Take Me Back

Chapter 18

Mark

Present Day

He discovered new trails on his run and enjoyed the new scenery and the fresh air, hopeful it would clear his mind and help him process the decisions he needed to make. When Gemma returned to the house with the rest of the girls she was obviously tipsy and threw herself at Mark, whispering naughty things in his ear. Ashley had helped her in the door, but ducked away to greet Ewan without giving him a second glance. Up in their room, Mark and Gemma didn't make it farther than sloppy kisses and a little foreplay before Gemma fell sound asleep on the bed. He woke as the sun's rays first started to bleed through their bedroom window and put on his running gear.

The first couple of miles were becoming routine, mindless. Towards the end of the main trail there is a fork heavily covered by trees and the rough path looked unkempt and secluded but he never took it. Deciding to take an adventure for a change, he veered toward the covered path and maneuvered through the uneven dips and rise of craggy rocks at a slower pace. Mark almost gave up and turned around but saw another cut off path grassed over but marked with a small tower of smooth stones signifying the entrance. This new path consisted of abrupt turns so at his next opportunity he took yet another path that seemed to head in the direction of the beach. He liked this path because it was the most even of them all and seemed to be descending a slight grade, which worked new muscles in his legs.

Mark took a break to catch his breath at an overlook where you could just see the tips of the waves through the sparse branches of the trees. The low thump-thump and brush of sneakers against the dirt and puffs of labored air someone was breathing drew close. Stretching his back, he leaned backwards and twisted in the direction of the incoming guest and straightened immediately when Ashley appeared.

She didn't notice him at first. She seemed to be zoned out, focusing on her feet rather than any other natural surroundings. When she did notice him she jerked clumsily and skidded to a halt.

"Mark!" She took out her ear buds and wiped the sweat from her forehead, her chest heaving from exertion. She folded at the waist and placed her hands on her knees, exhaling and inhaling, standing when she seemed to regulate her breathing.

"So you found this path too," he stretched his arms, right and then left, over his head and across his chest. "How long have you been running?"

She did some calf stretches and shrugged her shoulders. "I started in college and realized I really loved it. It helps me think and decompress," she confessed.

"Same here," Mark took in her lithe build, toned legs and firm muscles of her arms. She was petite and tan, probably from her extensive time sunning during this trip. Mark had to force himself to turn away so she wouldn't catch him staring.

"The view is beautiful right here, I had to stop and take it in."

She walked towards the edge of the overlook and agreed, sighing at the beauty of the waves and the smell in the air. He stood next to her and sneaked another peek at her, his heart stuttering in his chest at how beautiful she looked.

"Ash, I've been thinking..."

"Do you realize Gemma thinks you're pulling away?" Ashley cut him off but wouldn't look at him. She kept her focus on the waves and it annoyed the hell out of him.

"Say that again." Mark kept his tone even but didn't want to talk about Gemma. He wanted to talk to Ashley and understand what was going on inside her head.

"Gemma confided in me last night at the club. She was asking me questions about your dating habits and if I thought you were getting bored with her."

Mark closed his eyes and cursed. He crossed his arms over his chest and listened as Maggie explained her conversation with Gemma that took place the night before.

"I just felt like such a bitch," she finally looked at him, her eyes pleading. "I just sat there while she poured her heart out about you. She's this tough bartender chick and last night when she spoke of your relationship she just seemed so small and fragile."

Mark turned his body towards Ashley and gripped her upper arms, rubbing circles with his thumbs over her small muscles. "I am pulling away from Gemma and I can't help it. Seeing you again has been a revelation. I thought I could survive without you and, God, I have for ten years," he leaned down and made intense eye contact with her hoping she would get his point. "Seeing you brought all of these old feelings back that I suppressed. You are all I've thought about for years. I've wondered what you were up to. Whenever something big happened you were the first person I wanted to tell. My sister Kate keeps popping out babies," Ashley laughed at that, his smile reflecting off his face. "I have been developing these urban condos and townhouses in Seattle that don't take away from the vibe of the city but add green space and modern charm to some of the older neighborhoods."

His words kept bubbling out of him, he felt frantic to give him the complete summary of the past ten years. "Oh! My brother Brandon is marrying this widow. Melissa turned out to be a total bitch and broke his heart. He fell in love with this woman named Maggie who has a son named Aaron and they're just so perfect together. Damn, there's just so much I want to tell you."

Ashley placed her hands on his chest, laughing at his excitement. "Hang on, I can't believe you're an uncle and the housing you're working on sounds awesome!" She held up a finger suddenly realizing another bomb he dropped, "Melissa? What the fuck? I always knew there was something crazy about her! You'll have to fill me in-"

Mark didn't think or hesitate, he just grabbed Ashley's neck and pulled her in for a hard kiss. She sucked in a startled breath but relaxed into his touch as he held her close and kissed her tenderly. She reached up her fingers and etched the features of his face along his jaw and pushed two against his lips and leaned back from his reach.

Mark attempted to follow her motion but stopped short when she placed a hand flat on his chest. "Ash, I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to feel you again."

"Stop! You can't just do that!" She placed three fingers over her swollen lips, her face flushed and it wasn't because of her run.

"I know, I shouldn't have done that. I am so fucked up right now." He paced around, struggling to organize his thoughts. "I care about Gemma but seeing you again has me reliving our relationship and all I can think about is that summer with you. What we had. What I've always wanted."

Ashley started crying, she started to reach for him but came up short. He could see in her eyes how she warred with her emotions.

"Mark, I can't do this. You're with Gemma, I'm with Ewan. This can't happen right now." She started to leave but he caught her hand and squeezed.

"Please don't leave like this, stay with me and let's talk it out."

She pulled her hand away and put her ear buds back in. "I'm going to go back the way I came. You can go that way," she pointed down the past towards the beach. "I think we just need to not be alone while we're on this trip. I'm going to head back to the house."

He let her go and watched her run away, cursing himself for crossing the line and even more stressed about what he had to do about his relationship with Gemma.