*by Stephenie Meyer*
TWILIGHT - chapter 24 - AN IMPASSE
"Charlie?" he asked curtly "Renee?"
মিনিট passed in silence as I struggled to answer his question. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I closed it again. He waited, and his expression became triumphant because he knew I had no true answer.
"Look, that's not the issue either," I finally muttered; my voice was as unconvincing as it always was when I lied. "Renee has always made the choices that work for her - she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient, he's used to being on his own. i can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live."
"Exactly," he snapped. "And I won't end it for you."
"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!"
"You're going to recover," he reminded me.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, ignoring the spasm of pain it triggered. I stared at him, and he stared back. There was no compromise in his face.
"No," I ব্যক্ত slowly. "I'm not."
His forehead creased. "Of course আপনি are. আপনি may have a scar অথবা two...."
"You're wrong," I insisted. "I'm going to die."
"Really, Bella." He was anxious now. "You'll be out of here in a few days. Two weeks at the most."
I glared at him. "I may not die now... but I'm going to die sometime. Every মিনিট of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get old."
He frowned as what I was saying sunk in, pressing his long fingers to his temples and closing his eyes. "That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist - and I shouldn't exist."
I snorted. He opened his eyes in surprise. "That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, 'Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it."
"I'm hardly a lottery prize," he growled.
"That's right. You're much better."
He rolled his eyes and set his lips. "Bella, we're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn আপনি to an eternity of night and that's the end of it."
"If আপনি think that's the end, then আপনি don't know me very well," I warned him. "You're not the only vampire I know."
His eyes went black again. "Alice wouldn't dare."
And for a moment he looked so frightened that I couldn't help but believe it - I couldn't imagine someone ব্রেভ enough to ক্রুশ him.
"Alice already saw it, didn't she?" I guessed. "That's why the things she says upset you. She knows I'm going to be like you... someday."
"She's wrong. She also saw আপনি dead, but that didn't happen, either."
"You'll never catch me betting against Alice."
We stared at each other for a very long time. It was quiet except for the wirring of the machines, the beeping, the dripping, the ticking of the big clock on the wall. Finally, his expression softened.
"So where does that leave us?" I wondered.
He chuckled humorously. "I believe it's called an impasse."
I sighed. "Ouch," I muttered.
"How are আপনি feeling?" he asked, eyeing the button for the nurse.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"I don't believe you," he ব্যক্ত gently.
"I'm not going back to sleep."
"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you."
"So give in," I hinted.
"Nice try." He reached for the button.
"No!"
He ignored me.
"Yes?" the speaker on the দেওয়াল squawked.
"I think we're ready for আরো pain medication," he ব্যক্ত calmly, ignoring my furious expression.
"I'll send in the nurse." The voice sounded very bored.
"I won't take it," I promised.
He looked toward the sack of fluids hanging beside my bed. "I don't think they're going to ask আপনি to গেলা anything."
My হৃদয় rate started to climb. He read the fear in my eyes, and sighed in frustration.
"Bella, you're in pain. আপনি need to relax so আপনি can heal. Why are আপনি being so difficult? They're not going to put any আরো needles in আপনি now."
"I'm not afraid of the needles," I mumbled. "I'm afraid to close my eyes."
Then he smiled his crooked smile, and took my face between his hands. "I told আপনি I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes আপনি happy, I'll be here."
I smiled back, ignoring the ache in my cheeks. "You're talking about forever, আপনি know."
"Oh, you'll get over it - it's just a crush."
I shook my head in disbelief - it made me dizzy. "I was shocked when Renee swallowed that one. I know you know better."
"That's the beautiful thing about being human," he told me. "Things change."
My eyes narrowed. "Don't hold your breath."
He was laughing when the nurse came in, brandishing a syringe.
"Excuse me," she ব্যক্ত brusquely to Edward.
He got up and crossed to the end of the small room, leaning against the wall. He fodled his arms and waited. I kept my eyes on him, still apprehensive. He met my gaze calmly.
"Here আপনি go, honey." The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine into my tube. "You'll feel better now."
"Thanks," I mumbled, unenthusiastic. It didn't take long. I could feel the drowsiness trickling through my bloodstream almost immediately.
"That ought to do it," she muttered as my eyelids drooped.
She must have left the room, because something cold and smooth touched my face.
"Stay." The word was slurred.
"I will," he promised. His voice was beautiful, like a lullaby. "Like I said, as long as it makes আপনি happy... as long as it's what's best for you."
I tried to shake my head, but it was too heavy. "'S not the same thing," I mumbled.
He laughed. "Don't worry about that now, Bella. আপনি can argue with me when আপনি wake up."
I think I smiled. "'Kay."
I could feel his lips at my ear.
"I প্রণয় you," he whispered.
"Me, too."
"I know," he laughed quietly.
I turned my head slightly... searching. He knew what I was after. His lips touched mine gently.
"Thanks," I sighed.
"Anytime."
I wasn't really there at all anymore. But I fought against the stupor weakly. There was just one আরো thing I wanted to tell him.
"Edward?" I struggled to pronounce his name clearly.
"Yes?"
"I'm betting on Alice," I mumbled.
And then the night closed over me.
TWILIGHT - chapter 24 - AN IMPASSE
"Charlie?" he asked curtly "Renee?"
মিনিট passed in silence as I struggled to answer his question. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I closed it again. He waited, and his expression became triumphant because he knew I had no true answer.
"Look, that's not the issue either," I finally muttered; my voice was as unconvincing as it always was when I lied. "Renee has always made the choices that work for her - she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient, he's used to being on his own. i can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live."
"Exactly," he snapped. "And I won't end it for you."
"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!"
"You're going to recover," he reminded me.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, ignoring the spasm of pain it triggered. I stared at him, and he stared back. There was no compromise in his face.
"No," I ব্যক্ত slowly. "I'm not."
His forehead creased. "Of course আপনি are. আপনি may have a scar অথবা two...."
"You're wrong," I insisted. "I'm going to die."
"Really, Bella." He was anxious now. "You'll be out of here in a few days. Two weeks at the most."
I glared at him. "I may not die now... but I'm going to die sometime. Every মিনিট of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get old."
He frowned as what I was saying sunk in, pressing his long fingers to his temples and closing his eyes. "That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist - and I shouldn't exist."
I snorted. He opened his eyes in surprise. "That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, 'Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it."
"I'm hardly a lottery prize," he growled.
"That's right. You're much better."
He rolled his eyes and set his lips. "Bella, we're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn আপনি to an eternity of night and that's the end of it."
"If আপনি think that's the end, then আপনি don't know me very well," I warned him. "You're not the only vampire I know."
His eyes went black again. "Alice wouldn't dare."
And for a moment he looked so frightened that I couldn't help but believe it - I couldn't imagine someone ব্রেভ enough to ক্রুশ him.
"Alice already saw it, didn't she?" I guessed. "That's why the things she says upset you. She knows I'm going to be like you... someday."
"She's wrong. She also saw আপনি dead, but that didn't happen, either."
"You'll never catch me betting against Alice."
We stared at each other for a very long time. It was quiet except for the wirring of the machines, the beeping, the dripping, the ticking of the big clock on the wall. Finally, his expression softened.
"So where does that leave us?" I wondered.
He chuckled humorously. "I believe it's called an impasse."
I sighed. "Ouch," I muttered.
"How are আপনি feeling?" he asked, eyeing the button for the nurse.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"I don't believe you," he ব্যক্ত gently.
"I'm not going back to sleep."
"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you."
"So give in," I hinted.
"Nice try." He reached for the button.
"No!"
He ignored me.
"Yes?" the speaker on the দেওয়াল squawked.
"I think we're ready for আরো pain medication," he ব্যক্ত calmly, ignoring my furious expression.
"I'll send in the nurse." The voice sounded very bored.
"I won't take it," I promised.
He looked toward the sack of fluids hanging beside my bed. "I don't think they're going to ask আপনি to গেলা anything."
My হৃদয় rate started to climb. He read the fear in my eyes, and sighed in frustration.
"Bella, you're in pain. আপনি need to relax so আপনি can heal. Why are আপনি being so difficult? They're not going to put any আরো needles in আপনি now."
"I'm not afraid of the needles," I mumbled. "I'm afraid to close my eyes."
Then he smiled his crooked smile, and took my face between his hands. "I told আপনি I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes আপনি happy, I'll be here."
I smiled back, ignoring the ache in my cheeks. "You're talking about forever, আপনি know."
"Oh, you'll get over it - it's just a crush."
I shook my head in disbelief - it made me dizzy. "I was shocked when Renee swallowed that one. I know you know better."
"That's the beautiful thing about being human," he told me. "Things change."
My eyes narrowed. "Don't hold your breath."
He was laughing when the nurse came in, brandishing a syringe.
"Excuse me," she ব্যক্ত brusquely to Edward.
He got up and crossed to the end of the small room, leaning against the wall. He fodled his arms and waited. I kept my eyes on him, still apprehensive. He met my gaze calmly.
"Here আপনি go, honey." The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine into my tube. "You'll feel better now."
"Thanks," I mumbled, unenthusiastic. It didn't take long. I could feel the drowsiness trickling through my bloodstream almost immediately.
"That ought to do it," she muttered as my eyelids drooped.
She must have left the room, because something cold and smooth touched my face.
"Stay." The word was slurred.
"I will," he promised. His voice was beautiful, like a lullaby. "Like I said, as long as it makes আপনি happy... as long as it's what's best for you."
I tried to shake my head, but it was too heavy. "'S not the same thing," I mumbled.
He laughed. "Don't worry about that now, Bella. আপনি can argue with me when আপনি wake up."
I think I smiled. "'Kay."
I could feel his lips at my ear.
"I প্রণয় you," he whispered.
"Me, too."
"I know," he laughed quietly.
I turned my head slightly... searching. He knew what I was after. His lips touched mine gently.
"Thanks," I sighed.
"Anytime."
I wasn't really there at all anymore. But I fought against the stupor weakly. There was just one আরো thing I wanted to tell him.
"Edward?" I struggled to pronounce his name clearly.
"Yes?"
"I'm betting on Alice," I mumbled.
And then the night closed over me.
