3 eclipse月食-第64节
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an uncomfortable charge。
Edward got back to business。 “I’ll bring her here Friday afternoon to lay the false trail。 You can meet us
afterward; and carry her to a place I know。 Completely out of the way; and easily defensible; not that it will
come to that。 I’ll take another route there。”
“And then what? Leave her with a cell phone?” Jacob asked critically。
“You have a better idea?”
Jacob was suddenly smug。 “Actually; I do。”
“Oh。 。 。 。 Again; dog; not bad at all。”
Jacob turned to me quickly; as if determined to play the good guy by keeping me in the conversation。 “We
tried to talk Seth into staying behind with the younger two。 He’s still too young; but he’s stubborn and he’s
resisting。 So I thought of a new assignment for him — cell phone。”
I tried to look like I got it。 No one was fooled。
“As long as Seth Clearwater is in his wolf form; he’ll be connected to the pack;” Edward said。 “Distance
isn’t a problem?” he added; turning to Jacob。
“Nope。”
“Three hundred miles?” Edward asked。 “That’s impressive。”
Jacob was the good guy again。 “That’s the farthest we’ve ever gone to experiment;” he told me。 “Still
clear as a bell。”
I nodded absently; I was reeling from the idea that little Seth Clearwater was already a werewolf; too; and
that made it difficult to concentrate。 I could see his bright smile; so much like a younger Jacob; in my head; he
couldn’t be more than fifteen; if he was that。 His enthusiasm at the council meeting bonfire suddenly took on
new meaning。 。 。 。
“It’s a good idea。” Edward seemed reluctant to admit this。 “I’ll feel better with Seth there; even without
the instantaneous communication。 I don’t know if I’d be able to leave Bella there alone。 To think it’s come to
this; though! Trusting werewolves!”
“Fightingwith vampires instead of against them!” Jacob mirrored Edward’s tone of disgust。
“Well; you still get to fight against some of them;” Edward said。
Jacob smiled。 “That’s the reason we’re here。”
19。 SELFISH
EDWARD CARRIED ME HOME IN HIS ARMS; EXPECTING that I wouldn’t be able to hang on。 I must have fallen
asleep on the way。
When I woke up; I was in my bed and the dull light coming through my windows slanted in from a strange
angle。 Almost like it was afternoon。
I yawned and stretched; my fingers searching for him and coming up empty。
“Edward?” I mumbled。
My seeking fingers encountered something cool and smooth。 His hand。
“Are you really awake this time?” he murmured。
“Mmm;” I sighed in assent。 “Have there been a lot of false alarms?”
“You’ve been very restless — talking all day。”
“Allday?” I blinked and looked at the windows again。
“You had a long night;” he said reassuringly。 “You’d earned a day in bed。”
I sat up; and my head spun。 The light was coming in my window from the west。 “Wow。”
“Hungry?” he guessed。 “Do you want breakfast in bed?”
“I’ll get it;” I groaned; stretching again。 “I need to get up and move around。”
He held my hand on the way to the kitchen; eyeing me carefully; like I might fall over。 Or maybe he
thought I was sleepwalking。
I kept it simple; throwing a couple of Pop…Tarts in the toaster。 I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflective
chrome。
“Ugh; I’m a mess。”
“It was a long night;” he said again。 “You should have stayed here and slept。”
“Right! And missed everything。 You know; you need to start accepting the fact that I’m part of the family
now。”
He smiled。 “I could probably get used to that idea。”
I sat down with my breakfast; and he sat next to me。 When I lifted the Pop…Tart to take the first bite; I
noticed him staring at my hand。 I looked down; and saw that I was still wearing the gift that Jacob had given
me at the party。
“May I?” he asked; reaching for the tiny wooden wolf。
I swallowed noisily。 “Um; sure。”
He moved his hand under the charm bracelet and balanced the little figurine in his snowy palm。 For a
fleeting moment; I was afraid。 Just the slightest twist of his fingers could crush it into splinters。
But of course Edward wouldn’t do that。 I was embarrassed I’d even had the thought。 He only weighed
the wolf in his palm for a moment; and then let it fall。 It swung lightly from my wrist。
I tried to read the expression in his eyes。 All I could see was thoughtfulness; he kept everything else
hidden; if there was anything else。
“Jacob Black can give you presents。”
It wasn’t a question; or an accusation。 Just a statement of fact。 But I knew he was referring to my last
birthday and the fit I’d thrown over gifts; I hadn’t wanted any。 Especially not from Edward。 It wasn’t entirely
logical; and; of course; everyone had ignored me anyway。 。 。 。
“You’ve given me presents;” I reminded him。 “You know I like the homemade kind。”
He pursed his lips for a second。 “How about hand…me…downs? Are those acceptable?”
“What do you mean?”
“This bracelet。” His finger traced a circle around my wrist。 “You’ll be wearing this a lot?”
I shrugged。
“Because you wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings;” he suggested shrewdly。
“Sure; I guess so。”
“Don’t you think it’s fair; then;” he asked; looking down at my hand as he spoke。 He turned it palm up;
and ran his finger along the veins in my wrist。 “If I have a little representation?”
“Representation?”
“A charm — something to keep me on your mind。”
“You’re in every thought I have。 I don’t need reminders。”
“If I gave you something; would you wear it?” he pressed。
“A hand…me…down?” I checked。
“Yes; something I’ve had for a while。” He smiled his angel’s smile。
If this was the only reaction to Jacob’s gift; I would take it gladly。 “Whatever makes you happy。”
“Have you noticed the inequality?” he asked; and his voice turned accusing。 “Because I certainly have。”
“What inequality?”
His eyes narrowed。 “Everyone else is able to get away with giving you things。 Everyone but me。 I would
have loved to get you a graduation present; but I didn’t。 I knew it would have upset you more than if anyone
else did。 That’s utterly unfair。 How do you explain yourself?”
“Easy。” I shrugged。 “You’re more important than everyone else。 And you’ve given me you。 That’s already
more than I deserve; and anything else you give me just throws us more out of balance。”
He processed that for a moment; and then rolled his eyes。 “The way you regard me is ludicrous。”
I chewed my breakfast calmly。 I knew he wouldn’t listen if I told him that he had that backward。
Edward’s phone buzzed。
He looked at the number before he opened it。 “What is it; Alice?”
He listened; and I waited for his reaction; suddenly nervous。 But whatever she said didn’t surprise him。 He
sighed a few times。
“I sort of guessed as much;” he told her; staring into my eyes; a disapproving arch to his brow。 “She was
talking in her sleep。”
I flushed。 What had I said now?
“I’ll take care of it;” he promised。
He glared at me as he shut his phone。 “Is there something you’d like to talk to me about?”
I deliberated for a moment。 Given Alice’s warning last night; I could guess why she’d called。 And then
remembering the troubled dreams I’d had as I’d slept through the day — dreams where I chased after Jasper;
trying to followhim and find the clearing in the maze…like woods; knowing I would find Edward there 。 。 。
Edward; and the monsters who wanted to kill me; but not caring about them because I’d already made my
decision — I could also guess what Edward had overheard while I’d slept。
I pursed my lips for a moment; not quite able to meet his gaze。 He waited。
“I like Jasper’s idea;” I finally said。
He groaned。
“I want to help。 I have to do something;” I insisted。
“It wouldn’t help to have you in danger。”
“Jasper thinks it would。 This is his area of expertise。”
Edward glowered at me。
“You can’t keep me away;” I threatened。 “I’m not going to hide out in the forest while you all take risks
for me。”
Suddenly; he was fighting a smile。 “Alice doesn’t see you in the clearing; Bella。 She sees you stumbling
around lost in the woods。 You won’t be able to find us; you’ll just make it more time consuming for me to find
you afterward。”
I tried to keep as cool as he was。 “That’s because Alice didn’t factor in Seth Clearwater;” I said politely。
“If she had; of course; she wouldn’t have been able to see anything at all。 But it sounds like Seth wants to be
there as much as I do。 It shouldn’t be too hard to persuade him to show me the way。”
Anger flickered across his face; and then he took a deep breath and composed himself。 “That might have
worked 。 。 。 if you hadn’t told me。 Now I’ll just as