CHAPTER 49
“So…you’re
finally going up there to bring him home?” Mother asked me after I informed her
of the trip up to
“And
in no small part thanks to you, Mother,” I said, giving her a kiss on the
cheek. “Yes, even if I have to drag him back, kicking and screaming. He’s
coming back here, one way or the other. He’s not allowed to say no.” I grinned confidently.
“Good.
You’ve been moping around here for weeks; good lord, a funeral would’ve looked
like a rave compared to the mood around here.”
I
gave her a tight smile; yeah, not one of my better moments. Then again, how
would she feel when her heart had been ripped out of her chest, and stomped on
by a gang of Hell’s Angels?
But
if it hadn’t been for her, I’d probably still be trying to work myself to
death. It had all started about two weeks after the breakup…
--== Begin flashback
==--
I
came home a little after
Too late.
I
started when suddenly a lamp came on at the far side of the salon, revealing my
mother sitting on the sofa farthest from me.
“Good
evening, Ross.”
“Mother,”
I acknowledged, “what are you still doing up?”
“Waiting for you. There is something you need to see.”
“Mother…,”
I warned. I really wasn’t in the mood.
I
noticed a large envelope on the sofa beside her. She padded it with her hand.
It looked familiar. Too familiar.
“I
really don’t feel like talking, right now... especially not about what I think
you have there.”
Definitely not.
“We
all want things we can’t have,” she replied, putting some steel in her voice.
“Come. Sit.”
I
sighed again, downed the rest of the drink, and joined her.
“Fine. What is it now?”
I
knew I was being rude to her, but she didn’t call me on it. Instead, she
revealed a remote control for the video-recorder, starting it with the press of
a button. The screen came to life, revealing an empty hallway and she paused the tape. I thought I’d seen it before.
“You
know I have a… ‘friend’ who helps me sometimes, to
find out some things people do not want generally known, yes?”
She
was referring to Jack Mahey, a private investigator.
Why she felt the need to keep him on retainer I had no idea, and I probably
didn’t want to know. The circles of high society and its secrets didn’t really
interest me.
“Who
slept with whom this time, Mother?”
“That’s
quite an appropriate choice of words, dear. It turns out; no one. Watch,
please.”
She
started the video again. There was no sound, only picture. Suddenly someone
walked into frame and the hairs in my neck rose immediately. Mark
and Kyle.
“Before you start throwing a fit, bare with me. It gets interesting
real fast.”
I
didn’t want to watch. Seeing Mark for the first time again, even on a video
with no sound, was too much. It immediately brought home that I missed him
terribly. Seeing what followed really didn’t help.
The
screen showed them hugging and they were talking. Mark smiled while they
hugged.
“I
really don’t apprecia…,” I began, making a grab for
the remote.
Then
something happened. I could tell that Mark suddenly became uncomfortable, by
his body language. He said something. Then Kyle moved to press his lips below
his ear, while it was clear that Mark was trying to break out of the hug.
Even
though it hurt a great deal to watch this, I couldn’t rip my eyes away from the
screen. Kyle’s mouth traveled down his cheek towards his mouth, and he seemed
to whisper. Mark froze and said something, to which Kyle replied and then
suddenly he moved in. I closed my eyes at that exact moment; I did not want to see it.
CHAPTER 50
“Watch,
Ross. I know it’s painful, but just watch. You’ll thank me for it in the end,” Mother
said softly, and I opened my eyes again.
At
first, Mark didn’t do anything.
If
I wanted to continue dark thoughts about Mark, I’d have said he probably liked
it. But I knew him. He didn’t like this. His body was rigid, I could tell; I
knew every inch of it. Then the screen froze, right as Kyle opened his lips.
“I’m
sorry to make you see this, but compare this image with this photo, please,”
mother said softly, holding out a black and white photo.
I
knew the photo by heart, and was about to tell her I didn’t want to see it,
when I noticed the similarities between the photo and the video.
The
angle was the same, as was the color, the shades, the light.
As
I stared between the two, she continued the video. What had looked like Mark
kissing him back was not what happened. Instead, Mark pulled back and said
something, shaking his head.
Kyle
didn’t back off, which somehow made me very angry; blood was rushing through my
veins.
He
rested his forehead against Mark’s and spoke, then tried again; this time Mark
definitely tried to hold him off. Then Kyle obviously used more force, and
pressed his hips noticeably forward, continuing to speak and trying to kiss
him.
Then
Mark spoke, obviously louder as if trying to get through to him, and suddenly
Kyle backed off.
Half
a minute later, Mark left, and Kyle appeared to think. But when he turned, I
saw the coldest smirk I’ve ever seen on anyone, and he stared straight into the
camera.
**********
“Turn
it off,” I rasped, after staring at the now empty screen for a long minute.
“Please…”
Nothing
had happened. It had all been an illusion, made to appear as something it
wasn’t, designed to make me jealous, and to break up Mark and me. And it had
worked.
“Where
did you find this?” I asked. “Are you sure it’s real? Not tampered with?”
“If
they tampered with it, don’t you think some scenes would have looked quite
differently?” Mother asked, softly. “I’m sure, Ross; it’s real. He set you up,
he set Mark up. He knew how you’d react and you did as if it was scripted.”
I
moaned softly.
“And
Jack recovered it from Kyle’s apartment.”
“I’ll
kill him,” I hissed, hot anger overwhelming me.
I
rose from the sofa, intent on doing it right now. I was going to go over there
and wring the life from that miserable horror of a human being!
“Ross…”
mother called, “ROSS! Don’t! Don’t do something you’ll regret later. He isn’t
worth it.”
I
bit my lower lip until I tasted blood, unable to keep my hands from balling
into fists. Then, suddenly, I felt my mother’s hand on my shoulder.
“Shh… come. Sit down. Have a drink. You need it.”
I
heard her walk over to the bar and pour; then she came back and handed me a
glass with a bottom of whiskey.
“I
need a lot more than that,” I sighed, setting it on the table in front of me
when I had emptied it in one gulp. “God, what a mess.”
I
leaned forward with my elbows on my knees, rubbing my eyes.
“What
have I done…”
“What
exactly did you do, son? In my
opinion you didn’t do anything any normal human being wouldn’t do, when
betrayed.”
“But
he didn’t betray me…”
“Mark
lied to you, Ross. Lying is also a betrayal. He deliberately lied when he said
he wasn’t friendly with Kyle anymore, knowing you wouldn’t approve. I’m not
trying to put the blame entirely on him; I’m trying to tell you that you’re not
the only one at fault here.”
“I
know,” I sighed, “but Mark did try to
tell me what happened and I didn’t listen. And now it’s too late.”
“It’s
never too late, dear. Do you love him?”
I
looked up, sending her a smile.
“To the point of insanity.”
“Then
go get him back.”
“You
think so? You think he’ll want me back?”
“I
know for a fact that he does.”
“You
kn… you spoke to him? When? Where?”
“About a week ago. At the loft.”
“And
he said he wanted…”
I
needed to see him. Right now! I couldn’t wait another moment, and went over to
where I had draped my jacket over the back of a chair.
“I’m
going to him, right now. Wish me luck.”
“Well,
that’s going to be a bit of a problem.”
I
halted in mid-air, as I put my arms through the sleeves of the jacket.
“What…
why?”
“Because he’s gone.”
--== End Flashback
==--
I
remember that moment as sobering; first feeling hope, and then having it
crushed. But Mother quickly explained what had happened.
I
really didn’t want to wait; I wanted to see him, convince him to take me back
and get past all this. But I couldn’t, and it was aggravating to say the least.
I opted to call Mark right away but Mother convinced me to take a different
approach. In the meantime, she’d take care of Kyle.
Whatever
she did, I’d probably never find out. I was told in no uncertain terms to back
off; it was a project she’d been looking forward to for a long, long time, and
that was all she would tell me. But I did remember a day, last week, when she
came home with a very satisfied air around her, telling me Kyle was never, ever
going to be a problem again.
“You
didn’t have him killed, did you?” I asked suspiciously, but with a smirk. Of
course she wouldn’t. Even Sofia Forester wouldn’t go that far.
“Oh no. I just…taught him a lesson.”
“Do
I want to know?”
“Someday, perhaps. For now, just let your old mother appreciate the few scraps in life she still gets to
enjoy.”
I
shuddered involuntarily; no, I didn’t want to know. Ever.
CHAPTER 51
He
looked thinner. His cheeks were a little hollower
than I remembered. But his eyes were exactly the same; one green, one blue and,
at this very moment, staring wide back into mine.
Whatever
the other people in the room thought about the scene playing out in front of
them, I didn’t care. I also had no idea how much time had passed when the sound
finally returned to my ears, and some uncomfortable coughing began to emerge at
various points around the conference table.
I
shook out of the moment and nodded to one of the producers, who told Mark to
come in and take a seat.
**********
The
meeting went by in a flash, and I didn’t recall much of what had been said. For
all I knew, I might even have given up my controlling share in Forester Gaming;
I wouldn’t know, nor did I really care. All I knew was the sound of Mark’s
voice when he first croaked out a stuttered response to an inquiry, then his
voice slowly turning to normal as the meeting progressed, his eyes still
flicking to me from time to time, but definitely avoiding my gaze.
**********
Once
the meeting was over, we both lingered, waiting for the room to clear until
only the two of us were left.
I
was glad; it meant he wanted to talk, which was somewhat of a relief. All I
needed was an opening, and it appeared he was willing to give it.
“Hi,”
he said, for the first time looking me straight in the eye. “So what’s the real
reason you’re here?”
“Nothing
gets past you, does it?” I replied, sending him a smile. “The real reason is
you. But you already knew that from the moment you came in here, didn’t you?”
He
nodded.
“That’s
what I figured, yes. It’s too much of a coincidence, you showing up here. Nice
ploy, though. How did you find me? I didn’t tell
“Even though you promised her to do so?”
He
lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes,
I know about her visit to the loft. But it was Gloria who ratted
you out.”
“I
should’ve known; she caves way too easily to romantic gestures.”
I
bit my lower lip.
“So
you know why I’m really here…”
“She
didn’t mention it when I spoke to her last night, but my imagination runs
rampant at times; maybe I’m all wrong but I’m hoping…”
He
cut off, taking a deep breath.
“I’m
hoping…”
His
gaze broke away.
“So
am I,” I answered, swallowing hard to get rid of a sudden lump in my throat,
rising from my own chair. “I know everything.”
“Everything?”
“Well,
most of it. I know you were telling the truth when you said nothing happened.”
“How?”
“I
saw a videotape. I saw it all.”
It
became deadly silent.
“That
bastard…he taped it?”
I
nodded slowly, taking a step forward.
“He
did, yes. And in a way, I’m glad he did.”
“You
are? Ross…why would you…”
“I’m
glad,“ I cut him off, “because it made me fully
realize that I’d been wrong. I should have believed you when you said it wasn’t
as it seemed.”
“Don’t….don’t
do that,” he said, sending me a look that suddenly
made me stop.
“Don’t
do what?” I replied, softly.
“Don’t
take the blame. I’m the one who decided to lie. I’m the one who decided to
deceive you. I thought you were wrong, and I fell for Kyle’s act. You warned
me.
“Yes,
we did.”
“It’s
my entire fault.”
I
took a deep breath myself and then nodded.
“Yes.
It was.”
He
shot me a hurt look, and some of my anger returned
“It
was your fault, Mark. We warned you. I
warned you. I did!! Why wasn’t that enough?”
“I…I
thought I knew better. He fooled me.”
“If
you had listened, really listened, he wouldn’t have had the chance…”
It
hurt to say it, seeing that it hurt Mark, but it somehow felt necessary. He had
to know, even if it might scare him away.
I
was relieved when it didn’t.
“I
know. And I wish I could do it all over...”
“We
can’t do that, but we can try again,”
I replied, taking the final few steps, stopping right in front of him. “That’s
why I’m here. It’s the only reason I’m here. But…”
He
looked up, his eyes searching mine.
“But…?
“But
there are rules.”
“Rules?”
He
frowned.
“Yes,”
I said, using a finger to lift up his chin. “But before I say any of them, I
need to do something.”
His
frown deepened.
“What’s
that?”
“This,”
I replied softly, and lowered my lips onto his.
CHAPTER 52
The
kiss was as electrical as the first one we shared, all those months ago in the
Seconds
flew by; minutes. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was having him with me
again. And when I finally lifted my head, I knew I had him back.
“Rule
1: you’re coming home with me, right now.”
He
licked his lips, which drew my gaze, and closed his eyes.
“I
can’t come back, Ross. I have my work
here.”
I
ignored his objection.
“Rule
2: No lying.”
“Ross…”
“Rule
3: Trust me.”
“Do
you trust me?” he cut in, jerking his
head back when I followed his mouth with mine.
I
hesitated and thought about it, before I locked eyes with his and held it for
long seconds.
“If you promise to follow those three rules? Then yes, I will
trust you.”
“Done,
I promise.”
“I’ll
also want something else...” I said, taking his chin in my hand.
“What?
Anything…”
“Marry
me.”
His
eyes widened.
“What!?”
“Marry
me.
His
brow tightened and his eyes searched mine, looking for a sign that I was
joking.
I
wasn’t.
“Is
that what it takes?” he finally asked.
“Yes.”
“Then
get on your knees.”
“Excuse
me?” I answered. I hadn’t heard that right. Was he actually going to…
“Get.
On. Your. Knees.
Ask me.”
I
stared down at him. Was he serious? He winked. Surely he was joking…
“Mark…”
“You’re
making me promise that? Then you’re kneeling…right now.”
His
eyes flickered humorously when I started to kneel and he gripped my shoulders.
“Alright,
I’m kidding. You know I don’t believe in that stuff…”
But
I did. And he also gambled a little too far with me; now I wanted it. I
continued, all the way down until my left knee touched the floor.
“I
am kneeling. And I am ask…”
“Ross,
come on…” he cut in.
“…ing. Mark. I am not
kidding; will you marry me?”
He
looked away, embarrassed. Then his eyes sought mine and for a long few seconds
we silently fought. It took a long time. Even longer seconds passed.
“You’re
serious…” he whispered, almost too soft to hear.
“Yes,
I am.”
He
bit his lower lip again, his eyes flicking from left to right, finally coming
to rest, staring into mine.
“No
doubts. So what do you say? Marry me?”
It
took him all of two seconds to realize it was all or nothing.
“Yes.”
***THE
END***
Andr0gene
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