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made an adorable snowman. She was rather popular since she brought the man who tells kids the truth,” I said looking at Wes.
    “Yes, well you would be surprised the kind of nonsense parents tell their kids. They think they are making them feel better, but really most children want to know how things work and why, and I am happy to oblige. Come on, Grace, let’s go get a snack so Roz can talk your brother down from the cliff.” He takes her hand and they go to the kitchen.
    I lead Dex to the couch in the living room.
    “Do I look that bad?” he asks ruefully.
    “That would be a yes. I’m pretty sure you wore a hole in the carpet with all that pacing. Really, Dex, she did great. I love the new teacher and she assured me she was going to stay on and train the next teacher herself and won’t leave until she thinks the teacher is ready to take over. And Grace really did meet a friend who is rather taken with her.”
    He lets out a sigh of relief then a look of concern washes over his face. “We are talking about a female friend, right? I don’t want to have to worry about any little boys sniffing around her, not yet.”
    I laugh out loud at his over protectiveness. “Yes, it’s a little girl. Her name is Hope and she is adorable. You know boys are bound to happen at some point in her life. She is beautiful and I have a feeling she is going to have a lot of admirers when she’s older.”
    “Great, just what I need. She finally makes friends and now you have me worried about the boys already!”
    “Calm down, she will be fine. You have plenty of time before the boys start sniffing around, as you put it.”
    “How old were you when the boys started coming around?”
    “Honestly? Never. I had a lot of guy friends, but I never dated or anything. I don’t think many boys were ever interested in me.” He is giving me the weirdest look right now and I can’t help but chuckle. “What?”
    He sits there staring at me like I grew another head. “Roz, you’ve got to be kidding me. Do you really have no clue how attractive you are? We can’t walk two feet without every man in the vicinity checking you out.”
    I’m sure he isn’t being serious; there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed that. “Oh stop it, Dex, I know what I look like. I’m not as pretty as Aspen or Natasha, but I’m okay with that. I like who I am.”
    “Rosaline, seriously, you have so much more beauty than they do. Yes, they are beautiful, but how long do you think it takes them to look that way? Aspen takes at least two hours to get ready every day; at least she did back when we were friends. She puts more layers on her face than I ever understood, and she curls and styles and fluffs her hair. You are literally the most natural beauty I’ve ever met. The guys at the Ministry have been going crazy half the time. You are all they ever talk about, wanting to know if you are single, putting bets on who can take you out first. This can’t be a new development for you. I’m sure you’ve had guys ask you out.”
    “Nope, it’s always been just me and Wesley.”
    “Huh, how weird.”
    This is such a strange conversation and it makes me feel more awkward by the minute. While it’s nice to hear people find me attractive, it’s also weird to wonder which guys are talking about me.
    “Let’s go see what everyone is up to, shall we?”
    Dex can tell I am uncomfortable and takes the cue to follow me to the kitchen.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    I have a ton of work to keep me busy today, but I also need to go out and see Malik. I haven’t had much time to talk to him lately and I am really counting on his help to make this thing happen. Though I could send Dex or even Masters, I think I need to be the one to go and see where the former Outcasts stand on everything. I do as much as I can and go catch a train out to the now free territory. We had the electrified fence turned off and the gate is now unlocked and not