Obsessed • a/p

Chapter 9

"Thanks for the invite" - Perrie smiles as she walks inside. 

"No problem at all, I figured out you could use some company" - Mark kisses her cheek after closing the door. "How have you been?" 

"Not great.. miserable is the word" - she says as she lets Mark take off her coat. 

She's wearing tight, black trousers and a white turtle neck top. Her hair is let down and she's not wearing any makeup, other than a little foundation, mascara and a nude lipstick. Mark takes a second to look at her up and down and take in her beautiful appearance. 

"No progress, huh?" - he asks. "You look great though" 

"Not really.. We talked a couple of days ago.. I don't think I'll be able to fix it as long as he's living with Wendy.. She keeps talking shit about me.." - she sighs. 

"You will fix it, don't worry" - Mark says as he leads her in the dining room. "I know my son, he's not easy to manipulate. Give him some time" 

He rolls his eyes as he helps Perrie sit down, but then quickly puts a smile on his face as he sits down. He's sick of repeating the same words over and over again, but he'll have to do it for a while in order to earn Perrie's trust, in order to make her believe he'd never do anything bad to either her or Alex. 

He proved himself to be innocent the previous time, he'll do it again. He just has to keep saying sweet and meaningful things to Perrie like at the beginning of their marriage. He's the one who knows the easiest way to get on Perrie's good side is when she's vulnerable. He'll act like he cares for her well-being and he'll make her start sharing her secrets and her feelings with him. Then he'll use them to stop and prevent whatever she's planning, and benefit from it, of course. 

"I remember when you invited Alex and Christian for the first time after we got married" - Perrie says with a slight smile. "The only difference now is that we're not married, everything else is the same" 

"Yeah, it was funny back then, I was trying to make everything less tense between you and Alex, and somehow I really did, drastically" - he forces a chuckle. "But I'm glad I made you both happy by giving up on you"

He didn't give up on her. He never did and he never will. She belongs to him and nobody else, he's ready to take down whoever is trying to take her away from him. He's never going to let her be with anyone else. He hurt himself by letting Alex be able to hold her and kiss her, even if it was for a short period of time. He had to control himself so hard when he had just divorced Perrie and then let her get picked up by Alex. He was so furious, he was scared that Perrie might notice, but luckily she didn't. 

"Me too.. After everything.. It just didn't make sense for us.. Thank you for that.." 

"I want you to be happy.. I'd do anything to see you smile, even if it kills me" - Mark says, making Perrie give him first a confused, but then an appreciative look. 

Wrong. He would never kill himself to make her happy. He'd kill whoever is standing in his way to be able to make Perrie happy himself. He wants her to be happy, he wants her to smile and to laugh, but only with him. Nobody else. 

"You're really great.. I wish you acted like this at the beginning.. without me and Alex having to suffer.." 

Mark clears his throat and takes a few seconds to come up with an answer. She really had to say that, didn't she? She really had to go there.. 

"I'm sorry for that Perrie.." - he says as he takes her hand. "You have no idea how much I wish I never did that.. But I loved you too much to let you go.. and I still do.. I just want the best for you now.."