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    “Your leave? I know. You have two weeks of leave saved up and a few sick days. We don’t usually let


    people take annual leave without notice though… which is why I applied for your leave three weeks


    ago. It starts today by the way.” She says cheerfully.


    “You are an angel Amber. I swear you keep the whole ce running.” Ipliment her. I can practically


    feel her delight through the phone. I remember sheined to me once that people are always mad


    when she doesn’t predict something and they get caught by surprise, but don’t appreciate it when she


    does. So since then, I’ve been making more of an effort to acknowledge her special contributions at


    work.


    “I know.” She says proudly. She pauses a moment before asking.


    “Ryann, is everything okay with you? I haven’t seen much, I only really can see the parts of your life


    that directly affect me, so basically your work rted stuff. But you’ve been a bit offtely. You had that


    time when you were all depressed, then you got happy again and started bringing a bodyguard to work.


    I know you’re involved with the Shifters somehow because I’ve seen them around and again, the


    bodyguard. But this sudden time off… I booked your leave for two weeks, but I can’t actually see when


    you will being back. Or even if you’reing back to work at all.” she concludes.


    “I’ming back.” I assure her.


    “I had a few… rtionship issues, which have mostly been resolved now. But now I also seem to have


    a… stalker? I don’t know. Someone left me threatening notes and vandalised my house. So I’m just


    taking some precautions for a while is all.” I exin, trying to keep it as casual as I can while telling


    someone my life is being threatened. Amber sucks in a deep


    breath.


    “That’s awful! I hope you’re alright, and tell that Shifter of yours to keep you safe. If there’s anything I


    can do to help, please let me know.” She offers.


    “Thanks Amber, I will. And thanks again for booking my leave.” We wrap up the phone call and I turn to


    Bemy. I know he was listening but I still tell him.


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    “Two weeks, then I’m going back to work.” I insist. He nods.


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    “I can work with that.” He seems pleased, although still a little anxious. I’m starting to think that until this


    whole issue is resolved, he is just going to be constantly a little on edge. My stomach growls and


    Bemy frowns, displeased.


    “You said you needed to eat. You’re hungry. I should have fed you already.” He sounds guilty again. I


    scoff a little and smile.


    “It’s not your job to make sure I eat, and even if it was, I’ve only been up a few minutes. Rx. I’ll go


    eat now, I should probably change first since I’m not going to work.” I think aloud. Bemy shakes his


    head.


    “You change, I’ll get you food.” He starts to guide me to the door with a hand on my back, hurrying me


    alon


    I head back upstairs and quickly change into morefortable clothes then head back down. Bemy


    is in the kitchen. I can smell toast and he is just cracking an t at the egg into a frying pan. I sit and


    quietly watch as he makes me breakfast and then I sit counter and eat. He makes himself food and


    somehow manages to finish it before I finish mine. I guess I don’t eat nearly as fast as him. I wonder if


    there’s any orange juice left… I make my way to the fridge to get myself a drink. Bemy is wandering


    through the kitchen. cleaning and putting things away.


    “Thanks for this. You really don’t need to feed me all the time.” I remind him again..


    “I want to. I need you to be happy here. Since the circumstances that pushed you here weren’t ideal I


    can at least try and make it good for you being here.” I stop walking, causing Bemy to almost walk


    into me which then makes me trip. Bemy catches me by the hips to steady me. I turn back to face


    him and he releases me briefly before allowing his hands to fall back to my hips. He tilts his head and


    raises an eyebrow in a clear question of why I stopped.


    so suddenly.


    “Why would you think I don’t like being here?” I ask. I am totally confused. I have been visiting regrly


    for weeks now, I spend half my free time here these days. Why is he so worried? Bemy shrugs


    ufortably.


    “You’ve just never seemed thatfortable here. Notpared to how you are at your ce. You


    dress more carefully, all put together rather than wandering around in pyjamas and stuff


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    like you


    do at home. You always sit on the couch properly instead of lounging. You peek around doors to check


    if you’re wee before entering. You wait until someone else is getting food rather than just getting


    yourself something.” He pauses a second, taking a breath before continuing.


    “You never leave anything here, not even by ident. I bet if I went over the whole ce. right now, I


    wouldn’t find a single one of your possessions outside of that bag you packed.” He points out. That


    can’t be right… can it? Damn… it probably is. But it’s not like he leaves a lot of stuff at my ce… does


    he? I mean there are the things he asked to leave there. Plus he does bring a lot of food and snack


    items for himself. He also tends to forget hoodies, sunsses, stuff like that behind a lot. Even Megan


    gave me wine sses to keep there so she would be able to drink morefortably. I suppose I can


    see his point. But I had no idea I wasn’t doing that… or that it meant anything.


    “I… I hadn’t noticed.” I confess.


    “My ce is really the first proper home I ever had, I’ve never tried… gettingfortable….


    somewhere else. It didn’t ur to me that I was even acting differently here. It wasn’t on purpose. I do


    like it here. I love it actually, it’s nice, there are people around so it isn’t quiet all the time like my ce. I


    never really have to eat alone, which I suppose is part of why I never help myself to anything. But


    mostly I just didn’t want to… annoy anyone.” I know Bemy invited me to stay here, but it’s not like this


    is forever. I don’t want to screw anything up. Bemy pulls me into a hug.


    “You wouldn’t annoy us. You saw how excited my sister is to have you here. I might be hiding it a little


    better but I can guarantee I am far more pleased about it than she is. We LIKE having you around. If-


    well… you never seemed particrly interested when i’ve brought it up in the past. But I have to admit


    I’m kind of hoping… that if you like it here you might want to stay. When this is all over and we catch


    whoever is harassing you. I want you to befortable enough here that you make this your home and


    don’t move back to your ce. I don’t want to make you ufortable or anything and I will totally


    understand if want to go back. But while I have you here, for however long that might be, I want to


    show you how good it could be here. I know I’m stressed out and grumpy and you don’t have as much


    freedom as you would like right now, but the way I see it, that means it can only get


    better, right?”


    you do


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    Chapter Comments


    Amy McPhail


    Oh my heart. Bemy is just such a sweetheart sometimes!


    Melissa D


    maybe his confession will ease her tension