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"We’ll make it work," she told him "If any two people can make this work, it will be us"

He let out a breath, his hand slipping around her waist "We will But this isn’t what you wanted from your life"

"There is some parity," she told hi arners death threats and arson atteination on my part" He kissed her shoulder "I had only to see you and knoanted nothing else You, on the other hand…"

"Everyone teure out the future toht," Free said, "I finally want to have that conversation you promised me about how attractive I find your ainst her chest "Do you?"

She slid her hands down his side "I do"

And so she did

AFTER THEY’D FINISHED the second round, after Free had fallen asleep by his side, Edward slid his arm around her He could feel her chest rise and fall, slowly at first and then more slowly still

It was so close to sweet that he could almost accept it as his future So close, and yet so far

Everyone teive her a thousand things Sizing her dreams down to fit in his life had not been on his list And yet that hat this all would mean, would it not? She’d live in this house, think about his tenants Even if she moved her newspaper here, the estate would always y from the causes she loved

Her breath evened out beside hi darkened from blue to purple to black

"I don’t want you to compromise," Edward said "I want you unbowed"

But Free was asleep and she didn’t even mutter in response

"I love you," Edward told her "I want to give you your heart’s desire, not spend the rest ofthat I stole your dreams from you"

Still she didn’t move Years with her stretched out in front of him--years of alreat as if they’d neverhouse, re what she’d once had

This estate, this title, this life…for her, all of this would be a constant bruising, an eternal source of pain He couldn’t do that to her

Slowly, he drew himself from around her Even more slowly, he stole from her bed