"Mom, I'm bunking with you tonight." Lucinda strolled into Janice's room, pillow in tow.
Janice was more than willing, but she shot a glance at Stefan.
Stefan, ever considerate, piped up, "Mom, let Lucy sleep with you; you guys can have a good heart-to-heart."
Since Stefan was on board, Janice was thrilled and shot Stefan a goodnight with a smile, "Stefan, night." "Night, Mom."
Stefan looked toward Lucinda. She had already nestled herself in the room, not even bothering to bid him goodnight.
"No biggie," he thought. Seeing her happy was worth letting it slide.
Janice shut the door.
Stefan stood at the door for a good few minutes, ensuring it wouldn't be opened again, before he finally trudged off.
Ike was clumsily guiding a totally plastered Keith upstairs.
"How the hell did he get so wasted?" Stefan quickly rushed over to help steady Keith.
After a late-night snack, the guys cracked open a few cold ones. Stefan opted out but reminded them not to drink themselves under the table.
But Keith went all out and ended up hammered.
They managed to get Keith into the guest room and onto the bed. Ike plopped down on the edge of the bed, panting, "Except for me, everyone else is out cold. I had to help Keith up the stairs. The guy can barely stand. I'm beat."
"Weren't you guys told not to get hammered?"
Keith was totally sloshed but still had his makeup on,
said, "Keith said after he became the young master of the Blue family, he hasn't had a single day of peace. The pressure is relentless. It's rare for him to kick back, so he got a little carried away because
I'd let him drink. His
his own father, Nathan, might not have been on his side. Keith was surely under
the Blue family could be a trusted ally for
and had a
easy. No complex issues, a
"It's definitely not easy."
to help Keith and Lucy more in the future," Ike said, "I'll try my best too, to become stronger and be Lucy's support. With us around, even if the Blue family
what they deserve. We need to help Lucy and her brother hold firmly on to
cold look in his eyes, Stefan said in
you off to
sleep with Janice, so
the same floor, and you still need to escort her?" Ike teased, "You want to
I'll come to
Ike paused momentarily.
to him? He was
Ike, he said irritably, "Stop acting like I want to take advantage of
been interested in her for a long time. If Lucy wasn't so much younger than you, or if you weren't swarmed with work after
wish I knew when I'd become
prevent pregnancy; they were legally married
get pregnant, so
the day when he'd become a father and
said, "Maybe you guys shouldn't rush into having kids now. Before, whenever you guys wanted kids, I didn't mind. I'm more than happy to become an uncle. But now the situation's different. Lucy's found
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