Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,173
the world into it.
When Vaughn had been talking to her, he had told her that she had to put a stop to this, for everyone’s sakes and now she could see that she had no option if she wanted to do that. Dale had backed her into a corner and played his trump card and he knew that she would lay her life on the line for both Vaughn and Cole in a heartbeat – which was ultimately what he had asked her to do. Her life for theirs. Put like that, there was no choice. She had to go back to Dale and deal with her life and her marriage and she had to do that in order to set the two men that she loved beyond all reason, free.
Slowly, Elise nodded and she could see the triumph in Dale’s face as he realised that he had won. He had known exactly what buttons to push and he had played her to perfection. He was a master manipulator and once again she had been helpless against his ambush.
“I will collect you in a couple of hours when they release you.” he said, “There will be no other visitors until then – I will tell the nurse that you are too tired.”
“Thank you, Elise.” He leaned down to brush a kiss across her cheek and she turned her head away. She was not doing this for him or for any sense of duty – she was doing it because she loved Cole and most importantly Vaughn - with every atom of her heart.
As predicted, she was given the all-clear a couple of hours later and Sean entered the room first accompanied by Dale. The security guard looked unhappy and she could only presume that he had heard most of the conversation between Dale and herself and couldn’t believe that she had chosen this outcome.
She was dressed and ready to go and was just collecting her handbag from the side locker when Vaughn came rushing into the room, only to stop dead when he saw her preparing to leave with Dale by her side.
“What the fuck, Elise?” he almost bellowed, “Don’t tell me you’ve given this asshole another chance? I can’t believe you would do that! Tell me this isn’t happening, Elise. Tell me.” He was shouting now and Sean moved to close the door and then stationed himself between the two men as if pre-empting a fight.
“Believe it, Granger,” Dale said and Elise swallowed as she watched the hurt and pain course across Vaughn’s face. “She’s coming back to me and you are not going to stand in our way. Now move the fuck out of the way of the door.”
Vaughn remained exactly where he was, his fists clenching at his sides as he looked across at Elise and she saw the complete disbelief in his eyes. What could she say to him that he would understand? She didn’t even really understand it herself.
“You asked me to make it stop.” She said softly, her eyes trying to send him signals of love and of hope, trying to make him see that she was doing this for him and only for him.
“I am making it stop.”
“The hell you are!” he roared and lunged at Dale but Sean was quicker, capturing Vaughn by the arms and effectively holding him.
“Take it easy there, Mr Granger.” Sean said and Elise looked at the other man gratefully. He understood the situation, he had been there. He knew what she was doing and why she was doing it and even though he may not approve, he was smart enough to realise that Vaughn lunging at Dale was not going to solve anything.
“Elise has made her decision, Granger,” Dale said “and there is nothing that you can do about it. You need to move on and find your own woman – preferably one that isn’t married.” And with that, he grabbed Elise’s bag and pushed past Sean who was still holding onto Vaughn and left the room.
Given a couple of precious minutes with this beautiful, wonderful man, Elise took the time to study him and impress his features onto her brain so that she could recall them in another time and another place. He had stolen her heart and now it was breaking into tiny little pieces as she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other and head towards the door.
“Why, Elise? Why?” Vaughn’s voice was broken, his face ravaged and destroyed.