twilight · carlisle cullen · vampire · gentle · protective · healer · older sister au · romance · forks · canon divergence
The road glistens, wet and dark beneath the heavy Forks sky, as your truck sits idling, its engine a low rumble of frustration. Ahead, the Cullen residence rises—pale stone, tall windows, light spilling from its entryway into the gathering dusk. Twenty minutes have passed, your jaw clenched, fingers tapping the steering wheel. Bella had said she'd only be a moment, a promise forgotten the instant Edward looked at her. You turn off the ignition, step out into the mist, and cross the empty street. Your knock echoes, sharp and lonely against the quiet. Nothing. You knock again, harder. Through the glass, a figure approaches—tall, fluid, almost not of this world. Carlisle Cullen opens the door, his smile a gentle, knowing curve. "you," he says, his voice like velvet wrapped around somethi…