If You Make a Deal With a Shadow...

Chapter 49

"Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry? Have you ever needed something so bad you can't sleep at night? Have you ever tried to find the words but they don't come out right?"

- Have You Ever by Brandy

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Aubrey shut the door after Lou Ferrigno, her personal trainer, leaves Payton's home. He was a cool guy. He trained Michael Jackson and played as "The Incredible Hulk". His work outs were definitely time consuming and tiring, but he found many ways to make them fun for Aubrey. She loved him and his company. They talked about everything under the sun and was very easy to talk to.

"Babe, how are you feeling?" came Payton's voice.

A startled Aubrey turned around. She held her chest with her back to the front door. "Jeez, you gave me a fright," she whispered before blowing out a breath and shaking her head. "How do you think it went? It goes how it does every time he comes," she looked down at her sweat-covered body.

Payton chuckled. "You still look beautiful even though you stink," he teased.

"Whatever," she flicked her hand dismissively before walking past him. She reached the stairs. "I'm getting in the shower," she sang and right then Payton's arm hooked around her waist.

"You know..." he smiled against her neck. She visibly shivers. "Even though you didn't sign the contract..." her face fell as he continued. "I'm thinking about keeping you around for another year," he said as if that would be news to jump for joy for.

Aubrey turned around slow and his face changed when he noticed her expression. "You think that's okay?" she whisper-yelled and Payton took a step back, letting his arm fall back to his side.

"What do you mean? That's the first time—" he was stopped by Aubrey him mid-sentence.

"You're arrogant as hell," she shook her head and began ascended the stairs once more. "And stupid," she murmured low, but he heard her.

"God!" he bellowed loudly. "Are you ever happy? I make choices for you that I never even thought about before you came into my life!" he was now angry. "Why can't you just accept me? Why can't you just be grate—"

"Stop it right there!" she snarled at him. "Because I can leave and don't ever forget who is chasing who," she gritted out. They both stared each other down and there was a pregnant pause between them before Aubrey exhaled to calm herself. "I am grateful for everything you've done, trust me, but I want more and you know it. You were the first man I knew I loved. Hell, my first sexual experience was with you. Basically, my first everything. Then here you go, ruining everything with that stupid contract," she stomped her foot. "You get to be happy and use me as a toy but I get nothing? I want you. That's all I ask, but you're too dámned stubborn to admit anything to me. Let alone the fact that you actually have feelings for me. What happened to, 'I don't wanna' corrupt you, Aubrey' and all that jazz?" she sighed as she rubbed her temples. "You are one confusing man and how I still love you is way beyond me," she concludes before turning around.

"It's over," he said to her back.

Aubrey stopped in her tracks and turned around, one of her eyes twitching. "What's over?" she laughed a crazy laugh. "I dare you to say us because you and I both know dámn well that we could never be over. So..." she smiled. "... try again."

"No, I meant about you saying that you love me. It has got to stop. It's gone too far and now your son is confused about who I am," Payton explained.

It took every muscle in Aubrey to not slap the living day lights out of Payton Hampton right at that second. Really, it took a lot.