"See you around, Mr. Tate."


    Lue put her helmet back on and righted her motorcycle. With a roar of the engine, the bike sped off.


    Jimmie stood there, watching the slender figure disappear. The boy''s image lingered in his mind. His upturned face, teasing smile, the hint of dimples...


    "Honk honk-"


    The honk of a car behind him finally snapped him out of it. What was he thinking? He got back in his car and headed for the hotel.


    At the hotel, Juniper arrived first and called Lue.


    "Come up to my room," Lue said, changing clothes. “I had a little ident on the way here, got my clothes dirty."


    "Alright."


    Juniper found the room number and let herself in. Lue had already changed into a fresh outfit: a white t-shirt, loose-fitting ck jeans, and her short hair tousled into a stylish mess. A dazzling sapphire stud gleamed in her right ear, making her look youthful, sunny, and incredibly handsome.


    "What happened to your hand?" Juniper asked, her brow furrowing as she noticed the scrape on Lue''s elbow. "Get into a fight?"


    “Nope.” Lue had considered telling her about the incident with her idiotic brother, but it was too long of a story. "Bike tipped over, I took a little fall.”


    She walked over to Juniper and slung an arm around her shoulders with a yful grin. "So, can I—”


    “No, you can''t,” Juniper interrupted, removing Lue''s arm. “You are not to bully Shanley."


    The main issue was that Lue had always presented herself as a man, so revealing her true gender to


    Shanley was out of the question


    And Shanley being the jealous type would undoubtedly overthink thing''s if he knew how close she and Lue were. He''d get angry, and then she''d have to coax him out of it, which was just a hassle.


    "Wait, what?" Lue''s yful expression turned serious. "Juniper, are you for real? Have you actually fallen for Shanley?"


    She had assumed Juniper was just attracted to his looks, that it was a fling she would eventually get bored of.


    Juniper pursed her lips, her silence a clear confirmation. When had she realized her feelings for Shanley were real? Was it when he saved her at Phantom Bazaar? Or was it the constant stream of candy, the way he picked her up from herte-night study sessions without fail, rain or shine? Was it the time he rushed to the school to stand up for her? Or maybe... maybe it was when he told her his life was hers to take.


    "What are you thinking?” Lue shot to her feet, pacing the room with her hands on her hips. "Besides being rich and good-looking, what else does Shanley have?”


    He was hardly worthy of Juniper. He probably didn''t even know the first thing about her other identities.


    “Besides,” Lue stopped and faced Juniper, her tone grave, “do you have any idea how many enemies Shanley has made to get where he is today? Being with him puts you in constant danger."


    "Oh?" Juniper picked up an orange from the table, peeling it slowly. She looked up with an innocent expression. "Who''s in danger? Tell me again, who''s in danger?"


    Lue was speechless. Juniper was formidable, yes, but even she couldn''t fend off Shanley''s endless list of enemies. And if that old bastard from Sigma Network. ma Network found. out, wouldn''t that put Juniperin even greater peril?


    “Juniper, you need to think this through very carefully,” Lue urged.


    "I have," Juniper replied after popping a slice of orange into her mouth. She paused


    for a moment, her expressionpletely serious. "I''m going to marry him."