Face-Off at the Altar
Page 68
Laughing, she smacked him as they watched Benji run after Angie, gobbling her up and then throwing her up into the air. She was laughing and smiling so hard, it took Markus’s breath away.
“I do love him,” Lucy whispered, and Markus grinned over at her.
“When he isn’t being a pansy and letting you win, he’s a great guy.”
She laughed as she rolled her eyes. “You’re too competitive.”
“Lucy, he let the ball fall—right in front of him!”
“And…? He loves me.”
He nodded. “I know.”
She looked over at him, her eyes going serious. “How are you?”
He eyed her suspiciously. “What do you mean?”
She eyed him back. “I mean, how are you?”
It was a loaded question, and within seconds, he knew she knew about Skylar. “Man, this family runs their mouths.”
She shrugged. “You’re basically my brother, so, yeah, I know. And, yeah, Baylor and I are plotting ways to get rid of her body.”
That had him laughing as he shook his head. “She isn’t worth it.”
“Eh, we feel differently on that,” she announced, and he smiled, reaching over and taking her hand in his. “I’ll kill her for you.”
“Don’t. You guys are taking Angie to Disneyland, and I don’t want to ruin that for her.”
“Good man you are, Markus Reeves.”
He shrugged. “I try.”
“So, are you okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah, and it’s weird. I feel like I should be more fucked-up, but I’m not. I’m just glad I got the answers I needed. I hate what she did to me and I hate that I don’t know all of what happened, but I’m not dwelling. I had my time to stress about it. Now I have my closure, and I’m good.”
She watched him for a moment. “Maybe you should still talk to someone, though. Just to be sure.”
“I am,” he answered with a nod. “I’m going to the lady Baylor went to, the team doctor.”
She smiled. “Benji’s talked to her about Ava and Leary. She’s wonderful,” she said, speaking of the family Benji had lost years ago in a deadly car crash.
“Cool. She seems to be.”
Squeezing his hand, she nodded. “I’m glad you’re going to get help. But mostly, I’m glad that you aren’t stewing. Shit like that can ruin people’s lives.”
“I know, but I think because she didn’t physically hurt me—and we also didn’t actually have sex—I’m letting it go. Yeah, she touched me inappropriately, she made me live two years without the person I love, but I’m okay. Life is way too short for me to live with such hate, I can’t do it. It isn’t fair when I have a decent life, a good life, you know?”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she smiled. “Just don’t hide the pain. If you need help or someone to talk to, I’m always here for you.”
Bringing her hand up, he kissed the back of it and nodded. “Thanks, Lucy.”
Sending him a wide smile, she looked up when Angie screamed. It was a happy scream as Jace ran with her like she was a football, Benji and Jayden following behind, trying to catch them. Markus saw Jude take Claire in his arms, kissing her hard on the mouth. Jude leaned her back, and Markus smiled as she cupped his face during the elaborate kiss. Seeing them made him miss Mekena, but he wouldn’t see her until later that night. She had some photography stuff to do with her aunt and Grace, which sucked for him. It would have been fun for her to be here to play volleyball.
As Jude wrapped Claire up in his arms, Markus could still recall the day the eldest Sinclair brother had made a big production out of getting her to date him. Filling up the whole rink with pucks, asking her to be his. Markus wondered if they knew they’d end up where they were. He wondered how they made it work because every time he saw them, he swore they loved each other more. It was crazy; they were so young when they met, and yet, they only got stronger. They were a symbol of true love. Hell, all the Sinclairs were. He just prayed that he and Mekena would be the same.
Because, boy, did he love her.
Her innocence was overwhelming, but it also scared him. Would she really want only one man forever? Could he ask that of her? Was that fair? He wasn’t sure, but he felt like there was no other choice. She was it for him. He knew it the moment he met her. He had tried to ignore her for the simple fact he didn’t want to get distracted, but apparently, the universe had other plans.
And Markus was downright distracted by Mekena. All the time.
Well, except when he was going back and forth about his parents. He didn’t know what to do. Should he get them tickets, have them come? A part of him wanted them there, but he was still so mad about how they’d treated Mekena. He wouldn’t allow them to treat her like that again. He wouldn’t lose her. No way in hell. He was in this for the long haul, and no one would stop that.
What should he do?
He looked over at Lucy. She was watching as the guys were chasing Angie, falling to the ground as she hopped over them, laughing so loud it was infectious. He didn’t want to bother her, though she said she wanted to help. Maybe this was something he had to figure out himself.
“Why are you staring at me? I told you we can’t be together,” she said, and he snorted. “Out with it. Proclaim your love before the wedding.”
He rolled his eyes, and she laughed while he leaned back before whistling playfully. “Your ego, woman.”
“Is top-notch. See the dude I’m married to? He tells me I’m gorgeous every day,” she said with a wink and he smiled.
“Smart man.”
“That’s what I say,” she added, leaning back against the chair. “So what’s up?”
Drawing in a breath through his nose, he let it out and shook his head. “My parents want to come to my first game.”
She looked at him, confused. “I don’t understand, why does— Oh wait, y’all aren’t talking.”
“Yeah, we haven’t in way over a year.”
She paused. “Why, again?”
“You don’t know?”
She shook her head. “Nope, this is something that was not passed down the grapevine.”
He laughed. “Surprisingly. Anyway, I took Mekena, my then-girlfriend, to dinner with them, and they basically called her white trash and wanted me to date a black girl.”
“I do love him,” Lucy whispered, and Markus grinned over at her.
“When he isn’t being a pansy and letting you win, he’s a great guy.”
She laughed as she rolled her eyes. “You’re too competitive.”
“Lucy, he let the ball fall—right in front of him!”
“And…? He loves me.”
He nodded. “I know.”
She looked over at him, her eyes going serious. “How are you?”
He eyed her suspiciously. “What do you mean?”
She eyed him back. “I mean, how are you?”
It was a loaded question, and within seconds, he knew she knew about Skylar. “Man, this family runs their mouths.”
She shrugged. “You’re basically my brother, so, yeah, I know. And, yeah, Baylor and I are plotting ways to get rid of her body.”
That had him laughing as he shook his head. “She isn’t worth it.”
“Eh, we feel differently on that,” she announced, and he smiled, reaching over and taking her hand in his. “I’ll kill her for you.”
“Don’t. You guys are taking Angie to Disneyland, and I don’t want to ruin that for her.”
“Good man you are, Markus Reeves.”
He shrugged. “I try.”
“So, are you okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah, and it’s weird. I feel like I should be more fucked-up, but I’m not. I’m just glad I got the answers I needed. I hate what she did to me and I hate that I don’t know all of what happened, but I’m not dwelling. I had my time to stress about it. Now I have my closure, and I’m good.”
She watched him for a moment. “Maybe you should still talk to someone, though. Just to be sure.”
“I am,” he answered with a nod. “I’m going to the lady Baylor went to, the team doctor.”
She smiled. “Benji’s talked to her about Ava and Leary. She’s wonderful,” she said, speaking of the family Benji had lost years ago in a deadly car crash.
“Cool. She seems to be.”
Squeezing his hand, she nodded. “I’m glad you’re going to get help. But mostly, I’m glad that you aren’t stewing. Shit like that can ruin people’s lives.”
“I know, but I think because she didn’t physically hurt me—and we also didn’t actually have sex—I’m letting it go. Yeah, she touched me inappropriately, she made me live two years without the person I love, but I’m okay. Life is way too short for me to live with such hate, I can’t do it. It isn’t fair when I have a decent life, a good life, you know?”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she smiled. “Just don’t hide the pain. If you need help or someone to talk to, I’m always here for you.”
Bringing her hand up, he kissed the back of it and nodded. “Thanks, Lucy.”
Sending him a wide smile, she looked up when Angie screamed. It was a happy scream as Jace ran with her like she was a football, Benji and Jayden following behind, trying to catch them. Markus saw Jude take Claire in his arms, kissing her hard on the mouth. Jude leaned her back, and Markus smiled as she cupped his face during the elaborate kiss. Seeing them made him miss Mekena, but he wouldn’t see her until later that night. She had some photography stuff to do with her aunt and Grace, which sucked for him. It would have been fun for her to be here to play volleyball.
As Jude wrapped Claire up in his arms, Markus could still recall the day the eldest Sinclair brother had made a big production out of getting her to date him. Filling up the whole rink with pucks, asking her to be his. Markus wondered if they knew they’d end up where they were. He wondered how they made it work because every time he saw them, he swore they loved each other more. It was crazy; they were so young when they met, and yet, they only got stronger. They were a symbol of true love. Hell, all the Sinclairs were. He just prayed that he and Mekena would be the same.
Because, boy, did he love her.
Her innocence was overwhelming, but it also scared him. Would she really want only one man forever? Could he ask that of her? Was that fair? He wasn’t sure, but he felt like there was no other choice. She was it for him. He knew it the moment he met her. He had tried to ignore her for the simple fact he didn’t want to get distracted, but apparently, the universe had other plans.
And Markus was downright distracted by Mekena. All the time.
Well, except when he was going back and forth about his parents. He didn’t know what to do. Should he get them tickets, have them come? A part of him wanted them there, but he was still so mad about how they’d treated Mekena. He wouldn’t allow them to treat her like that again. He wouldn’t lose her. No way in hell. He was in this for the long haul, and no one would stop that.
What should he do?
He looked over at Lucy. She was watching as the guys were chasing Angie, falling to the ground as she hopped over them, laughing so loud it was infectious. He didn’t want to bother her, though she said she wanted to help. Maybe this was something he had to figure out himself.
“Why are you staring at me? I told you we can’t be together,” she said, and he snorted. “Out with it. Proclaim your love before the wedding.”
He rolled his eyes, and she laughed while he leaned back before whistling playfully. “Your ego, woman.”
“Is top-notch. See the dude I’m married to? He tells me I’m gorgeous every day,” she said with a wink and he smiled.
“Smart man.”
“That’s what I say,” she added, leaning back against the chair. “So what’s up?”
Drawing in a breath through his nose, he let it out and shook his head. “My parents want to come to my first game.”
She looked at him, confused. “I don’t understand, why does— Oh wait, y’all aren’t talking.”
“Yeah, we haven’t in way over a year.”
She paused. “Why, again?”
“You don’t know?”
She shook her head. “Nope, this is something that was not passed down the grapevine.”
He laughed. “Surprisingly. Anyway, I took Mekena, my then-girlfriend, to dinner with them, and they basically called her white trash and wanted me to date a black girl.”
