Now it will never happen.
The full story of what actually happened that night and how Peter ended up on the marble floor went with her.
Chapter Six
Five years ago
He reached over and took her hand as the car drove up to a massive iron gate set in a large stone wall. She would always remember that. It tightened around hers as the gate opened and he drove slowly onto the cobblestone path beyond. It felt like excitement, like he couldn't wait to finally be bringing her here after talking about it for days. But there was also the sense of holding her still.
"I've seen this place before," she told him. "I've driven by a couple times. I never knew what it was."
He flashed her a smile. No words, just that smile. As they continued down the cobblestones, she looked through the window beside her. Around them, beautiful, carefully landscaped grounds stretched out within the confines of the wall like a secret garden. Tall trees created blissful pockets of shade. Emerald grass was trimmed to absolute precision around lush flowerbeds and bubbling fountains.
Outside the stone barrier was gray and bleak. Block buildings stacked up on cement pads and trash piled up in narrow alleyways. Miserable people, rushed lives. Gutters washing hope and ambition into the sewers with the rain.
That all fell away here. The metal gate seemed almost ominous from the outside, but when it closed behind her, it felt like protection. She didn't have to think about anything that disappointed and hurt her. She didn't have to think about the struggles and difficulty she went through as she tried to claw her way from the meager beginnings her parents gave her. They did all they could for her. But she always knew there was more. There was something else waiting for her. She just had to find it.
She had been fighting to do just that since she could fake her age convincingly enough to get a job. Progress was slow, and all the fighting was wearing her down. But here, beyond the wall, it felt like she didn't have to fight. This seemed like a place where people could thrive. This was a place unlike any she had ever been. She already never wanted to leave.
The car stopped at a small building at the edge of the path. There was no barrier or bar of any kind to stop them, but the presence of the building was enough. He rolled down the window and smiled out at an older man who stepped out of the building and stood at the edge of the path.
"Jeremiah, it's good to see you," the older man said.
It struck her as odd. That wasn't his name. At least, that wasn't what she called him.
"Good to see you as well. I have a friend I'd like to introduce to Lucas."
"He'll be glad to hear that," the older man said and gestured for them to continue on.
She wanted to ask him about his name as they continued along the cobblestone path, but something stopped her. It's like the surroundings themselves kept the words from coming out of her mouth. She didn't want to ruin the serene beauty of the secret garden she had only just discovered. If she said anything, the bubble might burst, the protection might vanish. She couldn't risk it. She didn't know what this place was or what it offered her, but she was already terrified to lose it.
The woman who came out of the next little building they encountered peered through the open window at her with a warm, welcoming smile.
"If you stay for a little while, I will be off duty later. I would love to meet you."
He nodded. "We'll be here."
They drove to the back of the building, and he pulled into a low, rectangular building to park among several other cars. He only released her hand when he had to get out of the car, then took it up again as soon as he opened her door. She felt suddenly nervous as he led her toward the large arched wooden door in the back of the tall stone building. The positioning of the building on the grounds meant it wasn't visible from the street. It rose up in front of them as they came down the cobblestones, and now that she was standing behind it, she could see it in its full glory.
It looked like a castle, a palace holding something beautiful and secret, exclusive and hidden. Her body tingled as she realized she was being granted entry. He was bringing her not just to the door, but beyond it. What the miserable and beaten down outside the wall would never know even existed; she would experience with her own eyes.
They walked through the door, and he led her down a hallway lined with candles. It made her want to whisper and walk closer beside him. The further they went, the farther she felt from the rest of the world. Finally, they made it to a large room. It was completely round, and the door they walked through was the only entrance or exit. There were no windows, only large, beautiful paintings that underlined the feeling that they had walked into a true castle. He led her to a couch positioned beside a table and gestured for her to sit down. Silver platters and tiered stands on the table displayed chocolates and delicate looking treats. They were too lovely and perfect to be real. But he reached out for one and held it to her lips.
"Eloise is the most incredible cook. It may be a good thing I'm not always here, or I would never stop eating."
She opened her mouth and let him place the decadent chocolate on her tongue. The bite melted into silky, rich flavors that made her eyes close and a sigh escape her lips. When she opened them again, he was finishing the other half of the chocolate. There was something intimate in that, a message that locked her a little closer to him.
"Are you here often?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yes. But not nearly as much as I want to be. I hope to change that soon."
"What is this place?"
She asked it in a whisper. Everything around her still felt fragile. It couldn't be real, but she wanted to drift in the dream as long as she could. If she said something wrong, it could all shatter around her like sugar-glass, and the world she knew would come back.
"Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in with other people? Like the world didn't really understand you?" he asked.
It was like hearing her own words come out of his mouth. It took her breath away.
"Yes," she finally answered when she found her voice again.
"It's like you were created for something more. You were born into a place that wasn't yours and have been looking for where you would fit."
She nodded. "Yes."
He reached out and ran his fingers along the side of her face. The touch made her skin warm and her heart skip. It craved affection. She ached for validation, for acknowledgement, for touch. She leaned her face into his hand, and he let her cheek rest in his palm.
"You were. I know you were. Just like I was."
The door opened, and the woman from the second small building came in. Her smile widened when she saw her sitting there. She rushed forward with her arms open and gathered her into a hug that brought her off the couch. It felt warm and soft, comforting and reassuring in a way she had never experienced. She never wanted to step out of that hug. When the woman stepped back, she turned to him.
"Jeremiah, she's such a beauty. I know the Elders will be pleased to meet her."