Something about Monday had the universe against her.
Not only did she wake up late, but it had gotten below freezing over night and her truck was covered in a layer of ice that she had to painstakingly remove before she could drive. Rushing to get to school on time, she parked in the first spot she could find and slammed into park. Edward opened her door laughing, saying she looked like a wild woman, so she proceeded to hit him with her backpack as she climbed out of the truck. Not having time to get to her locker, she simply went straight to her first class, with Edward calling after her that he'd catch up with her later.
She, almost literally, slid into the classroom just as the final bell rang. Carlisle had to jump back to avoid being barreled over by her as she rushed to her desk at the front of the room. She could hear several students snickering at her, but she didn't care, she'd made it.
Pulling out her books, she inadvertently knocked her notebook onto the ground and watched it slide towards the whiteboard. Before she could go grab it, Carlisle picked it up and set it on her desk, an amused smirk on his face.
"Cutting it a bit fine today. Please don't make a habit of it."
More snickering could be heard behind her, but she just ducked her head and focused on taking notes. Her next few classes went by without incident, even gym ended up not being a big deal today which surprised her greatly. Lunch, however, is where it went wrong again. She was so focused on getting to the table, she missed someone's backpack on the floor and tripped spilling her lunch all over the floor. Most of the student population laughed, but from across the room she heard her name called as she got to her hands and knees.
Edward was suddenly by her side, his cold hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Sighing, she nodded. "Only casualty was my lunch."
Snickering, he helped her clean up as best they could and walked her over to his table. "Here, I'm not that hungry." He offered up his salad to her as she sat next to him.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, have at. I was going to toss it so you might as well eat it. I didn't touch it if you're worried."
Cocking a shoulder, she dug in. People seemed awestruck that Edward had helped her and was currently sitting with her chatting like it was no big deal. Even the other Cullen's seemed to be in shock from the whole thing. Mentally shrugging, she ate her lunch as she and Edward discussed music. It was a fun topic for her if only to see Edward's eyes light up in joy at the topic. She found out he was an avid piano player and loved classical music, as well as other genres.
They spent the lunch debating over their favorite composers, songs, symphonies and anything else they could think of. It really brightened up the bad day she'd been having and by the time they got to biology, she was feeling a lot better. During lab, as they were doing the assignment, they moved onto the topic of books, which she was ecstatic about. They went over their favorite books and why, before Edward chuckled.
"If you really want to discuss books, you should ask Carlisle. He's got a whole study full of first additions from all over the world. I bet he'd let you borrow one or two."
Blushing, she shook her head. "I don't think I could do that."
Edward's head tilted to the side. "Why? Not interested?"
Shaking her head, she fiddled with her pen. "No, I am, but wouldn't it be weird to borrow a book from a teacher?"
"He's my brother." He laughed. "I'm sure he'd be happy to lend you one."
Biting her lower lip, she hummed indecisively. "Wouldn't that mean I would have to come over to see them? Then I could pick one."
"Just come over tonight, I'll follow you home and give you a ride." Edward shrugged like it was the most obvious solution ever.
"What about your mom, won't she be upset at not having warning of a guest?"
"She'll be fine. Esme's awesome like that."
Sighing, she relented. "Alright, let's do it, but only because I want to see his books."
This seemed to catch Edward's attention, his eyebrows rising. "Only that huh? You sure there's not another reason?"
Turning away, she tried to hide her blush, but it apparently failed.
"Wait, do you have a crush on him?" Edward hissed excitedly.
Shoving him, she was never happier to hear the bell ring to dismiss class. Grabbing her stuff, she hightailed it out of the room, with Edward hot on her heels.
"Come on, you can tell me, I won't tell I swear."
Rounding on him, she planted her hands on her hips. "Tell me why your so pale and I'll answer you."
Edward shrugged. "I don't get a lot of sun."
"Bullshit. Try again." She crossed her arms over her chest.
He gave an exasperated sigh. "Bella, I can't tell you."
With a nod, she turned to head down the hall. "Then I won't tell you if I have a crush on him or not."
She could hear him huff before heading off to his own class. After her last class, Edward caught up with her again, but they just ended up going back and forth, neither willing to give up their secrets. They split up at the parking lot, and she got The Beast chugging along not bothering to check if Edward was following her. It wasn't like The Beast was hard to spot after all. After parking in the driveway, she tossed her backpack inside before coming back out to Edward's Volvo and climbing into the passenger seat.
"Your family has a thing for nice cars, don't they?" Bella mumbled.
He laughed as he peeled out onto the road, surprising her as he sped away. "You could say that."
Quickly buckling herself, she held onto the door handle a little apprehensive at the speeds Edward was driving at. Trying not to focus on his speedometer, she instead focused on the trees going by as they headed out of town. Before long they were turning into a driveway and following it back into the trees until it opened to a large clearing with a huge house settled in the middle.
The place was massive.
She'd seen mansions in magazines but never thought she'd see one in person.
"You live here?!" She exclaimed as she stepped out of his car as he held her door open.
"Yep, just remodeled it too. Esme wanted it to be a bit more modern than our last home."
Bella opened her mouth to ask why he called his mom by her name but decided against it. She did the same thing with Charlie, and he was her biological father. So, instead she just shut her mouth and followed Edward in the front door. Inside, a woman with long brown hair came down the stairs smiling at them.
"Edward, honey, how was school." The woman came over and hugged him, kissing his cheek.
"Eh, it's school. Esme, I'd like you to meet Bella, Bella, Esme." As Edward finished the introductions Esme held out her hand to Bella, smiling wider.
"Bella, its nice to meet you."
Bella nodded, shaking her hand. "Same, you have a lovely home. It's…amazing."
"Thank you. It's one of my favorites." Esme turned towards the stairs. "Are you hungry, thirsty maybe?"
Shaking her head, she tucked her hands into her pockets. "No, thank you. I'm fine."
Nodding, Esme gave one more, fond look over at Edward before ascending the stairs. "Make yourself at home."
Edward had a smile plastered on his face, as his eyes tracked Esme up the stairs, and it made her wonder why kind of relationship they had. His gaze seemed more than just friendly, it almost looked heated, like a lover. Dispelling that notion, she cleared her throat to get his attention. He flinched slightly and turned to her.
"Oh, right, the books. Come on." He started up the stairs, leading her up to the second level and knocked on the closed door a moment before opening it.
Inside was a room from her dream. Three walls were covered in bookshelves packed full of books; the fourth wall was all glass lighting the sitting area on the far side of the room. There was an old looking desk on one side of the room that had several books piled high on it, a lamp, and a laptop but was otherwise bare. Astonished, she wandered along the walls, her fingers running along the spines of the books as she went, reading each title as she passed. There weren't words to describe how she felt.
Lightly, she plucked a book off the shelf, running her fingers over the cover before opening it and flipping through a few pages. The book was old, a first edition at that, and she was beside herself with glee at getting to even hold it.
"Do you really think he'll let me borrow some?" She asked Edward, not looking up from the book.
"Ask him." She looked up to where he was lounging on the couch. "He's right there."
Her eyes went wide as she turned to the doorway to find Carlisle leaning against the frame with a little smile on his lips. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she nearly dropped the book in her hand before clutching it to her chest. This only seemed to amuse Carlisle more, while Edward flat laughed at her. Tucking her hair behind her ear she lowered her head.
"Hello, Mr. Cullen."
She could hear his footsteps drawing closer, stopping a few feet away before reaching out for the book in her arms. He smiled at the title. "A good choice. What kinds of books do you like, maybe I can suggest a few."
Shaking her head, she tried to get her blush under control, unable to meet his gaze. "You don't have to do that."
In her peripheral vision she could see his eyebrow rise. "So shy suddenly. You seemed perfectly at home a moment ago."
Glancing to Edward for help, she found him hiding behind his hand trying not to laugh. Giving him a glare she squared her shoulders and tried to meet Carlisle's gaze. Those golden eyes watched her closely, and she quickly lost herself to them. They were beautiful and not only because of the color, but the warmth they held. There was knowledge there, wisdom from years of experience, which baffled her because he looked so young.
That nagging feeling of needing to be closer tugged at her subconscious, drawing her to him, but there was more this time. She could feel something just out of reach, a similar longing mixed with curiosity hovering at the edge of her mind. She wanted to explore it, to reach out and touch this strange feeling.
"Bella?"
Blinking, she realized Carlisle was still waiting on her to respond. Swallowing her nervousness down, she forced her voice to come out, though it sounded slightly strained. "Your collection is impressive, but I'd feel strange borrowing any of them. You're my teacher after all."
"Are teachers not allowed to recommend books to their students?" His head tilted slightly, his eyes catching the light and almost sparkled with a mischievous glint. "I was under the impression it was my job to mold and enlighten my students."
Nibbling at her bottom lip, she looked around his study again, her eyes roaming over the paintings above the bookshelves. They were beautifully painted, but she didn't recognize any of them. Coming back to Carlisle, her eyes moved to the book in his hands, looking longingly at it. Seeing her gaze, he held the book out to her, but she hesitated to take it.
"You're sure this is, ok?" She asked with a slight tremor in her voice.
"Yes, it's fine. Now, back to my original question, what do you like to read?"
Bella listed off a few of her favorite's leading Carlisle to hum in appreciation. He proceeded to ask her questions about what she liked about the stories, her favorite parts, occasionally debating the meaning behind certain parts. It helped her relax around him as she got sucked into the conversation, forgetting that he was her teacher as they continued their discussions. He moved around the room plucking a book or two off the shelves before returning to her and handing them over. One being a book of poetry which prompted her to ask his favorite poem, which he recited from memory for her.
How long they talked, she had no idea. All she knew was she didn't want it to end. His voice was so soothing, his laugh musical and his smile blinding. She loved it all. At some point, having completely forgotten Edward was there, she and Carlisle ended up on one of the couches, sitting shoulder to shoulder as he showed her different poems from his collection. His smooth voice reading them to her as she leaned against his shoulder, eyes scanning over the words as he read them. His scent warmed her, wrapping around her as she listened to his honeyed voice. She wished this could last forever.
It didn't, though. Her ring tone blared out, startling them both and she quickly scrambled away to answer the phone.
"Bella, where are you?" Charlie asked, voice laden with concern.
Glancing at the time she swore to herself. "Sorry, I lost track of time. I'll be home soon."
"Ok."
Hanging up, she leapt to her feet. "Sorry I need to go."
Edward hopped to his feet and started towards the door, but Carlisle grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Turning, he held out the books he'd pulled for her, and she took them with a bright smile. "Thank you, I'll bring them back soon."
"Take your time. Enjoy them."
As she followed Edward down the stairs he shot her a knowing look. "You got it bad."
Feigning innocence, she rushed towards his car. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you do." He opened her door before jogging over to the driver's side and slid in. "You like him, just admit it."
Rolling her eyes, she huffed. "If I admit it, do you promise not to tease me about it?"
"Cross my heart." Edward crossed his heart, watching her expectantly.
"Fine." She buckled herself in, sinking into his seat. "I like him, ok?"
Edward flashed her a wide grin. "See was that so hard?"
Lightly punching him in the arm, which was a bad idea as he was a lot more solid than she expected, she watched as they headed down the driveway. "Doesn't matter, he's a teacher, plus he'd never like someone like me."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." He gave her a knowing look.
Bella scoffed. "Right, like he'd choose the most basic of girls in the whole school when there are girls like Jessica or Lauren that are way more attractive than me."
"Maybe so." Her jaw dropped but he continued before she could retaliate. "But none of them have talked to him about books. He loves reading, if you couldn't tell, and this was the first time in a long time, I've seen him so engrossed in the topic."
"Geez, you know how to sweet talk a girl." She grumbled.
Laughing, he continued. "I'm not saying your ugly, your very good looking, even if you don't believe it. I'm just saying, he's not superficial. Looks aren't all that matter to him."
It made her feel better, though she didn't agree with him that she was good looking. "It doesn't matter anyway, he's my teacher."
Edward shook his head. "A temporary thing."
Clutching the books a little tighter to her, she stared out the window, not minding Edward's speed this time around. She could faintly smell Carlisle's cologne still and it made her chest ache wanting to be back in his study, listening to his voice as he read to her. It had been so peaceful, like it was where she was meant to be. Now she felt a bit empty, like part of her was missing. Her only consolation were the books in her hands, her only connection to the man that had made her feel whole.
Edward pulled into the driveway behind The Beast and came around to open her door before walking her to the front door. They said their goodbyes and she headed inside as he sped away. Charlie was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs, looking perplexed.
"Hey Bells." Charlie nodded to her, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Hey dad. Sorry I'm late, I was hanging out with Edward."
He frowned slightly. "Edward, as in Edward Cullen?"
"Yeah, we met at school."
"Hm." He ran a hand over his face. "Well, I'm glad you're getting out, but next time just let me know if you're going to be later than dinner."
Nodding, she brushed past him and started up the stairs. "Sure, sorry to worry you."
"Love you, Bells."
"Love you too."
Heading to her room, she got ready for bed and once settled in, flipped open one of the books to read for a little while before drifting off to sleep. Her mind replayed the afternoon in Carlisle's study over and over in her dreams, though sometimes the background would shift to a field of flowers, or the beach. Each time though, she was lulled by the sound of his smooth voice, the rich tenors as he spoke, the firmness of his shoulder as she leaned against him.
Morning came, but she fought waking up, wanting to stay in her dream. When her alarm went off, she knew she couldn't delay any further and dragged herself out of bed to get ready for the day. Compared to Monday, the day went smoothly. As normal Edward was an almost constant companion between classes and during lunch, Jessica and the others were slowly adapting to his presence and becoming a little more comfortable around him. Though whether Edward really cared if they were ok with him there, she couldn't tell. He honestly didn't seem to pay them much notice.
That night, she spent her time reading, completely engrossed in one of the books Carlisle had recommended for her. She'd been hesitant at first, but he'd been right, it was a truly engaging story, and she found herself struggling to put it down. The next day she arrived early, beating Edward and the other Cullen siblings, but noticed Carlisle's Mercedes already parked so she headed to his classroom hoping to talk to him about the book a little before class started.
She wasn't disappointed.
His eyes lit up when she told him she'd started reading it and a smile spread across his face at her enthusiasm for it. He was careful not to reveal anything past where she had read, but it didn't stop him from teasing her with possibilities that could happen to the characters in the coming chapters. She got so engrossed in their conversation, she didn't even hear the warning bell, or the murmuring of voices behind her, until Carlisle stood from his chair.
"I'd love to continue this, but class is about to start. We'll have to continue this later."
Sheepishly, she found herself smiling eager for later to come as she turned to take her seat. Letting his voice wash over her she diligently took notes, secretly thinking how she'd never tire of his voice. Her next couple of classes she spent being hounded by Jessica and Mike about going to the dance that was coming up the following week. No matter how many times she said no, they kept coming back with reasons she should go until they just devolved into pleading with her.
She was grateful when lunch came because then Edward would show up and hopefully put an end to the dance talk. To her surprise, two more of the Cullen's joined them. The girl with the pixie cut dropped into the chair next to her, and her boyfriend took the seat on the girl's other side.
"Hi Bella, I'm Alice. This is Jasper." The boy gave a slight nod. "It's so nice to meet you."
The girl's enthusiasm was almost overwhelming, and her smile had Bella's own lips quirking up slightly. "Nice to meet you too."
Alice beamed at her. "I can tell we'll be the best of friends."
Edward chuckled. "Alice is a bit eccentric, but she means well."
"Don't listen to him." Alice patted her arm. "Edward's just a jerk like most brothers."
The banter between the two continued, though neither actually seemed perturbed by the other. From what she could tell, it seemed like normal sibling rivalry. After a few minutes, Jasper put a stop to it before it could escalate, and the topic changed.
"Bella, you should come hang out with us sometime. Maybe we could even go shopping." Alice practically bounced in her seat.
Bella held back her groan. She loathed shopping, but it would be nice to have a friend to hang out with. "Maybe, I'm not much of a shopper."
"That's ok. I'll help you." The pixie girl smiled. "Are you planning to go to the dance coming up? I could help you find a dress for it."
Shaking her head, she nibbled on her food. "I wasn't planning on it, I'm kind of klutzy so dancing, especially in heels, not a good idea."
"Nonsense, you just need some practice. Why not come over this weekend, we can shop for a dress and give you some dance lessons." Alice looked very pleased with herself, like she had a joyful secret that she was hiding from her.
Not wanting to be rude, Bella tried to think of a nice way to turn the girl down, but a strange feeling came over her and she found herself nodding in agreement. "Sounds good."
Wait, why did she agree to go?
Alice clapped her hands excitedly, and started rambling about the shops she would take her too while Bella wondered what the hell just happened. She knew she'd been feeling dead set against going, so why had her brain flipflopped and decided to go. It was puzzling, and a little unnerving. These Cullen's were a strange group.
The rest of the week passed uneventfully, which Bella was grateful for. Edward quickly became a regular in her life, showing up at her truck in the mornings, finding her between classes, joining her for lunch, and walking her out to her truck every day.
It was kind of nice.
As it turned out, Edward could be a funny guy and liked to tease her and didn't seem to mind being the brunt of the teasing as well. There was just an easy air about him that made her feel connected to him even though they'd only known each other a short time. Alice had also become a common part of her day, joining them at lunch every day and though she could be a bit overbearing with her enthusiasm, Bella found it nice to have a female friend.
When Saturday came, Alice showed up early with her normal bubbly energy. Bella introduced her to Charlie before they headed out to Port Angeles for their shopping trip. Alice had tried to talk her into going to Seattle, but she'd given that a hard no. The trip still took hours until they finally settled on a dark blue dress that came down to about mid-thigh on her and had lace lining the back and shoulders, so she was covered. It was still a bit flashy for what Bella normally wore, but she did agree she looked good in it.
When she saw the price tag, though, she'd nearly had a heart attack. Alice, however, didn't hesitate to pay for it with a cheery giggle before almost prancing out of the store. Bella tried to tell her it was too much, but Alice wouldn't hear it. They stopped at several more stores to pick up shoes, which she lost the fight against heels, and some jewelry to go with the dress and shoes.
"Alice, seriously, I can't pay you back for all this, it's way too much." Bella protested on their way back to Forks.
Alice waved it off. "Don't be dramatic, its fine, think of it as an investment in your future. Besides, I like shopping and having you around give me someone else to shop for."
"But won't your mom be mad that you're spending so much?"
"Nope, Esme makes good money as an interior designer, plus her husband was good at investing so she was left with a small fortune."
Bella nodded. That did explain why the kids all seemed to have new expensive cars. Alice had her Porche, which they were currently in, Edward had his Volvo, Emmett had a Jeep, and Carlisle had a Mercedes. She wasn't sure what Jasper and Rosalie had as they typically drove with their boyfriend/girlfriend, so she'd never seen their vehicles.
"What happened to him?" She asked cautiously, not wanting to upset the pixie girl.
"He passed away." Alice said solemnly. "It's why we moved. We wanted a fresh start, plus Carlisle wanted to teach and Forks had an opening."
"I'm sorry, that must have been hard." Bella mumbled.
She honestly couldn't imagine it. Having someone take you in like that, love you, then to just be gone one day. Even imagining it was Charlie was heart breaking to her. Sure, she wasn't the closest with Charlie, but he was still her dad, and she loved him.
They drove the rest of the way in silence, until Alice pulled off into the driveway and they made their way to the house. It was just as impressive as the first time she'd been there. As she climbed out of the car, Edward came bounding down the steps to hug her tight.
"You survived. I was starting to worry that you might have keeled over." He teased her.
She laughed, hugging him back just as tightly, though the coldness to his skin was a surprise to her. Shrugging it off, she replied. "Just wait till I have to wear the heels; I'll be dead in a heartbeat."
Edward laughed, guiding her inside. "Well, good thing your dancing instructor has fast reflexes."
Her eyes went wide. "Wait what? You were serious about the dance lessons?"
Alice bounded up next to them. "Of course, now, here are your heels, head downstairs. He's waiting for you."
Taking the box, she swallowed hard as Edward led her inside and down the stairs to a small dance studio. Across the room, shuffling through a stack of CDs was Carlisle. His normally slicked back hair was relaxed today and framed his face giving him a boyish charm that made her knees a little weak. He was dressed casually today in dark wash jeans and a t-shirt, but it took away none of his charm. When he'd decided on a CD, he popped it into the CD player and turned to greet them.
When their eyes locked, he paused, looked to Edward then back to her. "Alice." He hissed, barely audible, and she swore she heard the pixie girl giggle from somewhere above them.
Edward chuckled, pulling a chair over so she could sit and change her shoes. "Surprise."
Bella looked between the two as they seemed to be having a silent conversation, before Carlisle shook his head in defeat. "My apologies, Bella, I was told I was teaching someone to dance, I was not informed on who it was."
Shaking her head, she slipped into the dreaded heels. "No, there's no need to apologize. I didn't realize you would be the teacher, or that they were serious about the dance lessons. We don't have to if you don't want too."
He shrugged, tucking his hands into his pockets. "If you're comfortable with it, I'm happy to teach you."
"Carlisle is really good, he's taught all of us how to dance, so go for it." Edward egged her on with a strange little smirk on his face. It made her wonder what he knew that she didn't.
Glancing to Carlisle, she caught the sharp look he threw Edward, but it quickly softened when he turned back to her, waiting for her answer. She could feel her pulse quicken at the idea, and her face flushed despite her best efforts to stop it. It would give her a chance to be close to him again, and it was just dancing, so there shouldn't be any harm to that. Right?
Nodding, she went to stand, and her ankle threatened to give out making her stumble forward. The same strong arms that caught her in her last fall shot out and stabilized her against his hard frame, as Edward laughed. "Told you he has fast reflexes."
Glaring over at her friend, she took a moment to make sure she was steady. She could feel Carlisle's shoulders shaking slightly, and after a moment realized he was laughing at her. Without thinking, she smacked his shoulder, it was solid and made her gulp before remembering why she'd hit him. "Don't laugh at me. I'm not good in heels."
His arms loosened now that she was stable, but she could tell he was still trying to hold back his laughter. "Apologies, but that's the second time you've fallen into my arms."
She blushed harder. Ducking her head she found herself mumbling to his chest. "Not trying to."
Carlisle took her chin between his thumb and fore finger and lifted her head to meet his gaze. There was clearly still mirth in his eyes, but he was no longer shaking from the laughter. "Lesson one, your feet go on the ground."
Giving him another playful smack to the shoulder, he chuckled, the sound was like music to her ears. He repositioned her so her hand was on his shoulder, the other clasped in his hand, while his free hand settled on her upper back. Slowly he guided her as they just swayed at first, and when she'd gotten the hand of the movement, he started adding in steps. She spent most of the time watching his feet, terrified she'd step on him as he guided her around the dance floor. After a little while, he once again took her chin between his fingers and tipped her head up to face him.
"If you're going to dance, you should look at your partner, not their feet." His voice was light, gentle.
Bella found herself entranced by his eyes as they watched her with a hint of amusement. The feeling from before came flooding back, the feeling like she was being pulled towards him, something inside her calling out to him, wanting him closer. It made her wonder if he felt the same thing or if it was just her imagination. As they stared at each other, she could almost see in his eyes, the same feelings she was feeling, like he wanted this to.
It started slowly, but from somewhere just beyond her grasp, she could feel a deep sadness and an aching loneliness. It pulled at her heart, and she felt herself tear up at the deep-seated emotions. They felt like they were engraving themselves into her, like they'd never leave, it felt so lonely. Reaching out, she tried to touch it, to show the darkness that it wasn't alone.
Carlisle's breath hitched, his eyes widening slightly as he stared at her in shock while their movements came to a stop, their arms slowly dropping to their sides. She could feel the darkness quivering, as if afraid to accept the love and care she was trying to send it. Feeling it shy away at the same moment Carlisle stepped back, Bella surged forward trying to reach out to the darkness flooding it in warmth and compassion, she stepped closer to the man. Her hand slowly came up and rested against his chest over his heart, she could feel him shaking, his breath shallow.
Whether he moved first, or she did, she wasn't sure, but they had somehow ended up pressed together, his lips hovering over hers, his oddly cold breath ghosting over her lips. A throat cleared, snapping her out of her daze and Carlisle was suddenly several feet away, looking panicked. She watched him run a hand through his hair as he composed himself.
"I think that's enough for today." Carlisle whispered, before beelining for the stairs and ascending them three at a time.
Edward came over, a grin plastered on his face. "Wow, I've never seen Carlisle flustered like that. Impressive."
"Did I…did I do something wrong?" She worried at her bottom lip.
"No." Edward chuckled, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "But you definitely threw him for a loop, whatever it was you did."
Bella wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but judging by Edward's amused smile, it must not have been too bad. Changing back into her normal shoes, they headed up to the garage and to Edward's Volvo. Once she was seated and buckled, he started down the driveway to take her home. The whole ride she could still feel that strange darkness, but the further from the house they got, the harder it was to reach. She didn't understand it and couldn't figure out how to put it into words. How could she feel something, but know it wasn't her feeling it?
It nagged at her all night, but every time she tried to reach out to it, to feel it, it shied away. That night, she dreamt of dancing with Carlisle. It was just the two of them, he was in a tuxedo, and she was in an elegant ball gown, full of lace and layers. They glided over the dance floor, elegantly, flawlessly. Just her in his arms. It was perfect in every way, and at the end of the long dance, he leaned down and kissed her gently, sensually. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she held him to her, unwilling to let him run this time.