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Chapter 9


“Somewhere nice” turned out to be a fancy steakhouse.

Lynn gave Connor mental brownie points for his carnivorous palate, but that did little to balance out the discomfort she felt as she smoothed the skirt of the “little black dress” she was wearing.

Curse mothers and their embarrassing obsession with romance.

Far from being upset when Lynn had asked her mom about Connor’s “offer” for dinner Friday night, Matilda’s eyes had lit up and she’d actually squealed.

Squealed.

The only saving grace of the dress her mom had lent her was that she was a few inches shorter than her mom, so the thigh-length skirt made it to her knees. Even so, she kept having to resist the urge to tug it down further. It was a simple, elegant black, with three-quarter sleeves and a scooped neckline.

Lynn felt like an alien wearing it. A literal alien from Mars.

Being made from “dumb” fabric, it had an old-fashioned zipper in the back. Her mom had to explain the use of a lanyard to zip it. Even less sense was made by the confusing contraption at the top that secured right above the zipper. Something called a “hook and eye.”

And then there was all the problems of adjusting the . . . top part. Gah!

Overall, Lynn had decided it was a torture device from hell, and she only wore it to please her mom, who’d gotten all teary eyed when Lynn had tried it on.

All right, so the appreciative look in Connor’s eyes when he arrived to pick her up hadn’t been that bad either. But that look simultaneously pleased her and triggered her fight-or-flight instincts, so she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

That seemed to be the theme for the evening, actually.

Connor was much more hands-on than usual. As in hands on her. A hand on her arm, a hand at the small of her back, a hand on her shoulder. The touches made her whole body tingle strangely even as she fought off the urge to jerk away. But this was a date, right? And guys were supposed to do that on dates, right?

Somehow, she felt she should have asked her mom these questions before she’d left. But her mom had been so pleased about it all, while simultaneously swearing to be properly supportive and not pry—then in the next breath threatening to permanently disfigure Connor’s manhood if he so much as made Lynn leak a single tear—that Lynn hadn’t had the slightest clue how to respond. She’d never seen her mom go all . . . gooey-eyed before, and decided she should probably wait until she’d figured out what the heck her own feelings were on the matter before muddying the situation further with her confused, incoherent questions. Obviously, her mom had already given her “The Talk.” That had been years ago. She understood how all that worked. It was just these weird feelings and complicated dancing around with looks and gestures instead of saying things straight out that was giving her ulcers.

It was as if there was an entire unspoken language Connor was using that every other girl knew, but that she’d never learned.

Need to analyze the tactical pros and cons of a video-game weapon? Easy peasy.

Need to calculate the DPS required to make sure the raid boss didn’t transition into its second phase too early? She was your girl.

Need to make coherent conversation with the opposite sex in a softly lit restaurant with classical music playing in the background?

Cue internal panicked screaming.

“So, how’s the steak?” Connor asked, one eyebrow slightly raised as he watched her chew.

Lynn nodded enthusiastically and smiled around her mouthful. It really was a great steak. Perfectly underdone with just the right amount of bloodiness adding flavor to the tender, seared flesh.

Heaven, basically.

Also extremely convenient for avoiding conversation.

Connor took another bite of his oven-roasted, garlic-herb cheese, lemon-butter-stuffed chicken breast. Lynn hoped he liked it. She’d eaten enough chicken breast to last herself a lifetime, but maybe Connor had grown up eating fancy steaks every day, so a simple chicken breast was a nice change of pace for him.

Or maybe he was just insane.

“You know,” Connor said after swallowing his bite, “I saw something really funny the other day.”

Lynn raised her eyebrows and shoved another bite of steak into her mouth.

“I checked Elena’s stream channel out of pure curiosity and noticed you have triple her follower count after barely a month. She’s been building that channel for years. I bet she’s livid.” He grinned, and Lynn gave him a close-mouthed smile, not sure what reaction he was looking for.

“It’s not surprising. Even though we’re surrounded in virtual by filtered and fake influencers riding the popularity train, we can still spot the real thing when we see it.” This time his smile was slow and especially charming, and Lynn panicked internally.

Now she really didn’t know how to respond. Worse, she’d left her earbuds and AR glasses in her coat pocket, since they clashed horribly with her dress. That meant she didn’t even have Hugo to provide snarky commentary on her awkward situation.

Finally, she made a “mm-hmm” noise and resumed chewing, hoping that was sufficient. Connor didn’t react one way or the other, so she had no idea if she’d done the right thing.

“If you keep going the way you are now, you’ll be one of the top trending streams in the country soon.”

Lynn widened her eyes and made another “mmm” sound, since she was pretty sure an expression of horror and disgust at the thought of that much attention was not the right reaction.

“I’m just glad I’m here to help guide and advise you on your rocket trip to fame. I know all the publicity can be intimidating at first.” One side of his mouth lifted in a smirk, as if he thought his comment was amusing.

Another bite of steak provided an excuse not to respond, and Lynn wondered if she could order a second entre. After all, she worked hard every day to kill monsters and “save” humanity. Didn’t she deserve two steaks? She was trying to eat slowly, but it was so good. Soon she wouldn’t have anything left to give her an excuse not to talk.

For a brief moment she imagined the square-jawed, buzz-cut-hairline visage of Master Sergeant Bryce from TD Hunter superimposed over Connor’s face. The sergeant’s brow lowered sternly as he barked, “Eat up, Hunter! We need you fueled and ready to fight this alien menace, or humanity has no hope of survival.”

She giggled.

“I’m glad you agree,” Connor said, and Lynn froze. Agree? What had he just said? Should she ask him to repeat himself? Or would that look stupid?

She tried to swallow her half-chewed bite, choked, and hurriedly gulped some water to wash it down.

“Right, um, so what are your plans for Christmas?” she said once she’d recovered, trying not to squirm under Connor’s evaluating gaze.

“Nothing too exciting,” he said, and shrugged. “We usually go visit my grandparents in New York over the holidays. The Christmas decorations in Central Park are always really pretty. Maybe you should come with me this year and see them?”

Lynn coughed again but tried to cover it up by clearing her throat.

“G-go to New York? I don’t think I could. You know it’s just my mom and me. I wouldn’t want to leave her alone over the holidays.”

“I wouldn’t worry about your mom. I’m sure she’d want you to go and have some fun for once. Any mom would.”

“Uh, I doubt it. My mom has—” Lynn stopped herself just in time. She’d been about to say “separation anxiety” but realized that probably wasn’t something she should be sharing. “My mom has, uh, allergies, I mean. Yeah, bad allergies. I have to help take care of her over the holidays or she’s just miserable.” Lynn gave a decisive nod and took another bite, eyes glued to her plate.

Allergies? Good grief, she was an idiot.

“I see,” Connor said slowly. “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe she can do without you this once, though. You should ask her, see what she thinks.”

Not in a million years. Alone with Connor, for a week? Talk about anxiety-inducing stuff right there. Besides, she had big plans for Christmas break involving some long overdue WarMonger sessions. Steve dropped her a ping every now and then relating amusing stories of what he and the guys were up to with Larry Coughlin. She couldn’t wait to get back into the game and show them what a real Larry the Snake fight looked like.

They could watch and learn from the master.

“Have you ever been to New York before?”

“Oh, what? Uh, no,” Lynn said, realizing she’d spaced out.

“It’s very impressive. Beautiful architecture, incredible food, and of course all the sights.”

“That’s nice.”

“I think you’ll really like it.”

“Uh, well maybe, if I ever go.”

Connor smiled like she’d just made a joke, which was incredibly confusing, so she busied herself with her steak.

Sadly it was almost gone.

She really did want to order another one. But then she’d have to wait in awkward silence while it was being prepared, and she had nothing but ice water to hide behind. Was this too fancy of a restaurant to do deliveries? Maybe she could order a second steak to be delivered and it would be waiting at home by the time she arrived.

“Did you want any dessert?”

“Oh, no thank you.” She did, kinda. But that would also require waiting around.

“Okay, well I guess let’s head back to your place,” Connor said, pushing back his chair. He’d no doubt already paid for their food with his virtual wallet and so there was nothing else to do but go.

“Right. Okay.”

Before she could push herself to her feet, he was there, pulling back her chair for her. It was nice of him, but she really didn’t need any help. Then she noticed he had her coat—her mom’s coat, actually, which was the only thing nice enough in their house to be worn over the little black dress. He held it up as if to help her into it, which was silly since she was perfectly capable of putting on her own coat. But maybe this was another one of those things guys did on a date.

She reluctantly slid her arms into it and let him settle it onto her shoulders. Then he took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, and she was forced to follow closely beside him as they headed for the exit. It was that or yank her hand out of his grip, and he was holding on pretty firmly. He’d paid for dinner, so she figured being polite was the least she could do.

That thought occupied her until they stepped out under the restaurant’s overhang. The chilly air swirled around her neck, exposed by the updo her mom had done for her. But that wasn’t what captured her attention.

That honor went to the man in a puffy winter coat who stepped out in front of them.

“Connor Bancroft and Lynn Raven,” the man said, speaking quickly and in a weird tone like he was reading a script, “captain and second-in-command of the Skadi Wolf team, one of the top contenders for the TD Hunter USA national championship coming up this June—”

“It’s Skadi’s Wolves, not Skadi Wolf,” Lynn butted in. She’d been so taken aback by the man’s appearance that it was several seconds before she found her voice.

“Right! So, Lynn, why the fancy clothes and restaurant? Anything special happening we should know about?”

“What? Uhhh,” she looked at Connor, completely confused and—now that she’d corrected the man’s idiotic mistake—very ready to get this nosey jerk out of their faces.

“Nothing specific,” Connor said easily, smiling at the man instead of looking at her, “just taking an evening off from training and enjoying a romantic date together.”

“A date? So you two are officially a couple?”

“Yes, I guess you could say that,” Connor replied and looked down at her with a saccharine smile. She gave him an incredulous look and opened her mouth, but the reporter started talking again too fast for her to get a word in edgewise.

“That’s big news! I’m sure all your fans will be excited to hear it when we break this exclusive story on our stream tomorrow. So what’s it like being the hottest new super couple in the gaming and sports world today?”

“Oh, we don’t worry much about it, we’re much too busy training. We’ve got to keep our heads in the game and focus on the goal.”

“But all work and no play—you know what they say. Surely you have some time to relax together?” the reporter said, and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“A little here and there,” Connor replied with a smirk, letting go of her hand and shifting to wrap his arm around her waist. He pulled her closer, either ignoring or failing to notice her stiff body language and rictus of a smile. His attention was on the eager reporter who was watching them like a hungry fox watches a rabbit.

Anger burned in Lynn’s chest, but she didn’t know what to do with it. Who should she yell at? The reporter? Connor? Both of them? Or should she keep her mouth shut? It was obvious they were both on camera and this was an unsanctioned, ambush interview. Which, according to Mrs. Pearson, Lynn had every right to refuse, and require that any footage of her be censored. If only she could get a word in edgewise—

Then the reporter locked his attention on her and she was suddenly glad Connor was beside her and she wasn’t alone.

“Obviously your training regime and team-building exercises are absolutely fascinating, but I’m sure you know what we really want to hear about, Lynn. We’re all dying for juicy details about your new romance! You’re taking the gaming world by storm, but there’s still so much mystery surrounding you. What’s it like dating your team captain? Do you ever discuss team tactics in the bedroom or do you keep work and play separate?

Lynn’s eyes widened in horror and she tried to say something, anything, to make the unfolding nightmare stop. But nothing was computing between her flustered brain and her gaping mouth, so no sound came out.

“Now, now, Duke. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, if you know what I mean,” Connor said smoothly, angling himself to better capture the reporter’s attention. “Obviously we’re very focused on training. I’m actually Lynn’s coach, considering all my experience in AR sports. I’ve taught her most of what she knows about competing and I’m fully committed to making sure she continues developing her skills until she’s on the same elite level as me.”

“Of course, of course,” the reporter said—Duke, apparently. But how did Connor know the man’s name? Did he recognize him from a famous stream? “But we really want to hear from Lynn’s side. What has it been like being trained by a professional athlete? Is he the secret to your success? Does his authority as your team captain ever cause tension in your romantic relationship?”

“Stop, stop!” Lynn gasped, finding her voice at last. “This is not a sanctioned interview and you can’t put anything you’ve seen or heard on the mesh, or I’ll have my PR rep get you banned from the streams.”

It was more or less what Mrs. Pearson had instructed her to tell anyone who bothered her with questions instead of going through the proper channels. But instead of stopping in his tracks, the reporter just smiled and shook his head.

“No, no, we’re good! I got this one all worked out with your rep. You’re okay to talk.”

“W-what?” a cold shiver ran through Lynn’s body and she suddenly felt numb. What was going on?

“So tell us about your dynamic with Connor. Do the lines between team captain and boyfriend ever blur, and how do you two handle that dynamic?”

“I—I—” Lynn’s brain seemed to have stopped working and some part of her decided that if she closed her eyes and pretended she was alone, everything would disappear. Another part of her yelled at her brain to get the freak into gear and punch that slimy reporter in the face. Was that Larry? She reminded herself that she was only used to fighting with her batons and wasn’t sure the best way to go about slugging someone, so it was probably a bad idea.

The argument in her brain continued, and it seemed like it was a much safer thing to focus on than whatever Duke and Connor were discussing, so she did, for a while. But then Larry put his foot down and called her something so utterly depraved that she just had to write it on a sticky note before she forgot it, and she blinked, trying to remember where she’d put her sticky notes.

“—and it works out pretty well, though of course we have our ups and downs just like any couple. Now I’m sorry to cut things short, but we’re both really tired and we have a full day of hunting tomorrow, so we’d better get going.”

“Of course,” Duke said, sounding as disappointed as he looked. That was when Lynn noticed the little drone hovering above his head, its tiny camera lens tracking back and forth between her and Connor before it abruptly rose a few inches and shifted, as if to get a better angle on her.

“Have a good evening,” Connor said, then started off toward his car, dragging her with him via the arm he still had around her waist.

Knowing the drone was probably following them, Lynn didn’t dare say anything until they were in the car and the doors were securely closed.

Once they were, though . . . 

“What the—the—” She paused, suppressing the overwhelming urge to use some of her choice Larry phrases. “What the heck was that? What did he mean, he’d cleared it with my rep? Mrs. Pearson runs all interview requests by me before approving them, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have agreed to this one.”

“Oh, I told her you were fine with it.”

“You. Did. What?” Lynn said, very slowly, very carefully. Her fists were clenched in her lap and her neck and shoulder muscles were so tight she couldn’t have done more than stare straight ahead even if she’d wanted to.

“She called me to ask about it the other day when we were working on your essay,” Connor said, sounding perfectly relaxed as he started the car and pulled away from the restaurant. “I said I was absolutely for it and went ahead and told her you said you were fine with it, too, since I knew you’d be eager to work with Duke. He runs one of the biggest US-based gossip streams out there. It was a real honor he came himself instead of sending a flunky, honestly. I know the story angle he took was out of your usual wheelhouse, which is why I ran interference. But I promise you, it was the right call to accept his interview offer. Showing up on his stream will double our followers overnight, guaranteed.”

Lynn couldn’t decide which part of everything that’d just happened to yell about first, so instead she stewed in silence. She tried, and failed, to rip Connor a new one. The silence in the car felt so oppressive she couldn’t get her mouth to open. She felt trapped in the tiny car, so she decided to wait until they were back in her apartment building where she could face him properly.

The ride home was the longest and most painful collection of moments in her life. Finally, though, they arrived, and she was out of the car and stomping through the light drizzle toward her apartment before Connor could even open his door. By the time she went through the front doors, though, he’d caught up with her.

“Hey, Lynn! What’s the matter?”

She whirled on him and wished more than anything she was in her stompy hunting boots instead of these wobbly heels her mom had lent her.

Everything! Everything is the matter, Connor!” she yelled.

“What? Why?”

“That!” She pointed outside, as if that would clear up any confusion. “That—that—man! And what he said! And what you said!”

“Oh, come on, Lynn. Calm down, please. I’m sorry if it startled you. I didn’t want to mention it before we had dinner because I wasn’t sure when he’d turn up and I didn’t want to ruin the relaxing evening I know you deserved.”

“That’s not all—”

“I know,” he interrupted, taking a step closer. “I’m sorry I told Mrs. Pearson you wanted the interview without checking with you first. You were just focused on your essay, and I know you’ve been struggling in that class. I didn’t want to distract you. I really thought you’d be happy about it. The potential exposure is huge! We couldn’t pass that up.”

“You had no right—”

“Yes, I know,” he said, cutting her off again as he took another step forward. She retreated without thinking, but then her back hit the wall beside the elevators and there was nowhere else to go. “I said I was sorry, all right? You shouldn’t be so upset about it. I was doing it for you. I’ve done all of this for you, and you’ve done nothing but be angry and unreasonable about it. You really need to take a deep breath and calm down. Everything is fine. Okay?”

No. Everything was not fine. But his words made her second-guess herself. Was she being unreasonable? She’d never even considered the possibility. Her life consisted of either staying invisible to avoid bullies, or turning her aggression up to the max, killing TDMs and cocky wannabe elites in WarMonger. There was no in-between.

She clenched her fists, took a deep breath, then relaxed her hands.

“Okay. I’m calm. Happy now?”

“Sure, though I’ll be happier once we’re up in your apartment. Your mom’s at work, right?”

“Uhhh, yeah?” And just like that, her anger drained away and she felt the panicked urge to hide again.

Connor took another step forward, so close he was nearly pinning her to the wall. His musky cologne tickled her nose with hints of pine and spice. “Well, then, why don’t we go up? We can relax and take things slow.”

“I—I’ve got homework to do, so I don’t think—”

“Come on, Lynn. Homework? It can wait one night. I just paid for a very, very expensive dinner for us. I’d say you owe me a bit of your time. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Uhhh—”

Connor lifted one hand to trail it up over her arm and shoulder, then cup her neck. Lynn froze, every part of her on high alert.

The problem was, high alert to do what?

“You know your eyes are the prettiest and creepiest things I’ve ever seen,” Connor murmured, lowering his head toward her face. “They almost look like some kind of cat or dog or something.”

Then he was kissing her, and all coherent thought ground to an abrupt halt even as things seemed to happen too fast for her to process.

His lips felt hot and soft at the same time, which was good? But his grip on her neck was too tight, which made her tense up.

Then his other hand at the small of her back—wait, when had it gotten there?—started sliding south past her waist, and she was suddenly quite sure she didn’t like what was going on. She tried to wiggle to the side, but he only gripped her neck more firmly and pressed harder against her, squishing her up against the wall and making it hard to breathe.

Merrrow!

The loud and totally unexpected sound of a cat made both of them jump, and Connor looked down and frowned.

“What’s a random cat doing in here? I thought people had to keep their pets locked up when they lived in apartments. Is it a stray?”

“No idea,” Lynn gasped, trying to replenish her brain with oxygen as fast as possible. The feline distraction had made Connor loosen his grip, and she was able to shift enough so that one of her legs was between his two, and he was no longer flush against her. She couldn’t move any further while Connor was holding her, though.

“Get lost, Connor. I have school to do,” she said, still breathless. Apparently, oxygen deprivation made her politeness filter malfunction.

He looked back at her and smirked.

“Why? I was enjoying our little tête-à-tête. Weren’t you?”

In reply, Lynn jerked her knee up as hard as she could.

It was far from a perfect strike, but it didn’t need to be. The sudden upward force did its work and Connor was suddenly stumbling back, clutching his groin and groaning.

Merow?

The cat was still there, but Lynn couldn’t afford to be distracted. She had to get away—

“Poe? Is that you out there? Get back here, you incorrigible cat, and leave the neighbors alone!”

The sound of a familiar voice drew her like a siren’s song. She stumbled around the corner and ran toward it, barely noticing that the cat ran in front of her, leading the way.

“Goodness gracious! Lynn, my girl, what in the world is going on? Are you all right?”

“Can—can I come in?” she gasped as she neared the door, wobbling on those stupid heels.

“Of course! Please, come, come.”

Mr. Thomas stepped to the side and the cat darted into the apartment with her hot on its heels.

The moment she heard the apartment door close, relief washed over her. She didn’t stop moving, though, until she’d stumbled to her neighbor’s couch and collapsed onto it. As Mr. Thomas made his much slower way into the living area and toward an easy chair, Lynn kicked off her mother’s heels, slouched down into the couch’s welcome embrace, and covered her face with both hands.

What the flaming heck had just happened?

A warm, silky weight appeared in her lap, and she parted her fingers to peek out and examine the large cat that had decided to use her as a cushion. Now that she had her breath back and was no longer in fight-or-flight mode, she could appreciate the soft beauty of its luxurious gray coat and the unique white markings on its face.

“Poe! Really? Must you be so impolite to guests? Off with you, shoo!”

“No, it’s okay,” Lynn said, sitting up straighter and reaching out a tentative hand. The cat—Poe—had started purring, and the vibrations combined with his heavy warmth on her lap was incredibly relaxing. She gave him an experimental scratch about the ears, and he closed his eyes in contentment and leaned into her touch.

“Poe, huh? He’s cute.”

“He is indeed, and can be most charming, when it suits him. I do apologize for his forwardness. He is not usually this fond of strangers, but he seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“No idea why,” Lynn chuckled, now giving Poe long strokes that started at his head and ended at the base of the tail.

The intensity of the cat’s purr increased, so she assumed that meant he approved of what she was doing.

“My grandparents had dogs and cats on their ranch where I lived for a bit after . . . well when we moved away from the East Coast. But I’m not exactly an animal-whisperer. I never went for those farming husbandry-type games in virtual. Way too boring.”

“I suspect that your charm in Poe’s estimation consists of nothing more than your warm lap and willing hand.” Mr. Thomas smiled ruefully and lowered himself slowly into his easy chair. “I am keeping him for a week or two for a friend who is away traveling. My friend warned me that the little rascal was an escape artist, but I did not believe it until now. I have no idea how he got out of the apartment. I am eternally grateful you were there to find him.”

“I didn’t exactly find him. More like he found me,” Lynn muttered, her hand stilling as she peered at the cat.

Poe’s yellow eyes slitted open enough to give her a sidelong stare, then they closed again and he twitched his tail, as if to say, “Why have you stopped petting me, human servant?”

When she didn’t immediately start stroking him again, he gave a chattering complaint of a meow.

Mr. Thomas laughed.

“I do believe you have been given an order, my dear.”

“Yeah really,” Lynn said, resuming her ministrations. “Bit of a bossy pants, aren’t you, Poe?”

The cat didn’t deign to reply, just swished his floofy tail back and forth.

In the brief silence that followed, a bit of tension creeped back into Lynn’s shoulders as she remembered why she was on Mr. Thomas’ couch in the first place.

“Poe’s escapist tendencies aside, are you sure you are quite all right, Lynn? I didn’t hear much, but it sounded like there was someone out there with you, and you seemed very upset when you came in.”

“Uhhh, yeah. I’m fine. Now, anyway.”

“Now?” Mr. Thomas’ bushy white eyebrows rose. “I think, young lady, it would be wise if you explain the situation further.”

Explaining was the last thing Lynn wanted to do. But Mr. Thomas’ expression was so firm that she suspected if she left without giving him what he wanted, he might do something drastic, like call her mom at work.

“It’s . . . complicated.”

“I have all the time in the world, my dear.”

Reluctantly, Lynn began to explain. Before she knew it, the whole story was pouring out with no filter to speak of. It felt so good to finally speak her doubts out loud and get the confusion off her chest. She had the sense that she’d handled the whole thing with Connor completely wrong, but she didn’t know how, or what signs she had missed, or what to do about it now, short of quitting the team and hiding in her apartment for the rest of her life. There was still a healthy dose of anger simmering in her chest, but it was all mixed together with embarrassment and fear and a definite desire to simply be left alone.

When she finished talking, Mr. Thomas leaned back into his chair and nodded thoughtfully.

“I have one simple question for you, the answer to which will clear everything up quite nicely.”

“You do? But how?”

“One of the advantages of age, my dear. Just wait until you’ve lived over a century and you will understand what I mean. But let us not get distracted. My simple question is this: Does this young man listen to what you have to say?”

Lynn’s brow wrinkled.

“I mean . . . he asks me questions sometimes.”

“But does he listen to your answers and act accordingly?”

“Uhhh, no?”

“Was that your answer? Or a question?” Mr. Thomas asked with a soft smile.

“I mean, no. He definitely doesn’t listen. In fact, he mostly ignores what I say and what I want and just does whatever he wants no matter what I say.”

“There, then, is your answer.”

“But what is it? The answer?”

“No one who refuses to listen attentively and respond respectfully to your wishes is worthy of your friendship, much less your heart, Lynn. I would even venture to say that you should avoid this young man at all costs, though it seems in this instance your circumstances require that you tolerate him on your team for the time being.”

A wave of relief washed over Lynn, and she sank a bit further into the couch cushions. She still didn’t understand how everything had gotten so tangled up and confusing for her, but Mr. Thomas’ concern and advice had helped her immensely before, so she didn’t doubt his advice now.

“So, since I can’t avoid him, how do I . . . I don’t know, handle him?”

“The same way you would handle any rude and selfish individual attempting to manipulate you for their own gain.”

“Oh,” Lynn said, and blinked. Then she blinked again. “Oooooh,” she said, as suddenly the clouds parted and she could see clearly for the first time. So many things that had happened over the past few months fell into place, and her uncertainty vanished under the harsh light of understanding.

“That bastard,” she muttered.

“Beg pardon?” Mr. Thomas said.

“Oh, nothing. Thanks a bunch for, well, letting me talk and everything. It was really helpful.”

“Of course. It was the least I could do. Neighbors must look out for one another, after all.” He smiled warmly, showing his white, white teeth that contrasted so sharply with his dark, wrinkled skin that now creased even further until his eyes were almost hidden by smile lines.

“Yeah,” Lynn said, and looked at her feet. She was suddenly assaulted by guilt. She hadn’t visited Mr. Thomas in months—had barely even thought about him since the qualifiers.

She was a sucky neighbor.

“Um, sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been really busy with school, and this competition thing, and—” She halted at his upraised hand and knowing smile.

“You are young, Lynn, and you have your entire life ahead of you. Do not feel guilty about the many great things you are working to accomplish. I have Poe here to keep me company, for now, at least. And I have lived alone for most of my life. I am quite accustomed to it. I will be here if you ever want to chat, but you belong out there, not in here.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” Lynn said, though she made a promise to herself that she would try harder to look in on her old neighbor every now and then, whether he thought she needed to or not. It seemed like the decent thing to do.

“Be off with you, then. You have school to do, no doubt, or more games to play?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Lynn grinned.

“Oh, one last thing before you go, my dear. You will tell your mother what you told me about this young man, yes? She deserves to know, both as your friend and as your guardian.”

Lynn heaved a deep, deep sigh. But then she nodded.

“Yeah. I know. I’ll tell her.”

“Good. Now, be careful on your way out. Poe, here, is particularly adept at slipping between one’s legs when one is exiting and entering.”

Poe was not at all pleased to be dislodged from his warm lap, but at least he didn’t claw her. Once she’d vacated her seat, he jumped back onto the couch to curl up in the warm spot she’d left behind. He gazed up at her with judgmental yellow eyes for a moment, then laid his head down and proceeded to ignore her.

“Is that all I get for petting you? Geez. Ungrateful cat,” Lynn grumbled, glancing down at her black dress and grimacing at the liberal coating of gray hairs that now covered it.

“I suspect from his perspective, he deigned to grace you with his magnificent presence, which you have now been so rude and uncouth as to reject. The fact that he is still in the same room as you is quite the endorsement. I think he likes you tremendously.”

Lynn laughed. “Funny way of showing it.”

“He is a cat, after all.”

“Yeah really. Well, see you later, Jerald.”

“Until then. Do be safe, yes?”

“I will,” Lynn said with a last grin. “I think I know what to do now, thanks to you. I’ll be fine.”

“I have no doubt. After all, Poe believes in you.”

“Of course, yeah. That’s exactly what I’ve been missing all this time: a cat’s approval.”

Poe huffed a half meow and twitched his tail in obvious agreement.


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Framed