CHAPTER THREE: HOT DOCTOR

"BELLA WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT."

Elise could've died right there. Heart thudding against her chest, she anxiously tapped her foot against the porch, waiting for her dad to swing by and pick her up before going to the hospital.

Not even bothering to change from her sweats and converse, she had a tank-top, a flannel, and a large winter coat bundled over her upper body. Gloved hands tucked into pockets as the snow bounced the sun peeking gently behind clouds. Her hair was pushed behind her ears in a loose bun and a beanie covered the tips of her ears and top of her head.

Elise tried not to cry. Bella was fine. She was fine. Everyone was fine.

She couldn't feel her nose anymore and she probably should've added another layer under her sweats, but she couldn't think straight.

Her sister had just been in a car accident. At school. Where she should've been safe.

Stupid, clumsy, Bella.

Making her worry like this.

Charlie had said she was fine. He'd said she was okay. She was driven off in an ambulance, but really, she was fine.

Elise told him if he didn't pick her up before taking Bella home so she could double and triple check with the doctor in charge of her care, she'd ensure he didn't sleep for a week.

Begrudgingly, Charlie agreed and the twenty minutes since he'd called were the longest twenty minutes of her life.

She took in a breath, watching as smoke exhaled around her. What temperature was it outside? Freezing cold. Had to be. Normally, Elise liked the cold.

Bundled up under three blankets with hot cocoa and a large sweater.

But sitting outside on the porch trying to dissuade a panic attack because her clumsy little sister got into a car accident was not her favorite way to spend the winter.

Finally, at long last, the police cruiser pulled up in front of the house, not even bothering to trek into the driveway.

Rushing, ignoring the burning in her chest, Elise rushed from the porch and across the lawn. She got the bottom of her sweats and shoes soaked in snow, leaving her even colder than before, but Elise pushed on, opening and closing the passenger door quickly.

Before she could even buckle her seatbelt, she broke into a fit of coughs, eyes watering as she struggled to catch her breath.

Charlie started the car back up, slowly, and reached a free hand over. He placed it on the back of her head gently, his thumb running along her beanie.

After a few minutes, Elise heaved against the bitter air and turned up the heat, raising her gloved hands to the heaters.

"You shouldn't be running like that, El," Charlie chastised. "You need to be resting."

"Tell Bella that when we see her," Elise retorted. "I am going to absolutely destroy the person that hit her. Who was it, do you know?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, but I expect we'll see when we get there. Kid's not driving ever again."

"As he should," Elise reached her free hand up to her dad, who high-fived it. "Everyone knows it's icy outside, how do you hit a person in a school parking lot?" She rolled her eyes, laughing a bit. "And of course, of course, Bella's the one to get hit."

Charlie chuckled. "One week here and she's already in the hospital."

"Remember when she was six and sprained her wrist?"

Charlie snorted. "I distinctly remember you pushing her from the monkey bars, resulting in the sprain."

"Hmm," Elise pretended to mull over his words. "I don't — I don't remember that?"

Charlie shook his head, smile on his lips. He patted her head gently before pulling his hand back as they approached the hospital.

Elise's stomach bundled with nerves. Bella was fine. It wasn't like the last time Elise had been to the hospital. She wasn't going to get life-altering news and Bella wasn't going to die.

Everything was fine.

They existed the car together and shut the doors, walking quickly across the parking lot. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and Charlie paused with her, not saying a word.

He was good about that. He didn't complain about her coughing fits or need for breaks in walking long distances. He made hot tea when her throat was ripped raw and held her hair back when she puked her guts up in the toilet.

The thought of leaving him made her heart swell with longing and sadness. She hated the thought of leaving him, of surrendering him to this world alone. They'd had one another's backs for twenty years.

He always said when she first wrapped her hand around his finger as a baby, he was a goner. Elise and Charlie, the dynamic duo. He used to joke about getting old and having Elise come home to take care of him.

Now look who's joking.

They entered the hospital and were immediately led to the correct room — perks of being in a small town, Elise supposed — and she burst in behind her father.

"Bella!" She nearly shouted, pushing past her dad and sitting down on Bella's bed. She pulled her sister into a hug. "You moron, who gets hit by a car."

"It wasn't exactly intentional."

"Nothing ever is with you," Elise retorted.

"Bella," the curtain next to Bella's bed sprung open, revealing a kid a couple years younger than Bella. Elise's eyes narrowed on him. He looked familiar. "I'm really sorry."

"You can kiss your license goodbye," Charlie pointed at the kid.

"Char—Dad, it's fine," Bella stammered out. "Seriously, I'm okay." She shrugged Elise lightly off her. "I'm fine."

"Barely," Elise shook her head, looking at the boy. "Dad's right, hope you have a bicycle. I'll get you one of those little bells. Ding ding, watch out, here comes the terrible driver."

Bella looked at her sister, aghast, opening her mouth to say something when the doctor came in, looking down at his charts.

"So, Miss Swan," he spoke, reading over the notes. Elise's eyes widened at his face.

He was...

Well, she was fully, completely underprepared to meet him.

He was sculpted by Adonis himself. Tall, broad-shouldered with a pale complexion — paler than anyone she'd ever seen, Bella included, the freak — and blonde. A beautiful blonde. The kind of blonde, soft, almost wavy hair that was perfectly groomed back in a —

Woah.

Elise felt her face heat up and she looked away from the handsome doctor, trying to regain semblance of her surroundings. She was so glad she wasn't the one in a hospital bed. If he were her doctor, she'd be mortified. Imagine her heart rate now?

Speaking of, she could feel her pulse speeding up, her breathing shallowing. Bella seemed to notice and grabbed her hand, steadying her. She squeezed three times. 'I'm right here.'

Elise squeezed back, clearing her throat. She was absolutely not, under any circumstances, going to break into her no-good, very terrible and disgusting lung-cancer cough in front of the super hot doctor.

Absolutely not.

She peaked a glance at him, reading his pinned badge: Doctor Carlisle Cullen, as he began speaking again. "How are you feeling?" He asked Bella, stopping near the end of the bed.

His eyes caught Bella's and Elise's breath hitched in her throat again. A light golden color observed her sister kindly, and Elise's eyebrows furrowed when she recalled the exact same shade on Jack.

That's odd.

"I'm fine," Bella said firmly, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

I rolled my eyes, swatting her arm lightly. "Don't brush this off, Bell, you might have a concussion."

This seemed to grab Dr. Cullen's attention. He glanced to Elise, mouth open to say something, before his eyes widened a fraction. If Elise hadn't been obnoxiously eyeing him like an absolute creeper, she wouldn't have noticed.

He closed his mouth, seeming to swallow his words before opening it again. Then he repeated the action. Elise raised her eyebrows. Was he okay?

"You must be Elise," he said to her now, his voice a tad less professional than when speaking to Bella. "Charlie's mentioned you before. I heard you were in school."

"I was," Elise nodded, squeezing Bella's hand tighter. Bella squeezed back. "Back now." She glanced to Bella, then back at Dr. Cullen who was watching Elise as though she were the most fascinating thing in the room.

"So, Bella," Elise smiled awkwardly at Dr. Cullen. "Is she — is she okay?"

This seemed to snap Dr. Cullen out of whatever weird staring-thing he was doing and he looked between the girls, eyes catching Charlie, before he smiled again.

How completely bizarre.

"Your x-rays look good," he addressed Bella again. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit your head pretty hard."

"It's fine," Bella said with a sigh. "I'm fine."

"Don't lie," Elise said softly, looking to her sister, eyes flickering with concern. "Last thing we need is your dumbass causing more trouble because you have an untreated concussion or worse."

Bella scowled at her sister. Dr. Cullen moved closer, reaching a free hand to Bella's head and gently touching the side of it. Bella winced.

"Tender?" He asked softly.

Bella's jaw tightened. "It's fine."

"You're insufferable," Elise muttered.

"Well, your father just needs to sign a bit of paperwork and you're free to go," Dr. Cullen finished, looking to Charlie who left the room to get the necessary work from the nurse's station. "Come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Can I go back to school?"

Elise's nose crinkled and she removed her hand from Bella's. "You literally have the day off to spend with your sister and you'd rather be in high school," she shook her head in exasperation. "You're eating cornflakes for dinner."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Cereal isn't dinner, El."

"Cornflakes aren't dinner," Elise countered. "Captain Crunch?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "So much better in the evening." She thought for a moment. "I haven't eaten today."

Bella nearly groaned, eyes flickering to Dr. Cullen, who watched the pair in mild amusement.

"Do you have a vending machine?" Elise asked Dr. Cullen. "Preferably with Doritos? Not cool ranch," Elise added quickly. "Nacho cheese. Tell me you've got nacho cheese Doritos."

Dr. Cullen's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Down the hall to the left, another right and there's a couple machines. I can't guarantee nacho cheese, though. My sincerest apologies."

Elise pouted a bit, standing up. "It's fine. If they don't have them," she turned to Bella, pointing at her. "You owe me a family size bag and I will not be sharing."

"Cool ranch is better so I don't care if you share," Bella objected and Elise sighed in disappointment.

"I truly wonder how we're related. See ya, Doc," she smiled at the handsome doctor and left the room in search of the vending machines.

Not even three doors down, a short, dark-haired girl bounded in front of her.

Elise blinked down at her. She was incredibly pretty. Very pretty. So pretty Elise found herself blushing and trying to ignore her racing heart she was — goddamn, she was pretty.

Flicked our hair, big eyes — also golden, okay, now things were getting weird — and pale skin, a bright smile with adorable dimples. She looked not even five feet tall.

Was Elise going to be abducted by a fairy right now? Was this the start of her fantasy novel? God, she hoped so. She could absolutely live in a fantasy novel if this was the fairy that abducted her.

"Hi!"

Oh. Oh.

Her voice was perfect too. So beautiful, like bells, soft and soothing and musical.

"I'm Alice, you're Bella's sister, right?"

Elise swallowed, nodding, trying to remember how to use her voice. "Y-yeah, yeah, yep, that's me. Yep. Yes. Hi. Hi."

Alice's grin widened. "You're absolutely adorable," she said, her lips pursing into a small smirk. "Here, I got these, but I don't actually want them." She handed Elise a pack of nacho cheese Doritos. "Are you hungry?"

Here are some options that Elise could have said: yes, thank you. How'd you know? That's so kind of you, thank you.

Instead, Elise responded in a very...Elise manner.

"Wanna get married?" Her eyes widened and a blush appeared on her cheeks. "Wow, what the fuck just came out of my mouth, I'm — I'm sorry, hi, yes, hi, I'm Elise. Elise Swan. Bella's sister. Isabella is her name, she goes by Bella though. I'm three years older than her. How old are you? Oh, oh, wait, shit, are you in high school?" Elise took a step back. "Yeah, this is, I'm just — wow, sorry, I'm not great with, um, women, so, hi, yes, I will take the chipsthankyoubye."

She pushed out the rest of her sentence as fast as her mouth could move the words, grabbing the chips from Alice's hands and turned on her heel, walking quickly down the hallway.

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't  —

"Oof," Elise grunted as she collided into someone.

Looking up at the face, her eyes widened in mortification. There stood the handsome doctor. God-fucking-dammit. Why was everyone so hot in this place?

"Sorry, sorry, I'm—I should watch where I'm, I was just — Alice is your daughter, right? She's nice, gave me these," she held up the bag of chips. "So no harm no foul. I can pay you for them though if—if you need me to, you know, because they're probably a few dollars. Unless, do you maybe get discounts because you work here? Wow, I'm so sorry, I can't seem to stop talking. I apologize."

Dr. Cullen's soft, amused smile widened the more she rambled and he placed a hand gently on her arm.

"Deep breath, Elise," he said softly. "With me, alright, in," he inhaled deeply and she reciprocated the action. "And out. Again," she did the same as him. "There you go. Good girl," he smiled again. "No need to worry about the spare change it costs for the chips. Enjoy them. Eat something, it's not good in this weather to operate with an empty stomach."

"You should be eating then, you're the doctor." She fringed at her own joke. "That was terrible, because you know—"

"—I operate on people," his eyes watched her face in such a soft manner she thought she'd explode. "It's cute." He dropped her hand and tilted her chin up a fraction when she looked away, blush on her cheeks. "Deep breaths, Elise. Take care of your sister," his smile softened. "She seems prone to accidents."

Elise rolled her eyes. "You have absolutely no idea."

Dr. Cullen tapped the bottom of her chin once, their eyes connected as he nodded, before walking past her.

Elise fought the urge to turn and look at him, watch him go.

"Fucking Hades and Poseidon and Zeus and Jesus Christ on a stick," she breathed out in awe, watching the hallway with wide eyes. "What the fuck is this day?"

—

and they've met he's so 😮‍💨😩😩😩
ik it's a bit fast for them to meet but honestly there's no plot in twilight so idc they won't get together for awhile but they had to meet soz