Cupid's Sabotage (COMPLETED)

Chapter 17

My heart is racing. My mind is spinning. I can't even imagine what is happening back there. Is Marcus and Misha embraced in a hug or has she confronted him about his supposed past? Is there laughs of joy or tears of sorrow? I don't have a clue and it's killing me. All I know is that I crossed the line with this one. I wanted something so badly that I prioritized my own desires over someone else's. I took a knife and stuck it in Marcus' back. He will never forgive me when he finds out.

Reggie comes rushing out of the store moments later, panting so heavily you would think he had just run a marathon. "What was that about, huh?" He's bent over with his palms resting on his knees. "You hopped up and ran out without saying a word."

I pace back and forth across the shiny tile floor of the mall. "I can't do this anymore, Regg. I just can't!" I stuff my hands in my jeans pockets, then pull them out, then stuff them back in, struggling to find a comfortable position. I'm too on edge to find one. "Didn't you see what happened back there?" I spin around and point a shaky finger towards Macy's. "After Marcus said all those wonderful things about Misha, she stood there stone cold sober staring back at him, unmoved by his affection."

"What do you want to do about it?"

"I don't know." I continue pacing the floor.

I consider my options, not that I have many. I could confess to Marcus what I've done, explain that it was all just an act of kindness and that I was afraid if he got into a relationship, it would cause him to move on and forget about us. But if I do that, he'll be angry. Rightfully so. Even if it doesn't tear Misha and him apart, it will tear him and me apart. No, the only way to survive this is to convince Marcus that Misha isn't the girl for him.

"Oh, no!" Reggie says, yanking me from my mental deliberation.

"What? What is it?"

"Guke is here!" He points at something behind me.

I turn around. "Guke? What in the world is a Guke?"

"Gwen and Luke. Duh!"

I spot them through the midst of other shoppers. "Cut it out with the celebrity names, will ya? This isn't Hollywood."

"Not gonna happen." He folds his arms over his chest and firmly shakes his head. "That's half the fun for me."

Luke is hunched forward with Gwen riding on his back. He pretends to be an airplane, jerking right, then left, stooping low before rising back up. Gwen screams with glee, nearly falling off him. It's obvious their childish antics are annoying other shoppers, but the two of them don't seem to notice. They're lost in their own little world.

Reggie comes up beside me. "Looks like Luke has gotten farther with her than Zane ever did. I mean, come on—piggyback rides. That's off the chain!"

"Off the chain?" I arch an eyebrow. "Nobody says that anymore. And whose side are you on?"

"Yours. Unless they have corn dogs on their side, then I'm abandoning Team Christian."

"Hmm. Easily persuaded by a hot dog dunked in fried corn batter. I'll remember that the next time I need a favor from you."

Luke zooms through the entrance of Forever 21 and Gwen slides off his back. At least they're acting a little more mature while in the store. Gwen grabs Luke by the hand and drags him to the area full of dresses and other formal attire. She pulls several dresses off racks and holds them up to her neck. Luke waves her towards the dressing room and takes a seat just outside. Gwen pops out of the dressing room moments later wearing a pink dress with white lacing at the waist and sleeves. She struts across the floor like she's a fashion model, then disappears back inside the dressing room only to reappear shortly thereafter wearing a different dress. This proceeds for the next forty-five minutes, but Luke doesn't seem to mind. In fact, the wide grin on his face tells me he's enjoying watching Gwen's runway act.