His Personal Assistant

Chapter 42

BPOV.

"Carlisle," I said, getting to my feet and wiping my eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a date with my fiancé."

I made it two determined steps before Carlisle cleared his throat. "Um, would you like a lift?"

Huh. Yeah. Good point. "Yes, yes I would."

I could tell Carlisle was trying not to laugh at me as he picked up my hand luggage and escorted me towards the exit. Just as I was trying not to think about how my suitcase

was currently taxiing down the runway with nobody but Jake for company. I had a feeling I was never seeing my underwear again.

As it was, I would have expected myself to be feeling a of bucket load of nerves. And I was nervous, nervous that Edward wouldn't want me back, that he would only think

I was coming back because Carlisle had told me the truth. But really, I don't think I could have gone through with it anyway. What Carlisle had told me was just the straw

that broke the camels back. I had felt...wrong with every step I took away from Edward. I felt anxious, of course, heading back, but my anticipation at being settled once and for

all with my friends and Edward outweighed that completely.

Carlisle, on the other hand, seemed more and more fretful with every step we took towards the temporary parking complex.

"What's eating you now, Daddy-C?" I asked him, practically jogging towards his Mercedes and dragging him by the arm along with me.

"Daddy-C?" He asked me in response, making me blush ten shades of red, a reaction I long thought was behind me.

"Yeah, argh, go right ahead and forget I said that out loud, Mr. Cullen." I muttered, letting him chuck my luggage in the trunk as I bounced up and down at the passenger door.

"How about we settle for a middle ground?" He laughed, unlocking the car and holding me door open for me. "Call me Carlisle. I insist."

I rolled my eyes at the fact he had avoided my question, getting into the car and noticing from the clock on the dash that it was a little after midnight.

"Do you have a key to Edward's apartment?" I asked him as he pulled out of the parking space. I had given mine to Jasper, not wanting to be tempted to go over there and curl

up in the library or sniff Edward's aftershave. "He's probably going to be asleep."

I'm pretty certain Carlisle blushed as he murmured, "yes, he gave me one when he first moved in. I still keep it on my keychain."

And that was why it was impossible for me to hate Carlisle Cullen, despite all the misguided decisions he had made.

"Also," he continued, his voice hesitant, "I don't want to intrude, but I feel I should explain my part in this to Edward, I tried to talk to him on Saturday-"

"What?" I squeaked, interrupting him in my surprise. Did Edward know the scholarship was a scam? If he did, he was probably thinking I was a horrible bitch for taking what

someone else had rightfully earned. "What did he say?"

We had left the bright lights of the parking garage and were in relative darkness, but the dashboards pale blue illumination allowed me to see the pained look on Carlisle's face.

"I didn't really get to speak to him," he admitted in a quiet, guilty voice. "He wasn't doing so well in the wake of your breakup."

"Oh." I felt like something was lodged in my throat, constricting me from swallowing properly. I coughed softly to try and clear it. "You can talk to him first, if you want. It's