Midnight Sun

Six days later, Edward is in Denali, Alaska with another coven of vampires who abstain from human blood. One vampire, Tanya, approaches Edward in his contemplations. Tanya is romantically interested in Edward. She thinks that Edward came to Denali to see her, but realizes he is distracted by a larger, secret problem. She does not know, but Edward cannot stop thinking about Bella. Tanya tells Edward that she is confident in his ability to face his problems, so Edward returns to his family in Forks.

Edward’s siblings help him prepare to be near Bella at school after he returns to Forks. When they arrive at school, Edward reads his classmates’ thoughts and is surprised to realize that Bella did not tell anyone about how strangely he acted that first day. He also begins paying attention to how others view Bella, becoming protective against the fantasies of one human boy, Mike Newton. Despite his family’s hesitance, Edward goes to biology to finally face Bella. They make small talk, and Edward finds his inability to hear Bella’s thoughts frustrating, since he cannot anticipate what she will say. He also finds Bella’s ability to discern minute details about him impressive. After they finish their lab, Bella tells Edward about her reasons for moving to Forks. Edward admires her selflessness, thinking “unlike most humans, her own needs were far down the list” (43). Later, Edward speaks to his brother Emmett about the pull he feels for Bella’s blood. Emmett experienced something similar before, though less seriously. Emmett’s memories of this incident still overpower Edward, so he hides out in his car for the rest of the school day. There, he again spies on Bella through others’ thoughts.

Carlisle and Edward go hunting that night. Carlisle is thinking about how suddenly Edward left them, and Edward feels guilty about his quick reaction. Carlisle is understanding of Edward’s struggle and tells his son to leave again if necessary to avoid killing Bella. Edward is reluctant to leave Bella, although he cannot explain why. He considers leaving again, to protect Bella’s future, although this angers Alice. She tells Edward, “your life seems to be at a crossroads” (54).

The next day at school, when Edward looks for Bella in the parking lot, he realizes through a vision from Alice that a van will crush Bella. Edwards runs to save Bella, blocking the van from killing her. Even though Edward knows he should be most concerned about whether anyone witnessed his unusual strength and speed, he is more worried about Bella’s state. Bella is fine and immediately realizes that Edward got to her faster than humanly possible. Edward tries to lie his way out of the issue, but Bella is persistent, and Edward can hear that his siblings are angry. As Bella is checked by paramedics, Charlie Swan arrives on the scene. Edward can hear that Charlie cares deeply for his daughter, but his mind is somewhat like Bella’s—it is muted and eludes Edward’s ability. When they reach the hospital, Carlisle, a doctor there, first worries that Edward hurt Bella. Edward quickly explains the situation, and Carlisle is proud of his son for saving Bella. As Edward watches Bella in the hospital, he becomes annoyed at the van’s driver, Tyler, who seems interested in her. Bella, once cleared to leave, insists on speaking to Edward before going home. Edward tries to lie his way out of trouble again, but Bella is confident she knows what happened. She shocks Edward by saying that she does not plan to reveal his secret to anyone.

Back in school, Edward tries to remain inconspicuous while fighting the urge to see Bella. He also struggles to lie and slander Bella, even for the sake of protecting his family. Emmett tells Edward that Rosalie, his sister, is extremely angry and that Jasper has unsavory plans for Bella. Edward considers how his own relationship with his family has changed, since he now opposes their desires for him to avoid Bella. At the end of the day, Rosalie bombards Edward with mental insults, and Jasper plans to take out Bella. Alice predicts that Edward will stop Jasper. The Cullens have a family meeting at home in which Edward offers to leave, but Emmett points out that Edward would be depriving his family of the protection his powers offer them. Rosalie and Jasper insist that they kill Bella, but Carlisle vehemently opposes this plan. Edward tells Jasper that he will stop him, but Alice’s new insistence that Bella will become her friend changes Jasper’s mind. Bella’s future becomes clearer to Alice as they debate and she tells Edward that he has only two options left. Either he kills Bella, or he makes her a vampire. Edward’s future love for Bella is inevitable, only her humanity is undecided. This is too much for Edward, who runs out of the house to mull over Alice’s two visions. He is distraught, thinking, “there had to be a way to circumvent the future. I would not let Alice’s visions direct me. I could choose a different path. There was always a choice. There had to be” (86).