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"Hey thanks for the ride," I tried to s to the elevator

"No proble-"

My apartment door opened and Nix filled out the doorfra, just watched us froer into the down button as soon as I was in reach and released his wrist before Nix couldof it

"I’ll see you tooodbye

"Sure, Red," Ryder answered, finally taking the hint "I’ll see you tomorrow"

And then he stepped into the elevator and was gone

A breath of relief whooshed out of me and I felt like I could finally turn back and face Nix

"One boy at a time, Ivy You know the rules," Nix scolded before I could even get through the door

"He’s not… I swear, it was just a ride," I promised My voice was shaky, my eyes unable to meet his Which wasn’t fair since it was just a ride on his part I hated that it felt likebehind Nix and startled oose bumps rose on my arms I went back tohappened

"Ivy," my mother started

"Mom, I haven’t even broken up with Chase yet, please don’t start," I begged

"Is he always like that?" she asked, ignoring my statement

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently

"Is he always so composed?" she clarified calmly but I watched her eyes dart nervously to Nix

"He’s really shy," I lied I wasn’t sure how else to explain his lack of interest They could never know about his immunity from the curse Never Better to play up my mother’s insecurities anyway "He’s also pretty oblivious The first time I met him he didn’t see me until he crashed intomy word choice

"With two cups of coffee," I smiled weakly Please buy it Please buy it Please buy it

"That’s not e’re here to talk about anyway," my mother’s tone was sharp and to the point "We want to knohat Smith took you into his office for the other day And before you deny it, I know you went in there I watched hiether, sliding the painfully into them until they felt bruised and swollen I knew these questions were coo in there She ay too sneaky

"He had this book on depression he wanted to give to me," I replied carefully, slowly I had practiced this answer in ation was inevitable, but it didn’t make me any less nervous "But I said no thank you I didn’t want him to think my condition orse than it is He was just worried about htfully for a few ested between us all His dark eyes narrowed in thought and his sculpted eyebrows pulled together Myher martini nervously She tried desperately to wait for Nix to speak, to respond first, but her own self-doubt couldn’t hold her back

"He orried about you?" she echoed in the sa with depression? Hoeet"

"What else did he say, Ivy," Nix deht round But what else could I do? "He thoughtto do hy I was sent away"

I cleared renade settled

"Srowled

"Damn that man," my mother echoed

Like Set knocked up, take all his money and then watch him die And Nix orchestrated the entire plot

"What did you tell hi up toThey were eyes that would not be lied to

"I told hian and forced myself to control the tremble in my voice "I told him I went away because of Sam"

More pause Nix looked down into the depth of his scotch glass and seeaze flitted between me and her erow a backbone I was her daughter

But she wasn’t afraid of me

Not like she was afraid of Nix

"Did you tell him what happened with you and Sam Evans?" Nix finally asked

"No, not specifically," I answered quickly

"Have you told anyone what happened?"

"I, uh, no Kids at school assume the accident wasThere’s a… a, uh, can at school for him," my voice was a whisper, weak, treruff voice He was impatient with me I had failed hiht he was frustrated with my weakness