Page 49 of Revealing Mark
Making sure my hair was tied up in a ponytail, I put the hoodie over my head and pulled it forward to hide most of my face and checked myself in the mirror.Yes, it will work,I thought. I smiled. I made my way downstairs and took a determined breath before I opened the apartment building. Hurrying forward, I made sure not to look around, keeping my shoulders hunched over so I wouldn’t attract attention.
I was so tempted to look back to make sure I had no followers but I couldn’t risk it. Down the block, I crossed over into the park and continued my fast-paced walking. It was exciting doing something like this. I could feel the exhilaration of doing something I wasn’t supposed to, and I liked it. It was almost that same feeling of being with Mark. That thought was enough to wipe the smile from my face and darken my mood.
Now that I was well into the park, I adjusted the hoodie so Icould view the scene around me and I took a deep breath. I loved nature, the smell of the fresh air. It was soothing.I walked for a while before I looked back over my shoulder a few times, but I couldn’t make out anyone who was intent on following me. Maybe I had lost them, but I wasn’t confident.
I sat down on a bench across from a pond when I got tired of walking. My father had brought me here a few times when I was younger. There were a few ducks swimming and I stayed watching them until the sky began to darken. I hadn’t managed to think about anything other than my fight with my brother and my interlude with Mark. It was time to go back home. Reluctantly, I began to walk back, ensuring my hoodie was low down to hide most of my face. I tucked my hands into the center pocket when I left the gates of the park.
There wasn’t much traffic as I crossed over and hurried back to my apartment. There was no way to know for sure if I had succeeded in losing the guy or not.
When I entered the hallway leading up to my apartment, I stopped. Leaning against the wall next to the door of my apartment stood Mark with his arms crossed. I would have turned and walked away had he not noticed me first.
“Where have you been?” he asked angrily, and I smiled triumphantly. It confirmed I had succeeded. He wouldn’t be this worked up if I hadn’t been able to lose the tail.
“None of your business,” I retorted, and he looked at me in disbelief.
“You run off after a fight with your brother without a word to anyone. No one could reach you. We had no idea where you were, and you don’t care.”
I refused to allow him to pull me into another draining argument. “Where’s my brother? I’m surprised he isn’t here as well.”
He frowned. “He knows you’re upset and doesn’t want to make things worse. Besides, he is still too mad to rationalize.”
“So you both decided it was best for you to do the task ofcoming to check up on me?” I lifted an eyebrow at him.
“It wasn’t like that. I was worried.” His voice sounded haggard.
There was a fraction of a moment where I hated how his words lifted something in me.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.” I opened the door and went inside. When he made a move to follow me inside, I put my hand to his chest, not allowing him to step a foot into my home. “No. You’re not welcome here.”
“Tracy.” He used that same disapproving tone that rubbed me the wrong way.
“No, Mark.” I shook my head. “This time you and my brother have gone too far.”
“We’re only trying to protect you.”
“No. That doesn’t allow you to do whatever you like and I have to just accept it.” I took a shaky breath, dropping my hand from his chest. “I’m hurt and I’m angry.”
He cocked his head to the side while he studied me. “If this is about us—”
“Let me get this straight with you. I know what happened between us was a one-time thing. You made your views on relationships pretty clear so I haven’t misunderstood anything.” If I had been mad before, I was livid now. “We had sex, nothing more. So don’t try and play that card with me. I’m angry with you and my brother because you feel you’re justified in telling me how to live my life, and you aren’t.”
He rolled his shoulders. “Look—”
“No. I don’t want to hear it. You’re going to leave and you’re not going to come back. I need time to sort through my anger, and if or when I decide to let you and my brother back in, it will be on my own terms. Do you understand?”
Reluctantly he nodded his head. For the first time he seemed to be at a loss for words. He had no idea how to handle this side of me.
“And I don’t want anyone following me. If I see anything suspicious, I’ll call the cops.”
He refused to say anything, but I knew he wouldn’t call off the guy.
“Give your mom a call. She’s worried.”
I nodded.
“If you need anything, call me,” he murmured. “Anytime.”
“I won’t,” I said with confidence for finally standing up to the two overbearing men in my life.
