Fallen

Chapter Twenty Nine

"You don't seem yourself, Anna."

I glanced at Mark leaning towards me across the café table. His expression was full of concern.

"I'm fine."

Mark rolled his eyes. "We both know that's what you say when you're not fine."

He knew me too well.

"You can talk to me," he reassured.

It had always been easy to open up to Mark, but I didn't know what the consequences would be. "I can't."

"What's stopping you?"

I bit the inside of my cheek and crossed my arms. He was staring at me, waiting for me to give in and tell him everything. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone until I told him.

"I want to end it with Jackson." My voice was so quiet Mark had to lean further across the table to hear me.

"Why's that?"

I had to be tactful in my words. "He's...a lot to handle. I don't want a relationship."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"I have."

"And?"

My foot was starting to tap on the floor with anxiety. Mark craned his head to try and catch my gaze, but I was adamant on staring down at the table top.

"Jackson doesn't like the word 'no'."

Mark was taking in what I was trying to say. A thick silence hung in the air around us. Slowly, he sat back in his seat.

"Have you said no to him before?"

I nodded.

"And how did he respond?"

Finally, I looked up. His jaw was tense. I glanced at the back room where Danielle was and hung my head again.

"He...insists."

Mark's fist closed up on the table. "Does he hurt you, Anna?"

I didn't say anything, but it was enough for Mark to understand.

"Does he force himself onto you?"

"Keep your voice down," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't want anyone else knowing."

"He's abusing you, Anna. He's pressuring you into doing things you don't want to do."

I sighed. "He doesn't mean it. He just drinks sometimes..."

"Stop making excuses for him." Mark had never sounded so serious before. He reached out to hold my hand, but I jerked away from him.

"He'll be here soon. I don't want him seeing us too close."

Mark's jaw tensed up. "We've known each other for sixteen years, Anna. We're going to be fucking close and I'm not having anyone try and change that."

I tried to defend Jackson again when the back-room door swung open. Danielle's smile fell. "Is everything okay?"

"We're good," I reassured her.

Mark shook his head and stared out of the café window.

"It clearly isn't." She sat beside Mark and put a hand on his leg. He didn't react. "What have I missed?"

"Nothing, honestly."

Danielle didn't seem like she believed me or my false smile. Mark was tapping his fingers on the table top irritably. Danielle glanced between me and Mark with narrowed eyes when the café door flung open and Jackson strode in.