Cullen
Carlisle walked me out to the garage, over to his Mercedes.
"So, um, do you drive super crazy too?" I asked meekly.
Carlisle chuckled softly as he opened the passenger door for me. "Well, I do from time to time, I'll admit. But I'd say that Esme and I are probably the only ones who can drive at a normal pace without any complaints. I've had years to deal with the impatience that comes with being a vampire, so it really isn't a big deal for me."
I muttered a brisk "thanks" and got into the car.
This car was definitely Carlisle's. It fit him in a way I couldn't describe. It had a refined air to it, much like he did. Another thing I noticed was the smell. It smelled like honey, which I recalled being the same scent as Carlisle's. It was quite lovely, actually, and I couldn't help inhaling the sweet scent several times.
He was inside in an instant, buckling up. I was surprised, since Alice never buckled up.
Carlisle noticed this and chuckled again. "I like to follow the law, even if it's a stretch at times."
He pressed a button on the center console that caused the garage doors to open before quietly revving the engine. Carlisle then pulled out of the garage, flicking the button once again to shut the garage door.
"Don't you worry about intruders?" I asked as he drove off. Unlike Alice, his driving speed was very mellow. It was still a bit over the speed limit, but not nearly as much.
"Not at all," Carlisle replied. "In fact, you're the first person to ever set foot in our house without us knowing about it. Usually whenever someone comes by, be it for directions or something like that, Alice informs us ahead of time. Even then, it's actually quite rare for us to have guests."
I nodded and leaned comfortably into the seat, watching Carlisle's Mercedes glide past several other cars with ease.
"So it's easier for you to drive like this?" I asked.
He smiled. "Yes, actually. I can appreciate the thrills of driving fast, but I'm also quite comfortable driving at a slower pace. I'm certain Alice may have mentioned that the essence of time for a vampire is much different. When I was younger in age, I'll admit I preferred to drive faster, but as I grew older, I learned to control myself and to become more patient. Now it's second nature to me. Esme is probably the second best, though I must say she prefers driving fast. You've never seen her behind the wheel before and let me tell you, you probably wouldn't want to unless you were a vampire," he laughed.
"Was it hard? To adjust, I mean."
"Not as hard as it may sound. I suppose you could say the reason it was simpler for me is because I'm naturally a very patient person. And again, I've had many, many years of experience with it, too."
"So you're really over three hundred years old?" I asked.
He chuckled. "Yes. I'm technically still twenty three, at least that's the age my body is permanently frozen in."
"Wow," I breathed. "You must have a lot of cool stories."
Carlisle smiled and nodded. "I've seen many things in my lifetime, yes. And I would be happy to share some with you. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?"
I wracked my brain for a list of potential questions to ask the man sitting next to me, whose life spanned centuries more than mine. It was mind boggling knowing how old he was, yet at the same time I was left beyond curious. I wanted to know everything that I could. Arthur had been right; I did love learning new things, especially concerning vampires.
