name slur as she spoke it. "Sorry, carry on."

She practically ran inside the women's room without a second glance back, leaning her weight against the door as she closed it behind her. Not good. Her heart was beating so fast, and she felt heat across her cheeks. What in the world was a busy man like Carlisle doing in a festival like this? Were his companions here as well? She wasn't sure if she would be capable of keeping herself polite around the arrogant Edward Masen at this state.

She had hardly kept it together after seeing Carlisle in such a situation.

Bella ran to the sink and began splashing water in her face. Yes, she had to leave now. She had to go home, see Mike, fix her fucking engagement, go back to work. She'd stayed in the town, the damn cold, wet, inviting Forks, too long.

She took her time doing her business in the stall, and even paced a bit in the small space after she'd washed her hands three times. She was hoping––praying––that the couple would have left before she stepped outside the door.

To her relief, she was right. The surrounding area was generally deserted, besides a short line that had formed because she'd stayed in the stall too long. Bella smiled apologetically at the annoyed, cross-armed woman at the front of the line, before ducking and making her way to the parking lot.

As she walked––her wobbly gait was no longer amusing to her this time––she squinted as she typed in a quick message to let Jacob know she wasn't coming back. As soon as she sent it, she put her phone in airplane mode, already anticipating he'd go looking for her, and continued trudging her way to the Coupe at the other end of the field.

"Did you know she would be here?"

Edward had an elbow propped up on one of the private, standing tables at a propped up stall, casually drinking a cup of his own beer. He narrowed his eyes at Carlisle, who had practically ran to their area and was breathing heavily as he spoke. Not calm and collected, as he usually was.

"Who?" Edward clarified, bored.

"Bella," Carlisle said gravely, adjusting the collar of his shirt.

That seemed to get Edward's attention, as he raised an eyebrow and stood up straight, a curious frown on his face. "As in our Bella? I thought you said she'd be back in Seattle by now."

"Clearly, I miscalculated," he said, looking exasperated.

"I don't understand," Edward said slowly. "Isn't that a good thing? Maybe things back home are worse than we thought. Or she's strangely attracted to this shit town, as you are. Either way, it works in our favor."

"I suppose," Carlisle mumbled, fishing out a cigarette from a case in his pocket. Edward continued to stare at him as he frantically lit the stick, releasing the smoke in a sigh.

"Where did you see her?" Edward finally asked.

Carlisle clenched his jaw. "Bathroom stall. She caught me in a…compromising situation." He looked up at Edward with narrowed eyes. "I told you, I'm tired of these games."

"Ah, Irina?" Edward was laughing loudly now, swirling his cup. "I thought you liked her. I didn't even explicitly tell you to go after her."

"For God's sake, Edward, you didn't have to."

"Can we expect the council to finally get off our asses about the tax issues?"

Carlisle took a long drag before responding. "They better. That woman…Not my type."

Edward nodded, still smiling amusedly. "Right. You prefer brunettes, no?"

The blond said nothing, but his eyes turned thoughtful as he stared into the trees, at nothing in particular. After a few moments, he heaved a deep sigh, saying, "I have a bad feeling."

"About what?"

Carlisle crushed the butt of his cigarette on the ashtray and finished the last few drops of his drink. "I'm heading out. You're good, right?"

"What the––Where the hell are you going? Don't you dare leave me in this idiotic festival. This was your fucking idea!"

Carlisle patted Edward's back. "You're a big man now. All you have to do is not frown, nor roll your eyes at the locals, nor call their festival idiotic. Smile for the camera if one turns to you. If you're feeling bored, just find Alice somewhere out here. Unlike you, she's a natural."

"I miss Virginia," Edward mumbled, frowning petulantly.

Bella had her forehead leaned against the wheel, and she was focusing all her willpower to just. Turn. Sober.

"Fuck," she swore when she lifted her head and saw that the cars in the open parking lot still warped around her. Any time now, Jacob would come looking for her. She wasn't in the mood for conversation. She just wanted to pick up her stuff at Pattersons and drive straight home to Seattle, and lie in the oversized, comfortable bed in her apartment. Yes, that was the plan. She had to follow through with the plan.

She jumped slightly when she heard the gentle knocking on her window. Too late, she grumbled to herself, and released a sigh to mentally prepare her excuse to Jacob.

Except it wasn't Jacob leaning over her car with one hand, with a strange amused-slash-concerned expression on his face. Bella gulped, remembering that this was similar to the position he'd made against the bathroom stall, with that woman––No.

Carlisle lifted two fingers and gestured them up and down, telling her to roll down her window.

Bella almost didn't, and even considered just speeding away, despite her drunken state. After a few seconds, she pursed her lips and pressed the button.

"What do you think you're doing?" His tone was serious.

"Hmm?"

"Your engine is on, your seatbelt is buckled," he noticed, pointing to the objects in question as he did. "You're not thinking of driving in this state, are you?"

"What state?" she tried, but her slow, mumbling voice betrayed her. "I'm fine. I'm going back to Seattle."

Carlisle looked around the area then. "Where are your friends? You can't have possibly gone here alone. I can go look for them."

"Don't," she immediately blurted out, her eyebrows shooting up in worry. If Jacob so much as casually mentions who she really was––She didn't know why she cared so much, but she did.

Carlisle noticed her strange reaction, and his frown deepened.

"Just…I'm fine," Bella sighed, leaning back against her seat. "I just really have to get out of here before anyone notices."

"Where are you going? Oh, right, Seattle." His lips quirked up slightly at this.

She was beginning to feel annoyed. "With all due respect, Mr. Cullen, just leave me alone. Don't you have another girl to feel up against the wall?"

Bella immediately regretted it as soon as she said it, and forced herself not to look up at him after she did. She moved to put her hands back on the wheel––

––Carlisle caught one of her wrists, forcing her to turn to him.

His face was closer to her than it had ever been, and it was only then that she noticed the tiny smattering of freckles at the tops of his cheeks. And his eyes––my God, his eyes––were tiny pools of pure ocean.

And they looked pissed off.

"Since leaving matters so much to you, I'm driving. Move over." It was an order. He narrowed his eyes, and added: "I can always make you."

Bella tried to make a sound of protest, but it ended up being something in between a whine and a choke. Reluctantly, she unbuckled her seatbelt and awkwardly hopped to the passenger seat, accidentally hitting her head on the roof as she did. Once she was settled, Carlisle opened the driver's door and smoothly slid inside. He didn't look at her as he adjusted the seat and mirrors, and even the air conditioning.

"Where are you staying?" He still didn't look at her as he pulled out his phone and opened the GPS.

"Pattersons," she said automatically.

"You can leave for Seattle in the morning," he said in a monotone, setting his phone on the handle next to the wheel. "Get some rest."

Bella was sure she should be worried. She'd only met Carlisle a few days ago, after all, and wasn't even aware about his existence for more than a week. But now here he was, driving her car, while she sat hopelessly intoxicated in the passenger's seat. She should be worried. Feel unsafe, even. And yet she felt nothing but safe.

Well, until he reached the main road and hit the gas that they had to be going over a hundred miles an hour on the barely visible road.

"Are you insane?" she cried, her hand reaching up to clutch the handle above the door. "Slow the fuck down!"

He turned to look at her for a second and slowed down, but only barely. The trees still blurred around them as he drove. "What's the point of having a nice car if you don't drive fast?"

"What kind of logic is that?" Bella scoffed. "Yeah, you're insane. I let an insane man drive my car. I'm screwed."

"You're overreacting." Carlisle's lips finally curved into a genuine smile, and let the speedometer read below 80. "Better?"

"Thank you," she grumbled. After a moment, she decided to add, "And sorry."

"For what?"

"I think I offended you back there," she said quietly. "You looked pretty pissed off when I mentioned the thing with your…girlfriend."

Strangely, he looked genuinely apologetic. "Yeah, um…Not a girlfriend."

She raised an eyebrow.

"And you shouldn't be sorry. You're––You're just stubborn, you know? I'm not used to stubborn."

"You mean I don't fall on your feet immediately?"

Carlisle was visibly taken aback by the honesty, and of course, so was she. Damn that perfect MCB cocktail mix. "I suppose," he decided to respond. Then, turning to her with all seriousness, he added, "It's a breath of fresh air, if anything."

"Well," she began, "it has its ups and downs. I get called a bitch a lot."

"Naturally," he chuckled. "That's the price to pay for being true to yourself. It ruffles some feathers." Then, he slowed down slightly again, and turned to look at her with a thoughtful expression on his features. "And there's nothing wrong with that. You don't have to…change to suit another person. Or to prove anything to anyone but yourself."

"Right," she murmured, already lost on where the conversation had ended up. "Well, if I'm a stubborn bitch, what are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"The true you that you wouldn't change to suit other people. Like you said."

It suddenly felt as if she'd said the wrong thing. Carlisle's eyebrows immediately furrowed and his lips morphed into a prominent frown. He stared straight ahead, and made no indication that he planned to answer her question.

The silence hung in the small space of the car for the rest of the drive. Halfway through, Bella reached out to turn on the radio just to fill in the dead air. She found herself staring into the blurring dark trees and houses as she hummed along to Skinny Love.

The car eventually pulled into the familiar driveway of the inn, and Carlisle parked the Coupe at the far end of the lot. As soon as he cut the engine, he left his seat and strode towards her end, and opened her door.

Good manners, she thought to herself. She gave him a small smile and took his hand as she got out of the car.

"Thank you," she said, putting her hands in her pockets. "But…how will you get back to the bonfire now?"

Carlisle lifted his sleeve to reveal a golden Rolex, similar to the one Edward had during her interview. He squinted a bit as he checked the time, then turned his blue eyes back to her. "Not necessary. I'll stay here for the night."

Bella couldn't help but let her mouth fall agape. "What––Here? At Pattersons? With me?"

He narrowed his eyes then, and his lips curved up minutely to a knowing smirk. "I…am allowed rent my own room, you know. If that's what you're thinking. It's an inn, after all."

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she swore to herself. "Right. I'm just sorry you had to go through all this trouble."

"Not an issue," he shrugged, then gestured for her to follow him to the front doors. As they walked, he commented, "You know, you may be stubborn, but you also apologize excessively for it."

"Yeah, sorry," she mumbled, just to annoy him. He chuckled softly in response.

Cora was at the front desk again, and Bella was surprised when the lady's eyes brightened with recognition when looked over the man. "Mr. Cullen? Is that you?"

"Good evening, Cora." He checked his watch again. "Or morning, I suppose."

Cora turned to Bella for a moment, smiling to acknowledge her, then turned back to Carlisle. "How was the festival, sir?"

"Wonderful," he said, smiling politely. "I just accompanied my friend here to rest. I'll be picked up tomorrow morning, and would like to rent a room for the night while I wait."

The lady unconsciously raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting to Bella again. However, in a fashion that Bella was realizing was ingrained in Forks culture, she asked no further questions. "Of course, Mr. Cullen." She handed him one of the keys, and Bella blanched slightly when she saw it was for the room right next to hers.

"Enjoy your stay," Cora said warmly, before sitting back down on her desk.

Carlisle felt her eyes on him as they slowly trudged up the stairs together. Eventually, he explained, "I stayed here a couple of times when we were still canvassing for locations."

"Ah," she said.

Silence again, and eventually the two reached the door to Bella's room. Her stomach twisted again at the sudden thought that the situation was similar to an end of a first date, when the guy escorts the girl to the outside of her home, and the two wait for signals on whether or not they end with a kiss, an invitation inside, or an opening to a next date.

Except this wasn't a date. And she was engaged. And she was sure Carlisle didn't like her, in any way. He'd never gazed at her the way he did that blond girl in the festival, at least.

He looked her over again several times as they stood outside her door, his lips pursed.

"I guess this is me," she finally said, managing a noncommittal tone. "Thank you again for tonight, Mr. Cullen."

"Pleasure's all mine," he said courteously, his expression vague.

Bella was halfway through the door when he suddenly said, "Food."

She turned around, her hand still around the doorknob. "Pardon?"

"I like food," he continued, his eyes fixed on the carpeted floor. "I'm very particular about it. As pretentious as it sounds, I make sure every meal I put my body is well-made and good. Which is why I can be a pain in the ass when I'm taken to a restaurant and their food isn't good, or why I prefer to cook for a date rather than take her out for dinner."

He looked up at her then, and his eyes had turned melancholy, as they did sometimes. Bella stared at him blankly for a few seconds, she responded, "Right. Alice mentioned something like that." She cleared her throat. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You asked," he said in a monotone. "Something about me that I would never change or compromise for others. Something that's truly…me."

She quirked an eyebrow, and couldn't help herself from releasing an incredulous chuckle. "Is that what you were thinking about the whole car ride? And you came up with…'I like food'?"

Carlisle's expression remained the same, but she could've sworn she saw the edges of his lips twitch upwards for a second. "We're not the same, Bella. You'd be surprised about the things I'm willing to compromise to get what I want."

Before she could further process what he just said, he lifted a hand to pat her gently on her upper arm, smiling gently. "Good night," he murmured, and swiftly turned to head to his own room.

Bella lay awake in her bed, finally completely sober. She was tired, yes, but her mind was still reeling from the events from that night that she couldn't drift off to sleep.

It didn't help that she was acutely aware that Carlisle was just in the next room.

Suddenly, the image of him leaning against that damned bathroom stall in front of that woman popped into her head again. She remembered his smirk, the way his fingers had tantalizingly grazed across the woman's waist…and immediately felt a strange twitching in the core below her stomach.

She turned in her bed and buried her head between the pillows. This was wrong. Dangerous, even. Bella swore that after that night, she would cut of all connections to Carlisle Cullen and his stupid company. She didn't need any of this.

She needed Mike. And she was going to get her shit together, no matter how much it would take.

She reached for her phone lying on the bedside table and turned the airplane mode off. She rolled her eyes immediately as her notifications began ringing consecutively. Opening up her messages, she ignored the series of those from Jacob, and opened her fiancé's instead.

He had sent one message earlier that night. I'm home. The bed feels empty without you.

Bella smiled as she wrote back, I'll be back by noon. Let's fix this. I love you.

She was already under the covers and ready to force herself to sleep when her phone rang, signaling a response to her message. Mike was lying awake with her, she supposed.

I'll have your favorite lasagna ready by then. I love you too.