He held her down on the floor, his hand pressed over her nose and mouth. She screamed into his hand, then she tried to bite it, but he was too quick for her. She started rolling her body back and forth. She’d roll him into the candle flame if she had to. “Ivy! Ivy! It’s me! Be quiet, Ivy! You’ll scare Philip. It’s just me.” She went limp beneath him. “Gregory.” He slowly lifted himself off her. They stared at each other, sweating and out of breath. “I thought you were asleep,” he said. “I was trying to see if you were all right without waking you.” “I—I just—I didn’t know who you were. Philip is out. He’s staying over at Sammy’s tonight, and Mom and Andrew are at the gala.” “Everybody’s out?” Gregory asked sharply. “Yes, and I thought—” Gregory rammed his fist into his palm several times, then stopped when he saw the way she was looking at him.
