Beautiful Days

Chapter 40 -Calm Before the Storm/Part 1-

(Esme’s POV)

 “I like Shakespeare,” I whispered and looked up to meet Carlisle’s gaze. He smiled softly and leaned down to give me a tender kiss. “I like him, too,” he whispered and I felt him smirk and I couldn’t stop grinning as well. “See, even when I can’t use my gift I can see the outcome,” Alice winked. “That is not a superpower,” Emmett muttered. Alice raised her eyebrow as she looked at her brother. “As if they could be apart for longer than a day… They could fight as much as they like but at some point they would just fall back into each other’s arms,” Emmett explained. “Right?” he asked and looked right at me. “Emmett’s right,” I sighed and I felt Carlisle’s hand around my arm tightening. “Ha,” Emmett exclaimed and grinned at his sister. “I haven’t said something different! Of course you are right,” she muttered, but couldn’t stop smiling as she looked to Carlisle and me. “We get ready then,” Rosalie said as we only had eyes for each other. I looked to her and she smiled softly. Alice took Carlie with her and Jasper followed behind.

I cuddled closer to Carlisle as soon as we were alone, not counting Haven, and breathed in his heavenly scent. Carlisle looked down with an amused smile. “What?” I whispered as I kissed his chest. “You just reminded me that I still need to shower,” he smirked. I started laughing and to tease him stepped a few feet away. “I didn’t think it is that bad, Esme,” he laughed. “Are you sure?” I grinned. He laughed and in a swift move had me cradled in his arms as I was panting breathlessly with laughter. “You could need a shower as well,” he teased me as he moved his nose along my neck temptingly. “Then how about we share a shower?” I suggested. His face lit up, getting exactly for what he had aimed and carried me up the stairs in a swift move. Carlisle had me in the bathroom in no time and was already kissing hungrily down my neck. “Haven?” I managed to ask between the kisses. “Rose,” he simple answered back and I let myself be taken over by his touch…

“Carlisle,” I laughed as he rushed us back into our bedroom without anyone noticing (or saying something). His eyes were full of mischief, joy and love as he carried me around the room, kissing me frantically as I kissed him with need. We both were only wrapped in bath towels… We were moving around the room frantically, kissing each other, until a squeaking stopped us. We both looked down to Carlisle’s feet. “Look what you have done,” I laughed. Carlisle set me down on the vanity and lifted Haven’s plush tiger. He stroked his fur and then set it right into Haven’s cradle. He returned only a split second later and fetched me back up into his arms… At last we made it to the bed and Carlisle only too eagerly threw me onto the bed with a huge grin. In the process I could see Haven’s red blanket falling down from the covers as Carlisle followed suit and kissed me passionately. I moved under Carlisle as I felt something under my bare back. Carlisle looked down curiously and fished out his t-shirt aka my nightgown from last night out from beneath me. We both laughed as Carlisle flung the shirt away, unfortunately meeting my nightstand and knocking off Haven’s bottle and a glass of water… “Carlisle,” I giggled and shook my head. “I’ll get it all cleaned up later,” he whispered huskily and I lost myself again in his kiss…

“Carlisle,” I whispered, I couldn’t hide a grin as he lay on my chest, his eyes closed contently and a smile playing on his lips. I let my fingers run through his golden curly hair and he sighed contently. “Carlisle,” I giggled, but brought a tone of determination into my voice. “Hm?” he asked, but didn’t move. “You have to go,” I told him and again looked at the clock on the nightstand. “No,” he murmured and still didn’t move an inch. “The lecture starts in half an hour,” I urged him on. “I don’t want to,” he mumbled and kissed my stomach once, tickling me. “Stop that,” I laughed and took his head on both my hands so that he had to look to me. “You have to go,” I whispered. “I will be waiting for you right here when you come back,” I whispered seductively. “Why not stay here all along?” he smirked. “Because, Mister, you have to go to work,” I smirked and in order to tease him leaned close enough that I nearly kissed him. He closed his eyes in anticipation, but I let myself fall back into the cushions. “Esme,” he whined and pouted as he saw through it.

“Work and then a kiss,” I smirked. “You are evil, my beautiful wife,” he grinned, but got up from the bed and threw some clothes on. “Happy?” he asked and swirled around for me. I burst out laughing and nodded. He smiled and in a swift second was hovering over me, his tie hanging over me. I grabbed the end and got him to lean in closer. “I love you,” I whispered and smirked up at him. He closed the distance between us and I closed my eyes in anticipation. He only laughed and got up from the bed. I glared at him “so not funny,” I mumbled and crossed my arms with a pout. He cocked his head to the side and a grin appeared on his face again. “Who started it?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, yeah,” I grinned and leaned back into my pillow. “Aren’t you going to say goodbye when you are already pushing me out of bed?” he asked, hiding a laugh. “No,” I grinned. “Okay, then… Bye,” he smirked and with a teasing kiss on my cheek closed the door behind him. I waited a few seconds and then sprinted out of the room, dressed in only the covers. He was already downstairs and was just about to close the door.

“Wait,” I called and nearly ran into him. He steadied me as I was about to fall back. Carlisle had his arms around me and leaned down. “So I do get a kiss?” he smirked. I nodded and kissed him. “I can’t wait to get home,” he grinned as he moved back. “Chop-chop! Let’s go,” Rosalie rushed past us and dragged Carlisle with her. “What took you so long?” she asked, but couldn’t hide a satisfied grin as she looked from Carlisle to me. “Alice and Jasper are playing with Haven and Carlie upstairs in the playroom,” she called. “Okay,” I called back and waved as I closed the door. Carlisle waved clumsily as Rosalie still dragged him to the garage.  I sighed as I leaned against the closed door. Even after only a few seconds without Carlisle I had to fight back the worries in my head…

I walked unsteadily into the winter garden and watched the trees moving with the wind… Carlisle and I solved our problems again, but what about the other ones that were piling up to the point where it was almost inevitable to walk away from them? Now that the Volturi were coming again I doubt they are only coming to argue with us. They are coming to destroy and nothing else. It will be a fast execution… The Volturi had too many gifts on their side after all, even with our special strong bond of a family we didn’t stand a chance and as much as I had hope in my heart, I could also feel it clenching with a strange feeling, almost as if I could feel that my heart was going to be shattered into a million pieces… I protectively lay my left hand over my beating heart and closed my eyes. My mind already knew what my heart tried vehemently to argue against… The Volturi would be coming and there is only one way to secure that at least part of our family was safe…

I opened my eyes as I felt a hand squeezing my arm soothingly. I looked to my side and saw Alice looking at me sympathetically. “Hi,” I answered in a small voice and looked at the trees again as tears threatened to form. “Hey,” she whispered. “Carlie and Haven are upstairs playing with Renesmee and Rosalie,” she added after a moment. “Okay,” I replied quietly. I would have wanted to snatch all my children and just run… But that won’t help unfortunately… Alice stood next to me for a few minutes, but didn’t say anything just like me. I couldn’t speak right now and a glance in Alice’s direction told me that she felt the same. “I called Carlisle…” she began after a moment. I faced her then with a confused expression. Carlisle was only gone for an hour or so. “He is coming right away,” she added with tears in her eyes. “No…” I whispered and the tears now spilled. She looked at me with teary eyes, her mouth puckering and I had never seen her so devastated before. “Yes…” she choked out and hugged me close. “No…” I whispered and sobbed.

-All rights belong to Stephenie Meyer-