I stared across the campus,

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"Thanks," she said, smiling at me now.  "It's worth getting sick to miss Gym."
I stared across the campus, wondering how to prolong my time with her.
"Anytime," I said.
"So are you going?  This Saturday, I mean?"  She sounded hopeful.
Ah, her hope was soothing.  She wanted me with her, not Mike Newton.  And I
wanted to say yes.  But there were many things to consider.  For one, the sun would be
shining this Saturday?
"Where are you all going, exactly?" I tried to keep my voice nonchalant, as if it
didn't matter much.  Mike had said beach, though.  Not much chance of avoiding
sunlight there.
"Down to La Push, to First Beach."
Damn.  Well, it was impossible, then.
Anyway, Emmett would be irritated if I cancelled our plans.
I glanced down at her, smiling wryly.  "I really don't think I was invited."
She sighed, already resigned.  "I just invited you."
"Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week.  We don't want him to
snap."  I thought about snapping poor Mike myself, and enjoyed the mental picture
intensely.
"Mike-schmike," she said, dismissive again.  I smiled widely.
And then she started to walk away from me.
Without thinking about my action, I reached out and caught her by the back of her
rain jacket.  She jerked to a stop.
"Where do you think you're going?"  I was almost angry that she was leaving me.
I hadn't had enough time with her.  She couldn't go, not yet.
"I'm going home," she said, baffled as to why this should upset me.
"Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home?  Do you think I'm going to
let you drive in your condition?"  I knew she wouldn't like that—my implication of
weakness on her part.  But I needed to practice for the Seattle trip, anyway.  See if I could
handle her proximity in an enclosed space.  This was a much shorter journey.
? 2008 Stephenie Meyer