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"What else would he be?" Annabelle retorted froh that only I, withcould asped, still not sure what to make of my weapon’s trainer He tossed ain and I decided to heed his warning

"Stella, were you planning on going to church this riddle and e the spatula of the last perfectly made pancake onto a plate with identical others

"Oh, I meant to tell you, I kind of…to suggest someone else pick you up for church today," I tried to skirt around the truth, hoping Annabelle just didn’t ask toohow I accoe to hted again and why on Earth I went ahead and picked up edly gone through

"Oh, that’s all right, I’ll just have Trenton coriddle to the sink and i after ht as well head on hoht and with your guests, I really don’t think you’ll need htening the wrinkled skin around her ue I hated it when Annabelle left, she felt so much like part of the family, but I also knew Annabelle was a polite woht a woman should be Her behavior was super out of the ordinary for her and it was probably driving her crazy I bitat this sa back her restraint fro Jupiter have what could be decades of pent up sassiness

"Ok, if you have to go, then you have to go," I sighed, standing up to kiss Annabelle on the cheek "I’ll finish these, if you want to go get ready"

"Will you call Trent for me too?" Annabelle looked thrilled at the chance just to leave the kitchen; I could hardly iine what transpired before I entered the scene

"Sure," I s pants I pounded out a quick text to Tristan, explaining his grandernails on the counter in a measured rhythm

"Is that another human friend of yours?" Jupiter asked dryly

"Trent is Tristan’s older brother He goes to college in Lincoln, but he’s home for winter break," I explained

"You didn’t answerI hadn’t I was just used to people understanding everything between Tristan’s family and mine… between Tristan and uess I assuain and then turned back to his paper

"What is that sy baritone voice asked froainst the doorframe, shirtless and disheveled His black sweatpants sat low on his hips, revealing a thin line of plaid boxers and perfectly chiseled hip bones His dark hair was a les, curling into char semi-circles just at their tips He crossed his ar in the aroma of baked chocolate chips left in the kitchen

His eyes foundat him with a mixture of embarrassment and wide-eyed wonder from the sink I had seen plenty of boys shirtless before, plenty of good looking, athletic boys I had grown up with Tristan and his brothers who had all been practically shirtless fro I had ever seen coel

I reminded rueling lives and any lesser physique wouldn’t stand a chance against the Darkness Still, I had to clamp ht stubble that darkened his jawline with the palm of his hand His s his expression mischievous

I turned back to the dishes, convinced he could read hts And as I scrubbed the griddle clean, I wondered how treacherous it was to have lustful thoughts about my Counterpart before ere even… uh… more than whatever ere? Surely, I was the first Star to do so in the history of the entire universe Lust being one of the seven deadly sin and all… I ignored him, or pretended to, as he brushed past me into my square country kitchen

"Are these forfor the plate of pancakes

"Yeah, Annabelleto hide the e squeak in my voice

"Awesome," Seth muttered and then sat down heavily at the table across from Jupiter

When he used the syrup bottle for an extended alance over at him There he sat with the entire plate of left over pancakes, his fork digging in and breaking theely so he could shovel them in his luttonously high on his plate The maple syrup dripped down over the top of the pancake lops of sticky liquid and every ti sound that I desperately hated