𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 | carlisle cullen (2)

(𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞) forever and more

✧✧✧

THE WEDDING drew on well into the night. Este watched from one of the tables, head placed gently on one hand. There was a certain sadness in her eyes which separated her from the ambiance. It was her mind, of course it was. When was it ever anything else? She knew it was getting worse, she just didn't know when it was going to stop.

She had a glass of champagne in her other hand, she twisted the small stem between her perfectly manicured fingertips. Every once in a while she tip some in her mouth and simply hold it there. It was quite a fun experience. The alcohol was strong enough that she could almost taste it and the bubbles popped against her gums which was unusual and amusing. When she was bored of this she could subtly spit the liquid back into the glass when pretending to take another sip. She simply hoped no one would drink it later.

Alice had chosen the music. It flitted between some new pop song that Este did not know back to some slow song that couples could meaningfully dance to. There was a ridiculous amount of couples at the wedding and those who didn't have a significant other seemed to be finding friends to clasp hands with.

Este watched casually as her children danced. Bella often seemed less than willing, especially in the heels that she'd been forced to wear. It seemed that Edward's presence was enough to convince her that she could have a good time. She was lost in his eyes as they span around, her flowers now discarded somewhere on a table.

Alice and Jasper put on a much more exciting routine of dancing including at some point Jasper picking Alice up and spinning her round his shoulder, they'd had years to perfect their dance routine, they always liked to show off. Rosalie and Emmett were dancing too with an elegance that Bella could not quite compete with.

She watched the Denali clan too. Eleazar and Carmen were dancing together, Carmen wearing a dress of deep sunset tones. They span with the intertwining of limbs always perfectly falling back onto each others hands. Tanya and Kate were also dancing together, the sisters faces alive with smiles as they joined with their family. On her own at the back of the congregation sat on a seat in a mirrored picture of Este was Irina. She didn't want to be there, this was evident.

Este looked around, back at her family. Carlisle was deep in conversation with Charlie and Renee and everyone else was dancing. She got to her feet, leaving her warmed glass of champagne on the table as she walked around the outskirts of the forged dance floor.

Irina only looked up when Este took the seat next to her, out of the way of the dances. The music still boomed around them in a way it wouldn't to the humans, hence the noise. She looked confused, dressed in gold. Her hair was tied up and her face shimmering.

"Estella" she nodded her head in welcome, "nice to see you"

"You too" Este smiled, "I can tell you're upset... and I know why"

She looked over to the other side of the wedding where two people sat. One was a young boy with cropped hair and a wild smile. Seth was always enthusiastic, looking across to those Bella had gone to high school with as though hoping for a dance or some friends. At the current time he was in the company of Billy Black who sat in his wheelchair, hair tied back away from his face. Jacob was not there, he'd gone awol.

"They murdered him" Irina whispered, "they murdered Laurent"

"Billy and Seth weren't responsible for what happened" Este talked in a calm response, "I know you're angry about what happened to him Irina, I am too but... there was really no way around it. The wolves were in protection of Bella, as were we"

"He wouldn't have killed her, I don't believe it" Irina said stubbornly, crossing her arms as she leant back in her chair.

Este wished she could share the same ignorance over the situation. She'd known Laurent a lot longer than Irina had. Known him when he had been different. When his eyes had been permanently red. She'd known him at a time when killing a human would be normalised in his mind. She did not want to say to Irina that she had known him better as love opened doors friendships could not but she did know a different side to him, one Irina did not understand.