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I pulled on sliding glass door and swore softly when it was locked. “Shit.”
“Move over. These things are stupidly easy to break into.”
I stepped aside and raised an impressed eyebrow when Fang gave the door a sharp upward tug that had it sliding open.
“I didn’t know you were so adept at breaking and entering.”
“Comes in handy from time to time. Get inside before someone notices.”
The house was dark inside, no lights on, which worked in our favor. No one would notice our shadows lurking around inside. The kitchen countertop and dining room table showed the aftermath of party setup. They were strewn with empty boxes and discarded wrappers, scissors, tape, and balloons. Down the hall was a door that probably led down to the basement. It had a slide lock, firmly in place, but no padlock to keep it secured.
Fang pointed at it. “Think Caleb wants to keep his fine china and childhood figure skating trophies safe from the drunks?” he asked beneath his breath. “Hate to break it to him, but that thing ain’t keeping anyone out without a padlock. At least not from this side.”
I sniggered, moving past the door with a mental note to come back to it later once we’d made sure no one else was in the house. “He seems like the type to be a figure skater, doesn’t he? I bet he did it professionally with sequined shirts and the whole shebang.”
It lightened the mood just enough that walking into the living room by the front door took me by surprise. I hadn’t expected it, disoriented from entering the property from the back.
I froze to the spot, dropping my purse on the floor when my fingers weren’t strong enough to hold it, and stared at the room where three men had destroyed me in a matter of hours.
“Pix?”
I couldn’t talk. All I could do was stare as that night played over and over in my head. We’d come through the front door. Caleb had been kissing me, and at first it had been fun. He was hot, and we’d had chemistry.
Then his friends had arrived, and I’d realized who he truly was. Not the cute real-estate salesman he’d led me to believe.
But my new best friend’s abusive ex. Hell-bent on hurting her by hurting me.
Or maybe he just got off on hurting women in general and I was just convenient since I’d been stupid enough to let him drive me right into his web of lies.
I couldn’t forget his voice. It taunted me. Echoing around the empty room like he was right there in it.
Tears rolled down my cheeks. Tears for my best friend. Tears for the woman I’d been before. Tears for every woman who’d ever had a Caleb in her life. I took off my mask to wipe my eyes, and Fang engulfed me in his arms.
He lifted his mask so I could see his face. “I love you, Pix,” he whispered. “I hate seeing you like this.”
I blinked up at him, mouth dropping open in shock. “You…what?”
His eyes were kind as he stared down at me. “You know I do. I always have.”
A sob hurtled up my throat and exploded past my lips. I dug my fingers into his shirt and cried on his chest, too overwhelmed to say anything, though I knew what I wanted to say in my heart. My tongue just couldn’t form the words. Not here. Not in this house where too many other memories tainted the words I wanted to say.
All of a sudden, I didn’t know why I was doing any of this. I couldn’t remember one good reason for wanting to come here, to this place, and relive that night. I’d thought I’d needed it.
But maybe I just needed him.
Fang was enough to exorcise my demons. At least for tonight.
I pulled back. “Can we go somewhere? Just you and me. I…I don’t want to be here anymore.”
He gave a curt nod. “Of course. I’ll get—”
The front door flew open, a man entering with a six-pack of beer in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. “Caleb! I got the stuff. Let’s lock these doors and get the party started.”
The open door let in enough light from the street that Fang and I were like deer caught in headlights.
Leonn’s gaze stopped on mine, and his eyes went wide. “You’re…” His gaze flickered to Fang. “Oh, fuck. Caleb!”
Leonn’s bellow rattled through the quiet house. Panic speared through me. We’d both taken our masks off.