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"only sometimes?" it was a good outlook on life he had. some people could be angrier at the world but zeke seemed to have made peace with it and opted to look on the brighter side "i know the feeling of an unlucky hand." she nodded in understanding "takes you back to the things you learn early on in life, everyone is out for themselves"

zeke chuckled a bit at the charming comment. "sometimes i try to be," he said turning towards her in his chair a bit. "no need to be sorry, makes you learn a lot of things early on in life but what can you do when you're just dealt an unlucky hand." he shrugged and finished off his drink now debating if he wanted to get another. "exactly, if you didn't have boundaries then people would just walk all over you."

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"i knew i had you figured out. i'll need to get one of those spirit boxes to ask you what you thought about the book" she chuckled along with xavier "funny you should say that. i have one of those soft wave machines that help me sleep, i like the sound of the waves. you're not wrong when you say it's peaceful. i've always had a fascination with the water, even when i was a kid. one could argue i might have watched the little mermaid too much when i was younger but i beg to differ"

"exactly." xavier chuckled. "the parks not the place that's peaceful at night, it's just the easiest to get to. shorelines also another place, pier, sometimes i'll take a drive close to the greenhouse. i don't know something about hearing the water at night is just so much more calming."

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noa paused, unsure of how much she really wanted to divulge. "sometimes...not deliberately. it's more getting caught in the crossfire of things being thrown and making sure nothing hits noah if he's not able to stay with a friend. don't worry, it's okay" she thanked him for holding the door open for her and entered the shop, already loving the smell of the coffee and fresh pastries overtaking her senses.

"they don't. . you know." bryce asked hoping she would get the hint and not have to make him say it. if he found out they had then he wasn't sure what he'd do but it sure as hell wasn't going to be pretty. as they approached the cafe he took a hand out of his pocket and held the door open for her, "if you're not comfortable sharing that's okay, as long as you guys are safe."

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bryce had been a saving grace to her over the years, especially when it came to her younger brother. she knew her brother looked up to him like he was a superhero. as far as her brother thought, bryce hung the sun in the sky. she had promised previously that she wouldn't get involved in her parents fights, but there were times when that was unavoidable. "i try not to, sometimes they have other ideas. i'll always intervene if there's a possibility that noah is at risk"

it had been a few years since bryce's mother left town after his sisters passing so he had to fill his time and mind with something else, helping noa and her brother was that something, it gave him purpose. "i try my best," he said, "and there's nothing you need to do, i'm good." he shook his head at her apology and put his hands in his pockets while they walked, "it's fine, it doesn't bother me all the time, only really bothers me when i hear you get involved." he didn't think they would hurt her but there was a part of him that still worried about it when tempers were high.

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"oh, that sounds interesting. are they working on a new story or is it general research?" she asked curiously. "yeah i'm okay. my parents...are uhh...they're in jail." she admitted "i'm here to bail them out"

"No I was just doing some research. I work for an author and she needed a basis for law enforcement. I was talking to a couple of the officers to get an idea of how they worked." It was only a half truth but one she was practiced at these days. "Are you okay?"

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"haunting me until you get your beloved book in your hands." odette laughed along "i've never been at night, i feel like i see it enough during the day with the kids running around. i'll maybe stop by at night to see how peaceful it is, it might be a good way for me to wind down after running around all day"

"it's a sixth sense i have, i'll know you've got the book and appear behind you like an activated sleeper agent." xavier joked right back though even he knew he wasn't that good, he just got lucky this go around. "oh the park, i like to go there at night when people aren't around. it's really peaceful."

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"aren't you charming" she commented "i'm sorry you had to deal with the system and i can see why you picked your name to establish your life with your own choices. i respect that. boundaries go a long way when required."

"it's a beautiful name short or not." zeke chuckled as he sipped his drink. "yes and no? my name just didn't feel like me plus i bounced around foster care a lot so it felt like i wasn't being respected when i told them not to call me by my actual name so now i just don't tell people."

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i was made for loving you

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"i mean, yeah, but i don't know where i'd have fun in that kind of dress. it's a beautiful dress." she might not be the biggest fashionista around town but she knew great clothes when she saw them "feels kind of sad going to the club alone"

"You don't just go out by yourself to have fun?" Gia asked curiously. "Like take yourself to the club or something?"

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he walked right into that one, sneaky jesse "you got me there. i don't drink alcohol but fine i'll join you for a drink." he caved in, shrugging on his jacket.

Jesse smirked faintly. "So does that mean you'll go out for a drink with me?" he asked, moving toward his locker to gather his things.

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MIKEY MADISON at the 97th annual Academy Awards Nominees Dinner

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he was smooth. normally sage wouldn't be lured in by charm but this one had a way about him. "that's fair, i couldn't shorten mine down further, my sister got to but i drew the short straw on the short name. was your first though to switch up your name?"

"i think it does, beautiful name for a beautiful women." zeke said nodding his thanks at the bartender and then at her thanks. "it's a nickname, i don't really go by my real name though. haven't since i was a kid and could form my own thoughts."

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she wouldn't mind seeing people her own age, specifically xavier, more often, as much as she liked her job she did need to have a social life. "i'll need to look it up to see if it's the kind of book i'd be into. i'll keep an eye out for a copy though, if i find one i suppose you'll be sneaking around to steal it away from me" she joked "you can usually find me at the park. i nanny and the kids always want to go to the park"

"maybe." xavier replied grinning. "actually yeah, there's this series called caraval that's got a lot of good reviews i was going to look into but i can't find a damn copy." he admitted as he took the book from her with a nod of thanks. "where can i find you to give you the book when i'm done with it?"

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"sometimes. seems like i'll need to keep an eye out for you sneaking around" she smiled. she didn't know what goes on on tiktok and she had no desire to make one for herself "that sounds like a wholesome variety. are there any book reviews worth knowing?" at the proposal offered, odette picked the book up and held it out for him "that sounds like a fair deal to me. i can't argue with that"

"only sometimes" they said with their own smile. "what tiktoks do i watch?" xavier asked unsure if that was what she meant but decided to answer it as if it was. "whatevers on my fyp so shows, book reviews, things people post, hopecore makes me cry." that one he wasn't lying about. seeing the hesitation, he leaned against a bookshelf, "okay how about this, what if i give it right back soon as i'm done reading it? or vis versa, you just got more books than i do."

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"oh, no i recognise you from around the store. i thought you might've needed something from there. what brings you to the station? do you work here?"

"No. No. Helena. I'm in a lot is all. If you don't recognise me it's fine. I'm usually perusing the stacks anyway." She explained, not wanting the young woman to feel awkward.

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she scrunched her face suppressing her own laugh "do you always sneak up on unsuspecting book shoppers?" she asked, smile still present "what ones? i'm not on tiktok, one of the kids i nanny is obsessed with those dances" odette looked down at the pile of books and of course it was the one that she had actually went out of her way to get "hmm...i don't know..."

xavier had to hold back a laugh when he realized he'd scared her and put a fist up to his mouth, clearing his throat to hide it. "sorry," he said moving his arm back down, "i do too, sometimes, most the time it's tiktoks." he shoved his hands in his pockets but immedietly took one out to point at the one right on top. "that one, the james patterson one."

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