*by Stephenie Meyer*



NEW MOON - chapter 2 - STITCHES


Carlisle offered me his hand and helped me up from the table. I followed him out into the main room. Esme had come back; she was mopping the floor where I’d fallen - with straight bleach 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 আপনি feel?”
“I’m find,” I assured her. “Carlisle sews faster than any other doctor I’ve had.”
They both chuckled.
Alice and Edward came in the back door. Alice hurried to my side, and Edward hung back, has face indecipherable.
“C’mon,” Alice said. “I’ll get আপনি something less macabre to wear.”
She found me a শার্ট of Esme’s that was close to the same color mine had been. Charlie wouldn’t notice, I was sure. The long white bandage on my arm didn’t look nearly as serious when 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 we were 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 upset with himself. It’s all so much আরো of a challenge for him, and he 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 দ্বারা the front door. As I got to the bottom of the staircase, he held it open without a word.
“Take your things!” Alice cried as I walked warily toward Edward. She scooped up the two packages, on half-opened, and my camera from under the piano, and pressed them into my good arm. “You can thank me later, when you’ve opened them.”
Esme and Carlisle both ব্যক্ত a quiet goodnight. I could see them stealing quick glances at their impassive son, much like I was.
It was a relief to be outside; I hurried past the lanterns and the roses, now unwelcome reminders. Edward kept pace with me silently. He opened the passenger side for me, and I climbed in without complaint.
On the dashboard was a big red ribbon, stuck to the new stereo. I pulled it off, throwing it to the floor. As Edward slid into the other side, I kicked the ribbon under my seat.
He didn’t look at me অথবা the stereo. Neither of us switched it on, and the silence was somehow intensifying দ্বারা 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 আপনি want me to say?” he asked in a detached voice.
I cringed at his remoteness. “Tell me আপনি forgive me.”
That brought a flicker of life to his face - a flicker of anger. “Forgive you? For what?”
“If I’d been আরো careful, nothing would have happened.”
“Bella, আপনি 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 and your other normal friends, the worst that could possibly have happened would be what? Maybe they couldn’t find আপনি a bandage? If you’d tripped and knocked over a pile of glass plates on your own - without someone throwing আপনি into them - even then, what’s the worst? You’d get blood on the seats when they drove আপনি to the emergency room? Mike Newton would have held your hand while they stitched আপনি up - and he wouldn’t be fighting the urge to kill আপনি the whole time he was there. Don’t try to take any of this on yourself, Bella. It will only make me আরো 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 lot healthier for আপনি to be with,” he growled.
“I’d rather die than be with Mike Newton,” I protested. “I’d rather die than be with anyone but you.”
“Don’t be melodramatic, please.”
“Well then, don’t আপনি be ridiculous.”
He didn’t answer. He glared through the windshield, his expression black.
I tracked my brain for some way to salvage the evening. When we pulled up in front of my house, I still hadn’t come up with anything.
He killed the engine, but his hands stayed clenched around the steering wheel.
“Will আপনি 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 আপনি want people to ignore your birthday অথবা আপনি don’t. one অথবা the other.” His voice was stern, but not as serious as before. I breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Okay I’ve decided that I don’t want আপনি to ignore my birthday. I’ll see আপনি upstairs.”
I hopped out, reaching back in for the packages. He frowned.
“You don’t have to take those.”
“I want them,” I responded automatically, and then wondered if he was using reverse psychology.
“No, আপনি 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 behind me. He was out of the truck and দ্বারা my side in less than a second.
“Let me carry them, at least,” he ব্যক্ত 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 চুম্বন last longer when he pulled away. He smiled my পছন্দ crooked smile, and then he disappeared into the darkness.