Stripped

Chapter 15

"He what?!" I practically shouted, my voice echoing off the walls of the empty room.

"He broke off the engagement," Mark said miserably. He was anxiously running his hands through his abnormally messy hair. "He said he couldn't be with someone that would do something like that..." T
His voice trailed off and he turned his back to me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, placing my hands on his broad shoulders.

Then he looked at me with those baby blue eyes so full of worry, with a quavering breath he said,"This is it. Isn't it? You're going to be with him now." Mark said, convinced that he had figured me out.

"What are you even saying?" I screeched, "You think I would throw away what we have for Jake? Just because he broke off the engagement?" Even as I said that though, my heart flipped wildly at the thought of Jake being single. After all it was what I wanted before I started dating Mark.

"I don't know what I'm thinking right now Layla. I'm afraid of losing you."

"You're not going to lose me," I said trying to comfort him.

Mark's eyes turned dark,"Okay. Knowing what you know. Knowing that Jake is single and knowing how he clearly feels about you. Can you really tell me that you feel the same for me as you do for him?"

I hesitated, and without saying a word I answered Mark's question. All the fight in me disappeared, he was dead right. I didn't love him like that, at least not yet. "No...I can't."

The look of pain that flashed across his face nearly killed me, "Then I have to let you go. You need to figure out how you feel about Jake before you can ever figure out how you feel about me. But I can tell you one thing. When you do decide, just know that all I want for you is to be happy. You deserve that Love. You deserve it more than anyone on this earth. And...if you do choose me, I will love you more fiercely than a man has ever loved a woman. Because I do Layla, I love you so much."

I opened my mouth but Mark shushed me with a finger, "Don't say it if you don't mean it Layla. If you find you do love me...tell me then. Okay?"

With tears in my eyes I nodded and I threw myself into his arms. Our tears mingled together when he placed a tender, loving kiss upon my lips. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and held him close, allowing myself to relish in his kiss for just a little while longer.

We were silent in the car, Mark looked dead ahead, his eyes never once glancing away from the road. My heart felt heavy as I looked at him, I felt awful for having dragged his heart around like I did. When he pulled the car up to Tom and Ellen's house I sighed. "Can I call you later?"

Mark shook his head, "It's too soon. Just wait Love. I'll be there when you're ready." He took my hand and kissed it, giving me a smile that didn't quite touch his eyes. "I'll miss you Layla."

I smiled at that, "I'll miss you too." I stepped out of the car and adjusted my jeans. Mark said they belonged to his sister when he handed them to me earlier. She was a little bigger than me so they were too long and they occasionally fell down over my hips. I climbed the stairs on weak legs and rapped softly on the door three times.

Ellen's bright smile greeted me and she pulled my into her loving embrace. "Oh sweetheart what a weekend it's been!"

"Hey Ellen, thank you so much for letting me stay here. I really appreciate it."

"Oh please honey, you were going to stay here ten years ago. Whats the difference if it's a little late?"

She had sounded ecstatic when I called her to ask if I could sleep in their guest room. "Where's all your things?"