One girl.

Two friends.

Three soulmates.

Does it get any better than this?

“Just go buy her a Christmas tree, for fuck’s sake.”

“I can’t, JD. I already told her she has to come with me if she wants a tree.” It’s been six weeks since Blue came to live with us. Six weeks of pure fun. I only have to think of her in some small way—like the way she taps her finger on the counter when she’s deciding what she wants to eat, or the way she tiptoes across the polished concrete floors, squealing about how cold they are. Everything about her makes me happy. Even JD is happy.

But after six weeks of confinement in the loft, I’m going crazy. Not that I’ve been confined. I’ve been on four business trips in that time. But Blue refuses to leave the house.

“I’ve had it,” I tell JD. “There’s no way those people are still looking for her. The shit is over.”

“You don’t know,” JD says. He’s watching football, which means he’s ignoring the rest of us. “Maybe she’s right. Maybe she needs to stay inside for the rest of her life.” He drags his attention away from the flat screen and looks up at me. “I like knowing she’s always home. I like her being here all the time. I’d probably go crazy if I had to worry about where she was and who she was with.”

I sit down on the chair to his left. “That’s insane, JD. The girl needs friends. We’ve got nothing to hide. Or be ashamed of. Maybe she needs a job?”

“Why the fuck would she need a job? We have enough money to buy her anything she wants.”

“To give her life purpose, dumbass. She needs goals and shit.”

“Fuck goals. She needs to stay here and hang out with me.”

“You need goals too.”

“I have goals.” He gives me one of those famous JD winks. “And they all involve you and her at the moment. The outside world can fuck off.”

I look out the window where Blue is standing on the terrace, gazing down at the snow-covered streets below. Large round flakes swirl around her face and settle on her hair. Her knee-length tan coat is stylish, with fur trim on the cuffs, the hood, and the collar. She looks like she’s ready to go out somewhere. She does this all the time. Dresses up and then sits around the house. It’s not good.

“Just get the girl a tree.”

But I shake my head. “I want her to come with me.”

“Well, I don’t want to go. I’m watching football.”

JD is obviously not going to help, so I get up and grab my coat off the hook near the front door, then put it on and join her outside. The air is cold, but not too bad. “You ready?” I ask. “You look ready.” I join her standing at the edge of the terrace, and look down onto the congestion of California Street. There’s a little Christmas tree lot about half a block up. And it’s busy today, because Christmas is next week.

“Look how close it is,” she says. Her warm breath puffs out of her mouth as steam.

“I know. It’s steps from here. So let’s go.”

She turns to look at me. Her face is so pretty now that she’s put on weight. Those dark circles under her eyes have faded. Her complexion now is one of well-fed health. She’s gained at least fifteen pounds and she could use five more, if you ask me. But she’s self-conscious about it. Complaining about her clothing sizes. We started ordering her clothes online the day after we closed our contract with Ray and she’s been shopping ever since. “I’ll watch you the whole time, Ark. And if anything happens, I’ll scream for JD to go rescue you.”

“Haha,” I deadpan back, pulling her in for a side hug. “You have to go outside sometime, Blue. Today is your day.”

She shakes her head against my chest and then takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I know I disappoint you. But I can’t go. And it’s not even for the reasons you think.”

“What? You’re not afraid?”

“I am,” she says softly. “But that’s not the reason I don’t want to leave the loft.” She takes a step back, forcing me to release her from my tight embrace. And then she just stares at me.

“Tell me,” I say.

She opens her mouth, then closes it just as quickly. When the words finally come out, she has to look away. “I’m afraid if I go out there again, I’ll remember what he took from me. All these feelings of captivity will finally disappear and I will realize I’m free. And I’ll be like a bird whose cage door is left open. They don’t understand that they’re free. So they sit there, inside the cage, and refuse to fly away.”

“Blue, you’re not a prisoner—”

She places a hand on my chest to stop me. “I know that. I’m just telling you how I feel, Ark. I know I’m free. The little bird can see the opening door and the way out. But it won’t leave out of fear. And I don’t know what little captive birds fear. But I fear that once I walk out that door, I’ll never find my way back. I’ll call my parents and get them mixed up in this, and then someone will swoop in and take me away. And that’s not a bad thing, Ark. But you and JD…” Her words trail off as she peeks around me to watch him inside. I can feel her love in this moment. I’ve had doubts over the past few weeks, wondering if what we have is love, or maybe just an unusually strong case of lust. Or maybe all we are here for is the sex? I just don’t know sometimes.