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respect.
    I sprinted down my block and up the steps of my building, my hands shaking as I shoved my key into the keyhole. I slammed the door behind me, my heart racing a mile a minute as I rested my back against the panel. I pressed a hand against my chest, trying to calm my breathing. Gus sat on the couch with his dinner on the coffee table. He eyed me up and down as though I had six heads.
    “You okay?” he asked.
    “Yeah. ” I inhaled deeply. “It’s just the first time I’ve walked home in the dark since . . . you know.” I dropped my keys in the fishbowl and walked further into the room, tossing my purse on the decorative chair before heading for the kitchen.
    His eyes grew wide. “Wait? Did you say you walked?”
    “Yes.” I looked down at my hands; my fingers trembled with fear.
    “Baby girl—”
    “Gus, I’m fine, really. Peyton is working late. I didn’t want to be in the big house alone, and I knew you would be here—so I came to spend the night.”
    A lie was better than the truth.
    The truth was that I had no idea what was becoming of Peyton and me.

    The following morning, I woke with a pounding headache and the loud hammering on my front door didn’t help. I didn’t move from under the covers. The migraine that had lodged itself behind my right eye made it impossible to move. I took my phone from the charger and looked at the screen. I had gone to bed the night before knowing that a migraine was coming, and since I didn’t want to be disturbed, I’d put my cell on silent.
    Six missed calls: Peyton Haas
    Well, I guess he was finally in the mood to talk. The child who lived in me made me turn over on my bed and bury my head under the covers.
    Bang.
    Bang.
    Bang.
    It didn’t stop. I looked at my phone again. It was nearly ten in the morning. My phone lit up in my hand with an incoming text from Gus
    Baby Girl, Peyton called looking for you. Are you okay?
    Oh, now he wanted to look for me. Pissed and with a pounding migraine, I kicked my legs off the bed and marched to the front door. My hands fumbled with the lock as my breathing grew ragged with anger.
    I yanked the front door open. “What do you want?”
    Peyton didn’t respond. Instead he shoved past me, walking straight through the doorway. “Why aren’t you home?” he asked, running his hands through his hair. It was what he did when he was irritated. It was also the first time he had spoken to me since he took me into the playroom. Since he’d come home drunk and fucked me unconscious.
    My hands wiped the morning off my face and I glared at him. “I am home.” I stretched my hands above my head, kicked the front door closed, and walked towards the kitchen.
    “You know what I mean.”
    “No. No, I don’t.” I yanked the cabinet door open, looking for coffee. “Because I was at your house for the last two days, waiting for you. But you avoided me.” My eyes met his and my words wedged painfully in my throat. “Why the hell should I stay there if you only come in after I’m asleep? You’re sleeping in a different bed, and you’re out the door before I’m even up. Clearly you don’t want me there.”
    He ran his fingers through his hair again. Anger flashed through his dark eyes as he began to pace. “It’s complicated,” he grunted.
    “Bullshit!” I slammed the coffee mug on the counter. “You want to act like a child and avoid me? Well, I can do the same. I didn’t tell you about the job because I wasn’t sure if I would even get it, so why have an argument for no reason? Since you walked out of my office you’ve been ignoring me and that’s not fair!”
    “You didn’t call Thomas when you left last night.” He completely ignored what I’d just said.
    “So? Did you call to tell me you were taking a day off work? Did you tell me you weren’t coming home?”
    “You took the job?” He completely ignored my questions again.
    Rage boiled through my blood. “I did. I wanted to talk it over with you. I wanted