Self Control [Carlisle Cullen]

24

Anna didn't stay for long after the Cullens left. She didn't feel like hanging around in the Wall Flower now that they left... that he left.

The humiliation she had felt during and after the lapdance were gone now. She couldn't quite comprehend how youthful Carlisle looked amongst his children. Good genes, she just guessed.

Anna couldn't let go of all the strange things she had seen once more.

The coldness of Carlisle, Bella and Esme. They all felt like ice and were as hard as stone. Their bodies reminded Anna of marble, which it shouldn't. Bodies weren't supposed to feel like cold marble. They had to feel like flesh and blood, and filled with warmth.

And their eyes... Anna couldn't get rid of the image. Carlisle's eyes didn't leave her. Because he only looked at her. Not the way she celebrated her body, but actually her. It was like he had scorched her soul and left a mark, without touching her or saying a word.

Putting all of her clothes in the washing machine, Anna kept overthinking the whole experience with the Cullens and sat in front of her washing machine. Replaying the night over and over again, she realised something.

Jasper had looked very familiair.

And not only Jasper. She swore that she knew Carlisle from somewhere. Even from before the hospital. And Jasper before the University.

After taking a shower, Anna decided that it was time for some extra investigation.

* * *

"You know," Anna started and took a bite from her apple. "You never tell much about your family." She nodded towards the Cullens, sitting in their far away corner of the cafeteria.

Bella followed Anna's gesture and smiled, turning back towards her friend. "It's a long story."

"We have at least twenty minutes. I'm sure you can tell me something." She smiled at her nee friend and ignored the fact that she wasn't eating again. It started to become a strange thing to notice. Did Bella have some sort of eating disorder?

Well, she thought a moment later, if Bella did, then all the Cullens did. They always bought a plate of food. Moving it around and playing with it, but never eating it. After each lunch it would end up in the trash.

"Okay then," Bella said and leaned closer to Anna, as if no one else was allowed to hear more. "I met them when I moved to Forks. Edward didn't... like me very much when we met but uh—we got along very well after. He took me on a date and ever since we've been together."

"Is that all you're gonna give me?" Anna raised her eyebrows. "Come on, I'm not waiting for some cheesy story."

Bella laughed at her friend. "There has been a lot of drama in the past." Suddenly, the happy face disappeared and a heavy frown came back. Bella looked—hurt.

Anna felt bad for asking. Maybe she had been through something very traumatic?

"We've encountered a lot of bad things and a lot of bad people," she continued and stared at her fingers, playing with them as she talked. "I've seen a lot of danger, which only made us stronger. But I won't go back to Forks any time soon. It's too early."

Anna didn't say anything. She didn't expect to hear this. Seemed like Anna wasn't the only one who had been through some tough stuff.

"But that's all in the past now." Bella smiled again and the dark cloud that had been over her head, cleared. "Edward and I decided not to wait and got married. Then we traveled for some time and settled down here for school."

Nodding, Anna tried to think of something to say. What the fuck did you say to someone who clearly went through traumatising events and got married when she got eighteen?