ticipate anything； either。 Maybe； if I were very； very； very
lucky； I would somehow be able
to save Edward。 But I wasn't so stupid as to think that saving him would mean
that I could stay with him。
I was no different； no more special than I'd been before。 There would be no
new reason for him to want
me now。 Seeing him and losing him again
I fought back against the pain。 This was the price I had to pay to save his
life。 I would pay it。
They showed a movie； and my neighbor got headphones。 Sometimes I watched the
figures moving
across the little screen； but I couldn't even tell if the movie was supposed
to be a romance or a horror
film。
After an eternity； the plane began to descend toward New York City。 Alice
remained in her trance。 I
dithered； reaching out to touch her； only to pull my hand back again。 This
happened a dozen times before
the plane touched town with a jarring impact。
〃Alice；〃 I finally said。 〃Alice； we have to go。〃
I touched her arm。
Her eyes came open very slowly。 She shook her head from side to side for a
moment。
〃Anything new？〃 I asked in a low voice； conscious of the man listening on the
other side of me。
〃Not exactly；〃 she breathed in a voice I could barely catch。 〃He's getting
closer。 He's deciding how he's
going to ask。〃
We had to run for our connection； but that was good—better than having to
wait。 As soon as the plane
was in the air； Alice closed her eyes and slid back into the same stupor as
before。 I waited as patiently as
I could。 When it was dark again； I opened the window to stare out into the
flat black that was no