Chapter 22

Elise was caught off guard for a moment, then a faint smile tugged at her lips. A tear streamed down her cheek, landing warmly on their clasped hands. "I just came out of what could only be described as a nightmare of a marriage. I really don't feel ready to start something new right now. I'm really sorry, Jay," she said. Justin gently raised his hand and wiped the tears from her face, his eyes filled only with tenderness. "El, you never need to apologize to me. Waiting for you to come back was something I did willingly." The two of them went on chatting for a while, and they tacitly avoided bringing up the past few years again. When they arrived at the house Cyrus had prepared for her in Moliva, Justin carried her luggage and opened the door. The place was spotless. It was obvious someone had cleaned it ahead of time and even stocked it with daily necessities. "I also have a copy of your house key. Cyrus gave it to me. He was worried you might forget to bring yours when going