Third Shred of Love

Chapter 10.4

As Marc's eyes finally opened, realization struck. How long was he asleep?

He was just about to get up when he felt something behind him.

Slowly, he turned his head back seeing you. Asleep. With your hand around him.

He guessed that you must've thought he was Steven, or it was just a reflex since you'd always fall asleep in either Jakes or Stevens embrace.

He sighed not knowing what to do. He desperately needed to see the time, but he didn't want to wake you up.

In the end he decided try his best to get up slowly.

Holding his breathe, he carefully lifted your hand off of his waist and placed it on the bed, he then sat up and slid off.

Tiptoeing out of the bedroom, he softly closed the door and began looking for a clock or Stevens phone.

He didn't find either of those, but he did find yours. He picked it up and double tapped the screen.

9:34pm.

"Steven?"

"Marc." He turned around, accepting his defeat and the fact that he couldn't do anything.

Your eyes widened and you pulled down your shirt.
"Uh, what are you doing with my phone?"you cleared your throat.

"I was just checking the time." He put it down and lifted his hands up in defense.

Internally you were mad, externally you were red because you were standing in your underwear in front of Marc, which felt weirdly uncomfortable for no reason.

Not saying anything, you backed away into the bedroom and got out your pajama pants.

While you were gone, Marc was trying his best to summon Steven.
"Steven, Steven." He whispered impatiently.
"Steven!"

"So, uh, what time is it?" You walked back out and towards him to get your phone.
It's not that you didn't trust Marc, but...it's that you didn't trust him.

"Uh, It's," Marc's train of thought was totally off the rails.

You took your phone off the table.

"Oh wow." Looks like the date Steven planned wasn't going to happen today, or time square.

"So," you put your phone in your pocket.
"What you doing?"
He furrowed his eyebrows.
"I asked really nicely for this to be a me and Steven trip only." You helped him out.

Marc wanted to explain what had happened earlier on with Jake, but instead decided not to.
"Still my body, technically I can show up whenever I want."

"Alright." You nodded "Since you showed up maybe you want to tell me about the murder."
"What?"
"You know what." You didn't mean for everything that you said to come out so harsh, but it was like you just had that type of reaction to Marc.

"How about we do this another time, I'm really not in the mood."
"Oh so sorry, didn't know you had to be in the mood to talk to me."
"Yeah I do, because you drive me nuts."

Ouch.

That's not what he thought when you were crying. But obviously you couldn't bring yourself up to say that, so instead you just said the first thing that came to mind.

"You are the most bipolar, annoying, crazy person I have ever met."
"And you are hysterical." He was quick to rejoinder.

"Why are you even still here then? It's your body right? Why deal with me?"
He didn't have a witty response to that.
The atmosphere grew more intense every second. The two of you held each others gaze.

"Because Steven loves you." He finally came up with something. "I want at least one of my personalities to be happy."
You furrowed your eyebrows.

What about Jake? Before you could say something about that, Marc beat you to it.

"Jake doesn't really care who to be with. He's just really good with women."
You opened your mouth to protest but Marc continued, cutting you off.

"He just respects women in general. You aren't special. And while I'm at it, Steven gets emotionally attached to everyone, same thing happened with Layla. Identical."

You felt your throat tighten.

"Obviously you're going to cry now. You always start the fight and then end up crying."

Yes you were about to cry, but he's the one who started it.

"I know that we're mid fight and everything," you swallowed "But, Marc," you paused again so your voice wouldn't shake too much "You didn't have to call worthless and insignificant in all sorts of ways."

You watched his eyes as he realized that he did, in fact, over do it, maybe just a tad.

You knew he wasn't going to say anything, let alone apologize, so you just left to the bathroom.

The Royal bathroom was probably the best place to cry in.

Marc watched you walk away in a stupor.

And after the bathroom door shut he fell on the couch.

"What the fuck," he whispered covering his face and trailing his palms down to cover his mouth.

What did he say? The thing about Steven, the thing about Jake.
Why couldn't he just keep his stupid mouth shut?

Surprisingly Jake and Marc didn't flood his brain. He was just alone. In complete silence, which was probably the worst part of all this.

Meanwhile you turned on the bathtub and sat against the big window.

You kept replaying what Marc said.

Jake doesn't really care who to be with.

You aren't special.

Steven gets emotionally attached to everyone, same thing happened with Layla.

The worst thing about all of this for you was probably that what he said was entirely believable, to you at least.

Steven really was like that, it was just the way he was, it wasn't bad, it's just that it proved what Marc had said.

And Jake, well he knew Spanish and he always flirts, so it wasn't hard to believe that he did it not only with you.

You chewed your lip staring at the lights that were flickering below you.

New York, what a view to cry to.

You wiped the freshly fallen tears and finally got up tying your hair into a bun.

As much as you didn't want to think about it, you wondered what would happen if you left them.

But honestly speaking, wouldn't it be better for everyone?

Marc would finally be able to lead a peaceful life.
No arguing, or fighting, or having to hide behind Jake and Steven just because he didn't want to talk to you.

And you'd find someone normal.

You yourself were a complicated character, maybe having the boring life you had before Steven was actually good for you.

You sat on the edge of the bath tub and looked at the different soap bottles.

After all, Marc was the main personality, Jake and Steven were just alters.

Which meant they were...

Made up.