CHAPTER SIX: CARLISLE

"I THINK EDWARD IS A VAMPIRE."

Elise turned slowly to Bella with wide eyes, the cereal slipping from her spoon back into the bowl.

"Bella, it's nine in the morning."

Bella shrugged, fiddling with her sleeve before sitting down across from Elise.

"I'm serious," Bella told her sister. "No jokes."

Elise fought back a laugh. "You're telling me the hottest doctor I've ever seen has a son that's a vampire?"

"I think they're all vampires," Bella added quickly. "The whole family. Called the Cold Ones. I was looking online and—"

Elise nodded. "Bella," she started slowly. "What have we learned about the internet? There are crazy people on there who come up with conspiracy theories—"

"It's not crazy!" Bella denied. "I'm serious. Look, the Quileutes have a legend about this group of blood-drinkers called the Cold Ones and—"

Elise took another bite of her cereal, watching her nearly manic sister speak about the oddest family in town as though they were vampires.

"Is that why Carlise's a doctor?" Elise smirked. "Because he can take all the blood packs from the hospital."

She grinned to herself, placing the spoon to the roof of her mouth so the back was hanging out. "Bella, I vant to suck your blood."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm going to prove it to you," she told her sister. "Edward's hiding something and I'm going to figure out what it is."

"And being Dracula is the most logical explanation," Elise took another bite. "Totally understandable."

"Look, I'm going to Seattle this weekend," Bella sighed. "Come with me. There's this book there and I think it could prove my theory." At Elise's hesitation, Bella looked pleading. "If you don't, I have to ask Jessica and then she'll ask Lauren and I don't want to go with them."

Elise debated it. "Your car won't make it to Seattle," she settled on.

"I can ask Angela?" Bella suggested.

"The one with the glasses?" At Bella's nod, Elise shrugged. "Yeah, okay. It's go to Seattle with you or think about death, so I think it could be fun."

—

"Good evening, Miss Elise," Carlisle's voice came through the phone.

Elise smiled despite herself, leaning against the pillow. "Good evening, Carlisle," she fiddled with the unicorn stuffed animal on her bed. "How was your day?"

Elise wasn't sure exactly why she and Carlisle had started talking over the phone everyday, but she wasn't exactly complaining. His voice was very soothing and comforting and sounded like velvet in her ears.

She'd originally texted him a horrible pick-up line the night after she'd gotten drunk with Leah. (Is it true an apple a day keeps the doctor away? Because if that's the case, I'm forgo-ing all apples.)

Instead of replying to the text — and Elise had realized he wasn't fond of texting — he'd called her and laughed, asking how she was doing.

They talked for nearly five hours before she fell asleep.

That was the first night of the past eight that had since occurred. Like clockwork, one of them would call the other around six when he clocked out of work and they'd spend a few hours chatting.

"It went well, I had an appendectomy, and a sixty-three year old woman convinced she had worms living in her blood stream."

Elise snorted. "That sounds fascinating. Which did you enjoy more?"

He hummed in thought. "I'd have to say, the elderly woman was very shrill in her declarations, so the anesthetized child brought a more pleasurable experience."

"You don't say," Elise laughed. "Hey, wanna hear a joke?"

"Oh," she could hear the grin over the phone. "An Elise joke. What have I done to earn such a privilege?"

Elise smiled. "You're cute, Carlisle, this is why I keep you around."

"I'm cute?" He asked back. "A sentiment I'm sure many would find endearing if not used by the woman I'm attempting to woo."

"Woo me," Elise laughed loudly. "You're wooing me? That sounds vaguely dirty."

"Does it? I'm trying to be charming."

"You don't have to try," Elise argued. "You're charming by nature."

"Oh, that's a relief." There was a pause and then, "Elise, if I may, as much as I enjoy these late night conversations, I'd really prefer to have them in person. Would you allow me to take you out?"

"That depends on the date selection," Elise blushed, squealing inwardly. "Where's your location of choice?"

"Hmm," he thought aloud. "You're not one to eat, that's the nasty cancer business," she laughed at his comment, "but I think a movie is a bit juvenile." A pause and then, "Seattle isn't too far of a drive for you, is it?"

"Seattle? You'll take me on a date four hours way? Is this the full day experience?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to cut our time short. Besides, you can pick the music."

"You'll let me play Green Day for the entire car ride?"

Carlisle laughed. "Oh, that's my dream, darling. A four hour drive with you and Billie Joe Armstrong."

Elise grinned at his words. "As much as I'd love to spend the entire day with you, I promised Bella I'd go with her to Seattle. But I can meet you that night for...whatever it is you have planned. Is it something we can do at night?"

"The best things are," he replied smoothly. "But, yes, that's fine. I can take you home too, if you'd like."

"I would very much like that."

"Saturday it is, then."

They were quiet for a moment, Elise smiling to herself before he finished the call. "May I call you tomorrow?"

"I look forward to it."

"Sleep well, Elise."

"Goodnight, Carlisle."

—

"You're going on a date with Edward's dad?" Bella asked with wide eyes. "Why?"

Elise blinked, looking over her sister's sprawled out form on her bed. "What kind of question is that?"

Bella leaned on the back of her elbows, watching the older brunette. "A logical one. He's...he's a dad."

Elise rolled her eyes, plopping down next to her sister, laying her head on Bella's stomach. "He's like three years older than me, Bells."

"I don't like it," Bella shook her head, running her hand through Elise's hair. "He's Edward's dad. What if..."

Elise smirked. "What if what? Where was that sentence going?"

She turned her head to see Bella's cheeks flush and Elise grinned. "What if you date Edward? Is that where your thought process was going?"

"No," Bella smacked Elise's forehead gently. "Shut up." It was quiet and then Bella sighed. "Maybe? I don't know. Edward's weird, I'm not — I feel...I don't know."

"You like him," Elise sung. "Bella and Edward sitting in a tree—"

"How old are you?"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G—"

"You're so immature."

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!"

"Are you finished?"

"I'm just saying," Elise shrugged, moving her head so Bella would keep playing with her hair. "From what you've told me, Edward has random mood swings and practically barfed on you in Biology your first day. Carlisle is a perfect gentlemen. The real crime," she grinned, "Is going after the broody teenager when there's a perfectly good DILF."

At Bella's lack of response, Elise turned her grin to her sister. "You know, dad i'd like to — ow!" Bella flicked her forehead. "I was going to say feel, have you seen his face?"

Bella shook her head, flicking her sister again. Elise reached a hand up and grabbed hers, stopping her from doing it again.

"Have mercy on my poor cancerous soul."

"You don't have a soul," Bella rolled her eyes. "No one with a soul makes as many terrible jokes."

"You're horrible at insults."

"Your mom is horrible at insults," Bella muttered, cringing at her words.

Elise burst out laughing and sat up, looking down at her sister. "Did you just make a your mom joke?"

"Shut up," Bella covered her face with her hands. "If you tell anyone I did that, I'll deny it and send you to an early grave."

"You have to get in line, I have it on good authority that cancer's called dibs."

"I hate my life," Bella grumbled into her hands.

—

these chapters are so short but so much fun to write.
I love this story. promise we'll hit plot soon lolll it's just hard when she's not in high school and most of the main plot is high school just wait wait gang buckle up