Chapter-by-Chapter: Twilight, Chapter 13

I'm cutting things a bit fine this week. I only got these chapters read on Wednesday night (and then realised I'd have to do the old, upload by mobile phone trick to get them up on the blog). This might mean that this afternoon's is somewhat delayed, but don't worry, it's coming.

Last chapter, which seems like I read ages ago now, had Bella and Edward going off for a hike together, during which they fell out and barely spoke, until Edward made his big revelation.

This week we're onto Chapter Thirteen: Confessions.

What Happens?

We see Edward sparkling in the sunlight which is probably the point I've been waiting for most of this book since I knew it was coming. Edward also gives Bella a few home truths about how she made him feel at first and how he's had to master that. He actually comes across a lot nicer than he has so far in the book.

Thoughts as I read:

This chapter title is Confessions but I'm guessing that we're not going to see Bella going to church. I wonder if Edward is the one confessing. Although on second thoughts, perhaps Bella is coming clean with her dad. Maybe the confession will be after Charlie finds out about Edward and Bella has to confess all to him.

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface.

This whole paragraph is worth quoting but I'll stop here because this pretty much all speaks for itself.

Edward then goes on to just lie there singing to himself. That's… no weirder than being a sparkly vampire, actually. Bella's totally in awe of his bare sparkly chest. We get a full page of her just marvelling at him.

"I don't scare you?" he asked playfully, but I could hear the real curiosity in his soft voice.
"No more than usual."

I think this exchange highlights what a totally healthy relationship this is.

They have a deep, meaningful conversation while Bella examines his skin. Edward claims that he doesn't want Bella to be afraid of him. Well he should stop being so damn scary then! At one point Edward is actually described as having an 'angel face'. That's pretty ironic really.

I find Bella's obsession with the way that Edward's breath smells slightly weird. He must be really good at flossing considering the fact he was out hunting wild animals the day before. My labrador eats a lot of meat and her breath stinks!

Bella says something, or Edward does something which results in Bella looking hurt. As is common with this pair, I have no idea what's just happened between them. Honestly, I just don't get it. Then she's all hurt and upset but she's apologising to him. What?

Oh right! It's a joke! Now he's apologising too. I don't get it.

Edward proceeds to demonstrate his speed and strength which frightens Bella:

I sat without moving, more frightened of him than I had ever been. I'd never seen him so completely freed of that carefully cultivated facade. He'd never been less human… or more beautiful.

Then he promises not to do that. I'm not sure that's reassuring after we've just seen him losing it. But with that out the way, they're able to return to the topic of what scares Bella about Edward, aside from the whole Vampire thing. Edward does point out that he can be 'easily frustrated'; I suppose the fact that he's aware of it is something at least.

Bella's scared because she can't stay with him. But she doesn't want him to go. This is a dilemma. He wants her company too but he's dangerous. I'm beginning to feel like we're retreading old ground. Edward's problem with Bella is the fact that she smells so good, just like his favourite food, in fact. He actually uses the phrase 'you are exactly my brand of heroin', which is possibly the least romantic romantic line I've ever heard.

We do finally get some information about the family. Jasper is the latest recruit so his tastes aren't as refined as the others. Emmett's had the whole attracted-to-someone-you-want-to-eat issue before, twice in fact, but this is Edward's first time. It appears that Emmett did something bad to one of the people he was attracted to. Is that why Jasper had to join the family? Because Emmett turned him?

Edward's actually aware of how he came across when Bella first showed up in the Biology class. He did quite well just coming across as Mood Swing Boy when he really wanted nothing more than to go for the jugular. He's even fantasized about getting her alone and doing things to her. And here she is. Alone. With him. Reminding him of what he wanted to do to her. If I was Bella I think I'd have left by now. Edward's suddenly become a really dark character and even more frightening than he was already. I didn't think that was possible!

Where did Edward go to get away from Bella? Why Alaska, of course! That's very Wolverine of him.

And he only saved her life when the truck was coming towards her because if she bled in front of him, he might not have been able to control himself. Sheesh. That could be really awkward.

It's just occurred to me that all of this information is Edward's confession. He then goes on to say that he'd told his family what he'd said to Bella. This chapter is just full of confessions.

Despite his constant assurances that he's dangerous and wants to kill her, he's also promising that he'll never hurt her. I'd take that with a pinch of salt, personally. Bella's now assuring him that she won't go anywhere. Even if she might die if she stays with him. Because she's stupid. And that's not me saying that, she admitted it herself!

Bella pushes him to tell her what she does that's wrong for him. It's her throat. When he smells her throat it pushes him to the edge. I'm guessing that Bella's wardrobe is going to include a lot of roll necks from now on.

Edward starts getting a bit physical with Bella. I think he's proving how safe she is now. He touches her neck and stuff. It's romantic. At least, I think it's meant to be. He also likes listening to her heartbeat. Do vampires have heartbeats?

More touching. No, not like that.

Actually, I think he'd quite like to touch her like that.

Then he offers to demonstrate his super speed and has her climb on his back. And he runs. Fast. That's it, but it gets them back to the truck in record time at least. It also makes Bella a little motion sick and needs an Edward cuddle to make her feel better. Then he kisses her:

Blood boiled under my skin, burned in my lips. My breath came in a wild gasp. My fingers knotted in his hair, clutching him to me. My lips parted as I breathed in his heady scent.

This almost pushes Edward over the edge. But he gets over it. Luckily for Bella.

Despite the kiss and the sparkling and the lack of eating her, Bella still doesn't trust him to drive her truck. Even though he must have driven it before to get it to her at school that day.

"Bella, I've already expended a great deal of personal effort at this point to keep you alive. I'm not about to let you behind the wheel of vehicle when you can't even walk straight. Besides, friends don't let friends drive drunk," he quoted with a chuckle.

Because she's drunk on him, of course. Also, Edward doesn't seem like the sort of person I can imagine chuckling. He doesn't come across as a chuckler.

But he gets his way and is allowed to drive the truck. And he seems to be cured of his desire to eat Bella because he's even able to kiss her again before the end of the chapter.

Ahh, young love.

I'll admit, I did quite enjoy this chapter because I feel like I'm finally learning something about the world it's set in. Bella is still annoying and Edward is still weird but they seemed to dial it down somewhat in this chapter. I'm just happy I know something about how Twilight vampires work.

And here's the questions raised in this chapter:

• Just who is confessing? And who are they confessing to? Woo hoo! Answered: Edward, it seems, to Bella.
• If Edward doesn't want Bella to be afraid of him, why does he keep on acting so strangely?
• What happened that made Bella shocked and hurt? And why did she apologise to him?
• Did Emmett turn Jasper? Nope. Who knows who did.
• Do vampires have heartbeats?