It seemed to take forever for Gabe to fall asleep. I was rolled on my side, facing away from Gabe, and had the blankets up against my chest. His breathing finally turned rhythmic and was followed by his light snoring.

I sat up and turned to look at Gabe. He was lying on his back. The key lying on his bare chest was taunting me. It looked so easy to snatch, but I knew Gabe would wake up if I tried to touch it.

I let out a deep breath as I placed my feet on the floor. I crept across the creaky floor to my sundress that lay crumpled on the floor. Gabe had ripped it off of me as he began his assault. I slipped it on and snuck over to the door. I looked over at Gabe's sleeping body one last time before stepping out into the hallway.

There was no way I could get the key off of Gabe, but I had to try the doors one more time. There is the possibility that they forgot to lock the door. If I was caught downstairs, I could always lie and say I was getting a drink of water.

I kept looking over my shoulder as I went down the hallway to the stairs. I held onto the banister and took the creaky stairs two at a time. I hurried across the kitchen to the back door.

I pulled on the door knob, but it did not budge. I mumbled a curse as I tried the door again. They were smart. They were not going to be careless and leave the door unlocked. Gabe has been locking his mother in this house for his entire life.

My heart pounded as the stairs creaked. I spun around and I could see Taylor walking down the steps. He was digging the heel of his hand into his eye as he was yawning. He was not wearing a shirt and I could see that he had a similar key around his neck. He stopped and raised an eyebrow when he saw me.

"Lindsay, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I could not sleep," I said. "I was getting something to drink."

I hurried away from the door and over to the sink. I grabbed one of the glasses and filled it full of water before taking a sip. Taylor did not move as he watched me. I set the glass down on the counter and smiled.

"I should be getting back to bed," I said.

"Why were you by the door?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

Taylor stepped into the kitchen. I swallowed past the lump that was forming in my throat.

"Were you trying to leave?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Of course not."

Taylor's lips twisted into a wicked smile. I took a step back, and I was pressed against the counter. He came closer to me with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Lindsay, you are not a very good liar," he said. "Should I go get Gabe?"

"No." I shook my head. "No, there is no reason to wake him up."

"He would be really upset if he knew that you were up."

"There is nothing wrong with getting a drink."

"We both know that is not what you were doing."

I could feel the colour drain from my face. Taylor was the one who slit Alyssa's throat. He was a killer like the rest of his family.

"You should get back upstairs," he said. "And you better hope that I don't tell Gabe in the morning. He would be quite upset to know that you were trying to leave."

My eyes dropped to the floor. I hurried past Taylor and went up the stairs. I went into Gabe's room, and I carefully shut the door behind me. Gabe's snoring told me that he was still asleep. I pulled my dress off and slid back into bed.

I could not sleep because of my racing mind. If Taylor told Gabe that I was up then Gabe would never let me out of his sight. He would probably do something sick like tie me to the bed so that I could not get up in the middle of the night. That would ruin any possibility of me being able to escape.

I was awake all night as worry sat deep in my chest.

--

I was on high alert as I helped Jenny prepare breakfast. Gabe was sitting in the dining room with Noah and Dylan. Taylor had yet to come down. The worry that Taylor would tell Gabe about me being in the kitchen consumed me. I kept looking over at the stairs and the dining room to make sure that Taylor had not come down.

Once we were finished cooking, Jenny went to the bottom of the stairs and yelled up for Taylor.

"Breakfast is ready!" she called out.

I rushed into the dining room. The stairs creaked as Taylor came down the stairs. I could not let Taylor tell Gabe about last night.

I sat next to Gabe. I flashed him a smile. Underneath the table, I put my hand on his thigh. He looked shocked by my actions.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"I am feeling great," I lied.

Taylor walked into the dining room behind Jenny. He smirked at me, and my stomach tightened into a knot. I rested my head against Gabe's shoulder, and he tensed underneath me. Noah hid his smile, and I wondered if they thought that they had already broken me. Maybe if I continued to play along, I could gain enough of their trust.

"Lindsay, you seem to be in a good mood," Noah said.

"I slept well," I said.

"I told you that you would," Jenny said.

"You slept all night?" Taylor asked.

"Yes," I said.

I raised my head off of Gabe's shoulder. I kept my hand on Gabe's leg throughout breakfast. Luckily, Taylor did not say another word as we ate. Jenny made me help her clear the table after, and I worried that Taylor would say something while I was gone.

I was setting the plates down in the sink when Gabe and Taylor walked out of the dining room. The two of them were talking, but I had no idea about what. Gabe was smiling and laughing, so I doubt they were discussing what I was worrying about.

I wrapped my arms around Gabe's neck. I looked up at him to see him smile even wider. He put his hands on my waist.

"I like you like this," Gabe said.

I ran my hands up into his dark hair. I could feel the sweat building up on the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry for how I have acted," I said. "I was just scared."

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said.

Gabe leaned down to kiss me and I forced myself to kiss him back. When he swiped his tongue along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth to grant him access. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for him to finish. When he pulled away, I noticed his family was watching us.

"I'm going to miss you today," he said.

"I'll miss you too," I said.

Gabe kissed me once more before taking a step back. I watched him leave as Taylor followed him outside. I hurried over to the sink to look out the window. Gabe and Taylor were talking, and I had no way to stop them. They would be outside all day and I would have no way to stop them.

I jumped when a hand touched my shoulder. Jenny was standing behind me with a smile as she watched me watch Gabe.

"They will be back inside in no time," she told me. "Don't worry about it."

I was full of worry. I was terrified that Taylor was going to tell Gabe about last night.