After they left the restaurant around 6:30 p.m., James and Maria went straight to the hotel he had earlier reserved.
What followed was a night of intense passion—they had multiple rounds of sex, each more intense than the last.
Maria's thoughts swirled with a sense of urgency. Her only focus was breaking free from Bernard and his family's grip.
Once they were done, both fell into a deep sleep, exhausted. But around 8 p.m., Maria woke up with a start. She quickly tiptoed to the bathroom, cleaned up, and returned to find James still asleep.
She decided not to wake him, knowing they'd see each other at college the next day.
Stepping outside the hotel, Maria flagged down a taxi. The short ride home gave her time to rehearse the lies she'd prepared. She was already back in the outfit she wore earlier that day.
