It would be the last time.

Before Elijah had departed, they'd both agreed. It'd be the last time they'd be close in a way that two friends shouldn't be.

They'd not been intimate per se, but that didn't matter. He was to be a married man in five short days and she was not the woman who he'd swear to love 'til death do them part.

But why when he slipped into his own home in the early hours of the morning and was welcomed with Jess who had waited up for him did he feel not only a sense of despair and emptiness but a sense of sorrow as though something that could've been had been lost.

"Hey." The voice rang from within her softly, for she'd been crying only hours before. Not because she was a weak woman who needed a man to love and hold her but because for the second time in the past six months, she felt she was losing someone that had become a part of her very being.

Eight years, nearly a decade. If something that had lasted that long could be destroyed so easily, what did that say about love?

"Hey." He responded, not quite meeting her tired gaze. He felt the guilt course through his veins at the fact that he'd come from another woman's bed, even if they hadn't engaged in intercourse this time. But guilt isn't the same as regret.

"We're supposed to be getting married in five days."

"I know."

"When did things turn so sour? When did we become so wrong?" She whispered, every ounce of strain present in her voice as she uttered the words.

"I wish I could answer that without upsetting you," Elijah answered honestly. The truth was had things ever been sweet when Pattie had always been there, lurking in the shadows waiting to tell Elijah off as though he were a child every single time Jess was upset.

"Maybe that's the problem. Maybe we should both stop treading on eggshells around each other, and be honest? How can we promise to love and cherish each other on Friday when we can't even do that now?"

He half wanted to laugh at her statement. Did Jess really believe she was treading on eggshells around him, she spoke her mind and did as she pleased regardless of how he felt.

And maybe just maybe, if she hadn't made that decision to bring Kylie over for six fucking months, nothing would've changed. He'd have continued being controlled by Pattie and Jess and would never have recognised that a better life could've existed for him.

"You want me to be honest with you?" He spat out. "You really want me to be honest with you?"

"Yes, that's what I'm asking you for!"

"I never wanted Kylie here, not for a week and certainly not for six fucking months. I never wanted to be celibate, I only agreed to that for you. And the way you announced the pregnancy...why was I told with everyone else, why didn't you think highly enough of me to tell me first? It was my baby too. After the miscarriage, Pattie came to live with us and yeah, I get it. She's your mother, of course, you'd want her there. But why is she still living with us now? Nearly three months later. Why didn't I get a say in that?" He rambled continuously, letting all the built-up frustration leave his body.

Jess blinked once and then twice confused at the response she'd received, "is that it? If you had a problem, why didn't you just come and speak to me about it?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? I did tell you! I told you every single time that it wasn't what I wanted. You just never heard me, or you never wanted to hear me."

Jess wanted to yell at him to stop being so petty. That everything he'd just complaint about was minute in the grand scheme of things. Of course, she'd want her best friend at her wedding and as soon as she'd realised it'd been a problem, she'd made her leave. Although of course, Elijah had a problem with that too.

Telling him she was pregnant in the way she had was a mere result of the lack of time they'd spent together and she wanted to surprise him.

Why couldn't he understand things the way she did? Why was his male ego greater than his love for her?

"Is that all you have, to be honest about? Is there nothing else you want to tell me?" She'd all but forgotten his previous concerns, only now caring for one answer.

No, there's something else. I've been cheating on you with Kylie for the past five months.

"No, there's nothing else."

"Elijah..." She breathed out, preparing herself for her next question, "Elijah...are you cheating on me?"

Had she heard his thoughts? He panicked internally, could he lie to her again? The answer was no, everything was already ruined, how could things get any worse?

He had to come clean finally, he had to. He had to.

He had to.

"Jess, I..." He was cut short.

"No, of course, he isn't. He's in love with you, you'd be blind not to see that." Pattie spoke clearly. The older woman was stood at the top of the staircase, she'd been watching the commotion unfold below her for the past five minutes. "Isn't that right, Elijah?"

Jess turned from her mother back to Elijah, awaiting the answer.

"Yeah, of course, it is. I'd never cheat on you."

He felt the words flow out of him as though they weren't his anymore. Was it fear? Or was it just the fact that he was a coward? He didn't know anymore.

Jess breathed a sigh of relief. She could handle anything, but she couldn't and wouldn't ever stay with a cheating man. Everything he'd complained about was fixable now that she knew he wasn't what she'd feared. She smiled gently and then surprised him by running to him and wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, "We're going to be okay, aren't we?"

"We're going to be okay." He responded, his gaze still fixed on Pattie's.

"Elijah, can I have a quick word?" Pattie said, a mask-like expression plastered upon her face.

"Something wrong?" Jess's eyebrows raised in question.

"No, sweetheart. Just got a call from the tailors about double checking a measurement with Elijah. Nothing for you to worry about, you've been awake long enough, you go to bed. I'll fix it." She offered a small smile.

Jess appeared unsure but Elijah nodded at her in assurance before she strolled upstairs to their bedroom.

Pattie slowly climbed down the stairs and gestured for Elijah to follow her into the lounge room.

"Were you with Kylie? Is that why you're late?"

"I was going to tell her. Why did you stop me from telling her?" He asked the older woman.

"What? and have you and that tart break my daughter's heart? No fucking way." She spat out at him.

"I was trying to do the right thing, for once. She needs to know."

"Oh, that's rich. You're going to decide what's best for my daughter after you were out there fucking her so-called best friend? Really Elijah, is that what you're going to do?" She sneered.

"I made a huge mistake, I know that. And I know she'll never forgive me, but how can I forgive myself if I continue living with this lie?"

"Now's not the time to take the moral high ground, Elijah." She chuckled with no real signs of amusement. "See the thing is, look around you, Elijah. Everything here is yours because of Jessica.

Jessica is the only reason you've been living a life of luxury for the past eight years. Not Kylie. If you throw that away, it's all gone. You'll be that suicidal kid sitting on the road again, back in the gutter where you belong." She whispered the threat, directly into his ear.

He gulped silently, "you can't keep doing this."

"Doing what? Telling you the truth?" She tilted her head to one side in question, "all I'm doing is giving you a choice. If you choose to go back to the gutter, you can pack your bags and leave tonight. I'll pick up the pieces for Jessica like I always have. But...if you make the right choice and choose to stay with Jessica, you'll forget about this whole affair and you'll pretend it never happened." And with that, she waltzed out of the room carelessly.

------------------------------------------

Kylie's palms gripped tightly at the bannister as she steadily made her way down the staircase after a total of one week's hibernation in her older brothers' bedroom. Her body felt beyond weak as though her legs no longer had the strength to support her.

"It's probably about time we stuff you with some food, yeah?" Seb's hand was placed at the small of Kylie's back, aiding her one step at a time. Although he'd seen through Kylie's pretence and had recognised the young fragile girl for what she was, he'd always liked her. But now after Jax's death, he felt a sudden brotherly need to protect her more so.

"I'm okay, I promise. Thank you." She offered a weak and unconvincing grin, but truthfully as weak as she may have appeared to Seb and Valerie, she felt the best that she'd felt since that frightful night.

Once her mother had finished spooning nearly a third bowl of casserole into Kylie's mouth, she let out a loud moan, "Ma, I'm really so full. If you feed me anymore, I'll honestly explode and ruin your favourite rug." She chuckled gently.

"I'm sorry but you haven't eaten properly in days, look at you. I just want to take care of my baby, properly." She tenderly leaned forward and tucked an escaped strand of Kylie's hair behind her ear.

But as she did so, she caught a closer glimpse of Kylie's stormy grey eyes and was reminded of her son, who'd always shared that trait with his younger sister. Something that both her children had inherited from their father. She let the tear escape her left eye and roll down her flawed cheek.

"Ma, don't..." Kylie could barely finish the sentence herself before she realised her own cheeks were wet with tears.

"No more tears, okay?" Seb stepped forward, using his thumbs to wipe away both the mother and daughters' cheeks.

"When did Elijah leave? I didn't hear the door." Valerie asked, not so subtly trying to change the topic.

"Erm, yeah he stayed a couple of hours actually. We were talking and lost track of time." Kylie answered, the lie slipping from her tongue effortlessly. She could've sworn she saw a hint of suspicion on Seb's face.

"He's a nice boy. It was nice of him to stay and make sure you were okay." Valerie wittered on, not noticing the sudden uncomfortable aura engulfing the three of them. After a few moments of silence, Valerie spoke up again, "Kylie, I need to know."

"Know what?"

"What happened that night. I want to find peace...for Jax. But I can't do that when I barely understand why Leon lost control of the car, sure he has anger issues but there's more to it. I feel there's more to it that you're not telling me."

"It was just an accident, Valerie. Just a terrible accident, there's no point us dwelling on it, it won't change anything." Seb cleared his throat and answered but the thought lurked at the back of his mind too, could Jax's death have something to do with Kylie's affair?

Valerie smiled gently at Seb, "Mija, if that's true, then why are you so quiet? Why did you blame yourself that night? Tell me was it just an accident? Please, Mija."

"Yes...it was an accident but you're right, there's more to it." Kylie clasped at the table for support and avoided meeting either Valerie's or Seb's gaze.

"What happened, Kylie?" Seb whispered but the tragedy was that he already knew the truth.

"Please Kylie...I need to know why my son's never going to come home again. Please." Valerie cupped Kylie's face forcing her to gaze directly into her eyes.

"Leon was angry because he found out..," Kylie knew enough was enough, it was time for her to be honest with herself. Be honest with Valerie and Seb. Be honest with Jess.

"I want to tell you, but I don't want you to hate me. You're all I've got left, Ma." She sobbed, clutching at her mother's cardigan as she would when she was a little girl and she was terrified, at least that was before her mother became a nervous wreck and the tables turned on the two of them.

"I could never hate you. I just need to know, please?" She whispered, eyes-wide and waiting but this time the response didn't come from Kylie but from Seb.

"Leon found out that Kylie and Elijah were having an affair."

-------------------------------------------------------

SOOO the truth is kinda out?? How do we think Valerie will react? Will Seb and Valerie decide to reveal the truth to Jess? What do we think of the relationship between Pattie, Jess and Elijah?

Any ideas as to how everything will end?

I love reading everyone's comments so thanks to everyone who consistently comments their opinions and thoughts! This book is open to interpretations so please accept that others may differ in opinions and be kind in the comment sections, please!

Hope everyone's doing well and I love you all! Please do vote xx