Page 66 of Marek

His eyes flash, and I can see in his expression that he’s drunk.

Oh, he’s drunk as hell.

Part of me wants to believe that’s because he’s hurting, but I know it’s probably so far from the truth.

Pushing out of his chair, he walks past me without another word, and heads out onto the street.

Oh, hell no.

Not this time, buddy.

I follow him, the freezing rain coming as a shock to my slowly drying skin. I press my lips together and follow him across the street, and when he stops at the front door of the hotel, he spins on me. “Go home, Ellie.”

“No,” I say, simply. “I’m not leaving, not after everything.”

“I don’t want you here,” He grinds out. “Why can’t you get that through your fucking head?”

“Yes, you do,” I say, crossing my arms, refusing to let his words hurt me. “I know you do because you’re running for a reason. You can’t handle the way I make you feel, and it’s easier for you to disappear than to face it.”

“Why won’t you get it?” he roars, so loudly two people walking down the street pause, their eyes widening. “I am a bad man. I don’t know what you think it is I can give you, but it’ll never be what you want. I’m a monster. Cold and fucking empty.”

“Wrong,” I say, but he doesn’t let me finish.

He turns and charges into the hotel, moving past the reception desk where the girl behind it is staring, eyes wide. He pauses only for a second to bark, “She is not to come to my room.”

“Marek,” I yell, so loudly the entire lobby goes quiet. “You are right, you are a monster, you are a bad man, you areallof those things.”

He pauses but doesn’t turn.

The receptionists’ eyes dart to him, then to me, and her mouth drops open.

“That doesn’t mean that you’re not a whole lot of good things, too. You changed that show, for me, and look how it went. You could have,” I pause. I can hardly yell out that he could have killed me if he wanted. That might get us into trouble. “You could have made me go away, at any point, but you didn’t. I know you’re all dark and fucked up, and you would rather let that side of you lead, but if you just give me a chance, I can show you that together, we can be great.”

I hold my breath, waiting.

The receptionist presses a hand to her mouth, a few people in the lobby watch in anticipation for his response.

He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t continue walking.

“I had a perfect life,” I go on, “and I was miserable. You poured life back into my soul and I want to do this, I want to make this show remarkable, I want to dance and... I want you.”

“Oh,” the receptionist gasps, pressing a hand to her mouth.

Marek turns, his face tight, his jaw clenched.

He’s going to tell me to leave.

He’s going to make me disappear.

I hold his gaze, and then with a frustrated growl, he mutters, “Fuck.”

I know I’ve won.

At that moment, I know I’ve cracked him.

I rush towards him, the receptionist claps her hands together with joy, and Marek gives me a look of warning. “Do not fucking ju...”

I throw myself at him, and he’s got no other choice but to catch me.

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