Chapter 17:

Sharon and Flynn walked slowly to the elevator without saying a word. Sharon had a little smile on her face. Flynn glanced at her for a second and smiled too. He pushed the button and they both faced the closed doors, waiting for the elevator to reach the floor. Flynn moved closer to Sharon and put his arm around her waist. Her smile grew just as the elevator doors opened and she stepped into it, moving away from his touch. He followed her inside and waited for the doors to close after Sharon pushed the button of the parking floor. They kept quiet, enjoying each other's company in silence.

When the elevator opened in the parking floor, Sharon stepped outside right away and started walking to her car. She knew that Flynn would follow her, being the gentleman that he was. He wanted to say goodbye and walk away, but he felt that he had to give her one last kiss. It was like a burning urge, stronger than him, something he hadn't felt in years and years.

Flynn pushed that thought aside as Sharon reached to open the car door. Before she managed that, he grabbed her arm and turned her to him. His lips touched hers before she realized what was happening. It took her by surprise, but she liked it. She always knew that Flynn was passionate about his job, but she loved discovering that he was like that in other aspects of life too. He took his time kissing her, engraving in his mind her taste, her smell, her touch… Eventually he moved from her lips to her cheek, placing a little kiss there and then pulled away. Sharon wanted to return him the favor, but there were still some walls inside her that prevented her from letting him know how she was feeling. She just smiled at him and muttered "goodbye".

"See you tomorrow," he said, casting her one last smile before he turned and walked away. Sharon watched him until he disappeared behind a corner. A thunder shattered the silence with a loud noise and Sharon hurried into her car, hoping to get home before the rain catches her.

(***)

"Mom, look who's here!" Cat said the second Sharon opened the door. She looked around and saw Richard sitting in the living room with Cat and Rusty.

"Hello, Richard," she said coldly as she walked towards them.

"Dad took us to dinner," Cat said, smiling.

"Oh," Sharon nodded, trying not to look bothered by his presence. She found it hard keeping up the pretense with Richard. Rusty frowned as he seemed to have noticed that, and Sharon smiled at him.

"I've invited Cat to live with me during her pregnancy, since you can't have her," Richard said and smiled. Cat thought he was being nice but Sharon knew that smile too well. It was condescending, hypocrite.

"Can I talk to you alone, for a moment?" Sharon said without responding to his announcement.

"Sure," Richard said and got to his feet. Sharon pointed at her bedroom and he followed her there, closing the door behind them.

An old memory appeared in her mind and she felt chills going through her body. It was a memory from about a month before she left Richard, twenty years ago. She was lying awake in her bed late at night when he came back, drunk, from another poker game where he lost all of his money again. She got up and confronted him about his addictions, but instead of arguing, he started touching her, ignoring her refusal. Sharon tried to fight him but he was stronger than her. She couldn't yell because of the children. She just kept begging him to stop, but he only laughed, stinking from alcohol, as he pushed hard inside her.

Sharon stood with her back to Richard and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the shame taking over her again, just like it did every time she remembered that horrible night. No matter how many times she told herself that it wasn't her fault, it didn't matter. She knew that she couldn't have gone to the police about it because back in the days the law didn't acknowledge marital rape, but nothing took the shame away. She always thought she should have fought him harder.

"What do you want?" his voice startled her and she turned to face him.

"You didn't say you were staying in California," she said coldly.

"I got an offer yesterday to run the LA branch of my firm. So, surprise, surprise…" a mean smile appeared on his face.

"What are you trying to do with Catherine?" Sharon asked, trying to keep her voice calm. Richard didn't answer. He looked up and down her body and smiled again.

"You know," he said slowly, as if he was enjoying the pain that his words caused her, "you look pretty hot for a woman your age," he chuckled and took a step towards her.

Sharon swallowed hard and tried to remain calm. "Get out of my house," she said quietly. Her voice sounded just as firm as the look in her eyes was. "I'm not the person I was twenty years ago."

Richard didn't move. For a moment, Sharon wanted to reach for her gun, but remembered it wasn't on her.