Peter surprised me when his head popped up through the trap door of the treehouse that afternoon, “Come here, fast!”

I didn’t even know he was there, “What’s wrong?”

He grabbed me around the waist and jumped down, half carrying me across the yard, refusing to say a word. We turned the corner around the side of the house when I heard the sliding glass door slam shut.

“Rae!”

A few mumbled curses flowed from Step-Vader’s mouth, “Rae, get your ass over here!”

My eyes flew to Peter’s face in horror. I knew Charles was drunk. Mom was gone, out at a playgroup with Leah for toddlers and working moms. My heart lurched, pounding in my chest. What did he want this time? And why was he home so early?

Peter grabbed my hand and we ran until we reached the safety of his house. Not until we were in his room with the door shut and locked, did he finally let go of my hand, and it was only to engulf me in his embrace. I felt him tremble.

“Rae,” he clasped me tighter if that was possible, “I don’t want you to go back until your mom is home.”

Fine with me. Whatever Step-Vader had in mind, I wasn’t going to find out.

“Yes, Peter,” I agreed. The fear in my voice was palpable.

“I felt the danger,” he admitted as if he needed to explain why he was at the treehouse at that precise moment.

Peter and I have always been able to sense one another since we were kids. I never gave it much thought until today, but it was a bit odd how we could feel anxiety, tension, fear, or anger about the other. We’ve grown up together and we’re close. It makes sense that we would know each other’s thoughts and feelings as well as we do . . .

But sometimes I wonder if there’s something more between us.

Pete pulled me over to the bed and lay down, hugging my waist against his lean muscular frame, “It’s alright. You’re safe. I’d never let anyone harm you.”

I began to relax, not realizing how the fear had made me tense.

Pete kissed the top of my head softly, “You can always stay here. Whenever you want. My dad would never know anyway, and if he did, there’s nothing Mack would say.”

“I know,” I snuggled closer, burying my head in the crook of his arm. “I will if I need to.”

“It’s an open invitation . . . whether you need to or not.”

“I know.”

“How about a movie?”

“Sure.”

“What sounds good? Action? Romance?”

He made a face and I laughed, “The new Spiderman?”

His entire face lit up with a wide grin, “You sure know how to make me happy.”

Three minutes later the movie was on, and I shifted until my head to lay over his heart, “You make me happy too Pete.”

He hugged me tighter, running one hand slowly up and down my arm. The effect was instantly calming. My eyes fluttered and closed. I was safe in his embrace, just like I always used to be with my dad . . .

“Rae.”

I opened my eyes as soon as I heard Peter’s voice, “Umm . . . yes?”

My voice was groggy, and my eyelashes felt like they were stuck together.

“Rae, wake up!” Peter sat up next to me, “We slept all night. It’s the morning.”

I forced my eyes to pop open and looked over at the alarm beside his bed. It read six o’clock. Nearly in a panic, I blurted, “We slept the whole night? Seriously?”

He laughed, “Yes, I guess we were both relaxed and tired.” He stood and stretched, “Give me ten minutes and then I’ll take you home to get ready.”

I heard him hop in the shower and lay back down on his bed. Ten minutes? Why did it always take me at least forty-five to get ready?

Boys have it so lucky.

I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket and checked the screen. Nothing from my mother. Nine texts from Charles. Three from Hayley. Email. Nothing else. I swiped my finger across the screen and opened my messages. Hayley was just checking in and saying hello. Step-Vader, however, was not only angry but threatening. If he saw me this morning, I was going to get it.

“Everything ok?” Peter asked, toweling off his hair.

As I looked up my jaw dropped. When did Peter become so muscular? In only his jeans resting low on his hips, without a shirt, his biceps and pecs were huge . . . and that stomach, it was cut hard, narrow, and without a doubt beyond sexy ending in that perfect “v” that made my mouth suddenly go dry. I averted my eyes, blushing.

“Here.”

He took the phone from my outstretched hand, “What?” His brow furrowed as he read the messages, scrolling through all nine of them.

“He’s still mad. The last one was an hour ago,” I bit my lower lip. I do that when I’m angry or upset. Or nervous. Definitely when I’m nervous.

His expression turned angry, and he clenched his open fist, “Still mad or still drunk.”

I shrugged, “Does it matter which?”

“No,” he answered in disgust.

Peter tossed the phone back to me and I caught it, shoving it back into my front pocket again. The sound of raindrops outside the window made me jump up. In a matter of moments, the light droplets turned heavier until it was a total downpour.

“Stay with me.”

At the sound of his voice, so near, I jumped. Darn it. The tension from last night was back.

“Shhh,” Peter soothed as his arms inched around my waist, “It’s going to rain all day. Just stay here, where I know you’ll be safe.” He rested his chin on my shoulder, holding me as if I would walk away, “I don’t like to see you upset.”

It was Friday anyway. Nobody cared if we ditched. The rest of the career fair was this afternoon and classes would end early. It was almost the end of May, at this point, it hardly mattered. The year was almost over. After finals I was finished.

“I’ll stay.”

His body relaxed, “Good.”

I turned around, forgetting he was without a shirt. My eyes landed on his solid muscular chest as I sucked in a breath. I bit my lip, chewing on the edge as my insides turned to mush.

“Rae,” his voice filled with humor. “My eyes are up here.”

I blushed at least a thousand shades of crimson and pushed away from him in embarrassment.

Pete laughed so hard I thought I would have to punch him, “Come here.”

I shook my head and backed away toward his dresser, hoping to recover the little amount of dignity I had left.

“Baby, it’s me. Don’t look so scared.”

I tossed a frustrated look of impatience in his direction.

“Aw, come on Rae,” he begged, and tried not to smile, but I couldn’t resist his big stupid grin.

My eyes darted to his bedroom doorway. If I made a run for it, I could reach it before he caught me. I was fast. Fast enough to outrun him. I proved it last summer at the track meet.

Slowly I inched my way around him, not daring to focus my eyes on my objective. Peter was watching my face intently. He knew I was up to something. Just a few steps more and . . . boom, I shot off like a rocket right past him.

“Rae!” he yelled, half laughing. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I giggled in delight, shouting behind me, “Away from you!”

I ran up the stairs of his house, down the hall and away from his steady gaze. I paused for two seconds and ran into his dad’s room, doing a baseball slide under the bed. I had to cover my mouth with my hands to stop the giggles from escaping. The chase was on.

“Rae!” I heard his laugh close by. “When I find you . . .”

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.

I turned to him with a smile, “See? Mom’s home. I’ll be ok.”

He glanced at me skeptically, “Call or text if you need me.”

“I will.”

He hugged me so tight I thought he wasn’t going to let go but then he walked away, his hands shoved deep in the front pockets of his jeans, with his head bent forward and gaze lowered to the ground. He kicked a rock and turned in my direction at the last second. His eyes betrayed their worry. I waved and smiled, opening the front door.

Both my mother and Charles were sitting in the living room on the couch, side by side. Charles looked beyond angry while my mother only looked curious. Was this an intervention?

“Hi Mom,” I walked up and planted a kiss on her cheek. “How was work?”

She smiled, “Fine. How was your day?”

Uh oh. The mom voice. I was in trouble for something, “Good, I hung out with Pete most of the day. I didn’t want to stay at that career fair. No point.” I informed her.

I sat down opposite them and smiled at Step-Vader. He seemed to seethe in anger. I guess my extra comment about staying with Peter all day upset him. A small smirk lifted the corners of my lips.

Served him right for being such an ass.

“Then you didn’t skip a full day of classes?” Mom asked.

Well, crap. I did. Sort of, “not like you think Mom. There was nothing going on but the career fair. I had nothing to miss,” I assured her.

She frowned.

“Rae, I expect you to attend classes when you have school, not skip them on a whim,” she admonished, and Charles smiled at her comment. “But I agree and see nothing wrong with missing today. Next time let me know so I don’t worry?”

Ha, like she worried last night? Like she noticed I wasn’t in bed all night? That I never returned home?

Charles looked ready to blow a gasket, “And why were you gone all night last night? Where were you and who were you with? That Peter boy? Is something going on between the two of you?”

My mouth dropped open in shock.

“I hope you aren’t insinuating anything improper between my daughter and her best friend.”

Mom’s angry tone surprised me. Was she actually sticking up for me?

“I did nothing wrong,” I answered between clenched teeth. How dare he? Jerk!

“I’m just looking out for you Rae. Someone has to with your mother working so much. I try to keep her from worrying needlessly,” he smiled at my mother like she was the most important person in the world. If only that were true.

“Oh, Charles,” she replied sweetly. “Thank you very much.”

I rolled my eyes. He was so fake it made my stomach feel nauseous, “I’m tired. Can I go to bed?”

Mom nodded and dismissed me, but not before I saw the glare Vader sent in my direction. I kissed her on the cheek and ran up the stairs to my room closing the door behind me, the lock sliding home with a loud click. I leaned against it. In frustration, I smacked the wood with my palm.

“What has you so upset baby?”

I jumped a mile and nearly screeched at Peter, “You scared me half to death!”

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “I couldn’t leave you. I was too worried.”

“If Charles finds you in here, he’s going to kill us both,” I warned.

He shrugged, “I don’t care. You need protection. Your mother does nothing to stop his behavior.”

“I know,” I walked over to my bed and flopped down on it. “She doesn’t seem to see his attitude or behavior is a problem.”

“Maybe she does Rae,” he argued, grabbing my hand and pulling me close. “But she refuses to do anything about it.”

I considered his words, “What are you saying?”

“She depends on him and needs him. They have a baby together. She might overlook certain things because she feels she has no choice Rae,” he brushed his hand along my cheek, “she loves him, and the risk is worth it to her.”

It sounded like he was talking about himself as much as my mother. Why would Peter think being around me and loving me was a risk? I had to be wrong. That didn’t make any sense.

“I guess,” I sighed. “But why am I less important?”

That stung. I was her firstborn. Her daughter. The child of the man who was her greatest love. She told me so once. How was I less in her eyes than before?

“Aw baby, come here,” he whispered.

I stopped for a moment to pet Feefee since he would have become jealous if I ignored him. For a little extra attention I scratched behind his ears as he meowed.

Peter lay down on my bed and pulled back the comforter, “come relax with me.”

I slipped in beside him and nestled my head into his shoulder as both of us sighed softly. He held me close, one hand squeezing my lower back, the other running lightly up and down my arm, caressing my skin from shoulder to wrist. I was beginning to love this feeling with Peter. The way he held me, the gentle touch of his hands, the way his heart beat beneath my ear. I snuggled closer.

“Pete?” I asked sleepily.

“Yes, my Rae of sunshine?”

“I’m glad you came.”

He kissed the top of my head, “So am I.”

A deep feeling of contentment washed over me. I closed my eyes as his fingers intertwined with mine and rested over his heart.

“Peter? What about the party?” I asked, suddenly remembering.

“It was never more than an excuse to be with you. Go to sleep baby, I’m right where I want to be.”

Whispering goodnight, I let his warmth embrace me and settled in for the night, content with the knowledge that Pete was my protector, my white knight, and he’d stay with me always.

As long as I wanted him.

I smiled into the darkness, thinking of my dad. He’d be proud of Peter and happy we were together. Somehow I knew this was exactly how things were supposed to be.