I was back in the house by the time Anne arrived back from her weekend away. I tried to pretend everything was okay when the deadline for my change hung over my head like a guillotine, but I still tried to sound happy and smile while Anne told me about her weekend.

"As long as you had fun," I said.

"So what were you up to this weekend?" she asked me.

"Not much. I spent most of the time at home, reading and watching TV. Nothing exciting." I added a shrug of my shoulders to add to the lie.

I couldn't exactly tell Anne that I'd cut myself and that in an emotionless episode nearly walked straight to the monster that had nearly killed me.

We talked for a little longer. I was tired. It had been a very busy and eventful weekend and all I wanted was to crawl into my own bed and sleep. I said good night to Anne and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She hugged me close and I hugged her back.

In my room, I got my pajamas and went into my bathroom. It was spotless; there was no evidence of what had happened on Friday night. Someone had cleaned everything up. I showered quickly and got dressed into my pajamas. I brushed my hair and teeth. I switched off the bathroom light, and as I entered my bedroom I stopped.

Lying on my bed with his eyes closed, his arms bent and his hands under his head, lay Jared.

What is he doing here?

He was dressed in a shirt and sweatpants. His leather jacket hung over my chair in front of my desk. At least my bedroom door was closed because I could just imagine my grandmother's face if she saw Jared lying on my bed. It wouldn't go down well at all.

Although, remembering the last time she'd met him, he'd be able to charm her within minutes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him in a hushed tone.

"I'm here to make sure you don't wander off in the middle of the night," he replied lazily, with his eyes still closed. I hadn't thought of that. He had a point and I couldn't argue with that. Nobody could guarantee that I wouldn't have an emotionless episode in the middle of the night and decide to climb out of my bedroom window to find Mason.

Mason. Just the thought of his name sent a shiver of fear down my spine.

Jared hadn't mentioned anything about this earlier on as he'd helped me pack up all of my stuff and walked me to my house a few hours earlier. I'd asked him for a couple of hours on my own before Anne arrived home. With everything that had been going on, I'd needed some normality, to just forget for a few moments about everything that had been on my mind. I felt like my life was spiraling out of control and that slowly but surely I was losing myself.

Burying my head in the sand and ignoring what was happening to me wasn't going to change anything, but I had needed a time out. He hadn't left me unguarded because I'd seen Tyler's black SUV parked across the road.

I stood in my bedroom, watching Jared lying on my bed looking completely relaxed. He looked at me and studied me for a moment. The impact of his eyes as they locked with mine made my stomach flip. I switched the light off and walked to my bed. Jared adjusted himself and he lay on his side on top of my comforter, facing me. I climbed under my comforter and turned around so that I had my back to him. He didn't touch me at all.

I wasn't sure exactly what we were. We had feelings for each other but I didn't know exactly what that meant. Was it casual or was it more? No guy had ever pulled feelings from me like Jared did. My inexperience and the answer to the question stopped me from asking. I didn't want to be something that he saw as casual.

I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep. Every cell in my body was hyperaware of every slight movement he made beside me. Somehow I managed to fall asleep.

Later, in the middle of the night, I woke up. I felt strange again and I tried to move but Jared was holding me from behind, his arm draped loosely around my waist. Slowly I looked back to see he was sleeping. I eased out of his hold, disgusted by his touch but trying not to wake him. Once I had climbed out of the bed, I stopped and turned to make sure I hadn't woken him up, but he moved slightly and then stilled.

The burning need to find Mason overwhelmed the nothingness inside. Finding him was the only thing that mattered. Quietly, I walked to my bedroom window and opened the curtains to peer out the open window. Across the street, standing near a streetlight, was Mason. The sight of him urged me to him.

I turned around and saw Jared was still in the bed, sleeping. I crept to the other side of my room and tried to open the door. It was locked. How was it locked? My hands released the handle and saw my key was missing from the lock. I never locked my door.

"You looking for this?" asked Jared quietly, taking me by surprise. I turned to see him holding something in his hand as he sat facing me in the bed. I didn't move. From the moonlight that filtered through my bedroom window, I could see what he was holding in his hand. It was the key to my bedroom door.

"You can't keep me here," I stated. I was adamant. He gave a hollow laugh and climbed out of the bed and walked toward me until he stood a couple of feet in front of me. He was tall and formidable. I could feel the power emanating from him as his eyes held mine.

"Yes, I can," he stated matter-of-factly. He had that cocky look on his face. He was stronger than me. He was right, he could make me do whatever he wanted. I had to think of a way around this. The need within me burned deeper, turning desperate.

"You have to let me go," I insisted calmly.

He didn't bother to respond and remained where he was, watching me with hard eyes.

"I belong to him. I need to get to him," I told him coldly. There was a moment of hurt on his face at my words before it disappeared.

"You don't belong to him," he whispered as he stared at me intently. There was emotion in his voice. He felt something for me, but I felt nothing for him. My mind started to think through scenarios to use his feelings for me against him.

"I have to get to him. You don't understand," I said, trying to reason with him, because physically there was no way for me to fight him. But even as my words left my mouth, I could see he wasn't going to let me go.

I couldn't explain the burning need growing stronger inside of me that propelled me to Mason. If he wouldn't let me go, I had to find a way out.

Mason. He was waiting for me.

"By keeping him from me you're hurting me," I told him, my voice level and calm.

I slowly edged around Jared as he continued to watch me.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm protecting you."

Did he realize what I was going to do? He didn't make a move to stop me; instead, his eyes followed my slow movements.

"Just let me go to him and I'll be better," I said, trying a slightly different route.

A couple of feet away from my open bedroom window, my eyes snuck a quick glance at my only escape out of the room.