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𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄

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The leasing agent stood in the middle of the sparsely furnished apartment, her tone detached. "So as I mentioned on the phone, the carpet will be steam cleaned before move-in," she explained, gesturing to a nearby outlet. "And there's a dock there for your iPod or iWhatever." 

Vivien glanced around the space, her eyes scanning the drab beige walls and the lackluster decor. "Uh, well, I'll tell you what I do like," she said, her voice heavy with fatigue. "I like that security guy at the door..." 

"Excuse me. Can we have a moment? Alone?" Violet interrupted, her voice sharp.

The agent blinked, slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered. "Sure," she replied, with a forced smile, already heading for the door. "I'll be in the rental office. Got someone else coming in twenty minutes." She disappeared, the door closing behind her with a faint click, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.

Violet wasted no time, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Glad we moved all the way to California since we could be literally anywhere."

"I think it has a certain..."

"You and Dad, both of you—" Violet cut her off, her words laced with accusation. "You don't deal with anything. The affair, the miscarriage. For most people, that's just life and they deal. But you guys had to uproot everything—drag everyone across the country to start over..."

Sunshine stood nearby, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, forcing her lips into an awkward, thin line. Here we go again. Violet had never been one to shy away from confrontation, especially with their parents. She seemed to thrive on calling them out, exposing every flaw like a surgeon wielding a scalpel. Sunshine admired that fierce spirit in her sister, but it also meant being stuck in the crossfire of endless arguments. 

Vivien tried to reason with her, but there was a weariness in her voice. "Honey, I don't think you've quite processed what happened to us in that house. That was devastating. That was a nightmare."

Violet scoffed, her frustration only growing. "This place is the nightmare. I love our house, it's got soul. It's where we kicked some ass, Mom. You say we were victims of something bad there. I say that's the place where we survived."

Vivien took a deep breath, her gaze softening at her daughter's defiance. "I love that you see it that way. I really do. But I'm pregnant. I can't stay there." She turned to Sunshine, her voice almost pleading for some support. "Sunshine?"

Sunshine stood there quietly, her eyes roaming the small, impersonal apartment. "I don't know, Mom," she finally sighed, looking down at her feet. "I left my friends and my whole life behind for that house. Vi did too... I vote no."

Vivien's face fell, her shoulders slumping as she absorbed her daughters' words. She let out a heavy sigh. "This is the decision that your father and I have made for our family together."

"Yeah, whatever." Violet rolled her eyes, her expression hardening. "But I'm telling you, you go ahead with this whacked-out plan, and I'm out of here. I'll run away. And believe me, I know how to leave so you'll never find me."

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Sunshine lay in bed, the covers twisted around her legs from all the tossing and turning. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the persistent thoughts of Tate. She had always found him attractive in a way she tried to ignore, but now, those feelings had grown into something else, something she couldn't easily dismiss. 

Her feelings had crept in unexpectedly, and now, they refused to leave. She wanted to be near him, to touch him, to feel his arms around her again like when he'd comforted her. That simple moment, so innocent yet so intense, had her head spinning. It was like a switch had flipped inside her. 

Sunshine groaned and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow as if that could smother the thoughts flooding her brain. A crush? Really? She wanted to bang her head against the nearest wall. This was so messed up. Tate was her sister's best friend—and, above all, there was something about him that still left her uneasy. She couldn't forget how unsettling he'd been in the basement, how there was this dark, dangerous edge to him that scared her.

But then he had saved them. Her family. Her sister. And that had changed everything. Sunshine now saw him in a new light—maybe too much of a new light.

Sunshine's bottom lip caught between her teeth as her thoughts drifted back to Tate's session with her father, the words he'd said about her still lingering in her mind. He had talked about her, in a way no one ever had. The things he had said he wanted to do to her... Her cheeks flushed, warmth spreading through her body as she felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. 

He had been right—she was a virgin. But not because of any lofty ideals about purity or waiting for marriage. It was a choice, one tied to her ambition, her drive to chase her dreams. Sunshine never had the time or interest in relationships, in anything that could distract her from her goals. 

She couldn't afford to let something, or someone, hold her back. The idea of ​​giving that part of herself away always felt like it might derail her plans, like it could change her, tie her down in a way she wasn't ready for.

But Tate made her wonder, made her question that resolve. And now, she couldn't stop thinking about him. About what it would feel like to let go, just for a moment, and let someone get close. 

Sunshine rolled onto her back, her breath coming in short, uneven bursts. The room felt warmer, her body responding to the flood of thoughts she couldn't push away. Her eyes fluttered shut, and in the darkness of her mind, she could see Tate—his intense gaze, the way he spoke so confidently, so unapologetically about the things he would do to her.

Her bottom lip glistened under her tongue, a soft sigh escaping her as her hand, which had been resting idly on her stomach, began to move. Slowly, almost hesitantly, her fingers traced a path downward. Her body stirred with each inch of progress, the heat pooling low as she imagined his hands instead of hers, imagined his voice whispering in her ear.

As she rubbed tight circles on her heat, the image of Tate held her focus, his presence guiding her every sensation. Each thought of him stirred something deeper within, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. The higher she climbed, the more vivid her imagination became.

But as the images of Tate became more intense, another figure began to emerge—darker, faceless. The Rubber Man. His sleek, black form loomed in her mind, hovering over her, taking Tate's place. The shift was jarring, confusing her as the two figures began to blur together.

She hesitated, her mind reeling, unsure of why the faceless figure had appeared in her fantasy. Yet, something about the rubber man intrigued her in ways she didn't expect. He and Tate alternated in her thoughts, flashes of one bleeding into the other, both figures commanding her attention.

A part of her wanted to pull away, to regain control, but another part—one she hadn't realized existed—was drawn to the dark, forbidden energy the rubber man brought. 

Sunshine surrendered fully to the fantasy, allowing herself to be swept away. Her mouth fell open, a soft gasp escaping her lips as her body arched into the sensation. The warmth that had been slowly building now surged through her like a tidal wave, her skin tingling with electric heat. She could almost feel Tate's hands ghosting over her, his whispered promises echoing in her mind.

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