A/N: I know this took a bit longer than usual again, but I'm hoping to be back to Wednesday updates from now on.
I really struggled with writing this week. Maybe it's everything going on, but I just couldn't seem to find the words. Thankfully there are some wonderful people in the fandom that gave me a boost, and voila, I managed to get this chapter done. So huge, mahoosive, ginormous thanks to Blue and Aimee for being perfect beta's (and amazing friends) and also to Cassie for gee'ing me up too, giving me some wonderful advice and kind words of reassurance. I love you, ladies.
Thank you to everyone who has liked, followed and reviewed. Please don't stop! I get a thrill every time someone has taken the time to let me know what they think. It means so much!
Anyway - I hope you enjoy it. It's still very angsty I'm afraid!
Love to everyone! #StayAtHome
Battling Fate
Chapter 18
Donna was frozen to the spot as she took in her surroundings. Her familiar hallway, the mail she hadn't yet opened on the side table, the vase of yellow tulips that were now wilting slightly.
She dropped the overnight bag that Rachel had brought to the hospital, on the floor. Her friend was just a few steps behind her, closing the front door behind them.
Everything was as she had left it, yet it all felt completely different. It really had been only a few days since she'd last been here, but it seemed like an eon ago. So much had changed. So much had happened. Her eyes pricked with tears, the enormity of the last few days momentarily taking her breath away.
She'd been fine leaving the hospital, she'd stayed calm and collected when seeing her Dad, the reassurance that he was making a full recovery and in turn, his relief at seeing that she too was okay, had helped pacify her. On the journey back to New York, she'd still managed to keep everything in check as she'd listened to Rachel babble incessantly about anything and everything. Her friend had seemed to sense that Donna needed the distraction, that she wasn't ready to talk about what had happened, so Rachel had chatted away about the clinic, a couple of cases her and Mike had been working on, how she'd managed to identify a few more amazing restaurants in Seattle and their annoying new kaftan wearing neighbour that seemed to have a penchant for yodelling at all times of the day.
But now that she was home, as she looked around, reality struck. Her life would now be inherently different from what it had been before. It was as though the Donna that had left this apartment, just under a week ago, would never return.
She felt Rachel's hand on her back. Her friend, wanting to offer her some comfort and reassurance that she wasn't alone.
"You alright?" Rachel's gentle voice soothed her slightly.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, I just…" Donna's voice faltered.
"It's okay," Rachel responded knowingly. "Hey, how about you go and take that shower you said you were desperate for, and I'll make us some tea."
Donna gave her friend a thankful nod. "That sounds like a great idea. I'm not a big fan of hospitals, and I've suffered two of them today. I swear I can smell them on me," she added.
Rachel flashed a warm smile and made her way into the kitchen. Donna followed hesitantly. She draped her coat over the back of the couch and as she bent down to remove her shoes, she winced slightly, her muscles still sore from her ordeal and her head still thrumming with a dull ache. The pain had not abated all day. She slowly walked towards her bedroom, but paused before looking back at her friend.
"Rachel, you know you can just go to your parents. I'll be fine."
Rachel had been rummaging through Donna's kitchen cupboard, looking for tea bags when she paused, her head tilting back, eyebrows raised. "Not this again, Donna. You and I both know that Dr. Wynn was less than happy that you discharged yourself. I think the only reason she relented in the end was because I promised I would keep an eye on you overnight. I pride myself on my integrity Donna, so don't you think for one second that I intend on breaking that promise. Now go grab that shower," she said sternly.
Donna rolled her eyes, but acquiesced with a small smile. "Yes Ma'am," she obeyed.
She entered the bedroom and, closing the door behind her, she rested against it momentarily and expelled a deep breath.
She felt unsettled. Anxious. A sense of foreboding was creeping through her veins. She was pretty sure it wasn't her ordeal that was making her feel this way, at least not solely so. It was the sense that there were still so many unresolved issues, problems that still needed to be fixed yet she was totally out of sorts. Donna always tackled problems head on, she used her talents and skills to navigate around troublesome situations and she did it with aplomb. However, right now she felt far from confident. She felt lost. She was like a wounded animal, that sense of self-assurance that Samuel had stripped from her had not returned. She'd never been so vulnerable and ever since her incarceration and the events that had followed, she'd felt totally exposed.
Harvey had once joked many years ago, after she'd produced yet another miracle and saved the day with a particularly tough case at the D.A's office, that she was the superhero, not him. "That, or a white witch," he'd smirked. Her skills and talents often seeming otherworldly to him at the time. Well right now, it was as though she'd lost all of her powers.
She gradually began removing her clothes. They were still the ones that she'd been wearing the day Samuel had abducted her. Rachel hadn't had a chance to provide her with clean clothes at the hospital. She decided in an instant that she would throw them out, possibly burn them if she could. The process of eliminating any reminders of that abhorrent man, had to start somewhere.
She stepped into the shower and allowed the hot spray to soothe her aches and pains. She winced though, as the hot water hit the broken and sore skin on her wrists and ankles. The sensation jolted her, more as a reminder of what she'd endured rather than the physical pain itself. She felt her eyes fill with tears and her anger spiked again. She just wanted it all to go away. The memories of what he'd done to her, the fear that had paralysed her and the hate that she'd felt that had caused her to pull that trigger. She wished she could just erase it all.
She would've liked to have stayed in that shower until the water ran cold, hid away from reality for a little bit longer. However, she was mindful of her friend, no doubt waiting patiently for her in her living room, probably worrying too that she'd already taken as long as she had. She loved Rachel, and it meant the world to her that her friend hadn't hesitated one second to be there for her. But Donna wasn't used to being taken care of, to being looked after and her friend's attempts at helping her and comforting her just compounded the sense of weakness that she felt. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help it. It felt alien to her.
She carefully and methodically got dressed into some yoga pants and a baggy T-shirt. Something comfortable and loose. As she twisted her now washed, but still wet hair into a high bun, she heard the sounds of three loud knocks on her front door. Donna halted, and her breath hitched. Rachel had mentioned that Harvey planned on visiting her this afternoon, and she'd pushed that knowledge to the back of her mind along with all her other worried thoughts. The prospect of him being here now, panicked her. She wasn't ready to face him yet.
The months leading up to this last hellish week had been painful and torturous. Their friendship in tatters and her heart broken. However, as devastating as it had been, she'd known where she had stood with him. Now, she wasn't so sure. He'd risked so much to help her, to save her from a horrendous situation, but she surmised that he'd probably done so out of guilt. She had been used as a means to get to Harvey, and that would have torn at him. He'd kissed her, but once again, she'd convinced herself that he'd done so merely to comfort her, and that hurt like hell too.
She didn't know what he could possibly be here to say, but whatever it was, she had no clue what she would say in response.
She opened her bedroom door, and walked slowly into her living room. She could hear Rachel's voice down the hallway and she heard her front door slam. Rachel then appeared and she instantly flashed Donna an apologetic look. Before Donna could say anything, she felt her stomach drop when she realised it wasn't Harvey that had paid her a visit. It was his girlfriend.
"Paula!" Donna almost choked.
"I'm sorry, Donna," Rachel said quickly. "I did say that you had only just got back and you needed to rest, but she insisted on speaking with you. She said it was urgent," Rachel said through gritted teeth. Clearly not happy that the other woman wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Urgent?" Donna's eyes grew wide with fear. "Oh my God, is Harvey okay?" she gasped, her hand splayed across her chest.
"He's fine," Paula responded. "As well as can be expected at the moment, anyway," she added, her face stoic.
"Can this really not wait?" Rachel asked again. Her normal friendly tone carried a slight edge of irritation.
"It's fine, Rachel," Donna said with a wave of her hand. Inside though, her stomach was churning.
"I promise I won't take too much of your time, Donna. However, I would like to talk to you in private, if that's okay," Paula requested, tentatively.
Rachel raised her eyebrows and immediately looked across to her friend. She didn't want to abandon Donna and she certainly wouldn't be leaving without her assurance that she was okay.
Donna gave a little nod back. Rachel sighed and reached for her coat, she glanced quickly between the two other women. "I'm just going to quickly go out and grab a few groceries for us tonight, Donna. I won't be long. No more than twenty minutes." The last part she said as she looked directly at Paula. With that, she promptly left, leaving an awkward silence behind her.
Paula cleared her throat. "How are you, Donna?" She asked with a frown. She seemed genuinely concerned, although her tone smacked of professionalism rather than friendliness.
"I'm… Actually, I'm not really sure. I don't think any of it has really sunk in yet," Donna answered with honesty.
Paula nodded. "That's quite normal, after everything you've been through. I would suggest that you arrange some counselling as soon as possible. I can recommend some excellent therapists that specialize in PTSD counselling—"
"Thank you. It's already in hand," Donna lied, but she smiled gratefully at Paula, appreciative of the offer. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
Paula hesitated. "I wanted to talk to you about Harvey," she said, not beating around the bush. Paula had lifted her chin, giving her an air of defiance, and Donna immediately sensed that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
"Okay."
Donna sat down gingerly on the couch. She felt nervous and uneasy which caused the constant thrumming of her headache to intensify. She indicated to Paula to sit down too, but with a shake of her head, Harvey's girlfriend chose to remain standing.
"I may be doing the wrong thing by telling you this, but you're an astute woman and I figured that you would want to know." Paula hesitated as she tucked her hair behind her ear with slightly trembling fingers. "Roman Karimov paid us a visit last night. Harvey and I… at home!"
Donna felt her blood run cold. The sound of that man's name striking fear into her heart, so much so that it somewhat overshadowed the intentional inflection that Paula had used in her words. Even though she was delivering frightening news, Harvey's girlfriend still took the opportunity to remind Donna of her place in Harvey's life.
"What?... Oh my God! What happened? Is he okay?"
Paula swallowed. "No, Donna, he isn't. Roman is blackmailing him. He knows that you were the one that killed Samuel," she said with a grimace, and Donna's eyes widened at her words. "He also knows that Harvey confessed to it, that he lied to the FBI… for you!".
There was no mistaking how Paula felt about that. Her eyes had narrowed, and she was breathing rapidly, her hands now visibly shaking.
"Paula… I assure you, I never asked him to do that. I had no idea—"
"That's not all," she interrupted. "Roman has proof. He had a camera in the club that filmed everything. It has no sound, but he has footage of you pulling the trigger and he is planning on releasing that footage if Harvey doesn't ensure that Roman walks completely free from all of this."
Donna's hand flew up to her mouth. She felt sick. "No! If that footage is released, the FBI will know that Harvey lied and he could lose everything." She too was shaking now. This was exactly what she had been afraid of the moment Mike told her what Harvey had done.
Paula pursed her lips and nodded before continuing. "He has already made a deal with the FBI whereby he agreed to testify against Roman. So, if he does what Roman is asking of him, he will have to perjure himself in open court. Which means he could still lose everything. Again...to protect you!"
Donna was mortified with what Paula was telling her, however she felt her anger spike at Paula's tone. "I repeat, Paula, I did not ask Harvey to claim responsibility for Samuel's death. I woke up in the hospital and only then discovered from Mike what he'd done. I was just as angry as you are, because it was a stupid move. I wanted to set the record straight, then and there. Call the FBI and tell them the truth, but Mike reminded me that doing so would expose Harvey as a liar. The damage was already done. I'm furious with Harvey about this, but don't you dare blame me for his choices!"
Paula's eyes flashed with anger then and she took a step closer to Donna. "Don't blame you? He only did this because he's racked with guilt. It's been eating away at him—"
"I didn't ask to be kidnapped, Paula!" Donna responded defensively.
"I'm not talking about the last few days, Donna!" she almost spat. "I'm talking about the last few months. Do you think I didn't notice how different he has been with you lately? I suspected that something had happened between the two of you, but I'd stupidly assumed you had argued over a work matter. Imagine my horror when I discovered it was over a kiss!"
Both women stood in silence, staring at each other. Their heavy, rapid breathing the only sounds to be heard.
Paula stepped back again and she crossed her arms in front of her as though to protect herself from the truth that she'd just released into the room.
"We both know how Harvey feels about infidelity," she said. "As soon as I discovered what had happened between the two of you, suddenly it all made sense. His behaviour over the last few months and at the wedding, not to mention how reckless and irrational he was once you went missing. He felt guilty about cheating, took his anger out on you, then felt guilty about that once you were abducted. This confession that he made to the FBI is just another way of him trying to recompense."
Donna swallowed heavily. Her knees were trembling and she really did think she might throw up. She really couldn't abide the woman standing in front of her, and she didn't really care if that was purely out of sheer jealousy. However, she couldn't argue with anything that Paula had said. It was the conclusion she had come to herself, and whilst she may not have initially regretted the kiss, only the fallout from it, now she regretted it deeply. It had led to the actions Harvey had taken, and would now probably lead to his complete downfall.
"I'm sorry, Paula. I don't know what Harvey told you, but please know that I was the one that kissed him. He didn't ask or invite it. I blindsided him. That's why he was so angry with me," she said quietly.
Paula looked away and closed her eyes, as though to recompose herself. "Did he kiss you back?" she almost whispered, and she failed to hide the fear in her voice.
"No," Donna responded immediately. She had debated this fact with herself so many times since that night. She was initially certain that if she hadn't pulled away when she did, it could have gone further. But the months of barbed comments and spiteful remarks had chipped away at her memory as well as her resolve. He'd spewed so much anger at her that she'd almost convinced herself that she'd imagined any kind of response from Harvey. He seemed so disgusted with her that it didn't seem possible that he had felt anything other than a normal human reaction. Anything other than anger that is.
Paula nodded slowly and she looked back at Donna. "I know that you are in love with him," she said almost with pity.
Donna could protest at this claim, but there really wasn't any point. They both knew it to be true.
"I also know that you want what's best for him. But, your relationship with him is not healthy. You have to see that. He wants to move on, Donna, and you're holding him back. He can't make rational decisions when it concerns you. Now he stands to lose everything, his job, his career, maybe even his freedom, and whilst I appreciate that's not entirely your fault, you have to see that you are the catalyst for all of this." Paula looked apologetic but she spoke her words with clear intent.
Donna nodded slowly as she looked away from Paula, tears forming in her eyes. She cleared her throat. "I can fix this, Paula. The situation with Roman. I know that Mike has been with Harvey this morning, and they've no doubt come up with a plan, but regardless of what that is, I will fix this and I will protect him. I promise," she said confidently despite her voice dripping with emotion.
"And after?" Paula dared to ask, her eyes not wavering from Donna's.
Donna stared right back, and didn't answer for a few beats. She swallowed and gave Paula a sad smile. "I'll take care of that too," she said.
Paula seemed to visibly relax then, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she took a deep breath. "Thank you, Donna," she said sincerely.
She uncrossed her arms as though it was safe now for her to drop her defenses. "I'd better get going. Rachel will be back soon and I doubt she will be happy to see me taking up any more of your time."
She made her way out of the living room and Donna followed behind. As she reached the front door and opened it she turned back one last time.
"Goodbye, Donna. Take care. Please don't forget to arrange that counselling," she added with a nervous smile.
"I will," Donna said stiffly as she watched the blonde step into the hallway.
"Paula!" she called out and the other woman glanced back at her. "Promise me you'll take care of him," Donna said with as much gravitas as she could muster. Her hazel eyes glistening with tears.
Paula simply smiled and nodded in understanding. An unspoken acknowledgement between them of how much they both loved and cared for him.
Donna watched Paula disappear from view and then as she slowly closed her front door, she immediately slumped against it, a deep sob wracking her body. She allowed herself this. This moment to mourn what might have been. To experience the sorrow of what she had just agreed to. She was alone for now. She didn't need to put on a brave face. She didn't need to wear her 'Donna' mantle. There was no-one here to convince that she was okay. She could just let the sadness take her and grieve. Grieve for him. She had sunk to the floor and she wrapped her arms around herself as she rocked back and forth and just cried.
Once her tears slowly subsided, she took a deep breath and pulled herself up from the floor. Her outpour of emotions may have been cathartic but it hadn't helped her pounding head. She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed some painkillers and downed them with the aid of the now cold tea that Rachel had made for her. She caught her reflection in her living room mirror and sighed. Rachel would be back soon and she couldn't let her see her like this. So she splashed her face with cold water and after patting herself dry, she picked up a blanket, and made her way to the couch. With any luck, Rachel would be late back, by which time she'd no longer have puffy eyes and blotchy skin. Unfortunately, it was only a few seconds later that she heard the key in her door.
"You have to be kidding me, Harvey. Which part of 'we're done' did you not understand?"
"Sean, I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important. We're talking major fraud, extortion, money laundering, not to mention kidnap and murder. The bastard is now trying to blackmail me into testifying on his behalf. He's insisting I ensure he is exonerated, and I can't let that happen. I know, you wouldn't want that to happen either. I just need you to pull a few strings, agree to a deal that will enable Mike and I to set something in motion that could see an end to this and an end to Roman Karimov," Harvey responded.
"Well now you've mentioned Mike Ross, of course I'll do it. It's not like your sidekick didn't threaten me with a lawsuit for 'abuse of power' last time I saw him. You should have led with that, Harvey," Sean responded, his familiar sarcasm oozing from his words.
"Sean," Harvey sighed. "We could do this all day, but you and I both know that despite how you feel about me and Mike, you know this is the right thing to do. Besides, Karimov's empire is extensive and his network vast. Rich pickings for someone like you. If we do this right, Roman will sing like a canary and in terms of you scoring a few wins, it'll be like all your Christmases will have come at once. Honestly, it's more me doing you a favour!"
"Ever heard the phrase 'beware of Greeks bearing gifts'?" Sean scoffed.
Harvey chuckled lightly. "I confess I'm not really into classic mythology, but I'm not your enemy, Sean... and I'm certainly not Greek."
Harvey gazed out the window of his Lexus as he waited for Sean to respond. He'd neglected to tell Sean that his whole plan had no guarantees, and he certainly wasn't going to disclose that should it fail, he was going to do exactly what Roman wanted, perjuring himself in the process.
After what seemed like an eternal silence on the other end of the line, Sean finally spoke up. "I might have a few contacts in the FBI who would be willing to broker a deal. But I'm not making any promises and you need to give me a few days, I do have other work to do you know, Harvey, other than be your Mr. Beck and Call guy."
"I always thought of you more as my Commissioner Gordon," Harvey quipped, his lips turned up slightly as he felt a wave of relief that Sean was prepared to help.
"What, and you're Batman? Really? I have to confess, I do not see that at all, Harv. If we're talking classic movie characters, I see you more as 'Wall-E' or 'Mr. Potato Head'."
"Do you really have other work to do, Sean? Or are you just watching kids' films all day?"
"Okay, we're done, Harvey. I feel my irritation levels spiking again," Sean mumbled.
"Yeah, we're done. Except to tell you that I need that deal confirmed in the next few hours not days. Mike will be at Danbury this afternoon."
"You just don't know when to quit, do you? Your arrogance knows no bounds." Sean groaned.
Harvey smirked. "I'll await your call, Sean."
He disconnected the call and immediately dialed Mike, updating him that the first step had been taken and had gone as anticipated. He kept the call brief and after promising to contact him again as soon as he heard back from Sean, he hung up, leaning his head back with a heavy sigh.
"Everything okay, Harvey?" Ray's voice piped up, as he glanced at his boss through the rearview mirror.
"As well as can be expected, Ray," he said quietly, as he shifted his gaze out of the window, the everyday hustle and bustle of New York life flying by in a blur.
"Do you still want me to take you to Miss Paulsen's next?" Ray asked.
"Yes!" Harvey answered a little too quickly.
They exchanged a brief look, and Ray nodded. "Traffic is light. I'll have you there in no time, Harvey," he said almost gently. A subtle but unspoken understanding that there wasn't anywhere else Harvey felt he needed to be.
"Thanks, Ray," Harvey responded with a small smile.
They spent the remainder of the short journey in comfortable silence, although Harvey felt anything but comfortable. Despite the uncertainty of what they were trying to do, it wasn't actually their current predicament that was making him anxious. He should be stressed beyond belief. After all, not only was his license to practice law at risk, but he could even face prosecution and jail time. Those worries were still there, but they were temporarily buried underneath a blanket of suspense and apprehension that had nothing to do with Roman but everything to do with Donna.
He had been desperate to see her from the moment he had left the police precinct the previous night. He had been worried about her anyway - that was the understatement of the year, but then when he had discovered from Mike that she had not only discharged herself from the hospital, but had then gone and visited Jim instead of resting at home, he had been livid. Part of him acknowledged that her actions were hardly a surprise. He knew her too well, in fact he was pretty sure he knew her better than anyone. Harvey understood all the reasons why she would choose to leave the hospital prematurely, her stubbornness being top of the list. He still felt angry and frustrated though. He needed to know that she was safe and well. He couldn't erase the image of her shocked and comatose state from his mind. It flashed behind his eyes on a constant rotation with other haunted visions. Her tied and gagged, the fear in her eyes, the tears down her face and the sounds of her sobs. Those images coupled with the guilt that consumed him, had been torturing him. He needed to see her. He needed to speak to her, although he still had no clue what he would say.
"Here we are, Harvey," Ray's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Thanks, Ray. I'm not sure how long I'll be. Are you okay to hold on for a while?" Harvey asked.
"Of course, boss," Ray answered with a reassuring nod. "You take as long as you need. Please pass on my regards to Donna," he added.
Harvey climbed out of the car and paused on the sidewalk, looking up at Donna's building. He hadn't been here since the night he'd asked for her key back. The memory jarred. He'd been so cruel that night, and he instantly added the recollection of her anguished face to the other memories that were currently scorching his mind.
He buttoned up his coat, took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Harvey?"
He turned to the sound of his name being called and spotted Rachel approaching, carrying a grocery bag full of produce. He frowned, slightly confused.
"Rachel! I thought you were meant to be with Donna at all times," he said slightly accusatively.
"I was, but her cupboards were bare and we need to eat," she replied unfazed by his tone.
"What's wrong with take-out?"
"Have you tried the food from that shitty Thai place she loves so much? That's a one-way ticket back to hospital, right there," she said with a snort.
"Goddamn it, Rachel, she's not supposed to be on her own. It's bad enough that you let her leave the hospital, but Mike assured me you'd stick to her like glue," he snapped.
"Hey, just wait a minute, Harvey. I did not let her leave the hospital, she discharged herself against my better judgement. Wild horses wouldn't have kept her from visiting her father. You know how stubborn she can be, and for your information, I have stuck to her like glue!"
"Really!" he scoffed as he looked from Donna's building back to Rachel.
Rachel shook her head and began climbing the steps, retrieving Donna's keys from her pocket. "Here!" she huffed, shoving the grocery bag into Harvey's arms before turning to open the front door. She then stuffed the keys into his hand and took a step back.
"I didn't leave her alone Harvey. She had a visitor. Your girlfriend as a matter of fact."
Harvey's eyes widened. "Paula is here?"
"She wanted to speak to Donna in private so I took the opportunity to get us some supplies. She's probably left by now, I did take a little longer than expected," she hesitated taking in Harvey's shocked expression that was slowly morphing into one of worry and concern. "But you know...I've just realised that I've forgotten a key ingredient. So why don't you go on up and I'll nip back to the store. I won't be long, I promise. I'll be back on guard… sorry, nursing duty in no time," she said with a wry smile.
Harvey swallowed, looking down at the keys. "Thanks, Rachel," he said.
She nodded. "Harvey… before you go up, you should know that she's unaware of all that I disclosed to you on that phone call, the night you rang asking about Samuel. Remember what you promised me. You said you'd put this right, and we both know you weren't talking about her being kidnapped. Whatever you go in there and say, don't hurt her."
Harvey opened his mouth to respond but Rachel had already stepped away, marching back towards the grocery store.
He stayed poised in the doorway of the lobby for a moment, allowing Rachel's words to sink in. Of course he hadn't forgotten his promise. The phone call he'd had with Mike and Rachel that night was burnt into his memory.
"She was in pain. A lot of pain."
"I'm just gonna come out and say it, Harvey. She's in love with you."
"She's heartbroken… You chose someone else."
"She feels she's lost you as her best friend."
Through all the fear and anguish of the last few days, Rachel's words had never left him. A constant reminder of the state their relationship had been in. How broken it was and how much damage he had done. The lump in his throat that had formed as he thought on that notion was soon replaced however, with a flash of anxiety.
Paula.
What had she come here to say? Had she challenged Donna about the kiss? If so, what had Donna told her?
These questions swirled around his head as he made his way up to Donna's floor. He paused as he stared at the all too familiar '206', taking a deep breath. He glanced down at the keys in his hand, selecting her front door key and placing it in the lock. He turned it, opening the door and stepping inside.
As he closed the door gently behind him, he immediately listened for the sound of voices. The apartment was in silence. Rachel was right, Paula must have already left.
It was just the two of them.
