Stay

Chapter 31

"Nothing hurts more than being disappointed by the single person you thought would never hurt you."
~Unknown

Everly

I rolled over to drape my arm across Mark only to discover his side of the bed empty. Frowning, I opened my eyes to see my boyfriend was nowhere to be seen. I called out his name, to which he replied he was in the kitchen. I threw on a robe before making my way to him.

"What's on your mind?" I asked, resting my head on his shoulder. He'd been intently staring at the computer screen when I'd approached, his face scrunched up.

"I've just been thinking about some things," he answered softly.

"Like?" I prodded.

"Like if I'm the best person you should be with."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded sharply. Mark swiveled around to face me, blue eyes meeting mine.

"I'm talking about how I'm no better than Eric."

"Are you cheating on me too?" My heart dropped into my stomach at the idea.

"No!" Mark exclaimed. "God, no."

"Then I don't see-"

"I cheated on my best friend with his fiancée. I broke up your engagement. I never should have taken advantage of you that night. I should've told you what was going on and left; not do everything else that I did."

"What brought all this on? Have you been reading the tabloids or something?"

"It's not just the tabloids, Ev. It's the comments too. I don't want to tarnish your reputation by being with you. You deserve a guy who doesn't cause a commotion or doesn't start off the relationship with you by taking advantage of kissing you while you're drunk or by starting off your relationship where you're both basically cheating. You deserve better than that."

"Yes, I was drunk, but I knew damn well what I was doing, and you know I have no problem telling a guy where to shove it if his advances are unwanted," I declared, taking his hands in mine. "And screw what the tabloids and the people think because I'm not. I don't have to give a damn what people think about my significant other because I'm not going to be ruling this country. Mark, if it weren't for you, I'd be marrying a guy who screws any girl looks at him. You saw how many girls he's cheated on me with. I would've found out sooner or later, and the breakup or the divorce would've been nasty regardless of your role in it. Yeah, it sucked having to dump my fiancé, but in the process, I gained a guy who is honest and trustworthy and is more worried about making sure he doesn't make me look bad rather than what piece of ass he's going to try and get with. You are nothing like Eric. Maybe we both made a bad judgement call that night, but that doesn't mean I regret it. I wouldn't be with you if I didn't want to be, and you've treated me better in the past few weeks than he ever did. So stop reading the tabloids, stop reading the comments, and get it through that thick, handsome head of yours that I love you, and I want to be with you, all else be damned."

"How do your parents feel about this?" he asked softly, giving me a small smile.

"They certainly like you better than Eric."

"And about how we met?"

"They're a little more uptight about that, but they know I love you and that I won't be changing my mind anytime soon, so they'll have to deal." I wrapped my arms around his neck and added, "Everyone will have to deal. Who I date is no one else's business but my own."

His arms snaked around my waist, pulling me close. "You're a royal. It's everyone's business, regardless."

"They all want to know who I'm dating, sure, but who I decide to be with in the end is completely up to me."