Read Online Lust by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online Page B

any moment we could be attacked and I could be in the fight of my life. Worse, I know that this journey to find my father could end in horrible disappointment.
    So why do I feel so . . . almost normal?
    Maybe it’s the anticipation, the closeness of the possibility that I’m going to see my dad. Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . being with Oliver and Jake actually feels comfortable to me. Maybe I’m actually learning to trust people.
    Two of them, anyway.
    It’s the strangest thing. Oliver I have no reason to trust, except that he’s spent the past few days trying desperately to prove himself to me. I mean, every once in a while I get a bit of a freaky feeling from him, but let’s face it: Evil or kind, he’s kind of a freak. And Jake I’ve only known for a few weeks. Yetevery time I need to rely on either of them, they seem to come through for me. Maybe that’s par for the course on planet Earth. But on planet Gaia, it’s unheard of. In fact, it’s downright against the laws of nature.
    I actually have to will myself to pull back, feel less, trust less, be more suspicious. That’s never happened before. It’s like my polar ice caps are melting. Global warming, you might say.
    So the question remains: Is this a new springtime for me? Or is it an ecological disaster of world-ending proportions? I won’t know till this is over.
    I wish I could just relax and enjoy it in the meantime.
    But if that were possible, it wouldn’t be planet Gaia.

Soul-Vomit
    GAIA, JAKE, AND OLIVER SETTLED into their four-seat compartment on the train. The station itself was gorgeous—pink marble, arched ceilings, and amazing Russian architecture. Gaia had to admit it: The place was almost as grand as Grand Central. But the trains themselves—at least the one that was destined to travel southeast, to Siberia—were decidedly less grand. On this one, she, Oliver, and Jake had passed down a narrow corridor, squeezed between aged wooden walls, and now found themselves sitting on red vinyl seats with their knees touching. A Formica table folded out from the wall, and a well-used pack of cards sat in a magazine holder, along with a copy of Mademoiselle from 1998.
    â€œThis is cozy,” Gaia said.
    â€œIt smells like old socks,” Jake pointed out.
    â€œI think that’s actually the food.”
    â€œIf you think this is rough, you’d have made horrible agents,” Oliver told them. “I’ve had to eat creatures you’d both call an exterminator to get rid of.”
    â€œNice,” Gaia said.
    â€œWhat’s the grossest thing you ever ate?”
    Oliver thought for a moment. “Termites. I really didn’t like the termites. I tried to swallow them whole and they moved around in my throat. Butcrunching them was worse. It was a lose-lose situation.”
    â€œTermites.” Gaia shrugged. “I’d rather eat something small than have to bite into a big water bug.”
    â€œI ate those in the Philippines. They’re not so bad if you batter-fry them.”
    â€œMmm, this conversation is making me hungry,” Oliver said. “Let me see if there’s a cafeteria car on this train. If I can’t find anything, we’ll have to dip into our rations, but I’d rather save those for an emergency.”
    â€œDon’t go too far,” Gaia said. “I wouldn’t even know how to start looking for you.” The face she turned up to him was struggling to remain impassive, but both Jake and Oliver could see she wasn’t sure of herself, not at all. Fearlessness was one thing—motionlessness was another. Maybe it was the huge scope of this mission, or maybe it was the stress of finally getting near her father—she was showing signs of wear and tear. It made them both feel very, very protective.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Oliver promised. “I won’t even touch the food if