Chapter 42

Marcus

YESTERDAY

"I could see us here," Marcus said as he looked out of the window into the overgrown garden. "I mean, we might want to chop a few bushes down—"

"You leave those bushes alone," Erica said, joining him at the window. "We need privacy. You never know when some weirdos might use our house for a ghost tour."

"You're funny," Marcus said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, what do you think?"

"You know how much I love this house, Marcus," she said, looking over the garden.

"I sense a ‘but'. What's the issue?"

"No issue," she said, meeting his gaze. "No buts. I want to live here, and I want to live here with you."

"Okay," he said, elongating the word. "I can tell there's something you're not saying."

There was, of course. This was a big step they were taking, as business partners, as friends. As two people who were regularly sleeping together.

She still had no idea what the parameters of this situation were, and it was driving her fucking crazy.

It was now or never.

"I guess I'm wondering exactly how you see us here," she said in a small voice. "Do you mean in this house, or in this particular room?"

Marcus raised his eyebrows, glancing over to the bed left over by the previous owners. She followed his gaze, biting her lip nervously. Oh, she should have kept her big mouth shut .

"Well," he said, turning back to her. "Do you think that if we had separate bedrooms, we'd end up spending much time in them?"

"Probably not," she said, unable to stop a small smirk spreading across her lips. They had been all over each other this past week, her makeshift bed on the sofa long abandoned.

"I agree," he said, his eyes twinkling as he moved his arms around her waist. "I definitely meant I could see us in this room. And every other room in the house." Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers. "I don't want you in a bed that isn't mine."

She couldn't ignore the thrill that went through her at his words.

Oh, she was in trouble. She liked this man more than she had any right to. Her divorce wasn't finalised yet and here was another man worming his way into her heart.

"So," Marcus said, pulling her attention back from her wandering thoughts. "This feels pretty conclusive. Sharing a house. Sharing a bed. Makes a statement, doesn't it?"

"It does. Now you mention it."

Nipping her lip once, he smirked at her. "Well, Miss Erica, for the sake of clarity, let me just say I am yours. Completely. Desperately. So what do you say? Are you mine?"

PRESENT DAY

"... And if we all rally together as a community, this beautiful young couple can continue to provide us with spooky entertainment for many years to come…"

"That'll be that then," Erica's father said, muting the TV after the camera panned to the newscaster. "Our Erica on the TV."

A week after the break-in, Erica finally had a chance to sit down with her family and explain a few things. Mainly why she and Marcus were on TV, being called a beautiful couple by the Lord Provost of their city.

"You looked really great," her mum said, taking a sip of her tea. "Both of you, I mean."

"Thank you, Debra," Marcus said, inclining his head. "I was getting pretty tired of hearing how beautiful Erica looked when I was just as dazzling."

A titter of amusement went around the room, the building tension easing. Erica could tell they were all waiting for the moment they could ask the million-dollar question and the longer it went unasked, the more awkward the silences became.

"So, you'll be getting a new tour bus then?" Bob asked. "Quite right, too. Don't let the robbing bastards get you down." Erica felt a wave of affection for her father right then. She knew this entire situation - from her divorce to her relationship with Marcus was hard for him to get his head around. Bob was a traditional man. He'd courted and married her mother right out of school, and infidelity never crossed his mind.

She could tell he was trying hard to be supportive and welcoming of Marcus, but it wouldn't surprise her if he was struggling to accept yet another man who seemed to be moving too fast with his daughter.

The last one didn't work out too well, after all.

"Have they caught the guys yet?" Lottie asked. She sat on the arm of the sofa next to Josh, who had his arm around Liv. "Or is it a lost cause?"

"Oh, we know who did it," Erica said. "And we've found the stolen bus, too."

"That's brilliant!" Debra said.

"Not really," Erica said with a sigh. "Remember when I said I wanted a nice, simple divorce?"

"It wasn't Alex, was it?" Debra asked with a frown. "Please tell me he hasn't sunk even lower."

Erica really felt sorry for her mother at that moment.

This was a woman who, despite her reservations, had welcomed Alex into her home with open arms. She voiced her concerns about their quick engagement, but once she could see how sure Erica was, that was the end of it. Alex was her son from that moment on and she had never treated him as less.

Not only did her heart hurt for her daughter, but for herself, too.

"We can't prove it," Marcus said, taking Erica's hand as though he could sense her discomfort. "But we're almost positive. Whoever he hired is pretty loyal to him - he hasn't said a word, even with the promise of more money."

"At least someone understands loyalty," Josh muttered.

"So he just gets away with it?" Liv asked, speaking for the first time.

"Not quite," Marcus said, a small smirk playing on his lips. Erica recognised the look on his face. It was the same one he wore whenever he anticipated a good night of ticket sales.

It meant things were going his way.

"Angus told us to continue on as normal, as though we're clueless," Erica said, filling in the gaps for her confused family. "He says that arrogant people get sloppy and if Alex thinks he's got away with it, he'll try something again fairly soon."

"Is that good for business?" Bob asked, his forehead wrinkling. "Doesn't seem right putting yourself in the middle of drama."

"We're prepared," Marcus said with quiet confidence.

And they were.

Her family might not understand - they were honest people who lived a drama-free life. But Alex had stretched out this divorce long enough for Erica to understand that sometimes you had to play a little dirty.

There had been something she'd been planning for a long time, and now, with Angus' support, that idea had the potential to become a reality. If it worked out the way she thought it would, Alex would be a fool to come after them, although the chaotic side of her wished he would just so he could be metaphorically bitch-slapped.

But until she had confirmation, she wasn't saying anything - not even to Marcus. She needed everything to be in place so she could plan the perfect surprise .

"So how did the house viewing go, pet?" Bob asked, capturing Erica's attention once more.

"Oh, it was fantastic," she replied. "We've put in an offer and we'll hopefully hear something early next week."

"How exciting," Debra said. "You must invite us over."

"Of course," Marcus agreed with a smile. "I'd actually love to have you all over, along with my parents, for a big housewarming dinner."

Her parents glanced at each other, while Lottie and Josh muttered away in the corner. This was the moment; she could sense it. They'd held their tongues long enough, and now they wanted to know.

"Okay, I have to ask," Bob said, shifting in his seat. "Is what Lord MacFarlane said true?"

"Which part?" Erica asked, deliberately stalling. She was nervous. Deep down, she knew she had her family's unconditional support and love. Nevertheless, she wasn't sure how they were going to react to their news.

"You know which part, Erica," Debra said with a knowing smile. "You're stalling, my girl."

"Are the two of you together?" Bob asked, his eyes focused on hers.

"They are!" Josh said before she could answer. "I saw them kissing!"

"Josh!" Erica shot him a dirty look. Unfazed, he grinned at her and shrugged.

"I don't know why you're being so cagey, sis. We all like the bloke."

"How heartfelt," Marcus murmured, to which Josh happily flipped him off.

"Yes," Erica said, interrupting before they could get into a playful back and forth. "We're together. We're a couple."

Marcus' hand found hers, lifting it so he could kiss the back of her fingers. She smiled at him, silently thanking him for his support even as her heart fluttered wildly at the simple gesture.

"How long for?" Lottie asked as Bob watched their interactions closely, his eyes taking in everything. Erica chewed her lip. She had always been so desperate for her parents' approval - not that she ever had to work particularly hard to earn it. The thought that her decision would disappoint them left her with an icy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Not long at all," Marcus said. "Things first started around the beginning of this month. The night of our first bus tour."

"I see," Bob replied. The group had fallen silent, and even Josh, who normally had some wisecrack in the most awkward of circumstances, seemed to realise that their father had something he needed to say.

"It's not been long since you both ended a marriage," he said, speaking more to Marcus than to Erica. "Are you sure this isn't too fast?"

"It's absolutely too fast," Marcus said with a shrug. "But emotions don't care about timing or ex-partners or impending divorces. I absolutely adore Erica. I have since our first meeting." He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. Linking his fingers with Erica, he focused on Bob, speaking earnestly.

"I ignored a lot of what I was feeling because it felt inappropriate, and, as you said, far too quick. So I found other ways to admire her, to channel what I was thinking healthily.

"It worked for a short while too," he said with a chuckle. "I had myself convinced that my interest in her was purely platonic. She became my best friend, my business partner, and my anchor against the tide. After all, she was going through the exact same thing I was. She knew what I was feeling better than anyone."

"And Erica, what about you?"

"Shush, Dad," she said, desperate to hear more of what Marcus had to say. He hadn't even told her this. "Let the nice man say more things about me."

Marcus smirked and squeezed her fingers. "I probably should have had this conversation with you already. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. Continue the story," Josh said. "Who came on to who?"

"I don't think we need to hear that level of detail, Joshua," Debra said with a small chuckle .

"Oh, it's fine," Marcus replied with a shrug. "Erica absolutely made the first move."

"Marcus!" Oh, god that was mortifying. Her family must think she was a right horn-dog!

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Marcus said. "If I had any balls, I would have made the move long before you did. But look at you." He gestured at her with an admiring smile. "You're so clearly out of my league, I didn't want to get my heart broken."

A chorus of swoons from the women in her family broke Erica's stunned silence. She glanced at her mother, and then her sisters. God, he had them in the palm of his hand.

"Well, you can certainly talk the talk," Bob said. "But what if this turns out to be a big rebound for both of you? You're walking on air right now, but what happens when the excitement wears off?"

"Dad, with all due respect, I'm not a child," Erica cleared her throat until her father turned his gaze away from Marcus. "I am a grown woman, with my own mind. You don't need to give Marcus the third degree because I trust him, and that should be enough."

"You trusted Alex," he retorted. "We all did."

"Exactly. He had us all fooled."

"Bob," Marcus said before he could speak. "I appreciate you have Erica's best interests at heart here. I'm sure you heard a very similar speech from Alex all those years ago about how much he cared for your daughter.

"Honestly, I expect a very similar reaction from my parents when we tell them. Because you're right. We've moved fast and we've made all these leaps together. But I promise you from the bottom of my heart, even if my romantic relationship doesn't work out with Erica, I will always and forever be her best friend and biggest cheerleader."

"They won't break up." All heads turned to Liv as she spoke for the first time, her voice soft but confident. "I've been with Josh since we were kids. I've grown up with you all, and for the first time in… oh, eight or nine years, I think we're finally seeing the real Erica again. "

She turned to Erica with a small smile. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude. You know how much I love you. But I always felt you were trying to be someone you weren't when you were with Alex. You didn't let yourself relax. You were always so perfect. I don't recall you ever cracking a joke while he was around.

"I was so caught up in your whirlwind romance, and I bought every shitty lie that left Alex's mouth, that I never really noticed just how much he stifled you. The last six months I've seen more and more of the old you - the real you."

Erica felt tears prickle at her eyes, swallowing past a lump in her throat. She'd always felt as though she'd lost part of herself with Alex, but could never pinpoint why. She ignored the feeling, figuring it was part of growing up and maturing. Hearing Liv validate her long-buried feelings was liberating.

"Marcus, I think you're wonderful," Liv said. "You're funny and sweet. And although I'm quite worried my husband would leave me for you, I, for one, am happy to welcome you into this family. If for no reason other than you gave me my sister back."

"Thank you, Liv," Marcus said quietly, inclining his head to her.

"Well, I can't argue with that, can I?" Bob asked. "Nicely put, Liv. Thank you for that perspective." Turning his gaze back to Erica, her father took a breath. "This is what you want, Erica? Marcus, is who you want?"

All eyes were on her as her father's question lingered in the air, but it was only one pair of eyes she cared about. Meeting Marcus' gaze, she spoke directly to him.

"It may be too fast. My divorce may not be final. There may be a million reasons why we shouldn't ." Smiling at him, she squeezed his hand, delighting at the twinkle in his eye. "But there's a very important reason why we should. You make life bearable. I'm tired of living in the past and waiting for the next chapter of my story to begin. It's already here, it's right now. It's you. "

"It's us," he corrected, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Here's to the next stage of our story, Erica. I can't wait to go on this journey with you."