THE LINE WE CROSSED – CHAPTER 3

Bella's POV

I left the kitchen that night and I was a little bit upset with Carlisle. He had demanded the truth from me like it was so easy. He put me in the spot and I hated it. What good it would have done, talking openly about feelings that shouldn't have existed between us.

I went upstairs and going to sleep next to Edward, part of me wanted to prove his father wrong by initiating sex with Edward. Something we hadn't done yet. I had asked him to wait as I was still 16 and a virgin. We talked about sex and everything related to it thoroughly before we decided that I would sleep over. He had assured me that he wouldn't have trouble just sleeping next to me. So far he hadn't tried anything. Part of me thought I shouldn't drag it out for too long. It would send Carlisle a message that I was serious about Edward and completely devoted to him.

Next time I was over at the Cullens, was few days later. It was Friday night, we had all the house to ourselves and we decided to cook. Well, I decided to cook and Edward was just hanging around, helping me with some easy stuff.

"So the place is completely ours tonight?" I asked Edward.

"No, not the whole night. I expect dad to be home at some point, but I don't think it will happen anytime soon."
"Great, then we can enjoy some alone time." I said trying to smile.

I was supposed to be happy about it, but I couldn't understand why I had a feeling that I would want his father to be home. Why wasn't Edward enough, I asked myself. He was the perfect boyfriend. Gorgeous, smart, attentative, had a great sense of humor.

"Ahhhh" I suddenly cried out.

I grabbed a random towel to wrap around my finger where blood was oozing out. There was so much of it and it came so quickly.

Edward led me to put the finger under the tap water and it seemed deep.

"As dad is not home, we have to go to the ER, Bella." Edward ushered me.

Just then both of us heard a car door being shut outside.

"Maybe it's dad. Stay here." He told me.

Luckily it was and I was so ashamed for myself. I so didn't want to cause trouble for anyone, especially him.

"Bella." He came in to the kitchen and seemed worried.

"Let me look at it."

As I looked away, he took the bloody towel away and looked at the wound. Blood, when there's much of it, made me squeamish.

"Lovely. That's gonna need stitches I'm afraid." Carlisle said inspecting the wound on my middle finger. "Come with me, let's go to my study, I have everything I need there."

I was sitting on his desk and he was standing in front of me, stitching my finger. He said that position offered the best light for working. As he was stitching my finger, I wanted to apologize. "I'm so sorry, Carlisle, I didn't want to cause any trouble."

"Nonsense. You're not the first I had to patch up in this house and I'm sure you won't be the last one. What's the point of being a doctor if I can't help the ones I love."

My head snapped to look at him and he smirked, "Or the ones my loved ones care about."

"Right. Well the dinner is now ruined as I think I should go home. I feel a little dizzy."

He grabbed my jaw with his fingers and made me look at him, "You can lay down in the living room a little bit, until I go a finish what you started there. And then when you feel better, we can eat together. How does that sound?" He asked quietly.

"Great, thanks Carlisle." I said and after he had stepped away from me, I slid myself down from his table and started to leave the room.

"Wait, Bella," He called me back. I turned around and he walked over to me. "I'm giving you some iron, for the blood loss."

I put my palm up and he had 3 little pills for me. "Get water from kitchen and please no more knives today." He smirked.

"Yes, doctor."

We smiled and gazed at each other for a long moment.

NO, don't do that. Don't have these moments with him. It won't end well.

I must have frowned then, as he asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Tell me."

"We can't do this, this has to stop, Carlisle!" I snapped.

He sighed and was now serious as he asked, "Why, Bella?"

"I'm 16 years old and your son's girlfriend."

"I'm aware of that." He put his hand at my upper arm and started gently brushing his fingers along my arm but they touched me only barely.

The intimacy of that touch sent shivers down my spine.

I pushed his hand away, saying, "I can't, Carlisle, I can't."

And then I opened the door to his study and left, leaving him to just stand there.

I almost ran out of the room to Edward's, found my phone and on it was a text from him,

"Something came up with Alice and Jasper. Ask my dad to get you home. Sorry, babe."

"Thanks, Edward." I muttered. I took my bag and put on my jacket and decided I'd go with a bus. The stop was only two kilometers away.

I had walked maybe 200 meters when a silver Bentley stopped beside me. Carlisle's car.

"Get in the car, Bella."

I hesitated.

"Bella, please, let me take you home."

Reluctantly I got in the car, sitting on the passenger side. Later, I berated myself I hadn't chosen backseat.

When we were almost at my house, I told him to let me out a few houses down the street, as I didn't want my dad to see me with some older guy.

As I was about to turn and open the door, he didn't let me get that far. He grabbed my hand, and we intertwined our fingers. I had no idea why I did that.

He brought our hands to his lips and kissed my hand.

"Bella, sweetheart, promise you'll think about it? I know you are young, I know what I'm risking with but I don't care. I want to be with you. Every way possible, which isn't much at this point, I know, but you won't be 16 forever."

"Carlisle…"

"Just promise me, you'll think about it."

"I promise." I reluctantly had to tell him.

I almost ran to my house. I didn't know why I had promised him that, I started pacing my room nervously. And then I thought I had the best solution. I took out my laptop, searched the internet for his e-mail. I knew his official mail would be public knowledge. I found it soon and then I sent him a mail that I scheduled to send tomorrow morning: 'The answer is NO. Sorry, Dr Cullen. B.'

And then I sighed in relief, suddenly happy that it was done. He had asked me something and I had said NO, and that was it, I thought.