Chapter 123

The contract was handwritten, in strokes defiant and sharp–clear signs that the girl who penned it wasn’t in the best of moods.

Everard’s initial thought was that the kid had pretty good handwriting, not too delicate, but with a certain firmness to it. Then he focused on the content.

  1. Hold hands once a day. If I don’t initiate, you keep your hands to yourself.

  2. One kiss per week, on my terms. Other than that, don’t even think about it or dream about it.

  3. No inviting yourself over to my place for dinner.

  4. Don’t call me unless it’s absolutely necessary!

  5. TBD. Will add more rules as I think of them.

Everard raised an eyebrow. Holding hands was already a daily routine; the kissing frequency seemed a bit low–surely exceptions could be made. As for dinner, a nod from her dad would sort that out, and for phone calls, “necessary” could be quite subjective.

As he mentally critiqued each rule, he looked up to see the girl staring at him seriously, her dewy eyes filled with solemnity, like a cat on the verge of a hissy fit, ready to pounce at any hint of bargaining.

He chuckled softly and answered, “Fine by me.”

Her tension eased at his agreement, and she picked up the breakfast she’d prepared and set it on the counter.

Everard, feeling proactive, took it and arranged the spread on the dining table.

seriousness and held his hand with even greater solemnity, making him too wary to tease her. A few minutes later, she released his hand

“I guess so, why?”

that much attention to

when rubbing against skin, which explained the

that the girl often had her own unique logic, which she seldom shared.

to

further explanation, she grabbed her backpack and

gates, she noticed Yates with his fiery red hair bent over his phone, and Flame No.1 engrossed in what seemed to be a language arts textbook. Something felt

followed them curiously.

martial arts

Cordelia was puzzled.

his throat. “Give me some time to train, and then I’ll be

“I

suddenly kicked Flame No. 1, who was still pretending

1, indignant, opened the textbook to reveal a comic book

thought it was an actual

during class, and

Cordelia felt enlightened.

her tears. Cordelia returned to her thoughts of Everard, wondering

to the Delaney residence. A white Mercedes in the

and Lorna chatted on the couch while her grandfather’s therapy session took place behind closed doors. Cordelia joined them, discussing the artwork she had chosen, and the painting

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