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

He folded his arms across his chest and glared out the back windows into the sheeting rain. УDonТt know what youТre talking about,Ф he grumbled.

I was mystified. Charlie cooking? And what was with the surly attitude? Edward wasnТt here yet; usually my dad reserved this kind of behavior for my boyfriendТs benefit, doing his best to illustrate the theme of УunwelcomeФ with every word and posture. CharlieТs efforts were unnecessary Ч Edward knew exactly what my dad was thinking without the show.

The wordboyfriend had me chewing on the inside of my cheek with a familiar tension while I stirred. It wasnТt the right word, not at all. I needed something more expressive of eternal commitment. . . . But words likedestiny andfate sounded hokey when you used them in casual conversation.

Edward had another word in mind, and that word was the source of the tension I felt. It put my teeth on edge just to think it to myself.

Fiancщe. Ugh. I shuddered away from the thought.

УDid I miss something? Since when do you make dinner?Ф I asked Charlie. The pasta lump bobbed in the boiling water as I poked it. УOrtry to make dinner, I should say.Ф

Charlie shrugged. УThereТs no law that says I canТt cook in my own house.Ф

УYou would know,Ф I replied, grinning as I eyed the badge pinned to his leather jacket.

УHa. Good one.Ф He shrugged out of the jacket as if my glance had reminded him he still had it on, and hung it on the peg reserved for his gear. His gun belt was already slung in place Ч he hadnТt felt the need to wear that to the station for a few weeks. There had been no more disturbing disappearances to trouble the small town of Forks, Washington, no more sightings of the giant, mysterious wolves in the ever-rainy woods. . . .

I prodded the noodles in silence, guessing that Charlie would get around to talking about whatever was bothering him in his own time. My dad was not a man of many words, and the effort he had put into trying to orchestrate a sit-down dinner with me made it clear there were an uncharacteristic number of words on his mind.

I glanced at the clock routinely Ч something I did every few minutes around this time. Less than a half hour to go now.

Afternoons were the hardest part of my day. Ever since my former best friend (and werewolf), Jacob Black, had informed on me about the motorcycle IТd been riding on the sly Ч a betrayal he had devised in order to get me grounded so that I couldnТt spend time with my boyfriend (and vampire), Edward Cullen Ч Edward had been allowed to see me only from seven till nine-thirty p.m., always inside the confines of my home and under the supervision of my dadТs unfailingly crabby glare.

This was an escalation from the previous, slightly less stringent grounding that IТd earned for an unexplained three-day disappearance and one episode of cliff diving.

Of course, I still saw Edward at school, because there wasnТt anything Charlie could do about that. And then, Edward spent almost every night in my room, too, but Charlie wasnТt precisely aware of that. EdwardТs ability to climb easily and silently through my second-story window was almost as useful as his ability to read CharlieТs mind.

Though the afternoon was the only time I spent away from Edward, it was enough to make me restless, and the hours always dragged. Still, I endured my punishment without complaining because Ч for one thing Ч I knew IТd earned it, and Ч for another Ч because I couldnТt bear to hurt my dad by moving out now, when a much more permanent separation hovered, invisible to Charlie, so close on my horizon.

My dad sat down at the table with a grunt and unfolded the damp newspaper there; within seconds he was clucking his tongue in disapproval.

УI donТt know why you read the news, Dad. It only ticks you off.Ф

He ignored me, grumbling at the paper in his hands. УThis is why everyone wants to live in a small town! Ridiculous.Ф

УWhat have big cities done wrong now?Ф

УSeattleТs making a run for murder capital of the country. Five unsolved homicides in the last two weeks. Can you imagine living like that?Ф

УI think Phoenix is actually higher up the homicide list, Dad. Ihave lived like that.Ф And IТd never come close to being a murder victim until after I moved to his safe little town. In fact, I was still on several hit lists. . . . The spoon shook in my hands, making the water tremble.

УWell, you couldnТt pay me enough,Ф Charlie said.

I gave up on saving dinner and settled for serving it; I had to use a steak knife to cut a portion of spaghetti for Charlie and then myself, while he watched with a sheepish expression. Charlie coated his helping with sauce and dug in. I disguised my own clump as well as I could and followed his example without much enthusiasm. We ate in silence for a moment. Charlie was still scanning the news, so I picked up my much-abused copy ofWuthering Heights from where IТd left it this morning at breakfast, and tried to lose myself in turn-of-the-century England while I waited for him to start talking.

I was just to the part where Heathcliff returns when Charlie cleared his throat and threw the paper to the floor.

УYouТre right,Ф Charlie said. УI did have a reason for doing this.Ф He waved his fork at the gluey spread. УI wanted to talk to you.Ф