"Stephenie Meyer - Twikight 02 - New Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meyer Stephanie)

There was no Gran.

That was me. Me in a mirror. MeтАФancient, creased, and withered.

Edward stood beside me, casting no reflection, excruciatingly lovely and forever seventeen.
He pressed his icy, perfect lips against my wasted cheek.

"Happy birthday," he whispered.


I woke with a startтАФmy eyelids popping open wideтАФand gasped. Dull gray light, the familiar light of an
overcast morning, took the place of the blinding sun in my dream.

Just a dream, I told myself. It was only a dream. I took a deep breath, and then jumped again when
my alarm went off. The little calendar in the corner of the clock's display informed me that today was
September thirteenth.

Only a dream, but prophetic enough in one way, at least. Today was my birthday. I was officially
eighteen years old.

I'd been dreading this day for months.

All through the perfect summerтАФthe happiest summer I had ever had, the happiest summer anyone
anywhere had ever had, and the rainiest summer in the history of the Olympic PeninsulaтАФthis bleak date
had lurked in ambush, waiting to spring.

And now that it had hit, it was even worse than I'd feared it would be. I could feel itтАФI was older. Every
day I got older, but this was different, worse, quantifiable. I was eighteen.

And Edward never would be.

When I went to brush my teeth, I was almost surprised that the face in the mirror hadn't changed. I stared
at myself, looking for some sign of impending wrinkles in my ivory skin. The only creases were the ones
on my forehead, though, and I knew that if I could manage to relax, they would disappear. I couldn't. My
eyebrows stayed lodged in a worried line over my anxious brown eyes.

It was just a dream, I reminded myself again. Just a dreamтАж but also my worst nightmare.

I skipped breakfast, in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I wasn't entirely able to
avoid my dad, and so I had to spend a few minutes acting cheerful. I honestly tried to be excited about
the gifts I'd asked him not to get me, but every time I had to smile, it felt like I might start crying.

I struggled to get a grip on myself as I drove to school. The vision of GranтАФI would not think of it as
meтАФwas hard to get out of my head. I couldn't feel anything but despair until I pulled into the familiar
parking lot behind Forks High School and spotted Edward leaning motionlessly against his polished silver
Volvo, like a marble tribute to some forgotten pagan god of beauty. The dream had not done him justice.
And he was waiting there for me, just the same as every other day.

Despair momentarily vanished; wonder took its place. Even after half a year with him, I still couldn't