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She ca her small, cold one in his Wordlessly he led her to the front door, then scouted around for a rock Finding one, he drew back, ready to fling it through the plate glass living room

She stopped his hand “What are you doing?”

“Getting us inside”

She gave hie look “Try the key It’s in the loose brick under the top step”

He cast a look doard, saw the brick sticking out “It’s not half as fun…”

She didn’t smile “Use the key”

He found the key in the cru place and slipped it into the lock The door opened with a whining creak He flashed his flashlight into the gloohtly in his Sla the door shut behind them, he led her down the foyer, past the massive kitchen, into the dark room that had once been her father’s office Even now, all these years later, it still sar smoke and power

He fished a book of e whitefirewood from the copper barrel on the hearth, he built a fire Fla-dry wood Heat pumped into the cold room

And still she stood there, shivering, un

He went to her and took her hands in his When their gazes met, he saw her anxiety, and the words he’d practiced stuck in his throat

“Why are we here? You kno I feel about this place”

He heard the fear in her voice and he ached for her, just as he had so many times in the past He didn’t know the particulars of what had happened to her in this house, with that crazy, mean old man as her father, but he knew she’d been hurt “This is where it happened, and it seeins”

“I don’t understand”

He looked around the room It was exactly as he re to the furniture now and the faint scent of mildew Silver sconces, black with tarnish, still held thick white candles Two huge burgundy leather chairs sat huddled in the corner, backed up to heavily paneled walls Long, dirty s parenthesized the fireplace, their panes half-covered by dusty drapes The sa “This is where I sold my soul for ten thousand dollars”

“We don’t have to talk about it,” she said, and he could tell she meant it But there was too much between them, too much at risk, to pretend he hadn’t done what he’d done to her If they were going to have any chance for a future, he had to atone for the past