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I hurry into the back of the bakery, to the bathroom, and I splash some water on my face. I calm down. I cool off. I look at myself in the mirror and mentally tell myself to pull it the fuck together.

Which I do.

When I return to the front of the bakery, it’s all business.

I make small talk with my best friend.

I ask Mary Beth about her love life and her job and let her talk while I work.

Things calm. Things settle.

I can’t worry about tonight. At least not right now.

Right now I need to focus on what’s right in front of me.

I take a breath, look forward and feel my heart try to stop.

Corbin is standing right outside the front door to the bakery.

I really don’t knowwhat would happen if Corbin opened the door and walked in.

I don’t know what Mary Beth will do or say. Or what I will do or say.

What the fuck…?

Corbin just stands there outside the door. He’s in jeans and a black and dark gray checkered flannel with the sleeves pushed way up. He’s massive. He’s looming. He’s fucking terrifying.

He lifts his hand.

I panic.

Instead of opening the door, he points.

He wants me to go to the back of the bakery.

“Shit,” I call out. “I’ll be right back. I just remembered something with our butter order. I was supposed to… fuck…”

I play my part and act as though I’m losing my mind on my phone as I hurry to the back of the bakery.

Mary Beth is glued to her phone anyway.

I rush to the back door of the bakery and push it open.

When I see Corbin approaching, he’s doing so with speed and purpose.

“Mary Beth is here,” I call out to him. “She’s sitting in the bakery. Remember her?”

Corbin closes in on me and steps into the bakery.

His right hand goes around my throat and he pushes.

“I don’t give a fuck who is here,” he growls. “You think you can ignore me, Katie? Really?”

“I wasn’t ignoring you,” I say. “Mary Beth…”

He drives me up against a wall.

To his left there’s a storage closet. He opens the door and then throws me into the closet.