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“Hi, Red” Stanley was inside and shutting the door behind hiainst the door with a can of cheap beer in his hand “Good party Didn’t bring your new loverboy back with you tonight?”

Adrenaline gave her a voice even if fear had paralyzed her body “He’s…he’s in the bathrooet out of here fast And that key was for eot I still had it, didn’t you?” He sency, baby I want you back and I’et you”

“Matt!” she screa to scare Stanley off Her , but she couldn’t think clearly for sheer terror

“Nice try, but we both know there’s nobody else here I watched you come in alone”

She felt sick “You watchednoise that unnerved her “I forgot to knock Sorry”

“I don’t knohat you’re hoping to achieve by all this because we’re not getting back together Give o”

He eased himself away froarette smoke Her heart thumped painfully as he threw himself onto the sofa, stretched out, and made himself comfortable “But, baby, it’s cold outside”

“I’ you to leave” She spoke as slowly and cal to feel helpless “And give ht as he fished it out of his shirt pocket and twirled it in his fingertips, the et it”

“If you don’t do as I say, I’ll call the cops”

“They won’t be interested in a doument, sweetheart They havereal dau me!”

He shook his head sadly “Poor, naïve little Piper I have a key, a key you gavepolice time”

“You are not nation overrode her fear “The police will take my word over yours You really must be drunk”

He stumbled to his feet and lurched toward her “I ht made me realize what an ass I’d been and how much I miss you”

She shook her head in disbelief “Don’t you res you said to me on Christmas Eve? The list of reasons why you couldn’t stand to spend another minute as my boyfriend?”

“Heat of the ot into me”