Bailey lingered on the back stair long after the setting sun had swallowed up Bryce's truck. The early fall air was still warm, but the breeze carried winter on its tails. The trees dotting her property were slowly beginning to change, their leaves receding from their lush green color to hues of orange, red and golden yellow. The leave who could no longer hold on, fell away from the branches and lie scattered across her yard, left for squirrels to over turn in search of walnuts. She took a deep, cleansing breath as she stared out across the empty field on the other side of the street. For nearly two weeks, a local farmer had spent day and night harvesting the corn stalks that had acted like a privacy fence from the outside world and slowly revealing her sanctuary to the in coming road.<br/><br/>The squawk of a chicken startled her and she turned to find two of her hens brawling over a worm. She bent down to pick up a small rock and lightly threw at the two birds, landing it right behind the bigger of the two. They both jumped and fled in different directions. With a satisfied grunt, she turned and went back onto the enclosed porch. She kicked her shoes off, sending them flying over to the shoe pile where everyone else seemed to leave there's and slipped through the door into the house.<br/><br/>Bailey hovered near the door as she listened to the house. She could hear the cat licking herself in the dining room, the silver bell on her collar jingling with each stroke of her tongue. She knew Scott was still somewhere in the house. The last she'd seen him, he was headed upstairs to his bedroom when she left to walk Bryce out. It wasn't that she didn't trust Scott, he'd never given her a reason not to, it was just that didn't always make her feel comfortable. There was always something<i>off </i>about him that made her feel the need to be on guard at all times. She knew he was a fighter, Bryce had shared many stories about fights he'd been in, including the brawl that had brought them closer together. Given how much the two respected each other, Bailey knew she wasn't in harm's way when Scott was around.<br/><br/>But now they were alone.<br/><br/>Bailey ran a hand through her long brown hair and inhaled slowly as she crossed the kitchen into the dining room. She paused to pet the cat and heard Scott move in the living room. The cat grumbled at her and she continued on, joining Scott in the other room. When she emerged, he got up from the couch and met her in the archway. He stood over her and she took a step or two back, ignoring the delightful scent of his deodorant that tickled her nose. She looked up at him as he offered her an afternoon of pot and laziness. The offer was a tempting one and even though the tone of his voice made her gut twist, she figured she might as join him. It wasn't like she had anything better to do.<br/><br/>Scott reached out and gave her shirt sleeve a tug with enough force to withdraw it from her neck. She looked down at caught sight of her own cleavage and prayed his angle of sight wasn't as good as her's. Bailey rolled her shoulder away and pulled the fabric from between his fingertips as she answered him, "Yeah, sure. Smoke me out."