Upon seeing him, Ste had her cheeks stuffed full like a chipmunk. She mumbled, "Ronald, this is so good! Where did you get it?"


    She''d been in Portis City for long but had never known any delicious pastries.


    Ronald chuckled. "If you like it, I''ll have Idris drive out and grab some more for you to bring back to Ferrond."


    Ste''s eyes lit up at his words, "Really? Are we heading back today?"


    Ronald nodded. "Yep, we''ve got a flight tonight."


    Ste beamed with joy at the confirmation. If they were heading back tonight, it meant no more dys. She had been worried sick about Susanna. The poor thing might have been scared out of her wits by then. Hull was such a character, always finding ways to spook poor Susanna.


    "Oh, by the way," she remembered, "Xander and Yvonne are back in Ferrond already."


    She meant to tell Ronald the night before, but he came home a bit tipsy. And by the time morning came, he was already out.


    Ronald raised an eyebrow. "Did they call you?"


    "Yeah," Ste nodded.


    Xander had been quite a character on the phone, practically gloating.


    "Isn''t Yvonne supposed to be in Sands City?" Ste asked, puzzled. Dan Murray was supposed to be there, so Yvonne usually wouldn''t leave in a hurry.


    Yet, she had.


    Ronald pulled her into hisp, offering her another pastry.


    Ste shook her head. "No thanks, I''m full."


    "Since when do you eat so little?" Ronald teased.


    Ste paused, realizing he was right. She usually would have devoured the whole te, but now she barely had a third.


    "I don''t know what''s up with metely," she mused. "I haven''t had midnight snacks."


    Ronald asked, "Did Tegan check on you?"


    "No, she had some things to handle, so she left withouting in," Ste replied.


    Tegan seemed to be quite busy these days.


    "Why are you back so early?" Ste asked.


    He had called her just a moment ago, and now here he was.


    "Finished up early," Ronald said, not mentioning it was because he heard Jeremy was here.


    Ste nodded, leaning against Ronald, feeling tired, "Did you see Jaxon at the door?"


    "Yeah, I did," Ronald replied.


    Unlike with Yorick, Ronald hadn''t


    sent Jaxon away. With the Larkin


    family, he opted for the cold


    shoulder treatment. The more


    ????


    indifferent he was, the more they


    squirmed. The Larkin family had lost


    everything they once had. Jaxon was left to wait outside in this freezing weather, his misery adding to the cold.


    Ste snuggled closer to Ronald. "Once we''re back in Ferrond, I''ll never return


    to Portis City."


    "Are you upset?" Ronald teased, gently tugging at her ear.


    "No, not upset. It''s just... sickening," Ste grimaced.


    It truly was. Ste had seen all kinds


    of scenes in Ferrond, but the


    Larkin family''s character was


    swnovel.ne


    beyond anything she''d encountered.


    Ronald listened, amused, as Ste vented about the Larkins. He tilted her chin up


    and kissed her.


    "Hmm..." Ste tried to protest.


    This guy was at it again. He''d only behavedst night because he was drunk, or so she thought. Except, he wasn''t exactly well-behaved even then.


    After a moment, Ronald let her go. "When Finleyes back, have him check on


    you."


    He couldn''t shake his worry over her loss of appetite.