new moon(暮光之城-新月英文版)-第24部分

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bikes　are　going　to　need　a　lot　
of　help　before　they'll　run　again。〃　My　face　didn't　look　worried　enough；　so　he　
continued。　〃I'm　talking　about　
maybe　more　than　a　hundred　dollars　here。〃　
I　pulled　my　checkbook　out；　fanned　myself　with　it；　and　rolled　my　eyes　at　his　
worries。　〃We're　covered。〃　
It　was　a　very　strange　kind　of　day。　I　enjoyed　myself。　Even　at　the　dump；　in　the　
slopping　rain　and　
ankle…deep　mud。　I　wondered　at　first　if　it　was　just　the　aftershock　of　losing　
the　numbness；　but　I　didn't　think　
that　was　enough　of　an　explanation。　
I　was　beginning　to　think　it　was　mostly　Jacob。　It　wasn't　just　that　he　was　
always　so　happy　to　see　me；　or　
that　he　didn't　watch　me　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　waiting　for　me　to　do　
something　that　would　mark　me　
as　crazy　or　depressed。　It　was　nothing　that　related　to　me　at　all。　
It　was　Jacob　himself。　Jacob　was　simply　a　perpetually　happy　person；　and　he　
carried　that　happiness　with　
him　like　an　aura；　sharing　it　with　whoever　was　near　him。　Like　an　earthbound　
sun；　whenever　someone　was　
within　his　gravitational　pull；　Jacob　warmed　them。　It　was　natural；　a　part　of　
who　he　was。　No　wonder　I　was　
so　eager　to　see　him。　
Even　when　he　mented　on　the　gaping　hole　in　my　dashboard；　it　didn't　send　me　
into　a　panic　like　it　
should　have。　
〃Did　the　stereo　break？〃　he　wondered。　
〃Yeah；〃　I　lied。　
He　poked　around　in　the　cavity。　〃Who　took　it　out？　There's　a　lot　of　damage〃　
〃I　did；〃　I　admitted。　
He　laughed。　〃Maybe　you　shouldn't　touch　the　motorcycles　too　much。〃　
〃No　problem。〃　
According　to　Jacob；　we　did　get　lucky　at　the　dump。　He　was　very　excited　about　
several　grease…blackened　
pieces　of　twisted　metal　that　he　found；　I　was　just　impressed　that　he　could　tell　
what　they　were　supposed　to　
be。　
From　there　we　went　to　the　Checker　Auto　Parts　down　in　Hoquiam。　In　my　truck；　it　
was　more　than　a　two　
hour　drive　south　on　the　winding　freeway；　but　the　time　passed　easily　with　
Jacob。　He　chattered　about　his　
friends　and　his　school；　and　I　found　myself　asking　questions；　not　even　
pretending；　truly　curious　to　hear　
what　he　had　to　say。　
〃I'm　doing　all　the　talking；〃　he　plained　after　a　long　story　about　Quil　and　
the　trouble　he'd　stirred　up　by　
asking　out　a　senior's　steady　girlfriend。　〃Why　don't　you　take　a　turn？　What's　
going　on　in　Forks？　It　has　to　be　
more　exciting　than　La　Push。〃　
〃Wrong；〃　I　sighed。　〃There's　really　nothing。　Your　friends　are　a　lot　more　
interesting　than　mine。　I　like　your　
friends。　Quil's　funny。〃　
He　frowned。　〃I　think　Quil　likes　you；　too。〃　
I　laughed。　〃He's　a　little　young　for　me。〃　
Jacob's　frown　deepened。　〃He's　not　that　much　younger　than　you。　It's　just　a　year　
and　a　few　months。〃　
I　had　a　feeling　we　weren't　talking　about　Quil　anymore。　I　kept　my　voice　light；　
teasing。　〃Sure；　but；　
considering　the　difference　in　maturity　between　guys　and　girls；　don't　you　have　
to　count　that　in　dog　years？　
What　does　that　make　me；　about　twelve　years　older？〃　
He　laughed；　rolling　his　eyes。　〃Okay；　but　if　you're　going　to　get　picky　like　
that；　you　have　to　average　in　size；　
too。　You're　so　small；　I'll　have　to　knock　ten　years　off　your　total。〃　
〃Five　foot　four　is　perfectly　average。〃　I　sniffed。　〃It's　not　my　fault　you're　a　
freak。〃　
We　bantered　like　that　till　Hoquiam；　still　arguing　over　the　correct　formula　to　
determine　age—I　lost　two　
more　years　because　I　didn't　know　how　to　change　a　tire；　but　gained　one　back　for　
being　in　charge　of　the　
bookkeeping　at　my　house—until　we　were　in　Checker；　and　Jacob　had　to　
concentrate　again。　We　found　
everything　left　on　his　list；　and　Jacob　felt　confident　that　he　could　make　a　lot　
of　progress　with　our　haul。　
By　the　time　we　got　back　to　La　Push；　I　was　twenty…three　and　he　was　thirty—he　
was　definitely　weighting　
skills　in　his　favor。　
I　hadn't　forgotten　the　reason　for　what　I　was　doing。　And；　even　though　I　was　
enjoying　myself　more　than　I'd　
thought　possible；　there　was　no　lessening　of　my　original　desire。　I　still　wanted　
to　cheat。　It　was　senseless；　
and　I　really　didn't　care。　I　was　going　to　be　as　reckless　as　I　could　possibly　
manage　in　Forks。　I　would　not　
be　the　only　keeper　of　an　empty　contract。　Getting　to　spend　time　with　Jacob　was　
just　a　much　bigger　perk　
than　I'd　expected。　
Billy　wasn't　back　yet；　so　we　didn't　have　to　be　sneaky　about　unloading　our　
day's　spoils。　As　soon　as　we　
had　everything　laid　out　on　the　plastic　floor　next　to　Jacob's　toolbox；　he　went　
right　to　work；　still　talking　and　
laughing　while　his　fingers　bed　expertly　through　the　metal　pieces　in　front　
of　him。　
Jacob's　skill　with　his　hands　was　fascinating。　They　looked　too　big　for　the　
delicate　tasks　they　performed　
with　ease　and　precision。　While　he　worked；　he　seemed　almost　graceful。　Unlike　
when　he　was　on　his　feet；　
there；　his　height　and　big　feet　made　him　nearly　as　dangerous　as　I　was。　
Quil　and　Embry　did　not　show　up；　so　maybe　his　threat　yesterday　had　been　taken　
seriously。　
The　day　passed　too　quickly。　It　got　dark　outside　the　mouth　of　the　garage　before　
I　was　expecting　it；　and　
then　we　heard　Billy　calling　for　us。　
I　jumped　up　to　help　Jacob　put　things　away；　hesitating　because　I　wasn't　sure　
what　I　should　touch。　
〃Just　leave　it；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　work　on　it　later　tonight。〃　
〃Don't　forget　your　schoolwork　or　anything；〃　I　said；　feeling　a　little　guilty。　I　
didn't　want　him　to　get　in　trouble。　
That　plan　was　just　for　me。　
〃Bella？〃　
Both　our　heads　snapped　up　as　Charlie's　familiar　voice　wafted　through　the　
trees；　sounding　closer　than　the　
house。　
〃Shoot；〃　I　muttered。　〃ing！〃　I　yelled　toward　the　house。　
〃Let's　go。〃　Jacob　smiled；　enjoying　the　cloak…and…dagger。　He　snapped　the　light　
off；　and　for　a　moment　I　
was　blind。　Jacob　grabbed　my　hand　and　towed　me　out　of　the　garage　and　through　
the　trees；　his　feet　finding　
the　familiar　path　easily。　His　hand　was　rough；　and　very　warm。　
Despite　the　path；　we　were　both　tripping　over　our　feet　in　the　darkness。　So　we　
were　also　both　laughing　
when　the　house　came　into　view。　The　laughter　did　not　go　deep；　it　was　light　and　
superficial；　but　still　nice。　I　
was　sure　he　wouldn't　notice　the　faint　hint　of　hysteria。　I　wasn't　used　to　
laughing；　and　it　felt　right　and　also　
very　wrong　at　the　same　time。　
Charlie　was　standing　under　the　little　back　porch；　and　Billy　was　sitting　in　the　
doorway　behind　them。　
〃Hey；　Dad；〃　we　both　said　at　the　same　time；　and　that　started　us　laughing　again。　
Charlie　stared　at　me　with　wide　eyes　that　flashed　down　to　note　Jacob's　hand　
around　mine。　
〃Billy　invited　us　for　dinner；〃　Charlie　said　to　us　in　an　absentminded　tone。　
〃My　super　secret　recipe　for　spaghetti。　Handed　down　for　generations；〃　Billy　
said　gravely。　
Jacob　snorted。　〃I　don't　think　Ragu's　actually　been　around　that　long。〃　
The　house　was　crowded。　Harry　Clearwater　was　there；　too；　with　his　family—his　
wife；　Sue；　whom　I　knew　
vaguely　from　my　childhood　summers　in　Forks；　and　his　two　children。　Leah　was　a　
senior　like　me；　but　a　
year　older。　She　was　beautiful　in　an　exotic　way—perfect　copper　skin；　
glistening　black　hair；　eyelashes　like　
feather　dusters—and　preoccupied。　She　was　on　Billy's　phone　when　we　got　in；　and　
she　never　let　it　go。　
Seth　was　fourteen；　he　hung　on　Jacob's　every　word　with　idolizing　eyes。　
There　were　too　many　of　us　for　the　kitchen　table；　so　Charlie　and　Harry　brought　
chairs　out　to　the　yard；　and　
we　ate　spaghetti　off　plates　on　our　laps　in　the　dim　light　from　Billy's　open　
door。　The　men　talked　about　the　
game；　and　Harry　and　Charlie　made　fishing　plans。　Sue　teased　her　husband　about　
his　cholesterol　and　tried；　
unsuccessfully；　to　shame　him　into　eating　something　green　and　leafy。　Jacob　
talked　mostly　to　me　and　Seth；　
who　interrupted　eagerly　whenever　Jacob　seemed　in　danger　of　forgetting　him。　
Charlie　watched　me；　trying　
to　be　inconspicuous　about　it；　with　pleased　but　cautious　eyes。　
It　was　loud　and　sometimes　confusing　as　everyone　talked　over　everyone　else；　and　
the　laughter　from　one　
joke　interrupted　the　telling　of　another。　I　didn't　have　to　speak　often；　but　I　
smiled　a　lot；　and　only　because　I　
felt　like　it。　
I　didn't　want　to　leave。　
This　was　Washington；　though；　and　the　inevitable　rain　eventually　broke　up　the　
party；　Billy's　living　room　
was　much　too　small　to　provide　an　option　for　continuing　the　get…together。　Harry　
had　driven　Charlie　down；　
so　we　rode　together　in　m