If You Make a Deal With a Shadow...

Chapter 33

"I wish I could forget you. Wish I could unlove you. Wish that I can go back to the days before I met you. Then maybe you couldn't hurt me like you do. Make me feel the way you do. Keep me runnin' back to you."

- Unlove You by Ann Marie

**********

MONTHS LATER...

"Come lay with me," Payton grabbed Aubrey's wrists before she could respond and tugged her off the living room couch to stand up.

She pulled herself away from him. "Lay with you?" she spluttered. "Why? Where?"

He paused. "My room..." he said in a light voice.

Aubrey gave him a deadpan expression. "I am not going to have séx with you, Pay," she scolded.

Payton's eyebrows furrowed. "Who said anything about séx, Aub?"

She blushed and shook her head. "Look, Pay, I—"

He covered her mouth with his finger and she rolled her eyes. "I am not going to force you to have séx with me and I will not try anything," he said, a laugh playing in his voice. He then took his hand away.

"Uh..." she stuttered. "Fine. Okay," she relented as he led the way up to his room.

The room was very warm... cozy, in fact. She traced the floor and bed with her eyes as she took everything in. He followed her eyes and shook his head. He quickly grabbed her hand and she followed him to the couch that was in the corner of his room. She was now confused.

"Aubrey, I never said we were laying in the bed," he told her and shrugged. "Matter a fact, we can just sit her and watch TV, talk, or whatever."

She let go of the breath she was holding as he sat down. "You sure?"

Payton nodded and gave her a cheeky smile. "Yes, Aub."

"Well, then I wanna' talk," she said in a prideful voice as she sat beside him.

Payton leaned back and crossed his ankles before looking at her to continue. "Shoot."

"I... uh... just want your opinion on me going to school. Like, yes, I'm going to college to be a dentist, but you and everybody else knows that I want to be a chef... I guess what I'm asking is it worth it? Should I give up my dream for something that pays the bills and could put Junior through college easier?"

Payton leaned forward and stared her square in the eyes. "To be honest, Aub. I don't know. It's all up to you. Of course, you should chase your dreams so that's what I'm always going to recommend. Plus, we both know money isn't a big problem here."

She cut her eyes at him. "I am not going to be living with you forever, Payton. I need my own money. My own... well, everything! I want to be somebody. So, that's why I have to work... work til' I no longer have to introduce myself."

He nodded. "I can understand that, but you know I'll always be here for you. I should be providing for you. That's what this relationship is. I provide for you, not you provide for you."

Aubrey shook her head and chuckled. "See, that's your problem. Your world revolves around your contract and your Dom relationship," she laughed more openly. "I can't believe it. You drive me so batty. Like... you have the power to either make or ruin my day," she told him.

Payton's eyes grew wide nervously. "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that your feelings for me were so... strong," he croaked.

Aubrey smiled sadly. "That is a lie. You do know."