Free Trust by Francine Pascal Page A

I —”
    â€œWhy don’t you tell me what this is really about?” she barked. “Because I already know. The fact of the matter is that you don’t think I’m good enough for you. That’s it, isn’t it? And you’re just using Sam and your stupid accident as an excuse.”
    Something snapped inside Ed’s brain. Pain instantly turned to anger. She had no right to accuse him of using his accident as an excuse . For anything. Ed might have done a lot of dishonest, sad, lowly, lame things — but he never, ever did that. Never .
    â€œYou don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he spat.
    â€œI don’t?” she cried, her voice cracking. Tears began flowing freely down her cheeks. “Then why are you being such an asshole?”
    He shook his head again. “I’m not. I care about you, Heather. I . . .”
    â€œYou care about me? Oh, thanks! Thanks a million! Do I get fries with that?”
    Oh, Jesus . There was that classic bitchy humor: the snappy comebacks he both loved and hated. In a way the little remark summed up the entire situation: Ed both loved and hated her , too. Everything about her. The way she was so beautiful. The way she acted. And he could never seem to sort out his feelings. He laughed miserably in spite of himself, but Heather was already tugging on her loafers and heading for the door. She stumbled as she tried to walk and get dressed at the same time.
    â€œI’m glad you think this is funny,” she growled.
    â€œHeather, come on,” he protested. “Don’t go, all right? I’m sorry.”
    â€œMe too, Ed,” she said. “Me too.”
    He flopped back down on the mattress. Well. So much for a little Friday night reunion. He should have just kept Heather confined to his fantasies. Reality was always a hell of a lot more complicated.

LOKI
    For the first time in my life, plans are coming together more quickly than I ever could have anticipated. Gaia has all but pledged herself to me. I had no idea she would reach out so quickly, with such abandon. Then again, I had no idea that Ella would fail so dramatically.
    How could the woman be so foolish? Did she really think I wouldn’t find out about her attack on my niece? Did she really think she could hide her depraved secrets from me?
    But none of that matters now. I must keep my rage in check. I must act with decisiveness and detachment. Because soon my life will have no more room for rage. It will only have room for love.
    The love of Gaia. My sweet Gaia.

a perfect ending
    His mind was blank. Maybe this was what prizefighters felt after they had gone ten rounds in the ring with the heavyweight champion.

Week of Weirdness
    STRANGE HOW NEW YORK CITY COULD change so fast. Only yesterday it had seemed like the most awful place in the world: a dingy, frozen wasteland overrun by perverts and psychopaths. But now it was as if Gaia were looking at it with a new pair of eyes.
    The grimy ugliness had transformed into cosmopolitan beauty; the unsavory characters now seemed to add to the limitless diversity. All right, yes . . . the weather sucked, big time. But other than that, it was a great place to be. Perfect — if only Ella didn’t live here as well. Or Sam, for that matter.
    Only now it looked like there was a distinct possibility that Gaia wouldn’t have to see either of them again.
    She buried her head in the folds of her coat to protect herself from the bitter wind as she trudged east toward First Avenue. A part of her felt like skipping. She couldn’t believe she had asked Uncle Oliver if she could come live with him. She hated asking anyone for anything. But the idea had just popped into her brain and from there had exited right out her mouth — and suddenly it was out there, out there in the open . . . and he hadn’t said no. He hadn’t said no!
    Okay, she knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up. He