We walked down the street hand in hand. Every so often someone would stop and stare, but I ignored the looks, until we turned down my street and my mother was pacing outside the door.


    "Mom?" We walked up, and she turned. I watched her face shutter when her eyesnded on Brandon.


    "Hey baby, how was your first day?"


    I looked up at Brandon. “It was great. Why are you out here?"


    My mom heaved a sigh. "Morgan is talking to Shannon again, and it isn''t going well." She winced when another scream could be heard.


    I nodded sadly and turned to Brandon. "I''m sorry." I pulled the flowers closer. "I can''t." I looked to the house. "I really like the job, and you are an amazing friend, and..." I trailed off.


    "And what?" He pushed.


    "And maybe we could have been a good mating pair, but I can''t do this to my mom''s family." I stepped back. "I know you wanted to talk to them but I don''t think it''s a good idea." I turned to leave, but my mom stopped me.


    "Actually, I think it is." She nodded to the house. "Go on in. Maybe she will listen to you and stop trying to control everyone around her." My mom reached for me when I went to object. "He knows what he wants, Amy." She nodded, and Brandon turned to head inside.


    I waited until the door closed and turned to my mom. "You are amazing."


    "He''s stupider than I thought he would be. But this should give us a window of peace." I nodded and then we headed inside together.


    Brandon was in Shannon''s room as I walked to mine, and they were fooling no one with their whispered moans. But I just held myughter in as I pushed in the door. My mom followed close behind me. "I''m going-"


    "To stay right here for now. Brandon will stay for dinner." She flicked her eyes to the closet, and I nodded.


    "I''ll just send a quick message." Then I ran to the cabin and Toya and them to eat without me. I promised Carly I would be back for her bed-time story and then I grabbed myptop.


    My mom nodded at me before she turned to leave. There was a soft, steady thumping from next door. "They think


    door. they are being quiet, but you can hear everything from in there." She grimaced as she walked to my


    I shrugged. "At least they are trying to hide it before it was just loud grunting. It was gross.” Iughed as she shivered and left. I crawled into my bed and opened myptop. I jumped through the few hoops we had in ce for our messaging and then finally a ck screen jumped to life.


    A blinking grey cursor waited for my first input.


    NixtheGoddess: Hey are you up?


    Within a minute, there was a soft ding.


    Thoth: For you, always. How was your first day?


    NixtheGoddess: Better than expected, and worse.


    Thoth: What happened?


    NixtheGoddess: I met someone my father knew, but there is something fishy about it all. Brandon was bugging me all day.


    Thoth: Was there cameras like we expected?


    NixtheGoddess: Yep. Exactly like you said there would be... How did you know?


    Thoth: Vince is predictable. What did Brandon do?


    NixtheGoddess: Kept showing up. But it worked in my favor in the end.


    Thoth: Why?


    NixtheGoddess: Because I told my mom before work to call for a family dinner. I knew Shannon was still going to be throwing a fit, because that was just who she was. Whether or not she gets her way, she just can''t help it.


    Thoth: Okay...? I''m still lost.


    NixtheGoddess: He was there, giving me dying flowers, and I told him I couldn''t keep the job. And I won''t be his


    luna.


    Thoth: I still can''t believe he just asked you like that.


    NixtheGoddess: Right? Like WTF... Anyway, I had my mom poke the bear, so to speak, and have Shannon lose her mind. Brandon walked me home to ''talk sense'' into her and Morgan..


    Thoth: Did it work?


    NixtheGoddess: Right now he is currently pumping sense into her.


    Thoth: ???


    Iughed out loud. Sometimes Thoth was lost.


    8


    NixtheGoddess: They are trying to be quiet, but the thumping of her head board


    against my wall makes it pretty clear they are...together.


    Thoth: He''s having sex with her? Seriously?


    NixtheGoddess: Yupp. Anyway, it doesn''t matter. This will give me some peace and I can work on getting closer to


    Rick.


    Thoth: Good. The faster you figure this all out, the faster your dad cane back.


    I sat for a minute nodding, like somehow Thoth could see me.


    Thoth: Anyway, let me know if you need anything. I''ll get it shipped to you.


    NixtheGoddess: ... Are you ever going to tell me who you are?


    I waited for a few minutes, but no answer came. Apparently that was a no.


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