“Hi.” She told him brightly, “I didn’t expect to find you around about here at this time of the day.”

“I didn’t intend to be, but I have some stuff to shift.” He nodded down toward the baggage.

“They’re yours? Are you moving chambers?”

“No just moving.” He regarded her face closely wondering how she might take that news.

“Moving? As in up top?” Catherine felt a wave of nausea hit her.

“Yep that’s right. Thought it time I spread my wings…Peter is going to put me up until I have found some employment and a place of my own. Don’t worry Peter has apparently worked it out with your father that you won’t need to stay there for the next couple of weeks, which will hopefully give me enough time to find somewhere of my own. What I mean is there shouldn’t be a problem regarding you and I being at Peter’s overnight at the same time.” He grinned wryly.

Here, Catherine had the perfect opportunity to tell him that it didn’t matter if they did, and then launch into her surprise but something held her back and she was suddenly lost for words.

“You can help me if you like. Vincent has other things to do and these bags are not the only ones to go, it will take several trips to and from Peter’s to clear all my rubbish away so it’ll be quicker if you help me.”

“Can’t you do it later? I only have a couple of hours spare and I wanted to spend some time with you.”

“You will be spending time with me and helping at the same time. We can chat along the way.”

“It wasn’t chat I had in mind.” There she’s said it or at least implied it.

Devin quirked an eyebrow and now he was the one lost for words. He wasn’t certain what she had meant and he didn’t want to presume more than she intended.

“I thought we could spend some time together down here.” Catherine went on averting her gaze from his. “Maybe you could show me the abyss.” She hoped that would be good enough to tell him of her intentions without too many words.

“Its cold there. You aren’t dressed for it and we would have to go into one of the caverns to the side of the abyss. You can still see it from one of them but its safe there and you’d hardly be likely to fall in. Thing is there are few comforts, just a couple of scatter cushions.”

“Is it noisy there?” Catherine asked innocently still not daring to look at him.

“A bit why?” Devin hesitated not certain of her line of questioning. His mind raced with hopeful expectation.

“I just thought if it were then no one would be likely to hear us.”

Huh! Now Devin began to get the picture but he couldn’t quite believe he was hearing her right. He swallowed with difficulty, “How long did you say you had?”

“A couple of hours, I have to be back at college by four. How far is it to the abyss?”

“Not far, we could do walk it in fifteen minutes and there would be no need for you to go back this way. There is a shorter route from there back to the park and I’d escort you.”

“That’s okay then, lets go shall; we?” She caught his hand and made to walk in the direction she knew the abyss to be when he pulled her back and asked, “Its not that I don’t want to take you up on this offer Catherine, but now’s not the right time, neither is the vicinity of the abyss the right place. Could you wait until I am stationed at Peter’s or would you be likely to change your mind by tonight?” He lifted her chin for her eyes to meet his and it took every ounce of her courage to meet his steady gaze and had she of been going to change her mind, then one look in those warm brown eyes and she knew she’d give him anything. Still she told him unsteadily, “I might.”

“Might what? Is that to changing you mind or being at Peter’s?”

“Won’t Peter be there?”

“Not tonight he told me that he wouldn’t be home for the welcome committee and I would have to look after myself. He’s on call tonight and stationed at the hospital, so we’d have the whole night…and believe me honey you don’t want to rush something like this.” He squeezed her hand in an act of compassion.

“Alright then, I’ll wait till tonight. Do you mind though if I don’t help you carry the stuff to Peter’s I’d intended to see a few other people while I was down here this lunchtime had you of not been available.” In truth, Catherine felt a little embarrassed being with him in light of what they had planned. Fortunately, Devin understood, “Yes that’s okay Catherine there are some additional things I’ll need to do now anyway. Will you come to Peter’s about seven o’clock?”

Catherine nodded and made to move away not even bidding him farewell but Devin caught her hand drew her into an embrace and sought her lips beneath his murmuring, “You’re sure about this?” She told him she was, still he asked again, “You can change your mind honey so just be sure, that’s all I ask. It’s a big step.”

“I know but I’ve made up my mind.” She looked into his eyes and found them warm with love for her and she felt strange standing there in his arms knowing what the evening would bring for the two of them, tonight they would be as one. “Will it hurt?” She had to know, Lisa had said that it would but hadn’t elaborated.

“I believe so, but don’t worry I’ll take good care of you. We won’t rush we’ll take it slow and there are some things we can use to make it bearable for you. I’ve heard it gets better with time.” He smiled tenderly brushing his lips against hers. Both felt the need to cling to one another as their legs became weak with the thought of all the things they were planning to do. It should have been the time to say I love you, but neither were forthcoming and each did not want to commit to the other something each was unsure of in their partner, but Devin kissed her long and hard and Catherine returned his kisses with an ardour she had never before displayed. Not even that first time, this was different, this was a pact. “Till tonight then darling.” Catherine almost swooned at the endearment and could hardly bare to let him go, ‘tonight’ seemed an awful long time to wait. He moved away from her arms and bent to pick up a large bag to either side of him then winking as he moved away he blew her a kiss. On the tip of her tongue Catherine could say it, could hear the words pounding at the back of her mind, I love you, I love you, I love you Devin…but for some reason or another as she watched him walk away those words just would not be uttered.

Vincent was in his chamber and the last person he expected to see was Catherine and how long she had been standing at the entrance watching him he just did not know, but suddenly an overwhelming feeling that she was there had him spinning round to find just that. “Hello Catherine.” He paused unsure of what to add if anything, then mumbled, “I’m sorry about last night.”

A smile lit Catherine’s face, “I owe you an apology Vincent. You’ve nothing to feel sorry for. I acted foolishly and I’ve come to ask for your forgiveness.”

He stared at her dumbfounded, “No,” he shook his head, “It was me. I should never have presumed you should leave the bar and your friends to come with me, there was no reason behind it and anything I wanted to say was circumstantial anyway and it is you that should forgive me, Catherine, I frightened you.”

“Yes you did, but that’s only because I let myself be spooked. I’m afraid my mind did overtime when you asked me to accompany you, I thought of things that would no doubt have been far from your mind. I know that you would never hurt me Vincent and I was a fool to imagine that you might.”

“Perhaps if we were both to apologise then?” Vincent grinned, “And rebuild our friendship over a cup of tea? I was just about to stop and have one when I felt you were here.”

“I’ll agree to that, tea and all” Catherine told him stepping down into his chamber now that she felt welcome there again. “So did you go back to the tunnels when I went off in that cab then?” She asked holding her hands above the stove to warm them.

“Actually no, I went to Peter’s I thought you would have gone there. Then I came back here and spent the evening chatting with Lisa in her chamber. That is something I have to thank you for. Thanks to you, Lisa and I are companionable again. We are very open with one another and able to discuss almost anything.”

“Oh and did I figure during your course of conversation.” Catherine was only teasing him but he could not lie to her, “Actually yes, but then we covered most members of our community and friends.”

“I found Lisa easy to talk to that day I spent with her. She opened my eyes to many things, but you last night when I thought you had come to tell me that Devin had been involved in an accident you helped me to make the biggest decision of my life.”

“And are you going to tell me what that was?” Vincent teased with a chuckle taking her tea to the table.

“Actually no.” Catherine laughed, “Its too personal, some other time perhaps.”

At her reply alarm bells sounded in Vincent’s mind as her feelings crashed around him, feelings mixed with desire and passion and a closely guarded secret. He turned to her his eyes wary and begging for her to confide in him, but she missed the look entirely as head down she bent to pick up the mug of tea he had put on the table beside her and began sipping it her bright adoring eyes just visible over the rim.

Still he recovered well enough to ask, “Hum let me see usually when one assumes another has been involved in an accident one starts to wish that all the things they hadn’t said or hadn’t done with that person were still possible. If it were a fatal accident then such guilt can live on in a heart forever. So, what decision could you have possibly reached baring any of that in mind? What haven’t you and Devin done together yet that you might have regretted never having had the chance to do?” He looked at her steadily his eyes unwavering as he sipped his own tea and Catherine found that disconcerting look too much and had to turn away.

“If its what I think it is Catherine, then I am ashamed of you.” That did it! Catherine’s eyes rose back to meet his silently challenging ‘it’s none of your damn business!’ but she found it impossible to say. Instead, Vincent went on, “You will regret it. My brother is not the person that you think he is.”

“Oh and you’d know would you!” Catherine retorted sarcastically. She should never have started this, so smug had she been, so sure she could play games with Vincent and not have him understand, well Vincent was too astute for words and she should have known that. How come he always knew so much about her? How could he tell what was on her mind, did her eyes give the game away? She remembered how she had felt the night before and some of those fears came back rushing through her like a hurricane wind. Vincent seemed to know her better than she knew herself and that was scary. Not just because he seemed capable of doing it but because he seemed able to pick out the tiny little voices of reason that she kept squashed so that she would not be prevented from doing whatever it was that she had decided to do. And this was one of those occasions.

“I know my brother better than you and unfortunately I am in the position to be a party to everything he does or speaks of and I have the ability to read between the lines and know that what I see there is true.” Vincent told her sincerely.

“So Mr Smarty Pants tell me then what do you see between Devin and me?” She gloated expecting that he would never, ever put it into words, he’d be too embarrassed. But she was wrong and that humiliation bounced back on her.

“You’ve decided to let Devin make love to you.” He whispered the reply averting his gaze from hers a little and though she did not confirm his suspicious her gasp of dismay told him all that he needed to know and he exclaimed, “Catherine you can’t! It would be wrong. Please reconsider before it is too late.”

“Give me one good reason why I should Vincent, or I’m outta here.” Catherine put down her mug and made to stand the need for flight imminent.

He’d hoped to let her down easily. Hoped to reason and tell her that though he was sure there were no facts to support his suspicions but since she was ready to move if he found nothing with which to delay her he blurted the only thing that he knew would make her hesitate, though in so doing he knew that he risked breaking her heart. “Devin is seeing someone else.” He told her softly, hesitantly, hoping that the words did not hurt too much. They did and he felt them each one like a whiplash against her heart.

“You’re lying!” It was the only plausible explanation Catherine could come up with, Vincent had to be lying.

“I wish I was. Catherine look…” he took three steps toward her and she backed away hands raised against him, “Don’t come near me, stay away you hear?” Then she turned and ran from the chamber tears blinding her eyes.

Bereft Vincent let her go. She would want nothing to do with him now. Perhaps when reason found a pathway to her heart she would analyse his confession and explore the possibility, at least with any luck she would. But she might so easily ponder the possibility that he told her these things so that she might start a relationship with him instead. He didn’t know why he should presume that but the thought rose to the fore anyway. Now all he could do was wait. To think earlier both had sought the other’s forgiveness and Catherine had deemed that she was of equal blame for the things that had taken place the night before. Well he could kiss goodbye to that ever happening again. This time Catherine would not come in search of him with an apology at the ready and he’d wait a long time if he expected she would. This time he doubted that she would ever forgive him, but hopefully, hopefully if he had set the seed of doubt in her heart regarding Devin’s infidelity then the loss of her friendship would have been worth it. Or so he told himself, for deep down inside Vincent knew that the loss of her friendship would ruin him.

Her head banging Catherine tried without success to listen to her tutor, instead the only voices that seemed to wrack her tired brain was those of Mel…’I happen to know that you haven’t slept with Devin’…and Vincent, ‘Devin is seeing someone else.’ Those two phrases went around and around her mind like a whirlpool without letup. Why on earth she should tie them together though beat Catherine. Unless perhaps, it had something to do with the gloating look upon Mel’s face every time they made eye contact during the tutorial. That look said it all, and though she did not want to believe Vincent’s declaration she knew deep down inside that Vincent was a trustworthy person and wouldn’t tell her something had he not be certain of his facts, only right now her heart didn’t want to accept that.

Devin had been so nice to her, well then he would, her tiny voice of reason reminded her. You’ve just offered him everything and he’s hardly going to refuse it is he?

Confused Catherine just wished she might fall asleep wake up and have all this be one ghastly nightmare. Tonight she would be going to sleep with her boyfriend, her first time with any boy and she had been geared for that since the night before. Now…now things didn’t seem so probable…now she wasn’t so sure.
Devin said you could change your mind… Her heart reminded her, but she didn’t want to change her mind. She had herself to live with after all and her reputation. What if he put it about that she had offered and snatched it back? What if he tells everyone that you’re easy? Catherine wished her heart would mind its own business, it kept making her choose and she didn’t want to choose. She wanted only one thing…one person…Devin.

At recess her intention was to go along to the ladies and wash her face, she felt she must look a complete wreck and though she sidestepped the area where she knew Mel to be, the other girl intercepted her move and came face to face with her outside in the corridor. Catherine tried to move past without a word, Mel it seemed was intent on delaying her for her own wicked means. “Say Cathy, seen anything of Devin lately?”

Unable to stay quiet Catherine walked right into Mel’s trap. “I saw him this lunchtime actually, and we are seeing one another tonight. Not that it’s any of your business!” She made to move on, but Mel bared her way, her arms folded over the books against her chest. “Oh really? Tell me did Dev happen to be wearing a roll neck? One like this?” With one hand, she pulled at the neck, just far enough to reveal the large love bite beneath it. Catherine drew her brows together, “What is it you want from me Mel? Why are you being like this?”

“What do I want from you? Nothing now. But I would like to lay down some ground rules!” The venom in Mel’s tone was unmistakable and Catherine winced whatever she had done to offend her friend she wished she knew.

“I don’t know what you mean. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need the toilet.”

Mel hesitated went to speak but decided against it, “You’ll keep. But don’t be too sure that you’ll see Devin tonight.” Mel laughed swinging her long hair around her shoulders as she turned to head back for the lecture room. Catherine stared after her. What had all of that been about, Mel’s statements had been hard to decipher and why did she keep bringing Devin into it, it wasn’t like they knew one another…The moment she thought it Catherine clapped a hand to her mouth, “Oh!” Suddenly she could see Devin tugging at his baggage, then holding her, kissing her, the warmth and arousal of his body evident through the wool knit of his roll neck jersey, something alien to clothing worn below, but then he had been going above and it was cold up there. And Vincent coming to take her from Billy’s last night, and what he had told her today, had Devin been meeting Mel at Billy’s was that what Vincent had tried to spare her from?

Washing her hands before leaving the toilet Catherine checked her complexion in the mirror. A wan anxious face stared back at her, an indecisive stranger that she never knew - this wasn’t the reflection that she had anticipated, this wasn’t the image of a young girl about to embark upon her first sexual experience. This was a face she didn’t recognise and those eyes! Sullen, fearful anxious eyes behind which lurked a tired disbelieving mind. A sob caught and held in Catherine’s throat. In all fairness, she had to withdraw her offer to Devin, for she had to know, take time out find out what everyone was insinuating. If it were just a case of sour grapes then there was always tomorrow, that Devin would understand, surely? He might be disappointed but he’d get over that, and the chances were he’d be extra tired that evening anyway after moving all his belongings on the long trek to Peter’s several times that day. So, she pacified herself, seeking and finding reasonable excuses to put off the inevitable, which at that moment in time she deemed to be sleeping with Devin. Deep down inside however, in a place she rarely went because down there resided all the sad things from her life, she squashed the tiny little voice of reason that cried out to be heard. ‘Let him go Catherine, he’s not worthy of you, let him go…find someone else to love…someone that will truly love and respect anything that you decide.’ Catherine dismissed that tiny whispering voice because the kind of person it spoke of did not exist and it was unrealistic to expect that she would find him…ever. That was the story book romance, the once in a lifetime idyllic dream that seldom came true and right now Devin was the only true love of her life…surely he felt the same way…surely he was true…and surely he would wait for her however long it took her to be certain…

Her head splitting, Catherine refrained from returning to the tutorial, she could pick up on it tomorrow, right now she need to get home…and prepare for her evening with Devin. For regardless of everything she had only just decided against that appointment she believed that everything would be washed away once she had his arms around her, his lips on hers, his body surrounding her… And so lost in the dream Catherine put all her doubts behind her…for tonight was the first night of the rest of her life…and she knew exactly how she was going to start it.

Seven o’clock, and Catherine never punctual, was running late. She’d overslept, crying herself to sleep as on her way home from college a million and one doubts assailed her senses. Well now she was ready, just enough time to jump in the car, drive over to Peter’s, fifteen minutes tops and she’d be in Devin’s arms. She couldn’t wait. ‘You lot go to hell’ she cried aloud as doubts started to creep in yet again and pushing them resolutely aside Catherine picked up her purse and keys and headed out of the door. The drive over was uneventful, Catherine smiled she had almost imagined every thing that could go wrong would go wrong. She’d get a flat, be in a jam, have to take a detour, any of those that would have her arriving later than being late was permissible. However, nothing untoward happened that prevented her from arriving on Peter’s doorstep at precisely seven thirty rather, it was here that things started to go wrong. Knocking on the door, she waited minutes before knocking again even harder yet still there was no reply. So searching her purse for the key to Peter’s front door she found to her dismay that she had left it in her backpack at home. Damn! Catherine looked toward her car, well if Devin wasn’t going to open up it was because he either hadn’t heard her or wasn’t yet in the house, maybe he had gone back to the tunnels for a few more belongings. Well then in that case she could return home collect the key, come back and let herself in.
That was fine that was easy, keys collected Catherine got back into her car and all the things she had first expected to happen crept up on her one by one. First, there was a tailback, an accident causing a detour. Second as she passed an ambulance going the other way, she saw Peter, his face ashen, in his car following, and that felt like an omen. Thirdly, the road she had to take had been re-covered only that morning and some loose chippings sprayed from a passing motorist showered Catherine’s car and the bang that resulted as the windshield shattered scared her half to death. Fortunately, she carried an emergency card and was able to arrange repairs but not before another hour had lapsed by which time it was closing in on nine o’clock.

Finally, finally she arrived back at Peter’s to find one light on up in what she knew to be a spare bedroom and so obviously assigned to Devin while he was there, so without knocking Catherine used the key that had caused her so much stress retrieving it and let herself into Peter’s house.

The hall was dark and Catherine fumbled for the light switch turning on the light to illuminate the hall with its dark oak interior. Peter favoured wood, he loved the different textures grains and finishes and with a laminated floor in dark oak Catherine could almost see her own reflection in the surface as she walked through into the kitchen intent on opening the bottle of wine she had brought with her before mounting the stairs to Devin’s room.

That done and retrieving two glasses from the display cabinet Catherine walked back through the hall, discarded her shoes and with a nervous excitement took the stairs slowly one by one careful not to chink the glasses together that would announce her arrival. Her bare feet padded softly across the plush peach carpeting of the stairs and landing and she turned and headed to where a shaft of light filtered beneath one closed door. Her heart hammered and butterflies danced when she realised that when she retraced her steps she would be different, no longer the innocent and inexperienced young girl, but a woman in her own right.
Music met her ears first, ah she loved that melody, it had been a source of wonder to her that the citizens below loved classical music and she imagined making love to the backdrop of Mozart and Beethoven. Suddenly the glasses she had carried so carefully fell from her hands and a stain of red wine covered the landing carpet as she heard voices not just one but two, and two very unmistakable voices at that, “Oh Devin turn that rubbish off its killing my ears!”

“I have you know young lady that where I come from this is real music, and I happen to like it.”

More was said, Catherine didn’t hear it and she would wonder for ever after how she had found the courage to open the door but she did. She turned the handle and pushed the door right back and even though she had expected such a sight before her she hoped she might be mistaken all the same. For the first sound to reach her ears as the pictures swam before her eyes was Mel’s cry of ‘Hey look who it isn’t? Say Cathy how about a threesome!’ As her eyes took in the two semi-naked bodies splayed over the rumpled bed and the sound of her own gasp of horror drowned out anything Devin might have said.

She ran then, tripping over the wine bottle that for a few spiralling moments rolled beneath the ball of one foot and she gloated when a crunch of glass, Devin’s curse and a thud behind her signified that Devin hadn’t been quite so lucky. She ran down the stairs into the hall grabbing anything that belonged to her in passing, then out of the door, down the drive and into her car, only just glimpsing Devin standing on one foot at the doorway holding up his trousers with one hand as he tried to signal for her to stop with the other.

Tears swam in her eyes but Catherine was too angry to allow them to fall, choking them back knowing that she couldn’t go home as her father expected her to be spending the night with Melanie she went in the only other direction that she knew she would find sanctuary. To the tunnels, leaving her car near the park entrance she flew across the dampened grass her feet hardly touching the ground and rounded the storm drain moments later her breath caught and held fast somewhere inside her chest. Here she slowed getting her bearings in the darkness as she sought for the mechanism to open the huge sliding door that would take her into Vincent’s world.
It slid back unbearably slowly for Catherine eager to be within but soon allowed her enough access to slide around the foot or so that was open turning and reaching out a hand to close it again once she was inside. However, her hand was covered by another large and furred one and Catherine gasped first then launched herself against the solid feel of perhaps the only one that would help her now. “Oh Vincent, Vincent I’m so glad you are here.” She wrapped her arms around him and all the recently held back tears gushed forth relentlessly like a dam breaking open and she sobbed against the rough texture of his sweater as if she might never stop.

In silence, Vincent held her, his arms wrapped around her, his lips brushing her hair. He could feel her pain and it left him bereft. He physically ached with her for the distress that she felt, the humiliation that he pondered on, the heartache that ripped his own to shreds.

Finally, he held her away from him, his blue eyes searching her swollen ones and he pulled her back again one hand lightly caressing the small of her back the other brushing the dampened hair from her brow. “Its alright, you’re safe, your safe now. Come, you must stay here tonight, Mary will prepare a guest chamber for you.”

“I don’t want to be any bother.” Catherine held back protesting her eyes pained.

“It is no bother, and you shouldn’t be alone. Tomorrow if you wish, you may talk, I will listen and not make judgements. You have a friend in me Catherine.” He told her sincerely.

“I know I do Vincent, and I’m sorry, sorry for the way I keep treating you. Please forgive me yet again?” she managed a smile all be it a weak one, and an errant tear slipped from her lash onto her cheek. Vincent didn’t think he had ever seen anything more beautiful in his life and he ached to take the tear upon his fingertip and hold it against his lips. Instead, he pretended he hadn’t noticed, turning her into the crook of one arm and guiding her through the tunnels. He didn’t know what had happened with Catherine that night, he may never know. But come what may Vincent knew only one thing, for the rest of his life he would be there for Catherine in whatever capacity she allowed. Be it friend and counsellor or brother or lover, the last said with much doubt, but Vincent hoped nonetheless for at the end of the day being what he was, hope was all he had.

The letter in her hand Catherine read through the contents for one final time. It was old now, an old letter with old news and Catherine didn’t know why she had kept it so long really. Well now it was time to trash it as she had stopped believing in other people’s promises years ago.

Devin’s scrawny handwriting penned while under some form of emotional swing or another had not the impact it first had that day when Vincent had handed it to her to read a week after she had found Devin and Mel in bed together. Unable to read it then, she had contemplating screwing it up in a ball or setting a candle to it, but Vincent had warned her if she did that, she would never really close the chapter of Devin in her life. Vincent was right, Vincent had always been right…and he would never fail to give her counsel if she should ask for it.

Taking a deep breath, Catherine began to read the contents, the questions that she had once asked no longer bothering her. It was in the past now, finished despite what Devin had said.

He’d begun the letter with endearments, set to touch her heart no doubt, set to make her want to read on, no one knew whether he was being truthful when he’d penned them and no one had seen him since to ask.

“My dear darling Catherine,

What must you think of me? I swear it wasn’t how it looked. Mel tricked me and I didn’t do anything with her, honest I didn’t. After you came to see me at lunchtime, I hurried to take my bags to Peter’s and it was while I was pondering our conversation that I realised that I would need to make a trip to the drug store. Catherine, I have never needed to buy contraceptives in my life, it was not only embarrassing but they are so expensive! I had to have them but no way did I have enough money to get a packet with and I couldn’t even afford one. So, I went along to your college with the intention of asking you for a loan to buy some, but when I arrived, no one had seen you and then I recognised Mel from Billy’s and asked her where you were. She told me you had gone home early feeling unwell and that you weren’t going to be able to see me that evening after all. Catherine I’d expected that, expected that you might change your mind, but in all fairness I thought I would hear it from you. It shocked me to know that you would tell your friend about us and that which you had decided to share with me and I was offended by how trivial you had deemed such an experience to be in that you could tell someone. Catherine believe me, what happened next was totally instigated by Mel, she turned up at Peter’s after I’d stupidly told her I was staying there awhile, and I invited her in. I thought we would just chat, have a laugh but she threw herself at me and Catherine the things she did… Well I am ashamed to say that I was aroused and felt unable to refuse her…but darling when you came in we hadn’t done anything…and as she had badmouthed my taste in women and music I was about ready to show her the door…I’m sickened by what I’d contemplated doing with that little tramp. Catherine I love you, believe me when I say that you are the only one that I will ever love. I don’t expect you to forgive me now, but maybe someday you will find it in your heart to do so, and when that day comes maybe then there will be a chance for us. By the time you receive this letter Catherine, I will have left America, I have signed a contract for work abroad, starting with Europe. I will be back Catherine, I promise but maybe not for a year or so. I have asked Vincent to look after you and I’m sure that he will. But don’t wait for me Catherine, if you should find someone else to love then I wish you all the best, I wish you all the happiness he can give, but Catherine should you still love me when I return, perhaps we can pick up the pieces and start again.

Be well sweet Catherine, I’ll love you forever, Devin.

All that time and she hadn’t known he had loved her. How many times had she needed to hear him say it? Then to hear it in a letter broke Catherine’s heart even further and there had been several questions Catherine had needed the answer to, some Mel had gloatingly supplied others Vincent had filled in from things Devin had told him.

Despite the implications Mel had made it had been pure coincidence and a great deal of luck for her that Devin had been wearing a roll neck sweater that day, and the love bite had been by another lad Mel had been with the night before. As to the insinuation that she knew Catherine and Devin hadn’t slept together that too was a wild guess. Mel had been devious and cunning her sole intention to snatch Devin from Catherine and secure him for herself.

At the time, Catherine had been livid, humiliated, embarrassed by the turn of events, and heartbroken, but Vincent had been there to pick up the pieces and turn her life around. Whatever she would have done without him she would never know. However it was time to move on, and she was eighteen now, considered an adult and about to embark on her own career working as an attorney after all and not as a doctor as she had decided years before. In that, her father was delighted, and even more so when Catherine introduced the latest love of her life to him and they had got on like a house on fire.

Smiling, Catherine’s mind drifted back to that time and as she did so she crumpled Devin’s letter into a tight ball and tossed it into the trash with the words, “you said a year or so Devin, its now been two and I’m not waiting for you any longer and besides you said I didn’t have to. Tom’s a good man, he’ll make me happy and daddy adores him. So sorry Dev, you’ve been rejected you’ve gotta go.”

With the letter in the bin Catherine closed a chapter in her life, she hadn’t been to the tunnels in ages, hadn’t seen Vincent in months. She would always have affection for him but Tom wasn’t a part of that particular equation and she didn’t want to have to explain her sudden disappearances and weekends away spent in the tunnels. Something had to give, she had to move on and if that meant leaving the past behind well so be it.

“I’m sure Vincent will understand.” She spoke aloud looking out over the city from her apartment window, “Be Well Vincent wherever you are. I’ll never forget you.”

Then she closed the drapes, tipped the trash from the wastepaper bin into a plastic sack tied it with a knot at the top and dumped it by the door. Tom would take it down to the dumpster on his way home later. That done she rubbed her hands together as if washing the past very firmly from her life and went into her bedroom to start getting ready for her evening with Tom. She had a feeling that he was going to ask her a very important question tonight one that she would do well to accept. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t in love with him, he was a good man and would care for all her needs. And Catherine was happy, not the head over heals happy she had been with Devin but she had been young then, immature and she knew now that such love did not make for the long lasting kind of relationship she was certain she and Tom would have. And so she was happy in a quiet sort of way oblivious to the fact that had she but opened her eyes to the truth she would have found that once in a lifetime love that her parents had known. But Catherine was blinded to the truth because her heart had not yet recognised where that truth lay but time had other plans for Catherine and it began that night while she was out with Tom. Someone left a copy of a book on the terrace of the balcony of her apartment and a mystery note attached with one fancy letter written thereon…V.

And the rest as they say, is history.

For the over age 16 reader this story will be continued in Once in a Lifetime 2 – Rated R.

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