Itwasdarkinthecar,nolighthadcomeonwiththeopeningofthedoor,andIcouldbarelyseehisfaceintheglowfromthedashboard.Thetiressquealedashespunaroundtofacenorth,acceleratingtooquickly,swervingtowardthestunnedmenonthestreet.Icaughtaglimpseofthemdivingforthesidewalkaswestraightenedoutandspedtowardtheharbor. "Putonyourseatbelt,"hecommanded,andIrealizedIwasclutchingtheseatwithbothhands.Iquicklyobeyed;thesnapasthebeltconnectedwasloudinthedarkness.Hetookasharpleft,racingforward,blowingthroughseveralstopsignswithoutapause. ButIfeltutterlysafeand,forthemoment,totallyunconcernedaboutwhereweweregoing.Istaredathisfaceinprofoundrelief,reliefthatwentbeyondmysuddendeliverance.Istudiedhisflawlessfeaturesinthelimitedlight,waitingformybreathtoreturntonormal,untilitoccurredtomethathisexpressionwasmurderouslyangry. "Areyouokay?"Iasked,surprisedathowhoarsemyvoicesounded. "No,"hesaidcurtly,andhistonewaslivid. Isatinsilence,watchinghisfacewhilehisblazingeyesstaredstraightahead,untilthecarcametoasuddenstop.Iglancedaround,butitwastoodarktoseeanythingbesidethevagueoutlineofdarktreescrowdingtheroadside.Weweren'tintownanymore. "Bella?"heasked,hisvoicetight,controlled. "Yes?"Myvoicewasstillrough.Itriedtoclearmythroatquietly. "Areyouallright?"Hestilldidn'tlookatme,butthefurywasplainonhisface. "Yes,"Icroakedsoftly. "Distractme,please,"heordered. "I'msorry,what?" Heexhaledsharply. "JustprattleaboutsomethingunimportantuntilIcalmdown,"heclarified,closinghiseyesandpinchingthebridgeofhisnosewithhisthumbandforefinger. "Um."Iwrackedmybrainforsomethingtrivial. "I'mgoingtorunoverTylerCrowleytomorrowbeforeschool?" Hewasstillsqueezinghiseyesclosed,butthecornerofhismouthtwitched. "Why?" "He'stellingeveryonethathe'stakingmetoprom—eitherhe'sinsaneorhe'sstilltryingtomakeupforalmostkillingmelast…well,yourememberit,andhethinkspromissomehowthecorrectwaytodothis.SoIfigureifIendangerhislife,thenwe'reeven,andhecan'tkeeptryingtomakeamends.Idon'tneedenemiesandmaybeLaurenwouldbackoffifheleftmealone.ImighthavetototalhisSentra,though.Ifhedoesn'thavearidehecan'ttakeanyonetoprom…"Ibabbledon. "Iheardaboutthat."Hesoundedabitmorecomposed. "Youdid?"Iaskedindisbelief,mypreviousirritationflaring. "Ifhe'sparalyzedfromtheneckdown,hecan'tgototheprom,either,"Imuttered,refiningmyplan. Edwardsighed,andfinallyopenedhiseyes. "Better?" "Notreally." Iwaited,buthedidn'tspeakagain.Heleanedhisheadbackagainsttheseat,staringattheceilingofthecar.Hisfacewasrigid. "What'swrong?"Myvoicecameoutinawhisper. "SometimesIhaveaproblemwithmytemper,Bella."Hewaswhispering,too,andashestaredoutthewindow,hiseyesnarrowedintoslits. "Butitwouldn'tbehelpfulformetoturnaroundandhuntdownthose…"Hedidn'tfinishhissentence,lookingaway,strugglingforamomenttocontrolhisangeragain. "Atleast,"hecontinued, "that'swhatI'mtryingtoconvincemyself." "Oh."Thewordseemedinadequate,butIcouldn'tthinkofabetterresponse. Wesatinsilenceagain.Iglancedattheclockonthedashboard.Itwaspastsix-thirty. "JessicaandAngelawillbeworried,"Imurmured. "Iwassupposedtomeetthem." Hestartedtheenginewithoutanotherword,turningaroundsmoothlyandspeedingbacktowardtown.Wewereunderthestreetlightsinnotimeatall,stillgoingtoofast,weavingwitheasethroughthecarsslowlycruisingtheboardwalk.Heparallel-parkedagainstthecurbinaspaceIwouldhavethoughtmuchtoosmallfortheVolvo,butheslidineffortlesslyinonetry.IlookedoutthewindowtoseethelightsofLaBellaItalia,andJessandAngelajustleaving,pacinganxiouslyawayfromus. "Howdidyouknowwhere… ?"Ibegan,butthenIjustshookmyhead.Iheardthedooropenandturnedtoseehimgettingout. "Whatareyoudoing?"Iasked. "I'mtakingyoutodinner."Hesmiledslightly,buthiseyeswerehard.Hesteppedoutofthecarandslammedthedoor.Ifumbledwithmyseatbelt,andthenhurriedtogetoutofthecaraswell.Hewaswaitingformeonthesidewalk. HespokebeforeIcould. "GostopJessicaandAngelabeforeIhavetotrackthemdown,too.Idon'tthinkIcouldrestrainmyselfifIranintoyourotherfriendsagain." Ishiveredatthethreatinhisvoice. "Jess!Angela!"Iyelledafterthem,wavingwhentheyturned.Theyrushedbacktome,thepronouncedreliefonboththeirfacessimultaneouslychangingtosurpriseastheysawwhoIwasstandingnextto.Theyhesitatedafewfeetfromus. "Wherehaveyoubeen?"Jessica'svoicewassuspicious. "Igotlost,"Iadmittedsheepishly. "AndthenIranintoEdward."Igesturedtowardhim. "WoulditbeallrightifIjoinedyou?"heaskedinhissilken,irresistiblevoice.Icouldseefromtheirstaggeredexpressionsthathehadneverunleashedhistalentsonthembefore. "Er…sure,"Jessicabreathed. "Um,actually,Bella,wealreadyatewhilewewerewaiting—sorry,"Angelaconfessed. "That'sfine—I'mnothungry."Ishrugged. "Ithinkyoushouldeatsomething."Edward'svoicewaslow,butfullofauthority.HelookedupatJessicaandspokeslightlylouder. "DoyoumindifIdriveBellahometonight?Thatwayyouwon'thavetowaitwhilesheeats." "Uh,noproblem,Iguess…"Shebitherlip,tryingtofigureoutfrommyexpressionwhetherthatwaswhatIwanted.Iwinkedather.Iwantednothingmorethantobealonewithmyperpetualsavior.ThereweresomanyquestionsthatIcouldn'tbombardhimwithtillwewerebyourselves. "Okay."AngelawasquickerthanJessica. "Seeyoutomorrow,Bella…Edward."ShegrabbedJessica'shandandpulledhertowardthecar,whichIcouldseealittlewaysaway,parkedacrossFirstStreet.Astheygotin,Jessturnedandwaved,herfaceeagerwithcuriosity.Iwavedback,waitingforthemtodriveawaybeforeIturnedtofacehim. "Honestly,I'mnothungry,"Iinsisted,lookinguptoscrutinizehisface.Hisexpressionwasunreadable. "Humorme." Hewalkedtothedooroftherestaurantandhelditopenwithanobstinateexpression.Obviously,therewouldbenofurtherdiscussion.Iwalkedpasthimintotherestaurantwitharesignedsigh.