*by Stephenie Meyer*
TWILIGHT - chapter 4 - INVITATIONS
The اگلے morning, when i pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temtation and end up owing him a new car. Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right اگلے to me, leaning casually against my truck.
"How do آپ do that?" I asked in amazed irritation.
"Do what?" He held my key out as he spoke. As I reached for it, he dropped it into my palm.
"Appear out of thin air."
"Bella, it's not my fault if آپ are exceptionally unobservant." His voice was quiet as usual - velvet, muted.
I scowled at his perfect face. His eyes were light again today, a deep, golden honey color. Then I had to look down, to reassemble my now-tangled thoughts.
"Why the traffic جام last night?" I demanded, still looking away. "I thought آپ were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."
"That was یا Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." He snickered.
"You..." I gasped. I couldn't think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of my anger should phisically burn him, but he only seemed مزید amused.
"And I'm not pretending آپ don't exist," he continued.
"So آپ are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's وین didn't do the job?"
Anger flashed in hid tawny eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone.
"Bella, آپ are utterly absurd," he said, his low voice cold.
My palms tingled - I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. I turned سے طرف کی back and started to walk away.
"Wait," he called. I kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was اگلے to me, easily keeping pace.
"I'm sorry, that was rude," he کہا as we walked. I ignored him. "I'm not saying it isn't true," he continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway."
"Why won't آپ leave me alone?" I grumbled.
"I wanted to ask آپ something, but آپ sidetracked me," he chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humor.
"Do آپ have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked severely.
"You're doing it again."
I sighed. "Fine then. What do آپ want to ask me?"
I was wondering if, a week from Saturday - آپ know, the دن of the spring dance - "
"Are آپ trying to be funny?" I interrupted him, wheeling toward him. My face got drenched as I looked up at his expression.
His eyes were wickedly amused. "Will آپ please allow me to finish?"
I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash.
"I heard آپ say آپ were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if آپ wanted a ride."
That was unexpected.
"What?" I wasn't sure what he was getting at.
"Do آپ want a ride to Seattle?"
"With who?" I asked, mystified.
"Myself, obviously." He enunuciated every syllable, as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped.
I was still stunned. "Why?"
"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the اگلے few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it."
"My truck works just fine, thank آپ very much for your concern." I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the same level of anger.
"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" He matched my pace again.
"I don't see how that is any of your business." Stupid, shiny Volvo owner.
"The wasting of finite rescources is everyone's business."
"Honestly, Edward." I felt a thrill go through me as I کہا his name, and I hated it. "I can't keep up with you. I thought آپ didn't want to be my friend."
"I کہا it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."
"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up." Heavy sarcasm. I realized I had stopped walking again. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, so I could مزید easily look at his face. Which certainly didn't help my clarity of thought.
"It would be more... prudent for آپ not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."
His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe.
"Will آپ go with me to Seattle?" he asked, still intense.
I couldn't speak yet, so I just nodded.
He smiled briefly, and then his face became serious.
"You really should stay away from me," he warned. "I'll see آپ in class."
He turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.
TWILIGHT - chapter 4 - INVITATIONS
The اگلے morning, when i pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temtation and end up owing him a new car. Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right اگلے to me, leaning casually against my truck.
"How do آپ do that?" I asked in amazed irritation.
"Do what?" He held my key out as he spoke. As I reached for it, he dropped it into my palm.
"Appear out of thin air."
"Bella, it's not my fault if آپ are exceptionally unobservant." His voice was quiet as usual - velvet, muted.
I scowled at his perfect face. His eyes were light again today, a deep, golden honey color. Then I had to look down, to reassemble my now-tangled thoughts.
"Why the traffic جام last night?" I demanded, still looking away. "I thought آپ were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."
"That was یا Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." He snickered.
"You..." I gasped. I couldn't think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of my anger should phisically burn him, but he only seemed مزید amused.
"And I'm not pretending آپ don't exist," he continued.
"So آپ are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's وین didn't do the job?"
Anger flashed in hid tawny eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone.
"Bella, آپ are utterly absurd," he said, his low voice cold.
My palms tingled - I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. I turned سے طرف کی back and started to walk away.
"Wait," he called. I kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was اگلے to me, easily keeping pace.
"I'm sorry, that was rude," he کہا as we walked. I ignored him. "I'm not saying it isn't true," he continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway."
"Why won't آپ leave me alone?" I grumbled.
"I wanted to ask آپ something, but آپ sidetracked me," he chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humor.
"Do آپ have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked severely.
"You're doing it again."
I sighed. "Fine then. What do آپ want to ask me?"
I was wondering if, a week from Saturday - آپ know, the دن of the spring dance - "
"Are آپ trying to be funny?" I interrupted him, wheeling toward him. My face got drenched as I looked up at his expression.
His eyes were wickedly amused. "Will آپ please allow me to finish?"
I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash.
"I heard آپ say آپ were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if آپ wanted a ride."
That was unexpected.
"What?" I wasn't sure what he was getting at.
"Do آپ want a ride to Seattle?"
"With who?" I asked, mystified.
"Myself, obviously." He enunuciated every syllable, as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped.
I was still stunned. "Why?"
"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the اگلے few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it."
"My truck works just fine, thank آپ very much for your concern." I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the same level of anger.
"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" He matched my pace again.
"I don't see how that is any of your business." Stupid, shiny Volvo owner.
"The wasting of finite rescources is everyone's business."
"Honestly, Edward." I felt a thrill go through me as I کہا his name, and I hated it. "I can't keep up with you. I thought آپ didn't want to be my friend."
"I کہا it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."
"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up." Heavy sarcasm. I realized I had stopped walking again. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, so I could مزید easily look at his face. Which certainly didn't help my clarity of thought.
"It would be more... prudent for آپ not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."
His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe.
"Will آپ go with me to Seattle?" he asked, still intense.
I couldn't speak yet, so I just nodded.
He smiled briefly, and then his face became serious.
"You really should stay away from me," he warned. "I'll see آپ in class."
He turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.