Troubled Sincerity | ✓

Ch.18 | Here Comes the Bride

T R O U B L E D

S I N C E R I T Y

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"How's your leg?"

I look up from my textbook and smile at Mark. "It's fine, barely feel anything. The marks from the sting look killer though."

Mark laughs as he moves from my desk chair to my bed. He closes my textbook and moves it onto the bedside table.

"I wasn't finished."

"Yes you were." Mark says simply, leaning over to begin kissing against the skin on my neck.

I grin as my hand goes directly to Mark's hair, running my fingers through it.

"You could've just said you wanted to shag."

"Shag? What are we in, the eighties?" Mark says while continuing to leave small kisses along my neck and jawline. "Besides, that's not exactly romantic Nave."

"Since when are you romantic?" I tease. Mark lifts his head from my neck to glare at me.

"I'm very romantic. Remember that nice picnic I made for us on Valentine's Day? You're the one that didn't appreciate the gesture." He says, jokingly.

Mention of that day only makes me frown.

"And I'll never forgive myself for letting you walk away."

Mark glances at me, and as soon as he sees my face, he frowns.

"Shit, baby, I'm sorry. I didn't even realize. I shouldn't joke around about that day. I don't blame you. I blame the earth, the rain, and the fact that I was carelessly speeding."

"Yes, but you were speeding because you were mad, and if I hadn't of let you walk away the accident would never of happened."

"You don't know that. I could've spent the entire day with you, and then gotten in the accident on my way home regardless. Or hell, I could've offered to drive you home and we both could've gotten in an accident. Trust me, I used to think about the endless possibilities often. But doing that isn't going to change anything, what happened has already happened. It's in the past. I'm over it." Mark explains as he gently strokes my cheek with his thumb. "It's nobody's fault."

"Okay." I nod.

"Well, way to kill the mood, Mark. Good job." Mark sighs to himself.

"Yeah, that was a real boner killer." I suddenly smirk, glancing up at him.

His stoic expression turns into a smile, and then he's right back to kissing my neck while running his hands down the sides of my body.

Having him here, around me, near me, it brings me comfort. I love waking up to him every single day, and falling asleep lying on his chest. Of course, during the middle of the night we always end up separated while facing the opposite direction. What you see in movies, never happens. It's too damn hot to be cuddled up for the entire night.

Suddenly, Mark and I are cut short when there's an aggressive knock to my bedroom door.

"What is it?" I shout.

"Naveah, its Lucy, get out here!" Riley shouts from behind the door. I hurriedly push Mark off me, who glares at me, and then rush out of my room and into the living room.