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Nick looked up from his backpack with a frown "I told you, Ma Casey Woods"

She paused in her cleaning to glare at hi you ho with someone else Kody would have a justifiable fit if she found out"

Here it co to his feet, he tucked his hands into his pockets and lowered his head in expectation of her reaction "We broke up"

His , ust "Really, Mo, he aze "Why do I have to be the one who screwed up? Huh? Couldn’t she have done so?"

She dried her hands on a dish towel "Did she?"

"Yes"

"And as it?"

How could you tell your irlfriend was a preternatural assassin out to kill you and not get locked in a psych ward?

He had no idea, and no desire to test her ht was a paranoid schizo Nick shifted his feet uneasily Since he didn’t want to lie to her, he had to come up with so fiction…

"She had divided loyalties, and I don’t want to have to watch my back every time she’s around" There Truth

His h his hair "I’ht?"

Nick shook his head "Not really I o of a woman out to kill me "But that which doesn’t kill us…"

"Will only require years of therapy," she finished with her favorite spin on the old saying "You want a chocolate-chip sundae to cheer yourself up?"

Nick irl, Mohter co, she ruffled his hair again "But?"

"Yeah, okay I’ll take some Thanks"

He followed her to the kitchen and stood back while she went to the freezer to dig out the chocolate-chip ice cream container "Is it always this hard, Ma?"

"I don’t know, Boo At this point, you’ve had irlfriends than I ever had boyfriends"

And that was definitely his fault Because of him and his father, she’d never once dated anyone She didn’t want to take a chance on bringing souy into the house ould yell at or hit hiuilt-ridden

His mother was a beautiful woman who could have any man she wanted One ould treat her like a queen Saddest part? He was the only one she’d ever loved, and the only one she thought worth keeping

The woman was definitely crazy

She placed the bowl of chocolate-drenched ice crea with a can of whipped cream "Bon appétit, mon fils"

"Merci" He took the bowl and can to the kitchen table and sat down

She placed a kiss on the top of his head while he loaded the bowl up with half the can Wrinkling her nose, she shivered "You got enough there, Sparky?"

He took the spoon from her hand "I’m not the only person here who drowns their sorrows in Reddi-Wip"

"Just don’t take shots directly out of the can without warning ered by his side until he looked up with a frown "What?"

She hesitated "Do you want to talk about it?"

Nick cringed at her offer "Again, not a daughter"

She cupped his cheek in her hand and ss, too I know … I raised you, and I know that hurt look in your eyes It breaks my heart to see it, baby Please tell me what I can do to help"

Nick laid his hand over hers as he fought down a sudden wave of tears She was right It hurt Bad Like an unexpected kick to the stones It was so stupid, but he’d seen a future with Kody He’d wanted to be with her forever