Mark (Next Generation Carter Brother #9)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Freya

My arms flop down to my sides as I lean back in the bucket chair in my cabin. After showering and getting changed, my energy has frazzled. The short nap I had earlier did not help replenish the energy I used last night or at the beach today.

Attending karaoke night in the Bella Donna room tonight sounds like a chore. And I love karaoke.

Yet I know if I don’t go, Mark will seek me out, and I don’t want to be the reason he cancels on his family. They all seemed really pent up about it earlier.

A yawn slips free as I take in my appearance. My cheeks and nose are sunburnt, but it doesn’t bother me as much as the bags beneath my eyes. If the sex wasn’t so good, I would hate him for being the reason I’m so bone-tired. I am dreading going home and my sleep schedule being off balance. I’m used to getting up at six every morning, and going to bed around ten.

A knock on my door pulls me from my thoughts. I inwardly groan, not wanting to get up, but also not wanting them to continue knocking. I have only just got rid of my headache but I know it won’t be long until it’s back again.

Getting up, I make my way over to the door, pulling it open. I wasn’t expecting anyone, but if I were to guess, it would have been anyone but the person who is standing there.

“Danny, what are you doing here?”

“Can we talk for a minute?” he asks.

I scan the hallway, expecting to see Esther since she’s never far away from him. “Where’s Esther?”

“She’s lying down until we are due to meet up with the others.”

“Why are you here?”

He sighs, his lips twisting in annoyance. “Can you invite me inside?”

“No.”

There is no way I’m going to be verbally abused over this. And I will be if Esther finds out he was here without a chaperone. She’s made a point of never leaving us alone, and thinking back, I think the last time we were was the night we broke up.

He presses his hand to my stomach, pushing me back. “Hey!” I snap. “Get out.”

“No, we are going to talk. I think you owe me that with all the shit you are pulling.”

He walks further into the room, making himself at home as he sits down on the end of the unmade bed. I arch an eyebrow, wondering if I should tell him that it was only fifteen hours ago I got fucked good and proper there.

I close the door and retake the seat near the dresser. “Please, enlighten me on what shit I’ve pulled.”

His thick, dark eyebrows rise. “Hurting your sister. Trying to come between us. Being so determined to hurt me the way I hurt you. Do you want me to go on?”

I splutter out a laugh at the audacity. “Are you drunk?”

His eyes narrow. “So you’re saying you aren’t hurting your sister; that you aren’t trying to come between us?”

“No. If my presence makes her feel that way, that’s not my problem,” I reply.

“You are hurting her. She is so kind, and has such a gentle heart, and you are breaking it.”

I arch an eyebrow. “Me? Really?”

“Yes. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. She will be the first to admit she’s been acting out of character since arriving on the cruise, but I don’t think it’s by choice. I think you’ve pushed her too far and she’s reacting. I don’t blame her. There’s only so much a person can take.”

“I will agree that she’s been acting out of character, but I won’t agree it’s been since I arrived. Because that is what you’re getting at. I’ve come to realise Esther has two sides to her. She has the one that is all smiles and sunshine, and the other is snarling and condescending. She just hid the second side behind the first. I used to think she was the nice one too. I even described her that way. But she’s shown her true colours the past few weeks and it’s made me revaluate our entire life. Or our life until you. I remember all the times she would make offhanded comments but said them in a way so they almost sounded like a compliment. I remember all the times she would talk me out of wearing an outfit. I thought it was because she was being honest. Now, I just think she didn’t want me to outshine her. It’s not my fault you are just now seeing it.”

He curls his lip up at me, like what I said offends him. “God, you are so full of yourself. Do you seriously think Esther is the jealous one here? She’s hurting, Freya. She isn’t jealous. Jesus, do you not care about her at all?”

“Let me ask you something: when you were fucking Esther, did she ever put up a fight? Did she ever remind you or herself that I was your girlfriend? Did she care?”

“We never—”

I hold up my hand, stopping him. “Don’t insult me by lying. You were fucking each other whilst you were still crawling into bed with me. Did you ever think of what it would do to me?”

“It wasn’t about you,” he snaps.

I lean back, smirking. “Right,” I mutter.

He scrubs a hand down his face. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I don’t care how you meant it. It doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

“Come on; like I am meant to believe that,” he scoffs. “You treat your sister like shit because I chose her.”

“It’s not about who you chose,” I snort. “You really do put yourself on a high pedestal. It was the betrayal. How would you feel if I slept with your brother, then announced I was with him after we broke up?”

“This is different.”

“Why? Because you love each other?” I question snidely. “Forgive me, but those words mean nothing coming from your mouth. You told me you loved me every day.”

“It was never meant to happen the way it did. She was there for me. You were at university, and when you were back, you were always with Summer. We grew close. Maybe if you had paid me a bit of attention, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“Stop,” I breathe out. “Just stop. I’m sick of talking about it. Every time one of you speaks to me, you bring up the past like it’s an excuse. The point is, I have no control over how Esther is feeling. That’s for you two to deal with.”

“She’s trying, Freya.”

“She’s trying to cause arguments and belittle me,” I yell. “There’s a difference.”

“You’re the one being difficult,” he snaps. “Can’t you just put your feelings aside and be nice for once in your fucking life? Can’t you be happy for her? You are my history, but she’s my future, and I’m sick of you bringing us down. This was meant to be a happy time and you’ve ruined it.”

“How? How have I ruined it? Have I told her you were still messaging me weeks after our break up, begging for me back? Have I told her those vows were my poem? Or have I ever told her about the time you called me drunk, and I put the phone down on you? And let’s not forget the bracelet you gave her at your engagement party that was actually my birthday present.” I force out a laugh. “I’ve never even shared the secrets I know about her through any of this. I’ve never used any of what I know against either of you or used it in retaliation for the shit you have both pulled. I’ve not ruined anything. If you two have issues, that is your problem, not mine, and I’m sick of you bringing me into it. I’ve never once done anything to hurt either of you. And it’s so unfair that both of you blame me for everything.”

He lowers his head, clutching his hands together. “You’re right.”

“I know.”

He sighs, lifting his head. “I love her, Freya, and I hate that this drift between the two of you is hurting her. And it kills me to see her hurting. I’m worried she will eventually blame me and then leave me.”

I roll my eyes at his dramatics. It’s not that I don’t think she’ll ever leave him. It’s possible. Relationships and marriages aren’t what they used to be. Then there’s the fact he sees nothing wrong with coming to his ex-girlfriend for relationship advice. Because that’s why he’s really here. He wants me to fix it because he doesn’t know how to.

“Again, not my problem,” I remind him. “Now, can you leave?”

“Why? Are you meeting up with that player?”

“Mark isn’t a player,” I growl.

“Trust me, he is. He’ll fuck someone else the minute your back is turned.”

“Well, since I don’t have another sister he can fuck, I think I’ll be okay,” I remark.

He rolls his eyes. “It’s not like it’s serious between you two anyway.”

I tilt my head to the side, watching him closely. “Why is that?”

“Because you’re just using him to try and make me jealous. He’s using you too.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “Jesus Christ.”

“Laugh all you want. You know I’m right.”

I get to my feet and move to the door, holding it open. “Get the fuck out.”

He stands, his eyebrows bunching together. “Look, you don’t need to be embarrassed, but you had to know it wouldn’t work. I only have eyes for Esther. Don’t get me wrong, you will find someone who will treat you well eventually. But you don’t have to use guys like that to get a reaction out of another guy. It could turn bad.”

“The fact you think I would use Mark to get a reaction out of you is… well, laughable. The only reaction I’m using him for is an orgasm, and unlike you, he knows how to get one out of a woman. He’s also fun to be around.”

He scoffs. “Never pegged you to be petty.”

“I’m being honest,” I retort sharply. “You should try it.”

“If you want to make a fool out of yourself, go ahead. But don’t come crying to Esther when it ends badly. You’ve burnt that bridge. She needed you this week and you’ve done fuck all to be there for her. I won’t let you use her when you need her.”

“Why are you still talking?” I ask.

“Yes, why are you still talking?” Mark asks, startling me.

His hazel eyes are narrowed on Danny. “Danny was just leaving.”

“She’s using you,” Danny announces.

Mark shrugs. “I’ll take what I can get from her,” he replies. “But that isn’t your issue. You prefer thinking she’s still hung up on you. Probably makes you feel like a real boy .”

“He’s not Pinocchio,” I point out.

Mark leans forwards, his eyelids lowering. “I don’t know, his nose is looking a little bigger since we first met.”

I turn my head to hide my amusement.

“Fuck you!” Danny growls. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe. But I do know you still want her. You’ve all made a point of stating you chose Esther over Freya, but after getting to know you all, I don’t think that’s the case. You may love your wife, but I’m willing to bet everything I own she wasn’t your first choice.”

I force a laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s that.”

“I love Esther. I ended it with Freya so I could be with her.”

“See, after speaking to your family earlier, and from what Maya has already told us, I call bullshit. You wanted Freya to settle down, to get married and to have children. You wanted her to quit school so you could have those things. And you wanted them because you knew it was only a matter of time before she left your sorry arse. You wanted to tie her to you in every way.”

My lips part as I glance at Mark. “How did you…” I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. I haven’t told anyone except my nan and Summer about what Danny had wanted.

He shrugs a shoulder. “People talk when they’ve had a drink.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Danny grits out.

Mark’s smirk is smug. “I think I do. You were hoping that breaking up with her would make her realise what she would be missing. It didn’t work. Once you realised that, you went after the one girl who you knew would give you those things. Who you knew put you and your needs first.”

“Mark, I love that you are trying to stand up for me, but you are completely wrong,” I state. Even just replaying his words in my head makes me snort.

“Oh, I’m not. Just ask Mike. He told us how Esther turned up to his birthday party and saw how upset Danny was that you weren’t coming home. He told us how he remembered Esther telling Danny that if he was her man, she wouldn’t be able to be apart from him for long. He also told us how she comforted you, how she stroked your leg, and he showed us a picture of how turned on you were about her touching you.”

I gulp because that exact birthday was over a year before we broke up. I knew they were cheating, but until now, I didn’t realise how long it had been going on.

I glance at Danny, who isn’t looking at me. He’s glaring at Mark. “You wouldn’t let me in your flat the morning after. I thought you were just mad at me for not making the party, but it was really because Esther was still in there, wasn’t it?”

“Lost for words?” Mark taunts when he doesn’t speak. “Let’s face it, you had an amazing woman and you traded down. Esther is probably picking up on it and you feel guilty. Which is why you are really here.”

“That’s not it at all. I don’t like seeing Esther hurt,” he remarks, before turning to me. “It was a mistake that night. We were both drunk and one thing led to another. I didn’t mean to fall in love with her, but I did. I can’t change that and I wouldn’t, even if I could.”

“Leave,” I demand. “Just leave. You came here blaming me for Esther’s problem, when all along, it’s not even really been about me. Just leave me the fuck alone.”

He looks like he might say something, but he decides not to and leaves.

“You okay?” Mark asks when he’s gone.

“You didn’t need to do that,” I remark, feeling embarrassed about the whole thing. I feel pathetic and so vulnerable.

I let out a breath, calming myself. I don’t want to shoot the messenger, not when his actions come from a good place.

“I’m sorry.”

I glance up at him as he tugs me against his chest. “You don’t sound sorry.”

“I don’t?”

I smile at his goofiness. “How did you get Mike to talk?”

He snorts. “Please, the guy wants to be one of the cool kids. It was piss easy to get him to talk.”

Since Mike thinks of every male as competition, I doubt it was as easy as Mark describes.

“What really happened?”

He rolls his eyes up for a moment, letting out a heavy breath. “Okay, Hayden showed a little cleavage and got him talking. She wanted to know more about Danny and how he could cheat on someone like you.”

My lips twitch because that would do it. We didn’t label Mike the pervy uncle for no reason. “You make me sound like a high-class model. I’m just an average person.”

His pupils darken as he cups my arse. “There is nothing average about you.”

“Funny, because not even a week ago you thought I was crazy.”

He leans in, kissing my neck, but I still feel his lips tug up into a grin. “I still think you’re crazy. I’ve just come to like that about you.”

I pat his chest, laughing. “Nothing beats your crazy.”

He grins wider, pressing his lips to the sensitive part below my ear. “But you still like me.”

“Maybe.”

“No maybe about it,” he growls, pulling back. He tucks my hair behind my ear, cupping my face. “You definitely like me. And I like you.”

“Enough to share the snacks you bought earlier?”

His brows pinch together. “I said I like you, not that I was in love with you.”

I throw my head back, laughing. “Have you ever shared food?”

He doesn’t even stop to think about it. “Nope.”

I run my fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck. “Then I won’t take it personally,” I tease.

He runs his fingers down my spine, leaning in to tease his lips against mine. “Are you ready for karaoke?”

“What if we stayed in bed and had lots and lots of sex instead?”

“Yo, you ready for karaoke?” Liam asks.

Mark and I pull apart, watching as Liam finishes doing up his buttons on his Hawaii shirt.

“You are going to sing?” I question, wincing. I heard him on the plane. He couldn’t carry a tune to save his life.

“You aren’t?” he asks, his eyebrows pinching together.

“I can’t sing,” I reply, even though both Summer and I love a bit of karaoke. But that was in the privacy of our own home or in a room full of strangers. I will see these people again.

The flesh between his eyes creases even more. “It’s karaoke. You aren’t meant to be able to sing otherwise it would be called a concert. Plus, the winner wins a bottle of vodka and champagne.”

I glance at Mark, seeing the excitement in his eyes, and it occurs to me. “You are competitive over karaoke too, aren’t you?” I deadpan.

“You aren’t?” he asks, like it’s bizarre to him.

I roll my eyes. “Of course you are. Let me get my bag.”

“You might want to take some paracetamol. Our family loves a dose of liquid courage before karaoke,” Liam calls out.

“I’m not getting drunk,” I call out.

That’s the last thing I need to do.

I can say no to the peer pressure.

I will say no.