Twelve Days: The Beginning Part 6

Celeste looked amazing. Never one to be a wallflower she had finally settled on a tight-fitting gold sequined dress, which finished a good few inches above her knees. She too had tied her brunette hair up and gone heavy on the eyeliner so they were both inadvertently rocking a similar look.

Celeste was bouncing up and down on the seat beside, Elise bursting with excitement. She had met an old friend of hers in town after Elise had left to go to the hospital and he turned out to be one of the bouncers at Indigo. Celeste had worked her magic and he had agreed to get them a free pa.s.s and access to the VIP area. Celeste couldn't stop telling Elise how lucky they were - a VIP pa.s.s meant free drinks and the best view in the house, not to mention, hot rich single men. Elise groaned at that part. The last thing she needed in her life right now was any more hot, rich and single men.

Chapter Eleven.

True to his word, Celeste's friend had left pa.s.ses for them at the door and they were ushered into the club and straight to the VIP area. The club was large; situated on two floors with the lower floor consisting mainly of the dance floor and a few booths with a small bar in the corner, whilst the upper floor had seating areas, the main bar, and a gallery which allowed guests to view the dance floor below.

The VIP area was next to the gallery and had its own bar, booths with privacy screens and a full height gla.s.s panel looking down onto the dance floor. It had been designed to allow its members a full view of the rest of the club but also to give them privacy and some measure of tranquillity too. The instant they entered the area Elise fell in love with it, recognising it as a sanctuary from all the mayhem below.

Choosing an unoccupied booth, Celeste wasted no time in calling Amelia and Annabel for whom she had also secured VIP pa.s.ses. They were on their way to pick up Olivia so Celeste told them where they were and said they would see them in a few.

A uniformed waiter arrived on silent feet and Elise giggled with the lavishness of it all as she ordered a gla.s.s of wine - her one allowance for the night. After that, she would be drinking water in deference to driving and for the first time she actually regretted her decision to drive.

Celeste ordered a fancy c.o.c.ktail - some name that Elise had never heard of before - and then cheekily swatted the waiter's backside as he walked off to get their drinks.

"'Leste! You'll get us thrown out and we've only just arrived!" implored Elise, "Behave!"

"Nah! What's the point of that?? Besides, we're in the VIP area, I'm sure he's used to a lot worse than a swat on his delectable derriere!" Both women giggled and then were silent for a moment, taking in their surroundings.

Up here secluded from general view, it was like being in another world and, although Elise could hear the music pumping down below, it was a revelation to be in a club without having to stand on top of someone and shout directly in their ear in order to communicate. You could tell how long it had been since she'd last been in a club. Back then, they had been more like mosh pits and general all-around scrums with absolutely no way you could talk to anyone you just ended up gesticulating and hoping it made some kind of sense. She didn't even realise that clubs had VIP areas or if maybe it was just this club. She was so out of touch she really didn't have a clue.

Their drinks had arrived and they downed them in an unhealthy amount of time, keen to get out onto the dance floor although they had decided that they would wait until the others arrived. A loud squeal erupted from the doorway and they both simultaneously stretched out of their booth looking around to see Amelia, Annabel and Olivia arriving, eyes wide in total disbelief.

Spotting Elise and Celeste they hurried over, all three clearly bursting with undisguised excitement.

"Oh. My. G.o.d. Celeste. This is waaaay cool," said Annabel, who had chosen a bright red off-the-shoulder number which highlighted her auburn hair. Looking at her now, Elise could see why Cole would want to hook up with her; she was absolutely stunning and had a figure to die for. Elise didn't know her very well and despite being one of the more indiscreet members of staff, Elise had a feeling that they could become friends eventually. They would just have to get over the whole Cole, Dale and Vaughn incident first.

Annabel glanced over at Elise who had subconsciously shrunk back into the booth when the other girls had arrived. Catching her eye, Annabel mouthed "You OK?" and the concern in her face seemed genuine. Shocked, Elise managed a weak smile and a small thumbs up and then the moment pa.s.sed and Annabel was back to her usual self, ordering a large vodka and c.o.ke from the pa.s.sing waiter to 'get the party started'.

Amelia and Olivia also looked beautiful. Both had gone heavier on the make-up than Annabel whose natural beauty really didn't require much help. Olivia had opted for hot pants over sheer black tights with a silver sequined top and had finished the look off with knee high leather boots. The look was almost of a dominatrix and Elise had to prevent the smile from forming as she thought of Vaughn and what he had potentially let himself in for the other night. Who knew that inside this shy new girl was a strong independent woman waiting to get out? Abruptly she stopped her train of thought as she realised that she was thinking about Vaughn again.

Amelia was the only one of them who had opted for trousers although they were skin tight leather which made Elise's eyes water wondering how on earth she had managed to pour herself into them. She wore a cream satin halter top which left her midriff exposed, and sported a visible black bra underneath. The look was good and suited her although the b.i.t.c.h in Elise did wonder if it was just a bit too obvious. Whilst she had nothing personal against Amelia, she knew that Cole was having issues with her and although she had no idea what had gone on between the two of them, her sense of duty and love for her best friend dictated that she side with him - even without knowing anything about the situation. Maybe that was wrong but she trusted Cole's judgement implicitly and if he felt that she was a b.i.t.c.h, then she guessed that there must be a good reason.

By now the waiter had returned with the drinks for the other girls and a refill for Celeste. He also dropped a bottle of mineral water in front of Elise and left their table with a flirty wink. Elise rolled her eyes OK so she had defended this guy from Celeste totally unnecessarily she was seriously out of touch.

"C'mon girls drink up! My man is down there and I need to go find him NOW!!" Celeste shouted dramatically, bringing them to the attention of some of the other members who were trying to enjoy a few quiet moments.

"Shush...." giggled Annabel but wasted no time in grabbing Celeste's hand and heading off to the stairs and the dance floor. Olivia, Amelia and Elise all followed suit, leaving their jackets and bags in the safety of the booth.

As soon as they opened the gla.s.s part.i.tion door, which led to the stairs and the dance floor, they were a.s.saulted by the music, loud and throbbing and Elise realised just how much protection the VIP area afforded.

Descending the stairs she noticed two raised platforms, one on either side, where professional dancers were gyrating in time to the beat. Having never seen anything like this before Elise stopped and stared for a moment marvelling at the fluidity and the sensual nature of the artists. They each appeared lost in their own world, lost to the music and for a second, Elise envied them. Moments of pure abandon were few and far between for her and she wished that she could just lose herself like that and maybe wake up to a different life, a different time.

Glancing down the steps she realised that the others had gone on without her and although she followed as quickly as she could, the crowd was just too immense and she was soon effectively on her own, swallowed up by the ma.s.s of heaving bodies.

Realising she was never going to reach them, she stood for a moment and contemplated turning back to the booth to wait until they came to find her. As she began to move back in the direction of the stairs, the music abruptly changed and to her surprise, The Communards cla.s.sic from a few nights ago filled the room. Never one to resist this track, although marginally surprised to hear it played in a venue such as this, she shuffled her way onto the dance floor and found a small area where she could move around.

It wasn't long before the beat claimed her and as she had done a couple of nights ago, she let the music flow over her, closing her eyes and raising her arms above her head. The crowd around her had not thinned at all so she guessed that they weren't averse to this music either and she continued to lose herself; spinning around, swaying her hips, moving her feet, completely ignoring the b.u.mp and grind of the other dancers. The music was picking up now, getting faster and the crowd were getting louder as it reached its peak and Elise was completely swept away by it all. This track did something to her, always had done, and to be able to be here, enjoying it, in complete and utter freedom, was an absolute revelation.

Suddenly she felt a pair of strong arms grip her waist from behind and was just about to scream out in panic when her subconscious recognised the familiar scent of her a.s.sailant, a delicious combination of spice and musk Vaughn? What the h.e.l.l was he doing here?

She tried to twist around in his arms but he stayed her; holding her still, keeping her back to him. He leaned forward a little and whispered in her ear. "Let it go, Angel, let it go."

At the sound of his deep s.e.xy voice, she relaxed a little and switched off her mind for once, deciding to put her questions on the back burner for now and just go with the flow. It was a public place, he had every right to be here and it felt unbelievably good to be in his arms like this.

By now, The Communards had finished and the usual nightclub beat was back with the ba.s.s pumping out onto the dance floor and reverberating through her body. Behind her, Vaughn continued to hold her waist and pulled her closer, fitting his hips to her back as they swayed to the music. Elise felt herself helplessly responding and pushed back into him as his arms tightened, one moving slightly higher and coming to rest just below her breast. He leaned closer and ran his tongue lightly over the tendrils of hair that had escaped at the nape of her neck, continuing on to follow the line to her throat with gentle nips and ending just beneath her ear.

Elise shivered and found herself automatically reaching up with her arms and linking them behind his head, still keeping pace with the beat. She ground herself into Vaughn's hips and heard him groan against her neck as she came into contact with his erection. She could feel the entirety of his steel length and immediately felt herself responding, wetness beginning to seep from down below. His hand that had been resting below her breast now brushed lightly up and over it; coming to rest on her collar bone, his hand angling down towards the neckline of her dress. The fact that they were still in the middle of the dance floor where anyone could see them had not escaped Elise's attention, but she was too far gone to care. This man did things to her - things that she had never experienced - and things that she recognised on some level she needed. It felt too good to stop. It was as if the second he touched her, all coherent thought left her head and she was just a puppet, responding to his ministrations, his touch, his sense and his feel. His and his alone.

Vaughn was now nibbling her ear, his hot breath igniting flames down her spine and Elise released her hold dropping her arms to her side, no longer having the strength to hold them up.

"That's right, baby" Vaughn whispered, "just let it go. You are so hot, angel; you have no idea what you do to me."

His words both soothed and aroused, and Elise felt powerless to stop him as his hand began to descend from her collarbone towards the neck of her dress. Antic.i.p.ation built as his other hand began a journey of its own, slowly heading down towards the hem of her dress, his fingers gliding over the fabric and caressing her, his teeth all the while nipping and sucking at her ear. As his hand approached her hip he squeezed lightly and suddenly pain ripped through Elise and reality hit.

"s.h.i.t!" she couldn't control the cry of pain as his hand inadvertently gripped her bruises and she spun abruptly out of his arms and stumbled off the dance floor, heading to the VIP area and the sanctuary of the booth.

"s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t!" she recited, over and over and over. The shame and humiliation of what she had been doing ....on a public dance floor for f.u.c.k's sake..., suddenly hit and she ran on barely stable legs, up the stairs and in through the gla.s.s part.i.tion door.

Thankfully the booth was empty, the other girls clearly still on the dancefloor and Elise breathed a sigh of relief as she sank gratefully into its warmth.

What the h.e.l.l had she been thinking? She knew this man was dangerous. Every time he came near her, her senses went into overdrive. Why the h.e.l.l could he not stay away from her? And d.a.m.n her traitorous body for responding! She was almost grateful to Dale for the wounds that he had inflicted on her; at least it had brought her to her senses before the situation had got any more out of control. And she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would have got completely out of control.

She couldn't believe that it had only been days since she had first met Vaughn. Nothing in her life seemed stable anymore and she melted into a hormonal teenager whenever he was around. She was a mature, married woman and there was absolutely no excuse for her behaviour.

As the whole brazen scene replayed in her mind, the gravity of what she had allowed this man to do to her sank in and she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that she needed to get out of this place right now.

Chapter Twelve.

Elise raced out of the club; pushing through anyone and everything in her way, barely aware of what she was doing and knowing only that she needed to get out of there, find her car and get the h.e.l.l home. This, whatever this was, was complete and utter madness and for a moment there she had almost lost all sense of perspective. Who knew what the other girls had seen and what they would make of it particularly Olivia, who she understood to have firsthand knowledge of Vaughn's charms.

She had no idea why he seemed intent on pursuing her. Maybe it was the thrill of the chase and the fact that she was unavailable which added to the spice? Who knew? She didn't care anymore and was done trying to work anything out. As soon as Dale was home from hospital, she was going to help him to work through his issues and then hopefully they could carry on their lives as if the last few days had never happened.

She reached the car park and typed a quick text to Celeste to let her know that she had headed home early, claiming she wasn't feeling well. Hopefully the other girl would be able to get a lift back with the others and wouldn't be too upset at Elise for bailing out on her. She sighed. Just another situation to smooth over on Monday.

Reaching her car, she was about to put the key in the lock when a shout reached her from across the car park.

"Elise! Wait! Please...!"

She turned to see Vaughn sprinting across the car park towards her, hastily shrugging into his jacket with keys and phone dangling in his hand. His long strides ate up the distance to her in no time and she found herself sucking in a breath as she took in his appearance. He was wearing dark casual jeans and a fitted top along with a leather jacket and lightweight boots. He was, quite simply, devastating and she had to force herself to remain where she was the temptation to run and throw herself into his arms was overwhelming.

She waited for him to reach her. Devastating as he was, she didn't really want to talk to him but she recognised that this 'thing' between them needed to be aired and then put to bed once and for all. It was the only way that she could ever see life resuming and reverting back to any semblance of normality.

"Elise! Look...- I'm sorry really." By now he had reached her and was standing just in front of her as she leant against her car door. He was breathing heavily from running the length of the car park but he recovered quickly, indicating a level of fitness that Elise could only admire. She was fairly certain that if she had just sprinted the length of the car park, she would be in a heap on the floor and requiring medical treatment - not about to hold a serious conversation with someone.

"Things in there got out of hand, I'm sorry." He huffed out, "s.h.i.t, Elise, I can't see straight when you're around you just turn me on too d.a.m.n much and I can't seem to keep any level of control." He paused, his eyes searching her face as if for any sign of forgiveness.

"It's not just that though," he continued. "I really want to spend time with you please. Let me apologise. Let me make it up to you. How about we go for a coffee? There's a twenty-four hour place just around the corner."

He grinned at her and held his hands up in surrender, "I promise to keep these completely to myself."

Elise regarded him with cautious eyes, weighing up the smart thing to do. Clearly, that would be to get in her car and drive away, to put as much distance as she could between herself and this overwhelming man, forget he ever existed and try to carry on. Unfortunately he had somehow wormed his way into her brain without her even realising it and she found herself fascinated by him, drawn to him on some level she had never experienced before. The physical attraction between them was off the scale. Maybe she needed to hear him out and work out what was going on between them. Perhaps they could talk it through like grown adults and then go their separate ways. That way they could continue to work together without any awkwardness or difficulty. Surely that would be the best resolution?

Making her decision, she nodded her head in agreement and she watched as Vaughn visibly sighed in relief.

"Thank you." he said and gently took her hand, leading her to his car parked a few s.p.a.ces away. She was surprised that he had his car here; she would have thought he would have been enjoying the 'ambience' like at their work do but then again, he would have to pay for the drinks here; they had been free at work. Recognising that she was having unfounded and uncharitable thoughts she pushed them to one side. It was unfair to make that kind of judgement about him, she had driven too and that had had absolutely nothing to do with the price of the drinks. Just because Dale had a problem with alcohol, didn't mean that everyone else did.

She got into his car in silence, trying to gather her wits and brave herself for the conversation that was to follow. Vaughn got into the driver's seat and immediately the atmosphere in the vehicle became charged, the spark between them almost visible in the dark interior. He glanced across at her and she smiled nervously at him; it would be so easy to reach across, brush her hand over his thigh and then higher, trail her fingers over his face, pull his head down to hers, seal her lips over his in a searing kiss and taste him again. She shook her head to free herself from her thoughts and turned away, grateful for the darkness of the car which hid her blush. She didn't need Vaughn to know that her thoughts were often less than honourable when he was around; it was bad enough that her body's reaction was a dead giveaway without her face skywriting it, for all to see.

A short, silent drive later, they arrived at the coffee shop and Elise was relieved to see that the car park was virtually empty. Although it was unlikely that she would see anyone she knew this far out of town at this time of night, it would be just her luck to run into one of her neighbours. The fact that she didn't recognise any of the few cars parked outside was both a relief and a blessing.

Vaughn led her inside and they found a secluded table at the back there were only three other tables occupied - all by a rowdy bunch of oblivious University students - so their entrance went virtually unnoticed.

As they sat down, a waitress approached to take their order; a large latte for Vaughn and a mug of tea for her. Although she drank coffee at work, tea was her beverage of choice - particularly at this time of night. She needed something to soothe and calm her, not something that would wire her up for the remainder of the night.

Vaughn reached across the table and grabbed one of her cold hands, rubbing it absently between his as he seemed to consider what to say. Remembering that he had promised to keep his hands to himself, she raised her eyebrow at him indicating their joined hands and he just shrugged, almost apologetically but made no move to sever the contact. Her initial reaction was to pull her hand away but the sensations running up her arm and through her body at even this slight touch were absolutely heady, so she decided to leave it where it was. Considering what others parts of her body he had touched, it seemed almost insignificant.

"Elise, look. I really am sorry about tonight. I didn't plan this despite what you may think it was a complete coincidence that we were both there."

She looked at him in total disbelief. He seriously expected her to believe that? Focusing on their joined hands, she voiced her thoughts aloud.

"You seriously expect me to believe that? After all that you've said to me over the past few days? You must think I'm a complete idiot." Her retort was sharper than she had meant it to be and she instantly regretted it as she registered the brief look of hurt crossing his face. Maybe he was telling the truth? How the h.e.l.l would she know? s.h.i.t she was tired, it had been a long week and everything had ceased to make sense a few days ago. Perhaps she should give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Sorry that was uncalled for." She relented. "It just freaks me out that every corner I seem to turn these days finds you standing on it. First you're breaking up a fight in reception, then you're at the hospital visiting my husband and now I find you on the dancefloor of a club that I have only ever visited tonight, for Christ's sake. You have to forgive me for finding it slightly hard to comprehend that this whole situation wasn't planned." Although her words were harsh, she calmed her voice a little to take the edge off. It wasn't all down to him.

Vaughn shrugged easily, "I understand why you would think that but I can a.s.sure you that it really was a coincidence that I was there tonight. I was out with Stephen to celebrate a friend's birthday and I caught sight of you coming down the stairs to the dancefloor. You looked absolutely stunning and I couldn't tear my eyes away. All I knew was that I had to hold you....had to feel your body pressed against me." He paused and watched her cautiously as if waiting for a reaction.

"I got the DJ to change the track to the one that was playing the very first time I set eyes on you. I watched you that night you know. Totally and utterly caught up in the music, you were completely unaware of the effect you were having on several men - not just me. I remember thinking that I had never seen something so pure or so beautiful and I knew then that I had to get to know you." He glanced across at her, still absently rubbing her hand between his.

"I wanted to recreate that tonight; watch you again, see you dance and be completely free. You really are incredibly beautiful. And then it got to be too much just watching, I had to feel you....touch you. I told myself that it would only be brief and then I would back off. Just one touch, just one kiss and then I would leave you be. Then you ground yourself into me and the small amount of control I was hanging onto was shredded. I'm sorry that I freaked you out Elise but I'm not sorry for touching you. I will never be sorry for that."

Vaughn blew out a breath, leaning back as the waitress arrived with their drinks. His dark eyes had taken on a new intensity and Elise struggled to maintain any level of sanity under his gaze. What on earth did you say to a speech like that? He thought that he had freaked her out but he hadn't far from it. She was freaked out by the connection between them but not by him. She had bolted because she was frightened. Frightened of the depth of emotion she was beginning to feel for this man, frightened that she could feel something like this when she was married to Dale and scared witless as to where this was all going to go. If Dale ever found out about any of this, she would be taught a lesson she would never forget and she couldn't afford for that to happen if her marriage was ever going to stand a chance.

She didn't want Vaughn to believe that he had freaked her out though and she felt she owed him some kind of explanation. After all, she hadn't been a completely innocent bystander and it was unfair for him to take all of the blame.

"Vaughn," her voice was shaky, wavering slightly with the emotion that she was trying to conceal. "You didn't freak me out at all. That wasn't why I bolted." she swallowed, unsure how to continue, but she knew that she needed to be honest. She felt that she owed him that at least.

"I'm scared, Vaughn scared for more reasons than you can possibly understand. I've been married for ten years and in that time I never once considered another man. And then you you burst into my life and totally scramble my brains, making me think things that I should in no way be thinking and making me feel things that I shouldn't be feeling. All of a sudden, I find myself thinking about another man and that is fundamentally wrong. It goes against everything that I believe in. I'm scared s.h.i.tless, Vaughn; really, really scared and the irony is that you have absolutely no idea why."

She looked up from the table and locked eyes with his, hers full of unshed tears, his full of concern and another emotion she couldn't even begin to name. He continued to absent-mindedly rub her hand, his fingers finding their way to the underside of her wrist and stroking her there. This time she could not contain the shiver his touch produced and Vaughn sighed, a small smile playing around his mouth.

"You feel it Elise, don't you? Tell me you feel it too and that it's not just me going mad here?"

"Yes, Vaughn." she allowed, finally being honest with herself "Yes, I feel it too but it can go nowhere and I think for both our sakes, we should try to keep our distance from now on. I have more than enough going on in my life without adding any more complications to it. Maybe I should resign from the off-site team that way we wouldn't even need to work together. I'm a strong woman Vaughn....I've had to be, but there is only so much strength left right now and if I lose it, we will both end up in a situation we'll regret." She looked across at him, her eyes moist with the ever-present tears threatening to spill. She was an emotional wreck around this man and she wasn't ready to delve into her psyche to find out why.

"I can promise you Elise that any situation with you would never be cause for regret." Vaughn sighed. "I know that you are married, I know what that means to you and believe me, I am not in the habit of pursuing married women. There is something about you that draws me in though, something that I can't explain and I find myself unable to walk away. I don't want to walk away. I am not going to walk away. It's as simple as that. I want to take whatever risks I need to take to be with you....however problematic that may be."

"You hardly know me though Vaughn why me? Why not Olivia? She's young, beautiful and completely available and, as we know from recent evidence, not averse to your advances. Why would you want to get involved with me when you know it will never go anywhere?"

Ignoring the last part of her sentence, Vaughn instead picked up on her comments about Olivia, his eyes flaring a little with hope. "Why Miss Grayson, dare I flatter myself that I hear a slight jealousy in your voice?" he mocked.

Elise raised her eyebrows at him, effectively silencing any further comment he may have been about to make on that subject and he laughed.

"I guess I just don't understand what it is about me that has you so compelled to potentially ruin both of our careers, my marriage and your reputation just for a cheap roll in the hay!" she stated matter of factly.

Vaughn abruptly stopped rubbing her wrist and pulled his hands away angrily, his eyes spitting fire as they glared at her across the table. Clearly not trusting himself to speak quietly he leaned forward and hissed instead, his voice menacing and cold.

"Don't you dare to a.s.sume that anything we may have would be cheap. Just because you haven't been tempted in the whole time that you have been married doesn't mean that you are unattractive. You are a young, vibrant and beautiful woman who is stuck in an unhappy relationship a marriage that most people would have walked away from long since. I'm not an idiot, Elise; I know when I touched your hips tonight that you were in pain and I know that he did that to you. Men like that don't deserve to be alive and they certainly do not deserve the love of a woman like you." The depth of pa.s.sion in his voice took her by surprise as he continued to hiss across the table.

"I do not agree with cheating and nor do I agree with breaking up a marriage but I am d.a.m.ned if I will stand by, even as a friend, and watch you being used as a human punch-bag just because you lack the courage to face up to reality and get the h.e.l.l out of there!"

Elise couldn't speak. Her throat had dried up and all coherent thought had fled at the sheer level of anger on Vaughn's face. She had seen Cole like this once or twice when he had been patching her up but for some reason on Vaughn it seemed much more deadly. She could deny it, pretend that she didn't know what he was talking about but that would just be pointless. He knew and he still wanted to spend time with her. There was no point in prettying anything up for him.

Nervously she took a sip of her tea, her fingers shaking, making it difficult to get the mug to her mouth.

"How....." she whispered, "how did you know?"

"I..." for a brief moment a look of pain flitted across his face and then it was gone, replaced by a look of calm concern.

"I heard most of what your husband said in the office the other day and it didn't take a genius to work out the rest. To see Cole lay into your husband like that was unexpected and I spent a good while that evening trying to piece it all together. Why would someone as calm as Cole go off the deep end like that? There must have been a really good reason. From then on, I had my suspicions but it wasn't until tonight when I touched your hips that I knew for certain." He looked across at her and locked his eyes onto hers.

"How long, Elise? How long has this been going on?" he asked gently, taking both her hands this time and holding them steady in his warm grip, trying to stop the incessant shaking.

"I....." she paused, hung her head, ashamed to admit to just how long she had suffered at the hands of her husband. Tenderly, Vaughn put a finger under her chin and lifted it so that their eyes could connect again.

"How long?" he prompted softly, his eyes never once leaving hers.

"Five years on and off" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Five long years."

Chapter Thirteen.