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yes turned bewildered； the You owe me an explanation； she said in a small voice； her ivory face blanched。 It was very hard to keep my voice harsh。 anything。 I saved your life I don t owe you She flinched it burned like acid to watch my words hurt her。 You promised； she whispered。 Bella； you hit your head； you don t know what you re talking about。 Her chin came up then。 There s nothing wrong with my head。 I met her glare； making my She was angry now； and that made it easier for me。 face more unfriendly。 What do you want from me； Bella？ I want to know the truth。 I want to know why I m lying for you。 What she wanted was only fair it frustrated me to have to deny her。 What do you think happened？ I nearly growled at her。 Her words poured out in a torrent。 All I know is that you weren t anywhere near me Tyler didn t see you； either； so don t tell me I hit my head too hard。 That van was going to crush us both and it didn t； and your hands left dents in the side of it and you left a dent in the other car； and you re not hurt at all and the van should have smashed my legs； but you were holding it up Suddenly； she clenched her teeth together and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears。 I stared at her； my expression derisive； though what I really felt was awe； she had seen everything。 You think I lifted a van off you？ I asked sarcastically。 She answered with one stiff nod。 My voice grew more mocking。 Nobody will believe that； you know。 She made an effort to control her anger。 When she answered me； she spoke each word with slow deliberation。 I m not going to tell anybody。
She meant it I could see that in her eyes。 keep my secret。 Even furious and betrayed； she would Why？ The shock of it ruined my carefully designed expression for half a second； and then I pulled myself together。 Then why does it matter？ I asked； working to keep my voice severe。 It matters to me； she said intensely。 a good reason why I m doing it。 She was asking me to trust her。 line I could not cross。 My voice stayed callous。 I don t like to lie so there d better be But this was a Just as I wanted her to trust me。 Can t you just thank me and get it over with？ Thank you； she said； and then she fumed silently； waiting。 You re not going to let it go； are you？ No。 In that to。 I d could be a horror case I couldn t tell her the truth if I wanted to and I didn t want rather she made up her own story than know what I was； because nothing worse than the truth I was a living nightmare； straight from the pages of novel。 I hope you enjoy disappointment。 We scowled at each other。 It was odd how endearing her anger was。 Like a furious kitten； soft and harmless； and so unaware of her own vulnerability。 She flushed pink and ground her teeth together again。 Why did you even bother？ Her question wasn t one that I was expecting or prepared to answer。 I lost my hold on the role I was playing。 I felt the mask slip from my face； and I told her this one time the truth。 I don t know。 I memorized her face one last time it was still set in lines of anger； the blood not yet faded from her cheeks and then I turned and walked away from her。
4。 Visions I went back to school。 to behave。 This was the right thing to do； the most inconspicuous way By the end of the day； almost all the other students had returned to class； too。 Just Tyler and Bella and a few others who were probably using the accident as a chance to ditch remained absent。 It shouldn t be so hard for me to do the right thing。 But； all afternoon； I was gritting my teeth against the urge that had me yearning ditch； too in order to go find the girl again。 Like a stalker。 An obsessed stalker。 An obsessed vampire stalker。 School today was somehow； impossibly even more boring than it had seemed just a week ago。 alike。 It was as if the color had drained from the bricks； the trees； the sky； the faces around me I stared at the cracks in the walls。 There was another right thing I should be doing that I was not。 Of course； it was also a wrong thing。 It all depended on the perspective from which you viewed it。 From the perspective of a Cullen not just a vampire； but a Cullen； someone who belonged to a family； such a rare state in our world the right thing to do would have gone something like this： I m surprised to see you in class； Edward。 awful accident this morning。 I heard you were involved in that A friendly smile。 I didn t Yes； I was； Mr。 Banner； but I was the lucky one。
get hurt at all How are they？ I wish I could say the same for Tyler and Bella。 I think Tyler is fine just some superficial scrapes from the windshield glass。 I m not sure about Bella； though。 A worried frown。 She might have a concussion。 I heard she was pretty incoherent for a while seeing things even。 know the doctors were worried That s how it should have gone。 That s what I owed my family。 I heard you were involved in that I I m surprised to see you in class； Edward。 awful accident this morning。 I wasn t hurt。 No smile。 Mr。 Banner shifted his weight from foot to foot； unfortable。 Do you have any idea how Tyler Crowley and Bella Swan are？ some injuries I shrugged。 I wouldn t know。 Er； right he said； my cold stare making his I heard there were Mr。 Banner cleared his throat。 voice sound a bit strained。 He walked quickly back to the front of classroom and began his lecture。 It was the wrong thing to do。 Unless you looked at it from a more obscure point of view。 It just seemed so so unchivalrous to slander the girl behind her back； especially when she was proving more trustworthy than I could have dreamed。 She hadn t said anything to betray me； despite having good reason to do so。 Would I betray her when she had done nothing but keep my secret？ I had a nearly identical conversation with Mrs。 Goff just in Spanish rather than in English and Emmett gave me a long look。 I hope you have a good explanation for what happened today。 warpath。 I rolled my eyes without looking at him。 I actually had e up with a perfectly sound explanation。 Just suppose I hadn t done anything to stop the van from crushing the girl I recoiled from that thought。 But if she had been hit； if she d been mangled and bleeding； the red fluid spilling； wasting on the blacktop； the scent of the fresh blood pulsing through the air I shuddered again； but not just in horror。 Part of me shivered in desire。 No； I would not have been able to watch her bleed without exposing us all in a much more flagrant and shocking way。 It was a perfectly sound excuse but I wouldn t use it。 It was too shameful。 Rose is on the And I hadn t thought of it until long after the fact； regardless。 Look out for Jasper； Emmett went on； oblivious to my reverie。 He s not as
angry but he s more resolved。 I saw what he meant； allconsuming that a SHEESH； EDWARD！ GET down on my shoulder； and for a moment the room swam around me。 My rage was so red haze clouded my vision。 I thought I would choke on it。 A GRIP！ Emmett shouted at me in his head。 His hand came holding me in my seat before I could jump to my feet。 He rarely used his full strength there was rarely a need； for he was so much stronger than any vampire any of us had ever encountered but he used it now。 He gripped my arm； rather than pushing me down。 If he d been pushing； the chair under me would have collapsed。 EASY！ He ordered。 The rage burned in my head。 I just thought you should I tried to calm myself； but it was hard。 Jasper s not going to do anything until we all talk。 know the direction he s headed。 I concentrated on relaxing； and I felt Emmett s hand loosen。 Try not to make more of a spectacle of yourself。 is。 I took a deep breath and Emmett released me。 I searched around the room routinely； but our confrontation had been so short and silent that only a few people sitting behind Emmett had even noticed。 None of them knew what to make of it； and they shrugged it off。 The Cullens were freaks everyone knew that already。 Damn； kid； you re a mess； Emmett added； sympathy in his tone。 Bite me； I muttered under my breath； and I heard his low chuckle。 Emmett didn t hold grudges； and I probably ought to be more grateful for his easy going nature。 But I could see that Jasper s intentions made sense to Emmett； that he was considering how it might be the best course of action。 The rage he d y