Twilight (Twilight, #1)

by Stephenie Meyer

Here in the trees it was much easier to believe the absurdities that embarrassed me indoors. Nothing had changed in this forest for thousands of years, and all the myths and legends of a hundred different lands seemed much more likely in this green haze than they had in my clear-cut bedroom.

First, I had to decide if it was possible that what Jacob had said about the Cullens could be true.

Well, they were something. Something outside the possibility of rational justification was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. Whether it be Jacob’s cold ones or my own superhero theory, Edward Cullen was not… human. He was something more.

Even so, when I’d screamed out in terror at the werewolf’s lunge, it wasn’t fear for the wolf that brought the cry of “no” to my lips. It was fear that he would be harmed—even as he called to me with sharp-edged fangs, I feared for him.

And I knew in that I had my answer. I didn’t know if there ever was a choice, really. I was already in too deep. Now that I knew—if I knew—I could do nothing about my frightening secret. Because when I thought of him, of his voice, his hypnotic eyes, the magnetic force of his personality, I wanted nothing more than to be with him right now.

Not while the rain made it dim as twilight under the canopy and pattered like footsteps acros...

Making decisions was the painful part for me, the part I agonized over.

should be afraid—I knew I should be, but I couldn’t feel the right kind of fear.

She, Angela, and Lauren were going to Port Angeles tonight to go dress shopping for the dance, and she wanted me to come, too, even though I didn’t need one.

Desolation hit me with crippling strength.

I looked around, muddled, with the sudden feeling that I wasn’t alone.

He seemed happy, though, to be doing something together. And it felt good, despite my depression, to make him happy.

My excitement increased exponentially as we actually drove out of the town limits.

It had been a while since I’d had a girls’ night out, and the estrogen rush was invigorating.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quaint than Forks.

“Tyler told everyone he’s taking you to prom,” Jessica informed me with suspicious eyes. “He said what?” I sounded like I was choking. “I told you it wasn’t true,” Angela murmured to Jessica.

“Yes, when the weather is good they go backpacking all the time—even the doctor. They’re all real outdoorsy,”

We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk,

I wanted to look for a bookstore.

they didn’t know how preoccupied I could get when surrounded by books; it was something I preferred to do alone.

Stupid, unreliable vampire, I thought to myself.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists.

I’d wandered far past the part of Port Angeles that I, as a guest, was intended to see.

realized with a shock that two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me.

A chill that had nothing to do with the weather made me shiver again.

But a small, frightened voice in the back of my mind warned me that they might be something worse than thieves.

I listened intently to their quiet footsteps, which were much too quiet when compared to the boisterous noise they’d been making earlier,

But they were both staring at me.

There would be more people around once I got off this deserted street.

Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk. I realized then that I wasn’t being followed. I was being herded.

Shut up! I commanded the voice before terror could incapacitate me.

Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk.

But the silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me.

“Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down,”

La Bella Italia,

I wanted nothing more than to be alone with my perpetual savior.

“I’ve always been very good at repressing unpleasant things.”

I’ll have the mushroom ravioli.”

“Usually you’re in a better mood when your eyes are so light,”

“You’re always crabbier when your eyes are black—I expect it then,”

“Let’s say, hypothetically of course, that… someone… could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know—with a few exceptions.” “Just one exception,”

How would he know she was in trouble?”

“I was wrong—you’re much more observant than I gave you credit for.”

You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you.”

“Unequivocally.”

His skin was cold and hard, like a stone.

“I’ve never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it’s much more troublesome than I would have believed.

I wondered if it should bother me that he was following me; instead I felt a strange surge of pleasure.

“Your number was up the first time I met you.”

“It’s harder than it should be—keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I’ve heard their mind before.”