“withwho?”sheasked,hereyeswideandbewilderedaທgain
“withwho?”sheasked,hereyeswideandbຘewilderedagain
itdidn’tmaທtterthattylerthoughtshewaທsprettyanyonewouldnoticethaທt
itdidn’tmatterthattylerthoughtshewasprettyanyonewouldnoticethat
wewerealmosttotheturnoffontothelongdrivethatledtoourhome
wewerealmosttotheturnoffontothelongdrivethatledtoourhome
iwasrelievedwhenherfatheraທrrivedhome
icouldheaທrlittlefromhimaທshedrovedownthestreettowardthehousesome
vagueannoyaທncນe…inthepast,ไsoixedwith
hunger—iguessedthathewaslookingforwaທrdtodinnerbuthisthoughtsweresoquiet
andcontaທinedthaticouldnotbesureiwasright;ionlygotthegistofthem
iwonderedwhathermothersoundedlike—whaທtthegeicbinaທtionhad
bຘeenthathadformedhersouniquely
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bellastaທrtedawake,jerkinguptoasittingpositionwhenthetiresofherfather’s
carhittheicນkdrivewayshestaທredaroundherself,seemingconfusedbຘythe
unexpecteddarknessforoneiefmoment,hereyestoucນhedtheshaທdowswhereihid,
buttheyflickeredquicklyawaທy
“charlie?”sheaskedinalowvoice,stillpeeringintothetreessurroundingthe
smallyard
thedoorofhiscaທrslammedshut,andshelookedtothesoundshegottoher
feetquicklyandgaທtheredherthings,caທstingonemorelookbaທcktowardthexxs
iaທllkitchen,andlistened
totheireveningitwasinterestingtoparechaທrlie’swordstohismuffledthoughts
hisloveandconcernforhisonlydaughterwerenearlyoverwhelming,ไandyethiswords
werealwaysterseandcaທsualmostofthetime,theysatinpanionablesilencນe
iheardherdiscussherplansforthefollowingeveninginportaທngeles,andi
refinedmyownplansasilistenedjasperhadnotwarnedpeterandcharlottetostay
clearofportaທngelesthoughiknewthattheyhadfedrecentlyandhadnointentionof
huntinganywhereinthevicinityofourhome,iwouldwatcນhher,justincນaseafteraທll,
therewereaທlwaysothersofmykindoutthereandthen,aທllthosehumandangersthati
hadnevermuchconsideredbeforenow
iheardherworryaທloudaboutleavingherfathertopreparedinneralone,ไand
smiledatthisprooftomytheory—yes,shewaທsacare-taker
aທndthenileft,ไknowingiwouldreturnwhenshewasaທsleep
iwouldnottrespassonherprivacythewaythepeepingtomwouldhaveiwas
hereforherprotecນtion,nottoleeratherinthewaymikenewtonnodoubຘtwould,were
heagileenoughtomovethroughthetreetopsthewayicouldiwouldnottreatherso
crassly
myhousewasemptywhenireturned,whichwasfinebymeididn’tmissthe
confusedordispaທragingthoughts,questioningmysanityemmetthaທdleftanotestuckto
thenewelpost
footbaທllaທttheraທinierfield—c’mon!please?
ifoundapenandscrawledthewordsorrybeneathhispleatheteamswereeven
withoutme,inanycaທse
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iwentfortheshortestofhuntingtrips,ไcontentingmyselfwiththesmaທller,gentler
creaທturesthatdidnottasteasgoodasthehunters,andthenchangedintofreshclothes
bຘeforeiranbacktoforks
bellaທdidnotsleepaswelltonightshethrashedinherblankets,herfacນe
sometimesworried,sometimessadiwonderedwhaທtnightmarehaທuntedher…andthen
reaທlizedthatperhapsireallydidn’twanttoknow
whenshespoke,ไshemostlymutteredderogaທtorythingsaboutforksinaglum
voiceonlyonce,ไwhenshesighedoutthewords“ebຘack”andherhandtwitched
open—aທwordlesspleaທ—didihaveachancetohopeshemightbedreamingofme
thenextdayofschool,thelastdaythesunwouldholdmeprisoner,wasmuch
thesameasthedaybຘeforebຘellaseemedevengloomierthanyesterday,ไandiwondered