Page 63 of Omega's Secret Guardian

Linus laughed. “All of them. It makes more sense now that I’ve had time to think about it. They’re all you. Just different sides of you.”

“Yeah, that’s how I see it.”

“You think of yourself as a weird guy, too?” Linus asked.

“I know I’m weird, Professor,” came the dry answer. “You don’t have to convince me otherwise.”

“You’re not weird,” Linus said softly. “Just different.”

There was a slight pause. “That’s the politically correct way of saying it.”

Linus laughed. “Call it whatever you want.”

They turned into Meadowfall sometime later, Linus leading the way to his mom’s house. He pulled into the driveway next to her car; Storm parked his bike on the street.

“That was a great ride. Thanks for letting me come along,” Storm said warmly.

Linus blushed. “Thanks for being there.”

He opened the back door of his Jeep to haul out the boxes, except Storm nudged him aside. “Let me.”

“But—”

“The front door is still shut. You can get that. Besides, you fell down. I’m in a better position to carry these.”

“I wasn’t hurt,” Linus protested. “In fact, I do this all the time.”

Storm’s biceps bulged with the weight, and Linus’ protests dried up in his throat. He fished out the keys to his mom’s house and unlocked the front door as quietly as he could.

If they did this quickly, Mom wouldn’t even know that Storm had been here with him. There wouldn’t be any awkward questions.

He held open the door and led Storm to the kitchen. “Hurry!”

Storm looked appreciatively around the small, homey place. “Nice home.”

Just as he was sliding the cardboard trays onto the island counter, Mom walked into the kitchen in her nightgown. “Linny dear, I—Oh. You brought your friend.”

Linus froze. “For, um. For the muscle.”

He patted Storm’s arm awkwardly.

Storm’s eyes widened. “Uh, hi, Mrs. Bentham.”

“Call me Belinda.” She frowned at Storm in concern. “What happened to your face, dear?”

Linus cringed; Mom glanced at him.

“Ah, it was an accident.” Storm rubbed the back of his head.

“Does my son have anything to do with it?” Mom asked suspiciously.

“I have to get to class, we should go!” Linus said, grabbing Storm’s jacket in the hopes of pulling him out.

But Storm was heavy like a mountain of muscle, and he did not budge.

“Linus Elmer Bentham,” Mom growled.

Linus cringed. “I, uh, accidentally broke his nose.”

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