I admire Avery's strength as a mother as we both power through the night trying to find out all we could on ghosts. Of course there was endless websites with tips and tricks but where on Earth do you find a warlock?!

Did we even need a warlock because another page said we needed a witch?!

Sleep had got the better of me, once or twice but every time I woke, I would find Avery's eyes scanning over pages on the laptop, a note pad beside her full of notes and a pen between her lips for when she needed it. 

It was now Tuesday morning and I swear it felt like Sunday morning after a boozy night out on the Vegas strip.

"Auntie Riley!" Both girls cheered seeing me sat at the table for breakfast. They had both woke up again but after what I saw in their room, suggested they go and camp in their mommy's room. Which then led to me making a tipi from the lamp shade at 3.40am. The excitement must have worn them out as they both eventually slept through. 

"Hey girlies, come sit down." I grin trying my best to look happy when inside I want to curl up and cry. Tiredness and me don't mix. Never have and never will. 

Once again, I'm in awe of Avery as she turns into her cheerful self, despite having the world on her shoulders. "Good morning my angels!" 

I then watch as she makes them breakfast, chats and then helps them get ready for school, without a flicker of worry in her eyes. Once the girls are upstairs brushing their teeth, I see her sag against the kitchen table. 

"Hey," I say making her look up at me. "I'm gonna sort this."

She shakes her head "How? Unless you can get past the incredible sulk, I don't see how."

Avery had taken to calling Zak the incredible sulk, because we both had no idea why he flipped his shit that day, but right now, he is the last of my worries. The twins had my full attention. 

"I'll sort it." I promise her, knowing full well I might not be able to keep that promise, but I will do my upmost to. 

She sighs and collects the breakfast bowls the girls had used, seeing mine untouched. "You have to eat."

"Have you?" I ask her.

She turns with a bowl of muesli and sits at the table before eating it whilst listening to the girls feet upstairs.

Sinking back into my chair, I listen too not only their footsteps and occasional stomps, but at the giggling too. They are too young to be dealing with all this...

"I'm gonna go home, change and go to work." I tell Avery getting up from my seat.

"Isn't it Zak's house today?"

"Yeah and I am getting in that house. One way or the other." I tell her.

****

I think I am learning the language of grunts, as I pass the security guard who gives me one grunt in recognition. I in turn, grunt back from tiredness as he presses the button to allow me onto the community. 

My eyes don't venture to the big houses, lush lawns or fancy cars. No, my eyes are pinned on the road in front of me, determination spurring me on. I had chosen to wear my uniform, to go in and at least attempt to speak to Zak. I needed advice and the only person I knew who could give it, is him.

I get to his home and make sure I have the drawing in my pocket before I head up his drive, cleaning caddy banging against my leg from it's weight. The code to the gates are the same and I still have a key to his house, so taking a leap of faith, I unlock it and enter his home. 

Gracie greets me and then runs off into the house looking for a ball or toy that I can throw for her. Everything seems okay, nothing out of place and when I enter the kitchen, I see that Rose Quartz from the rosary have been cleaned up.

It's quiet, too quiet and I'm slightly suspicious..

I barely take one step away from the island when he speaks. "You've got some nerve."

Tone- check.
Attitude- check.
He's still in a foul mood and I don't know why... - check.

I turn to see him stood in the kitchen doorway, arms folded in defence whilst he glares down at me. "I've got a job to do.." I answer.

"Not in this house you don't."

"Really?" I ask. "So you've got a new cleaning company?"

"I have."

"Then how come Rachel hasn't taken the key off me yet?" I challenge, pulling the keys out my pocket and finding his on the loop.

"Well now you've reminded me, you can remove it from the chain and leave it on the side before you leave." He answers. 

This God damn man has an answer for everything.

"Right, what is going on here?" I ask him out right, tossing the keys onto the side and planting my hands onto my hips. "You have done a complete 180 on me from the last time we spoke."

"The last time we spoke? I told you to get out my house." He points out.

"Stop being an ass. You know what I mean. What has happened and why are you coming at me?"

He scoffs "You really do have some nerve. Damn. How do you keep getting on this community, I've had you removed from the listing."

My brows raise "You took me off the list? Why?"

"Because I do what I have to do to protect myself."

"From what?" I ask throwing my arms out. "From me?"

"From that acid tongue of yours." He bites before looking at the keys on the island. "Take my key off, put it on the counter and leave before I call security to have you removed and escorted off the community."

My brows had gone from being risen to a deep set frown when he said I had an acid tongue. I literally have no idea what he is talking about.

"Okay, I will. But I want you to have a look at something. Before I do." I tell him, pulling the picture from my pocket and holding it out. 

Zak looks between me and the paper before narrowing his blue eyes and cautiously crossing over his kitchen "What is it?"

"A drawing."

"Of what?" He asks stopping in front of me. I don't tell him and watch as he takes the paper from my hands and unfolds it. His brows furrow before flattening out again, his eyes look as if they are memorising the entire page before he folds it back up and hands it back. "It's a crap drawing. What of it?"

I want to punch him as soon as he says it, but violence won't get me answers... Just some joy of doing it.

"It's-"

"Some drawing you've took off the internet in a hope to get my attention and worm your way back into my home. It's creepy so what? I'm not interested. Now leave."

"No, it's not and no I won't go."

"I'll ring the police." He challenges, looking down at me as if he is going to win, but what he fails to realise is how stubborn I can be.

"Call them." I answer, sitting down on the stool.

His blue eyes shift to a darker colour, something I've never seen before and his arms tense up as he steps forward. 

"Oooh.. What you gonna do, Zak?" I ask. "You gonna hurt me? Stand over and try to intimidate me with your size, because I'm a woman?"

"I'm not trying to- Just get out my house."

"No."

I hear his knuckles pop under the tight fist he has created and with a crick of his neck reaches out and grabs the cleaning caddy from the island. The caddy in which I struggle to carry is nothing to him as he also seizes my arm and yanks me down off the stool. 

"HEY!" I yell at him as he begins dragging me through his home. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS! THIS IS ASSAULT!" 

"I'm defending my home! You refused to leave!" He argues back. 

I hate him even more when he is able to open the front door with the caddy in his hand, push me out of it and then push the caddy into my chest, again. 

"Oooft!" 

"Don't come back here again or I'll be forced to get my lawyers to issue you with a restraining order. It wouldn't be the first I've had to do. Probably won't be the last." He says, staring down at me.

"Why are you doing this? What have I done wrong?"

"You know exactly what you have done." He answers grabbing the door to close it.

My foot shoots out and I stop the door "What? Try to be your friend? Try to do my job? Try to help you out? What have I done that is so bad?"

"It's women like you, that stop real accusations being believed. You should be ashamed of yourself." He spits before putting his foot over my ankle and shoving my foot away.

"Women like me? What-" I'm interrupted when he slams the door in my face and stands on the opposite side of the glass, locking it. 

"I can't go anywhere you imbecile! I haven't got my keys!" I shout through the glass. 

"I know! I'm going to remove my key first. You can have them back when I am done!" Zak calls back before turning on his heels and marching back through his home.

I let out a frustrated scream at the door before walking over and sitting on his stone wall where the waterfall cascades down. Water normally soothes my anger but for some reason today it only shifts it into sadness. I don't know how long I am sat out there for, wiping the tears that brim up, sniffle away the small gasps of breath that my lungs want to take. I hate that I'm welling up over this, that it's got to me this much, but being accused of something and receiving the backlash is a shitty position to be in.

I'm wiping away another tear when the door unlocks and Zak stands in the small opening. "Your keys."

I get up quietly and walk over to get them back, however when I try to take them, he holds onto them a little tighter. Glancing up, I see him frown. "What? You haven't seen tears before?" I ask snatching them out of his hands. 

"Well stop it."

"Go to hell." 

"I don't like seeing it. Seeing you cry its-"

"I don't care what you like and don't like right now." I snap back before continuing on. Whatever you might think of me, I'm still human and treating people like shit is a sure way to end up lonely. I don't know what I'm suppose to have done to you, but I'm sorry. If trying to be a friend is that harming to you, be assured I won't ever try again." 

I turn and grab the caddy from the floor. "I came here today to try and find out why you reacted so badly to me being in your house. But seeing as you won't tell me, I guess I'm wasting my time... Take care Zak."

Tears are well and truly falling as I get to the van. Not because of me and my ego. So what he doesn't want to be my friend, I'm not nine years old and on a school playground, these things happen. My tears are for the two little girls I feel I've let down. The two girls that look to me with such happiness and love. 

The two girls who look back at me from my lock screen, with ice cream ringed mouths and eyes full of a sugar rush. I'm back to square one with no clue which way to turn...