Maddie’s scalp throbbed. The side of her face was sore, and she was sure her back was bruised from when Trevor had shoved her into the dining room table. She knew there had to have been a reason she hadn’t broken up with him sooner.

The only good thing that had come out of the entire experience had been at the very end. Just before he slammed the front door, Trevor had turned back, looked at her crumpled body on the floor with sick satisfaction, and said, “We’re over. You’re no use to me.”

Maddie sat in the living room, staring a the wall until there was a knock at the front door. She looked at it, heart pounding. Was it Trevor? Again? What on earth could he have forgotten?

“Maddie? Maddie, it’s Diana,” called a voice from behind the door.

With a sigh of relief, she stood up and unlocked the door. Diana walked in, the rest of the Hanson clan close behind.

“Trying to lock us out, huh?” Zac cracked, grinning broadly.

Maddie attempted to smile back. “Yep. You caught me,” she agreed. She waited until the Hansons walked into the house and then stepped out onto the front porch. She walked over to where she kept the spare key and let out a sigh of relief when she found that Trevor had left it. She held the little brassy colored key in her hand like a talisman.

A hand came down on Maddie’s back and she quickly pulled forward, sharply taking in a breath.

“Maddie?” Jessie asked carefully. “Are you okay?”

She sighed and turned around. “Fine, Jess. You just startled me is all,” she told the younger girl quickly.

“What are you doing?”

Maddie held the key up for Jessica to see. “I figured I should give this to your mom so you guys can get into the house when the door’s locked,” she explained.

“Okay,” Jessie said, satisfied with this response. She pivoted on her crutches and walked back into the house. Maddie followed and found Isaac standing by the doorway.

“Maddie?” he said as she passed him.

“I have to give this to your mom,” she said, not looking at him. She walked through the kitchen and into the back room and tapped Diana on the shoulder. “Here. You should probably have this,” she said as the older blond woman turned.

Diana took the key and smiled. “Thanks, Maddie,” she said. Then her eyes narrowed on her face and she touched Maddie’s cheek carefully. “Were you crying? Your eyes are all red.”

“No,” Maddie said quickly. “I got something in them and I was rubbing them with my hands. That’s all,” she assured her.

“Okay,” Diana said cautiously, sitting down on the couch. She took a key ring out of her purse and began the task of putting the new key onto it.

Maddie left the room and headed for the bedroom she was sharing with Jessie and Avery, fingers gingerly touching the skin around her eyes. It didn’t hurt that badly. However, if she pressed really hard, there was a sharp pain. Well, don’t touch it then, Maddie told herself logically.

There was a large vanity table in the bedroom with a mirror mounted on it. Maddie walked straight for it and looked at herself. Diana had been right; her eyes were red. Still, Maddie knew well enough that the redness would be gone by the end of the day. It always was.

She turned away from the mirror and stared at the bedspread. Did Diana suspect anything? Or had she bought the something-in-my-eye excuse? Maddie didn’t know her well enough to answer those questions.

Suddenly, a pain shot through Maddie’s back. She inhaled sharply and turned around. Isaac was standing behind her. “What’s wrong?” he demanded quietly.

She stared at him blankly. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” he insisted. “With your back. You just about scream whenever somebody touches it. What’s wrong?”

Maddie was shocked at how concerned Isaac seemed to be. Twenty-four hours before, he had been ready to kill her, and now he was worried for her. It was so strange.

“What’s wrong?” Ike asked again. When Maddie didn’t reply, he grabbed both her wrists with one of his hands.

“Isaac,” Maddie cried softly, horrified. “What are you doing?”

Isaac didn’t reply. Instead, he kept his grip on her wrists and spun her around. With his free hand, he lifted the back of her shirt. After a moment, he let the shirt fall back down and slowly lost his grip on her wrists. “Maddie? What happened?” he demanded quietly.

Maddie turned around, pulling her shirt back into place. “I fell,” she said simply.

“Your back is black and blue all the way across. I know for a fact that doesn’t happen when you fall,” he insisted.

Maddie took a deep breath. “I was going down into the basement and slipped on the stairs. I fell and my back hit a stair,” she said sternly, carefully enunciating each word. “Okay?”

With that, Maddie pushed past Isaac and walked out of the room.