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I had to stifle another giggle. No way was he going to find me. Ten minutes later, he was starting to sound worried.

“Rae . . . baby?” I heard him call from the hallway, “Please?”

I remained hidden. This was fun.

Ding. Dong. Until the front doorbell.

“Where’s Rae?” Step-Vader’s voice drifted upstairs. I froze.

“She’s not here,” Peter huffed. He sounded angry.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I heard him push past Peter and enter the house.

“Go ahead, look around. You won’t find her,” Peter’s voice was both confident and sarcastic. I knew he wasn’t happy Charles had forced his way in.

After five minutes of looking almost everywhere, he turned to Peter, “You’re lucky.”

I heard the door slam shut behind him and the deadbolt lock into place. Slowly, I slid out from under the bed and tiptoed across the floor until I reached the top of the stairs. I heard his sigh as he glanced in my direction.

“I’m sorry Pete,” I apologized, my voice thick with emotion. It wasn’t fair to him.

He ran up the stairs to the top of the landing, his eyes locking on mine, “Don’t apologize for that piece of shit. Ever.” Anger colored his eyes a steely cold gray. The hazel changed with his emotions so raw and unchecked. “None of this is your fault.”

I nodded. “Hold me,” I asked, afraid I would cry.

Peter’s arms enveloped me in a tight embrace, “I’ll never let go.”

“Peter?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I’m glad I can count on you.”

“You can Rae, always. I promise you that.”

We spent the afternoon watching movies and throwing popcorn at each other, which pretty much ended up all over his living room couch. Peter ordered pizza for dinner, insisting I eat before I starved to death. He was being overprotective. Both of us knew why.

As the day grew later, I turned to him with a sad smile, “I need to go home soon.”

He shook his head.

“No,” he argued. “You could stay with me again. Your mom will never know anyway.”

“Pete,” I squeezed his hand lightly. “I have to go home tonight.”

“Why?” he demanded. “Give me one good reason.”

I arched an eyebrow, “My sister.”

He frowned, “That’s not a reason for you to go back . . .”

“Yes, it is,” I sighed softly. “You need to let me go.”

Fire flashed in his eyes like a sudden spark in the dead of night, “Never.”

“Pete . . .” I reached for him and he stood, “Walk me home?”

He was quiet the ten-minute walk back to my house. Both my mother’s and Step-Vader’s cars were in the driveway. I would be fine. Nothing was going to happen.

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