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CHAPTER THREE

We walk in the door at 9:30, the whole gang in my view. Zuri and Sabian studying around the coffee table in the living room, Pexi reading through a new script, and Solstice in the kitchen making everyone tea...like always. Anton follows me inside and as we take our shoes off, I hear Pexi burst out: "WHO'S THE HOT GUY?!" I cringe. That girl better not make me regret bringing him here. Soul comes around the island to greet us.

"Who's this?" She asks in sign language.

"A. N. T. O. N." I spell out and then add: "just a friend." I narrate so that Anton can understand. He looks impressed.

"Looks like I fit right in." he says in sign language and it makes Solstice and I beam.

"You know sign language?!" Pexi says loudly. I didn't realize she was standing right behind me. At this, Zuri and Sabian come to join the welcoming committee as well. Sabian stands right beside his girlfriend and puts his arm around her. Zuri stands politely with a nice smile. I feel uneasy. Everyone is standing so close, thinking they're being friendly, but maybe they're not. Maybe they're coming across as over-bearing. Maybe they're making Anton as uncomfortable as I feel.

"That's really cool." Zuri says sweetly.

"What's your zodiac sign?" Pexi asks and leans forward. Sigh, that's Pexi, always wanting to know everyone's zodiac sign.

"What? Oh, I'm a Virgo...I think."

"You are. I can tell. I mean I'm a magician's assistant so I should know.

"Right" he says. "Zyarr was telling me."

"Did she also tell you that I'm single?" She gives him a flirty smile and winks.

"No, she didn't mention it." he says and smiles back at her.

"I must have accidentally left that part out." I say and grab Anton's hand. I lead him past the welcoming committee and up the stairs. When we enter my bedroom his expression turns into awe. Framed photographs line the walls.

"Did you take these?" he asks, studying each one.
I nod.
"I love this one." he says, staring at a black and white photo of a jeep speeding down a dirt road, dust kicking up behind it. "It's such an adventurous photograph and has so much movement."

"Thanks" I say cutely, a wide smile spread across my face. "I took that one when I lived at my auntie's house."

"Do you have a computer?" Anton asks.

"A lap top, why?" I say, walking over to my desk and turning it on. He takes it from the desk and sits cross-legged on my floor with it.

"Do you have any photo editing software?"

"Photoshop" I sit down next to him and point to the program on the desktop. He clicks on it and then turns to me, taking the camera from around my neck.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"I'm going to edit that picture you took of me. I have a specific vision in mind." he says and brings the image up on the lap top screen. The whole time he works, I watch him like a hawk, intrigued in his knowledge of the program and editing skills. He works fast and efficiently, his eyes focused. I find it adorable. In the middle of sharpening his facial features, I see him suddenly smile.

"Why are you smiling?" I ask.

"You grabbed my hand when Pexi was flirting with me. Were you jealous?"

"Pfft, no." I reply.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were pretty jealous." he bugs. He looks up at me for the first time in his editing process, a smirk on his face. He holds my gaze until I erupt.

"I wasn't jealous!"
He chuckles and I pout. Then I switch the subject. "How do you know sign language?"

"I'm a mind reader, remember?"

"Haha, very funny." I say with a big smile and scrunch my nose up at him. "It doesn't work like that. How do you know sign?"

"My best friend is deaf." he says and turns his attention back to the screen. "I'm basically done this. I should get going soon." I look at the time. Ten o'clock.

"Wow, where did time go?" I ask. "Maybe it's too late to walk home."

"It's never too late for anything." he says, completely missing my implication. Maybe on purpose.

"Can I walk you home?" I ask.

"Don't be silly" he says. "I'll text you tonight if you're still awake, though."

"I'd like that." I smile and grab a pen from my desk. I sprawl my phone number across his arm in big numbers.

He sighs heavily. "You're cute."

I purposely give him an ugly smile.

He laughs. "You're still cute." He closes the lap top and gets off the floor, putting it and the camera back on my desk.