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!!!!隆堋響頼��紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響��
that ! about two seconds after someone actually bit me and the venom started burning through my veins ! I
really wouldn¨t care anymore who had done it。 So it shouldn¨t make a difference。
It was hard to define�察�even to myself�察�why it mattered。 There was just something about him being the one
to make the choice ! to want to keep me enough that he wouldn¨t just allow me to be changed�察�he would act
to keep me。 It was childish�察�but I liked the idea that his lips would be the last good thing I would feel。 Even
more embarrassingly�察�something I would never say aloud�察�I wanted his venom to poison my system。 It would
make me belong to him in a tangible�察�quantifiable way。
But I knew he was going to stick to his marriage scheme like glue ! because a delay was what he was
clearly after and it was working so far。 I tried to imagine telling my parents that I was getting married this
summer。 Telling Angela and Ben and Mike。 I couldn¨t。 I couldn¨t think of the words to say。 It would be easier
to tell them I was becoming a vampire。 And I was sure that at least my mother ! were I to tell her every
detail of the truth ! would be more strenuously opposed to me getting married than to me a becoming
vampire。 I grimaced to myself as I imagined her horrified expression。
Then�察�for just a second�察�I saw that same odd vision of Edward and me on a porch swing�察�wearing clothes
from another kind of world。 A world where it would surprise no one if I wore his ring on my finger。 A simpler
place�察�where love was defined in simpler ways。 One plus one equals two。 。 。 。
Jacob snorted and rolled to his side。 His arm swung off the back of the couch and pinned me against his
body。
Holy crow�察�but he was heavy� �And hot。 It was sweltering after just a few seconds。
I tried to slide out from under his arm without waking him�察�but I had to shove a little bit�察�and when his arm
fell off me�察�his eyes snapped open。 He jumped to his feet�察�looking around anxiously。
^What�拭�What�拭院�he asked�察�disoriented。
^It¨s just me�察�Jake。 Sorry I woke you。 ̄
He turned to look at me�察�blinking and confused。 ^Bella�拭院�
^Hey�察�sleepy。 ̄
^Oh�察�man� �Did I fall asleep�拭�I¨m sorry� �How long was I out�拭院�
^A few Emerils。 I lost count。 ̄
He flopped back on the couch next to me。 ^Wow。 Sorry about that�察�really。 ̄
I patted his hair�察�trying to smooth the wild disarray。 ^Don¨t feel bad。 I¨m glad you got some sleep。 ̄
He yawned and stretched。 ^I¨m useless these days。 No wonder Billy¨s always gone。 I¨m so boring。 ̄
^You¨re fine�察院�I assured him。
^Ugh�察�let¨s go outside。 I need to walk around or I¨ll pass out again。 ̄
^Jake�察�go back to sleep。 I¨m good。 I¨ll call Edward to come pick me up。 ̄ I patted my pockets as I spoke�察�
and realized they were empty。 ^Shoot�察�I¨ll have to borrow your phone。 I think I must have left his in the car。 ̄ I
started to unfold myself。
^No� 院�Jacob insisted�察�grabbing my hand。 ^No�察�stay。 You hardly ever make it down。 I can¨t believe I
wasted all this time。 ̄
He pulled me off the couch as he spoke�察�and then led the way outside�察�ducking his head as he passed
under the doorframe。 It had gotten much cooler while Jacob slept�察�the air was unseasonably cold ! there
must be a storm on the way。 It felt like February�察�not May。
The wintry air seemed to make Jacob more alert。 He paced back and forth in front of the house for a
minute�察�dragging me along with him。
^I¨m an idiot�察院�he muttered to himself。
^What¨s the matter�察�Jake�拭�So you fell asleep。 ̄ I shrugged。
^I wanted to talk to you。 I can¨t believe this。 ̄
^Talk to me now�察院�I said。
Jacob met my eyes for a second�察�and then looked away quickly toward the trees。 It almost looked like he
was blushing�察�but it was hard to tell with his dark skin。
I suddenly remembered what Edward had said when he dropped me off ! that Jacob would tell me
whatever he was shouting in his head。 I started gnawing on my lip。
^Look�察院�Jacob said。 ^I was planning to do this a little bit differently。 ̄ He laughed�察�and it sounded like he
was laughing at himself。 ^Smoother�察院�he added。 ^I was going to work up to it�察�but ̄ ! and he looked at the
clouds�察�dimmer as the afternoon progressed ! ^I¨m out of time to work。 ̄
He laughed again�察�nervous。 We were still pacing slowly。
^What are you talking about�拭院�I demanded。
He took a deep breath。 ^I want to tell you something。 And you already know it 。 。 。 but I think I should say
it out loud anyway。 Just so there¨s never any confusion on the subject。 ̄
I planted my feet�察�and he came to a stop。 I took my hand away and folded my arms across my chest。 I
was suddenly sure that I didn¨t want to know what he was building up to。
Jacob¨s eyebrows pulled down�察�throwing his deep´set eyes into shadow。 They were pitch black as they
bored into mine。
^I¨m in love with you�察�Bella�察院�Jacob said in a strong�察�sure voice。 ^Bella�察�I love you。 And I want you to pick
me instead of him。 I know you don¨t feel that way�察�but I need the truth out there so that you know your
options。 I wouldn¨t want a miscommunication to stand in our way。 ̄
15。 WAGER
I STARED AT HIM FOR A LONG MINUTE�察�SPEECHLESS。 I could not think of one thing to say to him。
As he watched my dumbfounded expression�察�the seriousness left his face。
^Okay�察院�he said�察�grinning。 ^That¨s all。 ̄
^Jake ! ̄ It felt like there was something big sticking in my throat。 I tried to clear the obstruction。 ^I can¨t
! I mean I don¨t 。 。 。 I have to go。 ̄
I turned�察�but he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around。
^No�察�wait。 I know that�察�Bella。 But�察�look�察�answer me this�察�all right�拭�Do you want me to go away and never
see you again�拭�Be honest。 ̄
It was hard to concentrate on his question�察�so it took a minute to answer。 ^No�察�I don¨t want that�察院�I finally
admitted。
Jacob grinned again。 ^See。 ̄
^But I don¨t want you around for the same reason that you want me around�察院�I objected。
^Tell me exactly why you want me around�察�then。 ̄
I thought carefully。 ^I miss you when you¨re not there。 When you¨re happy�察院�I qualified carefully�察 �it makes
me happy。 But I could say the same thing about Charlie�察�Jacob。 You¨re family。 I love you�察�but I¨m not in love
with you。 ̄
He nodded�察�unruffled。 ^But you do want me around。 ̄
^Yes。 ̄ I sighed。 He was impossible to discourage。
^Then I¨ll stick around。 ̄
^You¨re a glutton for punishment�察院�I grumbled。
^Yep。 ̄ He stroked the tips of his fingers across my right cheek。 I slapped his hand away。
^Do you think you could behave yourself a little better�察�at least�拭院�I asked�察�irritated。
^No�察�I don¨t。 You decide�察�Bella。 You can have me the way I am ! bad behavior included ! or not at
all。 ̄
I stared at him�察�frustrated。 ^That¨s mean。 ̄
^So are you。 ̄
That pulled me up short�察�and I took an involuntary step back。 He was right。 If I wasn¨t mean ! and
greedy�察�too ! I would tell him I didn¨t want to be friends and walk away。 It was wrong to try to keep my
friend when that would hurt him。 I didn¨t know what I was doing here�察�but I was suddenly sure that it wasn¨t
good。
^You¨re right�察院�I whispered。
He laughed。 ^I forgive you。 Just try not to get too mad at me。 Because I recently decided that I¨m not
giving up。 There really is something irresistible about a lost cause。 ̄
^Jacob。 ̄ I stared into his dark eyes�察�trying to make him take me seriously。 ^I love him�察�Jacob。 He¨s my
whole life。 ̄
^You love me�察�too�察院�he reminded me。 He held up his hand when I started to protest。 ^Not the same way�察�I
know。 But he¨s not your whole life�察�either。 Not anymore。 Maybe he was once�察�but he left。 And now he¨s just
going to have to deal with the consequence of that choice ! me。 ̄
I shook my head。 ^You¨re impossible。 ̄
Suddenly�察�he was serious。 He took my chin in his hand�察�holding it firmly so that I couldn¨t look away from
his intent gaze。
^Until your heart stops beating�察�Bella�察院�he said。 ^I¨ll be here ! fighting。 Don¨t forget that you have
options。 ̄
^I don¨t want options�察院�I disagreed�察�trying to yank my chin free unsuccessfully。 ^And my heartbeats are
numbered�察�Jacob。 The time is almost gone。 ̄
His eyes narrowed。 ^All the more reason to fight ! fight harder now�察�while I can�察院�he whispered。
He still had my chin ! his fingers holding too tight�察�till it hurt ! and I saw the resolve form abruptly in his
eyes。
^N ! ̄ I started to object�察�but it was too late。
His lips crushed mine�察�stopping my protest。 He kissed me angrily�察�roughly�察�his other hand gripping tight
around the back of my neck�察�making escape impossible。 I shoved against his chest with all my strength�察�but he
didn¨t even seem to notice。 His mouth was soft�察�despite the anger�察�his lips molding to mine in a warm�察�
unfami