Marcel

I try to close the door but she shoves her six inched heels in the way.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't. There's nothing I have to say to you, Ariel." I grit my teeth.

I make a mental note to have a conversation with God to ask him what I did to deserve this. To have this woman show up in my life and singlehandedly ruin it every time. She pushes pass me and steps inside. Unfortunately, I can't push her back out.

"Well, I have something to say to you. You can't just show up at my place and accuse me of-"

"Accuse you?" I ask incredulously. Has she lost a screw in the head? "Ariel, you made me think we slept together then made me think you were carrying my child. You're lucky I don't press charges for forging that damn DNA test."

"As if you'd do that. Look, I came here to tell you that I'm leaving town."

That's not exactly news since she's hardly even in this town. "Good riddance. But you didn't have to come all this way to give me the good news. So, what do you want?"

"Delete it," she says.

I raise an eyebrow. Delete the only solid proof I have that she's the devil's secretary? "Now I'm sure you've lost it. Goodbye, Ariel."

I even made copies.

"I'm not going anywhere until you get rid of that recording, Marcel." Her voice softens and she puts​ on her fake apologetic face. "Please. I'll be out of your life for good if you just delete it. Please, baby."

"Oh my God, you must be either deaf or stupid." As much as I'm thinking this, I'm not the one who says those words. "He said leave," Lyn says, firmly.

I close my eyes, bracing for what's about to happen.

Ariel continues to feign innocence. "Lyn. Don't let him pull you back in. He's been lying to both of us all along."

Evelyn looks at me incredulously. I send her a pleading look, begging her not to believe Ariel.

Lyn shakes her head and turns back to Ariel. "Unbelievable. I'm so sorry," she whispers. Ariel is trying hard not to hide her smirk but I see it. Just when I thought I had lost all hope of getting through to Lyn, she continues, "I'm so sorry for whatever crap you've been through that has turned you into this monster. I'm sorry for that child you're carrying."

Ariel snarls. "You bitch. Don't you dare talk about my child. We don't need your pity."

"No? Well you need help."

"Shut up."

"Because you've got to be one sick twisted-"

"I said shut up!" Ariel interrupts with a slap across Lyn's face. I step between them before Lyn can recover from her shock and does something she'll regret.

"Get out of my house," I order. "Or I swear to God-"

"Delete the recording and I'll go."

"Never mind, I got my answer. You are stupid." Evelyn attempts to walk around me and I pull her back.

"Me? I'm stupid?" Ariel laughs. "You're the one who was so quick to leave him and jump into bed with that rich bachelor."

Lyn starts to retort but again, I stop her. This isn't her battle. It's mine and I need to put an end to it.

"What she does or doesn't do is none of your business, Ariel. You need to live your own life and do your own thing and stop living off of everybody else's. You're worse than you were in high school with your lack of concern for other people's pain. Why? Because you love the drama? Don't you see? You survive off of other people's suffering to make yourself feel better. To make yourself feel as if you have a semblance of a life.

I used you and spread a nasty rumour back in high school and it humiliated you. But news flash: that was high school, I'm not the same person I was back then, people forgot about it...and I have apologised. So many times." I step closer to her and hold her gaze. "I'm begging you, Ariel. Stop this. Just move on with your life. Go live and be happy. You owe your child as much. Please."

Her eyes widen. Maybe because it's the first I've ever begged her for anything. "I... I'm.." She stumbles through the words, her gaze dropping to her feet. "It's a girl."

"Be better for her if not for yourself. I know you can."

In a split second her arms are around me and her head on my shoulder. I tense, not knowing how Lyn would react to me hugging the woman who ruined us. Without words I know what she's​ saying.

She's apologising. I can't say I forgive her. I haven't. Lyn is my world and she tried to take that from me.

Has she succeeded?

I need to find out. Whispering a goodbye in my ear, she lets go and steps back. Her gaze lands behind me. On Evelyn.

My shoulders tense. But nothing happens. She just stares at Lyn.

Then she speaks. "I'd say I envy you. You have a great man who loves you like the air he breathes. Who cares about you more than himself. And even though it's the last thing he wanted to do he let you go because you needed him to. But I don't envy you at all because you've got all that and you're throwing it away."

My jaw goes slack because, really, that came out of nowhere.

I hear Lyn scoff.

With one last look in my direction she leaves, closing the door behind her. I brace for whatever is coming next.

"I hate this," she whispers. "I don't understand when I became such a....mess."

I turn to her. "I'm a mess too. We're perfect together." Her lips twitch. "So....you still here for me?"

"She's right, you know? I'm such an idiot. I could've handled this a lot better." I remain quiet as she rambles on. This is usually how she comes to a conclusion about something. "I was so hurt. So mad at you that I hadn't even thought about how you'd feel about my friendship with Nick."

I interject then. "That's all it is? A friendly relationship?"

She frowns. "Are you asking me whether or not we've....hooked up?" Her face sours as if the words leave a bad taste in her mouth and hell if that doesn't make me feel better. I nod. "No. Never." She pauses. "Did...you ever...uhm."

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Deep down you know that." I close the space between us in one long stride and lean into her, completely invading her space. "Just like I know he can't see how you feel by just looking into your eyes." I press my fingers to her neck. "Just like I know he can't make your pulse race like this." I slip a finger down her neck, making a stop at her chest. She barely holds in a shiver. "Or make you bite your lips like that."

Her eyes widen and she releases her lips. She clears her throat and opens her mouth to say something. But whatever she was going to say dies on her lips.

I take advantage of her speechlessness and press my lips to her neck. "You have something to say, Lyn?"

"Uh.... I.." she stutters.

I trace a pattern on her neck with my lips. "What's that, love?" I slip my hands down, gripping her waist. A whimper is her response. "What do you want, sweetheart?"

Pressing her palms on my chest, she pulls on my shirt. I pull my lips away and look at her because I need to know her answer. "You and me," she whispers. "I want us back, Marcel."

My chest feels like it's about to explode. I'd been dreaming about hearing those words again. But now I have and it doesn't feel the same.

Maybe I'm being paranoid but I don't think she knows what she wants right now. She might've not known it yet but she obviously has feelings for that Nick guy. And until she figures it out, I don't think we'll be the Marcel and Evelyn we were before.

But hell if I I'm not happy to have her back.

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