𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 | carlisle cullen (2)

(𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲) when everything went wrong

gif of someone crying or something idk

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IT WAS EARLY MORNING WHEN BELLA made her first visit back to the Cullens home. Este had been lain across her bed reading a book while the sky turned from dark to light behind the many layers of clouds. That's when she'd heard Edward from the first floor of the house speaking their names calmly

"Carlisle? Este? Rosalie? Emmett? Jasper? Alice?"

He'd barely been away from Bella's side since they'd returned back to Forks. It was evident that he felt immense guilt over what he had done. Este had forgiven him yet again and since that point things had been better. She still lay in insecurity, unsure what was going to happen. Este assumed this would be the case for a while but things had been good in Alaska and she knew that they could be again.

Este got up from her bed, placing a bookmark in the pages of her novel as she paced to the second floor.

"Welcome back, Bella." Carlisle was saying from below the stairs. "What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not a purely social visit?"

"I'd like to talk to everyone at once, if that's okay. About something important." Bella replied. She sounded serious. Este didn't like the idea of that. There were a few things that this could be about but only one that Este latched on to. She turned to see Rosalie and Emmett making their way down the stairs, she gave them a knowing glance.

"Of course" Carlisle replied. "Why don't we talk in the other room?"

Este paced down the stairs first, meeting Carlisle at the bottom. He kissed her lightly on the cheek as she turned to look at Bella. The girl looked nervous, her cheeks pink with blood. Este breathed in the scent and felt nothing, smiling sweetly as she followed Carlisle into the dining room.

The others were all following now, Edward seemed angry. That confirmed all the suspicions it needed to. Este supposed it was bound to happen at some point. Yet she had feared this. Truthfully Este feared a lot of things, her mind was wired that way. She would never get over her initial reservations. Her standing point was clear in the centre of her mind. Edward seemed relived at this thought.

Carlisle pulled out a chair at the head of the table for Bella, she took it with a polite thank you but sat in the chair like a stranger to the house. Edward took the chair to the left of her, Carlisle to the right. Este sat beside Carlisle, moving her chair closer to his side. Alice sat at the other end with a large smile on her face, Jasper next to Alice and Rosalie and Emmett on Este's other side.

Although Alice clearly knew what was going on, most of them did not. Carlisle looked knowledgeable as ever, Rosalie smiled at Bella tentatively which didn't give much away. Bella's answering smile was also timid. The strange relationship brewing between them was better than what it had been but that didn't make it comforting.

Emmett and Jasper both looked confused. Este wished she could share their ignorance towards the entire situation. She wished that this exact chain of events hadn't been containing her mind every day since they returned to Forks, waiting to strike.

Carlisle nodded toward Bella once they all made themselves comfortable. "The floor is yours."

Este watched as Edward took Bella's hand under the table. She looked at him hopefully but his eyes were instead gazing over his family with a rather fierce stare. His gaze only softened as it landed on Este, there he looked at her hopefully. He wanted to understand their reactions before they'd even happened. Edward wouldn't get much from those who didn't understand.