Hi guys! Finally back after a very long break. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting for a conclusion to this story for so long but I promise to deliver as quick as i can. Hopefully it pleases. Anyway- here's chapter 14 at long last! :)

Chapter 14:

Neela pushed her way through the thick crowd in the club as she walked the same floors over and over. After she had made her mind up to talk to Ray, she had tried to look for him but was having no luck. Unfortunately she didn't seem to have any phone reception either so she couldn't even call him. This must be the busiest night of the year, she thought frustrated as someone elbowed her in the ribs.

"Ow!", she yelped, but the culprit had already disappeared into the throng.

Annoyed she settled onto an empty bar stool and ordered another drink for something to do.

"Hey again!", a voice called from behind her. Neela turned in anticipation but was disappointed to find it was just Ash again. Geez does this guy have me on tracking system or something?

"Oh it's you", Neela said more rudely then she intended to in her tipsy state.

He grinned brightly oblivious to her weariness. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yes", Neela said desperately, "Have you seen Ray? I can't find him"

Ash shook his head, "not since he was talking to you and that girl".

"Maybe he left", Ash suggested.

This idea opened up a door to lots of new worrying possibilities. What if Ray had left but not alone? Neela shook her head of these thoughts. The best option was to go back to the apartment and talk to him when he got home.

"So do you want another drink?", Ash asked gesturing towards the bar.

"No thanks.", Neela said getting down clumsily of her bar stool. Whoa I guess I've had more to drink then I realised. "I'm going to go home."

"Do you need a lift?", Ash said looking at her with a worried expression.

Neela rationalised. She wasn't exactly drunk but then trying to hail her cab this time of night wasn't going to be the easiest thing.

"Are you sure that's ok?", She asked.

"Yeah of course. I was going to head of soon anyway", Ash replied, "Lets go".

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Ray had been walking round the club for over an hour now trying to find Neela. He had no idea where she could have possibly got to. To make matters worse he kept getting pulled aside by friends wanting to talk. He brushed them of as quickly as he could. He could think of nothing else other then finally sorting things out with Neela once and for all.

Ray got out his phone again to see whether reception was any better in this part of the club. No luck. Earlier, after a fruitless attempt to find Neela he had gone outside to try calling her but it had gone straight to her answer phone.

He spotted Nick talking to some girls nearby and walked over to him.

Nick greeted him enthusiastically. "Hey man, where you been? Join the party!".

"Hey dude", Ray said, "have you seen Neela?"

"Yeah I did", Nick said taking a swig of his beer.

"Really? Where was she?", Ray asked eagerly.

"Oh you've missed her. I saw her leave with Ash Barlow", Nick grinned, "Someone's getting lucky tonight!".

Ray felt as though someone had just punched him in the stomach. She left with Ash? He couldn't believe this. The guy had the personality of a plank of wood. There was no way she would actually…

Even thinking about it sent a sharp pain through his chest. Even if she didn't want to be with Ray, there was no way she would go for Ash.

"So join the party!", Nick said slapping him on the shoulder, "Plenty to go around", he added in an undertone gesturing at the girls.

Nick carried on speaking and someone shoved a beer in his hand. The next half hour passed in a blur, as Ray went over and over in his mind about what Nick had told him about Neela leaving with Ash.

Ray sighed in frustration. He just wanted to forget about it. It was driving him crazy. A simpering blonde in a short skirt and a tight top that left nothing to the imagination had been flirting with him ever since Nick introduced her a while ago. An obvious groupie, she had been batting her eyelashes and giggling really annoyingly at everything he said. Before long she had asked him if he wanted to take the party somewhere more "private". Ray blinked down at her in slight surprise. He really hadn't been giving of any vibes that he had been interested in any way whatsoever. God these girls really are easy he thought wryly.

"It'll be fun, yeah?", the blonde said in what he supposed was meant to be a seductive tone.

Ray stared at her. He didn't really think going home with this girl was going to solve any of his problems. On the other hand, maybe a night of mindless oblivion was just what he needed. He wasn't even sure if it was safe for him to go home. He didn't think he could handle it if Neela had brought Ash there.

The blonde pouted at him, "So what's it going to be?"