Whatever It Takes

Chapter 24

Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me
--Rascal Flatts



"So what.. you only go after brain surgeons?" Mark smirked as he tried to hit on the cute asian girl in the loud bar, only to be ignored "You know plastic surgeons, our job is a more difficult task.. must be why we're paid more."

"Oh wow getting paid to grope insecure women's boobs all day, yeah that's difficult!" she shot back.. he grinned, the more she denied him the more he seemed to be turned on...

"You know." He whispered as he leaned into her "Just for that, I'll grope yours for free."

"Mark." He heard in a harsh tone as the stool on the other side of him became occupied "Stop threatening to sexually harass the fellows just because we'll be here for a short time."

He looked over to see a grumpy Derek reaching over and taking his scotch downing it in a matter of seconds.. he looked over to see Christina but she was already gone to a safer end of the bar... he frowned and looked back at Derek...

"Your bad mood is ruining my love life."

"We both know that, that's impossible."

"Ok, maybe not ruin but its putting a damper."

"Boo hoo." He groaned narrowing his eyes as he gestured to the bartender for another scotch..

Mark sighed and noticed that Derek's focus turned to something on the other side of the room... he looked over in that direction to see a familiar figure sitting across the table from a good looking man who was holding her hands while he talked to her... he felt a sting inside of him knowing his friend was feeling that only ten times worse and he looked away...

"So who do you think the guy is?" he asked...

"Her date." He muttered out...

"Maybe its just a friend."

"Its not." He growled..

"How do you know?"

"I just know." He said gulping down another scotch "But at least he knows who I am."

Mark looked over at him with bright eyes and his lips fell apart..

"You didn't." he mumbled.. Derek just looked over at him with a challenging yet innocent look that he knew better of "Derek I told you."

"I know what you told me." He muttered "But she was there, and alone, and I just... I couldn't stop myself.. I tried... and then HE walked up."

Derek hissed out the last of the sentence like it was a nasty vermin taste in his mouth and shot his gaze across the room in a cold glare.. Mark even felt a chill run up his spine knowing that he would be sure to never cross Derek.

"It's been five years Derek... what did you expect?" Mark said trying to reason with him... Derek nodded as he let out a sigh and turned to his friend with a somewhat desperate and saddened expression...

"I don't know, I guess.. I just hoped that someday she would find it in herself to forgive me..."

He looked across the room again this time focusing on the beautiful creature he was still very much in love with...

"I don't know what bothers me more." He mumbled "Seeing her sitting across the room with another man or.. knowing that she's hurting just as much as I am and she wont let me help her."

wait for the twist guys......................