Mission (Aftermath #1)

Mission (Aftermath #1)

By Dani Elias

1. Prologue

Prologue

Will

T he flat feels hollow, stripped of the life it once held. Boxes are stacked against the walls, their contents an awkward mix of shared memories and divided lives. Katie moves around the space with purpose, her gaze fixed ahead, never lingering too long on anything. I match her rhythm, packing the last few things from the bookshelf. The quiet between us is heavy, the kind that holds too much history to be comfortable.

Phoebe isn’t here tonight. Katie’s friend Claire offered to take her for the evening, giving us space to... finish this, finalise the divorce arrangements. It was practical, but the emptiness left behind feels wrong. No sound of tiny footsteps. No laughter to cut through the weight.

Katie closes a box and tapes it shut, the rip of the tape cutting through the silence. She doesn’t look at me, not really. Her shoulders are tight, her movements efficient. There’s no anger, just... resignation. I know that look too well.

I glance at the picture frame still sitting on the mantle, the one neither of us has touched yet. It’s from Phoebe’s first birthday, the three of us smiling so brightly it hurts to look at now. I wrap it in newspaper and place it in a box, my chest tightening as I do.

“Katie,” I say, the words sticking in my throat. She pauses mid-step, her hands hovering over a pile of books. Slowly, she turns to face me, her expression guarded.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice quieter now. “For everything. For letting you down.”

Her lips press together, and she looks away, her eyes settling on the window as if searching for an escape.

I press on, even though I don’t know if it’ll make a difference. “I wanted to be better. For you. For Phoebe. But this... this job—it’s all I know. It’s how I thought I could take care of you both.”

Katie’s shoulders drop, and she finally meets my gaze. Her eyes are glassy, filled with a sadness that cuts through me. “I know that, Will,” she says, her voice soft but steady. “I know this job is who you are. I would never have asked you to give it up.”

“Then why—” The question slips out before I can stop it, my voice cracking. “Why are we here?”

She exhales, shaking her head. “Will, we spoke about it… because I can’t live like this anymore. The fear... it’s constant. Every time the phone rings, every time there’s a delay in your emails, every time Phoebe asks when you’re coming home and I don’t have an answer. I can’t... I can’t do it anymore.”

Her words hit like a punch, and I take a step back, my hands falling to my sides. “Katie, I—”

She holds up a hand, stopping me. “I know you love us, Will. I never doubted that. But I need distance. I need to know Phoebe has one parent who’s always here, who she can count on.”

The room feels smaller, like the walls are closing in. I want to argue, to find the words to fix this, but they don’t come. Instead, I nod slowly. I can’t argue with her on this.

We stand there for a moment, neither of us knowing what else to say. Then Katie picks up a box and heads toward the door. “I’ll pack the last of Phoebe’s things,” she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I watch her go, the sound of her footsteps fading down the hall, and I’m left with the echo of everything we’ve lost.

When Katie comes back into the living room, her arms are wrapped around a small box filled with Phoebe’s toys. Her face is composed, but her eyes betray her—a flicker of hesitation, of sadness impossible to carry without showing cracks. She sets the box down on the coffee table and stands there for a moment, as if grounding herself before facing me.

“It’s time, isn’t it?” she whispers.

I nod, my throat too tight to form words. She takes a deep breath and steps closer, and before I know it, we’re standing just inches apart. I can feel the warmth of her, the familiar comfort I’ve been holding onto for years.

Without thinking, I pull her into a hug. Her arms come up around me, hesitant at first, but then they tighten, her face burying itself in the crook of my neck. It feels like an anchor, one last connection before we drift apart for good.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur again, the words muffled against her hair.

Her hands press into my back, and she shakes her head. “I know. ”

We pull back, just enough to look at each other. I lean in, pressing a soft, tentative kiss to her lips. It’s meant to be goodbye, an innocent gesture of gratitude and regret, but the spark between us flares to life like it always has. Before I can stop myself, I’m kissing her deeper, and she’s kissing me back.

Her hands slide up to cup my face, and mine find their way to her waist, pulling her closer. The weight of everything fuels the kiss, turning it into something more, something desperate and aching and real.

We break apart, both of us breathing hard, our foreheads resting together. She lets out a shaky laugh, a sound filled with equal parts wonder and sadness.

“Will,” she whispers, her voice cracking.

“I know,” I reply, my hands still holding her as if letting go would make this all too real. “I know.”

“Just one more night,” she pleads, her voice firm despite the tears threatening to spill. Her eyes find me, asking for permission, asking if this is madness. But to be honest, this feels like the best idea in the history of ever.

I give her my answer by pulling her close and kissing her deep and passionately.

Our lips lock as we stumble backwards into our old bedroom, discarding clothes as we go. Her hands are all over me; I can’t help but moan into our kiss. My fingers dance across every inch of skin I can find as she shrugs off my shirt and pushes down my jeans.

She breaks away from the kiss long enough to remove her own clothes before returning back against me. Our bodies meld together perfectly, like they were made for each other .

I grip her hips tightly as I move us towards the bare mattress. She giggles breathlessly as we fall onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Katie straddles me and grinds against my cock through my boxers.

“God, I need this,” she whispers, her voice laced with desperation.

“Take what you need,” I reply hoarsely.

She sits up slightly and pulls down my boxers before wrapping her delicate hand around my length. I moan at her touch because it feels even better than I remember. She strokes me slowly at first, teasingly almost, until she can no longer hold back and begins pumping faster.

Fuck! This woman knows exactly how to drive me wild; it’s like she has a direct line to all of my pleasure centres. My head falls back onto the mattress as she continues to jerk me off with increasing fervour.

Katie's touch is like a drug, and I'm addicted. Her fingers work their magic and I'm lost in a haze of pleasure. As she pumps her hand faster, I can feel the tension building within me, and my body responds with an intense, primal need.

With a determined look, she lies down beside me as she spreads her legs wide, revealing her most intimate parts. The sight of her wet, eager pussy sends a jolt of electricity through my veins.

"Take me, please," she pleads, her voice laced with a raw, animalistic tone. "Fill me up, make me yours one more time."

I place open mouth kisses on her neck and her breasts before sucking a perky nipple into my mouth. Gently, I tease her entrance, circling my finger around her sensitive opening. She bites her lip, her breath hitching as I slowly penetrate her, stretching her with each careful thrust of first, one finger, and then two and three.

“No more teasing, Will,” she moans desperately.

“No more teasing,” I echo and position myself above her. My dick is throbbing when I align myself and with a swift movement, I push taking what was once mine.

"Oh fuck, you feel incredible," I mutter, my hips instinctively thrusting forward, pushing as deep as I can. Katie's eyes flutter shut as she arches her back, offering herself to me fully.

I pull out, and with a swift motion, I enter her again, this time with more force, setting a rapid pace. Katie's hands search for something to grip but the bedding has all been packed already. Instead, she reaches around me and digs her nails into my back causing a bolt of desire to shoot through me.

"Yes, harder," she urges, her voice hoarse. "Fuck me like you mean it, like you've been waiting for this moment too."

I oblige, increasing my pace, my strokes becoming more aggressive, more primal. Katie's moans fill the room, her body trembling with each powerful thrust. I can feel her walls clenching around me, her muscles tightening as she nears her climax.

"I'm close," she gasps, her eyes squeezing shut. "Don't stop, don't you dare stop."

I quicken my pace, my own release building, threatening to overwhelm me. Katie's body tenses, her back arching as she cries out, her orgasm rippling through her. I continue to pound into her, my own climax building to a breaking point.

With a final, powerful thrust, I release inside her, my cum flooding her depths. Katie's eyes fly open, her gaze locking with mine as we share this intimate moment. Our breath comes in heavy gasps, our bodies glistening with sweat.

I collapse onto her, our hearts pounding in sync. Katie gently strokes my back, her legs still wrapped around my waist, holding me close. We lie there, our bodies still connected, our breaths mingling. If I could stop time, this would be the moment.

The room is eerily quiet as we get dressed, the only sounds the rustle of fabric and the occasional creak of the floorboards. Katie stands by the dresser, pulling on her cardigan, her movements deliberate, her focus elsewhere. I sit on the edge of the bed, lacing up my boots, stealing glances at her but saying nothing. What could I say now that wouldn’t feel empty or redundant?

She straightens and picks up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as she turns to face me. “The moving guys will be here in the morning,” she says softly, her voice steady but tinged with weariness. “I told them you’d be here to let them in.”

I nod. “I will be.”

Her lips press into a thin line, and she looks down, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Well,” she starts, then hesitates. When she looks up, her eyes glisten again, but she’s holding it together. “I guess this is it.”

My chest tightens, the weight of those words sinking into me like lead. I stand, the space between us feeling impossibly vast despite being only a few feet apart. “Yeah,” I say, my voice low and hoarse. “I guess it is.”

She steps closer, and before I can think, we’re embracing. Her arms wrap around me tightly, and I pull her against me, burying my face in her hair. For a moment, it feels like time freezes, like the world outside this flat doesn’t exist. All that matters is this—the warmth of her against me, the way her breath catches as she exhales.

Neither of us speaks, but the silence says everything: the sorrow, the gratitude, the love that still lingers despite everything. I feel her tears dampen my shirt, and my own throat burns with unshed tears.

She pulls back slightly, just enough to look up at me. Her lips tremble as she gives me a sad, bittersweet smile. “Take care of yourself, Will.”

“You too,” I manage, my voice thick.

She brushes a hand over my cheek, her touch fleeting but searing all the same. Then, with one last glance, she turns and walks to the door. I follow, stopping just short of the threshold as she opens it.

Katie pauses, her hand on the doorknob, and looks back at me. “Bye, Will.”

“Bye, Katie.” I pause, then add softly, “I’ll pick up Phoebe on Saturday.”

A faint smile crosses her face. “She’ll be ready.”

And then she steps out, closing the door behind her. I stand there, staring at the empty space she’s left behind, the air feeling heavier now than it did moments ago.

As her footsteps fade away down the hallway, the finality of it all hits me. She’s gone, and with her, the life we built together. My heart aches, the pain sharp and unrelenting, but I know this is what needed to happen .

Still, as I sit back down on the edge of the bed, the silence of the flat pressing in on me, it feels like a piece of me walked out that door with her.

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