Monday rolls around too fast, the weekends are fleeting and snatched. Two people wrapped in dreams and desire. We came home, my hands full of sketches of The House of Glass Flowers which Elijah had sketched with an almost impossible skill in about three minutes flat. I watched him silently as he worked, his long fingers skimming a pencil across the paper we’d picked up in a local shop. Even his sketches are beautiful. I wish he’d paint more. But he’s busy, I know that, and for the two sides of his personality he has, the lawyer is winning out. I love the lawyer just as much as the artist and I need to focus on that.

“Silver tie.” I stretch on the bed, arching my stiff body. Who thought it was a good idea to spend the day wrapped in a duvet on a hard wood floor?

He holds the tie where he’s stood at the door of his closet. “Silver? I thought the pink stripe.”

“Silver,” I confirm, rolling over and giving him a fine view of my naked arse.

“And what are your plans for the day?” His voice echoes a little gruffer, I lay still giving him a mental picture to keep with him in the office, before slowly rolling back over to find his eyes burning on me.

“Class. I’m going to check on Tabitha, I’m worried about her.” I sigh. “And I might call Saskia and see if she can help me find something suitable to wear on Saturday.”

Eli frowns and steps closer to the bed. He looks like a masterpiece in his navy suit. I love the man naked under the duvet, and wearing jeans and trainers all weekend, but hell do I love him in a suit too.

“You don’t need to make any form of effort. It’s they who need to make an effort with you.” His normally expressive face closes off at the thought of his family.

“It will be okay, Eli. I told you, there is nothing they can do to separate us.”

He drops onto the mattress, his fingertips tracing along the skin of my waist, along the swell of my breast and then across my shoulder and down my arm until he rocks the black diamond on my finger, twisting it in the diffused sunlight. He’s serious, his brows furrowed together.

“What’s the matter?” I snuggle closer, wrapping my naked body around his suit covered legs.

“Nothing, Sunshine.” Tilting my chin, he places a lingering kiss on my mouth, his minty breath tingling as his tongue slides along mine. My body warms instantly, and I slide myself up, straddling his lap. Underneath me his response is instant and hard.

“Stay.”

The blues meet mine. “I can’t.”

I kiss him harder, giving him everything, pressing my breasts against his beautiful cotton shirt. “Stay.”

He groans as I shift myself along his erection. “You’re killing me.” He places firm hands on my waist and detaches me, placing me back on the bed. “Hold that thought, I’ll be home early.”

“What am I going to do with myself?” I blink up at him through my lashes.

“I’m sure you’ll make a plan.” He winks.

“Spoilsport.” I throw myself face first onto the duvet.

“And no visits to work!” He wags his finger. “I know how your mind works.”

I roll over. “Well, I just want to state for the record that I wasn’t like this until I met you.”

“I shall keep that thought with me all day.”

I drop all laughter. “There is only you, Eli. You’re the first, remember, and the last.”

He leans back down and places another kiss on my mouth. “Knowing you are just mine makes me a happy man.”

Straightening and tightening his tie, he runs a hand through his hair. “Dinner, tonight?”

“Perfect.”

He pauses as he turns for the door. “Faith?”

“Yes?” I’m already burrowing myself back under the duvet, class isn’t for hours.

“You haven’t mentioned Dan and Abi for a while. I appreciate you helping Tabitha after what she’s been through, but I know you have your own life, too.”

I nod but my tummy is tightening. He watches me for a long moment, reading my face. “Abs is on a crazy exercise routine, she’s too busy to talk to me.”

Eli pulls at his cufflinks, checking his shirt is equal on both sides beneath the cuffs of his jacket. “And Dan?”

I shrug. “He’s grieving, and I don’t know how to reach him.”

He gives me a slow smile. “You’ll find a way.”

I nod, but I’m not sure I can agree.

After he’s gone, I end up getting out of bed and making a coffee to take down the rain drenched small garden to the studio. I’ve left a right mess in there, but I ignore it and spread out the sketches from the house in France. I wish I could be back there, wallowing in that warm glow of continental sun. It wasn’t hot by any means, but the sun was at least visible. I pull one of Eli’s easels over to the grey window and balance a new canvas on the stand. I don’t paint, it’s not a medium I’m comfortable with, but I want to feel the sun streaming through of the window in France. I want to feel the rough edges of the wooden topped work surface as Eli bends me over them and drives himself into me.

I splurge paints, mixing and adjusting until the warmth of terracotta is beneath my fingers then I dip them onto the canvas; the smooth and rough surface beneath my fingertips is the perfect combination and a little thrill travels up my spine. I love new things. I might not be able to give Eli a house, but I can give him the heart I lost there in our weekend of perfection. Listening to the rain hit the window, I transport myself to a better place, to a perfect moment where it’s just me and him.

The phone disturbs me, and I almost jump in shock. Crap. Wiping my hands on a rag, I try to get them dry enough to pick up my vibrating mobile. “Yes.” I shout as soon as I can slide the screen.

“Where the hell are you?” It’s Gerard. A cross Gerard.

“Painting.”

“What? No seriously, Faith, where are you? You’ve missed the first lecture and Professor McAndrew’s been looking for you. He wants to go with you to the Tate Modern to see your work space.

“Already?” I can’t make sense of what he’s saying. “What do you mean I missed a lecture?” I pull my phone away from my ear and glance at the time. Eleven o’clock. How the hell did that happen? I stare at the canvas. It’s spread with a myriad of terracotta and gold. Huge and bold, it’s like the sun has crashed into land and exploded everywhere.

It’s me and him on that bedroom floor, tangled and panting.

I lift the phone back to my ear. “Sorry. I’m sorry, I got distracted.”

“Hm.” He sighs. “What shall I tell McAndrew?

“Why is he rushing on this? Surely this will take a while to set up.”

Gerard clucks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Quicker than you think, Faith.”

I sigh. “I’ve got enough going on this week. I’ve got to face the Faircloughs at the weekend.”

There’s a brief pause which speaks volumes. It’s your own mess, Faith.

“I’ll be in the next lecture.”

“Good. Don’t cock up now, you’ve got a lot riding on this.”

I pull a face, which isn’t very mature but it’s not like he can see me, and hang up the phone. I take a quick snap of the painting and then send it to Damien at Whitlocks. I haven’t spoken to him for weeks. God, I don’t even know if they are still interested in my stuff, but I’ll let him know there is work slowly coming from me. I should probably spend less time shagging and more time being productive.

I giggle to myself and start clearing up the mess.

I’m running out of the door, shrugging on my jacket and trying to put a piece of toast which constitutes my late breakfast/lunch in my mouth when my phone rings. I don’t check the screen as I attempt to swipe and lock the front door. “Hi, I’m on my way, I promise.” I shove the phone under my ear and try to wiggle the key out of the blasted lock.

“Faithy?”

I freeze. My blood chills and slows until my pulse is thudding loudly in my ears.

“Faithy?”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” My throat is so tight, I have to force my words out, barking them almost around my toast.

“Listen, please, it’s been months.” Dad’s voice is low.

I snort derisively. “No number of months will pass where I’ll be ready to talk to you.”

“Faith, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Sorry you didn’t believe me? Sorry you didn’t make me go to the police and put your trust in me? Sorry you’ve encouraged me to leave a child abuser free on the streets?”

The security guy is watching me from his booth, his face questioning. I give him a nod to let him know I’m okay and then turn my back.

“I never want to hear from you again.”

Dad clears his throat and my hackles rise. “I’m in trouble. I need some money, Faithy.”

“What sort of trouble?” Gah, why did I ask? Why didn’t I hang up?

“I owe money.”

“For what?” I explode. “You haven’t done anything since Al threw you out of the shop.”

“I know. I thought Al would leave me my half in his will, but he didn’t.”

“No.”

He tuts loudly. “You know he didn’t, Faith. He left it to you.”

I almost drop the phone. For a long moment I have no words. I just stand and stare at Eli’s closed front door. “I didn’t know.” My words are a whisper.

“Of course you didn’t. It’s mine, Faith. I’ve put my life into that shop and I can’t be written out of it.”

“I know nothing about this. Speak to Dan.”

“I would.” His tone is accusatory, like I should know what he’s saying. “But no one has seen him.”

What is he talking about? I spoke to him just the other week... the other week, Faith! Wake up!

“I know nothing.” I almost add that I’m sorry, but I stop myself. I have nothing to be sorry about.

“Looks like you’ve landed with your feet in the butter, hey, Faithy? You and those Faircloughs. I wonder what they would say if they knew your history.”

“What?” Is he for real? “Are you threatening me?” I drag in a lungful of air. “Eli knows everything about me, there is nothing you can tell him.”

“You look after yourself, Faithy, just like your mother.”

Whoa. I gasp and my hands shake, the keys clattering onto the pathway. “You never talk about her.”

“Because she left me, too.”

“Don’t make this about you. You’re the one who failed, you failed me.” I hate the sob rising to the surface and I swallow it down. I hang up, barely managing to control the phone before it falls to the pavement next to my keys.

I jump when a hand lands on my shoulder. “You okay, Faith?” I turn to find Sienna standing behind me.

I brush at my hair and try to calm the fuck down. “Yeah, family issues.” I don’t want to cry in front of her. She nods understandably. “You should meet mine, they make Eli’s look like the perfect family.”

I shoot her a wan smile. “Even Connie?”

Sienna scrunches her pretty little face. “Well. Maybe not her.”

I can’t even bring myself to laugh. I can’t believe that man called me. Where the hell is Dan? Why did Al leave me his shop? Why didn’t Dan tell me? Because he hates me? My head spins with too many questions.

“Sorry, Sienna, do you need something?” I try to focus on her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” She leans in, placing a hand on my arm. It’s beautifully manicured and smooth.

“I’m fine.” My smile tightens.

“I was just bringing this file to leave for Eli.” Fuck, I hate it when she calls him that, but I know I’ve got to let it go. “I think you were right. I looked through the records for a financial pay out that coincided with a woman leaving the company three months earlier. She got three payments.”

“She was being paid to stay quiet.” I meet her gaze. This is the break the Melanie Duncan case needs. This could be the truth.

Sienna shrugs. “If we can find her.” She flicks open the folder and rifles through the papers, lines of financial records are highlighted. “She moved around and then I think she changed her name. The woman who received the money no longer exists.”

“Shit.” I pull at the papers, shuffling them. “I want this case over. I think Eli will start following his dreams once Melanie has justice.”

Sienna’s eyebrows dip into a frown but she shrugs. “I hope so.”

My gaze falls onto a black and white picture. “What’s this?”

“It’s the Human Resource record. The staff security image.”

“I know her.” I pick up the paper and stare at it, turning it a little bit. “It can’t be. It’s just too much of a coincidence.”

“What do you mean?”

I stare harder. Seriously? The chances are just too far-fetched. “She lives in the flat below mine. I’ve only met her once when I flooded her bathroom.”

“Was she by herself?”

My head shakes from side to side as I try to remember that throwaway conversation months back. “No, she had a baby, and mentioned her husband.”

Sienna puts her hand into her handbag and goes to dial, but I put my hand on her arm and shake my head. “Let me check first? I might be wrong.”

Sienna watches me carefully and then nods. “Okay. But we need to tell Eli soon. We need to announce to the court if we have a new witness to bring to the stand.”

I nod. Looks like I’m not going to uni after all. After a swift goodbye to Sienna, I head back in the direction of the flat I no longer live in. Although what I’m going to say to her, if it is her, I have no idea.

On my way I call Dan, but it goes to his answerphone. Then I ring Abi and she confirms what the unsettled sensation in my stomach is telling me. Dan has hardly been seen.

This is a mess.

I tell her about my dad and what he said about Al, but Abi promises she didn’t know anything about it.

I believe her. She’d never lie.

I call Dan one more time as I stand outside the flat and drag on a smoke. Not quite how I thought my day would go, but at least I’ve spoken to Abi and can now check on Tabitha, too—so my to do list is slowly decreasing.

I walk up the stairs, heading for the floor beneath mine and knock on the white door. There’s a sound of talking and baby wails from behind the door before it opens. The woman’s dark eyes land on my face. “Hi.” It’s hard not to look sheepish. “I’m Faith from upstairs.” I point at the ceiling. “We had coffee a while back.”

She nods and the baby crawls along the passageway to her ankles and tries to stand. She sweeps him up, kissing him tenderly. My heart clenches. Am I really going to do this? Am I going to bring back bad memories, drag the past back into her present?

I chew my bottom lip and think of Lewis, the boy without a mother.

“Actually, it’s Lucy, right? I was hoping I could talk to you about Melanie Duncan.”

Her eyes widen and she goes to shut the door, but I put a hand on the plastic frame and stop it swinging in my face. “I’m a friend of her son. And I want to tell you what happened to me.”

She stops, her face falling, and then a tear rolls from her eye and splatters on the fair hair of her son in her arms, and she nods.

“It’s time we all stop running.”