Chapter 26

Marcus

"Well, that was exciting, wasn't it?"

They were sitting around the Starling dining table, Marcus in the seat previously taken by Alex. All eyes were on him, waiting for some explanation.

"Okay, I probably shouldn't have kissed Erica," he said sheepishly. "I just really wanted to get under his skin."

"So, what he said about you two shagging?" Josh asked.

"Bullshit," Marcus confirmed. "Although we've spent the past couple of months putting the thought into his head. Sophie's too."

"I don't know. You kiss someone like that. There's gotta be something going on," Josh said with a shrug.

"I have to agree," Debra said, looking between him and Erica, who was silent by his side.

He couldn't blame her.

Everything happened fast after his lips met hers. In the moment, time slowed until only they existed.

At least until Alex had pulled him from her with a yell.

Twice he tried to throw a punch at Marcus, accusing him of sleeping with Erica.

Twice he missed.

The third time, Erica had stepped in front of Marcus, despite her promise, and Alex's fist connected with her jaw.

It was then all hell broke loose.

Marcus didn't need Josh or Bill to restrain Alex, but they were there in an instant as Marcus pinned him to the wall.

Rage like he had never felt boiled in his veins as he pressed his weight against him.

"I'll make you regret that," he promised. Alex didn't fight. He couldn't. His eyes locked on his soon-to-be ex-wife as Lottie helped her to her feet .

"Erica, I'm sorry—"

"Don't you fucking talk to her," Bill growled. "Josh, get him the fuck out of here!"

"My pleasure," Josh said, grabbing the scruff of his neck.

After that, the house was silent. The family had moved back to the table. Marcus had taken over Erica's care, staying close by as her family checked him out.

Josh returned and muttered an update. Alex had left without a fight, getting into his car and driving off without a backward glance.

Marcus didn't know what to say. Where to look.

"Nothing's been happening, Mum," Erica said, disturbing the peace. "I promise. We can prove it if we need to."

"Which they don't ," Lottie said. "Right, guys? Remember, we love Erica. We trust her."

"Thanks, Lottie," Erica replied. "But it's okay."

"We had a feeling something like this might happen," Marcus said. "But Erica had her reasons for doing it this way."

"If he had any inkling I knew, he'd have time to get rid of the evidence," she said. "And then he would've concocted some story and made me doubt myself. Made you doubt me."

"As if we'd doubt you," Debra said. "Oh, darling, you must have felt so lonely going through this on your own."

"I haven't been alone, Mum. Marcus has been there, and I couldn't have done it without him."

Marcus smiled as Erica reached for his hand, offering him a reassuring squeeze. "Right back at you."

"I know this is weird, guys," Erica replied. "But Marcus has been a great friend to me. And he's here to stay."

"Then there's nothing more to say," Debra said, clapping her hands together. "Marcus, would you like to stay for dessert?"

"Man, your mum sure knows how to feed her family," Marcus said as he let them into his flat. "I don't think I could eat for a week."

"She gave you the good stuff too, so I don't think you left too bad an impression on them."

"I'm glad," he replied. He meant it too. One afternoon with her family was enough to know they were his kind of people. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun.

"So that kiss…"

"Yeah… I probably shouldn't have done that, huh?"

"You regret it?" She asked.

"No. No, absolutely not." He didn't hesitate. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But in hindsight, it probably wasn't my best idea."

"I wouldn't say that—"

They both jumped as Marcus' phone blared out the music of Van Halen, his favoured ringtone of the moment.

He answered without checking the ID, his mind back on the kiss that had driven him crazy.

"What?"

"Marcus?" He scowled as he heard Sophie's voice in his ear, an edge of irritation in her tone.

"What do you want, Sophie?" He sighed and glanced at Erica, who raised her eyebrow in question.

"Loudspeaker?" She whispered. Marcus nodded and switched to the speaker.

"Did you tell Erica about Alex?" Sophie's voice filled the living room, an octave or two higher than usual. "He's just called me, completely distraught—"

"Yes," he replied. "Of course I told her."

"Why did you do that, Marcus? Don't you understand what you've done?"

"Go on then," he said. "Amuse me. What exactly have I done?"

"You've ruined her marriage!"

"Nope. That was you," he chuckled without humour. "Next."

"You didn't have to tell her, Marcus," she said. "She could have lived in ignorant bliss. "

"Tell me something, Sophie," Marcus said after a moment of silence. "Would you have continued the affair? Say I didn't tell Erica, and it was only our marriage that went down the shitter. Would you have continued?"

"No," she said, elongating the word. "I already ended things with Alex about two weeks ago."

"That explains your sudden personality switch," he said. "Lost your husband and your boyfriend. Rough time for you."

"Shut up, Marcus. There was no need to tell Erica, the affair was over—"

"I told her months ago, Sophie. We've known since your birthday."

"Why didn't you say something to us? We could have fixed this so much sooner."

"Fixed how?"

He glanced at Erica, who rolled her eyes.

"Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?" She said. "You've already ruined it."

"Don't you care? At all?"

"I'm sorry that people got hurt," she admitted.

This time, Marcus rolled his eyes. "But you don't care about getting caught?"

"Jesus, Marcus. Let it go, would you?"

"Answer the question."

"No, okay?" She said, her voice more shrill than usual. "I don't care that you caught us. Put in the same scenario, I'd still go after Alex and I'd still have the affair. I am sorry that you got caught in the crossfire, and Erica seems perfectly nice, so I feel a bit bad. But I don't care. "

And there it was.

Sophie could dress this up however she wanted. But, when it came down to it, the only person she cared about was herself.

"I like things to go my way, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I get what I want."

Her words from their first date flashed in his mind. She had told him from the very start who she was, he'd just taken her selfishness for ambition.

"That's why I told her," Marcus said finally. "No one deserves to be in the dark in their marriage. No one deserves to get cheated on." He reached for Erica's hand, curling his fingers around hers. "And your selfish ass wasn't going to tell her. I don't know about you, Soph, but I like to have all the information when planning my future."

"Well, it sounds like she has no future, so well done. No husband, no job—"

"She has a job," he reminded her.

"Okay, no proper job," Sophie sneered. Refusing to rise to the bait, Marcus sighed.

"Why did you call, Sophie?"

"I already told you. Alex called me, completely distraught. He said Erica handed him divorce papers, and you kissed her!"

"Okay. And?"

"You told me you weren't shagging her!"

"I'm not," he replied. "I kissed her for the first time today upon learning she's single. I kissed her today for the first time after months of wanting to. After months of her showing me what a genuine connection with someone feels like. I kissed her for –"

"Okay, alright! I get it." Sophie sighed as he turned his attention to Erica and the small smile lingering on her lips.

Yeah, they needed a conversation.

"Look, Alex said she got hurt or something –"

"When he punched her, you mean?"

"I… Well, okay." She took a minute to recover, clearing her throat. "Either way, he's been trying to call, and her dad said she's not there anymore. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Oh! Okay, brilliant. Do you know where she is?"

"Oh, yes. She's here with me."

"Hi Sophie," Erica said. "Broke up with Alex, but still doing his dirty work, I see."

"W-what the fuck? She's there with you?"

"She is."

"I am."

"Right. Well…. Good. Good, I'm glad. "I'm glad you're okay, Erica. Are you at our place?"

Marcus laughed. "No. We're at my place. You don't have a place, remember? "

"Whatever, Marcus. I just needed to know where Erica was. And if she's okay." She paused. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"None of your business. Don't call again, Sophie."

Ending the call, he sank into the sofa, still holding Erica's hand. He turned his head to look at her. "You know, that would have been so much more satisfying if I could have slammed down a receiver."

"These touchscreens aren't all they're cracked up to be, huh?

She squeezed his hand and laid back with him, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Long day?" He asked.

"The longest." Finally releasing his hand, she rubbed her fingers against her eyes. "And it's not over yet. I need to figure out what I'm doing next."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, most pressing is where I'm staying. My parents are an option, but I don't want to impose after today. And Liv and Josh are still in honeymoon mode—"

"Lucky bastards."

"Right? Anyway, at some point, I have to make a decision, and it's not one I want to make."

"So don't," he said with a shrug. "Stay here with me and get pissed on apple sourz and cheap cider."

"How appealing," she teased. "Like being a teenager all over again."

"Okay, okay. I'll bring out the good whiskey if you're gonna complain." He tapped her shoulder with a teasing touch. "Seriously, Erica. You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the sofa. Why go somewhere and be sad all by yourself when you can stay here, and we cheer each other up?"

"What sort of fake girlfriend would I be if I left you all alone tonight?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Marcus. I really don't want to be alone tonight."

"Neither do I," he murmured. "Believe me, you're doing me a favour."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Distantly on the street below, Marcus could hear children. They were excitedly chatting as they played with the toys Santa had brought them.

Oh, to be young again. When his only worry was if he'd been good enough to get the new PlayStation game on Christmas.

It was hard to believe it was merely hours ago that Sophie had left the flat for the last time. He'd had no fight from her, and when she left her key on the table, there had been no final words, nor one last attempt to sway him.

No.

Very quickly, she had decided it wasn't worth her effort. That he wasn't worth her effort. She had left without so much as a backward glance.

He had tried not to think about what she did next. As much as he should get enjoyment from her suffering, he didn't like to think of her roaming the street. Hopefully, she had followed his suggestion to get a hotel for the night.

Or perhaps she had gone running to Alex's side.

He didn't believe for one moment they were over. If Sophie had broken up with him, Marcus was sure that Alex would just need to snap his fingers. Then she'd go running.

What had Erica said? Still doing his dirty work.

Yeah, those were not the actions of a woman who had killed a relationship.

"Do you think Sophie and Alex are together?" Erica asked, breaking the silence.

"I was just pondering the same thing. I'd say the chances were pretty high," he admitted.

"Me too. Well. They deserve each other."

"I agree." He paused for a moment. "Hey Erica? Are you angry about the kiss?"

"What?" She lifted her head to look at him, smirking a touch. "No, Marcus. I'm not angry."

That was enough for now.

He knew that a conversation needed to be had, but given everything else that had happened, it would have to wait.

As long as she was with him, the rest could wait.