Mark (Next Generation Carter Brother #9)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Freya

I thought I would feel better after talking to my mum and dad, but if anything, I feel worse. I really wanted to question my mum after hearing she said I didn’t take anything seriously, and about the rest of what I heard. But things are finally back to normal between us, and it feels like I’ve got my parents back. They have even made plans to finally come to the flat now it is done, and meet Mellow. They’ve also asked about my job and what it is I actually do, and I could see it surprised my mum. I had also made a comment about how comfy the beds are here and that I’ll miss it when I get back home, and already, she is looking at buying a new bed for me. They had been so angry about me moving out that they didn’t support me, hoping it would make me go back home. If anything, it made me more determined to push through the hurdles we faced. Moving out, finishing my degree and then getting a teaching job should have proved I am capable. But they let their pride lead them, and then missed out on congratulating me and Summer on our move.

I glance around the hall for Mark once more, still not finding him. I do, however, notice Danny heading towards me. I quickly scan my surroundings for an exit but my shoulders deflate when I don’t find one.

“Hey, have you seen your sister?” he greets, running his fingers through his wet hair.

“I haven’t. Was I meant to?” I question.

“She said she wanted to speak to you,” he replies, glancing around quickly before looking back. “She saw us last night.”

My eyebrows scrunch together at his words. He sounds like we were caught doing something we shouldn’t have been doing. “And?”

“And she got the wrong idea. I knew something was up with her last night but I was too tired to question it. Then when I finally got her to speak earlier, she blew up at me and said she didn’t know if she could trust me.”

Jesus Christ. I don’t need this. “But you explained we were just talking?” I grit out.

He rubs the back of his neck. “Kind of. I mean, you did bring up what happened with us and I couldn’t lie to her.”

I grit my teeth, wanting to punch his crooked nose. He’s standing there acting like I cornered him, so I dread to think how he twisted what was spoken between us to Esther. It’s like he doesn’t want us to fix the rift between us and prefers that we are always at odds. “And let me guess, you let her mind go wild with scenarios.”

I shove past him when I spot Lily taking a seat at a table with her parents and Jaxon. She looks up when I approach. “Have you seen Mark?” I ask.

“He went to go shower and change.”

“Thank you,” I reply. “I’ll go see what’s holding him up.”

“Are you okay?” she asks softly.

“I’m good, thank you,” I tell her absently.

As I make my way to our floor, my mind drifts back to Esther. How do I explain what happened without causing another argument? I should never have brought up old shit to Danny, knowing she will never understand that it’s not about them getting together. It’s the ripple effect Danny caused after. The whispers, the arguments, the distance, all could have been avoided if it wasn’t for him. I blame him for all of it. I think I always will. As sad as it makes me, I also know Esther will never be able to put herself in my shoes and understand where I am coming from. She will never be able to understand how much she hurt me.

As I make my down the hallway, getting closer to my room, I notice Mark’s door is ajar.

I hear a moan, and my eyes widen. Liam must have a girl inside and forgot to shut the door.

“Too hard,” she gasps.

I know that voice. I know it like I know my own. My heart begins to race, the sound of my pulse thumping in my head as I move closer, quietly pushing the door open a little more.

Because I don’t think it’s Liam in there.

It’s Mark.

Tears well up in my eyes as I see Esther sitting on the edge of the bed, her thighs spread. Her bikini top comes loose, her tits spilling out.

And Mark…

The person I’ve grown to care for, even fall for. The one person I believed would never cheat on me.

Is knelt between her legs.

Esther’s gaze slams into mine, and it’s not guilt shining back at me.

It’s triumph.

Her head falls back as a moan slips free, and my heart bottoms out.

I catch my sob, stepping back until I’m out of the room. I don’t run into my own cabin to escape, not wanting to be near them.

I go to the only person who I know will help me.

As I run down the hall, I hear Mark yell, “What the fuck?”

But I keep running.

Betrayal slams into me as I lean against the lift wall, gasping for breath. My legs threaten to give out as I rub at my chest.

Was everything between us a lie?

Was any of it real?

Or had this been the plan all along? Reel me in and make me care for him, only to rip what we share away so cruelly.

Yet even with seeing it with my own two eyes, I still don’t believe he could be so cruel or callous. You can’t fake that level of kindness and understanding he gave me. You can’t fake the connection between us. It wasn’t just us who felt it. Everyone has commented on it.

Still… I saw what I saw.

And Esther… She betrayed me once out of love and misguided hurt. This she did purposely, and it’s a harsh reminder that even those who are closest to us can inflict the deepest of wounds. Because it’s a wound to the heart, and not all broken hearts can be mended.

Just like this time.

And that’s another testament to how much Mark had come to mean to me. Because there is nothing else she could have done that would have hurt this much. It wouldn’t have made me feel like clawing my heart out, or screaming up at the sky.

He was mine.

And she’s taken him from me. Just like she did Danny, my parents, my family and my friends.

Somehow, I manage to make it to the dining hall, and the piercing numbness grows with each step as I walk through the tables and chairs. Everyone is laughing and joking, unaware that I’m broken inside. I want to yell at them to stop, to make everyone here feel the pain that I feel.

A warm hand on my arm stops me. “Hey, Freya, are you joining us?” Still in a daze, I turn to Lily and shake my head. “What’s happened? Has someone hurt you? Do you want me to find Mark?”

I bite on my lip to keep the sob threatening to break free, in. His sister… His kind-hearted, loving sister. “Thank you for being my friend during this cruise,” I rasp, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

“What’s happened? Let me go and get my mum,” she stresses.

“I have to go,” I whisper, walking away without a backward glance.

My nanna is just taking a seat when I walk up to their table.

“Are you joining us for dinner?” Mum questions with surprise.

“What’s up, Little Dove?” Nanna asks as she gets to her feet.

“Please can I have your key card?”

She pulls it out of her bag. “Is everything okay?”

I nod, unable to say the words. Mum lowers her fork to the table. “Freya, are you not going to join us? Mark is more than welcome to as well.”

“I’m going to lie down. Please don’t tell anyone where I am,” I order.

“I’ll come with you,” Nanna replies, picking up her cardigan.

“I need to sleep,” I tell her quietly.

She pulls me in for a hug. “Whatever you need,” she whispers against my ear. “Has Esther done something?”

I nod against her neck, struggling to keep my composure. “Please don’t tell anyone where I am. Not even Mark or his family.”

She pulls back. “I’ll make sure no one knows where to look. Pass me your key card and I’ll pack you some fresh clothing.”

“Thank you,” I rasp, handing her a key. “Can you pack it all up for me? Everything?”

“Everything?” she asks, her eyes widening.

“Please?” I plead, and wait for her to nod before leaving the dining hall, using the back entrance that is barely used by anyone.

When this cruise ship docks tomorrow, I plan to leave and catch the next flight home. I can’t be trapped here with them.

It doesn’t take me long to get back to Nanna’s room, and instead of heading to the bed, I move into the bathroom, switching on the shower. I drop my phone and Nanna’s key card on the counter and step inside the shower fully clothed. The second the water runs down my face, I let out the pained sob that has been choking me. Unable to hold the heartbreak in any longer, I fall to the shower floor in a dishevelled heap, hoping the water pouring down on me washes away my grief.

Because that is what I am feeling.

Uncontrollable grief.

Grief for the sister I no longer have.

And grief for what felt like would have been an epic love.

Wails tear out of my chest as I slam my fists against the shower wall at how unfair this all is.

For the first time in my life, someone other than Summer liked me for me. They made me feel seen and heard. They made me feel safe. And Esther had to go and take it from me. My own sister. My flesh and blood.

I will never understand why she hates me so much, or why that hate grew into something cruel and unforgiving.

“Oh, my sweet girl,” Nanna soothes.

I startle, glancing up at her. “I thought you were having dinner.”

She kneels next to the small cubicle, placing her hands on my shoulders. “I felt your pain as if it were my own,” she whispers, sadness seeping from her soulful blue eyes. “What happened?”

I break, the cries and anguish pouring out of me as I replay the nightmare I just witnessed.

I glance up at her when I’m finished. “What is wrong with me, Nanna? Why does this keep happening to me?”

She brushes my wet hair from my face, before cupping my cheek. “There is nothing wrong with you. Your sister, on the other hand, has a screw loose somewhere.”

“Why does she hate me so much?” I choke out. “I get why she was upset over Danny, but I didn’t do it to hurt her. I never knew he was the boy she liked. She finally got him, and still didn’t stop being cruel. It no longer feels like it’s about a guy. It feels like it’s me she is mad at, and she wants to destroy every piece of happiness I can get.”

She reaches up to switch off the water. “I cannot begin to answer for that child. I don’t know what is going through her head. She’s acting like a child who was never shown love, or was the black sheep of the family. Both couldn’t be further from the truth. Your parents have enabled her behaviour by ignoring what she’s really been doing.”

I meet her gaze as she wraps a towel around my shoulders. “Mark was mine, Nanna. For the first time in a long time, I felt seen and heard. Why would she do this?”

“Believe me, I’ll be speaking to that boy. I still can’t wrap my head around him doing it to you. He is besotted with you. But I believe you saw what you saw.”

“Please don’t speak to him. I want to go home. I should never have come on this cruise. The next dock has a small airport that can take me back to the Bahamas. I’m going home, Nanna. I can’t stay here. Not now.”

She cups my cheek. “Then we will both go. I’ll book the tickets to get us back.”

“No, Nanna. Don’t let me ruin your time here.”

“You aren’t ruining anything. Let me take you home. I’ll get Margaret to pick us up from the airport and we can drop you home. If she’s not free, we can grab a taxi.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “Thank you for always being there for me.”

“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she whispers. “I’ll go grab you some pyjamas and then we can spend the rest of the night watching movies.”

“What if Mark comes here looking for me? Or Esther?” I question as I peel my top off.

“I’ve given your parents strict orders not to tell them where you are.”

I nod as I grab another towel, wrapping it around me. I remove the rest of my wet clothes, yet I still feel like I’m carrying a heavy weight on me.

I just hope I can unload it before it drags me under and I drown.