The confused state had now travelled to Mara. She must have not heard right, and tilted her head slightly blinking twice, "Huh?" Her arms dropped to her sides limply.
Nathan ran his fingers halfway through his hair, lowering his head and sighed as he looked back up at her. "I didn't sleep with Jane. Nor have I planned on it." His left brow rose, giving her that look she'd become so familiar with when he was being serious and honest about what he was saying.
Mara swallowed hard, frowning down at the kitchen floor with her fingers curling a grip on the apron. She was now trying to think back to the times that Jane had gone into explicit detail about what she and Nathan had done in the barn.
Had Jane made it all up? She couldn't have. Why would she do that?
The only reason Jane would do such a thing would be the cause of jealousy, or if Jane found out that Mara had been with Nathan intimately. That would get Mara into much worse trouble, with Jane having knowledge of that scandalous piece of information.
Mara's hands covered her face and groaned, "Oh no!"
She pulled back her hands a bit to peer over her widespread fingers with wide eyes on the frowning man by the counter. "Jane knows! Ugh, why hadn't I seen it before?!" she scolded herself, now pacing back and forth in a small line in front of the fridge.
Nathan glanced to the side and then leaned his head forward with his chin tilting towards his chest, "Jane knows what...? And what hadn't you seen before?"
Mara sighed, dropping her arms to her sides and opened her eyes once she paused from her frantic pacing. She bit her lip, glancing Nathan's way, and the man was pulling every fiber in his being together to concentrate extremely hard to not stare at her mouth. The worrisome brunette shook her head, whispering, "About... what happened... between us."
He lowered a brow, "Huh?"
Mara rolled her eyes, her head tilting to the side. "Oh, for Pete's sake! That I slept with you."
The green eyed agent shook his head after a moment and blinked through his frown, "That doesn't make sense. First off, Ben is the only one who knows about that... and second, what does that have to do with Jane and these fabricated sexcapades?"
Mara's mouth pursed to the side, thinking to herself about Nathan having been with her, meant that Nathan wasn't giving Jane the attention she wanted and was promised at the beginning of this trip. And that would mean her cousin's chances with Nathan were slimming.
Mara sighed, shaking her head with a short shrug, "I dunno."
Nathan crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her, concerned. "This doesn't make sense. What are you leaving out?"
He had a feeling there was a bigger piece missing to this weird argument and by the way Mara's blue eyes looked away too quickly, gave Nathan the confirmation that Mara knew something he didn't... and it was just a hunch, but he didn't think she'd tell him even if he ordered her to.
Which he didn't. Or at least he wasn't able to because the swinging door opened and make a cracking noise against the wall it was pushed against. In the doorway stood a fuming, wide eyed Jane whose attention was locked on her cousin before storming into the kitchen.
"You slept with him?!" she cried, standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips.
Mara's eyes widened, her lips parting as a voice in her head realized, 'Oh. So it was just jealousy of lack of attention. Well done, Mara.'
The red head's narrowed violet eyes still latched on her cousin and spat, "I can't believe you, Mara! How could you do this to me!?"
Due to her high pitched shouting, it drew more unwanted attention and Rory, Adam, Ben, and Mrs. James were now gathered at the doorway behind Jane with wide eyes and silently switching between the two cousins.
Jane screeched, as she stomped her foot, "You are so vindictive! You stole him from me! You saw that we were getting along and you just haaaaaad to tag along and ruin everything! This was your plan all along, wasn't it!?"
Not allowing Mara to get a word out of her open mouth, Jane threw her arms up in the air. "Every chance you got--- Every. Chance.--- you would play the victim, and there was Nathan to save you when you had the other two! But you just wanted him! And after you told me that you didn't like him!"
Nathan turned his eyes from Jane to Mara and then back. He wasn't as offended as he should have been about that last sentence, considering that Mara and himself didn't get off to the best start.
Jane trembled with a rage she'd never had before with Mara. Growing up it was always escalated to a level of irritation, but she's never been so angry in all her life! Clenching her teeth, the red head pointed at her cousin, seething, "You just wait! Just wait! I'm going to get you back! I don't know how, but I will! Argh!"
She turned on her heel and screeched, "Move!" to the others blocking the exit, and stormed down the middle and out of sight after the group parted to the sides.
Adam was the first to turn back around and frowned at the man on the other side of the counter, "You slept with her?"
Nathan now knew it was his turn for an outraged, one-sided argument. Before he could start trying to calm his friend, Adam walked forward and continued, "I had told you, Nate." He shook his head, the hurt in his voice and face obvious, "I had told you that I liked her. And that she made me feel better about myself... and you still... you still had to take even that from me, didn't you?"
Both men's jaw locked in their stair down with one another. The offended party narrowed his eyes into a glare and shook his head, "You're a real asshole, you know that?"
The oldest of the three men walked next to Adam, sighing as he placed a hand on the young man's arm, "Adam..."
Adam shrugged off Ben's hand, eyes still on Nathan. "You just can't let anyone else be happy, can you? You had to make Jane and Mara fall in love with you so that it was easier to control their every move. How am I supposed to compete with the likes of you!? You are always the one that gets what they want! It's bullshit!"
He shook his head, huffing out a breath of air. Adam couldn't talk anymore. He knew if he did, it would escalate to he and Nathan physically fighting, and the former knew he'd lose.
Adam looked over at Mara, whose naturally shimmering blue eyes were glossing as they concentrated on the floor. She must have felt him staring at her because she looked up and Adam's anger faltered a little.
He felt more hurt that she wouldn't ever feel about him as she did for Nathan. Once his friend had gave women a taste of him, they became addicted. Nathan was a drug their veins needed to keep living.
Adam knew Mara didn't do anything wrong in this entire situation... except that she picked the wrong guy. The one whose only, and greatest fear, was a committed relationship. That would never change for Nathan. Everyone knew that.
Unfortunately, Mara was going to soon find out on her own.
Adam turned away from the petite woman silently apologizing with her eyes; pushing his way out of the side screen door at the opposite end of the kitchen. He swung it open, letting it slam with enough force to splinter the wooden frame.
☙ღ❧
Three hours after Jane and Adam stormed out; Ben knew he needed to sort out whatever was going on. He and the boys had a job to do, and they needed to be reminded that letting their personal affairs interfere with their assignments was out of the question.
It was now time for Ben to step in, something he should have done at the very first longing glance Nathan tried to hide towards Mara.
Those who had remained in the kitchen after the outbursts all stood or sat at the kitchen table. The meal-in-progress was cold and incomplete, nothing was touched and silence ensued for the past hours that Ben crossed his arms and shifted his eyes from Nathan to Mara and back.
The owner of the house sat in the chair beside him with a wash cloth twisted in her hands, her old eyes worriedly watching the young persons in her kitchen. Ben pulled and arm from being crossed and placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head, "Mrs. James... I'm really sorry for all this--- trouble."
The old woman lifted her head, covering his hand with hers and smiled, "Oh, dear Ben... don't worry. It's not a bother. Really. I just hope these unfortunate matters are settled."
Ben nodded his thanks, and leaned forward whispering to her that it would probably be best if she was to keep herself busy until this whole fiasco blew over. He promised her that he'd fetch her once it was time to eat.
Mrs. James blinked with a frown pronouncing her aging wrinkles; she was a little hurt that Ben didn't want her help with the children.
She could possibly be the softer side to Ben's overbearing masculine one. The look on the older man's face read a 'no-nonsense' attitude and hinted at cracking down on the young man across the room. She was too soft hearted to see him do that to Nathan so perhaps her lack of presence would be for the best.
Across from Ben was a pensive Rory.
He was leaned over his arms on the table and stared at the basket of fruit in the middle of the cold dinner trays. Rory couldn't believe what he heard a few hours back. His brows twitched downward, his jaw skewed to the side at the fact Mara wasn't a virgin anymore.
His mind reeled with the disaster this newfound information would have on all of them. Once her father found out, Mara would be in so much trouble. And Nathan, Nathan would be worse than in trouble. He'd be a dead man.
Rory swallowed hard, pushing back in the chair to stand and face the pair behind him.
His best friend was leaning against the fridge with her arms wrapped around her middle, her stricken expression accompanied with the pale color in her face. The agent she was accused of being sexually intimate with was leaned over the counter on his forearms, trying to keep from meeting Ben's hard-glared gaze on him.
"M-Mara... is it true?"
Rory needed to hear it from her mouth. He needed to hear her confirm what he hoped wasn't true. Neither had spoken in the silence the kitchen ensued with for so long and that only made the possibility significantly higher.
He frowned at Mara lifting her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, and pushed herself off the fridge. She tilted her head, shaking it slowly as she whispered his name.
"Mara. Is. It. True!"
Rory wasn't going to let her sweet talk him right now. He was too worried and keen on knowing the confirmation of where her purity lied.
In a half sob, half whisper, Mara nodded, "It's true."
Life as they knew it was going to end. Rory could feel his entire body numbing from his feet up. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding in before her admission. He blinked hard, opening his eyes wide at the grand space between them; he was trying to take in what she said, knowing that those words had just jeopardized Mara's plan beyond salvage.
Through her tears, she hugged herself and stepped forward, shaking her head. "You all have to understand though---!"
Rory, his being upset with Mara's stupidity reaching the breaking point, broke out of his daze and snapped his head in her direction. He extended his arms outward, leaning forward as he shouted, "Understand what, Mara!? That you lost your virginity to the first fuckin' pretty face you meet in your life!?" He turned to sneer in Nathan's direction, and spat out, "To him!?"
Nathan frowned at Rory's disgusted look as Mara replied, "I know! I know what I did was wrong, okay?! But you have to understand, Rory! You're my best friend! If there's no one I can count on to believe what I say, I know there's you!"
There was that jealousy rising in Nathan's chest again that the blonde man had a large portion of her heart and trust, but along with the jealousy emotion was a painful guilt about what happened between he and Mara the past few days, and then that day on the front porch.
Rory rolled his eyes, "Fine! I'm listening! What could you have possibly say that will excuse you for letting your stupidity to burn out your common sense!?" The blonde's fists trembled at his sides, the anger in his chest raging against the worry he had for her when they were to get to New York. There was nothing she could say that would be a good enough reason to overlook her mistake.
Mara sobbed, shaking her head when it dropped and hugged herself again. Her eyes were shut tightly, shaking through her tears and Ben, who saw just how vulnerable Mara looked, wanted nothing more than to shove her blonde friend aside and comfort her.
Her head lifted, blue eyes shining with the tears brimming her eyes again.
"Rory, I love him."
Rory and Ben both straightened, stunned at the response she gave. It wasn't news to Ben, but it still was a bit shocking to hear her admit such strong feelings for a man she'd barely met and who had been the butt of her pranks from the very beginning.
Mara sobbed into her hands, raising her shoulders up to her ears.
There was no point denying it. She had to say it out loud to even convince even herself why she was so hurt and ashamed of herself. Why such strong feelings overwhelmed her heart.
Once she pulled her hands into fists and rested under her chin, Mara explained to a soft look Rory.
"I never would have otherwise. And I knew... I knew that he didn't feel the same..." she whimpered, causing Nathan's ears to burn, his jaw clenched and stared hard at the countertop he was still leaning on. The unfamiliar pang in his chest was starting to constrict him once more.
The brunette's lips trembled while she further explained herself for her actions. She kept her eyes set on the floor, squeezing the sides of her arms.
"A part of me knew he wouldn't because of what he felt for Jane... but I... I just... I never felt this emotion before, Rory, and when I felt it that very first moment... it proved to me that I could feel romantic love for someone. That I could explore it!"
Mara swallowed hard, looking down and hugging herself again. She shook her head and sighed through her tears, "I'm now no different than the others he's been with, alright? He got what he wanted... and I got to love someone... even for a short time. And I don't regret it, Rory. I don't. I'd do it all over, again if it meant that I could feel that heart-stopping, lightheadedness that he gave me every. Single. Moment."
Hearing her speak like this was taking a toll on Nathan's heart.
She'd do it all over again... go through the fighting, the kisses, the dangerous situations, the night of being with him the first time... and just to feel loved. She'd go through the pain of him saying that he didn't love her over and over... just to experience loving someone like it'd be her last time to do so.
Mara lifted her head and swallowed, sniffing.
"I can't change what happened, nor do I want to. But he doesn't want me. He wants Janie. He'd rather be with Janie, which I can understand why... and I am---," she paused, swallowing hard and closed her eyes, "--- am so happy for Jane. She deserves happiness. Being locked up with me all these years... she needs an escape so that she, too, can be loved by someone like Nathan Henry."
Mara sniffed again, shaking her head with a frown at the floor.
"And I am in the wrong for taking that happiness away. And as much as I want to do it all over again... I realize that I can't. That it shouldn't have because of how much I love Janie. More than myself."
She looked up at Rory's bottom lip stick out, his brows dipped in the middle and his eyes filling with hopeless defeat. Mara craned her neck forward, still holding herself tightly, "She cared for me when she didn't have to! She toughened me up to be who I am now. And I- I would give anything for her happiness with Nathan to be reclaimed."
There was a choked sob that hadn't come from Mara, and they all looked over at the doorway of the kitchen to find Jane with her eyes wide and her porcelain skin paling.
Mara frowned, her immediate concern for her cousin setting aside the fact Jane had only yelled at her a few hours ago. She went over and took Jane's hands into hers while worriedly scanning Jane's horrified expression.
The shorter cousin leaned forward, shaking her head, "Jane... what's wrong? Are you alright? What's happened?"
Jane sighed a shaky breath, "You... you would give up everything... for me?"
The stunned look had Mara smile widely. She now could see that Jane didn't know how much she meant to Mara. All growing up she'd been horrible to her cousin, but that didn't mean Mara didn't love her.
"Of course, Janie!" she laughed through fresh tears. "You are my family! My only family, aside from Rory. And you are my precious one. I love you so much because of how much you took care of me when you didn't have to. Which is why I'd take it all--- Jane. Jane, what is it? Why are you crying?"
The redhead had pulled her hands away to cover her face, sobbing hysterically, "Oh my god! Mara! I did something terrible! I was just so angry! I thought you were being spiteful! I had no idea about the real reason behind your affair until I heard you just now!"
Mara tilted her head, confused, and turned to look over her shoulder at Rory, who now was fully aware of what Jane was sobbing about, and cautiously walked forward while his tone lowered, "Jane... what did you do?"
When she wouldn't respond, just hid behind her fists pressed against her mouth, Rory's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously, "No... No! Tell me you didn't!?"
Mara frowned, glancing between the pair silently communicating between each other then tugged on Rory's sleeve, "Didn't what...?" She turned to Jane, "Didn't what?"
Her cousin swallowed, looking down in shame then looked at Mara with guilt shadowing her violet eyes. "Mara, I'm so sorry... I was just so angry!"
Nathan and Ben become alarmed with the heiress's trembling apology, both straightening and fully honed their listening.
"What do you mean? What did you do, Janie?"
Jane took a deep breath and let out shakily. Her eyes locked with her cousin, whispering, "I called him."
Mara's hands fell to her sides. Her eyes were wide eyed and fearful. She could feel her body numbing, and her heart racing; it was hammering in her eardrums. "You--- you did what?"
Beside her, Rory stepped away and was running his fingers through his hair while his face contorted into an incredulous look at Jane. "Holy shit... we are in so much trouble."
The two agents in the background, picked up on the panic the trio were swimming in and it was Ben who narrowed his eyes and stepped closer towards the table. He crossed his arms and looked at each one of the them while demanding, "Someone needs to start talking. What's going on?" He looked at Jane, lowering a brow, "And who did you call?" Then at Rory, squinting, "And why are you in trouble?"
Rory glared to the side at Jane, who looked away from him and bit her lip hugging herself. The blonde pulled his eyes away from her to the agent man raising his brows with his neck craned forward; obviously waiting for some sort of answer to one of his questions.
"She called Mr. Hallden," he sighed.
Nathan joined Ben, rushing around the counter and scowled at the redhead having a slight panic attack by the doorway.
"You what!? Why!?"
Jane sobbed, choking out, "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I---"
The blonde male standing beside Mara, mumbled, "No, shit." to agree with Jane's claim about her lack of thought on what calling Tycoon Hallden would have on the group.
Mara was frozen to where she was standing, her blue eyes staring off in front of her. She could barely hear herself asking, "What happens now?"
Rory turned to Ben, hope filling his expression when he suggested, "Maybe we can still get out of here. You know, like get back on the road. Hide out for a while."
"You can't."
All eyes once again fell on Jane. She sniffed, wiping the back of her hand under her nose while shaking her head, "He knows where we are. And he had said that he'd be on his way."
Nathan pressed the bottom of his palms into his eyes, rolling his head back. Ben closed his eyes, shoulders falling heavily, and Rory narrowed his eyes at her while directing towards the agents.
"Well that gives us enough time to get at least an hour or two of a head start!"
Before he was able to plan out loud with his younger agent, Ben and the others drew their attention to the opposite end of the kitchen where the back screen door opened, and a scowling Adam was leading in a tall man with dark hair and blue eyes carrying a menacing gleam within them.
The man's goatee was neatly trimmed as was the rest of his beard on the side of his face, and added to the sharp gray suit he wore. The man's appearance only accentuated how important this man was.
Adam, averting any eye contact with Nathan, crossed his arms after he lazily waved a hand at the wide-eyed trio staring at the stranger he lead in.
"There they are. Your niece and daughter."
Mara could no longer feel her fingers. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing.
The sharp suit man strutted over slowly, but with intimidating steps until he stood in front of the three young people. He placed his hands into the pockets of his pants as his eyes became narrowed when gazing from Rory to Mara to Jane, and then returned to the one in the middle.
Mara swallowed, lowering her chin without breaking the locked gaze they were sharing, and the man smirked at catching just how fearful she looked.
The young woman's greatest fear had finally come true.
And now, standing before her and the others was the one man that Mara hadn't seen in years, nor heard from other than to give the gut-wrenching announcement through a typed-written letter that she was engaged, and to be married in allotted amount of time. He was man who cared nothing about feelings, or family, or friends... anything really.
Mara had been told that this man had been born heartless, and just enjoyed to see others suffer. Her included.
Here, standing before her with a half-grinned glower, stood her infamous father, Tycoon Hallden.