按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
He was so irate that it made me chuckle。
〃What？〃 she demanded。
〃Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you—he's debating
whether or not to come break up our fight。〃 I would love to see him try。 I laughed again。
〃I don't know who you're talking about；〃 she said in an icy voice。 〃But I'm sure
you're wrong anyway。〃
I very much enjoyed the way she disowned him with her dismissive sentence。
〃I'm not。 I told you； most people are easy to read。〃
〃Except me； of course。〃
〃Yes。 Except for you。〃 Did she have to be the exception to everything？
Wouldn't it have been more fair—considering everything else I had to deal with now—if
I could have at least heard something from her head？ Was that so much to ask？ 〃I
wonder why that is？〃
I stared into her eyes； trying again？
She looked away。 She opened her lemonade and took a quick drink； her eyes on
the table。
〃Aren't you hungry？〃 I asked。
〃No。〃 She eyed the empty table between us。 〃You？〃
〃No； I'm not hungry；〃 I said。 I was definitely not that。
She stared at the table her lips pursed。 I waited。
〃Could you do me a favor？〃 she asked； suddenly meeting my gaze again。
What would she want from me？ Would she ask for the truth that I wasn't allowed
to tell her—the truth I didn't want her to ever； ever know？
〃That depends on what you want。〃
〃It's not much；〃 she promised。
I waited； curious again。
〃I just wondered？〃 she said slowly； staring at the lemonade bottle； tracing its lip
with her littlest finger。 〃If you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to
ignore me for my own good？ Just so I'm prepared。〃
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
123
She wanted a warning？ Then being ignored by me must be a bad thing？ I
smiled。
〃That sounds fair；〃 I agreed。
〃Thanks；〃 she said； looking up。 Her face was so relieved that I wanted to laugh
with my own relief。
〃Then can I have one in return？〃 I asked hopefully。
〃One；〃 she allowed。
〃Tell me one theory。〃
She flushed。 〃Not that one。〃
〃You didn't qualify； you just promised one answer；〃 I argued。
〃And you've broken promises yourself；〃 she argued back。
She had me there。
〃Just one theory—I won't laugh。〃
〃Yes； you will。〃 She seemed very sure of that； though I couldn't imagine
anything that would be funny about it。
I gave persuasion another try。 I stared deep into her eyes—an easy thing to do；
with eyes so deep—and whispered； 〃Please？〃
She blinked； and her face went blank。
Well； that wasn't exactly the reaction I'd been going for。
〃Er； what？〃 she asked。 She looked dizzy。 What was wrong with her？
But I wasn't giving up yet。
〃Please tell me just one little theory；〃 I pleaded in my soft； non…scary voice；
holding her eyes in mine。
To my surprise and satisfaction； it finally worked。
〃Um； well； bitten by a radioactive spider？〃
Comic books？ No wonder she thought I would laugh。
〃That's not very creative；〃 I chided her； trying to hide my fresh relief。
〃I'm sorry； that's all I've got；〃 she said； offended。
This relieved me even more。 I was able to tease her again。
〃You're not even close。〃
〃No spiders？〃
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
124
〃Nope。〃
〃And no radioactivity？〃
〃None。〃
〃Dang；〃 she sighed。
〃Kryptonite doesn't bother me either；〃 I said quickly—before she could ask about
bites—and then I had to laugh； because she thought I was a superhero。
〃You're not supposed to laugh； remember？〃
I pressed my lips together。
〃I'll figure it out eventually；〃 she promised。
And when she did； she would run。
〃I wish you wouldn't try；〃 I said； all teasing gone。
〃Because？？〃
I owed her honesty。 Still； I tried to smile； to make my words sound less
threatening。 〃What if I'm not a superhero？ What if I'm the bad guy？〃
Her eyes widened by a fraction and her lips fell slightly apart。 〃Oh；〃 she said。
And then； after another second； 〃I see。〃
She'd finally heard me。
〃Do you？〃 I asked； working to conceal my agony。
〃You're dangerous？〃 she guessed。 Her breathing hiked； and her heart raced。
I couldn't answer her。 Was this my last moment with her？ Would she run now？
Could I be allowed to tell her that I loved her before she left？ Or would that frighten her
more？
〃But not bad；〃 she whispered； shaking her head； no fear in her clear eyes。 〃No； I
don't believe that you're bad。〃
〃You're wrong；〃 I breathed。
Of course I was bad。 Wasn't I rejoicing now； that she thought better of me than I
deserved？ If I were a good person； I would have stayed away from her。
I stretched my hand across the table； reaching for the lid to her lemonade bottle as
an excuse。 She did not flinch away from my suddenly closer hand。 She really was not
afraid of me。 Not yet。
I spun the lid like a top； watching it instead of her。 My thoughts were in a snarl。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
125
Run； Bella； run。 I couldn't make myself say the words out loud。
She jumped to her feet。 〃We're going to be late；〃 she said； just as I'd started to
worry that she'd somehow heard my silent warning。
〃I'm not going to class。〃
〃Why not？〃
Because I don't want to kill you。 〃It's healthy to ditch class now and then。〃
To be precise； it was healthier for the humans if the vampires ditched on days
when human blood would be spilt。 Mr。 Banner was blood typing today。 Alice had
already ditched her morning class。
〃Well； I'm going；〃 she said。 This didn't surprise me。 She was responsible—she
always did the right thing。
She was my opposite。
〃I'll see you later then；〃 I said； trying for casual again； staring down at the
whirling lid。 And； by the way； I adore you？in frightening； dangerous ways。
She hesitated； and I hoped for a moment that she would stay with me after all。
But the bell rang and she hurried away。
I waited until she was gone； and then I put the lid in my pocket—a souvenir of
this most consequential conversation—and walked through the rain to my car。
I put on my favorite calming CD—the same one I'd listened to that first day—but
I wasn't hearing Debussy's notes for long。 Other notes were running through my head； a
fragment of a tune that pleased and intrigued me。 I turned down the stereo and listened to
the music in my head； playing with the fragment until it evolved into a fuller harmony。
Instinctively； my fingers moved in the air over imaginary piano keys。
The new composition was really coming along when my attention was caught by
a wave of mental anguish。
I looked toward the distress。
Is she going to pass out？ What do I do？ Mike panicked。
A hundred yards away； Mike Newton was lowering Bella's limp body to the
sidewalk。 She slumped unresponsively against the wet concrete； her eyes closed； her skin
chalky as a corpse。
I almost took the door off the car。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
126
〃Bella？〃 I shouted。
There was no change in her lifeless face when I yelled her name。
My whole body went colder than ice。
I was aware of Mike's aggravated surprise as I sifted furiously through his
thoughts。 He was only thinking of his anger toward me； so I didn't know what was
wrong with Bella。 If he'd done something to harm her； I would annihilate him。
〃What'