I wake up to the sound of Marcus singing loudly in the shower down the hall. I appreciate him replying so quickly to my call, but I already find myself anxious for him to leave. I’m used to the quiet noises of living alone. Zeus had brought enough life into the house for my liking, but now I have to get used to a roommate. The only other people I occasionally see are the housekeepers. A team comes in once a week to tidy up so the house doesn’t get dirty.Despite waking up to the tone-deaf version of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, I find myself eager to start the day. I get to see Ava, and I think I’m going to ask her out. I felt enough of a connection with her yesterday to boost my confidence. Ellie had mentioned she talked about me, and that means I still have a chance.After using the bathroom, I went to the closet to find something to wear. Marcus steps out of the bathroom down the hall, still humming something I can’t make out.“You finished? I’m about to jump in. Can you let Z

*Seymore’s POV*I drop Zeus’s leash the moment I see Conner behind Ava. He grabs her before I have the chance to warn her he’s there. I watch as he slaps her, hard. My adrenaline is more than I can stand as I bang at the glass door, trying to get it to break.“Get off of her!” I scream, causing Conner to turn around and look at me before delivering a kick to her side.I’m going to kill him. The minute I get through these doors, he’s a dead man.I rush over to the buzzer box and start frantically buzzing her condo. Ellie is up there, I saw her. She just needs to let me in and I’ll turn this entryway into a real crime scene. Zeus is barking non-stop at Conner, ropes of saliva dripping from his muzzle as he bares his teeth.I watch as Conner delivers a few more blows before glancing up the winding stairwell. He looks back at me one last time, flashing me an evil smile, before taking off past the elevator and down a hall. I see Ellie fly down the steps and drop down next to Ava.

*Ava’s POV*Panic grows in my chest as I search the darkness for any sign of Zeus. My own pain takes a backseat as I focus on finding him. Some low whining from somewhere in front of me pulls my attention deeper into the darkness. I scan the ground, hoping he isn’t injured and lying on the grass. I don’t know what I’ll do if Zeus is hurt. It’s already my fault Seymore’s house was turned upside down. Conner must have figured out where he lived and came over with some of his friends to ransack the place. My ex isn’t just threatening Seymore now, he’s a danger to Zeus as well.It’s the only thing that makes sense. Who else would do something like this? I feel like I’m taking advantage of Seymore’s kindness. Maybe I should put some distance between us. Before I can obsess too much over the situation with Seymore, Zeus comes crawling out from some underbrush. “Come here, baby,” I coo after yelling for Seymore. I drop down as low as my tender rips will allow and wrap my arms a

Marcus guides me to a suburban neighborhood. All the houses look remarkably similar and hold no old-world touches. A newer neighborhood, if I have to guess. I can also assume Conner makes a decent paycheck to be able to afford to live in this location. All the houses are two-story with white picket fences.Marcus texts me the address and adds, “He has a doorbell camera out front, but the back should be clear.”Looking around, it would appear that most of the neighbors are at work. Marcus gets out of his car and I do the same, walking up to him casually. “So, what’s your plan?” I ask, wondering what he has in mind.I don’t know that I’m okay with trashing Conner’s place, I plan to destroy his life silently. That, and I don’t want to bring any more heat onto Ava. I have no doubts that if Conner catches Marcus or me on camera, he will find a way to punish her.“Nothing too major,” Marcus says, looking up and down the street to see if anyone is looking. “Break in, dig around a l

*Seymore’s POV*I look down at the tracking app and am shocked to find the wrong car stalking around Ava’s condo. I had thought Conner was having another go, but the blip is the tracker Marcus had planted on the tail earlier. The only reason I set it to Ava’s block is because I see him sitting outside Dr. Davies’ office a lot. “What would he be doing over there?” Marcus wonders, saying the question in my head out loud. “I have no idea,” I reply.“Should we go check on her place?” he continues.“No, the girls were at the bar when I messaged a little while ago. Let’s see if he hangs out or if he moves on.”I watch the app more than the television as we finish the pizza and Marcus’ show comes to an end. The stranger had moved on, but not very far. He drove about fifteen minutes away to another part of town. His house maybe? After looking up the address, I found an apartment community on the map.He sits there for what feels like forever before suddenly speeding away. “W