“Did you know you say my name in your sleep, you dream about me,” he tells me casually like I haven’t just told him I want nothing to do with him.

“They’re nightmares, not dreams. You stalk me, stealing every bit of sunshine in my life until I’m suffocating in the darkness and then I die, begging you to leave me alone,” I confess, not bothering to try and sugarcoat how he haunts my subconscious.

His eyes fall closed for a second and when he opens them again, they’re harder, and full of steely determination. “I’ll make you want me again.”

Grimacing, I force a pained smile to my lips. “I never wanted you, Sebastian.”

“Then you’ll learn to fucking pretend,” he yells, stalking toward me, and grabbing my upper arms in an unyielding grip as he leans down and kisses me.

His lips slam against mine and he forces his tongue into my mouth, kissing me with a punishing force that I loathe but which ignites something inside of me that’s been dormant since the last time he touched me.

My body threatens to wilt into him, but I force myself to stay ramrod straight, not lifting my hands to reach for him, or reacting to him at all. His growl of frustration is almost gratifying enough to make me smile, but I keep my lips flat and unmoving, not wanting him to think he’s done something to warrant my happiness.

“Kiss me back,” he growls.

Staying still I let him kiss me, but give him nothing in return. I want him to know that he might be able to take from me, but I won’t willingly give him anything.

Pulling away from me, he runs soft fingers over the skin at the back of my neck and I fight back a whimper. “I preferred your hair when it was long; when I could wrap my hand around it and tug on it,” he says, gripping a thick strand of hair and pulling until I whimper.

“I like it short,” I whisper.

The room is silent except for me and Sebastian but I can still feel the other guys’ presence, they’re still here, watching this all go down.

“You all live here, in this house?”

“Our families own it,” Clay says.

“Of course they do,” I nod, exhaling.

“I should go.” Before I can complete a single step, Sebastian tightens his hold on my hair and yanks me back to him.

“Go to our room.” He smiles, his gritted teeth not hidden by the composed front he’s trying to exude.

“No.”

“Little bird, you either go to our room, or you stay locked in your own room until I decide you can come out.”

I glance up at him for a minute, then nod. “I’ll take prison, I’ve become accustomed to loneliness and isolation the last couple of years.”

With a sharp tug, I yank my hair free of his hold, trying to hide the grimace of pain from my expression as I pad out of the kitchen. I manage to walk slowly until I’m out of sight, then I practically sprint out the front door, not caring about my belongings, just needing to be away from here, away from them, him. There’s nothing here that I’m not willing to abandon for my freedom. Reaching the foot gate, I place my key card against the scanner but nothing happens. Snapping my head to the side, I glance around nervously, knowing they’ll be following me soon, but the gate remains closed as I tap my card against it again and again.