Page 27 of Love Unexpected

Her words are like a punch to my gut, and my chest tightens as I grapple with the reality of my actions. Each moment of silence only widens the space between us. The longer I wait for her to meet my gaze, the more the flicker of hope I had fades.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to cause you any stress. I just get so scared—“

"I know," she chokes out. "I need stability, Noah. Whatever has been going on between us isn't working. From the start, you've told me you didn't want this and I thought I could change you. I should have just listened. You were right all along. I'm begging you to please just go," she says with finality.

Chapter 24

Emma

As soon as the door clicks shut, Marcus lifts himself up off the couch, a storm of anger and sadness in his expression.

“How much of that did you hear?” I ask wearily.

“All of it,” Marcus replies bitterly. “I’m sorry my brother is such a dick. You don’t need him, you deserve so much better than that.”

“Marc.. you know he didn’t mean what he said, right? He’s just hurting and lashing out because he's angry,” I say, hoping to ease the pain.

“Sometimes the harshest truth only comes out when you’re angry.” His jaw ticks. “I’m going to see what the hell is taking so long with your discharge papers.” And without another word, he rushes out the door.

———

The drive back to my house is silent, the only sound comes from the hum of the engine. My heart feels unbearablyheavy, filled with sadness and hurt for both Marcus and Noah. How did things spiral out of control so quickly?

I know Noah has a good heart and loves his brother. But, his constant need to push everyone away baffles me.

Marcus pulls into my driveway and shifts the car into park, his grip tightens around the steering wheel. Staring straight ahead, I speak before he gets the chance to. “I’m really sorry. I keep putting you in the middle of Noah and me, and that’s not fair to you. It’s clear Noah is struggling with jealousy over our friendship, and it’s starting to hurt your relationship. I think we should spend a little less time together.”

“Fuck that," he shoots back. "Let Noah be jealous. Hell, I want to make him even more jealous. I want to hit him where it really hurts. I can take better care of you and this baby than he will ever be able to.” He turns to me finally and the wild look in his eyes scares me.

His words catch me off guard, making me confused. “Marcus. You’re hurting, and I understand that, but please think about what you're saying. You don't know what you're saying, you and I are just friends.“

“No, Emma, I actually do mean it. If Noah's not willing to grow the hell up and be with you, then I will.”

Without warning, Marcus suddenly grabs my face, his fingers gripping my jaw tightly, and pulls me to him for an urgent kiss. For a second, I’m too stunned to move, completelycaught off guard. But then the realization dawns on me and what this means for all of us.

I pull back abruptly. In a flash of instinct, I slap him across the cheek with a loud ‘smack’, the sound reverberates in the car.

“Emma— “ he begins, touching his cheek, surprise etched on his face.

“What the hell did you just do Marcus?” I sob. “You ruined everything! How can I be friends with you after this? After I’ve been telling your brother over and over that we’re just friends. I’m not some toy for the two of you to fight over!” Fresh hot tears fall down my face.

The intensity in the car thickens, and Marcus’s brow furrows as he takes a breath with frustration. “Emma, please. Noah needs to understand that life goes on. He chose not to be with you and you can move on now!"

“No! Don't talk to me about moving on,” I shake my head, my vision blurred from the tears. "He does want to be with me, but I was the one that stupidly pushed him away this time. But then you kissed me, and you ruined everything! I don’t know what that means for us, for Noah, for anything. I never asked for this—I never wanted to be caught in the middle of this mess.”

My heart races, caught in a battle between anger and sadness. My breathing becomes shallow and rapid, I feel like I might have a panic attack.

“Emma, I’m sorry,” Marcus says, his voice softening with regret, his eyes pleading. “I didn’t mean to make this harder for you.”

“Well you did!" I retaliate. "I don’t know how to be friends with you now. I can’t just pretend that nothing happened. This changes everything. Please just... leave. I need time to think.”

Without looking back at him, I push the door open and climb out of the car as quickly as my growing belly allows me. I feel Marcus's gaze on my back, but I refuse to turn around.

The tears continue to spill over as I reach my front door. Stepping inside, I close the door behind me. The silence of the house wraps around me, feeling heavy and suffocating. I lean

against the cold metal door for a moment, trying to catch my breath, my heart still pounding from the fight. My throat feels raw from all the shouting and crying, and my chest aches like never before. None of this would have happened if I didn’t push Noah away at the hospital.

Some of my favorite memories with Marcus flood my mind—the movie nights spent curled up on the couch, game nights filled with uncontrollable laughter until we cried. But now, the memories have been tainted by betrayal.

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