94True Mate
Set after Bella cliff dives in New Moon.
But it is Carlisle who has returned to see if Bella is okay, not Alice,
and he has a secret to tell Bella that has been harbouring ever since they met…
Two-shot, lemon, Carlisle/Bella pairing
BPOV
Jacob tensed as we drew up towards my house, and he growled low in his throat.
"Vampire."
My heart almost stopped as I envisaged Victoria waiting for me inside the house, and my whirling thoughts about the plunge I had just taken off the cliff evaporated into distant memory. Then, my eyes fell upon a black Mercedes parked at the side of the road.
Carlisle's Mercedes!
I could not conceal my excitement. Jacob grabbed my arm as I made to open the door.
"Bella, wait!" he protested. "Are you crazy?"
"It's okay, Jake!" I cried. "That's Carlisle's car!"
Jacob didn't even bother to hide his distaste. "It might be a trap," he said after a moment, grasping at straws to try and stop me from going inside.
"No, no I can feel it, it's okay," I insisted, halfway out of the vehicle already.
"I'm on their territory now. I can't protect you if you decide to go inside, Bella," he told me, his expression slightly tortured.
"I know. It's okay. Carlisle won't hurt me."
"He'd better not…" Jake growled. Seeing my mind was made up, he gestured reluctantly for me to go inside.
I took a deep breath and hurried up to the front door, heart pounding. For a moment, I wondered if it was a trap, remembering James and his elaborate plan to ensnare me.
Tentatively, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Charlie was still out; the house was in darkness. I moved inside, listening carefully, and walked slowly into the kitchen, switching on the light.
Nothing.
I moved to the living room, switching on the light in there, too.
Nothing.
I raced upstairs, wondering if there would be a vampire waiting for me in my bedroom.
Nothing.
My heart skipped a disappointed beat, and I returned downstairs to the living room, staring at nothing in particular.
"Bella."
His breath ghosted across the back of my neck, and I almost leapt out of my skin.
"Shit, Carlisle!" I exclaimed, whirling to see the soft, golden eyes of Doctor Cullen gazing at me, worry clearly apparent in them.
A moment passed, as I drank in the sight of him – my heart could barely contain its joy at seeing one of them in the flesh once more. Without thinking, I flung myself at him and buried my face in his chest, tears springing to my eyes as I embraced him tightly.
I felt him start at my actions, before tentatively putting his arms around me and holding me tightly.
"Shh, Bella, it's okay," he soothed as a sob escaped my lips.
"S...s…sorry," I sniffled, embarrassed at the tears. "I've missed you all so much!"
He hugged me tighter, then, and I think I could have stayed there for hours, had the sound of a throat being loudly and unsubtly cleared not broken us apart with a start.
Jacob was standing in the shadow of the doorway, his face like thunder.
"Jake!" I hissed. "What was all that you said about territory?"
He shrugged. "Don't care. Wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Well, I am," I said, looking back to Carlisle. "Everything's fine. Thank you."
I looked back and saw him glowering at Carlisle.
"Jake," I said, a warning tone to my voice.
"It's alright, Jacob," Carlisle said softly. "Alice had a vision of Bella jumping from a cliff, and thought the worst. I only came to see if Isabella was alright. I mean her no harm."
"You came back… to see if I was okay?" I asked, stunned. I had assumed that something had developed, with Edward or perhaps Victoria, to make Carlisle come all the way back here to find me.
Carlisle nodded, his face serious now. "We thought you were dead, Bella," he said, voice pained. He looked… distraught at the very possibility. I frowned. He was looking at me differently to how he had ever looked at me before.
Jacob sighed. "Fine. I'll leave you to catch up," he muttered, "I need to get some fresh air, smells too much like bloodsuckers in here already."
He left, leaving us to a sudden awkward silence. I felt shy for some reason, and it took a while before I could look up at Carlisle again.
"Thank you for caring enough to come back for me," I said, not sure what to say. Carlisle brushed my cheek with the back of his hand, and to my astonishment I felt a shiver rush through me at his touch.
"Bella, what on earth were you doing? Alice thought you were dead. She saw you plunge into the waves and then everything went blank! We were so worried… I was so… God, Isabella…"
His arms were around me again, crushing me against his rock solid body. I stifled a gasp, inhaling a deep lungful of his delicious scent. Heat flooded through me, and everywhere that he was touching me tingled with electricity.
What the hell?
"I… I'm sorry," I whispered, trying to block out the strange sensations that were raging through my body. "I was cliff diving, like the Quileute boys do… I lost consciousness under the water after a wave hit me, but Jacob dived in and pulled me out… Alice didn't see that part?"
"No. Christ, Isabella, why the hell would you do something so reckless?"
I was silent, not wanting to tell him about my visions of Edward. He would think me an idiot. Plus, the way he was saying my name was doing weird things to me. To my horror, I felt… aroused!
What the hell is wrong with you, Bella Swan?
As if that wasn't bad enough, as he pulled back to look at me, ice cold hands gripping my shoulders, I could see that his eyes were turning smoky black, smouldering with a multitude of emotion. I gaped at him, as he looked at me with an expression of utter… love?
"Bella, I'm so sorry for leaving you. Edward… he wanted us to stay away. He thought it best… I knew it was wrong. Forgive me, please…"
He leaned in, and pressed his forehead against mine, eyes closing briefly. My heart hammered in my chest, as his close proximity to me sent shock waves down my spine.
"Car… Carlisle…" I stuttered, not sure what exactly it was I wanted to say.
"Yes, my Bella?" he replied softly.
My Bella?
I stepped back from him, wary now. He looked pained again, and then slightly ashamed.
"I'm sorry… I don't want to make you uncomfortable…" he murmured.
"Is… are… did anyone else come back with you?" I stammered, trying to change the subject. His eyes dulled slightly at my words.
"No, it is just me," he said. Then, after a pause, "Edward is not coming back, Bella. He doesn't live with us anymore."
I closed my eyes.
"I'm sorry," I said in a small voice.
"For what?" he asked gently.
"You've lost a son," I said sadly. "Esme must be so upset. It's all my fault!"
I saw him tense at the mention of his wife, and frowned.
"Carlisle?"
He looked down.
"Esme is fine. Edward hasn't left us completely, he just comes and goes when the notion takes him. He struggles with staying in one place these days."
He trailed off.
"Oh God, Carlisle, I'm so sorry…"
We were holding each other again, only this time it was more like we were clinging to one another for support.
"Carlisle... is everything else okay? You looked funny when you mentioned Esme before."
"Esme and I…" he paused, letting out a long sigh. "Esme... she spends a lot of time away from our home, trying to take care of Edward. I haven't exactly minded... I fell out of love with her a while ago. I need to talk to her... should have talked to her before coming here but... Alice's vision of you came sooner."
I looked at him in astonishment.
"What? But... aren't you… mates?"
"No," he replied, shocking me with all this unexpected bluntness. "And you are not Edward's, either. His singer, yes. His mate? No."
My head was reeling.
"How do you know?" I demanded, hurt coursing through me at his words.
"I just do," he said, almost sadly.
"How?" I pressed. I would not be kept in the dark again!
"Because I… because…"
His gaze fell to the floor, and he could not bring himself to say whatever it was he wanted to say. Once again, I found myself shocked. Carlisle was never rendered speechless like this. What the hell was going on?
"Because what?" I practically yelled, with more venom than I had intended. His head shot up, eyes hurting.
Oh, my God…
His eyes were so black now. As my angry face crumpled into confusion, the hurt in his eyes turned back to that love I had seen before, and something else. As I fell apart before him, lost and confused, he looked at me with an expression that was beyond anything I had ever seen in him before. It was primal, and it spoke of so many things… he wanted to protect me, comfort me, hold me, possess me, love me… He wanted me.
I'm not sure how I knew all that, but somehow, he conveyed it with those beautiful eyes.
I swallowed, as I felt the arousal from earlier return to my veins.
I had always thought him a beautiful man, but to actually want him?
And yet… right now… I wanted him more than anything.
Suddenly, he spoke, jolting me out of my turmoil.
"I know that you are not Edward's mate…" he said, voice thick and husky, "Because you are mine."
Despite the thrill that shot through me, I backed away.
"What?"
"Ever since I met you, Isabella…"
Oh God.
"Ever since you first came into the hospital after Edward saved you from the van… I have loved you," he said. My mind put up a barrier, refusing to believe what I was hearing.
"I… I…"
Words failed me.
"Please, Isabella. I know that you loved Edward; I know that he hurt you. But I promise you, I will never cause you pain. I would make you so happy, Isabella. Please… please say that you feel something for me too?"
He had moved close to me again, hand reaching out to touch my cheek.
"Please…"
There was a flash as he moved again, and suddenly his lips were pressed against mine, kissing me with an unearthly passion.
Everything span.
Whatever had been awakening inside of me, unfurled itself a little more.
I kissed him back.
He broke the kiss, and looked down at me, almost fearfully. I stared back up at him, eyes wide.
"Bella…"
His voice was pleading, as he awaited my reply.
Hope you enjoyed that! For those of you reading my other story, Bella's Heart Song, don't panic, I am in the process of writing the next chapter! I just fancied a quick break from it to write a human Bella moment with the lovely Dr Cullen. I will try and get part two of this two-parter up within the next two days!
Please, please review, pretty please with Carlisle on top! :)