of her living room, her eyes

the cat to your apartme

ot asking. He is informing her. He has effortlessly inserted himse

hovering over the keyboard. She re

Do not bother. My f

hits

er, the text typing... appe

. She holds her breath, star

efficiency is lacking. My pe

ke a physical wall closing in on her. He is

ass. Do you always enjoy meddling i

wants to pierce that impenetrable arm

her sticker menu and sends a high

wa

sses. Then fi

Cooke has read her message and

groans in frustration, throwing her head back against the sofa c

l clock on her microwave.

scles ache from the stress of the past hour. She tosses the phone onto the coffee table

eyes. The darkn

BZZZ

phone against the glass cof

heart hammers in her th

s Gr

wer, pressing the

Green roars. His voice is so lou

away from her face. "I just decl

nic in her father's voice is palpable. "He had his assistant call my office and state that the terms nee

htens. "His schedule has nothing to do with me

to a lethal whisper. "If you do not fix this tonight, if you do not make

ches the air o

fingernails dig into the leather of the

hang

She hates her father. She hates the Cooke family. She hates the entire co

e love

h the back of her hand. She pick

e picture. It feels like she i

gers to type: I apologiz

It tastes like

grudgingly opens her GIF keyboard. She searches for 'cute

humili

creen. The clock

th

oo small. She curses Barron Cooke in her head. She pictures him as a wrinkle

, the phon

lunges

Cooke

s at the sing

She sacrificed her pride, she apologized, and a

all self

t do you want from me? Are you just sitting there tryin

resse

threat about the river. She presses her finger against the

delete it, hi

M in London. It is 9:30 PM

ne fr

me dif

she completely forgot New York is five hours behind. He

t creeps up her neck and covers her

late an excuse, anot

rgetic, we will use this time to establish some f

k threatening on the screen. She feels the distinct sens

you want to talk about? I don't understand

cator flashes f

ow you plan to prove to me that you a

size of saucers. The phone slips from

n my

n her head, heav