"Twilight - 03 - Eclipse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meyer Stephanie)

УLetТs take the outside world slowly, all right? For example, we could start with a movie in Port Angeles. . . .Ф

He groaned. УNever mind. WeТll talk about it later.Ф

УThereТs nothing left to talk about.Ф

He shrugged.

УOkay, then, new subject,Ф I said. IТd almost forgotten my worries about this afternoon Ч had that been his intention? УWhat did Alice see today at lunch?Ф

My eyes were fixed on his face as I spoke, measuring his reaction.

His expression was composed; there was only the slightest hardening of his topaz eyes. УSheТs been seeing Jasper in a strange place, somewhere in the southwest, she thinks, near his former . . . family. But he has no conscious intentions to go back.Ф He sighed. УItТs got her worried.Ф

УOh.Ф That was nothing close to what IТd been expecting. But of course it made sense that Alice would be watching out for JasperТs future. He was her soul mate, her true other half, though they werenТt as flamboyant about their relationship as Rosalie and Emmett were. УWhy didnТt you tell me before?Ф

УI didnТt realize youТd noticed,Ф he said. УItТs probably nothing important, in any case.Ф

My imagination was sadly out of control. IТd taken a perfectly normal afternoon and twisted it until it looked like Edward was going out of his way to keep things from me. I needed therapy.

We went downstairs to work on our homework, just in case Charlie showed up early. Edward finished in minutes; I slogged laboriously through my calculus until I decided it was time to fix CharlieТs dinner. Edward helped, making faces every so often at the raw ingredients Ч human food was mildly repulsive to him. I made stroganoff from Grandma SwanТs recipe, because I was sucking up. It wasnТt one of my favorites, but it would please Charlie.

Charlie seemed to already be in a good mood when he got home. He didnТt even go out of his way to be rude to Edward. Edward excused himself from eating with us, as usual. The sound of the nightly news drifted from the front room, but I doubted Edward was really watching.

After forcing down three helpings, Charlie kicked his feet up on the spare chair and folded his hands contentedly across his distended stomach.

УThat was great, Bells.Ф

УIТm glad you liked it. How was work?Ф HeТd been eating with too much concentration for me to make conversation before.

УSort of slow. Well, dead slow really. Mark and I played cards for a good part of the afternoon,Ф he admitted with a grin. УI won, nineteen hands to seven. And then I was on the phone with Billy for a while.Ф

I tried to keep my expression the same. УHow is he?Ф

УGood, good. His joints are bothering him a little.Ф

УOh. ThatТs too bad.Ф

УYeah. He invited us down to visit this weekend. He was thinking of having the Clearwaters and the Uleys over too. Sort of a playoff party. . . .Ф

УHuh,Ф was my genius response. But what could I say? I knew I wouldnТt be allowed to hit a werewolf party, even with parental supervision. I wondered if Edward would have a problem with Charlie hanging out in La Push. Or would he suppose that, since Charlie was mostly spending time with Billy, who was only human, my father wouldnТt be in danger?

I got up and piled the dishes together without looking at Charlie. I dumped them into the sink and started the water. Edward appeared silently and grabbed a dishtowel.

Charlie sighed and gave up for the moment, though I imagined he would revisit the subject when we were alone again. He heaved himself to his feet and headed for the TV, just like every other night.

УCharlie,Ф Edward said in a conversational tone.

Charlie stopped in the middle of his little kitchen. УYeah?Ф