Second Chance at Forever | C. Cullen

029

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Alive

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-Carlisle-

Three days was a long time to watch the love of your life writhe and scream in agony.

After Carlisle bit her, not being able to bear watching her suffer or slip way from him again—it was far too much like the battlefield—he, Edward, and Emmett got her out. Emmett sped home and Carlisle stayed in the back while she changed, his and Emmett's coats wrapped tightly around her cold, wounded body. She was so fragile he thought he was going to break her, but he never once let her go. They had to go fast so nobody heard her screaming as they drove passed, blowing all the stop signs easily.

The others were outside by the time they got home and together they helped get the bedroom set up, but after that Carlisle couldn't stand to have them in the room and he whimpered at them to "please leave," and they listened without a word. He would thank them later, but his mate was in agony and so vulnerable—up to and including her state of dress—that if anyone came near her, he's afraid of what he would do.

He stayed by her side for the full three days and thought over what happened in the past week or so.

She thought he didn't want her anymore. That's what hurt the most.

He thought she could feel what he did, and would know that's not true. But he understood, he supposed, because they'd spent a couple centuries together only for her to die and come back and him tell her he wasn't going to change her. He had warned the others of that, warned them how it would hurt her, but he supposed they forgot, even himself. He allowed her to love him and she convinced herself that he didn't love her anymore.

How could she think that? Didn't she know that she's the most important thing in all of creation to him? Didn't she know that he's never looked at another woman, never thought of them, the way he thinks of her?

And she expected him to watch her die and then run off with someone else.

Never.

He didn't know if he was more angry at her or himself, but deep down he knew he could never be angry at her. It was all self loathing that festered inside him, triggered by each scream she let out.

At least she's not drowning in her own blood anymore.

This should've happened differently, so much differently. If he hadn't been so selfish and given her what she wanted, he could've done this right. Bathed her with love and affection before choosing a spot on her body together where she wanted his mark, and then she would have pain, but it wouldn't be another dose of it to continue the last week of suffering.

Thoughts of that man had him growling and prowling around the room. Edward had brought back the ancient computer after he tied up Jones, leaving him in only his boxers, much in the very same way he left Abigail. Emmett nearly killed him and the beast in Carlisle roared for him to die, but he wasn't willing to stoop to that level and become a monster in return. However, he nearly gave in once Edward and Jasper showed him—at his insistence—what was on the computer. He roared in fury and possessiveness as he watched the bastard's tapes—months' worth, nearly since she first move there the September before—in very private acts around her home. No sex, but changing and showering as bad enough. Jasper put everything on a disc—carefully editing out anything that looked to vampire-y—much to Carlisle's rage, and taped it to Jones's chest and dumped him outside the Forks Police Department. Nobody could figure out how he got in her house, but they were put in before she got close again with the family so they supposed that was how they didn't catch his scent. But that didn't make any of them feel better, and it took everything in his power to stop the others and himself from killing him.