Brothers at War [#Wattys2017]

five

"I know you want me, Soph. Why keep denying yourself the ultimate pleasure?" Markus chuckled. My arms were still around his waist, even though I knew I was perfectly safe without him, but there was a part of me which, much to my chagrin, enjoyed being wrapped in Markus.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I know women. I know you, Sophie. You don't really hate me, much like I don't really hate you." Markus pulled at the reigns and the horse came to a slow stop. Everyone else had already ridden off back towards the house, meaning that it was just the two of us out here now.

"Pride thing?" I was slightly confused as to why it was a pride thing, just as I was confused as to how he knew that I didn't really hate him. I had always done my utmost to prove that I hated him, and here he was, calling me out on my own feelings because he knew that they weren't real.

"I'm too proud to ask someone like you out on a date, and you're too proud to ever want something from a person like me." Markus grinned and, while I had wanted to accept what he was telling me was true, and I had wanted to tell him that pride was always going to be an obstacle, instead I said the first thing which came to mind.

"What sort of person are you, Markus? Because, when I look at you, all I see is a social screw-up who loves to mess with women's feelings for his own amusement." I knew that I had been too harsh and that I had definitely stepped over a line, but there could never be anything between Markus and I. I simply wouldn't allow it to happen.

"And, when I look at you Soph, all I see is a broken and frightened little girl-"

"I'm not a little girl. I'm a mother," I muttered just loud enough that I knew Markus had to have heard me.

"-who is never going to be able to settle down because she's too hooked on a man she'll never have to actually move on with her life."

Markus' words continued to drift around my mind for the duration of the evening, making it exceptionally difficult for me to want to concentrate on anything—or anyone—else around me. I ended up walking into people more than once and I spent most of the evening apologising to people rather than socialising with them.