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I felt hostess guilt over not having a bed to offer hilad to pay for his hotel rooave me a look that would’ve made paint peel

The two part-de, and they didn’t look happy They said good night very politely and clattered up the stairs to their rooht, I decided my day could officially co one

It’s always possible for huood job of it that night Despite the friends who had shown up with no expectation of reward, the friends who’d co way to help me, I worried about the friend who hadn’t tried I just couldn’t figure Saure out why Eric had posted irlfriend

I was sure he’d had soood turn

Does it sound like I was labeling Eric as ungenerous, uncaring? In sos But he was a practical vampire, and he was a vampire about to beco me as his wife apparently was one of Freyda’s conditions forEric (and frankly, I could sure understand that), I couldn’t i Eric’s decision to put up an awfully large amount of money to secure otiation? "If you’ll let me bail out my former wife, I’ll take a decreased allowance for a year," or sootiated howe of the beautiful Freyda and my Erich a mental maze, I fell asleep

I slept twenty minutes too late the next day and woke up to the awareness that uests I threw ht all over the house I was showered and out in the kitchen quicker than greased lightning, and I fixed pancakes and bacon, put the coffeepot on, and got out the juice glasses I listened to Ay Diantha into mine to speed up the shower process

As the pancakes cauests could eat them while they were hot I put out all the fruit I had, for the healthy minded

Mr Cataliades loved pancakes, and Diantha was not far behind him in pancake consumption I had to make up some more batter in a hurry Then there were dishes to wash (Bob helped) and hout the busyness of hts, I was unhappily aware that I hadn’t heard from Sam

I e-mailed him

I chose that for to restate it several times I worked on my composition for a while

Sam, I don’t knohy you don’t want to talk to me, but I wanted you to know that I’m ready to come to work any day you need

I read this e over several times and decided it put the ball in Sam’s court pretty firmly It was perfect until I impulsively typed, "Iwhat I considered a happy relationship with Sam - for the most part - with no effort at all, now that I’d actually made a sacrifice for him, ere down to e-mails and mysterious silences

It was hard to understand

I was trying to explain this to A at the co to will the screen to talk to me

"What did you sacrifice?" she asked, her clear blue eyes intent on ood listener I knew that Bob was shaving in the hall bathrooa stuff, and Mr C and Diantha were having an earnest conversation at the edge of the woods So it was safe to be frank

"I sacrificed ave it up to save Sa iht to the painful questions "If you have to use big ic to keep soht about it as an either/or," I said "But Eric did He’s a proud guy, and hishi Eric at all"

"And you know this how?"

"When he finally told enuinely desperate"

Aest idiot "Right, ’cause it’s nobody’s drea consort of a beautiful queen who’s hot for you And why did he end up telling you?"

"Well, Pa doubts overwhel to think of a way to stay withdifferent," she said A a huge effort "You’re pretty great But you know, honeyEric is all about Eric That’s why I was so willing to encourage Alcide I figured Eric would break your heart" She shrugged "Or turn you," she added as an afterthought

I jerked, involuntarily

"He did mean to turn you! That asshole! He would have taken you away frouess we’re lucky all he did is break your heart!" She was absolutely furious

"In all honesty, I don’t know that my heart is broken," I said "I’m depressed and sad But I don’t feel as bad as I did when I found out about Bill’s big secret"

Aht? The first time you’d found out so you?"

"It was the first chance anyone had ever had to deceive me," I said, a neay to look at Bill’s betrayal "With huh to be wary or mistrustfulnot to buy into whatever line of bullshit they’re handing out Bill was the first sexual adventure for me, and he was the first man I ever said ’I love you’ to"

"Maybe you’re just getting used to being lied to," Aly, and that was so h to look a bit abashed, "Okay, that ful I’m sorry"

I mimed amazement, my eyes wide and my hands held open by my face