Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer [137]
I could live with that.
I remembered parts of this-twisting my fingers in his hair, tracing the planes of his chest-but other parts were so new. He was new. It was an entirely different experience with Edward kissing me so fearlessly, so forcefully. I responded to his intensity, and then suddenly we were falling.
Oops, I said, and he laughed underneath me. I didnt mean to tackle you like that. Are you okay?
He stroked my face. Slightly better than okay. And then a perplexed expression crossed his face. Renesmee? he asked uncertainly, trying to ascertain what I wanted most in this moment. A very difficult question to answer, because I wanted so many things at the same time.
I could tell that he wasnt exactly averse to procrastinating our return trip, and it was hard to think about much besides his skin on mine-there really wasnt that much left of the dress. But my memory of Renesmee, before and after her birth, was becoming more and more dreamlike to me. More unlikely. All my memories of her were human memories; an aura of artificiality clung to them. Nothing seemed real that I hadnt seen with these eyes, touched with these hands.
Every minute, the reality of that little stranger slipped further away.
Renesmee, I agreed, rueful, and I whipped back up onto my feet, pulling him with me.
* * *
22. PROMISED
Thinking of Renesmee brought her to that center-stage place in my strange, new, and roomy but distractible mind. So many questions.
Tell me about her, I insisted as he took my hand. Being linked barely slowed us.
Shes like nothing else in the world, he told me, and the sound of an almost religious devotion was there again in his voice.
I felt a sharp pang of jealousy over this stranger. He knew her and I did not. It wasnt fair.
How much is she like you? How much like me? Or like I was, anyway.
It seems a fairly even divide.
She was warm-blooded, I remembered.
Yes. She has a heartbeat, though it runs a little bit faster than a humans. Her temperature is a little bit hotter than usual, too. She sleeps.
Really?
Quite well for a newborn. The only parents in the world who dont need sleep, and our child already sleeps through the night. He chuckled.
I liked the way he said our child. The words made her more real.
She has exactly your color eyes-so that didnt get lost, after all. He smiled at me. Theyre so beautiful.
And the vampire parts? I asked.
Her skin seems about as impenetrable as ours. Not that anyone would dream of testing that.
I blinked at him, a little shocked.
Of course no one would, he assured me again. Her diet well, she prefers to drink blood. Carlisle continues to try to persuade her to drink some baby formula, too, but she doesnt have much patience with it. Cant say that I blame her- nasty-smelling stuff, even for human food.
I gaped openly at him now. He made it sound like they were having conversations. Persuade her?
Shes intelligent, shockingly so, and progressing at an immense pace. Though she doesnt speak-yet-she communicates quite effectively.
Doesnt. Speak. Yet.
He slowed our pace further, letting me absorb this.
What do you mean, she communicates effectively? I demanded.
I think it will be easier for you to see for yourself. Its rather difficult to describe.
I considered that. I knew there was a lot that I needed to see for myself before it would be real. I wasnt sure how much more I was ready for, so I changed the subject.
Why is Jacob still here? I asked. How can he stand it? Why should he? My ringing voice trembled a little. Why should he have to suffer more?
Jacob isnt suffering, he said in a strange new tone. Though I might be willing to change his condition, Edward added through his teeth.
Edward! I hissed, yanking him to a stop (and feeling a little thrill of smugness that I was able to do it). How can you say that? Jacob has given up everything to