Page 11 of Wrath

“Baby, what are you doing here?” Mark looks concerned as I take a seat on one of the benches. It’s a clear day, the sun is shining and you can see out over the ocean for miles.

“This is my brother’s club.” I shrug, knowing that this is the moment Mark finds out he’s been in love with a girl who doesn’t exist.

“Your brother is aDirty Soul?” He stares back at me as if I need sectioning.

“So was my father.” He might as well know it all. “I changed my name when I was eighteen, so they wouldn’t be able to find me.”

“Okay, so what are you doing back here?” He looks so tired and confused. If I ever doubted that this man loved me I know now that I was wrong to.

“I couldn’t pretend anymore. I got fed up with being Katie,” I admit, looking past Mark’s head onto the beach where me and Aaron used to run together each morning before I started school.

“Being Katie? Babe, youareKatie, I got you your own fucking design studio for God’s sake!”

“I know, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for what you’ve done for me. I really, really like you Mar?—.”

“Like me?” He stares back at me looking horrified.

“Katie, I love you. We’re supposed to be married. I have spent the last three years of my life planning an entire future around you.” He takes both my hands in his. “Stop being silly and come home with me. You aren’t giving up our lives for this.” He looks around us in disgust.

“Mark, you're not hearing me, thisismy life. This is where I came from, and I really tried, but I don’t fit into yours.” I can feel tears threatening, but I hold them back. I have to be strong.

“That’s not true. My family loves you, Laura treats you like a sister, and Mom?—”

“Your mom hates me. She doesn’t think I’m good enough for you, and she’s right. You’re gonna be a fantastic husband but?—”

“But not to you.” He laughs bitterly.

“I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.” I hold both his hands in mine over the table and stare at them while he lets the fact there's no going back from this sink in.

“And you couldn’t have told me this before we gathered every fucker I know into one room to witness my heart get broken?” His tone dramatically changes and when I look back up at him, I’ve never seen the look he’s got on his face before.

“Don’t you think I would have if I could? I tried. I wanted to marry you. I wanted to try and be happy but?—”

“Then try again, try harder. Come with me now and we’ll get married. We can just do it at the courthouse. No one’s expectingus to have another big fancy wedding. Mom’s told everyone that you're not well, they think you’re seeing a shrink.”

“A shrink?” I stand up.

“Will you keep your voice down, you heard what that guy said.” Mark checks over his shoulder nervously. “What was she supposed to say? We had a chapel full of people waiting to witness a wedding and no fucking bride. You stole the minister's car, Katie!” he whisper-yells at me.

“That got returned,” I correct him, knowing for a fact that Aaron would have seen that through.

“You think I care about the fucking minister's car?” He laughs at me again. “I had clients in that chapel — directors, producers, real important people. You humiliated me, and now I find you here, in this biker clubhouse, sitting with a bunch of whores drinking coffee like all this is normal!”

“Mark! Those girls aren’t whores, and if you want to leave here in one piece I suggest you keep your voice down.”

“Katie, no decent girl hangs around a place like this. They’re whores, and for you to sit among them, makes you one too.” He points his finger at me.

“So, I’m a whore now?” I shake my head.

“No, and that's exactly what I’m trying to tell you. You need to come home with me, while all this is still fixable. Mom will forgive you if you tell her you got overwhelmed.” He reaches for my hand again, and this time I pull away.

“It’s over, Mark. I don’t want to be Katie anymore. I need to face the real world. We have mutual friends and business colleagues so I hope we can be civil–”

“Business colleagues?” This time the laugh he makes is spiteful. “Katie, you’ve got nothing without me. No friends, no clients, and no fucking business.”

“Mark, I know you’re hurting but–”

“You just said you didn’t want to be Katie, anymore. Well, in case you’ve forgotten, Katie is the sweet, nice girl whose boyfriend invested in her business and used his connections to get her contracts.”

---