Sweet Dreams (Twilight)

Night Ride

Carlisle's sleek black Mercedes S55 AMG car was waiting outside in the driveway and we walked towards it, my feet slapping against the wet concrete. It was a moonless night. The rain had stopped, but the air felt heavy with moisture and threatening to sprinkle again. There were beads of water pooled on the black top of the car that must have been freshly waxed. The house lights reflected off the shiny sides. 

Carlisle swung open the passenger side door for me and I slowly moved to get in. He held out his hand and inside his palm was a single pill. 

"Take this, Bella," he told me. 

I picked it out of his hand and popped it into my mouth, thankful I still had my glass of water to wash it down. Carlisle looked at me.  

"You don't have any allergies or adverse effects, I presume?"

"No. At least I hope not," I answered, sliding into the seat and placing the glass in the cup holder. 

Carlisle was still holding the door open and I looked up at him. 

"You don't want to ride in the backseat, do you?" he asked with such caring. It was more than I deserved. I felt like a child, unfortunately. So helpless and hopeless as a human. 

"This is fine. Thanks, Carlisle. You still haven't told me where we're going. You're not taking me to the hospital, are you?" I worried. 

Carlisle shook his head and chuckled, reminding me a bit of Edward. 

"No, Bella. There is no destination." He shut the door softly, but firmly, and walked around to the driver's side. 

"Alice told us how you easily you slept in my car on the drive to the airport last spring," Carlisle explained as he entered the car. "I - and Esme - thought you'd fall asleep quicker if you went for car ride. It's the motion that makes you drowsy." 

I flushed a little. Did Alice have to tell everybody everything?  

I remembered the Florida fiasco well, even though I was out of it for half the trip when Alice and Jasper drove me (and flew me) across the country, where I confronted my bad vampire James, who almost killed me. I sighed. It wasn't a fond memory, but Alice was right about the car ride. 

"Thanks, Carlisle. I thought you had something worse in mind," I mumbled to him as he put the keys in the ignition and the engine quietly purred to life. I settled back in my seat. If I didn't have a bias to Edward's Volvo, I'd say this vehicle was the best in the world. The interior smelled clean; the faint smell of disinfectant lingered along with a heavy, sweet rich undercurrent aroma. I couldn't quite explain it, but it was similar to Edward's own scent. I knew Jacob would have hated it. 

"Seat belt, Bella," Carlisle reminded me. I quickly buckled myself in and glanced over at him. His hair gleamed gold from the houselights and his face was serious, set like carved stone. He returned my glance and a smile broke his features into a warmer, almost human face, if he wasn't so pale with penetrating golden eyes. 

"Just relax and we'll go a little out of town. I'll have you back soon, as long as you fall asleep," he promised me and sped out the car out of the drive. 

I was thankful he wasn't driving too fast, slower than Edward. I watched him drive, his hands gripping the steering wheel and movements controlled and tight. Once we made onto the road framed on either side by black silhouettes of the trees, we were absorbed in darkness, except for the pinpricks of dashboard lights. I tried not to see the speed meter when I felt the Mercedes accelerate and propel smoothly forward into the darkness, its headlights tracing and racing along the road lines, as Carlisle revved the engine.  I put my head against the window, looking out into the black abyss. The glass was cold and I pulled away, shivering. I wished I'd thought to grab a jacket.