I dry my eyes with my sleeve, careful not to mess up my mascara. No one can know I was crying. They’ll ask why, and I won’t be able to come up with a lie. Not again. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and breathe out through my mouth. I repeat the process again, internally cringing from the stench of this public bathroom.

I put on a smile, wash my hands, and leave, finding Steven leaning against the wall, looking bored.

“Did you fall in?” he asks. One could easily mistake his question as humor, but I know better. He was annoyed that I had to pee in the first place and told me to just wait, but I drank two glasses of iced tea at the restaurant before we got to the movie. Of course, I’d have to pee before the show started.

“No,” I say back quietly.

“Are you going to mope around all night? Because if you are, I’m leaving and you can find your own way home.”

“I’m not moping,” I say slowly. “Not at all.” I point to my face. “See? I’m smiling.”

Steven rolls his eyes and lowers his voice so only I can hear him. “Whatever. I’m so fucking tired of your attitude all the time. You’re miserable to be around sometimes, Ana. I don’t even want to be here anymore. You took so long in there we won’t get the good seats.”

“I was in there for like a minute and—” I snap my mouth closed. There’s no point in arguing with him. It’s the same thing every time. I look up at the man who tells me he loves me and see the anger on his face. My heart starts to race and panic sets in.

I don’t want him to be mad at me. He’ll control his anger here but once we get home…

I need to fix this.

“Let’s go see. I already bought the tickets online anyway.”

“Great job, Ana. Waste your fucking money by missing the show.”

I pull out my phone to check the time. “Steven, the show doesn’t start for twenty more minutes.”

“And I like to get there thirty minutes before to get the good seats.”

“This theater had the option to buy tickets with assigned seats, so I did. Back row and right in the middle, just where you like to sit.”

Steven looks at me, realizing his argument is invalid. “Fine.”

“Do you want to go sit and I’ll get popcorn?”

“You want fucking popcorn? We just ate? Did you not listen to what I just fucking said? You blow through money.”

“It’s just popcorn, and we don’t go to the movies that often.”

“Goddammit, Ana, why do you have to start a fight over everything? I don’t know why I bother with you. I’m leaving.” He marches forward.

“Wait,” I say and reach out, trying to catch his wrist. Steven whirls around and knocks my phone from my hand.

“What?” he seethes.

Tears spring to my eyes and my fingers shake as I bend over and grab my phone. The screen has a fresh crack right down the middle. Thank God we’re still in the hallway by the bathroom. No one can see us. “Please, let’s stay.”

“Quit your damn crying. You’re a fucking adult and you cry like a baby.”

“I’m not crying, and you broke my phone.” I hold it up so he can see.

“You’re the idiot who dropped it. You’re so careless, Ana. You’d think you’d take better care of your things. I’m not buying you a new one.”

“I didn’t ask you to buy me one. I’ll buy it myself—”

“We don’t have money for a new iPhone right now. God, Ana.” He shakes his head, still seething. “Great job ruining the night. I’m going home. Find your own way because I don’t want to look at your face right now. I’m too fucking pissed to be around you.”

“Steven, stop it!”

“Leave me alone.”

I startle awake, heart racing. I can’t catch my breath and I know I’m on the verge of a panic attack. My hands fly to my heart and I press down as if that will stop it from beating right out of my chest. Slowly, my eyes focus on everything around me, and it takes a good few seconds to remember where I am.

Cole’s house.

I fell asleep on the couch after I spent the morning writing. It’s been a week since Steven sent Cole that email, and we haven’t seen or heard from him since. The last few days have been blissfully perfect, full of incredible sex, dinners out, and I nearly completed the first draft of my book. I spent hours on the phone with my mom and sister, planning wedding stuff and vetoing bridesmaid dresses I refuse to wear.

Life’s been fun.

Life’s been good.

Things are finally going my way.

Is that why I’m freaking the fuck out right now? I’m waiting for the inevitable fallout. I squeeze my eyes closed and try to take deep breaths. Steven isn’t here. I’m not that girl anymore, the one who picked up her broken phone off the movie theater lobby and chased after a cruel and malicious man, begging him to love her.

Don’t dwell on the past, but don’t repress it either. My therapist’s words ring in my head. Great shame and embarrassment weigh down on me when I think of the shit I put up with. Everything happened slowly; he didn’t treat me like that on our first date. Or our second. He treated me well at first, just long enough to sink his claws in. Which wasn’t hard to do, considering I hadn’t been dealing with the loss of my father well.

I run my hands through my hair and the panic starts to turn into anger. Steven is a sick, manipulative fuck, taking advantage of me like that. I take another breath, hold it, and slowly exhale. I don’t want to be scared, but I don’t want to be angry either. I want to let this go. Move on. Enjoy my life with someone who actually loves me.

Someone like Cole.

Speaking of which…fuck. He’s going to be home soon, and we’re leaving right away to go to Luke and Lexi’s for dinner, where I’ll be meeting his parents for the first time. Shit.

Still feeling the effects of my nightmare, I do my best to shake it off and rush upstairs to shower. I strip out of my clothes, turn on the shower, and hesitate before I get in. The house is armed, and I brought the tablet that shows all the security cameras in with me. I do a quick check—they’re all clear, of course—and get in the shower, ignoring my fears.

Steven is just a man. A sick, evil man, but a man nonetheless. He’s not going to materialize inside the house, bypassing the locks and alarm system.

I quickly shower, do my makeup, and start drying my hair. Cole texts me and says he’s running late, which works in my favor and allows me to not only dry but straighten my hair. I’m dressed and ready by the time he walks through the door.

“Hey, babe,” I say, striding through the house. I’m eager to see him because he’s my boyfriend and I love him, but I don’t want to be alone anymore, as much as I don’t want to admit it. I’m still scared.

“You look amazing,” Cole takes off his jacket and steps forward, taking me into his arms.

“So do you. I told you how irresistible you are in a suit, right?”

“You did.” He runs his hands down my back and squeezes my ass. “We have time for a quickie, right?”

I bite my lip and look into his eyes. “Not if we want to get to dinner on time.”

“I can make you come in only minutes.”

I swallow hard, warmth rushing through me. “Prove it then.”

Cole flashes me a cocky grin and inches the hem of my black dress up. “I will.”

And, fuck, he does.