FORKS - carlisle cullen

S E V E N T E E N

Eleanor Martin's POV

We had been home for about two weeks before Alice had kidnapped me with the help of Rosalie. When I demanded what they were up to, they merely claimed that it was a 'surprise' and that I would love it.

I hate surprises.

I grumble to myself, but perk up a bit when they begin to fuss with my hair and makeup. My mood only improves because I know that they would only doll me up if I were going out to do something with Carlisle. With this in mind, I manage not to go insane as they transform me into their little doll, pinning up my hair delicately.

"There." Rose nods as she places the can of hairspray down onto the counter.

"I can leave now?" I ask a little too eagerly, which makes Alice laugh wryly.

"Not yet," Alice says, disappearing briefly and returning with a long, elegant dress. "You have to put this on."

I nod in defeat, knowing that I'll never win against her. I undress and slip it on, not bothered if these two saw me. It's not like it's anything they haven't seen before. Rosalie does the zipper for me and Alice hands me a pair black heels that I would have never been able to walk in while I was human. I slip them on and do a little turn, making Alice clap as Rose watches with a beautiful smile.

"Thank you, guys," I smile, feeling sentimental. "I love you both so dearly already."

"We love you too, El." Rosalie hugs me and Alice crushes the both of us in her small (but mighty) arms.

I hear Carlisle's voice coming from downstairs, so I descend the staircase seeing my mate dressed smartly in a suit.

"Carlisle," I whisper, my eyes absorbing his appearance. "You look phenomenal!"

"And you look lovelier than ever," His eyes travel over my face, respectfully never dipping below my shoulders. "Shall we?" he offers his elbow to me.

I smile sweetly at his gentlemanly actions, accepting his escort out to his Mercedes. As he drives, I pester him as an attempt to figure out where we are going. He just smiles sweetly, glancing at me with crinkled eyes. Each time I ask him a question about his plans, he just replies with unrelated phrases to express affection.

Small "I love you, Sweetheart"s and "You look absolutely stunning, Darling"s are all I receive. It reaches the point that I continue to ask questions merely just to hear him shower me with love. I lean over and kiss his cheek with a sigh, finally giving in to defeat. He chuckles, allowing me to grab his hand as I settle into my seat.

I trace my thumb over his knuckles absentmindedly, feeling the mating pull even stronger than before. Even though I stop pestering him, I continue to look at him, not having the strength to look away. His hair is neatly slicked away from his handsome face, and his strong arms are visible through the material of his suit jacket. His slacks cling onto his strong thighs as he pushes down the accelerator, the car roaring powerfully as we jet along the highway.

We end up going to an opera in Seattle and then we museum hop until everything closes up for the night. We walk out of the last museum into the night air, surprised when we see that it has begun to snow. We take our time as we walk back to the car, not affected at all by the cold. The street lamps are lit, casting dim light upon the concrete.

"Did you have a good time tonight, Darling?" Carlisle hums softly, his hand holding mine.

"It was the best night of my life," I admit. "Honestly, it was. I can't imagine spending it with anybody other than you by my side."

"You have no idea how long I've waited for you," Carlisle stops walking, facing me and running his hands down my arms. "How long I've waited to hold you in my arms. How long I've waited to spend forever by your side," he pauses, gazing deeply into my eyes. "It felt like it had been an eternity, but you, my Love, were more than worth the wait. But now that I have you, I'm as impatient than ever before... I want you by my side not only as my mate, but as my companion, as my best friend, as my bride," he kneels down and if my heart were still functional, it would be beating out of my chest. "So will you, Eleanor Violet Martin, please give me the insurmountable honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," I whisper, my eyes glistening as I look down at the beautiful creature knelt before me "Carlisle, yes!"

I let out a gleeful laugh and I faintly feel a ring slip into my finger, but I am too focused on my mate-now-fiancé to look at it right now because I know its beauty will not compare to his. He smiles broadly as I launch myself into his arms, him tightly hugging me to his chest. My feet are lifted from the ground as he spins a few happy circles, our mating bond strengthening in our happy and excited state.

He places me back onto my feet, looking at me fondly before surprising me with a passionate kiss. His emotions are all told through his actions, and I hold him a little bit tighter as we embrace under the sprinkling of snow and lamplight.