If You Make a Deal With a Shadow...

Chapter 11

"Tell me 'cause I need to know if it's really gonna' be you. Who'll be around and stay around. Take the ride for me. Pick a side for me. Never hide from me."

- The Line by dvsn

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Payton showed up again at the apartment the next day. He knew he probably shouldn't have and she'd be still mad bite didn't care. How he managed to piss her off two days in a row was beyond him but he was determined to right his wrongs. Austin answered the door once again and quickly apologized for Aubrey's behavior from the day before. Payton dismissed his apology. "It's okay. She had a right to act that way. She was only worried about her child."

Austin smiled before ushering Payton in. He pointed out to Payton where her bedroom was. She wasn't very happy to see him to say the least. "What are you doing here?" Aubrey hissed when Payton walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind himself. She was now sitting up in her bed, a book in hand.

He ignored her rudeness and looked over at Junior a smiling Junior, who was coloring a picture of Wolverine in his Marvel Superhero's coloring book. "Junior. Can you please excuse me and your mommy for a little talk?" Payton asked politely. Junior nodded silently and went to hug him before exiting the room as instructed.

"What do you want?" she asked authoritatively and set her book down on the bed. Her arms were now folded across her chest and she sat on her bed Indian style.

Payton sat next to her and her body slightly stiffened. "Stop biting your lip," he breathed and she quickly rearranged her expression.

"What do you want again?" she asked, trying to keep herself from looking at his beautifully sculpted face. God. She was still so mad, but for some reason she was happy to see him.

"I came to apologize... again," he spoke slowly and she just looked at him in disbelief. "I was terribly wrong for just taking your son and leaving. I did not mean to lose your trust," he scratched his head. He wasn't really good with the whole apologizing thing.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't feel comfortable with you near me or my son anymore. I would like it if you left now," she said in all seriousness, not accepting his apology at all.

"C'mon now. I said I was sorry," he practically begged. What she didn't know was that Payton never begged.

Ever.

"I honestly do not care at this point. That was far too careless, and I'm pretty sure your girlfriend—"

He groaned. "I don't have a girlfriend and I know you know that."

"Still. I c—" he cut her off by grabbing her face and capturing her lips. He pushed her hair back and moved closer to overpower her mouth. Aubrey was shocked so all she could do was sit there before it all finally registered in her head.

A loud scream made them both jump back. Aubrey was breathing erratically and when she looked over at Payton she noticed he seemed hardly fazed by the heat of the kiss. They both then took their eyes from each other to look towards the bedroom door—where the scream came from—and noticed Junior covering his eyes while screaming at the top of his lungs. He ran back out of the room. "Mr. Man kissed mommy... or mommy kissed Mr. Man!" he yelled repeatedly

Aubrey rolled her eyes at her overly-dramatic son and Payton looked at them both with an amused expression. She stuck her tongue out at him and when he snapped at it she quickly drew it back in. He winked when he noticed how shocked she looked before standing up and stretching his limbs.