Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer [89]
Like I said-she curled up on the tile a few feet from me, wrapping her skinny arms around her skinny knees- headache.
Bellas giving you a headache?
Yes.
I frowned. Pretty sure I was too tired for riddles. I let my head roll back around toward the fresh air and closed my eyes.
Not Bella, really, she amended. The fetus.
Ah, someone else who felt like I did. It was pretty easy to recognize. She said the word grudgingly, the way Edward did.
I cant see it, she told me, though she might have been talking to herself. For all she knew, I was already gone. I cant see anything about it. Just like you.
I flinched, and then my teeth ground together. I didnt like being compared to the creature.
Bella gets in the way. Shes all wrapped around it, so shes blurry. Like bad reception on a TV-like trying to focus your eyes on those fuzzy people jerking around on the screen. Its killing my head to watch her. And I cant see more than a few minutes ahead, anyway. The fetus is too much a part of her future. When she first decided when she knew she wanted it, she blurred right out of my sight. Scared me to death.
She was quiet for a second, and then she added, I have to admit, its a relief having you close by-in spite of the wet-dog smell. Everything goes away. Like having my eyes closed. It numbs the headache.
Happy to be of service, maam, I mumbled.
I wonder what it has in common with you why youre the same that way.
Sudden heat flashed in the center of my bones. I clenched my fists to hold off the tremors.
I have nothing in common with that life- sucker, I said through my teeth.
Well, theres something there.
I didnt answer. The heat was already burning away. I was too dead tired to stay furious.
You dont mind if I sit here by you, do you? she asked.
Guess not. Stinks anyway.
Thanks, she said. This is the best thing for it, I guess, since I cant take aspirin.
Could you keep it down? Sleeping, here.
She didnt respond, immediately lapsing into silence. I was out in seconds.
I was dreaming that I was really thirsty. And there was a big glass of water in front of me-all cold, you could see the condensation running down the sides. I grabbed the cup and took a huge gulp, only to find out pretty quick that it wasnt water-it was straight bleach. I choked it back out, spewing it everywhere, and a bunch of it blew out of my nose. It burned. My nose was on fire
The pain in my nose woke me up enough to remember where Id fallen asleep. The smell was pretty fierce, considering that my nose wasnt actually inside the house. Ugh. And it was noisy. Someone was laughing too loud. A familiar laugh, but one that didnt go with the smell. Didnt belong.
I groaned and opened my eyes. The skies were dull gray-it was daytime, but no clue as to when. Maybe close to sunset-it was pretty dark.
About time, Blondie mumbled from not too far away. The chainsaw impersonation was getting a little tired.
I rolled over and wrenched myself into a sitting position. In the process, I figured out where the smell was coming from. Someone had stuffed a wide feather pillow under my face. Probably trying to be nice, Id guess. Unless itd been Rosalie.
Once my face was out of the stinking feathers, I caught other scents. Like bacon and cinnamon, all mixed up with the vampire smell.
I blinked, taking in the room.
Things hadnt changed too much, except that now Bella was sitting up in the middle of the sofa, and the IV was gone. Blondie sat at her feet, her head resting against Bellas knees. Still gave me chills to see how casually they touched her, though I guess that was pretty brain-dead, all things considered. Edward was on one side of her, holding her hand. Alice was on the floor, too, like Rosalie. Her face wasnt pinched up now. And it was easy