Life Changes » Marcus Armstrong

Fourtyone.

It was somewhere near the afternoon. The Armstrong family and Jane had breakfast at the hotel and moved to the beach. Thanks to Jane's Italian skills - which were still not that great, they managed to get some beach beds.

The sun was shining, it was a hot day, yet the beach was not that busy. It was probably because it was a 'secret' beach only the locals knew of - or if you had some good skills to find places like this. The sea was calm, perfect for floating around on an inflatable bed on the sea. That was something Marcus and his sister Paris did, just some sibling time. Their legs were in the water, they were leaning on the bed with their shoulders and arms, sharing one bed

"I like Jane," Paris suddenly mentioned. "You two are cute together."

"Hmm," Marcus hummed and looked at her while a smile was resting on his face.

"I mean, she was a little shy at first... But perhaps she did that to give us time, she was more on the background." She scanned his face. "When mum reached out to her, she replied right away and sounded so enthusiastic. And then we met her, she's the same in real life. It's cute."

"Yeah, she's amazing."

Paris smiled. "I approve it, she passed the test. Oh, and just the way how she communicates with Moses. He's timid and doesn't like to meet new people, but he just talks to her like he has known her for a very long time."

"I'm glad she did, and otherwise, I would not care about your opinion." Marcus gave her a wide smile, but it was a sarcastic smile. "No, your opinion matters to me, just like the rest of the fam."

"Oh, they all like her. It started when mum set up this plan. We know her because you talk about her, and she sometimes shows up on FaceTime, so no worries."

He smirked and looked in front of him, at the horizon. "Jane is a tutor of two five-year-olds and she's just amazing with children."

"Adorable. But you two met..."

"In a restaurant," Marcus answered, he wasn't really sure if he told Paris about it. "She arrived a little bit later than I did, but her ex never showed up that evening, and I just couldn't leave her behind. Everyone was looking at her, they all had compassion, they were perhaps worried. So I acted like I was her late ex so she wouldn't look miserable."

It was silence from Paris' side. She laid her head on the bed and smirked. "The start of a Netflix romance."

"Oh, fuck off."

"But you obviously did that because you found her attractive, no?"

Heat rose to Marcus' cheeks, and he looked away. "That was just a coincidence."

"That's what they all say."

"Yes, what else do you want me to say?" He blurted and looked back at his sister, who couldn't stop grinning. "However, who doesn't show up at a date when you're in a relationship?" His eyes were scanning Paris' face. "I...I mean, Jane looked gorgeous that evening and I just shoot my shot, I couldn't let her...just go."

A laugh rolled over her lips. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but this is just too adorable. I would never think you would be smitten by a girl you never have met before. And then? What happened next? Did she break up with him? Well, obviously, she did."

"Nothing, at first. I absolutely didn't want to be the person to stir in their relationship." Well, that still failed...kinda. "Jane and her ex didn't have a smooth breakup, he couldn't accept she left him and that I came into her life, so that was a whole happening. I know Jane didn't have feelings for him at all, but he was obsessed with her. Anyway, we had an investors dinner two months later, she works for the investor - the tutor of his children. And there she was again... Single, this time. And then it all started. It's just insane how someone can mean so much to me within four months."