"No, Tracy, wait," she protested, her voice a whisper. His hands slipped off her, leaving her feeling particularly vulnerable as he walked out without hesitation. His bravery was something she admired about him. And his willingness to protect her? Well, that was just hot. Right now, Cynthia wished Tracy would be little less the man she loved and a little more like her.<br/><br/>She remained frozen, flushed from both his previous touches and now the dread, pulsing through her. She wrapped her arms around herself, her hands clenching over her own forearms. The seconds ticked by. She became less afraid of what might be in<span style="font-style: italic">this</span>room and more worried about what was out there.  "...Tracy?" she whispered, her voice tight.<br/><br/>She took stiff steps forward, kicking the blanket from around her feet. Oh God, if he gets murdered by a serial killer. She glanced wildly over her shoulder, checking her back before darting out of the room. "Tracy," she whispered, sharper now. The hallway stretched on forever, she didn't want to move another step forward. She wanted him to come back here, right now, and magically will all the lights in this stupid house on.<br/><br/>"Yeah," he called out. Relief flooded her. "The door is--"<br/><br/>A sharp explosion, louder and larger than a simple light bulb, came from the kitchen. Cynthia screeched, kicking forward without thought. She stumbled into the kitchen to find Tracy laughing off his fright. She squinted up at the smoking remains of the chandelier, feeling a touch numb as Tracy suggested they get this fixed, tomorrow.  It was just the stupid bulb, just the stupid wiring that made her feel like a child, all over again. Her cheeks flushed red. She nodded half-heartily, her brown eyes distant as they settled off to the right of  the chandelier. Just the wiring, still... something felt...<br/><br/>She blinked, finally looking Tracy over. "Don't ever do that do me again," she grumbled. Her arms wrapped around him. He could feel her shaking, honestly jittered by god knows what. Was she crazy? "You could have gotten electrocuted," she breathed, her voice murmured against his chest, "Or murdered. You're not allowed to leave me again."