2 new+moon新月- 第21部分

Jess's　eyes　were　round；　her　mouth　hung　open。　Her　question　about　suicide　had　been　rhetorical；　I　realized　
too　late。　

〃Go　eat；〃　I　encouraged　her；　waving　toward　the　fast　food。　I　didn't　like　the　way　she　looked　at　me。　〃I'll　
catch　up　in　a　minute。〃　

I　turned　away　from　her；　back　to　the　men　who　were　watching　us　with　amused；　curious　eyes。　

〃Bella；　stop　this　right　now！〃　

My　muscles　locked　into　place；　froze　me　where　I　stood。　Because　it　wasn't　Jessica's　voice　that　rebuked　
me　now。　It　was　a　furious　voice；　a　familiar　voice；　a　beautiful　voice—soft　like　velvet　even　though　it　was　
irate。　

It　was　his　voice—I　was　exceptionally　careful　not　to　think　his　name—and　I　was　surprised　that　the　sound　
of　it　did　not　knock　me　to　my　knees；　did　not　curl　me　onto　the　pavement　in　a　torture　of　loss。　But　there　was　
no　pain；　none　at　all。　

In　the　instant　that　I　heard　his　voice；　everything　was　very　clear。　Like　my　head　had　suddenly　surfaced　out　
of　some　dark　pool。　I　was　more　aware　of　everything—sight；　sound；　the　feel　of　the　cold　air　that　I　hadn't　
noticed　was　blowing　sharply　against　my　face；　the　smells　ing　from　the　open　bar　door。　

I　looked　around　myself　in　shock。　

〃Go　back　to　Jessica；〃　the　lovely　voice　ordered；　still　angry。　〃You　promised—nothing　stupid。〃　

I　was　alone。　Jessica　stood　a　few　feet　from　me；　staring　at　me　with　frightened　eyes。　Against　the　wall；　the　
strangers　watched；　confused；　wondering　what　I　was　doing；　standing　there　motionless　in　the　middle　of　the　
street。　

I　shook　my　head；　trying　to　understand。　I　knew　he　wasn't　there；　and　yet；　he　felt　improbably　close；　close　
for　the　first　time　since…　since　the　end。　The　anger　in　his　voice　was　concern；　the　same　anger　that　was　once　
very　familiar—something　I　hadn't　heard　in　what　felt　like　a　lifetime。　

〃Keep　your　promise。〃　The　voice　was　slipping　away；　as　if　the　volume　was　being　turned　down　on　a　radio。　

I　began　to　suspect　that　I　was　having　some　kind　of　hallucination。　Triggered；　no　doubt；　by　the　
memory—the　deja　vu；　the　strange　familiarity　of　the　situation。　

I　ran　through　the　possibilities　quickly　in　my　head。　

Option　one：　I　was　crazy。　That　was　the　layman's　term　for　people　who　heard　voices　in　their　heads。　

Possible。　

Option　two：　My　subconscious　mind　was　giving　me　what　it　thought　I　wanted。　This　was　wish　fulfillment—a　

momentary　relief　from　pain　by　embracing　the　incorrect　idea　that　he　cared　whether　I　lived　or　died。　
Projecting　what　he　would　have　said　if　A）　he　were　here；　and　B）　he　would　be　in　any　way　bothered　by　
something　bad　happening　to　me。　

Probable。　

I　could　see　no　option　three；　so　I　hoped　it　was　the　second　option　and　this　was　just　my　subconscious　
running　amuck；　rather　than　something　I　would　need　to　be　hospitalized　for。　

My　reaction　was　hardly　sane；　though—I　was　grateful。　The　sound　of　his　voice　was　something　that　I'd　
feared　I　was　losing；　and　so；　more　than　anything　else；　I　felt　overwhelming　gratitude　that　my　unconscious　
mind　had　held　onto　that　sound　better　than　my　conscious　one　had。　

I　was　not　allowed　to　think　of　him。　That　was　something　I　tried　to　be　very　strict　about。　Of　course　I　slipped；　
I　was　only　human。　But　I　was　getting　better；　and　so　the　pain　was　something　I　could　avoid　for　days　at　a　
time　now。　The　tradeoff　was　the　neverending　numbness。　Between　pain　and　nothing；　I'd　chosen　nothing。　

I　waited　for　the　pain　now。　I　was　not　numb—my　senses　felt　unusually　intense　after　so　many　months　of　the　
haze—but　the　normal　pain　held　off。　The　only　ache　was　the　disappointment　that　his　voice　was　fading。　

There　was　a　second　of　choice。　

The　wise　thing　would　be　to　run　away　from　this　potentially　destructive—and　certainly　mentally　
unstable—development。　It　would　be　stupid　to　encourage　hallucinations。　

But　his　voice　was　fading。　

I　took　another　step　forward；　testing。　

〃Bella；　turn　around；〃　he　growled。　

I　sighed　in　relief。　The　anger　was　what　I　wanted　to　hear—false；　fabricated　evidence　that　he　cared；　a　
dubious　gift　from　my　subconscious。　

Very　few　seconds　had　passed　while　I　sorted　this　all　out。　My　little　audience　watched；　curious。　It　probably　
looked　like　I　was　just　dithering　over　whether　or　not　I　was　going　to　approach　them。　How　could　they　guess　
that　I　was　standing　there　enjoying　an　unexpected　moment　of　insanity？　

〃Hi；〃　one　of　the　men　called；　his　tone　both　confident　and　a　bit　sarcastic。　He　was　fairskinned　and　
fairhaired；　and　he　stood　with　the　assurance　of　someone　who　thought　of　himself　as　quite　goodlooking。　I　
couldn't　tell　whether　he　was　or　not。　I　was　prejudiced。　

The　voice　in　my　head　answered　with　an　exquisite　snarl。　I　smiled；　and　the　confident　man　seemed　to　take　
that　as　encouragement。　

〃Can　I　help　you　with　something？　You　look　lost。〃　He　grinned　and　winked。　

I　stepped　carefully　over　the　gutter；　running　with　water　that　was　black　in　the　darkness。　

〃No。　I'm　not　lost。〃　

Now　that　I　was　closer—and　my　eyes　felt　oddly　in　focus—I　analyzed　the　short；　dark　man's　face。　It　was　
not　familiar　in　any　way。　I　suffered　a　curious　sensation　of　disappointment　that　this　was　not　the　terrible　man　
who　had　tried　to　hurt　me　almost　a　year　ago。　

The　voice　in　my　head　was　quiet　now。　

The　short　man　noticed　my　stare。　〃Can　I　buy　you　a　drink？〃　he　offered；　nervous；　seeming　flattered　that　I'd　
singled　him　out　to　stare　at。　

〃I'm　too　young；〃　I　answered　automatically。　

He　was　baffled—wondering　why　I　had　approached　them。　I　felt　pelled　to　explain。　

〃From　across　the　street；　you　looked　like　someone　I　knew。　Sorry；　my　mistake。〃　

The　threat　that　had　pulled　me　across　the　street　had　evaporated。　These　were　not　the　dangerous　men　I　
remembered。　They　were　probably　nice　guys。　Safe。　I　lost　interest。　

〃That's　okay；〃　the　confident　blonde　said。　〃Stay　and　hang　out　with　us。〃　

〃Thanks；　but　I　can't。〃　Jessica　was　hesitating　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　her　eyes　wide　with　outrage　and　
betrayal。　

〃Oh；　just　a　few　minutes。〃　

I　shook　my　head；　and　turned　to　rejoin　Jessica。　

〃Let's　go　eat；〃　I　suggested；　barely　glancing　at　her。　Though　I　appeared　to　be；　for　the　moment；　freed　of　the　
zombie　abstraction；　I　was　just　as　distant。　My　mind　was　preoccupied。　The　safe；　numb　deadness　did　not　
e　back；　and　I　got　more　anxious　with　every　minute　that　passed　without　its　return。　

〃What　were　you　thinking？〃　Jessica　snapped。　〃You　don't　know　them—they　could　have　been　
psychopaths！〃　

I　shrugged；　wishing　she　would　let　it　go。　〃I　just　thought　I　knew　the　one　guy。〃　

〃You　are　so　odd；　Bella　Swan。　I　feel　like　I　don't　know　who　you　are。〃　

〃Sorry。〃　I　didn't　know　what　else　to　say　to　that。　

We　walked　to　McDonald's　in　silence。　I'd　bet　that　she　was　wishing　we'd　taken　her　car　instead　of　walking　
the　short　distance　from　the　theater；　so　that　she　could　use　the　drivethrough。　She　was　just　as　anxious　now　
for　this　evening　to　be　over　as　I　had　been　from　the　beginning。　

I　tried　to　start　a　conversation　a　few　times　while　we　ate；　but　Jessica　was　not　cooperative。　I　must　have　
really　offended　her。　

When　we　go　back　in　the　car；　she　tuned　the　stereo　back　to　her　favorite　station　and　turned　the　volume　too　
loud　to　allow　easy　conversation。　

I　didn't　have　to　struggle　as　hard　as　usual　to　ignore　the　music。　Even　though　my　mind；　for　once；　was　not　
carefully