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Stephanie tilts her head, her eyes troubled "They just let it go?"

"Well, not sure they're letting it go," I say slowly "They love her, and they even understand her, but they aren't letting her get aith it She has to pay back the rad And trust me when I say my parents will hold her feet to the fire on that"

I get an alorious head of hair tumble over her shoulder and cover her breast as she says, "My parents would have handled that a little differently"

"How?" I ask with interest, alanting to learn more about those assholes so I can understand her even better

She settles back down intoher head on my chest "There was a time inout and such When they were off traveling, I was content to stay hoirl But if they were 'in residence,' as they liked to call it, I'd often do whatever I could to piss them off"

"Why?" I ask, thoroughly confused why anyone would intentionally poke a bear

"Because it was the only tiot attention," she says si dawns "Getting yelled at, being told I was a keen disappoint ay better than being ignored, as fucked up as that sounds I was ignored so much those tiny snippets of actual attention from them is what sustained me"

"Jesus," I hiss out in anger

Stephanie just shrugs "It's not like they were abusive or anything"

"That's fucking abuse," I growl, but it doesn't faze her She knows it's abuse even if she tries to shrug it off

"It's what I was used to, and honestly, I adapted, Luc," she says softly, her hand co tome

"You shut yourself off," Iwith hostility toward her parents

"And that's adaptation," she says matter-of-factly "It's how I survived"

Fuck, I goddamn hate her parents I want to rail at them and tell them what selfish, evil bastards they are But honestly, I'll probably neverto Stephanie and how she thinks they'd react to the baby

"When are you going to tell your parents?" I ask her now that I' about it

She shrugs, her eyes dropping dohere she picks at the edge of the sheet bunched around her waist "I should probably get it over with"

"We'll call the to leave her alone while one of the greatest things to happen to her will be met with no enthusiasm and probably disdain

"What about your parents?" she asks, lifting her head up again to look at me

"Probably toive them a few days after Simone dropped the bomb on them"

"But they won't be ht?"

"They'll be stunned, but once that wears off they'll be thrilled," I tell her confidently "Trust me on that"

Stephanie smiles at le "That's nice"

She's loose and relaxed, and it seems a perfect fit between the two of us I decide to take advantage of it "We have an afternoon game tomorrow"

"Against the Cougars," she says, and I'm not surprised Total Cold Fury fan

"Want to go to it?" I ask casually, and then I hold still to gauge her reaction

She's still settled and con She doesn't even hesitate when she says, "Yeah, sure That sounds like fun Assu tickets are available"

I chuckle and squeeze her "Trust et a ticket"

She pulls up her head and looks at me in question

"Honestly, Stephy," I say with a tone ofwith a player for the Cold Fury I think I can get you a ticket"