They don't need to know.

just have a seat.

Carter opened the door to let me in. I followed behind him as he led me into the living room. I was waiting for him to announce that he has a friend with him but he just kept quiet. The house seemed silent, as if no one was there.

"Just have a seat," he said as he motioned me to the couch.

"Where's your friend?" I questioned.

"Oh, he's not home," he claimed. I stared at him wondering why we were still in the house if no one was there. "That's why it's taking long. I don't know where he put the thing."

I offered to help him look and he agreed. He said he was looking for a bright green ring. He led me to his friend's room and suggested I look in there while he looked somewhere else. I dropped to my hands and knees to look under the dresser, desk and his friend's bed. I saw nothing so I looked through the closet and found the ring sitting on a shelf.

"I found it!" I yelled out.

I looked down and noticed something else just then. I saw a box with a little picture sticking out and I could see in the background; in the corner of the picture, a house that looked a lot like mine. I got curious and pulled out the picture. It was a photograph of Carter and my cousin, the day she had her birthday party at my house. I know because I took the picture. I questioned why it was there and my curiosity grew stronger. I grabbed the box and opened it to find a bunch of pictures of them two. I continued to question why Carter's friend had a bunch of pictures of them. Confusion started to overtake my mind, so I stood up and noticed that all of the clothes in that closet belonged to Carter. I then realized that I was in Carter's room . . . In Carter's house. Why did he need to lie?

"Enjoying my closet?"

I jumped up and turned around to see Carter leaning against the door frame. He had an ominous look to his face and a stare that could not be broken.

"I thought you said this was your friend's house," I said with a shaky voice. He wasn't responding but he continued to stare into my eyes as he walked towards me. "Are you okay, Carter?" My eyes widened the closer he got. "Carter?"

He was standing right in front of me, still staring and suddenly breathing heavily, as if he just ran up a flight of stairs. I dropped my head, trying to avoid eye contact. He stepped closer until we were breathing each other's air and the tip of our toes were nearly touching. I tried to back away but a stack of boxes were right behind me and I couldn't move.

"Carter, what are you doing?" I said in a soft, somber voice. Again, he didn't reply but he brought his hand to my chin and lifted my head as he lowered his. I was in such a state of shock that I became immobilized as he planted his lips upon mine. I opened my eyes when I realized I let that happen and attempted to push him away. He brought me in for another kiss, but this time he kept his lips on mine much longer.

I tried to push him away again but his strength prevented it. Just then, I became extremely defensive and began to aggressively try to shove him off. I felt my lips being released for a second or two before he pulled me back in for more. It kept going until I finally managed to shove him off and without thinking, I clenched my fist, aimed right at his face and threw a punch straight to his nose, knocking him off balance as he stepped back a few steps.

"You little bitch," he said, now with a bright flame in his eyes. "You just made your life a living hell." I contemplated running but no matter how fast or what direction I took off, he'd catch me within seconds. So instead, I stood there as he stepped towards me again. This time, it wasn't his lips that touched mine . . .

It was his fist.