New Moon: Book 2

STITCHES

Carlisle was not the only one who stayed calm. Centuries of experiencein the emergency room were evident in his quiet, authoritative voice."Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside."Unsmiling for once, Emmett nodded. "Come on, Jasper."Jasper struggled against Emmett's unbreakable grasp, twisting around, reaching toward hisbrother with his bared teeth, his eyes still past reason.Edward's face was whiter than bone as he wheeled to crouch over me, taking a clearlydefensive position. A low warning growl slid from between his clenched teeth. I could tellthat he wasn't breathing.Rosalie, her divine face strangely smug, stepped in front of Jasper–keeping a careful distancefrom his teeth–and helped Emmett wrestle him through the glass door that Esme held open,one hand pressed over her mouth and nose.Esme's heart-shaped face was ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Bella," she cried as she followed theothers into the yard."Let me by, Edward," Carlisle murmured.A second passed, and then Edward nodded slowly and relaxed his stance.Carlisle knelt beside me, leaning close to examine my arm. I could feel the shock frozen onmy face, and I tried to compose it."Here, Carlisle," Alice said, handing him a towel.He shook his head. "Too much glass in the wound." He reached over and ripped a long, thinscrap from the bottom of the white tablecloth. He twisted it around my arm above the elbowto form a tourniquet. The smell of the blood was making me dizzy. My ears rang."Bella," Carlisle said softly. "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you likeme to take care of it here?""Here, please," I whispered. If he took me to the hospital, there would be no way to keep thisfrom Charlie."I'll get your bag," Alice said."Let's take her to the kitchen table," Carlisle said to Edward.Edward lifted me effortlessly, while Carlisle kept the pressure steady on my arm."How are you doing, Bella?" Carlisle asked."I'm fine." My voice was reasonably steady, which pleased me.Edward's face was like stone.Alice was there. Carlisle's black bag was already on the table, a small but brilliant desk lightplugged into the wall. Edward sat me gently into a chair, and Carlisle pulled up another. Hewent to work at once.Edward stood over me, still protective, still not breathing."Just go, Edward," I sighed."I can handle it," he insisted. But his jaw was rigid; his eyes burned with the intensity of thethirst he fought, so much worse for him than it was for the others."You don't need to be a hero," I said. "Carlisle can fix me up without your help. Get somefresh air."I winced as Carlisle did something to my arm that stung."I'll stay," he said."Why are you so masochistic?" I mumbled.Carlisle decided to intercede. "Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far.I'm sure he's upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now.""Yes," I eagerly agreed. "Go find Jasper.""You might as well do something useful," Alice added.Edward's eyes narrowed as we ganged up on him, but, finally, he nodded once and sprintedsmoothly through the kitchen's back door. I was sure he hadn't taken a breath since I'd slicedmy finger.A numb, dead feeling was spreading through my arm.Though it erased the sting, it reminded me of the gash, and I watched Carlisle's face carefullyto distract me from what his hands were doing. His hair gleamed gold in the bright light ashe bent over my arm. I could feel the faint stirrings of unease in the pit of my stomach, but Iwas determined not to let my usual squeamishness get the best of me. There was no painnow, just a gentle tugging sensation that I tried to ignore. No reason to get sick like a baby.If she hadn't been in my line of sight, I wouldn't have noticed Alice give up and steal out ofthe room. With a tiny, apologetic smile on her lips, she disappeared through the kitchendoorway."Well, that's everyone," I sighed. "I can clear a room, at least.""It's not your fault," Carlisle comforted me with a chuckle. "It could happen to anyone.""Could" I repeated. "But it usually just happens to me."He laughed again.His relaxed calm was only more amazing set in direct contrast with everyone else's reaction. Icouldn't find any trace of anxiety in his face. He worked with quick, sure movements. Theonly sound besides our quiet breathing was the soft plink, plink as the tiny fragments of glassdropped one by one to the table."How can you do this?" I demanded. "Even Alice and Esme..." I trailed off, shaking my headin wonder. Though the rest of them had given up the traditional diet of vampires just asabsolutely as Carlisle had, he was the only one who could bear the smell of my blood withoutsuffering from the intense temptation. Clearly, this was much more difficult than he made itseem."Years and years of practice," he told me. "I barely notice the scent anymore.""Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time.And weren't around any blood?""Maybe." He shrugged his shoulders, but his hands remained steady. "I've never felt the needfor an extended holiday." He flashed a brilliant smile in my direction. "I enjoy my work toomuch."Plink, plink, plink. I was surprised at how much glass there seemed to be in my arm. I wastempted to glance at the growing pile, just to check the size, but I knew that idea would notbe helpful to my no-vomiting strategy."What is it that you enjoy?" I wondered. It didn't make sense to me–the years of struggle andself-denial he must have spent to get to the point where he could endure this so easily.Besides, I wanted to keep him talking; the conversation kept my mind off the queasy feelingin my stomach.His dark eyes were calm and thoughtful as he answered. "Hmm. What I enjoy the very mostis when my... enhanced abilities let me save someone who would otherwise have been lost.It's pleasant knowing that, thanks to what I can do, some people's lives are better because Iexist. Even the sense of smell is a useful diagnostic tool at times." One side of his mouthpulled up in half a smile.I mulled that over while he poked around, making sure all the glass splinters were gone.Then he rummaged in his bag for new tools, and I tried not to picture a needle and thread."You try very hard to make up for something that was never your fault," I suggested while a new kind of tugging started at the edges of my skin. "What I mean is, it's not like you askedfor this. You didn't choose this kind of life, and yet you have to work so hard to be good.""I don't know that I'm making up for anything," he disagreed lightly. "Like everything in life,I just had to decide what to do with what I was given.""That makes it sound too easy."He examined my arm again. "There," he said, snipping a thread. "All done." He wiped anoversized Q-tip, dripping with some syrup-colored liquid, thoroughly across the operationsite. The smell was strange; it made my head spin. The syrup stained my skin."In the beginning, though," I pressed while he taped another long piece of gauze securely inplace, sealing it to my skin. "Why did you even think to try a different way than the obviousone?"His lips turned up in a private smile. "Hasn't Edward told you this story?""Yes. But I'm trying to understand what you were thinking..."His face was suddenly serious again, and I wondered if his thoughts had gone to the sameplace that mine had. Wondering what I would be thinking when–I refused to think if–it wasme."You know my father was a clergyman," he mused as he cleaned the table carefully, rubbingeverything down with wet gauze, and then doing it again. The smell of alcohol burned in mynose. "He had a rather harsh view of the world, which I was already beginning to questionbefore the time that I changed." Carlisle put all the dirty gauze and the glass slivers into anempty crystal bowl. I didn't understand what he was doing, even when he lit the match. Thenhe threw it onto the alcohol-soaked fibers, and the sudden blaze made me jump."Sorry," he apologized. "That ought to do it... So I didn't agree with my father's particularbrand of faith. But never, in the nearly four hundred years now since I was born, have I everseen anything to make me doubt whether God exists in some form or the other. Not even thereflection in the mirror."I pretended to examine the dressing on my arm to hide my surprise at the direction ourconversation had taken. Religion was the last thing I expected, all things considered. Myown life was fairly devoid of belief. Charlie considered himself a Lutheran, because that'swhat his parents had been, but Sundays he worshipped by the river with a fishing pole in hishand. Renee tried out a church now and then, but, much like her brief affairs with tennis,pottery, yoga, and French classes, she moved on by the time I was aware of her newest fad."I'm sure all this sounds a little bizarre, coming from a vampire." He grinned, knowing howtheir casual use of that word never failed to shock me. "But I'm hoping that there is still apoint to this life, even for us. It's a long shot, I'll admit," he continued in an offhand voice."By all accounts, we're damned regardless. But I hope, maybe foolishly, that we'll get somemeasure of credit for trying.""I don't think that's foolish," I mumbled. I couldn't imagine anyone, deity included, whowouldn't be impressed by Carlisle. Besides, the only kind of heaven I could appreciate wouldhave to include Edward. "And I don't think anyone else would, either.""Actually, you're the very first one to agree with me.""The rest of them don't feel the same?" I asked, surprised, thinking of only one person inparticular.Carlisle guessed the direction of my thoughts again. "Edward's with me up to a point. Godand heaven exist... and so does hell. But he doesn't believe there is an afterlife for our kind."Carlisle's voice was very soft; he stared out the big window over the sink, into the darkness."You see, he thinks we've lost our souls."I immediately thought of Edward's words this afternoon: unless you want to die–or whateverit is that we do. The lightbulb flicked on over my head."That's the real problem, isn't it?" I guessed. "That's why he's being so difficult about me."Carlisle spoke slowly. "I look at my... son. His strength, his goodness, the brightness thatshines out of him–and it only fuels that hope, that faith, more than ever. How could there notbe more for one such as Edward?"I nodded in fervent agreement."But if I believed as he does..." He looked down at me with unfathomable eyes. "If youbelieved as he did. Could you take away his soul?"The way he phrased the question thwarted my answer.If he'd asked me whether I would risk my soul for Edward, the reply would be obvious. Butwould I risk Edward's soul? I pursed my lips unhappily. That wasn't a fair exchange."You see the problem."I shook my head, aware of the stubborn set of my chin.Carlisle sighed."It's my choice," I insisted."It's his, too." He held up his hand when he could see that I was about to argue. "Whether heis responsible for doing that to you.""He's not the only one able to do it." I eyed Carlisle speculatively.He laughed, abruptly lightening the mood. "Oh, no! You're going to have to work this outwith him." But then he sighed. "That's the one part I can never be sure of. I think, in mostother ways, that I've done the best I could with what I had to work with. But was it right todoom the others to this life? I can't decide."I didn't answer. I imagined what my life would be like if Carlisle had resisted the temptationto change his lonely existence... and shuddered."It was Edward's mother who made up my mind." Carlisle's voice was almost a whisper. Hestared unseeingly out the black windows."His mother?" Whenever I'd asked Edward about his parents, he would merely say that theyhad died long ago, and his memories were vague. I realized Carlisle's memory of them,despite the brevity of their contact, would be perfectly clear."Yes. Her name was Elizabeth. Elizabeth Masen. His father, Edward Senior, never regainedconsciousness in the hospital. He died in the first wave of the influenza. But Elizabeth wasalert until almost the very end. Edward looks a great deal like her–she had that same strangebronze shade to her hair, and her eyes were exactly the same color green.""His eyes were green?" I murmured, trying to picture it."Yes..." Carlisle's ocher eyes were a hundred years away now. "Elizabeth worriedobsessively over her son. She hurt her own chances of survival trying to nurse him from hersickbed. I expected that he would go first, he was so much worse off than she was. When theend came for her, it was very quick. It was just after sunset, and I'd arrived to relieve thedoctors who'd been working all day. That was a hard time to pretend–there was so muchwork to be done, and I had no need of rest. How I hated to go back to my house, to hide inthe dark and pretend to sleep while so many were dying."I went to check Elizabeth and her son first. I'd grown attached–always a dangerous thing todo considering the fragile nature of humans. I could see at once that she'd taken a bad turn.The fever was raging out of control, and her body was too weak to fight anymore."She didn't look weak, though, when she glared up at me from her cot."Save him!' she commanded me in the hoarse voice that was all her throat could manage."I'll do everything in my power,' I promised her, taking her hand. The fever was so high, sheprobably couldn't even tell how unnaturally cold mine felt. Everything felt cold to her skin."You must," she insisted, clutching at my hand with enough strength that I wondered if shewouldn't pull through the crisis after all. Her eyes were hard, like stones, like emeralds. 'Youmust do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for myEdward.""It frightened me. She looked it me with those piercing eyes, and, for one instant, I feltcertain that she knew my secret. Then the fever overwhelmed her, and she never regainedconsciousness. She died within an hour of making her demand."I'd spent decades considering the idea of creating a companion for myself. Just one othercreature who could really know me, rather than what I pretended to be. But I could neverjustify it to myself–doing what had been done to me."There Edward lay, dying. It was clear that he had only hours left. Beside him, his mother,her face somehow not yet peaceful, not even in death."Carlisle saw it all again, his memory unblurred by the intervening century. I could see itclearly, too, as he spoke–the despair of the hospital, the overwhelming atmosphere of death.Edward burning with fever, his life slipping away with each tick of the clock... I shudderedagain, and forced the picture from my mind."Elizabeth's words echoed in my head. How could she guess what I could do? Could anyonereally want that for her son?"I looked at Edward. Sick as he was, he was still beautiful. There was something pure andgood about his face. The kind of face I would have wanted my son to have."After all those years of indecision, I simply acted on a whim. I wheeled his mother to themorgue first, and then I came back for him. No one noticed that he was still breathing. Thereweren't enough hands, enough eyes, to keep track of half of what the patients needed. Themorgue was empty–of the living, at least. I stole him out the back door, and carried himacross the rooftops back to my home."I wasn't sure what had to be done. I settled for recreating the wounds I'd received myself, somany centuries earlier in London. I felt bad about that later. It was more painful and lingeringthan necessary."I wasn't sorry, though. I've never been sorry that I saved Edward." He shook his head,coming back to the present. He smiled at me. "I suppose I should take you home now.""I'll do that," Edward said. He came through the shadowy dining room, walking slowly forhim. His face was smooth, unreadable, but there was something wrong with hiseyes–something he was trying very hard to hide. I felt a spasm of unease in my stomach."Carlisle can take me," I said. I looked down at my shirt; the light blue cotton was soakedand spotted with my blood. My right shoulder was covered in thick pink frosting."I'm fine." Edward's voice was unemotional. "You'll need to change anyway. You'd giveCharlie a heart attack the way you look. I'll have Alice get you something." He strode out thekitchen door again.I looked at Carlisle anxiously. "He's very upset.""Yes," Carlisle agreed. "Tonight is exactly the kind of thing that he fears the most. Youbeing put in danger, because of what we are.""It's not his fault.""It's not yours, either."I looked away from his wise, beautiful eyes. I couldn't agree with that.Carlisle offered me his hand and helped me up from the table. I followed him out into themain room. Esme had come back; she was mopping the floor where I'd fallen–with straightbleach from the smell of it."Esme, let me do that." I could feel that my face was bright red again."I'm already done." She smiled up at me. "How do you feel?""I'm fine," I assured her. "Carlisle sews faster than any other doctor I've had."They both chuckled.Alice and Edward came in the back doors. Alice hurried to my side, but Edward hung back,his face indecipherable."C'mon," Alice said. "I'll get you something less macabre to wear."She found me a shirt of Esme's that was close to the same color mine had been. Charliewouldn't notice, I was sure. The long white bandage on my arm didn't look nearly as seriouswhen I was no longer spattered in gore. Charlie was never surprised to see me bandaged."Alice," I whispered as she headed back to the door."Yes?" She kept her voice low, too, and looked at me curiously, her head cocked to the side."How bad is it?" I couldn't be sure if my whispering was a wasted effort. Even though wewere upstairs, with the door closed, perhaps he could hear me.Her face tensed. "I'm not sure yet.""How's Jasper?"She sighed. "He's very unhappy with himself. It's all so much more of challenge for him, andhe hates feeling weak.""It's not his fault. You'll tell him that I'm not mad at him, not at all, won't you?""Of course."Edward was waiting for me by the front door. As I got to the bottom of the staircase, he heldit open without a word."Take your things!" Alice cried as I walked warily toward Edward. She scooped up the twopackages, one half-opened, and my camera from under the piano, and pressed them into mygood arm. "You can thank me later, when you've opened them."Esme and Carlisle both said a quiet goodnight. I could see them stealing quick glances attheir impassive son, much like I was.It was a relief to be outside; I hurried past the lanterns and the roses, now unwelcomereminders. Edward kept pace with me silently. He opened the passenget side for me, and Iclimbed in without complaint.On the dashboard was a big red ribbon, stuck to the new stereo. I pulled it off, throwing it tothe floor. As Edward slid into the other side, I kicked the ribbon under my seat.He didn't look at me or the stereo. Neither of us switched it on, and the silence wassomehow intensified by the sudden thunder of the engine. He drove too fast down the dark,serpentine lane.The silence was making me insane."Say something," I finally begged as he turned onto the freeway."What do you want me to say?" he asked in a detached voice.I cringed at his remoteness. 'Tell me you forgive me."That brought a flicker of life to his face–a flicker of anger. "Forgive you? For what?""If I'd been more careful, nothing would have happened.""Bella, you gave yourself a paper cut–that hardly deserves the death penalty.""It's still my fault."My words opened up the floodgate."Your fault? If you'd cut yourself at Mike Newton's house, with Jessica there and Angela andyour other normal friends, the worst that could possibly have happened would be what?Maybe they couldn't find you a bandage? If you'd tripped and knocked over a pile of glassplates on your own–without someone throwing you into them–even then, what's the worst?You'd get blood on the seats when they drove you to the emergency room? Mike Newtoncould have held your hand while they stitched you up–and he wouldn't be righting the urge to kill you the whole time he was there. Don't try to take any of this on yourself, Bella. It willonly make me more disgusted with myself.""How the hell did Mike Newton end up in this conversation?" I demanded."Mike Newton ended up in this conversation because Mike Newton would be a hell of a lothealthier for you to be with," he growled."I'd rather die than be with Mike Newton," I protested. "I'd rather die than be with anyonebut you.""Don't be melodramatic, please.""Well then, don't you be ridiculous."He didn't answer. He glared through the windshield, his expression black.I racked my brain for some way to salvage the evening. When we pulled up in front of myhouse, I still hadn't come up with anything.He killed the engine, but his hands stayed clenched around the steering wheel."Will you stay tonight?" I asked."I should go home."The last thing I wanted was for him to go wallow in remorse."For my birthday," I pressed."You can't have it both ways–either you want people to ignore your birthday or you don't.One or the other."His voice was stern, but not .is serious as before. I breathed a silent sigh of relief."Okay. I've decided that I don't want you to ignore my birthday. I'll see you upstairs."I hopped out, reaching back in for my packages. He frowned."You don't have to take those.""I want them," I responded automatically, and then wondered if he was using reversepsychology."No, you don't. Carlisle and Esme spent money on you.""I'll live." I tucked the presents awkwardly under my good arm and slammed the door behindme. He was out of the truck and by my side in less than a second."Let me carry them, at least." he said as he took them away. "I'll be in your room."I smiled. "Thanks.""Happy birthday," he sighed, and leaned down to touch his lips to mine.I reached up on my toes to make the kiss last longer when he pulled away. He smiled myfavorite crooked smile, and then he disappeared into the darkness.The game was still on; as soon as I walked through the front door I could hear the announcerrambling over the babble of the crowd."Bell?" Charlie called."Hey, Dad," I said as I came around the corner. I held my arm close to my side. The slightpressure burned, and I wrinkled my nose. The anesthetic was apparently losing itseffectiveness."How was it?" Charlie lounged across the sofa with his bare feet propped up on the arm.What was left of his curly brown hair was crushed flat on one side."Alice went overboard. Flowers, cake, candles, presents–the whole bit.""What did they get you?""A stereo for my truck." And various unknowns."Wow.""Yeah," I agreed. "Well, I'm calling it a night.""I'll see you in the morning."I waved. "See ya.""What happened to your arm?"I flushed and cursed silently. "I tripped. It's nothing.""Bella," he sighed, shaking his head."Goodnight, Dad."I hurried up to the bathroom, where I kept my pajamas for just such nights as these. Ishrugged into the matching tank top and cotton pants that I'd gotten to replace the holeysweats I used to wear to bed, wincing as the movement pulled at the stitches. I washed myface one-handed, brushed my teeth, and then skipped to my room.He was sitting in the center of my bed, toying idly with one of the silver boxes."Hi," he said. His voice was sad. He was wallowing.I went to the bed, pushed the presents out of his hands, and climbed into his lap."Hi." I snuggled into his stone chest. "Can I open my presents now?""Where did the enthusiasm come from?" he wondered."You made me curious."I picked up the long flat rectangle that must have been from Carlisle and Esme."Allow me," he suggested. He took the gift from my hand and tore the silver paper off withone fluid movement. He handed the rectangular white box back to me."Are you sure I can handle lifting the lid?" I muttered, but he ignored me.Inside the box was a long thick piece of paper with an overwhelming amount of fine print. Ittook me a minute to get the gist of the information."We're going to Jacksonville?" And I was excited, in spite of myself. It was a voucher forplane tickets, for both me and Edward."That's the idea.""I can't believe it. Renee is going to flip! You don't mind, though, do you? It's sunny, you'llhave to stay inside all day.""I think I can handle it," he said, and then frowned. "If I'd had any idea that you couldrespond to a gift this appropriately, I would have made you open it in front of Carlisle andEsme. I thought you'd complain.""Well, of course it's too much. But I get to take you with me!"He chuckled. "Now I wish I'd spent money on your present. I didn't realize that you werecapable of being reasonable."I set the tickets aside and reached for his present, my curiosity rekindled. He took it from meand unwrapped it like the first one.He handed back a clear CD jewel case, with a blank silver CD inside."What is it?" I asked, perplexed.He didn't say anything; he took the CD and reached around me to put it in the CD player onthe bedside table. He hit play, and we waited in silence. Then the music began.I listened, speechless and wide-eyed. I knew he was waiting for my reaction, but I couldn'ttalk. Tears welled up, and I reached up to wipe them away before they could spill over."Does your arm hurt?" he asked anxiously."No, it's not my arm. It's beautiful, Edward. You couldn't have given me anything I wouldlove more. I can't believe it." I shut up, so I could listen.It was his music, his compositions. The first piece on the CD was my lullaby."I didn't think you would let me get a piano so I could play for you here," he explained."You're right.""How does your arm feel?""Just fine." Actually, it was starting to blaze under the bandage. I wanted ice. I would havesettled for his hand, but that would have given me away."I'll get you some Tylenol.""I don't need anything," I protested, but he slid me off his lap and headed for the door."Charlie," I hissed. Charlie wasn't exactly aware that Edward frequently stayed over. In fact,he would have a stroke if that fact were brought to his attention. But I didn't feel too guiltyfor deceiving him It wasn't as if we were up to anything he wouldn't want me to be up to.Edward and his rules..."He won't catch me," Edward promised as he disappeared silently out the door . . andreturned, catching the door before it had swung back to touch the frame. He had the glassfrom the bathroom and the bottle of pills in one hand.I took the pills he handed me without arguing–I knew I would lose the argument And myarm really was starting to bother me.My lullaby continued, soft and lovely, in the background."It's late," Edward noted. He scooped me up off the bed with one arm, and pulled the coverback with the other. He put me down with my head on my pillow and tucked the quiltaround me. He lay down next to me–on top of the blanket so I wouldn't get chilled–and puthis arm over me.I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed happily."Thanks again," I whispered."You're welcome."It was quiet for a long moment as I listened to my lullaby drift to a close. Another songbegan. I recognized Esme's favorite."What are you thinking about?'" I wondered in a whisper.He hesitated for a second before he told me. "I was thinking about right and wrong,actually."I felt a chill tingle along my spine."Remember how I decided that I wanted you to not ignore my birthday?" I asked quickly,hoping it wasn't too clear that I was trying to distract him."Yes," he agreed, wary."Well, I was thinking, since it's still my birthday, that I'd like you to kiss me again.""You're greedy tonight.""Yes, I am–but please, don't do anything you don't want to do," I added, piqued.He laughed, and then sighed. "Heaven forbid that I should do anything I don't want to do,"he said in a strangely desperate tone as he put his hand under my chin and pulled my face upto his.The kiss began much the same as usual–Edward was as careful as ever, and my heart beganto overreact like it always did. And then something seemed to change. Suddenly his lipsbecame much more urgent, his free hand twisted into my hair and held my face securely tohis. And, though my hands tangled in his hair, too, and though I was clearly beginning tocross his cautious lines, for once he didn't stop me. His body was cold through the thin quilt,but I crushed myself against him eagerly.When he stopped it was abrupt; he pushed me away with gentle, firm hands.I collapsed back onto my pillow, gasping, my head spinning. Something tugged at mymemory, elusive, on the edges."Sorry," he said, and he was breathless, too. "That was out of line.""I don't mind," I panted.He frowned at me in the darkness. "Try to sleep. Bella.""No, I want you to kiss me again.""You're overestimating my self-control.""Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body?" I challenged."It's a tie." He grinned briefly in spite of himself, and then was serious again. "Now. whydon't you stop pushing your luck and go to sleep?""Fine," I agreed, snuggling closer to him. I really did feel exhausted. It had been a long day inso many ways, yet I felt no sense of relief at its end. Almost as if something worse wascoming tomorrow. It was a silly premonition–what could be worse than today?' Just theshock catching up with me, no doubt.Trying to be sneaky about it, I pressed my injured arm against his shoulder, so his cool skinwould sooth the burning. It felt better at once.I was halfway asleep, maybe more, when I realized what his kiss had reminded me of: lastspring, when he'd had to leave me to throw James off my trail, Edward had kissed megoodbye, not knowing when–or if–we would see each other again. This kiss had the samealmost painful edge for some reason I couldn't imagine. I shuddered into unconsciousness, asif I were already having a nightmare.