How Not to Fall in Love with Your Worst Enemy

Chapter 34

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Gawin's POV

"And who is that someone?" Tul asked.

I stiffened up and held my breath as I waited for Mark to answer Tul's question.

For a few excruciating moments, I waited some more as Mark, instead of answering Tul's question already, lowered his head and stared down at his plate.

Then suddenly, my hand that was resting on my lap under the table felt it being held tightly by Mark.

"Answer the question already," Max demanded from his brother.

Mark turned his face to me while continuing to hold my hand tightly under the table.

"I like you, Gawin, I really like you," he declared loudly for everyone at the table to hear.

"Ehrmm... and just when did this start?" Max's voice sounded like someone at an inquisition.

"When you were not looking, nosy brother," Mark released my hand to stand up and reach across the table for another bottle of beer.

"Okay, you're old enough to know what you're doing and to handle the consequences of your actions," Max said, taking one last swig at his own bottle of beer and standing up from the table,

Tul followed him as he walked towards the living room.

I stood up to follow but Mark held me back by grabbing my wrist.

"Is your business meeting not finished yet?"  he asked. "Do you have to join them in the living room?"

I sat back and replied, "Our business meeting ended just before dinner."

"Then you're free to be with me for the rest of the night?" Mark asked.

My heart started pounding furiously at his loaded question.

"Y...yes, yes of... of c... course," I hated myself for stammering and sounding unsure.

But who could blame me for sounding unsure. On several occasions Mark had raised my hopes high only to dash them to the ground.

"My room or yours?" Mark's voice sounded strangely determined.

My instincts were telling me that there was something out of place in the whole situation. My instincts were telling me to back away otherwise I would get scarred for life.

The reckless side of me urged me to go with the flow.

"Mine," I replied.

"Let's go then," Mark said, still in that determined voice, as he stood from the table.

"Yes, what are we waiting for," I said and followed him as he walked towards the living room.

We tiptoed quietly past Max and Tul who were kissing each other on the couch like there was no tomorrow.

Mark quietly closed the door and followed me to my car.

I waited as he settled himself into the front passenger seat of my car and buckled himself up.

I reached out and lightly placed my hand on his.

"Are you sure about this, Mark?" I asked, studying his face very closely. "Is it true what you declared earlier at dinner? Do you really like me, Mark?"

He turned his face to me and said, "Yes, I like you but I cannot say that I love you."

"I know it's too soon to ask for that," I said, because I was a practical, down to earth kind of person. "I feel the same. I like you very much but I can't say that I love you... at least not yet, you know, but who knows, that time might come sooner than later."

Suddenly, Mark let out a loud sigh and rested his head on the dashboard.

And then suddenly he started to cry, not just a soft gentle kind of weeping kind of cry but he was sobbing loudly, his shoulders shaking violently.

"What is going on with you, Mark?" I asked, not bothering to hide the alarm I felt at his pitiful image.