Mia opened her front door, relieved to have some company. “Thank you for coming over.” She stepped back to allow Steven access to her apartment.

“It sounded like you needed a friend.”

“Emily’s staying with my parents for the weekend, and I just don’t want to be alone.”

“What about Edward? I thought you two were getting cozy?”

She looked away, not wanting to admit what she had been through, that she allowed someone to get so close only to stomp her heart into the ground.

“Is he the reason why you’re upset?”

She nodded slightly, only wanting to give him enough information to stop the questions.

“What did he do?” When she didn’t offer an explanation, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. Rubbing her arms, he tried comforting her. “You know you can talk to me. Whatever it is.”

“I will. I feel so foolish.” Covering her face with her hands, she shook her head hoping it would all go away. “I let my guard down with the wrong guy, and now it may mean losing everything. I screwed up, Steven.”

“Don’t blame yourself. How were you supposed to know? We all have our moments of weakness.”

“Not ones that destroy everything.”

“I know it feels like the world is crashing down around you right now, but time will heal, and things will get better.”

“Can you please stop quoting stupid, sappy broken heart shit and help me? I need you to be realistic here, Steven.”

“This is more than just a broken heart, isn’t it? Tell me what happened.” A knock on her door interrupted them. They both turned to look. “Are you expecting anyone?”

“No.” She got up and walked across the room, peering through the peephole. Her eyes grew wide as she stepped back away from the door. “It’s him,” she whispered.

“Mia.” Even behind a locked door, Edward’s voice penetrated her. “Let me in. I need to see you.”

She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to open the door. She fought back the tears that threatened to weaken her.

“Mia, please. Just give me two minutes. If you don’t want to talk to me after that, I’ll walk away and leave you alone.”

She looked back at Steven. He shook his head.

“Mia!” He slammed his hand into the door, making her jump back with a yelp. “I know you’re in there. Open the door!”

She looked at Steven, silently asking him what she should do. She wanted to open it. She sensed his frustration, his need to see her. “Maybe I should hear him out,” she whispered.

Steven walked toward her, shaking his head. “Not until we talk. I need to know that I can help you. I need to know what happened.”

“Don’t do this, Mia.”

“Go away. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“If you’ll just open the door, I can explain everything. It will all make sense.”

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, her arms crossing over her to keep her trembling under control.

“Mia.” Desperation formed in his tone.

“Leave, or I’ll call the cops.” The tremble in her body had claimed her voice, and the silence from the other side of the door made her desperate. She stretched her body up and peered out into the hallway again, this time seeing nothing but the back wall. She forced herself to freeze there and not grab the doorknob.

“Come on.” She felt Steven’s hands on her arms as he coaxed her away from the door. “I’ll make us some hot tea.”

Mia reluctantly pulled herself away from the door, as if it was her last chance to give him a chance. She curled up on the couch and let Steven pamper her. When he came back in from the kitchen, he handed her a hot cup of tea, the lemon zest filling her senses. He covered her legs with a small blanket and sat next to her, caressing her forehead as she lay back on his chest. “You okay?”

“I’m not sure. He pulls me in so many directions. My head can’t take it.”

“Maybe you should have let him in. At least listened to what he had to say.”

“Not after last night.” She shook her head. “There is a whole different side to him I never knew about.”

“What do you mean?”

“I found the paperwork. You knew about that.”

“Yes.”

“When I confronted him about it, he continued to lie to me, told me what I wanted to hear. My mind was so twisted by what I saw and what he tried to tell me. Nothing he says has been proven. Everything that has been proven contradicts what he says.”

“Maybe they aren’t lies.”

“I thought about that after I left him there. But after the phone call, I’m convinced he is a horrible man.”

“What phone call? From who?”

“From Edward. He sounded drunk. Called me some horrible, vulgar names.” The tears threatened to expose her vulnerability again, and this time she couldn’t hold them back. “He said he was tired of trying with me. He was just going to take what was his and—”

“And what?”

“I’d rather not repeat them. I can’t.”

“Mia, I’m so sorry.”

“I should have been more careful. I should have known when he didn’t tell me who he was from the beginning. That was my first red flag.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over this. We can get through this. Whatever it takes.”

“Thanks, Steven. You’re a true friend.” She pulled herself up and wrapped the blanket around her. “I just hope it isn’t too late.”

“We will pool everything we have. Fight until the end and go down blazing if it’s all we have.”

Mia chuckled. “You sound like a bad Western.”

“It got you to smile. That’s all that matters right now.”

She took his hand and felt thankful she had him in her life. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out.”

She stayed curled up in his arms until sleep threatened her. She pulled the blanket off and pulled herself up. “Thank you for coming over, Steven. I think I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure? I can stay for as long as you need me to. Overnight, even.”

“No. I’m sure you have plans. I don’t want to keep you.”

“Mia, this is my crisis, too. You know how much the company means to me.”

“Sitting around here, moping and sulking, is not going to save it. We can start fresh in the morning. Besides, I think I’m going to take a hot bath and turn in early.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay. Well, listen. I’m only a phone call away. If you need anything at all. I’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

She nodded and smiled, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Get some sleep.” He leaned toward her and kissed her forehead, much like her father had when she was a little girl. “I’ll call you tomorrow and check up on you.”

She nodded again, watching him go to the door and walk out. She closed the door behind him, checked the lock, and peered out one last time before walking into the bathroom toward her solace for the night.

Reaching down, she shut the water off to the tub, watching her long, skinny fingers turn the knobs until the water stopped dripping out of the faucet. I should get a manicure, she thought, looking at her fingernails. I haven’t pampered myself in a long time. She smiled at the fleeting thought as the tips of her fingers cascaded across the steamy water. She stood up and dropped her towel, then eased into the tub.

The water rose to the very top of the tub, and she was immersed up to the bottom of her neck. She looked at the sides, anxiety building at the thought of the water running over. She thought about the stress in her life and how hard she’d worked on saving her company. She thought about Edward and how easily he dissipated that stress when she was with him. Why couldn’t she handle it? Why did she need him? Why did she need his control?

She looked at the sides again, took a big breath, held her nose, and plunged down underneath the water. As she went under, she couldn’t hear the water run over the sides. Darkness surrounded her. She couldn’t hear anything except for the blood rushing through her veins and a faint heartbeat that worked harder for her to breathe. She had the power, the control. Her next move could change everything. She held her nose and stayed under the water, feeling the sting of the heat, feeling the rush of her blood, feeling her heart push to get out. She needed to take the control back in her life. She was relying on too many others. She knew that.

Sitting up, she broke out of the water and inhaled deeply. The steam was thick, taking the distant features of her bathroom from view. The air was much cooler and fought against the heat of the water. She lay back again, hearing the water splash over the sides and slop onto the floor. She closed her eyes and indulged in the feeling, her fingertips caressing her chest, just above her breasts. Her hands cupped her breasts, thumbs running over the softness of her nipples. A sensation ran through her body as she flicked them, making them harder under her touch.

She remembered the way Edward had touched her there, but she tried erasing him from her mind. She didn’t want to want him. Control her own life was her new goal. Her stomach was taut, her hands pressing inward as she slid them down between her legs. Her fingers danced in her pubic hair while she fought another image of Edward’s hot breath where her fingers were headed. She felt a lurch in her pussy as she kept the image for a moment too long.

“No!” She shook her head and spread her legs. She tried putting a fantasy together in her head. A masked man, yes. Mysterious, but wanting. He wouldn’t leave her alone. He pursued her, followed her, yet kept his distance until she was alone enough for him to strike.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and stripped her naked. He kissed her hard, his hands groping what he wanted to take. He touched her in all the right places, her arousal overcoming her fears. He tied her hands and took her in the grass, in the shadows, in his own way.

Her fantasy took over her mind, and she slid her fingers in where it counted. She worked them back and forth, feeling her depths respond. The water splashed out of the tub as her body moved back and forth. Her arousal built as the masked man fucked her and dominated her the way she craved to be dominated.

She felt her orgasm stop where it usually did. She worked her fingers deeper, but her orgasm wouldn’t let go, wouldn’t release.

She tried thinking dirtier. The masked man pinned her down in the grass and fucked her hard while a handsome stranger walked up to them. He didn’t walk away. He stopped and watched. He stroked himself while the masked man fucked her. There could have been a crowd of people standing around them.

Her orgasm began to fade. She worked harder. Working her hands from the ties that bound her, she reached up and ripped the mask from the man who violated her. When she saw Edward’s face and his devious grin, her body came alive again, an orgasm surfacing quickly and grabbing hold of her.

She arched her back, her breasts exposing themselves to the cool air as her orgasm exploded from within her. She pressed her fingers deep, feeling her muscles tighten around them. “Yes,” she whispered, withdrawing her fingers, feeling her muscle spasms continue.

She didn’t want to think. She didn’t want to move. She felt guilty that she resorted to thoughts of Edward to satisfy her sexual desires. Did she need him in her life that badly? How could she, when he was so vile to her? She thought about the way he was with her in his bedroom, in his office, in her conference room. Then she replayed the words he’d spewed to her over the phone just one night ago. How could one man be so different?

She pulled herself from the tub, wrapped a towel around herself, and left another on the floor to soak up the water from the tub. She walked into her room, discarded the towel onto the floor, crawled into her bed and closed her eyes, questions and doubts rolling around in her head.