分节阅读_87

  he demanded
  when i ignored him.
  ”you said it might cause trouble for you… us beiher publicly,” i
  reminded him.
  ”so you're worried about the trouble it might cause me— if you don't e
  home?” his voice was still angry, and bitingly sarcastic.
  i nodded, keepihe road.
  he muttered something under his breath, speaking so quickly that i
  't uand.
  we were sile of the drive. i could feel the waves of
  infuriated disappr off of him, and i k of nothing
  to say.
  ahe road erig to a thin foot trail with a small
  arked on the narrow shoulder a, afraid
  because he was angry with me and i didn't have drivi
  to look at him. it , warmer than it had been in forks since
  the day i'd arrived, almost muggy uhe clouds. i pulled off my
  sweater a around my waist, glad that i'd wht,
  sleeveless shirt — especially if i had five miles of hiking ahead of me.
  i heard his door slam, ao see that he'd removed his
  sweater, too. he was fag away from me, into the u beside
  my truck.
  ”this way,” he said, glang over his shoulder at me, eyes still
  aed into the dark forest.
  ”the trail?” panic was my voice as i hurried arouo
  cat.
  ”i said there was a trail at the end of the road, not that we were taking
  it.”
  ”no trail?” i asked desperately.
  ”i wo lost.” he turh a mog smile, and i
  stifled a gasp. his white shirt was sleeveless, a
  uhat the smooth white skin of his throat flowed
  ued over the marble tours of his chest, his perfect
  muso loed at behind g clothes. he was
  too perfect, i realized ierg stab of despair. there was no way
  this godlike creature eant for me.
  he stared at me, bewildered by my tortured expression.
  ”do you want to go home?” he said quietly, a different pain than mine
  saturating his voice.
  ”no.” i walked forward till i was close beside him, anxious not to waste
  one sed of whatever time i might have with him.
  ”what's wrong?” he asked, his voitle.
  ”i'm not a good hiker,” i answered dully. ”you'll have to be very
  patient.”
  ”i be patient — if i make a great effort.” he smiled, holding my
  glarying to lift me out of my sudden, uion.
  i tried to smile back, but the smile was ung. he sized my
  face.
  ”i'll take you home,” he promised. i 't tell if the promise was
  unal, or restriediate departure. i k
  it set me, and i was grateful again that i was the one
  person whose mind he 't hear.
  ”if you wao hack five miles through the jungle before sundown,
  you'd better start leading the way,” i said acidly. he frow me,
  struggliand my tone and expression.
  he gave up after a momehe way i.
  it wasn't as hard as i had feared. the way was mostly flat, and he held
  the damp ferns and webs of moss aside for me. when his straight path took
  us over fallen trees or boulders, he would help me, liftihe
  elbow, and then releasily when i was clear. his cold touch
  on my skin never failed to make my heart thud erratically. twi
  that happened, i caught a look o made me sure he could
  somehow hear it.
  i tried to keep my eyes away from his perfeuch as possible, but
  i slipped ofteime, his beauty pierced me through with sadness.
  for the most part, we walked in silence. oally he would ask a
  rahat he hadn't gotten to iwo days of
  iio my birthdays, my grade school teachers, my
  childhood pets — and i had to admit that after killing three fish in a
  row, i'd given up on the whole institution. he laughed at that, louder
  than i was used to — bell-like eg ba the empty
  woods.
  the hike took m