分节阅读_148

  ning edould
  stand at the edge of the road whehe end of my trail. i
  't cry yet, i told myself. i still had a long way to go.
  my luck held. in fro, a tired-lookiing
  their last suitcase out of the trunk of a cab. i jumped out of the
  shuttle and ran to the cab, sliding i behind the driver. the
  tired d the shuttle driver stared at me.
  i told the surprised cabbie my mother's address. ”i here as
  soon as possible.”
  ”that's in scottsdale,” he plained.
  i threw four twehe seat.
  ”will that be enough?”
  ”sure, kid, no problem.”
  i sat bast the seat, folding my arms ay lap. the familiar
  to rush arou i didn't look out the windows. i
  exerted myself to maintain trol. i was determio lose myself
  at this point, nolan was successfully pleted. there was no
  point in indulgierror, more ay. my path was set. i just
  had to follow it now.
  so, instead of panig, i y eyes awenty minutes'
  drive with edward.
  i imagi i had stayed at the airport to meet edward. i visualized
  how i would stand ohe sooo see his face. how quickly,
  how gracefully he would mh the crowds of pe us.
  and then i would ruhose last few feet between us — reckless
  as always — and i would be in his marble arms, finally safe.
  i ould have goh somewhere, so he could be
  outside in the day. or maybe somewhere very remote, so we could lay in
  the suher again. i imagined him by the shore, his skin sparkling
  like the sea. it wouldn't matter how loo hide. to be trapped
  in a hotel room with him would be a kind of heaven. so maions i
  still had for him. i could talk to him forever, never sleeping, never
  leaving his side.
  i could see his face so ost hear his void, despite
  all the horror and hopelessness, i was fleetingly happy. so involved was
  i i daydreams, i lost all track of the seds rag by.
  ”hey, what was the number?”
  the cabbie's questioasy, letting all the
  out of my lovely delusions. fear, bleak and hard, was waiting to fill the
  empty space they left behind.
  ”fifty-eight twenty-one.” my voided strahe cabbie looked
  at me, hat i was having ahing.
  ”here we are, then.” he was anxious to get me out of his car, probably
  hoping i wouldn't ask fe.
  ”thank you,” i whispered. there was o be afraid, i reminded
  myself. the house ty. i had to hurry; my mom was waiting for me,
  frightened, depending on me.
  i ran to the d up automatically to grab the key uhe
  eave. i uhe door. it was dark iy, normal. i ran to
  the ph o light on my way. there, on the
  whiteboard, was a ten-digit en in a small, hand. my
  fiumbled over the keypad, making mistakes. i had to hang up and
  start agaied oons this time, carefully
  pressing ea turn. i was successful. i held the phoo my ear
  with a shaking hand. it rang only once.
  ”hello, bella,” that easy voiswered. ”that was very quick. i'm
  impressed.”
  ”is my mht?”
  ”she's perfee. don't worry, bella, i have h her.
  unless you didn't e alone, ht, amused.
  ”i'm alone.” i'd never been more aloire life.
  ”very good. now, do you k studio just around the er
  from your home?”
  ”yes. i know how to get there.”
  ”well, then, i'll see you very soon.”
  i hung up.
  i rahrough the door, out into the baki.
  there was o look back at my house, and i didn't wa
  as it was y, a symbol of fear instead of sanctuary. the last
  person th those familiar rooms was my enemy.
  from the y eye, i y m in the
  shade of the big euca