Odd One Out

Chapter Forty Two - Her Conviction

"You gonna stare at the ceiling all day?" Amanda called from the corner of my doorway, a stack of papers in hand and a matching wool pajama set on.

I burrowed my body even deeper into the pile of blankets I was under and murmured a quiet "No."

Amanda tapped her free hand on the door. Anyone could tell this wasn't her forte. "Connie's on her way with sushi. She's bringing forks," She added as though that would help me feel better.

But all it did was remind me of Marcus. Everything reminded me of him. You don't realize just how much a part of your life someone has become until they're gone.

-.-.-.-

"Maybie, just use a fork," Marcus laughed as he stared at my struggle with the chopsticks as they once again slowly tore down at my confidence.

I pouted, "We should never get sushi again." I threw the chopsticks down and crossed my arms, leaning back on his sofa in despair.

Marcus put his chopsticks down and sat up, he wrapped his arm around me and dragged me over so I was sitting in between his legs. He wrapped both arms around me and trailed his fingers down my arm, all the way to my hand where he placed the chopsticks between my fingers delicately. He used my fingers to skillfully snatch a salmon roll as he dipped it in soy sauce and brought it to my lips. He placed it in my mouth and I chewed happily.

Suddenly, he turned me around and I swallowed thickly as I noticed his gaze burning into mine. It was times like this that I felt like I was enough for him. Like I could just be me and still feel incredibly appreciated.

He weaved his hands around my waist and held me snugly against his chest. "You know I'll always be here for you, right?"

-.-.-.-

I shook my head to try and get these memories to stop terrorizing me, but I knew that was a wish that wasn't going to be granted anytime soon. I was stuck with these dumb, wonderful memories. "I'm not hungry, thanks," I whispered to Amanda who I realized was still waiting for a response.

A quiet knock on the door sounded and my heart jumped at the possibility of Marcus being back in my life. I just wanted him here. I missed everything about him.

-.-.-.-

Marcus' knock took me by surprise as he was twenty minutes early to pick me up, but I hopped to the door, one shoe on, one still in my hand anyway. My heart leapt at seeing him even though I had just seen him a few hours before. Was it normal to have someone become be so consistent in your life and yet you always wanted them around?

I opened the door with a wide grin before jumping into Marcus's arms. He, as usual, never let me down and wrapped his arms around my body.

I leaned back for a minute only to crash my lips against his. He reciprocated with just as much passion as I was giving him. He walked inside and closed the door with his leg as he turned his body around so my back was against the wall. My legs tightened around his waist as he groaned into my mouth as his arms moved to hold me under my butt.

His lips moved from mine to my earlobe, his tongue invoking a feeling I didn't know was possible from that area of my body as a breathy sound left my lips. They continued down my jaw to my neck as he mumbled into my skin, "Missed you."

-.-.-.-

"Mabel? Amanda?" Connie's quiet voice called and Amanda called out to her as her silky, long black hair appeared at my doorway. The two of them both with concerned expressions on their faces.

I couldn't bear to see anyone when I only wanted to see one person. Words couldn't express how much my heart ached. I didn't understand this feeling or how strongly I was feeling it.

"How's she doing?" Connie whispered to Amanda as though I was incapable of speaking. Or hearing apparently.

Amanda shrugged, gesturing to me as if to say 'she is what you're seeing'.

"I'm fine," I mumbled.

Connie walked in and sat next to me on my bed, her hand rubbing my arm underneath the truckload of blankets, "It's okay to not be okay, Mabel."

I didn't respond because really, what could I say? Instead, my eyes welled up against my will and began to leak. And then, they wouldn't stop. Connie and Amanda took turns hugging me and telling me everything was going to be okay but all I wanted to know was when my heart would feel better. And they couldn't answer that question for me.

Eventually, I fell asleep, only to be woken up by hushed whispers coming from the living room. "She loves too hard, Connie. We're seeing the downside of that."

"That's Mabel. It's amazing. I could just kill him," Connie whispered angrily.

"Get in line," Amanda snorted.

"What do you think happened? He seemed so in love with her," Connie wondered.

"What more do we need to know other than where the hell he's hiding out right now? He's not home, I went by earlier today and yesterday when she got back like this," Amanda whispered.

"Where do you think he is?" Connie asked.

"Hiding from us, obviously."

-.-.-.-

How did we end up in Marcus's bedroom? My shirt somewhere on the floor, his across the room. My hands roamed his broad chest and all the tattoos I had only caught glimpses of before this moment.

"We're going to lose our reservation," Marcus murmured as he kissed my neck, his lips moving even lower.

"You're crazy if you think I'm moving from this position," I responded in a hoarse whisper.

"I want us to go slow, Maybie. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to lose you," Marcus whispered in return as he leaned his chin against my chest and gazed up at me seriously.

I smiled, using my fingers to smooth out the crease in between his eyes that he got whenever he was worried or concerned, "I know."

I placed my hands on either side of his head and pulled his face up to meet mine, placing my lips against his, trying to communicate what I felt. That I wasn't going anywhere. "I'm here, Marcus. But I should warn you that when I fall, I fall."

He laughed, his eyes shimmering in their humour, "That's funny because when I love I jump."

He placed his forehead against mine and intertwined our hands together, "Our hands fit," I hummed looking at our hands and how perfectly they sat together.

"Made for each other," He agreed, his eyes still closed.

-.-.-.-

I felt tears begin to flow as I lay alone in my bed. It occurred to me that this entire time I had been asking myself the wrong questions. The question wasn't how long it would take to heal from this relationship. Because if there was one thing I knew, it was that I didn't love haphazardly. When I loved, I loved with all of me.

I just had to figure out how to get Marcus to understand that. I wasn't going to sit here and cry over a failed relationship. I was going to fight for the one that I knew was worth it for me. The one that was it for me.

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There's probably just a few chapters left!

Also, TWO chapters in the same MONTH?! Who am I.