Page 105 of Revealing Mark
“Paris is the city of love,” Chris said, wiggling his eyebrows,and I found myself grinning. He had one of those personalities that was difficult to resist. There was something about him that I just connected with and I understood why he was so easy to be around.
The food got passed around and I took some although I didn’t eat much, most of it I pushed around my plate. What made it worse was how Mark didn’t once hold my hand or act like we were anything other than friends, which bugged me.
Once lunch was finished, I helped Haven clear the table. She was very quiet and I didn’t know how to start a conversation. When we went back into the dining room, she took the seat beside Damien and I went to sit back in my place beside Mark.
The air was tense. Something had been said between them when I had been in the kitchen.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Damien said tersely, shaking his head.
Haven touched his arm. “Please, don’t.”
When he looked at her, his eyes softened and he touched her forehead with a kiss. It was so sweet. There was so much love between them it was evident for all to see.
Chris touched Haven’s hand. There was something really fragile about her and the way the guys gravitated to her in a protective way, especially Damien.
I watched as Mark leaned back in his chair, looking resigned as he let out a heavy sigh. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”
It all still felt so surreal. I had no idea revealing his heavy secret would involve three other people. It made me realize that this was going to be bigger than I had ever imagined.
“I have never asked any of you for anything until now,” he said, linking his fingers on the table. “Now I’m asking you guys to tell Tracy the story.”
“How do we know we can trust her?” Damien asked skeptically, studying me like he could read my thoughts.
“I trust her,” Mark responded. It was the first time he had said anything to make me feel special in some sort of way.
Damien remained unconvinced and gave me a skeptical look.
“If you trust her, I’m in,” Chris said. For the first time the humor that had been a constant was gone and he was serious. I bet that didn’t happen often.
“I owe you so much, you know that,” Haven said directly to Mark. “If opening up is something you need, I’ll do it.”
When Mark looked at Damien for his answer, he frowned. “I don’t like this one bit but I’m outnumbered.” He shifted in his seat. “Besides, out of us all, you have the most to lose, so if this is something you’re prepared for, then who am I to stand in your way?”
There was a heavy silence. “She’d better be worth it,” he added, inclining his head in my direction.
I was still clueless but I knew whatever was coming was going to be difficult to hear, even though I was still sure it couldn’t make me see Mark differently. Needing to reassure myself, I reached out and touched his arm. He looked at me as his hand covered mine briefly before he stood up, putting some distance between us.
“This is Haven’s story,” he began. “It’s probably best for her to start.” He stood beside my chair.
They shared a look and I could see her nervously shift in her seat. This wasn’t easy for her. I could tell in the way she seemed to prepare herself for the walk down memory lane.
“I didn’t grow up in the best environment.” She couldn’t look me in the eye, instead she fixed her eyes on her hands.
“That’s an understatement,” Damien scoffed. Chris shot him a look that made him shift in his seat. Damien slid his hand over to cover Haven’s hands. I could see the immediate difference in her posture when he was near, he gave her the strength to cope.
“My father died and my mother remarried. She spiraled outof control and my stepfather, Grant, blamed me.” There was a sadness in her voice that reached inside of me. I wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be all right.
“He used to hit me.” Her voice was filled with shame. Damien squeezed her hand. “But when she died, it tipped him over the edge.”
I couldn’t imagine a life she was talking about. Despite my parents keeping the secret of my father from me, I couldn’t complain about anything from childhood. There had been times I had felt like I didn’t fit in but I had been brought up in loving environment and I had felt the support of two parents who adored me.
“He tried…to…” She lost the courage and Damien put an arm around her, holding her close. She shivered. “He tried to kill me.”
I gasped. Who would do that?
I looked at Mark but he was calm as he listened beside me. This was his life, being a bodyguard and protecting people. This was something he was used to, unlike me. In a way, I was very protected.
“He didn’t succeed and, after I called for help, Damien and his parents took me in.”
