Natalie props a hand on her hip and shifts to the side, waiting. Her eyes are still boring into mine and I struggle not to laugh as she tries so hard to make me open up. She only has so much patience to give. I mimic her action with a smirk and she rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Her arm falls to her side in forfeit. We've done this before.

"Yeah, this isn't how we work. I'll be right back."

Natalie spins around, her long platinum locks have a tint of strawberry blonde to them this summer. I tried going blonde once. Not a full golden hue, I just wanted some summery sunset tones to add to my darkest brown color.

The stylist fucking ruined my hair to the point it was melting off. I wanted to slash her tires for it. After that, I never dyed my hair again.

"Where are you going?" I ask after her.

She turns around, walking backwards. "James wants to talk to me. He called me a couple of hours ago and said to slide by. I told him I was already coming to see my favorite wannabe stepmama. So when I'm through with him, be ready."

A chill runs through my heart. Instant paranoia pales me. Natalie jokes, but she doesn't realize how close to the truth she is. I shake my head.

As she takes the stairs down to the basement, I wonder when James called her and why. Not that I really care, but after how things have been lately between us—

An exaggerated scream echoes throughout the brownstone, followed by my name. "Aubrey!"

Making my way downstairs, my heart rate increases with each step I take closer to James's office. My palms are damp with nerves. I'm not sure how he's going to react to seeing me. But one thing I do know, I'm dying to see him. My heart misses him. We're both working just steps away from each other and yet it feels like it's miles.

Reaching the bottom step, my pulse is hammering in my neck as I wonder what I'm going to walk into. Natalie is leaning on the doorjamb with her hip cocked to the side and her arms crossed in front of her. Large gold hoops poke through the openings of her hair. She turns her head toward me and drops her arms to stand up straight.

Eyes wide, she lifts her hand. Her words rush out of her mouth.

"Why is he watching this? What happened to the pact we made? Just because you're getting boned on the regular doesn't mean you can forget about our deal."

Puzzled, I turn into the room, avoiding James's gaze and look at the television.

"Really, James?" I turn toward him with my arms crossed in front of my chest and lift my brow. "The Silence of the Lambs?" Nat and I had made a deal to never watch that fucking creepy movie ever again. I’m still traumatized over the John who wore a Hannibal Lector mask and asked me to rub lotion on him or I'd get the cock again.