Count on Me

Chapter Eight: The Ex-Girlfriend

"Baby your home," Mandy Capristo gushed with a smile, she had been waiting ages for him to get back from training and she was pleased that she had been here to greet him when he came home. 

Mesut stared at her, he couldn't believe that Mandy thought that she could come back now that he had found Katrina; he hadn't seen her in months and they had never been serious.

"What are you doing here?" Mesut asked peeking at Katrina, they hadn't really discussed this but he knew that things weren't going to end well if he didn't keep Mandy at arm's length. 

It was the last thing that Mesut wanted when things were going well for them, he liked Katrina and he could see himself falling for her sooner rather than later; he didn't want anyone else messing this up for them in anyway. 

The three moved into the house and Katrina couldn't help but feel plain compared to the woman before her; she could see what Mesut might have been thinking when he had dated her. 

"I'm going to my room," Katrina whispered quickly excusing herself, it wasn't unheard of for people to date before they found their soul-mates; she just hadn't expected to meet anyone from his past like this. 

Mesut groaned watching her leave, he didn't want to be left alone with Mandy but he didn't blame Katrina for wanting to get out of the way. 

"I wanted to come and see you," Mandy mused softly, she had been wanting to come and see him for a while and after hearing that Mesut had found his soul-mate then she didn't see any point in waiting. 

It felt strange and Mandy was a little disappointed about the mouse that Mesut had ended up with; he deserved something better and she was going to make him see that. 

Mesut stepped back away from Mandy before she could touch him, he eyed the inside of her left wrist seeing that not only was her counter now gone but so was her soul-mate mark.

"I had it removed," Mandy replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world, she eyed her wrist for a moment with a sad smile before looking to Mesut; she wanted him back and she was sure he wanted the same thing. 

They were silent staring at one another, it wasn't going to be easy and Mandy wanted nothing more than to put the past behind them and move forward; she wanted things to go back to normal and it was going to start now. 

"What is it you want Mandy?" Mesut asked crossing his arms, they had ended things when her counter had signalled that she was close to meeting her soul-mate; she had gone back to Germany and then there had been no word of her. 

There hadn't even been an announcement that she had found her soul-mate, there had been nothing and Mesut wasn't sure why she had come to him now that he had Katrina. 

"I want you back," Mandy whispered softly, she walked towards him wishing that she had come sooner; they could have built a life together by now and could have been so happy after everything that had happened. 

It had shaken Mandy how fast Mesut's counter had counted down and she knew that he would still be enjoying the newest of the bond; however, she doubted that it could work out. 

There was nothing that Mandy could see that made Katrina special, she had read a lot about the brunette from the papers and she knew that Mesut deserved someone in his own league than a mouse. 

"And your soul-mate?" Mesut asked making sure to keep the distance between him and Mandy, he wasn't going to mess things up with Katrina. 

It didn't make sense to him why Mandy would want him back when she had a soul-mate, Mesut's stomach turned knowing that this could end very badly if he wasn't careful about what he was doing and saying when it came to Mandy.

"We were unbonded," Mandy mused simply, she peeked at her wrist knowing that it had been for the best; he hadn't been good enough for her like Mesut had and she wasn't going to let him go again. 

It almost didn't make sense that she had ended up with someone so poor, Mandy had barely spoken two words to the man and she knew that it was going to be okay. 

"He was a garbage man," Mandy spat disgusted she shook her head knowing that things weren't going to be easy, she had to get between him and his soul-mate but it would be okay; she would get what she wanted soon. 

Mesut could only stare at Mandy, she always had an expensive taste and she wasn't going to change; he could see why she had come back to him after all this time. 

The last thing that Mesut wanted was to take steps back in his life, he was happy with Katrina even if their families didn't seem to be okay with what was going on with them. 

"I'm not interested," Mesut murmured shaking his head, he wasn't interested and he knew that it was for the best if Mandy left now. 

Katrina was what he wanted, Mesut had dreamed of the day that he would build a life with his soul-mate and he couldn't help but hope that this would work out; he just wanted things to be simple for them. 

Mandy pursed her lips, she wasn't happy that he was turning her down and she wasn't going to walk away without a fight when they were so good together. 

"You should leave Mandy," Mesut said moving to open the front door and show her out, he wasn't going to fall for her trap and he just hoped that she wouldn't be coming back. 

Things weren't going to be easy, Mesut wasn't just going to risk things with Katrina because Mandy took a fancy to him and wanted him back; he had something better now and he knew that. 

Mandy clicked her tongue and prepared to leave, this wasn't over and she wanted to make it clear that she would be coming back to get what she wanted.

"I'll be back," Mandy insisted shaking her head, she was going to show him how unsuited Katrina was for his life; she doubted his little mouse would be able to cope with the way Mesut's life worked. 

It surprised her how content Mesut seemed with Katrina and it set Mandy on edge since he had never been that way with her; she moved to step out of the door only for Mesut to stop her. 

"And your key," Mesut murmured not wanting her to let herself in again, it wasn't something that he wanted happening when he had Katrina here with him. 

It was worrying that Mandy could let herself in one day when he was at training and get inside Katrina's head; it wouldn't end well if she did and Mesut wasn't going to let that happen. 

Mandy pursed her lips and took the key from her keyring, she pressed it into Mesut's out-stretched hand and stared at it knowing that she wasn't just going to disappear. 

"This isn't over," Mandy purred stepping forward to brush her lips against his ear, she would find a way back into his home; she just needed to get rid of the woman that had taken her place. 

Things weren't going to just go away and Mesut was the key to getting what she wanted in the world; he was the one that Mandy should have ended up with and she cursed the counters for taking that away from them. 

Mesut didn't look at Mandy as she left his home, he closed the door behind her and took a deep breath; he ran his fingers through his hair knowing that this wasn't going to go away. 

Looking upstairs Mesut groaned knowing that this was the least of his problems and it was clearly only going to get worse.