Boone had moved into Zelda's borrowed apartment. It was easier for them to stay there because it was where Eden had all of her toys and clothes, plus she didn't want to move her again for fear it would unsettle her.

Boone had kept close tabs on both her and Eden, calling or texting to check in when Zelda was at a meeting or in school. It was a nice change to have someone looking out for her and caring what happened to her.

Eden was in heaven. Boone was her new favorite person; he helped her with homework and let her help with the cooking. Yes, Boone cooked, it was all very domesticated, and Zelda felt like she was living every one of her dreams.

Zelda had insisted on different rooms for her and Boone, which was the only downside to their current living conditions. Her main reason for keeping her distance was because she didn't want to confuse Eden. So, for the time being, Boone was only a guest and it was proving to be a challenging situation for both of them.

They had been over everything once more, attempting to determine who was behind all of it. Boone had reviewed the photos and was no wiser than she. It could be Simone playing a game, or it could be Charles letting them know that he was watching them. Either way, they both agreed that it was disturbing. The thing that Zelda couldn't figure out was the why. If it was Simone it could be jealousy, but the girl didn't strike Zelda as one who was willing to put too much effort into anything. If it was Charles, he didn't really need the photos to scare her, the fact that he was Collin's father was already doing that job for him.

The real question, aside from the photos, was why was Charles threatening to take Eden away? Why was he threatening to tell the world that she wasn't hers? He had claimed it was because he wanted to spend time with Eden to make up for all the times he wasn't there for Collin, so that must mean he cared. But if he cared, why would he hurt Eden by ripping her away from a mother that she loved? And why hadn't he made a move yet? Collin claimed to have enough ammunition, but still, he did nothing.

The thought that he wanted money crossed Zelda's mind, but if that was the case, wouldn't he try and blackmail her? If he wanted money, he probably would not want Eden, which meant blackmail would be the quickest way to get what he wanted.

Nothing about the situation made any sense, which was why Boone was researching Charles and his past to see what he could dig up on the man. They both agreed that he was guilty of something, and they only needed to find out what it was so that they could use it to fight him.

Zelda stopped to grab a quick cup of coffee at ZaZa's before she met Boone at his office at the university. They had class, and then he was taking her to pick-up Eden's Halloween costume. She was going to be the Mad Hatter.

Zelda smiled and greeted Tiffany as she entered the shop, enjoying the smell of coffee and the warmth that enveloped her.

"Same as usual?" Tiffany asked with a grin.

"Yes, please," Zelda agreed, looking in the case of treats to see if anything caught her fancy.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Tiffany asked as she started to prepare Zelda's coffee.

"My boyfriend?" Zelda asked, turning to look at Tiffany with a surprised expression.

"Boone," Tiffany clarified.

"He's not-"

"Yes, he is," Zelda heard from the table tucked in the corner, behind the display case.

Zelda took a few steps back and peeked around the edge of the case to see Simone sipping her coffee and typing away on her computer.

Zelda took a shaky breath and opened her mouth to speak, but Simone cut her off before she could get a word out.

"Don't look surprised, the one good thing to come out of this entire charade is that I found this place," Simone looked around at the shop, "and yes, everyone knows that Zelda Abbott Strauss and Boone Norris are an item. People are even talking about the fact that he moved in with you."

Zelda's mouth dropped open in shock at the news. She thought they had been discreet.

Simone leaned back and motioned for Zelda to join her, and since the girl wanted to talk sense for a change, Zelda realized this might be her chance to figure out what was really going on with Simone

Zelda picked-up her coffee and payed for it before she joined Simone.

"It makes sense that Boone would fall for you, he's best friends with your brother, isn't he?" Simone already knew the answer to that question so she continued without pausing. "You've known each other for a very long time, and you're both from very rich and old New Orleans families. It's a match made in heaven.'

"I wouldn't say that," Zelda watched her for a moment, attempting to get a read on how honest Simone was being.

"Why did you do it?" Zelda finally asked after a few minutes of deliberation.

"Do what?" Simone asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Why did you follow him, me, us? Why did you take photos?" Zelda leaned in and said the last bit softly.

"I admit to following you both. At first, it was only Boone I followed. He's close to perfect, and I was fascinated by him. I admit that it was a bit stalker-like, but it frustrated me that you kept meeting places." Simone crossed her arms defensively. "So I started to follow you both to see if I could figure out what it was about you that would draw his interest, and you know that I even followed you both when he walked you home one night, but I never at any point took photos. "

Zelda studied Simone and realized she was telling the truth. She didn't take the photos, which meant that it must have been Charles, and the photos coupled with the fact that all of New Orleans knew that Boone was living with Zelda would certainly add fuel to Charles's fire.

Zelda looked up from her thoughts and caught Simone staring at her oddly. "Did you figure out what it was that draws his interest?" Zelda asked with a self-mocking smile, not expecting an answer from Simone.

Simone shrugged. "Honestly, I think he's crazy about you. He comes across as a hard man, but the few times I've seen him with you, he's not hard, he looks happy. And the way he looks at you; I can't compete with that, so I gave up."

Zelda felt tears building. Here was this girl, almost a borderline enemy, who was telling her that Boone was in love with her. It made it seem more real somehow. It told her that others could see how he felt, others who didn't know their history and wouldn't be biased because of it.

"My daughter was right. It was that simple." Zelda shook her head with a soft laugh.

"What do you mean?" Simone asked.

"I told her that you didn't want to be my friend anymore because Boone liked me and not you, and she said that I should just tell you that Boone liked me and not you. As harsh as it sounds, to her, that was the way to solve the problem." Zelda shook her head in disbelief.

"It was in the end," Simone agreed with a half-hearted smile.

Zelda stood pushing in her chair. "How did you find out I was an Abbott?"

"It was the second time I saw you at the bar with your brother. Watching you two together made it click," she admitted.

Zelda nodded. "I thought you would figure it out rather quickly. I'll see you in class?"

"I'll be there. I might not stand a chance with Boone Norris, but I do enjoy watching him while he teaches. He's not exactly hard on the eyes." Simone gave another sad smile.

"No, he's not," Zelda agreed, feeling a little sorry for the girl. She knew what it was like to love Boone Norris from afar.

As Zelda left the coffee shop behind her, she knew that she didn't have any of the answers she wanted, but at least she had one less enemy. They wouldn't be friends, but she believed that Simone was over the crush she had on Boone, at least enough to not cause any more problems.