CHAPTER 155: BRIARWOOD BEAUTIES

"Yeah, I get what you mean. Too much drama spawned from insecurities. But what if you really don’t love someone anymore? Won’t the soul bond just make it worse?"

"How would you characterize my relationship with Miranda?"

"Close? It’s obvious you care for her. And she is madly in love with you. It should have made me jealous, but it just made me worried you wouldn’t have room for me in your heart. Then you soul bonded me and I don’t have that worry anymore."

"And how do you think Miranda and I met?"

"Huh. I heard stories about her, and you didn’t seem like her type."

Jack described his encounters with Miranda in AP English and how he made a template of her so he could "collect on her promises".

"So... You made a copy of her, fucked her brains out, and then soul bonded her? Why?"

"Two reasons, she asked, and she can deep throat my cock. Worst-case scenario, I would have just banned her from my soul space and never talked to her again. What could she do? Plus, she has more social and political savvy than I or Madison, and I might need her family’s connections in the future."

"Is that why you care for her?"

"If the soul bond was strictly one way, she’d be my loyal fuck-toy. But the soul bond has an effect on me as well. It’s the only reason I’m able to forgive Madison, and it’s why I feel affection for Miranda."

"But what about that Isabella you mentioned? Do you feel affection for her?"

"No, not really. I think it’s because, while I tried to dominate her soul, I also kept her at a distance. So the effect is very strongly one way. I control her, and she has almost no effect on me."

"Ah, okay. I think I understand. Because you allowed Miranda and Madison to get close to you, the soul bond also affects you and you feel affection for them in return."

"As far as I understand it, yes."

She thought for a moment, then asked, "So, can you make a sapient template of anyone, like anyone anyone?"

"Yep, anyone anywhere on the planet or in orbit around it."

"So, do you have a template of Evalyn Tanner?" she teased.

How did she know?

He didn’t have a template of Evalyn Tanner. But she was the actress he wanted to copy so he could learn if she was really like her public persona.

He wondered why Samantha had mentioned Evalyn.

"No, I don’t. Why to you ask?"

"Because I saw you cyber stalking her on your phone a few times in class. Seriously, you could copy anyone. Why haven’t you copied her?"

"Mostly because I’ve been busy with more important things. And partly because... what if it turns out she’s a raging bitch? You know, like Sarah Withers, the one that played the Green Viper?"

"Oh, I read about her. Some of the things her co-cast said about her. I can see why you might not want to ruin the fantasy. Still, I kinda want to watch you plow her. And wouldn’t it be super cool if you had the hottest young starlet in Briarwood hot for you in real life?"

"Let’s assume she responds to me the way Miranda did. Then what? What can she do for me?"

"Give you her money? Take you to all the exclusive Briarwood parties? You could fill your harem with the hottest women on the planet!"

"Um, Samantha, I’m already richer than any ten Briarwood stars, combined."

"What?!"

"I used a simulation to predict the winning Redball lottery numbers."

"No way! Was that you? The one that won the one and a half billion credit jackpot?!"

"Yup."

"Oh wow. Just... But... Why are you going to college? You’re filthy rich now. Why even bother?"

"Will money revel the secrets of the universe to you?"

"No. But I could just hire a bunch of scientists to do that for me."

"You could, but would you?"

She sighed, "No, I guess not. I’d want to be part of it, not just watching."

"Don’t get me wrong, I intend to enjoy my wealth, but I want a sort of normal life first. If people found out about me winning the lottery, I’d get swarmed with greedy assholes and gold diggers."

"I can imagine. So, were you lying to Lily’s grandfather about your father dying and a settlement?"

"No, that was the truth. It’s also my cover story if anyone asks how I can afford something. I just imply that the settlement was large enough to afford whatever I’m buying."

"Does that mean your parents are really dead?"

"Yes. My birth parents died when I was ten, and my adoptive parents died more recently. And my birth parents were orphans, so I have no family. It’s probably part of the reason why I was willing to forgive Madison, and why I soul bonded Miranda."

"Sort of building your own family?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean you think of me as part of your family?"

Through their connection, he could tell she was worried he’d say no.

He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug while saying, "Yes, Samantha, you are part of my family now."

She hiccupped. "I’m not just your fuck-toy?"

Where was this coming from?

He could sense her worry over their connection.

"Why would you think that? Did you not enjoy your first time? Were you acting?"

During the formation of their soul bond, he had been certain she wanted to him to physically dominate her. Was he wrong?

"No! No, I really did enjoy that. I just... It was like something in you changed when I put your hand on my throat and now I’m worried you think of me as just a fuck-toy."

"Are you not paying attention to our connection?"

"Oh! I wasn’t. Damn. It’s hard to pay attention to you and our connection at the same time. Every time you look at me, it’s like I just get sucked into your eyes."

"Are you focused on it now?"

She nodded.

"You are part of my family, and no, you are not just a fuck-toy."

She hugged him and said, "I can feel it. I, I need to practice paying attention to our connection."

"Yes, Madison and Miranda are focused on it more or less constantly. They said it just takes a bit of practice."

"Okay, good. If they can do it, so can I."

"I’m sure you can. Now, I do have one question. Do you really like the taste of my baby batter, or was that just an act?"

"Oh, um, it’s not so much the taste. It’s that I just love the idea that it’s your... baby batter.. that I’m eating."

She was telling the truth. She really did like eating his baby batter.

Miranda didn’t mind swallowing if he came in her mouth, but she would never go out of her way to get more. But Samantha would, and had.

He yawned. It was earlier than his usual bedtime, but he really was tired. His newest addition had properly drained him.

She yawned in reply and snuggled up next to him.

It was too early to start second-Monday, so he couldn’t increase the time ratio without disrupting the other girls’ continuous memory sync. He tried to avoid doing that mostly as a courtesy.

He didn’t want to leave his body unattended for the entire night, so he told Samantha about parallel self, then they both enabled it.

They would still sleep in both the physical world and his soul space, but this way he would be "present" in his physical body while he slept.

When they woke, he’d introduce Samantha to the girls. It would be interesting to see how Madison and Samantha got along.