Stranger Things Have Happened | Marcus Bontempelli

eighty-nine.

The days following the Noosa trip were some of the most uncomfortable days of my 27 years on this earth. According to my insider source, most people had realised that Marcus and I weren't sleeping in the same hotel room and it had sparked a lot of debate. Obviously all of these conversations were happening behind our back and it had gotten to the point where I had become a recluse from hub life, completely disengaging with everyone besides a select few.

The gossiping was expected and the whispering as I entered the breakfast hall was brutal but worst of all was the information Liv had been feeding back to me. When we first got back and Marcus and I decided to put some space between us, the speculations began and I insisted on not wanting to know anything that was being said about us for the first couple of days. It seemed like it would be even more detrimental to my mental well being yet here I was, 3 days later, being drip-fed intel from my very nosy and extremely informative best friend.

"Nobody knows why you've separated but they're assuming you were the one that did something wrong," Liv advised reluctantly, knowing I was definitely not going to like that and she was correct.

"Of course they fucking do. All of these people are just whiny little brats who are so far up each others arses to see the reality of a situation," I said, pacing back and forth as Liv watched on from her spot on my bed.

She sighed, "It's easier to make you out to be the villain, babe and you predicted it from day one"

I turned to her with a frown, "I predicted it because it's what they did to Jose who is going through hell right now with her postpartum depression. They're pack of cunts and I hate every single one of them," I spat with my hands on my hips as Liv exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"I agree but surely you don't want them thinking that you cheated or hurt him when it was his fault so maybe you should-" She questioned cautiously before I interrupted her suggestion.

"Absolutely not. They don't deserve any kind of explanation. The only people who know are Tom, Jose, Mitch and Em, Tiff and probably Easton by proxy and you... That's it and I will rip you a new hole if you even so much as breathe a word of it to anyone," I warned as Liv zipped her lips and motioned throwing away an invisible key.

"Thank you," I huffed as I sat down and tried to regulate my breathing.

"I just don't like that people are talking about you like that so it's hard for me because I love you so much," Liv said as she scooted down the bed and sat next to me on the end, wrapping her arm around my slumped shoulders.

"I know but it's so humiliating and I'd just rather not go over it all again, you know?" I confessed as Liv nodded in agreement.

"I don't understand why he didn't just tell you about Paige because I was thinking back to the gig in Northcote, before Connor's attack... Didn't you warn him about Ahren?" Liv asked and I bobbed my head, casting my mind back to when I told Marcus about one of my exes before he met him so he wasn't blindsided.

I hummed, "Yeah, I actually thought about bringing that up when I was screaming at him but I was so enraged that all logic flew out the window. The similarities in those two situations are unbelievable so for him to not think back to that and come clean about Paige makes no sense," I replied, looking over at Liv who had a pensive expression on her face.

"It's almost like he went to someone and asked for advice and they came back with 'don't tell her' because it seems out of character for him to not be honest with you," Liv pondered out loud as I shrugged.

"It's possible. There have been a couple of times where I've nearly messaged him to come and talk but every time I chicken out... I just don't know if I'd be able to stay calm and not fly off the handle," I admitted shamefully, glancing down at my feet dangling off the side of the bed.