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himself.
    “Sid, this is Lilly. Lilly Lavelle, meet Sidney Sinclair.” Ray mimicked the hand gestures of a very forced introduction.
    “Sidney. Of course,” Lilly purred with the sincerity of a terrorist.
    She reminded me of a sleek black panther as she prowled across the room towards me and extended her elegant hand. “You’re Ray’s little high school girlfriend from back home, right? Pretty necklace,” she purred as she admired my pendant.
    I accepted the hand, not knowing what else to do. At least it wasn’t a razor sharp claw.
    “Ex,” Ray corrected.
    Lilly had prowled, I mean moved, back to stand next to Ray, and brushed her body against his as she pulled her hair to one side and seductively asked; “Do you mind helping a gal out?”
    I watched in horror as Ray gripped the zipper and pulled it up, stretching my dress over her hourglass figure, realizing that he had just called me his ex -girlfriend.
    Still speechless, I looked at Ray, who angrily stared back at me with cold, emotionless eyes. I realized, as I observed the beautiful Lilly Lavelle, that she and my ex were both dressed formally. I was too late. Ray already had plans to celebrate his birthday; apparently with his new girlfriend.
    Three’s a crowd…guess which number I was. I had become an unwelcome guest in a house I had once considered my home. My eyes burned with salt water. I closed them and tried to force the tears back inside.
    “I feel so stupid,” I whispered as I quickly stood up and walked numbly to the door.
    “Sid, wait.”
    Ray reached for my hand as his emotional wall slowly began to come down. But it was too late. Just as his wall was coming down, mine was going up. Ray had replaced me. Just like all of his other easily acquired possessions, I was no different.
    I ripped my hand away from his and vigorously shook my head. “I’m sorry I came here,” I cried as I ran out of the room and down the stairs, heading towards the massive planks of wood that encaged me in this fortress.
    Ray started to chase after me but then I heard the panther suggest, “Just let her go, Ray. Move on.”
    I heard him as he stepped back to her.
    Once outside I gasped for breath, wanting to escape this burning inferno inside my chest. The March air stood still and stagnant as the world around me began to close in and I started to feel as if it were swallowing me whole. I had to get away from this place. I scanned the grounds for the easiest escape route, my feet itching to do a five-hundred yard dash down the driveway.
    Then I heard the sound of a car engine roar to life and I looked up. It was Finn in his newly purchased Dodge Challenger, another reminder of who owned these boys. He had tried to warn me about what I might find upstairs and knowing the probable outcome, he had been waiting to take me back to the airport.
    I kept my head down as I slowly did the walk of shame to his car. Without saying a word, I got in and buckled my seat belt. We began our journey to the airport and Finn knew well enough to avoid conversation with me.
    I tried to settle myself, to focus on what had just happened. It had been three months since our relationship had entered this rough patch. Sure we had broken up over the phone, but that was just because Ray was so angry that I hadn’t moved back. I didn’t think he was serious about permanently walking away from me. I thought they were all just idle threats. We had still spoken on the phone every night and told each other we loved one another. Deep down he had to understand my dilemma. I couldn’t leave Granny by herself in her condition. My boyfriend knew that.
    Halfway to the airport, Finn finally decided to break the uncomfortable silence.
    “Ray loves you, Sidney, you know that.”
    I didn’t answer. After seeing that cunning vixen in my dress and hearing Ray utter “ex,” how could I believe he had any feelings left for me at all?
    I sat in silence, staring at the road ahead. I realized I had wasted an