Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the many encouraging reviews! Your wish is my command;-) Here is a brand new chapter...with some twists and turns;-). Let me know what you think of this one in the reviews:-)!

Chapter XIII

(Maura)

Monday evening comes far too quickly, and even though we've spent the entire day in bed, we can't keep our hands off each other. After what feels like the tenth goodbye kiss, each nearly turning into another round of making out, we part reluctantly.

"See you tomorrow in the park?"

"6:30 AM," I confirm and specify our jogging meeting before stealing one last kiss.

It feels strange to close the door behind her, knowing she's going home to her husband. Home, where she doesn't know what to expect. Where I don't know what will happen. Home, to someone else.

I just don't understand the dynamics of their relationship. She was a detective in the homicide division. Her file and career speak of a strong personality with a high sense of justice and assertiveness. The Jane I know doesn't match this profile at all. She allows herself to be oppressed and beaten, can barely fight for her own rights, she's erratic and somewhat unstable, she's scared and unsure.

What does he hold over her? What has he done to make her so compliant? What keeps her from fighting back? Was he always like this?

xxx

It's Friday, and the week has been more or less uneventful. There were only three autopsies, and I had plenty of time to catch up on my backlog of paperwork and use some accumulated overtime.

Casey canceled his poker night on Tuesday at the last minute, which pleased neither Jane nor me. By Wednesday morning, I missed her so much that I dragged her home with me after jogging and didn't show up at the office until 10 AM. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. We still haven't had a proper conversation – at least not since Monday morning – but somehow the right opportunity hasn't presented itself. And somehow, I fear this conversation, even though I can't quite articulate what exactly I'm afraid of.

I'm standing at the airport, waiting for JayJay, who will be returning from Quantico this evening. I'm still wrestling with whether and how much to tell her when I see her approaching.

"Welcome back," I greet her warmly and hug her. "How was your flight?"

"Quite okay. Thanks for picking me up, Maura."

We chat a bit while walking to the car, and I tell her about the developments in the triple homicide case from last weekend.

"Enough about work. How was your meeting with Jane over the weekend?"

And here we are. Lying is physically impossible for me, but I don't want to reveal the whole truth either.

"Well, we talked. Everything's okay."

I smile and hope she'll leave it at that. To my great surprise, she does. I can't quite read her expression. Is it happiness?

"Cool, I'm happy for you two."

We decide to stop by the nearby shopping mall on the way home to buy ingredients for the somewhat spontaneous dinner party JayJay organized for the following evening.

As we stand in front of the vegetables, puzzling over what to cook, I suddenly hear JayJay exclaim joyfully:

"Jane, what a surprise."

I turn around, and my heart seems to drop to my stomach, though I know that's anatomically impossible. Jane looks as surprised and shocked as I do. Her eyes are wide open, like those of a wild animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming train.

Casey.

The tall, muscular, and genuinely handsome man holding Jane's hand like they're teenage sweethearts, wearing a sweet smile, doesn't fit my expectations of an abusive husband.

"Hi, Jayjay. Hi, Maura."

"Oh, hello. So you're Maura? I'm Casey. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. And you are?"

His smile seems sincere and genuine. JayJay immediately responds to Casey's charm offensive, and it seems like only Jane and I feel the tension in the air. We stare at each other, unsure of what to say.

"What do you think, Maura?"

Two expectant and one confused pair of eyes look at me.

"I... um... excuse me?"

I smile awkwardly.

"I said it would be nice if Jane and her husband could join us for dinner tomorrow. What do you think?"

"Oh..."

Oh my God, what should I say to that? How could she come up with such a ridiculous idea, knowing I've slept with Jane and that she's married? Of course, she doesn't know the whole story, and I haven't told anyone except Josephine about my suspicions of domestic violence. Still. What is she thinking?

"I believe we already have plans for tomorrow, right, sweetheart?" Jane says. She is as uncomfortable with the situation as I am and looks as incredulous as I do.

"No, we do not have plans for tomorrow evening, darling, and would love to come."

Great. Just great.

xxx

"Damn it, JayJay. What were you thinking?"

I slap the damp dish towel against the kitchen counter and look at her angrily.

"What, Maura? You said everything was okay. You're still friends, right?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Internally, I count to three before exhaling and opening my eyes again. Don't lose your temper now, Maura.

"Yes, but we slept together, JayJay. She cheated on her husband with me. And you invite her to my house, with HIM?"

She narrows her eyes and tilts her head slightly, as if weighing my arguments.

"Well, when you put it that way... not my smartest idea. I'm sorry. But we can't change it now; they'll be here in less than 30 minutes. So calm down and enjoy the evening. It'll be fun. And Casey seems like a really nice guy. Relax, Maura."

She gently strokes my left arm, and despite her apologetic smile and well-meaning gesture, I'm not sure if she truly regrets her mistake. Or did she do it on purpose...? No, I push the thought away as quickly as it came and focus on the final preparations.

It's a bitterly cold November night, and I'm sitting on my porch, shivering despite my thick winter coat, drowning my sorrows with a bottle of Krug Clos du Mesnil.

The evening was a disaster, but fortunately, only I seem to feel that way.

The food was excellent; JayJay and I have always worked perfectly together in the kitchen. The guests were thrilled, the conversations lively, and as the night wore on, the atmosphere grew more relaxed.

Casey got along splendidly with everyone, and I'm almost a little glad Jo couldn't join us. She's the only one who knows about the darker side of his life.

Nothing suggests he's the violent tyrant I suspect. He's charming, intelligent, and well-educated, courteous, polite, funny, and articulate. It's evident he comes from a good family. He's – I must admit – sexy and has an incredible physique. I can see why Jane fell in love with him, and I can see why every woman – except me – would be envious of Jane's "good catch."

Up to this point, I could have handled everything. Maybe even Jane's admiring looks when Casey made another heartfelt, winning smile accompanied by a profound yet funny remark.

But then, later in the evening, just as I was about to sit down with the now much smaller group of guests, I heard the few words that broke my heart.

"...almost eight years. We're ready for the next step, right, sweetheart?"

He lowers his voice a bit and leans forward slightly as if about to reveal a big secret while placing his hand on Jane's knee.

"We want to have a baby."

And there it is again, that million dollar smile, and the genuine joy of my colleagues. My unsuspecting colleagues.

Panicked, I look at Jane, who immediately averts her gaze from mine. Shocked, I take a few steps back.

"Maura, are you going to stand there all night or finally join us?"

I open my mouth but can't utter a word. Worry lines form on JayJay's forehead, and the others look at me with concern. Only Jane stubbornly stares at the floor. And Casey? I think I can see the sparkle of triumph in Casey's eyes, but maybe I'm just imagining it.

"I... don't feel well. Please excuse me for a moment."

I rush out of my living room, which suddenly feels far too small, as if chased by the devil.

And now I'm sitting here, on the porch of my house, with a 2000 euro bottle of champagne. The world goes down in style.

How could I have been so naive?

Tears blur my vision as I take another swig from the bottle. I'm already a bit drunk, but it doesn't matter. I feel wrapped in cotton wool, and my emotions seem numb.

"Maura?"

I don't turn towards the voice. I just want to disappear, be swallowed by the earth. Is that even possible?

"There you are. I was worried! What are you doing out here in the cold?"

I still don't respond.

"Maura? What the...?"

Through the haze of alcohol and tears, I see her kneeling right in front of me.

"Maura..."

She places her hands on my cheeks and gently wipes away my tears with her thumbs.

"Maura, why are you crying?"

I feel her lifting me up, causing me to lose balance and fall into her arms. I weakly shake my head, burying it in her shoulder and returning the embrace.

"Let's go inside, okay? It's cold out here; you'll catch a cold Sweetie."

I let her push me into the warmth of my house and gratefully accept the cup of tea she offers.

"Everyone gone?"

I ask, feeling both guilty and relieved. She nods slightly and sits a bit closer to me.

"You were out there for quite a while..."

For a moment, we sit silently on the couch before I finally give in and gratefully fall into her open arms.

"Maura..." she whispers, reaching for my hand that I've been absentmindedly tracing circles on her thigh with.

I lift my head and look into her eyes, also clouded by alcohol. Her gaze falls on my lips and then returns to my eyes as she gently tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

Slowly, she moves closer, her eyes flicking between my lips and my eyes. I close my eyes, anticipating the touch of those familiar lips. Why should I resist?

Jayjay is beautiful, smart, successful, and very sexy. I know she's not playing with me, and I know exactly what I'm getting into. Things were good between us back then. If our paths hadn't diverged, who knows where we'd be today.

xxx

I'm awakened by the rhythmic throbbing pain in my head and groan softly, throwing my arm over my face. This is why I rarely get drunk.

"Feeling a bit hungover?"

JayJay.

I turn to the side and look into her relaxed face. We silently stare at each other before she gets up, laughing, and heads to the kitchen to get me a glass of water and a painkiller.

I roll onto my back and wrestle with myself.

I like JayJay, very much. The sex – or at least the part I can remember – was incredible, but it always was. Maybe...

Before I can even think further, I feel her hands on my body and the wet kisses she plants on every accessible spot.

Should I resist, push her away? But why? I had sex with Jane, and yes, maybe I fell in love. But it's not Jane; it's JayJay here. Alive, active, and with her head between my legs.

I grab her hair and close my eyes. No, I won't sit around unhappily and miss out on THIS. I loved JayJay, and I'll do everything to rekindle those feelings. After all, I was happy with her, back then. Or wasn't I?

I try to shut off my thoughts and focus on the sucking and licking of her strongest weapon. I will succeed; I will forget Jane and be happy with JayJay.