Page 11 of Revealing Mark
“See?” he murmured.
Sophie was bored and there was no disguising it. Her eyes wandered as my aunt happily blabbered on. She even did an eyeroll, which my aunt didn’t notice since she was too wrapped up in what she was saying.
I suppressed a giggle.
“I know trusting someone isn’t easy, but try it.”
I’d always believed it was my feelings for Mark that kept me from finding someone special, but what if it wasn’t?
“I trust Mark,” I stated, unsure if the statement was true. I trusted him like I trusted my brother but I didn’t trust him enough to reveal how I felt about him. But maybe it wasn’t that clear cut. Was it fear of rejection that made me keep my inner emotions close to my chest?
If I never really invested in my relationships, there was no chance of getting really hurt. I’d had my ego bruised on more than a few occasions but that’s all it had been. I’d never really felt that heart-aching pain of experiencing a breakup.
Matthew raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “Mark is practically family. He doesn’t count either.”
If my brother knew how I fantasized about Mark, he would blush. Heat rushed into my cheeks at the memory of him half-naked with his chest bare, his muscles ripped and sweaty from working out. I’d imagined countless times what it would feel like to explore them with my hands.
“Technically he isn’t,” I argued.
“Okay fine, I’ll give you one person outside our family,” he relented. “I want you to be happy and anything I can do to make that happen, I will.”
I nodded. He cared. “You worry too much.”
“I’m the older brother, it’s my job to worry about you and Sophie.” They were light words but he meant every one of them.
I swallowed, feeling emotional. “Enough with the heavy talk, go find Sarah and enjoy the rest of your evening.”
He gave me a hug before he left to find his fiancée across the room, and I watched.
After our little talk I felt more guilty for not opening up andtelling him the truth. It was too late now, I had lied and I had to ensure he never discovered it. I was hard to get close to and I couldn’t manage my life. Was there anything I could do right?
His advice had given me a window into how people viewed me. But then, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t let people in.
I felt Mark’s gaze before my eyes found his. He stood beside the bar across the room, watching me with a look that was difficult to read. He didn’t let people in either. I wasn’t the only one who knew very little about him. Matthew was probably the only person who knew things about Mark that no one else did.
There was something about his gaze that made me pick up my camera. I pointed it at him as he held his pose and I took a picture, feeling a need to keep that moment for longer than possible.
It was difficult to explain my action and, as I lowered the camera, Mark turned his back to me, closing me off physically. It felt like I was being shut out, but from what?
Did I use my feelings for Mark to ensure there was no hope of any other relationship blossoming? Was he my ‘get out relationships’ card?
I chewed the inside of my cheek as I contemplated the new realization that had dawned on me.
CHAPTER FOUR
The first sign something was amiss was when I pulled my luggage to a stop just outside the entrance of the country club the next morning and my brother wasn’t waiting for me. I checked my watch to make sure I was on time and I was. That was strange.
A car pulled up and Mark got out the driver’s side. It was some fancy car. I couldn’t tell you what make or model it was but you could tell it was sleek and expensive. I sometimes wondered how lucrative his career choice was.
“I’ll be taking you home,” he said, taking my luggage before I even realized what he was doing.
I shook my head and tried to reach for my bag to stop him, but he already had it safely tucked into the trunk of his car.
“But Matthew was supposed to give me a ride back home.” I refused to get into his car as he held the passenger door open for me.
“He had to leave earlier than expected. I told him I would make sure you got home safely.” He inclined his head to the empty passenger seat.
Was that true? I studied him, trying to figure out if he waslying. He had been trying to corner me for most of the weekend and I had, up to this point, been able to side-step him. It was too convenient that I would have to spend the next couple of hours cooped up in car with him. I began to suspect he had orchestrated this.
