Ugh, every chapter is coming up as a wall of text when I upload it - why? It's very annoying. On the plus side, I'm getting reviews from people who followed Unwanted until the end, which makes me very happy! I hope readers old and new enjoy this new tale. In this chapter, things get interesting...

An Unwanted Relationship

With the first university term in full swing, winter was starting to nip at the heels of the new students, shortening the days and casting a bitter kind of cold over shadows, along straight roads and in places the sun couldn't touch. The foreign students learnt quickly that a bright, sunny sky in Britain was no guarantee of warm weather – if anything, the deceptive winter sun was far colder than the unrelenting grey clouds. Romano snickered, warm under his scarf and hat with his hands in his pockets, every time he passed a hopeful first year in shorts or a t-shirt. The grin was wiped from his face by Jacques, who walked around in shorts and a t-shirt regardless, completely nonplussed by the cold.

"What did you expect? I'm Canadian." he explained.

"You're nuts is what you are." Romano spat at him, shivering in the smoking shelter "Get a haircut."

Being supportive in his own way, Romano had pinned the jeans that no longer fit Alfred to the front door, so the poor boy had to look at them whenever he sat in the living room, used the kitchenette or wanted to go out. He had also banished the cupboards of all fizzy drink, sweets and processed foods. There was still plenty of food in their little flat – Romano all but had a panic attack at the thought of an empty fridge – but it all needed to be cooked from scratch, something he knew Alfred was too lazy to do. To his credit, Romano's cooking was delicious and he always made dessert, but his strict portion control had caused more than one argument with big eater Alfred. The deliciousness of his cooking of course attracted Jacques, who was drawn to their flat like a magnet every time Romano put the stove on. Romano was just finishing dinner while Jacques took the tape measure to Alfred's tubby belly.

"You can't trust scales." he insisted "Bodyweight fluctuates naturally depending on the time of day, when you ate, how hydrated you are and what part of your hormone cycle you're in."

"Men don't have hormone cycles." Romano pointed out.

"Actually they do." Alfred corrected "It's usually just over a month."

Romano pulled a horrified face, god only knows what images going through his mind. Jacques made a satisfied noise as he released the tape.

"You lost an inch and a half!" he told him "Good job!"

"Now just work on the other two foot of fat and we're getting somewhere." Romano quipped.

"You're not helping." Jacques chastised as Al flipped Romano the bird.

"Helping?" he cried indignantly "You think I'm cooking for my own sake?! I'm not the one on a diet, but I've never eaten healthier in my life! Feli's hamster eats more red meat! I haven't had a pizza in a month!"

Romano continued to rant as he plated up. After so many years, Alfred had learned to tune much of what he said out, but it was a skill Jacques was still learning: he never seemed sure whether to actually pay attention to him, looking to Al for confirmation every time he started ranting. The three of them sat down to dinner, Alfred and Jacques on the sofa and Romano on the coffee table.

"...So now Feliciano is hitting puberty he keeps asking me about deodorant and shaving and crap," Romano continued to espouse "But he's still got a voice like a choir boy on helium."

"Yours isn't much better." Al teased "Plus you're shrill, like a hyperventilating donkey."

Jacques practically spat out his whole mouthful of food as he started to laugh, covering it with his hand and tactfully putting his plate down as his shoulders heaved. Romano just smirked and shook his head.

"Go away, weirdo."

"You haven't called mum in ages! She's worried about you!"

"I called her three days ago."

Amelia gave her brother a withering look. Maddie and Matty weren't sure if they should interrupt or go back to their studying, awkwardly looking between the bickering siblings and their textbooks. While Matthew knew Kevin from their environmental studies classes, Madeline only knew him as that person Amelia was always walking in the opposite direction of. The two looked nothing alike – Kevin's hair was dark, his skin olive, while Amelia was fair and blonde. Not all siblings look alike, but still...

"Amy-" he started.

"Piss off." she interrupted, turning back to her textbook "I'm with my friends."

Kevin looked up at them, as if noticing them for the first time. Maddie and Matty, being the dorks they were, both gave him a little wave. Kevin immediately rounded the table, grabbed a chair from the neighbouring table and pulled it up beside Matthew, sitting like an iron weight upon it.

"Matthew's my friend too." he insisted "We're in the same class."

"God, you're annoying." Amelia hissed.

"Did you get the notes about the salamanders?" Kevin asked Matthew, ignoring his sister "I kinda spaced out."

"Don't involve him in your mind games!"

"Who's playing mind games?! I need notes!"

Matthew leaned over to Maddie, who leant into him conspiratorially.

"How long do you think before they get us kicked out the library?" he whispered.

Not long. The siblings continued to bicker about whose fault it was as they stormed down the road, the other two loitering behind.

"Are you and Alfred like that?" Maddie chuckled.

"Definitely not." Matthew laughed.

A frigid wind blew down the lane, sending a shiver right down Maddies spine. She had never had short hair before, and her unprotected neck was already suffering. She startled a little and Matthew wrapped his scarf around her.

"Hey, you gotta be careful." he reminded her quietly "Your immune system's still recovering."

Madeline felt her face grow hot, especially with Matthews so close. She twisted her fingers in her palm as he finished tying the scarf.

"You're right." she admitted "I never wore a scarf before because I had long hair. I'm not sure I even own one."

"We have some time Friday, why don't we go shopping?" he suggested "See if we can find some paws to match the scalped teddy hat."

She laughed at the image. When the two turned back to the street, they found Amelia and Kevin staring at him.

"Why aren't we like that?" Kevin whined.

"Because you're annoying." Amelia said bluntly.

"Maybe if you were as cute as her, I wouldn't be so annoying."

"I guarantee that isn't true."

Alfred was such a little sweetie, he went to bed at 10pm every night. Jacques often stayed much later to drink and talk with Romano, and would sometimes sleep on their little sofa if things got late. The Canadian was always tempted to sneak into his bedroom, just to get a look at his sleeping face... well, maybe a little more than that. While Jacques wasn't really into larger boys, Alfred was such a puppy dog that he couldn't help but want to put him on a lead. He enjoyed the time they got to spend alone at the gym: Alfred was very chatty when Romano wasn't there to bicker with him, and the fact that he laughed at pretty much anything made Jacques feel spectacularly witty. He never seemed to mind when Jacques subtly tousled his hair or ran a finger down his hand – he probably wasn't very good at picking up flirting. Although, if the highly unsubtle Romano was the only kind of flirting he had seen, it was no surprise. Jacques wondered how touchy he could get before Alfred got flustered.

Romano paused the movie playing on the computer, jumping up.

"Gotta take a leak." he announced "Don't you dare watch the next part without me!"

"No sir."

He ran off, surprisingly quietly, locking the bathroom door silently. Was he afraid of waking up Alfred? Jacques supposed they were pretty good friends. He busied himself reading the asinine comments below the video when the inbox binged – who could be sending email this time of night? This was Alfred's computer... Thinking he could spare the cutie the inconvenience of a piece of junk-mail, Jacques switched tabs, but it wasn't junk-mail that greeted him.

An email from Matty, entitled 'Check this out!', with an attachment. Matty? Wasn't that Alfreds ex? Whenever the subject came up, Alfred went oddly quiet and Romano quickly started to talk about something else. Well, there was only one thing to do – he deleted the email, then emptied the trash. It was clear Alfred wasn't over their breakup – he had referred to it before as a 'not really' breakup, which were the worse kinds – if 'Matty' stopped communicating with him, Alfred would probably be able to get over it quicker. Jacques switched the tab back as the bathroom door clicked open, sitting back against the sofa.

"True or false," Madeline quizzed, reference book open in her lap "If you pick up a baby bird that falls out of its nest, its mother will reject it and it'll die."

"False." Matthew answered, sat on the coffee table as he massaged her feet "The parents don't care. You should put it back in it's nest."

"That is..." Maddie paused as she flipped to the answers "True! I didn't know that. Alright, next question... lessee..How many breeding pairs of Peregrine Falcons are there in the British Isles?"

"Maddie," Marie-Elise called, poking her head around the door of the living room "When are you meeting your friends?"

"About 7."

"Do you want a lift?"

"Is that okay?"

"Of course, sweetie. Let me know when you're ready."

She disappeared again. Matthew stopped massaging Maddies foot, slapping her leg playfully.

"Ready to try again?"

"I dunno," she joked "I'm scared they might eat me for real this time!"

She put the book aside, fetching the high heel shoes that had bested her once today already. She fixed the straps and held her hand out to Matthew, who helped her stand. She tottered unsurely, hanging onto his arm.

"Okay, I'm gonna walk." she announced.

"Okay."

"I'm gonna do it."

"I believe you."

"I'm walking now."

"Go for it."

Maddie lifted her foot, immediately losing her balance, Mattys sturdy frame the only thing stopping her from falling on her face.

"Ah, I changed my mind!" she squealed "I'll just stand in one place all night, like against a wall or something."

"Just wear your flat shoes!" Matthew laughed.

"I can't wear trainers with this skirt!" she insisted.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't! Stupid boy!"

"I can't hold you up all night!"

"Ah! No, don't move!"

"Hang on, I have an idea!"

"Wha-WHOA!"

Maddie squealed as Matthew picked her up, holding her bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck, but she was so light that he held her securely enough on his own.

"Matthew Bonnefoy, you put me down!" she laughed.

"This works for both of us!" he joked "You get to wear your pretty shoes and I don't have to stand in one place all night!"

"You're an idiot!"

A flash caught their attention. Alice smirked at them, inspecting the photo she took on her cameras screen.

"Mummy!" Maddie shrieked "No fair!"

"If you don't want me to take pictures, stop doing picture worthy things." she retorted.

"Matty, put me down before she takes more!"

Matthew just smiled, not moving. Alice shook her head, walking over and removing the shoes from Maddies feet.

"These are too tall." she pointed out "Even your father would think twice. I think I have some kitten heels that would go with this – why don't you go take a look?"

"Kitten... heels?" Matty asked "First scalped teddy hats, now you're making shoes out of poor kitties?!"

"Silly!" Maddie chuckled "C'mon brawny man, put me down now."

This time he obliged, putting her carefully back on her feet. She jumped away before he could pick her up again.

"I'll be right back." she promised.

"I-" Matthew was silenced by the back of Alice's fist tapping lightly but firmly on his chest.

"I want to take more pictures before you go." she told her daughter "First party after remission and all that. Ask Daddy to do your make-up for you."

"Right, right."

She closed the door behind her. Alice waited a moment to make sure she wasn't coming back before rounding on Matthew, face serious.

"Sit."

He sat. Alice had the same tone Arthur did whenever he got into trouble... had he done something? He was on his best behaviour, he couldn't think of anything. Alice stared him down – she was quite little, so even sitting he wasn't far below her line of vision – but her green eyes were suitably intimidating for a woman of her age.

"I was a little cynical," she told him, arms crossing over her chest "About having a young man come and live with us. I know what young men are like, after all – the last thing my daughter needs after all she's been through the past few years is some selfish boy messing with her feelings."

Matthew just nodded, trusting his gut feeling that this was not the point to open his mouth. He was correct, as Alice sighed, shrugging her stiff shoulders.

"But I trust Madeline." she went on "And I trust her judgement – as young men go, you seem to be one of the good ones. You're polite, you're clean, you're respectful... in short, you're a problem."

Alice looked him right in the eye, and he felt like he was being studied.

"Madeline likes you." she told him "And not just as a friend. You may think I'm out of order for telling you, but the days of juvenile guessing games are over, and I won't allow you to break my daughters heart just by being oblivious. Did you know she liked you that way?"

Matthew felt his ears start to burn, the back of his neck prickling. He had no idea... Maddie was his best friend... Not sure what the right thing to say was, he just shook his head.

"Thought not." Alice sighed "You're still a boy after all. Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not against you and Madeline dating, but looking at this from the point of view of me and her father: she has strong feelings for you, and you came all this way to be close to her."

Alice went quiet a moment, inspecting Matthews face. Her body language seemed to soften.

"I don't dislike you." she admitted "But if you can't love my daughter, you need to tell her sooner rather than later. Don't be the best man in her life if you can't stay with it."

The living room door clattered open, Maddie and Marie-Elise tumbling.

"Look at this adorable girl!" the proud father exclaimed, hands on her shoulders "How cute is she now!"

"Hey, those are mine." Alice realised with a chuckle, referring to the decorative clips in Maddies hair "You better bring those back in one piece."

"I will." Maddie swore.

The young lady looked at Matthew, self consciously trying to tuck her short locks behind her ears, and for the first time he noticed her blush as she smiled at him.

"You okay?" she asked "You have a funny look on your face."

"I'm giving him the lecture." Alice admitted "Cover your drinks, stay in well lit areas, don't go the bathroom alone, all that jazz."

"Do boys really need the lecture?" Maddie wondered.

"They do." Marie-Elise said certainly "Matthew's your chaperone tonight, he needs to see thing the way you do."

"He's not my 'chaperone', Daddy."

As promised, Alice took a ton of pictures before Marie-Elise drove the two of them to the student bar (Matthew couldn't bring himself to call it a 'pub', no matter what it claimed. Explaining why to his American and Canadian friends proved fruitless). He thought about what Alice had told him – to say his mind 'whirred' would be an overreaction, but he did think. The idea of Madeline liking him romantically made him happy.

The two of them had been friends – albeit online – for nearly seven years, since they had met as pre-teens on Neopets. They spoke about everything – her father deciding to become a woman, her parents near divorce as a result, her cancer... but that of course included things about him, including his embarrassing incestuous crush on Arthur... If she, knowing that kind of thing about him, could still like him as a man... well, if that didn't make her a keeper, what did? The fact that she was cute as a button didn't hurt either.

By the time they reached the bar, Matthew had made up his mind: if Maddie wanted him to be her boyfriend, he wasn't going to say no.

"Why are you here?" Amelia complained, arms crossed over her chest as she waited by the bar.

"Matty and Maddie are my friends too." Kevin replied, trying to find his fake ID in his wallet.

Ugh, why did Kevin have to be in the same class as Matthew? Why did he even have to go to the same university as her?! The point of university was to get away from your family! She perked up considerably as the pair came in the swinging door, waving them over.

"Maddie, Matty!" she called.

Those two were such slowpokes, Amelia ran to the door to greet them.

"Oh my god, Maddie, you look so cute!" she enthused "I've never seen you in make-up! OH MY GOD is that your mum?! She's gorgeous!"

The older woman waiting in the car seemed to have heard her, as she smiled and waved before driving off.

"Man, if I look like that when I'm 50 I'm going to be wearing miniskirt ALL THE TIME."

"She's 42." Maddie corrected quietly.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you're adorable today!"

Amelia loved seeing Maddie blush, which she did whenever she was complimented, crinkling up her nose just a little every time – her new BFF was just like a little bunny, and she loved it! She pounced on her, linking their arms.

"Come with me, I gotta powder my nose." she all but ordered "Matty, order me a coke, okay? What do you want, Maddie?"

"Um, coke is good-"

"You heard the lady, let's mush!"

Amelia pulled Maddie to the bathroom, leaving Matthew as speechless as ever. Instead of going into one of the stalls, she stopped in front of one of the sinks, immediately reaching into her purse.

"Okay, Mads, I need a woman's opinion!"

"Um, okay..." she replied timidly.

Ooh, stop being so cute or I may just eat you! She pulled out the two shades of lipstick, holding them up for Maddie to inspect.

"I need a colour to attract boys!" she admitted "So am I going for 'Bubblegum Pink' or 'Seductress Red'?"

The Canadian looked honestly flustered, looking quickly between the two.

"I-I think both are good!" she stammered "Which do you prefer?"

"Well, what kind are you wearing? It really suits you, and we have the same colouring."

"I think it's a gloss." Maddie admitted "It's not even mine..."

"Your mum did your make-up?" Amelia realised, pouting a little "No wonder it looks so good... Okay, Seductress Red it is! Even if I don't pull any boys, I'll still look amazing!"

Amelia turned to the mirror to apply the lipstick, leaning over the sink to get a better look. Beside her, Maddie tugged unhappily on her short, curly locks.

"Sorry I couldn't be more help." she said "I'm not really good at stuff like that..."

"Me neither." Amelia admitted "I've got like half a million brothers and my dad owns a ranch – I can hog-tie a sow in eight seconds and fix my own car, but ask me about curlers or make-up and I'm stumped!"

She laughed self-consciously. Maddie was her friend, so...

"I guess that's why it feels like I'm overcompensating." she admitted, feeling her ears go hot at the confession "Always talking about boys and stuff. But I never had a girl I could talk to about this kind of thing before! I mean, it feels like... like I never got to be a girl, I guess... now I'm starting life my own, I get to do all these kinds of things!"

Amelia smiled at her, knowing she was blushing ear to ear.

"Know what I mean?" she finished.

Maddie looked at her thoughtfully. She tugged on her hair again as she looked away to her own reflection.

"I do know what you mean." she confessed "I was always the bookworm, the girl with the big glasses in the corner. I never felt like I was pretty, even before..."

Maddie pulled a sad face. Concerned, Amelia took her hand.

"Before?"

Her friend smiled weakly, still tugging her hair.

"I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 13." she revealed "I had to take a lot of time off school. I got really thin and all my hair fell out..."

"Maddie..."

"I'm in remission now!" she said quickly "I mean, I need a blood test every few months, but the doctors are really optimistic!"

Amelia couldn't help herself – she threw her arms around Maddie. She felt so thin and fragile in her arms... To think how close she had come to never knowing her! She she released her, she turned them both tot he mirror.

"You know what?" she said "That was the past! Right now, we are smokin' hot!"

She winked and flashed a thumbs up the mirror. Maddie chuckled, smiling that little smile of hers.

"So, Maddie's cute as fuck." Kevin pointed out bluntly "Is she single?"

"No." Matthew answered.

"So, you and her?"

"Yup."

"Damn." Kevin sighed, swirling his coke "Can't catch a break today. First they confiscate my ID, now this."

"Why did you need a fake ID anyway?" Matty asked "The drinking age here is 18, isn't it?"

"I'm 17." Kevin admitted "I graduated a year early. I wanted to go to college in California, but Dad made me come here to keep an eye on Amelia. Only girl, blah blah blah."

"You're not missing anything." Matthew promised "Alcohol's not that great."

"But you're supposed to drink on a night out!"

"Only stupid kids do stuff like that!" Amelia announced as the girls returned, immediately snatching up one of the cokes.

"Don't get high and mighty, you're only a year older!"

"But I am older!"

Maddie sat down beside Matthew, and he instinctively put his arm around her shoulders. He felt a happy warmth in his belly when she leaned into him. Amelia ran to the bar to get more drinks before joining them.

"I ordered us fries!" she informed the group as she sat down "Who wants to do shots later?"

"I don't think so." Maddie said immediately.

"Boo! Matty?"

"Not tonight."

"Double boo! What kind of students don't get shit faced at every opportunity?"

"Didn't I just say that?" Kevin piped up.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the fact that you're under-age."

The siblings threw sass in each others direction as Amelia sat in the booth with them.

"I hope your brother is cuter than this weirdo." she said to Matthew.

"I don't know if I'd call Alfred 'cute'." he admitted.

"I've only spoken to him once or twice." Maddie added "He's very... he's a lot like you!"

"He is!" Matthew realised suddenly "I knew you reminded me of someone!"

"I've been brotherzoned?!" Amelia shrieked indignantly "Where are my fries?!"

"I'm curious." Kevin ignored her "How did you two meet? How long have you been together?"

"We met online when we were 11." Maddie told him.

"But we've only been together a little while." Matty finished.

She looked up at him, clearly not having expected that answer. Amelia 'ooh'ed in an impressed fashion.

"You got a boyfriend before me!" she pretended to pout "Meanie. We didn't even get our 'Velma and Louise' moment."

"I never saw that movie." Maddie replied.

Despite her best efforts, Maddie tired quickly, and was ready to go home by 9.30. While the cancer was gone, she had been so ill for so long that it would take time for her to recover fully. Amelia, having been informed of the situation in the bathroom earlier, didn't argue, even telling Kevin to shut up when he started whining about Matthew leaving as well.

"Don't overexert yourself." she encouraged, stood outside the building before the siblings left "This is a friendship, not a footrace: we can go at your pace."

"Thanks." Maddie replied, although she wasn't entirely sure what that meant "See you Monday."

She waved as they left, almost immediately starting to bicker as they walked down the street. In the bar behind them, things were just starting to get busy, but Maddie felt like she was ready for bed. She leant against Matthew, who put his arm around her again, as they waited for their lift.

"I want to do shots." she confessed, closing her eyes "At least once. And wear those high heels. And stay up all night long."

"Alright, we'll put it on the 'to do' list." he agreed "After Disneyland and before going to England to meet my family."

"Mm, sounds good." she concurred sleepily "Where's our wedding on that list?"

"After 'meet the family', before 'have babies.'"

"Matthew?"

"Hm?"

"When did we start dating?"

They looked at each other, both hearts fluttering. Matthew was the first to turn away, ears burning.

"Well... your mother made it pretty clear that you'd like that." he confessed "And I thought... well, that I'd like that too..."

"But what about Arthur?"

"What about him?" Matthew repeated "Yes, I have... feelings... for him, but nothing's ever going to come of that. I'm not so crazy to give up something that could be great for something that's doomed to failure before it starts."

"Hmm..."

Maddie reached up, taking the arm that was around her shoulders and playing with his fingers.

"You think we could be 'great'?" she asked.

He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"I think we could be the best."

"You think you could love me more than anyone else in the whole world? Even more than Alfred?"

"I left Alfred on the other side of the Atlantic to be with you." he reminded her.

"And if I decide to become a man one day?"

"Then I guess I'll have no choice but to be gay."

She squeezed his hand tightly.

"I love you." she said quietly.

"I love you too." he said louder.

He leaned down and kissed her on top of the head. She was startled at first, then her body language softened as she leant back into him. Their moment was bought to an end by the blare of a car horn. Marie-Elise shot Matthew a look of disdain that Arthur would be proud of as he pulled up, rolled down the window, and threw something at Matthews head. It bounced off and landed in his hood, so Maddie fished it out for him. To the embarrassment of them both, it was a condom.

"Three inches!"

"Piss off!"

"Don't do it!"

"I'll do what I want!"

"You worked so hard!"

Romano kicked the coffee table away to stop it from getting broken as he and Alfred wrestled, Romano desperately trying to get the spoon and tub of ice cream from Alfred's hands.

"You knew this would happen eventually!" Romano pointed out.

"But I wasn't ready for it to happen yet!" Alfred cried.

"I will not let you eat your feelings!"

"What else am I supposed to do?!"

Quick as a whip, Romano bit Alfred hard on the hand, forcing him to let go of the spoon. While he was still shocked, he managed to knock the tub from his other hand, the contents falling, half melted from their struggle, onto the ground. Romano pushed him hard, forcing him to the floor in front of the sofa, sitting on him in an attempt to stop him running away.

"Talk to me!" he demanded "Use your words!"

"I can't!" Alfred yelled at him "I-I'll cry!"

"So cry! I don't care! You think I never seen you cry?!"

Alfred was all but hyperventilating, tears streaming down his face, nose and ears completely red. He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth a few times. Romano stayed patient, putting his hands supportively in his shoulders.

"H-hurts." he stammered pathetically "It hurts... I love him so much... I knew it was one sided, but I still..."

Not able to look at him any more, Alfred buried his face in Romanos chest, holding him tighter than than he had ever held another person. Romano responded, putting his arms around his ample shoulders and burying a hand in his golden hair.

"I wasn't ready." he whimpered "I wasn't ready... he's not mine any more..."

"Alfred," Romano responded softly "Matthew will always be your brother. No-one can ever take that from you."

"I knew we'd never be together, but I wasn't ready to give him to someone else."

Romano felt his shirt starting to get wet, but he didn't mind. He stroked the back of his head soothingly as Alfred blubbered and choked.

"It hurts... it hurts..."

"It'll be okay." Romano promised "It'll be okay."

"How do I make this pain stop?"

Romano released his head, sitting back a little. He risked getting punched, but... he took the opportunity to kiss him. His face was soft where he had gained all that weight. He was surprisingly submissive, letting himself be kissed as they hot tears continued to roll down his cheeks. Romano was surprised when he wasn't shoved away, but held tighter, as if Alfred was afraid he would disappear in his arms. It took little persuasion for Alfred to open his mouth a little, letting Romanos eager tongue inside.

Not giving him pause for thought, Romano capitalised.

People who have never been to Britain - the thing about our winters at the start of the chapter is true. When I was a student, I had a friend who came here from Africa to study: one Novembers morn she saw the sun shining through her window and optimistically put on shorts and a t-shirt. She didn't make it to the university building before going back the 50 yards to the halls to change...

But anyway, we finally got to a longer chapter! The plot is starting to thicken! I'm a little worried that Maddie is coming across as kind of boring, though - is it just me? As for Jacques... it's only a matter of time... Don't think things are going to be simple for Maddy and Mattie either...

As always, I love reading all your reviews!