𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 | carlisle cullen (2)

(𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭) don't drive, don't jump

✧✧✧

ESTE DIDN'T LIKE DRIVING with Carlisle. Often she'd let him take the wheel, sit back and ignore the preposterous speed in which he decided to drive. Yet on certain occasions it would be her in the drivers seat.

She loved everything about Carlisle even the small things which would occasionally annoy her including the fact he was usually always right and was too good at chess but one thing about him that she struggled to love was his relentless complaints phrased at whoever was driving the car.

They weren't phrased as complaints, more pointers. Este recalled when he had taught her to drive it had been a similar situation. Of course he was good at everything which included driving. He would never come close to an accident and any driving instruction would be mesmerised with the swiftness he brought to the roads even if he exceeded the speed limits whenever there weren't cameras around.

At some point Este might have believed his words useful. There had been a time she hadn't known how to drive. She'd stolen cars in her past and watched as Quinn changed gears and pressed buttons, effortlessly moving his feet to slow and speed the car. Este had picked up as much as she could but she had been grateful for Carlisle's time and patience.

It hadn't taken her too long to pick up the skill of driving. She'd received an official licence in Alaska which was rather pointless considering that the Cullens usually carried perfectly forged forms of identity wherever they went. This was essential for the fact that they were ageless. With every move came the new stack of passports and drivers licences. It was all very official, always convincing.

Now she could confidently say she was good at driving. Este had been doing it since Colorado which was over a decade by this point. She drove wherever she needed to. Work, moving states, seeing Carlisle. Este had driven all the way to New York from Washington barely stopping, only for gas.

Yet despite her evident clam with driving and the skill she had picked up on the roads, Carlisle would still find something to say. He didn't do it out of malice or a desire to be annoying. Este doubted he even realised what he was doing. It was instinct. After a near century of being a leader for a family and telling people what to do, it had seeped into the small parts of their lives.

This was why Este usually allowed Carlisle to drive. He couldn't critique his own driving and Este didn't feel the need to point out the small timing of indications and the placement of every other car on the road around him. Car journeys were more peaceful this way.

Yet there were certain times when Este was given the keys and requested to drive the car. After the discovery of the disappearances in Seattle, calm had become a mystery over the household. Edward was panicked about Bella, Emmett was determined to see a stop put to it and Este was stressed over what Carlisle would choose to do.