ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴍᴇ ɪғ ɪ ғᴀɪʟ [ᴏsᴄᴀʀ ᴘɪᴀsᴛʀɪ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚘

Tara opened the door when the doorbell rang, revealing the one person she least wanted to see today.

"Hey, can we talk?" Marcus Armstrong stood in the doorway. His expression a mix of determination and hesitation.

Tara's breath caught in her throat. Why was he here? She glanced back at the living room, where Oscar and Logan were watching TV, oblivious to the visitor.

"Tara? Who is it?" Logan called out, a hint of concern in his voice.

Tara hesitated. If she said it was Marcus, they would rush over to protect her. But if she lied, she could handle this on her own terms. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"No one, just a delivery," Tara replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She stepped aside, letting Marcus in and quickly shutting the door behind him. "I'm going to my room for a bit, Olivia wants to FaceTime," she called out, hoping they wouldn't question her further.

"Okay, no problem," Oscar replied casually.

She led Marcus to her bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them. The quiet click of the latch felt unnaturally loud in the confined space. Tara turned to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. "What do you want, Marcus?"

Marcus took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "I wanted to apologize, Tara. For everything. The way I ended things... it wasn't right. I was jealous, and I let that cloud my judgment. I miss you."

Tara's heart clenched at his words, and for a moment, she felt a familiar warmth. The safety of their past relationship tugged at her; the comfort of what they once had. "Marcus, we've been over this. You ended things because you didn't trust me. You can't just show up here and expect everything to be fine."

"I know," Marcus said, stepping closer. "But seeing you with Oscar, it drove me crazy. I can't stand the thought of losing you to him. Can we at least talk about it?"

Tara crossed her arms, standing her ground but feeling a wavering resolve. "There's nothing to talk about. Oscar and I are just friends. And even if we weren't, you don't get to decide who I spend my time with."

Marcus's expression softened, his eyes pleading. "Please, Tara. I can't lose you. I know I made mistakes, but we had something special. We can fix this."

Her mind flashed to the good times they shared, the laughter, the moments of closeness. The idea of going back to the familiarity of Marcus was tempting. She hesitated, the words catching in her throat. "Marcus... I don't know. It's not that simple."

"It can be," Marcus insisted, taking her hands in his. "Just give me another chance. We can start over, just like before."

Tara felt the pull of his words, the yearning for the stability and safety of their past. The thought of facing the uncertainties of her future without him felt overwhelming. Tears welled up in her eyes. "You hurt me, Marcus. You didn't trust me," she said, her voice trembling.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Marcus said, his voice breaking. "I was scared. But I promise, things will be different this time. I'll be better. I'll trust you."

Tara looked into his eyes, searching for sincerity. She saw the vulnerability, the regret. She remembered the good times and how safe she felt with him. Slowly, she nodded. "Okay. One more chance."

Marcus's face lit up with relief. "Thank you, Tara. You won't regret this, I promise." He pulled her into a tight embrace, and she let herself be held, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension.

---
When Tara closed her bedroom door, Oscar looks at Logan.
"That's not Olivia is it?" He wishes its anyone but Marcus but he knows the answer.

Logan looks back at Oscar with a saddened face. "I'm sorry Oscar, I think she's back again with Marcus."