The Tutor

Chapter 31

"Really Marcus, I mean come on bro, it's not like she's ugly or anything."

"It's not that Sis, I mean she is a nice enough girl I just don't think I can do right by her."

"So your not going to even give her a chance?" Donna asked sipping the long neck in front of her.

"It's not fair, I don't have a chance" Marcus replied.

"You have more of a chance than anyone else Bro, she trusts you, and she cares about you, she is scared shitless that you will reject her"

"What the hell, she is really slumming then"

"Marcus, don't give me that shit, you are not low class, I mean I get it you have nightmares and shit and you are scared"

"Donna..."

"No Marcus I care about you I'm your sister for fuck's sake, Cora really wants to be with you and you are throwing her out before you have even tried to do right by her"

"I can't Sis"

"You can and you have," Donna said slapping the bottle down on the table hard enough to break it."Shit" she said tossing the bottle into the trash and scooping the detritus into a napkin and tossing that in the trash before reaching for another beer.

"You don't understand Donna"

"Don't I? You spend all of your time alone, you don't believe you are worth loving, you are my brother" the tears filled her eyes. "It's not like I'm setting you up on some blind date, you know this girl you have spent time with her and she is madly in love with you" She opened the bottle and threw the cap across the room in frustration. "Why do you have to be so damn pig-headed?"

"Cora is a nice girl, and I'm not that guy"

"Cora has more history than you want to know about and she loves you Marcus"

"I don't deserve that, I just protected her, it's a flash in the pan."

"Really I don't think so, she wants to bring you home to meet her parents"

"So lots..."

"No Marcus stop being so fucking hard on yourself, you're my brother, I love you and I'm telling you that Cora won't care, and doesn't care about your past."

"A high maintenance woman like that I'll never measure up?"

"Be yourself, Marcus, Christ you would think that you had never been with a girl"

"Not a girl like her"

"Well then that's a good thing"

"Why"

"Shut up and drink your beer and at least consider it"

Marcus sucked back the bottle and reached for another. "Okay fine, but If it doesn't work out"

"If it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out, you have to try before you fail."

"Okay so what do I do"

"Dress up, bring flowers, and go and meet her parents."

"I don't know"

"What's the worst that could happen, you offend her parents and her and she never wants to see you again"

"True"

"And if that happens all you are out is one night and you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"Okay fine, I'll do it"

"About time you saw sense"

"I don't think it will work out"

"Does it matter? Really does it matter?"

"Yeah it kind of does matter, I don't want her hurt, and if she finds out who I am then she will get hurt."

"And if she doesn't get to be with you then she will get hurt anyway and not know why, and she will spend months or years pining for you, is that fair?"

"No, I guess it isn't"

"Marcus I know it's not easy, I know you have been avoiding people since you got back, Cora is good people and she cares about you. LET HER!"

"Dammit, Donna you know damn well it isn't that easy. I can't just knock down a wall I spent five years putting up."

"Yes, you can you have to want to Marcus."

"But that's the thing Donna I don't want to I am..."

"Miserable! Don't fucking lie to me and tell me you think everything is hunky-dory, that's bullshit and you know it."

"You are not helping"

"What you wallow in a pool of your own self misery? Is that what you want from your life? That doesn't sound very satisfying"

Marcus drained the beer "I can deal with this"

"Well, I can't!" Donna screamed "I can't deal with my brother, who I looked up to, who was my Hero, I can't watch him destroy himself, I CAN'T DO IT, I have to do something to make you better and if that means pushing you towards a woman who cares about you, then you better fucking stand back because I'm going to do it! I don't care if I have to hold a gun on you to go, You are going to go and you are going to give her a chance and you are going to let her love you or so help me... I'll never say another word to you again." Marcus got up and look at the tears running down his sister's face. He set his beer to the side and held her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Okay Donna, okay" he choked as he held his sister tightly, "I'll do it, I can't lose you"

"Love you, big brother, even if you are a knucklehead"

"I know" he sighed.