Page 82 of Shaped to Be Yours

Jason and I exchanged a look, because I think we both agreed that we couldn’t have done the same.

“You’re a bigger man than us,” Jason said. “But good on you for it.”

Third, because of course there had to be one more reminder, we ran into Ronald McPherson and his daughter Esther. She waved wildly at us, while McDickhole—which was really hard to not default to calling him—mostly stared ahead at the sidewalk. Then, at the last second, he nodded at Jason about as cordially as we could have hoped for.

It was a start.

He really did smell like patchouli though.

“Oh! But you asked about our upcoming move,” Kai said. “I am very excited. So excited I almost forgot to tell you something. The realtor’s friend and boyfriend said they know you. Theywere going to see if they could join us for lunch. Let me message them that we changed locations.”

“No need.” Jason nodded ahead of us down the sidewalk. “I think I see ‘em.”

I looked. I didn’t have any guesses as to who the realtor might be, other than having heard he’d practically single-handedly helped most of the monsters in Edgewind find or build homes, and he was now helping monsters get settled here. But when I saw the owner of the vape shop from Edgewind that Jason and I used to frequent, the truth hit me real quick.

Jason once told me how all these people connected, though I hadn’t met most of them myself. The vape shop owner was Warner Penn. I only remembered his full name because he used his surname for his shop—The Penn is Mightier than the Sword—meaning a vape pen over a cigarette or joint, which was pretty funny.

His boyfriend, the realtor, was a monster. A cecaelia, I’d been told, which were one of the monster types that had tentacles in place of legs. Usually. They could shift at will from having tentacles to legs, which was how the realtor did his job. At a glance, walking down the street, he looked mostly human, aside from frilled ears like Kai, webbed hands, and a purplish tint to his skin. Which meant the third person, Warner’s auburn-haired friend, was Miles Wainwright, Jason’s monster friend Cael’s boyfriend.

Before I could wonder if Cael was here too, I felt him.

The trio was getting closer, set to converge with us right as we reached It’s Alive. The presence of Cael beside—behind?—Miles was palpable, almost as much so as when I neared one of the portals. It made the hair on my entire body stand on end, especially when Jason confirmed my guess as his eyes drifted above Miles’s head, and he waved.

“There’s my fellow aquaphile!” the realtor said to Kai as our two groups met.

“Hi, Ursino! These are my friends Jason and Ricky. But you already know each other?”

“Used to see these two in my shop all the time.” Warner shook both of our hands.

I was definitely not clinging to Jason for dear life with my other hand. Definitely not.

“It’s good to see you, Jason,” Miles said, and then reached to shake my hand like Warner had. “Although I don’t think we’ve officially met yet, have we, Ricky? I’m Miles.”

“I-I remember. It’s nice to officially meet you though.”Don’t make it obvious and look up. Don’t make it obvious and look up.

Damn it, I did!

I couldn’t see anything over Miles’s shoulder, because Cael had to show himself for anyone to know he was there, but if you acclimated to his presence, you could always see him. Like these three. And Jason. Who kept snickering at how tightly I was holding his hand, but it wasn’t funny! I elbowed him again. I didn’t mean to be so nervous, but I couldn’t help feeling unnerved that the shadows didn’t only feel like they were watching me; they were!

“Up for a larger group for lunch?” Ursino asked.

“We were thinking of changing our destination to right here.” Jason gestured to the bar.

“Works for us!” Warner said. “You all old enough?”

“O-oh, w-well—” Kai stuttered.

“Just teasing!” Warner threw an arm over Kai’s shoulder and pushed on into the bar first. “Urs was telling me all about the indoor freshwater pool they’re building for you and your family, just like the one he has in Edgewind. You’re going to love it.”

Don’t make it obvious and look up again. Don’t make it obvious and look up again.

I did! As we were filing into the bar, and Jason gestured the others inside for us to be last, I couldn’t help looking up where I knew Cael to be. Then I felt something new, a wave of calm and comfort and… kindness, like Cael was trying to say hello. Maybe part of it came from Jason, since he’d been trying to learn to ease people like his father could, but whether from one or both of them, it helped.

They were a really cool group to hang out with too. After lunch, Miles asked, “Can you hang out longer? Ursino was going to show us some of the other properties he has a hand in.”

“Or tentacle.” Warner chuckled.

“Sorry, I have to go back to work,” Kai said.

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