5 midnigh+sun-第15章
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！
but her—my whole existence centered around the girl； rather than around myself
anymore。
It was easy enough to understand； though； really； after eighty years of the same
thing every day and every night； any change became a point of absorption。
She had not yet arrived； but could I hear the thunderous chugging of her truck's
engine in the distance。 I leaned against the side of the car to wait。 Alice stayed with me；
while the others went straight to class。 They were bored with my fixation—it was
incomprehensible to them how any human could hold my interest for so long； no matter
how delicious she smelled。
The girl drove slowly into view； her eyes intent on the road and her hands tight on
the wheel。 She seemed anxious about something。 It took me a second to figure out what
that something was； to realize that every human wore the same expression today。 Ah； the
road was slick with ice； and they were all trying to drive more carefully。 I could see she
was taking the added risk seriously。
That seemed in line with what little I had learned of her character。 I added this to
my small list： she was a serious person； a responsible person。
She parked not too far from me； but she hadn't noticed me standing here yet；
staring at her。 I wondered what she would do when she did？ Blush and walk away？
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
57
That was my first guess。 But maybe she would stare back。 Maybe she would come to
talk to me。
I took a deep breath； filling my lungs hopefully； just in case。
She got out of the truck with care； testing the slick ground before she put her
weight on it。 She didn't look up； and that frustrated me。 Maybe I would go talk to her？
No； that would be wrong。
Instead of turning toward the school； she made her way to the rear of her truck；
clinging to the side of the truck bed in a droll way； not trusting her footing。 It made me
smile； and I felt Alice's eyes on my face。 I didn't listen to whatever this made her
think—I was having too much fun watching the girl check her snow chains。 She actually
looked in some danger of falling； the way her feet were sliding around。 No one else was
having trouble—had she parked in the worst of the ice？
She paused there； staring down with a strange expression on her face。 It
was？tender？ As if something about the tire was making her？emotional？
Again； the curiosity ached like a thirst。 It was as if I had to know what she was
thinking—as if nothing else mattered。
I would go talk to her。 She looked like she could use a hand anyway； at least until
she was off the slick pavement。 Of course； I couldn't offer her that； could I？ I hesitated；
torn。 As adverse as she seemed to be to snow； she would hardly welcome the touch of
my cold white hand。 I should have worn gloves—
〃NO！〃 Alice gasped aloud。
Instantly； I scanned her thoughts； guessing at first that I had made a poor choice
and she saw me doing something inexcusable。 But it had nothing to do with me at all。
Tyler Crowley had chosen to take the turn into the parking lot at an injudicious
speed。 This choice would send him skidding across a patch of ice？
The vision came just half a second before the reality。 Tyler's van rounded the
corner as I was still watching the conclusion that had pulled the horrified gasp through
Alice's lips。
No； this vision had nothing to do with me； and yet it had everything to do with
me； because Tyler's van—the tires right now hitting the ice at the worst possible angle—
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
58
was going to spin across the lot and crush the girl who had become the uninvited focal
point of my world。
Even without Alice's foresight it would have been simple enough to read the
trajectory of the vehicle； flying out of Tyler's control。
The girl； standing in the exactly wrong place at the back of her truck； looked up；
bewildered by the sound of the screeching tires。 She looked straight into my horror…
struck eyes； and then turned to watch her approaching death。
Not her！ The words shouted in my head as if they belonged to someone else。
Still locked into Alice's thoughts； I saw the vision suddenly shift； but I had no
time to see what the outcome would be。
I launched myself across the lot； throwing myself between the skidding van and
the frozen girl。 I moved so fast that everything was a streaky blur except for the object of
my focus。 She didn't see me—no human eyes could have followed my flight—still
staring at the hulking shape that was about to grind her body into the metal frame of her
truck。
I caught her around the waist； moving with too much urgency to be as gentle as
she would need me to be。 In the hundredth of a second between the time that I yanked
her slight form out of the path of death and the time that I crashed into to the ground with
her in my arms； I was vividly aware of her fragile； breakable body。
When I heard her head crack against the ice； it felt like I had turned to ice； too。
But I didn't even have a full second to ascertain her condition。 I heard the van
behind us； grating and squealing as it twisted around the sturdy iron body of the girl's
truck。 It was changing course； arcing； coming for her again—like she was a magnet；
pulling it toward us。
A word I'd never said before in the presence of a lady slid between my clenched
teeth。
I had already done too much。 As I'd nearly flown through the air to push her out
of the way； I'd been fully aware of the mistake I was making。 Knowing that it was a
mistake did not stop me； but I was not oblivious to the risk I was taking—taking； not just
for myself； but for my entire family。
Exposure。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
59
And this certainly wasn't going to help； but there was no way I was going to
allow the van to succeed in its second attempt to take her life。
I dropped her and threw my hands out； catching the van before it could touch the
girl。 The force of it hurled me back into the car parked beside her truck； and I could feel
its frame buckle behind my shoulders。 The van shuddered and shivered against the
unyielding obstacle of my arms； and then swayed； balancing unstably on the two far tires。
If I moved my hands； the back tire of the van was going fall onto her legs。
Oh； for the love of all that was holy； would the catastrophes never end？ Was there
anything else that could go wrong？ I could hardly sit here； holding the van in the air； and
wait for rescue。 Nor could I throw the van away—there was the driver to consider； his
thoughts incoherent with panic。
With an internal groan； I shoved the van so that it rocked away from us for an
instant。 As it fell back toward me； I caught it under the frame with my right hand while I
wrapped my left arm around the girl's waist again and drug her out from under the van；
pulling her tight up against my side。 Her body moved limply as I swung her around so
that her legs would be in the clear—was she conscious？ How much damage had I done
to her in my impromptu rescue attempt？
I let the van drop； now that it could not hurt her。 It crashed to the pavement； all
the windows shattering in unison。
I knew that I was in the middle of a crisis。 How much had she seen？ Had any
other witnesses watched me materialize at her side and then juggle the van while I tried to
keep her out from under it？ These questions should be my biggest concern。
But I was too anxious to really care about the threat of exposure as much as I
should。 Too panic…stricken that I might have injured her myself in my effort to protect
her。 Too frightened to have her this close to me； knowing what I would smell if I allowed
myself to inhale。 Too aware of the heat of her soft body； pressed against mine—even
through the double obstacle of our jackets； I could feel that heat？
The first fear was the greatest fear。 As the screaming of the witnesses erupted
around us； I leaned down to examine her face； to see if she was conscious—hoping
fiercely that she was not bleeding anywhere。
Her eyes were open； staring in shock。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
60
〃Bella？〃 I asked urgently。 〃Are you all right？
