THE SUN WAS SO DEEPLY BURIED BEHIND THE CLOUDS that there was no way to tell if it had set or not. Afterthe long flight — chasing the sun westward1 so that it seemed unmoving in the sky — it was especiallydisorienting; time seemed oddly variable. It took me by surprise when the forest gave way to the first buildings,signaling that we were nearly home.
“You’ve been very quiet,” Edward observed. “Did the plane make you sick?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“Are you sad to leave?”
“More relieved than sad, I think.”
He raised one eyebrow2 at me. I knew it was useless and — much as I hated to admit it — unnecessary toask him to keep his eyes on the road.
“Renée is so much more . . . perceptive3 than Charlie in some ways. It was making me jumpy.”
Edward laughed. “Your mother has a very interesting mind. Almost childlike, but very insightful. She seesthings differently than other people.”
Insightful. It was a good description of my mother — when she was paying attention. Most of the timeRenée was so bewildered by her own life that she didn’t notice much else. But this weekend she’d beenpaying plenty of attention to me.
Phil was busy — the high school baseball team he coached was in the playoffs — and being alone withEdward and me had only sharpened Renée’s focus. As soon as the hugs and squeals4 of delight were out of theway, Renée began to watch. And as she’d watched, her wide blue eyes had become first confused and thenconcerned.
This morning we’d gone for a walk along the beach. She wanted to show off all the beauties of her newhome, still hoping, I think, that the sun might lure5 me away from Forks. She’d also wanted to talk with mealone, and that was easily arranged. Edward had fabricated a term paper to give himself an excuse to stayindoors during the day.
In my head, I went through the conversation again. . . .
Renée and I ambled6 along the sidewalk, trying to stay in the range of the infrequent palm tree shadows.
Though it was early, the heat was smothering7. The air was so heavy with moisture that just breathing in and outwas giving my lungs a workout.
“Bella?” my mother asked, looking out past the sand to the lightly crashing waves as she spoke8.
“What is it, Mom?”
She sighed, not meeting my gaze. “I’m worried. . . .”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, anxious at once. “What can I do?”
“It’s not me.” She shook her head. “I’m worried about you . . . and Edward.”
Renée finally looked at me when she said his name, her face apologetic.
“Oh,” I mumbled9, fixing my eyes on a pair of joggers as they passed us, drenched10 with sweat.
“You two are more serious than I’d been thinking,” she went on.
I frowned, quickly reviewing the last two days in my head. Edward and I had barely touched — in front ofher, at least. I wondered if Renée was about to give me a lecture on responsibility, too. I didn’t mind that theway I had with Charlie. It wasn’t embarrassing with my mom. After all, I’d been the one giving her that lecturetime and time again in the last ten years.
“There’s something . . . strange about the way you two are together,” she murmured, her foreheadcreasing over her troubled eyes. “The way he watches you — it’s so . . . protective. Like he’s about to throwhimself in front of a bullet to save you or something.”
I laughed, though I was still not able to meet her gaze. “That’s a bad thing?”
“No.” She frowned as she struggled for the words. “It’s just different. He’s very intense about you . . .
and very careful. I feel like I don’t really understand your relationship. Like there’s some secret I’m missing. . .
.”
“I think you’re imagining things, Mom,” I said quickly, struggling to keep my voice light. There was aflutter in my stomach. I’d forgotten how much my mother saw. Something about her simple view of the worldcut through all the distractions11 and pierced right to the truth of things. This had never been a problem before.
Until now, there had never been a secret I couldn’t tell her.
“It’s not just him.” She set her lips defensively. “I wish you could see how you move around him.”
“What do you mean?”
“The way you move — you orient yourself around him without even thinking about it. When he moves,even a little bit, you adjust your position at the same time. Like magnets . . . or gravity. You’re like a . . .
satellite, or something. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
She pursed her lips and stared down.
“Don’t tell me,” I teased, forcing a smile. “You’re reading mysteries again, aren’t you? Or is it sci-fi thistime?”
Renée flushed a delicate pink. “That’s beside the point.”
“Found anything good?”
“Well, there was one — but that doesn’t matter. We’re talking about you right now.”
“You should stick to romance, Mom. You know how you freak yourself out.”
Her lips turned up at the corners. “I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
For half a second I couldn’t answer. Renée was so easily swayed. Sometimes it was a good thing,because not all of her ideas were practical. But it pained me to see how quickly she caved in to my trivializing,especially since she was dead right this time.
She looked up, and I controlled my expression.
“Not silly — just being a mom.”
She laughed and then gestured grandly toward the white sands stretching to the blue water.
“And all this isn’t enough to get you to move back in with your silly mom?”
I wiped my hand dramatically across my forehead, and then pretended to wring13 my hair out.
“You get used to the humidity,” she promised.
“You can get used to rain, too,” I countered.
She elbowed me playfully and then took my hand as we walked back to her car.
Other than her worries about me, she seemed happy enough. Content. She still looked at Phil with goo-goo eyes, and that was comforting. Surely her life was full and satisfying. Surely she didn’t miss me that much,even now. . . .
Edward’s icy fingers brushed my cheek. I looked up, blinking, coming back to the present. He leaneddown and kissed my forehead.
“We’re home, Sleeping Beauty. Time to awake.”
We were stopped in front of Charlie’s house. The porch light was on and the cruiser was parked in thedriveway. As I examined the house, I saw the curtain twitch14 in the living room window, flashing a line of yellowlight across the dark lawn.
I sighed. Of course Charlie was waiting to pounce15.
Edward must have been thinking the same thing, because his expression was stiff and his eyes remote ashe came to get my door for me.
“How bad?” I asked.
“Charlie’s not going to be difficult,” Edward promised, his voice level with no hint of humor. “He missedyou.”
My eyes narrowed in doubt. If that was the case, then why was Edward tensed as if for a battle?
My bag was small, but he insisted on carrying it into the house. Charlie held the door open for us.
“Welcome home, kid!” Charlie shouted like he really meant it. “How was Jacksonville?”
“Moist. And buggy.”
“So Renée didn’t sell you on the University of Florida?”
“She tried. But I’d rather drink water than inhale16 it.”
Charlie’s eyes flickered17 unwillingly18 to Edward. “Did you have a nice time?”
“Yes,” Edward answered in a serene19 voice. “Renée was very hospitable20.”
“That’s . . . um, good. Glad you had fun.” Charlie turned away from Edward and pulled me in for an unexpected hug.
“Impressive,” I whispered in his ear.
He rumbled21 a laugh. “I really missed you, Bells. The food around here sucks when you’re gone.”
“I’ll get on it,” I said as he let me go.
“Would you call Jacob first? He’s been bugging22 me every five minutes since six o’clock this morning. Ipromised I’d have you call him before you even unpacked23.”
I didn’t have to look at Edward to feel that he was too still, too cold beside me. So this was the cause ofhis tension.
“Jacob wants to talk to me?”
“Pretty bad, I’d say. He wouldn’t tell me what it was about — just said it was important.”
The phone rang then, shrill24 and demanding.
“That’s him again, I’d bet my next paycheck,” Charlie muttered.
“I got it.” I hurried to the kitchen.
Edward followed after me while Charlie disappeared into the living room.
I grabbed the phone mid-ring, and twisted around so that I was facing the wall. “Hello?”
“You’re back,” Jacob said.
His familiar husky voice sent a wave of wistfulness through me. A thousand memories spun25 in my head,tangling together — a rocky beach strewn with driftwood trees, a garage made of plastic sheds, warm sodasin a paper bag, a tiny room with one too-small shabby loveseat. The laughter in his deep-set black eyes, thefeverish heat of his big hand around mine, the flash of his white teeth against his dark skin, his face stretchinginto the wide smile that had always been like a key to a secret door where only kindred spirits could enter.
It felt sort of like homesickness, this longing26 for the place and person who had sheltered me through mydarkest night.
I cleared the lump from my throat. “Yes,” I answered.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Jacob demanded.
His angry tone instantly got my back up. “Because I’ve been in the house for exactly four seconds andyour call interrupted Charlie telling me that you’d called.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Sure. Now, why are you harassing27 Charlie?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Yeah, I figured out that part all by myself. Go ahead.”
There was a short pause.
“You going to school tomorrow?”
I frowned to myself, unable to make sense of this question. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I dunno. Just curious.”
Another pause.
“So what did you want to talk about, Jake?”
He hesitated. “Nothing really, I guess. I . . . wanted to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m so glad you called me, Jake. I . . .” But I didn’t know what more to say. I wanted totell him I was on my way to La Push right now. And I couldn’t tell him that.
“I have to go,” he said abruptly28.
“What?”
“I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“But Jake —”
He was already gone. I listened to the dial tone with disbelief.
“That was short,” I muttered.
“Is everything all right?” Edward asked. His voice was low and careful.
I turned slowly to face him. His expression was perfectly29 smooth — impossible to read.
“I don’t know. I wonder what that was about.” It didn’t make sense that Jacob had been houndingCharlie all day just to ask me if I was going to school. And if he’d wanted to hear my voice, then why did hehang up so quickly?
“Your guess is probably better than mine,” Edward said, the hint of a smiletugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Mmm,” I murmured. That was true. I knew Jake inside and out. It shouldn’t be that complicated to figureout his motivations.
With my thoughts miles away — about fifteen miles away, up the road to La Push — I started combingthrough the fridge, assembling ingredients for Charlie’s dinner. Edward leaned against the counter, and I wasdistantly aware that his eyes were on my face, but too preoccupied30 to worry about what he saw there.
The school thing seemed like the key to me. That was the only real question Jake had asked. And he hadto be after an answer to something, or he wouldn’t have been bugging Charlie so persistently31.
Why would my attendance record matter to him, though?
I tried to think about it in a logical way. So, if I hadn’t been going to school tomorrow, what would be theproblem with that, from Jacob’s perspective? Charlie had given me a little grief about missing a day of schoolso close to finals, but I’d convinced him that one Friday wasn’t going to derail my studies. Jake would hardlycare about that.
My brain refused to come up with any brilliant insights. Maybe I was missing some vital piece ofinformation.
What could have changed in the past three days that was so important that Jacob would break his longstreak of refusing to answer my phone calls and contact me? What difference could three days make?
I froze in the middle of the kitchen. The package of icy hamburger in my hands slipped through my numbfingers. It took me a slow second to miss the thud it should have made against the floor.
Edward had caught it and thrown it onto the counter. His arms were already around me, his lips at my ear.
“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, dazed.
Three days could change everything.
Hadn’t I just been thinking about how impossible college was? How I couldn’t be anywhere near peopleafter I’d gone through the painful three-day conversion32 that would set me free from mortality, so that I couldspend eternity33 with Edward? The conversion that would make me forever a prisoner to my own thirst. . . .
Had Charlie told Billy that I’d vanished for three days? Had Billy jumped to conclusions? Had Jacobreally been asking me if I was still human? Making sure that the werewolves’ treaty was unbroken — thatnone of the Cullens had dared to bite a human . . . bite, not kill . . . ?
But did he honestly think I would come home to Charlie if that was the case?
Edward shook me. “Bella?” he asked, truly anxious now.
“I think . . . I think he was checking,” I mumbled. “Checking to make sure. That I’m human, I mean.”
Edward stiffened34, and a low hiss35 sounded in my ear.
“We’ll have to leave,” I whispered. “Before. So that it doesn’t break the treaty. We won’t ever be able tocome back.”
His arms tightened36 around me. “I know.”
“Ahem.” Charlie cleared his voice loudly behind us.
I jumped, and then pulled free of Edward’s arms, my face getting hot. Edward leaned back against thecounter. His eyes were tight. I could see worry in them, and anger.
“If you don’t want to make dinner, I can call for a pizza,” Charlie hinted.
“No, that’s okay, I’m already started.”
“Okay,” Charlie said. He propped37 himself against the doorframe, folding his arms.
I sighed and got to work, trying to ignore my audience.
“If I asked you to do something, would you trust me?” Edward asked, an edge to his soft voice.
We were almost to school. Edward had been relaxed and joking just a moment ago, and now suddenlyhis hands were clenched38 tight on the steering39 wheel, his knuckles40 straining in an effort not to snap it into pieces.
I stared at his anxious expression — his eyes were far away, like he was listening to distant voices.
My pulse sped in response to his stress, but I answered carefully. “That depends.”
We pulled into the school lot.
“I was afraid you would say that.”
“What do you want me to do, Edward?”
“I want you to stay in the car.” He pulled into his usual spot and turned the engine off as he spoke. “I wantyou to wait here until I come back for you.”
“But . . . why?”
That was when I saw him. He would have been hard to miss, towering over the students the way he did,even if he hadn’t been leaning against his black motorcycle, parked illegally on the sidewalk.
“Oh.”
Jacob’s face was a calm mask that I recognized well. It was the face he used when he was determined41 tokeep his emotions in check, to keep himself under control. It made him look like Sam, the oldest of thewolves, the leader of the Quileute pack. But Jacob could never quite manage the perfect serenity42 Sam alwaysexuded.
I’d forgotten how much this face bothered me. Though I’d gotten to know Sam pretty well before theCullens had come back — to like him, even — I’d never been able to completely shake the resentment43 I feltwhen Jacob mimicked44 Sam’s expression. It was a stranger’s face. He wasn’t my Jacob when he wore it.
“You jumped to the wrong conclusion last night,” Edward murmured. “He asked about school because heknew that I would be where you were. He was looking for a safe place to talk to me. A place with witnesses.”
So I’d misinterpreted Jacob’s motives45 last night. Missing information, that was the problem. Informationlike why in the world Jacob would want to talk to Edward.
“I’m not staying in the car,” I said.
Edward groaned46 quietly. “Of course not. Well, let’s get this over with.”
Jacob’s face hardened as we walked toward him, hand in hand.
I noticed other faces, too — the faces of my classmates. I noticed how their eyes widened as they took inall six foot seven inches of Jacob’s long body, muscled up the way no normal sixteen-and-a-half-year-old everhad been. I saw those eyes rake over his tight black t-shirt — short-sleeved, though the day wasunseasonably cool — his ragged47, grease-smeared jeans, and the glossy48 black bike he leaned against. Theireyes didn’t linger on his face — something about his expression had them glancing quickly away. And Inoticed the wide berth49 everyone gave him, the bubble of space that no one dared to encroach on.
With a sense of astonishment50, I realized that Jacob looked dangerous to them. How odd.
Edward stopped a few yards away from Jacob, and I could tell that he was uncomfortable having me soclose to a werewolf. He drew his hand back slightly, pulling me halfway51 behind his body.
“You could have called us,” Edward said in a steel-hard voice.
“Sorry,” Jacob answered, his face twisting into a sneer52. “I don’t have any leeches53 on my speed dial.”
“You could have reached me at Bella’s house, of course.”
Jacob’s jaw54 flexed55, and his brows pulled together. He didn’t answer.
“This is hardly the place, Jacob. Could we discuss this later?”
“Sure, sure. I’ll stop by your crypt after school.” Jacob snorted. “What’s wrong with now?”
Edward looked around pointedly56, his eyes resting on the witnesses who were just barely out of hearingrange. A few people were hesitating on the sidewalk, their eyes bright with expectation. Like they were hopinga fight might break out to alleviate57 the tedium58 of another Monday morning. I saw Tyler Crowley nudge AustinMarks, and they both paused on their way to class.
“I already know what you came to say,” Edward reminded Jacob in voice so low that I could barely makeit out. “Message delivered. Consider us warned.”
Edward glanced down at me for a fleeting59 second with worried eyes.
“Warned?” I asked blankly. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t tell her?” Jacob asked, his eyes widening with disbelief. “What, were you afraid she’d takeour side?”
“Please drop it, Jacob,” Edward said in an even voice.
“Why?” Jacob challenged.
I frowned in confusion. “What don’t I know? Edward?”
Edward just glared at Jacob as if he hadn’t heard me.
“Jake?”
Jacob raised his eyebrow at me. “He didn’t tell you that his big . . . brother crossed the line Saturdaynight?” he asked, his tone thickly layered with sarcasm60. Then his eyes flickered back to Edward. “Paul was totally justified61 in —”
“It was no-man’s land!” Edward hissed62.
“Was not!”
Jacob was fuming63 visibly. His hands trembled. He shook his head and sucked in two deep lungfuls of air.
“Emmett and Paul?” I whispered. Paul was Jacob’s most volatile64 pack brother. He was the one who’dlost control that day in the woods — the memory of the snarling65 gray wolf was suddenly vividin my head.
“What happened? Were they fighting?” My voice strained higher in panic. “Why? Did Paul get hurt?”
“No one fought,” Edward said quietly, only to me. “No one got hurt. Don’t be anxious.”
Jacob was staring at us with incredulous eyes. “You didn’t tell her anything at all, did you? Is that why youtook her away? So she wouldn’t know that —?”
“Leave now.” Edward cut him off mid-sentence, and his face was abruptly frightening — truly frightening.
For a second, he looked like . . . like a vampire66. He glared at Jacob with vicious, unveiled loathing67.
Jacob raised his eyebrows68, but made no other move. “Why haven’t you told her?”
They faced each other in silence for a long moment. More students gathered behind Tyler and Austin. Isaw Mike next to Ben — Mike had one hand on Ben’s shoulder, like he was holding him in place.
In the dead silence, all the details suddenly fell into place for me with a burst of intuition.
Something Edward didn’t want me to know.
Something that Jacob wouldn’t have kept from me.
Something that had the Cullens and the wolves both in the woods, moving in hazardous69 proximity70 to eachother.
Something that would cause Edward to insist that I fly across the country.
Something that Alice had seen in a vision last week — a vision Edward had lied to me about.
Something I’d been waiting for anyway. Something I knew would happen again, as much as I might wish itnever would. It was never going to end, was it?
I heard the quick gasp71, gasp, gasp, gasp of the air dragging through my lips, but I couldn’t stop it. Itlooked like the school was shaking, like there was an earthquake, but I knew it was my own trembling thatcaused the illusion.
“She came back for me,” I choked out.
Victoria was never going to give up till I was dead. She would keep repeating the same pattern — feintand run, feint and run — until she found a hole through my defenders72.
Maybe I’d get lucky. Maybe the Volturi would come for me first — they’d kill me quicker, at least.
Edward held me tight to his side, angling his body so that he was still between me and Jacob, and strokedmy face with anxious hands. “It’s fine,” he whispered to me. “It’s fine. I’ll never let her get close to you, it’sfine.”
Then he glared at Jacob. “Does that answer your question, mongrel?”
“You don’t think Bella has a right to know?” Jacob challenged. “It’s her life.”
Edward kept his voice muted; even Tyler, edging forward by inches, would be unable to hear. “Whyshould she be frightened when she was never in danger?”
“Better frightened than lied to.”
I tried to pull myself together, but my eyes were swimming in moisture. I could see it behind my lids — Icould see Victoria’s face, her lips pulled back over her teeth, her crimson73 eyes glowing with the obsession74 ofher vendetta75; she held Edward responsible for the demise76 of her love, James. She wouldn’t stop until his lovewas taken from him, too.
Edward wiped the tears from my cheek with his fingertips.
“Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?” he murmured.
“She’s tougher than you think,” Jacob said. “And she’s been through worse.”
Abruptly, Jacob’s expression shifted, and he was staring at Edward with an odd, speculative77 expression.
His eyes narrowed like he was trying to do a difficult math problem in his head.
I felt Edward cringe. I glanced up at him, and his face was contorted in what could only be pain. For oneghastly moment, I was reminded of our afternoon in Italy, in the macabre78 tower room of the Volturi, whereJane had tortured Edward with her malignant79 gift, burning him with her thoughts alone. . . .
The memory snapped me out of my near hysteria and put everything in perspective. Because I’d rather Victoria killed me a hundred times over than watch Edward suffer that way again.
“That’s funny,” Jacob said, laughing as he watched Edward’s face.
Edward winced80, but smoothed his expression with a little effort. He couldn’t quite hide the agony in hiseyes.
I glanced, wide-eyed, from Edward’s grimace81 to Jacob’s sneer.
“What are you doing to him?” I demanded.
“It’s nothing, Bella,” Edward told me quietly. “Jacob just has a good memory, that’s all.”
Jacob grinned, and Edward winced again.
“Stop it! Whatever you’re doing.”
“Sure, if you want.” Jacob shrugged82. “It’s his own fault if he doesn’t like the things I remember, though.”
I glared at him, and he smiled back impishly — like a kid caught doing something he knows he shouldn’tby someone who he knows won’t punish him.
“The principal’s on his way to discourage loitering on school property,” Edward murmured to me. “Let’sget to English, Bella, so you’re not involved.”
“Overprotective, isn’t he?” Jacob said, talking just to me. “A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess,you’re not allowed to have fun, are you?”
Edward glowered84, and his lips pulled back from his teeth ever so slightly.
“Shut up, Jake,” I said.
Jacob laughed. “That sounds like a no. Hey, if you ever feel like having a life again, you could come seeme. I’ve still got your motorcycle in my garage.”
This news distracted me. “You were supposed to sell that. You promised Charlie you would.” If I hadn’tbegged on Jake’s behalf — after all, he’d put weeks of labor85 into both motorcycles, and he deserved somekind of payback — Charlie would have thrown my bike in a Dumpster. And possibly set that Dumpster onfire.
“Yeah, right. Like I would do that. It belongs to you, not me. Anyway, I’ll hold on to it until you want itback.”
A tiny hint of the smile I remembered was suddenly playing around the edges of his lips.
“Jake . . .”
He leaned forward, his face earnest now, the bitter sarcasm fading. “I think I might have been wrongbefore, you know, about not being able to be friends. Maybe we could manage it, on my side of the line.
Come see me.”
I was vividly86 conscious of Edward, his arms still wrapped protectively around me, motionless as a stone. Ishot a look at his face — it was calm, patient.
“I, er, don’t know about that, Jake.”
Jacob dropped the antagonistic87 faade completely. It was like he’d forgotten Edward was there, or atleast he was determined to act that way. “I miss you every day, Bella. It’s not the same without you.”
“I know and I’m sorry, Jake, I just . . .”
He shook his head, and sighed. “I know. Doesn’t matter, right? I guess I’ll survive or something. Whoneeds friends?” He grimaced88, trying to cover the pain with a thin attempt at bravado89.
Jacob’s suffering had always triggered my protective side. It was not entirely90 rational — Jacob was hardlyin need of any physical protection I could offer. But my arms, pinned beneath Edward’s, yearned91 to reach outto him. To wrap around his big, warm waist in a silent promise of acceptance and comfort.
Edward’s shielding arms had become restraints.
“Okay, get to class,” a stern voice sounded behind us. “Move along, Mr. Crowley.”
“Get to school, Jake,” I whispered, anxious as soon as I recognized the principal’s voice. Jacob went tothe Quileute school, but he might still get in trouble for trespassing92 or the equivalent.
Edward released me, taking just my hand and pulling me behind his body again.
Mr. Greene pushed through the circle of spectators, his brows pressing down like ominous93 storm cloudsover his small eyes.
“I mean it,” he was threatening. “Detention for anyone who’s still standing94 here when I turn around again.”
The audience melted away before he was finished with his sentence.
“Ah, Mr. Cullen. Do we have a problem here?”
“Not at all, Mr. Greene. We were just on our way to class.”
“Excellent. I don’t seem to recognize your friend.” Mr. Greene turned his glower83 on Jacob. “Are you anew student here?”
Mr. Greene’s eyes scrutinized95 Jacob, and I could see that he’d come to the same conclusion everyoneelse had: dangerous. A troublemaker96.
“Nope,” Jacob answered, half a smirk97 on his broad lips.
“Then I suggest you remove yourself from school property at once, young man, before I call the police.”
Jacob’s little smirk became a full-blown grin, and I knew he was picturing Charlie showing up to arresthim. This grin was too bitter, too full of mocking to satisfy me. This wasn’t the smile I’d been waiting to see.
Jacob said, “Yes, sir,” and snapped a military salute98 before he climbed on his bike and kicked it to a startright there on the sidewalk. The engine snarled99 and then the tires squealed100 as he spun it sharply around. In amatter of seconds, Jacob raced out of sight.
Mr. Greene gnashed his teeth together while he watched the performance.
“Mr. Cullen, I expect you to ask your friend to refrain from trespassing again.”
“He’s no friend of mine, Mr. Greene, but I’ll pass along the warning.”
Mr. Greene pursed his lips. Edward’s perfect grades and spotless record were clearly a factor in Mr.
Greene’s assessment101 of the incident. “I see. If you’re worried about any trouble, I’d be happy to —”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Mr. Greene. There won’t be any trouble.”
“I hope that’s correct. Well, then. On to class. You, too, Miss Swan.”
Edward nodded, and pulled me quickly along toward the English building.
“Do you feel well enough to go to class?” he whispered when we were past the principal.
“Yes,” I whispered back, not quite sure if this was a lie.
Whether I felt well or not was hardly the most important consideration. I needed to talk to Edward rightaway, and English class wasn’t the ideal place for the conversation I had in mind.
But with Mr. Greene right behind us, there weren’t a lot of other options.
We got to class a little late and took our seats quickly. Mr. Berty was reciting a Frost poem. He ignoredour entrance, refusing to let us break his rhythm.
I yanked a blank page out of my notebook and started writing, my handwriting more illegible102 than normalthanks to my agitation103.
What happened? Tell me everything. And screw the protecting me crap, please.
I shoved the note at Edward. He sighed, and then began writing. It took him less time than me, though hewrote an entire paragraph in his own personal calligraphy104 before he slipped the paper back.
Alice saw that Victoria was coming back. I took you out of town merely as a precaution — therewas never a chance that she would have gotten anywhere close to you. Emmett and Jasper verynearly had her, but Victoria seems to have some instinct for evasion105. She escaped right down theQuileute boundary line as if she were reading it from a map. It didn’t help that Alice’s abilities werenullified by the Quileutes’ involvement. To be fair, the Quileutes might have had her, too, if wehadn’t gotten in the way. The big gray one thought Emmett was over the line, and he got defensive12.
Of course Rosalie reacted to that, and everyone left the chase to protect their companions. Carlisleand Jasper got things calmed down before it got out of hand. But by then, Victoria had slippedaway. That’s everything.
I frowned at the letters on the page. All of them had been in on it — Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, andCarlisle. Maybe even Esme, though he hadn’t mentioned her. And then Paul and the rest of the Quileute pack.
It might so easily have turned into a fight, pitting my future family and my old friends against each other. Anyone of them could have been hurt. I imagined the wolves would be in the most danger, but picturing tiny Alicenext to one of the huge werewolves, fighting . . .
Carefully, I scrubbed out the entire paragraph with my eraser and then I wrote over the top:
What about Charlie? She could have been after him.
Edward was shaking his head before I finished, obviously going to downplay any danger on Charlie’sbehalf. He held a hand out, but I ignored that and started again.
You can’t know that she wasn’t thinking that, because you weren’t here. Florida was a bad idea.
He took the paper from underneath107 my hand.
I wasn’t about to send you off alone. With your luck, not even the black box would survive.
That wasn’t what I’d meant at all; I hadn’t thought of going without him. I’d meant that we should havestayed here together. But I was sidetracked by his response, and a little miffed. Like I couldn’t fly crosscountry without bringing the plane down. Very funny.
So let’s say my bad luck did crash the plane. What exactly were you going to do about it?
Why is the plane crashing?
He was trying to hide a smile now.
The pilots are passed out drunk.
Easy. I’d fly the plane.
Of course. I pursed my lips and tried again.
Both engines have exploded and we’re falling in a death spiral toward the earth.
I’d wait till we were close enough to the ground, get a good grip on you, kick out the wall, andjump. Then I’d run you back to the scene of the accident, and we’d stumble around like the twoluckiest survivors108 in history.
I stared at him wordlessly.
“What?” he whispered.
I shook my head in awe109. “Nothing,” I mouthed.
I scrubbed out the disconcerting conversation and wrote one more line.
You will tell me next time.
I knew there would be a next time. The pattern would continue until someone lost.
Edward stared into my eyes for a long moment. I wondered what my face looked like — it felt cold, sothe blood hadn’t returned to my cheeks. My eyelashes were still wet.
He sighed and then nodded once.
Thanks.
The paper disappeared from under my hand. I looked up, blinkingin surprise, just as Mr. Berty camedown the aisle110.
“Is that something you’d like to share there, Mr. Cullen?”
Edward looked up innocently and held out the sheet of paper on top of his folder111. “My notes?” he asked,sounding confused.
Mr. Berty scanned the notes — no doubt a perfect transcription of his lecture — and then walked awayfrowning.
It was later, in Calculus112 — my one class without Edward — that I heard the gossip.
“My money’s on the big Indian,” someone was saying.
I peeked113 up to see that Tyler, Mike, Austin, and Ben had their heads bent114 together, deep in conversation.
“Yeah,” Mike whispered. “Did you see the size of that Jacob kid? I think he could take Cullen down.”
Mike sounded pleased by the idea.
“I don’t think so,” Ben disagreed. “There’s something about Edward. He’s always so . . . confident. Ihave a feeling he can take care of himself.”
“I’m with Ben,” Tyler agreed. “Besides, if that other kid messed Edward up, you know those big brothersof his would get involved.”
“Have you been down to La Push lately?” Mike asked. “Lauren and I went to the beach a couple ofweeks ago, and believe me, Jacob’s friends are all just as big as he is.”
“Huh,” Tyler said. “Too bad it didn’t turn into anything. Guess we’ll never know how it would have turnedout.”
“It didn’t look over to me,” Austin said. “Maybe we’ll get to see.”
Mike grinned. “Anyone in the mood for a bet?”
“Ten on Jacob,” Austin said at once.
“Ten on Cullen,” Tyler chimed in.
“Ten on Edward,” Ben agreed.
“Jacob,” Mike said.
“Hey, do you guys know what it was about?” Austin wondered. “That might affect the odds115.”
“I can guess,” Mike said, and then he shot a glance at me at the same time that Ben and Tyler did.
From their expressions, none of them had realized I was in easy hearing distance. They all looked awayquickly, shuffling116 the papers on their desks.
“I still say Jacob,” Mike muttered under his breath.
收听单词发音 |
1
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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perceptive
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| adj.知觉的，有洞察力的，感知的 | |
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squeals
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| n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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ambled
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| v.（马）缓行( amble的过去式和过去分词 )；从容地走，漫步 | |
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smothering
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的现在分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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11
distractions
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| n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱 | |
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12
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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14
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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15
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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inhale
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| v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟) | |
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flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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19
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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20
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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21
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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22
bugging
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| [法] 窃听 | |
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23
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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24
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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25
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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26
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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27
harassing
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| v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人） | |
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28
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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29
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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30
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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31
persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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32
conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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33
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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34
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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35
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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36
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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37
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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40
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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41
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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42
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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43
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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44
mimicked
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 )；酷似 | |
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45
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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46
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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47
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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48
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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49
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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50
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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51
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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52
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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53
leeches
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| n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生 | |
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54
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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55
flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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56
pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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57
alleviate
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| v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等) | |
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58
tedium
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| n.单调；烦闷 | |
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59
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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60
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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61
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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62
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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63
fuming
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| 愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
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64
volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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65
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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66
vampire
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| n.吸血鬼 | |
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67
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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68
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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69
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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70
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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71
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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72
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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73
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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74
obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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75
vendetta
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| n.世仇，宿怨 | |
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76
demise
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| n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让 | |
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77
speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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78
macabre
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| adj.骇人的，可怖的 | |
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79
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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80
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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82
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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83
glower
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| v.怒目而视 | |
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84
glowered
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| v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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86
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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87
antagonistic
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| adj.敌对的 | |
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88
grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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90
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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91
yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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92
trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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93
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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94
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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95
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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96
troublemaker
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| n.惹是生非者，闹事者，捣乱者 | |
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97
smirk
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| n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说 | |
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98
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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99
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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100
squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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101
assessment
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| n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额 | |
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102
illegible
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| adj.难以辨认的，字迹模糊的 | |
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103
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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104
calligraphy
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| n.书法 | |
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105
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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106
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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107
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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108
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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109
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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110
aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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111
folder
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| n.纸夹，文件夹 | |
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112
calculus
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| n.微积分；结石 | |
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113
peeked
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| v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出 | |
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114
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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115
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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116
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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