Purposefully not looking directly at Casey, Sylvie raised her head just enough to see her lover from the top of her eyes. “Oh really? You like the book thing? I am sure I could get some gsses too.” Sylvie pyed. “However, my young apprentice..you wao get your worry off that big lovable chest of yours.”

  Still envisioning Sylvie in a set of wide-rimmed antique gsses made of polished wood and silver, Casey squirmed for a few moments before she focused enough to tinue her versation. “Right. My worry.” She sighed, “When I watched them out on the beae time, I was talking to Martin.”

  “Oh, that versation.” Sylvie flipped a few of the a pages a sing the text. “Martin told me…” She paused and looked up, Code’s lights adding a green to the full moons twinkling from her irises. “That you had a ce to be with Vivienne.” Sylvie breathed deeply and stopped her work, “At the time you said you didn’t regret it. Are yretting it now?”

  Leaning ba a huff, Casey folded her arms, “Um, No.” She wiggled one of her fingers, “Not eveely thinking that. I was talking about the moment…in truth it was their moment. They were going on a quick hunt.” After seeing the calm and steady look from Sylvie’s peing eyes, Casey seemed to rex without initially knowing why. Dropping her arms to her side aling softly into one of the pillows, Casey realized what occurred in those few seds. “I hate you sometimes. You cheated.”

  “Only a helping hand, my sunstone.” Sylvie half-smiled, “It is good to know I do that without actually saying it.” Sylvie wiggled her fingers like she was casting a spell, “You are mine Rivers…muhaaa.” Once Sylvie stopped pying, she got a little more serious. “I did that to help you focus, I remember how you told me that you flip subject to subject when you are thinking about so many things at once.” She tapped her lip a moment, “I do believe you told me the st time you did it, Jennifer got you stoo help.”

  Smiling and jokingly refusing the expnation, Casey shook her head. “Nope. You still cheated, no matter what you try and talk yourself out of…” She cleared her throat, “...Miakoda.” Casey flirtatiously giggled. “I thank you for your assistan my time of need.”

  Having resumed her sing of the pages, Sylvie nodded her head. “You don’t seem to mind that I am .. well in your head.” She ughed. “Rest assured your main thoughts are your own, I haven’t pnted anything.”

  Allowing herself to enjoy the little stress relief that Sylvie anded her body and mind to do, Casey finally started making her point. “Allow me to recap what I was saying now that my mind is clear.” Casey winked one of her sunshine orbs at Sylvie. “I saw Vivienne and the look in her eye from the moment she said Faye’s name.” She sighed, “I khen I lost whatever ce I had..but..I wasn’t thinking about women at that time.” Fog lifting, Casey ched her fists. “I remember the way Brian and I were..which I regret now…”

  “Why?” Sylvie looked up with Code who’s lights were e, making her eyes look like a harvest moon. “These are things that once happened, no matter how they turned out before.” Sylvie takes Casey’s hand awiheir fingers. “Be gd you got some memories back, my apple-num-nums.”

  Doubling hing, Casey hadn’t heard that particur bination for a pet and name and through beloved blood tears of happihat streaked down her , Casey finally caught her breath. “You keep callihe apple, but you’re the spiced apple fv.” She licked her lips and the tips of her fangs sensually. “My baby-blueberry-boo.”

  “Oh I love that one.” Sylvie jumped to her knees and pressed a quid cute kiss on Casey’s lips. “Now quit stalling, ao it.” She put down the book and pulled Casey’s arms around her. “I am being serious, Casey. Let’s take care of this. It’s going back to the holes in your ned how you fondly thought of Vivienne.”

  Shaking off the humorous moment, Casey buried herself in Sylvie’s chest and listeo the blood c in her body. “That moment on the beach where I saw them pying and pletely head-over-heels made me a little sad. I khat Brian and I would never be that close.” Casey lifted her head. “Is it wrong that I khat? Something in me kept making me leave him behind…but I kept ing back.” She kissed the top of Sylvie’s chest and resumed. “I am fusing the people, hang on.” Casey politely asked her girlfriend.

  “Take your time, Casey.” She leaned down and kissed the top of her strawberry-blonde hair. “I know you are fused, honey. The way our memories flood us at times, it is hard to get the pieces to fit.” Sylvie rubbed her lover's back soothingly. “I help if you’d like. I don’t want to see you suffer.” She lifted Casey by her , “I’ve seen you suffer enough, and it splits my heart every time.”

  There it was, the same softness and aeed that Sylvie had for Casey when she was human. “I-I heard it Sylvie. You sounded like your whole world needed me just then.” Casey gripped Sylvie’s nightgown, straining the threads. “It’s almost like that stopped the moment I turned…” She paused and took a hitched breath, “Vivienne and Faye are always like that. Eight months I heard them fess and profess their love almost every moment of the day..” She looked up into Sylvie’s tact e half-moon eyes, “We don’t do that, so I wonder…” Casey rushed her hands to Sylvie’s cheeks. “...are we in love? Or are we just knee-deep in lust and sexual bliss?”

  Feeling like she’d just been hit by a sledgehammer that left ay and hollow imprint in her chest, Sylvie lifted Casey from her p and plopped her unceremoniously on the bed. “Alright, girlie. You need a refresher course, it would seem.” Sliding off the bed, Sylvie put her hands on her hips. “Let me try and drill this into your lovely but thick skull the only way I know how.” Sylvie held out her hand, “Well, e on..I don’t have all night, missy.”

  Losing her bance when Sylvie tossed her on the bed, Casey rolled over with her hair spread across her face. “What the fuck?” She folded her arms defiantly, just to have Sylvie yank her hand hard enough that it would have dislocated it if she were still alive. “Easy, chick..easy. I’m ing.”

  Half dragging her progeny through the house, Sylvie ughed. “At least you still know how to use your best catchphrase.” A few seds ter Sylvie spun Casey into her arms. “Alright, look around you brat and tell me where you are.”

  “The living room, of course.” Casey murmured happily once she was being held closely again. “Now what, oh great Mistress?” Casey said with pyful sarcasm.

  Slipping her hands to Casey’s cheeks, Sylvie looked deeply into the sun-enhanced orbs that her lover possessed. “Don’t move…a muscle. Don’t say a word. Now is your time to listen and move you only when I lead you.” Sylvie softly yet firmly anded. “This all started from a false sense of guilt that has no pce with us, right? You may answer.”