They both got properly dressed and Ela opted to wear only a bit of makeup since it was dinner at home but she did want to look more put-together; they couldn't seem to get ready without glancing at each other and smiling noticing the other was subtly looking their direction from the corner of their eye.

By the time they were finally ready, the clock was pushing 5 pm and Cillian arranged for a car service to take them to London.

Faithful to his promise Cillian behaved like a gentleman on the way to their friends' houses, that's not to say they didn't end up cuddling in the back of the car playing with each other's intertwined fingers and talking about music listening to each other's playlists.

After about a two-hour ride Ela brought up the subject she had been kind of dreading.

-"Hey, so I was thinking and..." she trailed off, not wanting to continue but pushing herself to do it anyway, with a bit of a lump in her throat "maybe it would be best to keep this... whatever this is... between us for now? I just don't think it'd be prudent to let anyone know for the time being".

Cillian thought about it, feeling a little down but relieved at the same time.

He had been having such a great time, feeling more like himself every minute he spent with her, but also understanding completely what she meant. Everything had happened so quickly, so suddenly, he wasn't sure he'd want his friends or the public getting to know they had been seeing each other.

Who knows how their close ones would react, and him being still a married man in the public's eye would cause a media frenzy that would catch them both up in between the scandal of it all.

-"You're right it's too soon to even begin thinking about that, we should keep it amongst each other," he said sweetly and kissed the top of Ela's head.

She was beyond relieved hearing him saying that, it was pure bliss now, and for the subject to come to the light so quickly would be too much too soon.

They finally arrived at Natasha's house and said their goodbyes for the evening kissing softly with Cillian promising to text her the next day. But in all honesty, driving off to his destination, he could only think about texting her all night long, he missed her already.

-"Ela, Hi! Come on in already, it's freezing outside" Natasha greeted her inside her home with a warm smile.

When asked about her family she said his husband and kids were over in Liverpool with some relatives, so they had the house to themselves for the night.

Ela handed her a wine they had stopped on the way over to take, thanking Cillian for recommending one he'd know Nat would appreciate. He was right, she thanked her for it but said it was not necessary being such an expensive bottle. Ela brushed it off immediately, thinking how nice they had been to her since they were introduced.

-"Ela hey! so good to see you again" Sophie came out from the Kitchen and greeted her with a hug. She helped her out of her large coat and scarf, and Ela suddenly felt protective of her chest remembering the mark she had so recently acquired, but tried to act nonchalant knowing her outfit did its job of conveying it completely.

Dinner would be ready soon, and the timer was set in the oven, so they headed to the living room with Ela's wine bottle to start the evening with a relaxing drink.

-"So how you've been, what have you been up to?" Sophie asked and

Ela thought about her words before speaking, not wanting to reveal anything compromising.

-"Oh, nothing special really, I barely did anything on Saturday and today was merely going out for breakfast, finally tried on some Greggs' treats and walked through the streets" she said with a smile remembering how well the non-mentioned company had suited her.

-"Really? walking today? I heard there was a monsoon over at Birmingham all day long" Nat stated.

-"I love rainwalks" Ela said not looking at either of them in the eye sipping on her cup to distract herself, knowing too well she could start blushing at the memory at any time, instead, she asked them about their weekend.

Natasha spoke with a smile but a mockingly dreaded expression on her face.

-"Oh, we didn't do too much either, after all the excitement from Friday, and not being so young anymore, mind you, we slept almost all Saturday long, it was a treat nonetheless, but still, it kind of reminded me of my age" they all laughed at that, it had indeed been quite the fuzz.

-"Speaking of" Sophie trailed the conversation where she was dying to get to "You also had a great night, hitting it off with everyone, showing off your dance moves" She shook her butt a bit which made them all laugh again "made us so glad Paul brought you over, I can safely say we all enjoyed your company thoroughly" she smiled a little to herself while Sophie made an empathetic look. She knew what she was trying to say but decided to play it cool.

-"Oh yeah, it's the best night I've had in ages, well needed too, it's been too long since I've let go and just had fun".

-"Well, I'm glad we could contribute to that, Ela you're young! I mean, we all are, despite how I keep complaining about how tiresome it turned out to be, but you're too young to not go out and have all the fun in the world, especially if you're on vacation!" Nat said pointedly while Sophie leaned forward and placed her hand on top of Ela's reassuring Nat's point. "I love you have all your sight-seeing plans, because it's the heart of getting to know the UK, but don't miss out on some other pleasures us Brits have to offer" she finished raising her cup for a toast.

-"And speaking of" Sophie once again turned the conversation to the most important subject "Have you talked to Cill?" Ela felt her insides burn and looked up to her with raised eyebrows not wanting to say anything "You know…about you guys going together to some of the places you had planned out?" Sophie hesitantly continued, not expecting the surprised and weird look Ela gave her at the mention of his name.

-"Oh, oh yeah, I texted him my itinerary and we discussed it a bit" she said composing herself and trying to regain her cool after the mention of his name. But those eyes that defied how melting ice should look swirled around the back of her mind more than she wanted them to.

-"Well, that's good, it'll do you both good to go out, he'll be a good guide I reckon" Nat finished giving a quick but pointed look at Sophie for bringing out the topic so suddenly.

Engaging in conversation about anything and everything and laughing the night away proved to be exactly what the women needed, and by the time dinner was ready, they were already on their third glass of wine.

The food was amazing, the company even better, they had prepared the most delicious meal, and Ela felt truly grateful she had gotten to meet these people who were so kind and down to earth, not at all how she had imagined famous people would live and act.

When they finished dinner the second bottle was also over and done with, all of them started to feel tipsy and lightheaded, everything seemed funnier than before, and at some point, the conversation heated up with everyone disclosing a little more than intended when sharing an anecdote. But it was all good fun, being adults and knowing quite well that none of the conversation was ever meant to leave the walls that contained it.

-"Gosh ladies! Isn't this exactly what we needed? simple fun! good food, wine, and conversation?" Sophie exclaimed a bit more loudly than intended but the other women couldn't but agree with her.

-"You know what could make it the perfect evening?! A nice, warm dip in the jacuzzi with some music playing in the background!" Nat offered and the other two could almost feel the hot water relaxing their muscles, they agreed eagerly, and just when they were standing up, Ela froze on the spot.

OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD THE MARK!

She grew pale, and the alcohol caught up with her making her feel dizzy and sick to her stomach, too much adrenaline rushing to her brain made her want to run for the hills.

Cillian's POV

When Cillian arrived at Hardy's a bit later than expected, although he was excited to see his mates, he still felt a small emptiness in his chest from parting ways with Ela.

She made him feel so alive and listened and welcomed.

Truth be told he was also feeling a bit worried about his sudden feelings and the rush he felt anytime she was near. More like an adolescent than anything else to be sure, and although he wanted to brush it off, the warmth he felt on his every nerve when thinking about them together or when remembering her moves, her hair, her laughter, her scent, was too good to try and push it to the back of his mind; even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to.

-"Hello mate! you did confirm, but I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up tonight" Hardy greeted him with a hug patting him excitedly on the back.

-"C'mon Hardy, I wouldn't miss a night with you lads" Cillian said smiling.

-"HA! if anyone heard you, they wouldn't believe you have ditched the other thousand nights out with us" Joe said coming to greet him with a smile and pushing him forward onto the house.

-"Oh, c'mon they weren't a thousand, and there was always a good reason" he tried to defend himself, but knew they were right.

-"Of course mate, remember the 20 dinners you missed because there was an 18th-century novel or an interesting podcast on guitar history you just had to get through? those seemed like valid reasons, wouldn't you say boys?" Paul said laughing from the living room holding a pint in his hand.

Cillian just lowered his head and laughed, raising his hands in defeat.

-"So how is it that you're finally gracing us with your presence Sir Cillian?" Finn came out from the Kitchen greeting him warmly.

-"Oh you know, I just thought it was about time I joined your mischiefs" They all raised an eyebrow at him "Or... just join you for a calm Sunday dinner" he exclaimed, knowing he would not be likely to join them for their actual nights out that became more and more wild as the evening progressed, he had fallen for that twice a few years back and was not likely to join them on those ever again.

-"Oh well, let's not be so hard on our pal, it's been a rough few months, we're just delighted to have you here" Hardy pointed out looking at the others with a knowing look to prevent them from pushing too hard on some unhealed wounds Cillian might still carry.

-"From what I'm hearing, perhaps you've encountered some good influence lately to get you out of this long hibernation state" Finn exclaimed and the others tried to cover their smiles and knowing looks, Hardy's efforts to keep the conversation light were being thrown out the window.

Cillian kept his composure remembering his conversation with Ela about keeping everything between them and not disclosing their private affairs, but with these gents right here, it would prove to be hard.

-"Ah, so you're regretting not going to the Garrison opening now aren't you" Cillian said trying to turn the conversation in a different route but not too far that it would seem suspicious.

-"Oh mate, I can surely say it was quite a miss from what I'm hearing, but you know I already had arrangements for the evening" Finn raised his shoulders apologetically.

-"Don't you worry brother, I'm sure there'll be plenty of nights on the horizon where that one came from" Joe said squeezing Finn's shoulders lightly.

-"Is that right? well, I'm guessing Cill here would like to oblige to a new night out with this Ela I'm hearing so much about, isn't that right mate?" Finn said with a smirk on his face.

Cillian could just keep a small smile on his lips, not wanting to confirm nor deny anything.

-"Oh, I don't know about that, Friday was a lot for my age, repeating it sounds like something that could send me to the clinic" he laughed it off playing it safe. They all laughed and rolled their eyes at his calm nature. They had to accommodate in the last year to how much more settled he had become, he was never a party animal, but he had closed off a lot more, barely going out, not even leaving his own apartment most weekends.

-"Such a shame buddy, I was looking forward to meeting this Ela girl, sounds like a true champ" said Finn grabbing his pint from the table.

-"Now wait a second brother, Cill might not want to come with us, but I'm guessing Ela would be glad to meet up again, especially if Nat and Sophie came too" Joe expressed while moving his shoulders in a somewhat dancing motion.

Cillian tensed a little at the thought, he was completely fine with Ela meeting up with his friends, but somehow, he wanted to be there too, he had not been much of an outdoors person lately, but if it involved her, he wanted to be present, to be close to her was a joy he didn't seem to get enough of.

-"You may have a point Joe, Ela might be up for it, although she's a bit like this chum right here, behaving like an old soul most times from what she mentioned, but she might be easier to convince than Cill" Paul stated with a mocking smile playing on his lips, enjoying too much teasing Cillian.

-"Oh, that's right Paul! Cill's not the gatekeeper to Ela's nights out, for what we know, nobody is, Lass is free to go where she pleases" Joe said holding back his laughter from the way he noticed Cillian was flexing his upper body.

-"Hey Paul, didn't you say Elijah kept trying to subtly ask about her? wouldn't you say the buddy needs a night off too? how about we invite him with us sometime? they might get a chance to know each other better, who knows, I bet they'd make a cute couple given the opportunity" Joe stated bluntly trying to push Cillian to the edge, get as much of a reaction from him as possible, and also letting him know in all seriousness, that it was indeed true Elijah had been asking about Ela, that there was at least one other man they were aware of, interested in her, so Cillain had to up his game.

This was enough to make Cillian feel uneasy enough that he just tried to smile walking slowly toward the kitchen and serving himself beer in the largest glass he could find, gulping at it trying to hide himself from his friends, and knowing too well that his reaction wouldn't go unnoticed.

Hardy gave them all a fierce look while they all, even Hardy, tried to contain their laughter, knowing it had been harsh, but a truth well deserving to be said out in the open.

It was time to get the Cillian they all knew and loved back.

And if it cost them for him to rebel under their pressured teasing, so fucking be it.

Ela's POV

-"Oh but I... uh... I can't... I mean, I didn't bring a bathing suit" Ela tried her best to look calm and collected but if the girls had been sober, they could have noticed she was failing miserably in her attempt.

-"Oh no worries love, I have lots, we'll find one you can borrow" Nat offered and Sophie smiled excitedly.

-"Oh... that's so nice of you, but I uh... I don't think it'll fit, we're completely different sizes" Ela said with a small smile trying to convey her panic with something similar to disappointment.

It was true tho, Ela was only about an inch smaller than Nat, but she also wasn't as slim as the older woman. Ela had wide hips and legs, and although her waist was quite small being on the wasp waist side of things, she did have a big perky Latina ass.

Both her hostesses had more of a classic supermodel figure, being more on the lean and slender side of the spectrum.

It was perfect indeed, that way nothing they had to offer would fit and she'd be on the safe side not having to remove her clothes.

-"You may be right love, our suits won't be able to hold your amazing curves, I'm so sorry we were not thoughtful," said Sophie with a sad look in her eyes, clearly looking forward to ending the night with hot water and wine between them.

-"No! hold on a second, it's alright, you can just get in your underwear it's totally fine, it's just us three and when we're done I'll lend you a robe, and we'll put the undergarments on the drier so you can have them ready to go!" she said beaming and Sophie did little happy jumps smiling brightly again at the idea "So? What do you think? I saw you before Ela you really want to jump in, don't you?!" Ela could just about die right then and there not being as clear-headed as she needed to think about another excuse.

I'M. SO. FUCKED.

If she bluntly rejected them now it'd seem weird and bordering rude, it'd also make no sense.

While Sophie and Nat went to look for their bikinis, Ela went to the bathroom where Nat had told her she'd find a robe and some flip-flops she could borrow, she took out her phone and quickly texted Cillian trying to explain the situation rapidly and hoping he'd help her find another excuse not to join them since her brain was scrambled and the panic was not letting her think straight.

His answer didn't come soon enough, just as he was beginning to read her long messages Sophie came knocking on the bathroom door making sure she had found the borrowed items, so she started stripping to her underclothes, looking at her own terrified expression in the mirror when she noticed how large and purple the mark had become in just a few hours. Her skin had always been one that would bruise easily, but the hickey looked scandalous. The clear shape of a hard rough suck was engraved on her porcelain clavicle.

Nat Called out from the back garden where they were waiting for her, and Ela knew Cillian must have been in a blank state trying to find an excuse himself to try and help her, but they had run out of time, she folded her clothes in defeat placing them carefully near the sink, put on the robe and prayed to god while also cursing herself for the situation she had put herself in.

She walked to the back of the house slowly, Nat was already inside the large Jacuzzi, and Sophie was setting the music on the stereo, when she saw Ela close, she offered to take her robe which Ela could only accept while her stomach turned inside and out in terrible knots.

Sophie went around her back and when she took it from her shoulders Nat let out a small gasp and her eyes widened at the sight.

When Sophie saw Nat's expression, she turned around to check what she had seen, and her eyes widened too.

Being drunk made them lose the composure they would surely have kept if they were in their five senses.

Sophie was the first to speak, eyes still blown and speaking in her best attempted monotone voice but failing terribly sounding so high pitched.

-"Oh Ela... are you sure your weekend was calm?".