Twilight Chapter 24: An Impasse Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Bella wakes up in a hospital. She's pretty beat up, but alive.
  • Edward tells Bella that her mom is at the hospital. He, Carlisle, and Alice told Renée that Bella had fallen "down two flights of stairs and through a window" (24.15).
  • Edward tells her about how he saved her by sucking the venom-infected blood out of her. Apparently, Bella's blood was very delicious and it was nearly impossible for Edward to keep from killing her by drinking all of her blood.
  • While Edward and Carlisle were taking care of Bella, Jasper and Emmett killed James.
  • Edward pretends to be asleep when Renée comes to check on Bella. Renée says that she and Phil are moving to Jacksonville, and Bella can come live with her now. Bella adamantly refuses, saying that Forks is her home.
  • Bella tries not to let her mom know how much she likes Edward, but Renée says, "I think that boy is in love with you" (24.118). Bella agrees, but says that she only has a "crush" on Edward.
  • When Renée leaves, Edward implies that it might be better if he and Bella weren't together. Bella flips out:

    [Bella:] "Are you tired of having to save me all the time? Do you want me to go away?"

    "No, I don't want to be without you, Bella, of course not. Be rational. And I have no problem with saving you, either – if it weren't for the fact that I was the one putting you in danger…that I'm the reason you're here."
    (24.175-176)

  • Much to Bella's relief, Edward then says that he isn't "strong enough to stay away" (24.189) from her.
  • Now Bella wants to know why he sucked the venom out of her blood. Why didn't he just let her turn into a vampire? They continue to fight about the issue. She wants him to transform her into a vampire so she can be with him forever; he is absolutely against the idea and says, "I can't do it, Bella. I won't do that to you" (24.206). Bella threatens him, saying, "You're not the only vampire I know" (24.232).
  • Bella guesses that Alice has seen a vision of her as a vampire, but Edward is determined that the future can change.
  • They reach no conclusion, and Edward makes Bella get some more rest.