Hailie woke up in the rays of sunshine coming through the window. She squeezed her eyes, not able to recognize the place she was in as everything around seemed unknown to her. It took her a moment to realize that she was laying in Shane's bed. 

In his bedroom.

She quickly sat with her eyes wide open, realizing that she spent the entire night here. The right side of the bed was untouched and so she looked at her left, noticing mattress and quilt on the floor. Shane didn't sleep in his bed, giving her comfort and privacy. He slept on the floor, not leaving her side as he promised.

"Oh," she mumbled, feeling warm inside. She was grateful for a guy like him.

There was a note on the table beside the bed.

Went for hot buns and delicious food. I hope you slept well. Don't worry about anything.

She smiled, hearing in mind his voice as she read what he wrote.

"I'll try not to worry," Hailie said in the empty space.

She was in a marvelous mood which might have been connected to the feeling of pleasure and happiness that grow inside her. She took a deep breath, smelling Shane all around. It was stupid so she started blushing and hid under the quilt. She shouldn't have come here in the first place. Even if it was innocent, it felt so weird and out of place. She was so glad that Shane slept on the floor and not beside her. It would be too much, she probably wouldn't be able to look in his eyes after that!

How embarrassing it was that she slept in his bedroom? Was it wrong? It felt right, she actually had good sleep.

"Stop overthinking, Hailie!" she yelled to herself and violently raised hands in the air.

A clock that was standing on the bedside table fell on the floor and rolled under the bed. The fear rose in her body as she thought that it shattered. Then she shook her head at that stupid idea. Surely her clumsiness hasn't broken the clock.

She pushed aside the mattress and looked under the bed. The clock was laying right there, in one piece and unscratched. Hailie took it with relief, but then something else got her attention.

There was a big cartoon box and Hailie couldn't help the feeling that it was particular to keep it under the bed. It's appearance basically screamed "secret!" and that made Hailie worried. What was it that Shane had to hide it in a place that probably no one was going to look in? She wouldn't know if it wasn't for her sudden movement of the hand.

"It's not my business," she said and put the clock at the table.

Gazing at the wall, she just wasn't able to ignore it. Her past couldn't let her forget about the fact that men could seem so sweet and then turn out to be real monsters. She was too insecure and doubtful to let it go.

That probably wasn't right, but she bent anyway. Her hand reached for the box and pulled it closer. Sitting at the floor, Hailie delayed the moment until she couldn't wait longer. Curiosity burned inside her as she took the cover off the box.

There were files inside of it. Hailie breathed with relief, thinking that it wasn't some dark secret. It was probably something from Shane's work. No big deal. 

But then she saw that photo.

The photo of someone she hated the most.

She took the files out of the box, because there was no logical explanation for why Shane would keep the photo of her ex-boyfriend.

"I don't understand," she mumbled, opening the first file.

It was the copy of the court records, her trial against Jayson. Everything was inside, witnesses' testimonies, all the evidence, as well as newspaper articles with their photo on the first side. The next one was police records, not only Jayson's, but Declan's too. There were things she didn't know about. Declan was boasting about the fact that once he stole a car with Jayson, but she didn't know about graffiti on the public property. The weirdest thing was that there was nothing said about stealing the car, just as if that was a lie that Declan and Jayson told in order to look cool and show themselves as bad boys. And her ex-boyfriend police records stated that the assault on her wasn't his first nor only one. He once beat a guy, but his parents didn't press the charges. There were also some notes written by Shane, stating that Jayson stalked one girl in the past, until she moved out with her family out of town. The phone number on the side of the paper was probably a contact to her or someone who knows her.

The next four files were school records. Amy's, Declan's, Jayson's and hers. All four of them. Group as theirs was finding troubles easily, but she always tried to stay out of problems. If she was in detention it was probably not because of her actions, but because of her so-called friends and boyfriend.

She also found a notebook with precisely done notes on how to bring the three of them down. Apparently Shane was looking for something, what would be good enough to put Jayson in jail or at least give him the trial, on which he wouldn't get help from mommy and daddy. Shane was keeping records of Larsens firm, maybe looking for something that was illegal.

All of that seemed like too much for her. He was a cop, but that was her life. And it was seriously creepy to see her entire life in a box under Shane's bed. It looked a little bit disturbing and obsessive. They haven't known each other for so long and he organized the entire investigation in order to get revenge on her old friends and ex-boyfriend. She didn't need help in bringing down the people she hated. She wanted them to disappear, to have certainty that they'll never meet again. But then... It'd be quite satisfying if all of them got what they've deserved. Including Debra now.

She shook her head. That was messed up. No way she was staying in this apartment after finding out about Shane's little investigation. What was she? A case to solve? A girl to repair? No, she didn't need that.

It was hard to stay calm and not give up to her emotions. Some teardrops run down her face, while she was taking a quick shower. It probably was the fastest shower she has ever had. She put on jeans and an oversized mocha sweater, then she used towel to wipe tears.

No, I cannot let any man make me cry again, she told herself.

Just as she was about to go out, Shane came back with three bags of groceries. Apparently he was in a mood to make dinner for the two of them today. He suddenly stopped, seeing Hailie with her bags.

"You're... leaving?"

For a moment she didn't say a thing and Shane had no idea why Hailie would be mad at him. In his opinion he did nothing wrong, he really tried to comfort her through the last week, to make her happy and feel safe. That's how it's supposed to be. She should be smiling every day, like it was with him.

"Do you want to tell me something?" she asked, but he still couldn't figure out what it was about. "Some secrets you try to keep away from me?"

"Hailie, what-"

"Like that box under your bed."

He stopped smiling and his mouth slowly dropped open as he realized that Hailie knew about this. It was hard to explain it all, especially that it looked exactly as she probably thought. He was investigating everything that happened, in order to give her the justice that she was denied  at the trial.

"I'm a policeman, I just want to make it right. People like Jayson, even like Declan, they should be in jail. We have so much injustice in the world. I can't stand how much everybody is corrupted and blind to what's happening. And what I can't stand the most is the fact that this psycho can one day return and try to hurt you even more. I just can't let it happen. He should pay for what he has done. Not only to you, but to everybody that has ever crossed him."

"And you haven't thought that it might be better, if you would tell me about your little snooping around?"

He looked at the ceiling.

"And how would you react to that?"

She probably wouldn't let him get deeper into this. That was the reason why he didn't say a word.

"Probably better than now! You've got my entire life under your bed. My life, not yours. I'm not a case that needs to be solved."

"And I'm not seeing you as a case! I'm trying to help you."

She threw her bag on the floor with anger.

"Well, I don't want your help!"

"You need it," he calmly said.

Her eyes got bigger. She got that face, like she was asking him, Seriously?

"If I need it, I'll ask, but right now I've got everything under control." That wasn't true and both of them knew about it. If she had everything under control she wouldn't come to his apartment and hide in it for a week. "I thought that we already had this conversation, when you checked my file. Now I would say you did something much worse. You practically printed everything that has ever happened to me and to people who were the closest to me in the past."

He put the bags with groceries on the floor and looked at the bedroom door.

"Okay, let's be fair then. Do you think you had the right to go through my personal things? To take that box and look inside? What else? Have you searched my entire apartment when I was gone?"

She tightened her lips, full of anger, because he was right as well. She shouldn't have done that and if she already did it, she shouldn't be as mad as she was.

Or maybe that actually didn't matter?

"Don't turn it against me!"

That's what he was doing. Yes, she looked inside that box, but damn! She would do it again, considering that it was her life closed in there.

"I'm just sayin-"

"Then stop saying anything at all!" She took her bag from the floor and hanged over the shoulder. "I wouldn't be that angry, if you just told me! Maybe I could even help you, because believe me, I wish for justice. But what have you done, that's not right. That's called coming into my personal area without my permission once again. All I wanted was honesty. A feeling that I can trust you with everything. That's why I came here! Because I thought that we can talk about all of this. I told you my secrets, my fears, I opened up in front of you! And you said nothing. Not a single word about what you're really doing. How can I trust you after that?"

She didn't want to shed tears over this. She didn't want to show him how sad she was. But the tears just appeared in her eyes anyway.

Hailie thought she could trust Shane and tell him the things that happened in the house. She was even considering telling him about demons. It felt so safe to be in this apartment, but again, this place wasn't safe at all.

Maybe the Bloody Mansion was indeed the only place, where she could hide. Where she could be understood. Demons had secrets, but at least they were honest, while revealing them.

"I just want to help you. I never had any intention to do anything that could hurt you."

He stepped forward, but she moved away, keeping the distance between them. That was painful, but he didn't try to come closer to her again. He had his flaws, but he never pressed Hailie with anything. Never. 

"You already did it. Again." She tried to keep her voice emotionless, but there was no point in hiding that it hurt a lot.

"I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do..."

She shook her head.

"You've done enough. Now it'd be the best if you give me some time alone. I need to think about all of this."

Hailie went to the door and Shane wasn't trying to stop her, because he knew she won't stay, even though that was what he dreamed about. Just another day with her, another chance to make it all right.

"I'm so sorry, Hailie." She couldn't look at him, but his voice was trembling, like he was about to break down as well.

She closed her eyes, letting another teardrop to fall from her face.

And she left.