Page 1 of Revealing Mark
CHAPTER ONE
The speeches were done and everyone was seated. I swirled my champagne, wishing it was over already. I glanced down at the gold watch strapped to my wrist, wondering how long before it would be acceptable to leave. Each time I had to attend a family event, he was there. TheheI was referring to was seated across from me at the dining table. Mark Bishop. My brother’s best friend.
I felt uncomfortable in the royal blue cocktail dress I wore which accentuated my blue eyes and my feet were killing me. I rarely wore high heels, usually spending most of my time in sandals or sneakers. Occasionally I liked to dress up but I couldn’t imagine having to do this regularly. I had worn my dark blonde hair down on my mother’s insistence. Usually I preferred it up in a messy bun and out of my way.
I kept myself from looking at Mark directly but I was still aware of every movement, every sound he made. It never got any easier. I had begun to resent his presence in my tight-knit family. His stark green eyes and dark brown hair were ingrained in my memory with his handsome features. From hissquare jaw to the dimples that made my stomach dip when he smiled.
“Stop frowning, Tracy,” my sister, Sophie, admonished softly beside me with a discreet elbow in my side, pulling me out of my daydreaming.
“I’m not,” I whispered back, hoping not to draw Mark’s attention.
I gently kicked my sister back under the table and she stifled a giggle. I wanted to roll my eyes at her. She acted so immature at times, it was difficult to believe she was only a year younger than me.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see him still talking to my brother’s fiancée, Sarah. They were talking intently. His fingers played with the stem of the champagne glass and I swallowed, being aware of every small movement he made.
Unable to take it anymore, I drained my champagne. The alcohol would ease the turmoil inside me. Why, after so long, did I still feel the same way about him when he had done nothing, absolutely nil, to encourage it? Was I just a sucker for punishment? Wanting someone who wasn’t interested in me in the slightest? Or was it the fact that he was unattainable that made him more attractive?
It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to move on. Just remembering my last attempt was enough for me to reach for the open bottle of champagne on the table and fill up my glass to the top. I didn’t want to think back to my last ex-boyfriend, Jack, or the last fight a few nights ago that had ended it.
We had only dated for a few months and I hadn’t felt much other than relief when he had finally moved out the day before.
My focus landed on my parents and something warm tugged in the middle of my chest as I watched them affectionately sitting together. That was what I wanted, that same love they looked at each other with, but so far I was failing miserably.
I couldn’t feel anything for the guys I did date and I felt toomuch for the man who was unattainable. I sighed as I set my glass back down.
“What’s with you?” Sophie asked, taking in my slumped shoulders.
“I’m just not in the celebrating mood,” I whispered, shrugging.
“Is it because of Jack?”
The sound of my ex’s name was enough to darken my mood. I shook my head. My little sister knew more about my personal life than anyone else. Matthew, my older brother by two years, was so overprotective that I hadn’t been able to reveal to him my latest relationship disaster. It was just too much.
There was so much happiness around me that I was beginning to develop a complex. What was I doing wrong? I couldn’t figure it out. I had tried to feel something for Jack. Maybe I had pushed for something that had never been there.
Mark laughed and my stomach fluttered at the sound. The unwanted feeling made my resentment grow.
I gulped a few more mouthfuls of the champagne. I didn’t usually drink, but the week had been stressful, with breaking up with Jack and having to prepare myself to deal with Mark, when I was already feeling so vulnerable and in no way prepared to pretend the sight of him didn’t jolt me awake with a fizzle in my veins.
Whenever he looked at me, I came alive with every nerve. No one had ever made me feel like that. In his absence, I was dormant.
“You didn’t say anything to Matt?” I asked her softly, ensuring no one was listening. Although I was pretty sure if she had said something, I would have heard about it from him already.
The last thing I needed was Matthew finding out how badly things had gone with Jack, especially when my brother hadpulled me aside when I had first started dating him to warn me off him.
“He’s great,” I had defended blindly.
“Look, I’m not trying to meddle but there is something about him I don’t trust.” I had rolled my eyes at him and brushed off his concern. I had been determined to make it work.
Three months later, and I had no choice but to admit he had been right. Had I been so desperate to have someone that I had overlooked obvious signs that things weren’t going to work out?
“Geez, no,” Sophie whispered. She glanced to where our brother sat beside Sarah. “If he ever found out he would pummel him.”
The last thing I needed was witnesses to my disastrous personal life. And if Matthew found out, Mark would too. And that would take my humiliation to a whole other level.
I let out a sigh and lifted my glass to take another sip of the fizzy alcohol that was loosening me up.
“You’d better let up on the alcohol otherwise you’re going to get drunk,” my sister warned. “The last thing Mom and Dad need is that on their anniversary weekend.”
