"Oh, I know," I breathed, so tired.
I heard my favorite sound in the world: Fredward's quiet, vampire-boyish laugh, weak with relief.
"Bella?" Carbomb asked again.
I frowned; I wanted to sleep. "What now?"
"Where is your mother?"
"In Florida," I sighed. "He tricked me, Fredward. He watched my videos. He watched them on the couch and he, and he..." I was drifting. Into a dream? A nightmare? The outrage in my voice was pitifully frail.
But that reminded me.
"Alice," I tried to open my eyes for this one. "Alice, the video— he knew you, Alice, he knew— the video—" I meant to speak urgently, but my voice was feeble. "I smell gasoline," I added, surprised through the haze in my brain.
"It's time to move her," Carbomb said.
"No, I want to sleep," I complained.
"You can sleep in my arms, sweetheart. I'll carry you," Fredward soothed me, repeatedly brushing his palm against my forehead to sweep the sweaty, bloody hairs away from my face.
And I was in his arms, my bloody head cradled against his chest—floating, all the pain gone.
"Sleep, Bella. Sleep forever."
Those were the last words I ever heard.

458

Chapter 23

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