Mark (Next Generation Carter Brother #9)

Epilogue

Mark

Family gatherings are always my favourite time. I’ve always found people’s hesitance about attending them to be dramatic. It wasn’t until Freya’s family on the cruise that I realised not everyone was being dramatic. They can be chaotic, argumentative, and one conversation can lead to a full-on brawl.

Yet the Carter get togethers are their own type of chaotic. My uncle Max is currently behind the grill wearing a nude woman apron, arguing with my dad about how to cook the burgers right.

My uncle Myles is currently trying to untangle himself from the net Max got him caught up in over an hour ago.

And I’m not even sure what Liam had done to make Hayden start beating him.

When I feel Freya’s gaze on me, I know exactly what’s she’s thinking. She’s thinking I’m a liar. A big fat liar. Because when we talked Summer into coming, I told her we are normal, and function like a hallmark family. Freya argued and said we were our own brand of crazy. But me, being a proud Carter and all, bet her I could prove her wrong.

It lasted all but ten minutes before chaos erupted.

Summer laughs when Hayden dives on Liam from across the garden. I turn to Freya, grimacing. “Okay, so they are a little crazy.”

“A little?”

“Okay, a lot.”

“Your uncle needs to stay away from anything flammable.”

I shrug. “I’m pretty sure he’s fire proof. Hayden set his trousers on fire with a sparkler as a child and he survived.”

She sighs. “Well, I guess it’s not as bad as my family.”

“Maya,” Summer greets.

I turn to find her walking in with Mason and Denny. She walks over, kissing her granddaughter first, then Summer, before coming to kiss my cheek.

“How are my favourite people?” she greets.

“Fantastic. How is your new home?” Summer asks.

“How can it be new when she’s lived there over a month?” Aiden asks.

“What?” Freya asks and I inwardly groan.

“I’m telling you, my back still hurts from lifting all those boxes,” he replies, not reading the room. Or well, garden.

“I thought you only moved in this weekend?” Summer mentions.

“Nanna,” Freya warns.

Maya holds up her hands. “All right, all right. The boys moved me in the weekend after they arrived home.”

Freya’s head spins so fast to me, I almost get whiplash. “Wait, those cookies that were in your kitchen. She made them, didn’t she?”

I gulp. “Yes?”

She smacks my arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrug. “She asked me not to.”

“Why?” Freya questions.

“Because I wanted you two to sort it out first. We had a lot of catching up to do, and we spoke a lot whilst he stayed to help me unpack,” Maya replies, saving me.

And now she’s back to glaring at me. “So you knew that I knew about you know what?”

She means her devious sister and her fucked up plan. “Yes.”

She opens her mouth then closes it. She shakes her head. “I don’t understand. Why would you keep that from me? Why did you act surprised that I knew? Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“Because you needed time to process. Whilst you were told the truth, your eyes still saw what they did. That’s a lot to process and to trust. I gave you time to process it. I am not sorry for that.”

She reaches up to cup my cheek. “I love you, you marshmallow.”

“I love you too.” I grin. “Can all our fights be like this?”

She chuckles. “Nope. But if you want to avoid big ones, stop eating the last piece of bread in the mornings and don’t leave the toilet seat up.”

“Agree with that one. I nearly fell into the toilet the other night,” Summer adds. “I swear, my soul left my body.”

“So you’ve not told her?” Maya asks.

“Wait, there’s something you need to tell me?” Freya asks when she realises Maya is talking to Summer. “When did you see Nanna?”

“I pick her up from bingo every Thursday, then we always have a late-night snack,” Summer replies.

“Is there anyone else here who sees my nan more than me?” Freya asks.

Dad holds his hand up. “We take her to lunch every Tuesday.”

Max holds his hand up. “I go clubbing with her every Saturday pretty much.”

Lake snorts. “We go shopping Saturday mornings.”

“She’s been a guest on my show and I pop in on Wednesdays,” Hayden adds.

I narrow my gaze on Hayden. “She bakes on Wednesdays.”

Hayden shrugs. “Good to know.”

Kayla puts her hand up. “We pop in Monday mornings to collect the toys she knits for the kids in foster care.”

When Aiden puts his hand up, Freya yells. “I get it. You all see her.”

“No need to be jealous, sweetie,” Maya promises.

“What did you need to tell me?” Freya asks Summer.

She glances at Maya, then back at Freya. “Can we talk about it at home?” she asks.

“Tell me because I’m thinking the worst.”

Summer sighs. “Okay, but please don’t be upset.”

Freya takes her hand. “You can talk to me.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Mark…” she begins and everyone, including Max guarding the food, stops what they are doing. “Before you think this is me feeling left out, it’s the opposite. I am happy for you. But I think you two should move in together. You practically already do live together.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Freya rushes out.

Summer stiffens even more. “Urm, I’ve been thinking about moving in with my cousins. It makes sense. You two are already living together. I’m just there. You know I’ve only ever wanted happiness for you and you’ve got it. This is the happiest I’ve seen you since that fireman let you turn on the lights in the truck and let you go for a ride in it. With me there, you are constantly worrying about whether I’m left out or not. And honestly, I don’t want to hear my best friend have sex every night.”

“We do that at Mark’s,” Freya whispers.

“You’re both loud,” Summer hesitantly replies, making Freya’s cheeks redden.

“I’m sorry,” Freya grimaces. “But that’s no reason for you to leave. Right, Mark?”

“She’s right. You aren’t in the way, if that’s how we are making you feel,” I answer.

“You aren’t,” she assures us. “My family… they need me. I don’t want to leave you, trust me. I had planned on asking you to move in with them again when you came off the cruise but then everything happened and it didn’t feel right. I knew if I had asked you, you would have said yes out of hurt, but I knew how much he meant to you, so I waited for him to grow a pair and come grovel. It worked, and now my best friend is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Me leaving won’t change anything. I’ll still be your ride and die and see you all the time. I’ll just be sleeping somewhere else.”

Tears gather in Freya’s eyes. “This is what you want? It’s not because of Mark and I being together?”

“No. It actually makes it easier because I know you’ll be in good hands. Please understand, it’s nothing anyone has done. They’ve been through a lot and I know they’re hiding just how badly they are hurting. I want to be there. I just couldn’t leave you, but I feel like I can do that now.”

“Then I’ll support you. I’ll miss you like mad but I want you to be happy too. And I agree, they need you too.”

“Then why are you crying?” Summer asks, fighting her own tears.

“Because my best friend is moving out and I’m going to miss her.”

Summer places her forehead against Freya’s. “I’m moving out, not dying. I’ll still be your ride or die.”

“And she’s always welcome to come back,” I add.

“I’m still going to miss her,” Freya adds.

“He’s right though. I can always come back or you can always come stay with me.”

“Whose side are you on?” Freya asks when she pulls back.

Summer’s lips twitch as I roll my eyes. “Yours, always yours.”

Which is the same response they always give when someone asks whose side they are on.

“Can we eat now?” Max yells. “Because I’m starving.”

“You ate three pulled pork baps before everyone arrived,” Lake calls out.

“Technically two. Your brother ate the third.”

Dad places the paper plates on the table. “Let’s just eat.”

“You swear you’re okay with me leaving?” Summer whispers as everyone gets up. “I didn’t want to upset you or make you think you’ve done something wrong.”

“You’re my best friend, so yes, of course. You’ve always been there for me, so I’ll be here for you now.”

“Love you.”

“Love you more.”

“But not as much as me, right?” I ask.

“Shut up, Mark,” Summer snaps, pulling Freya in for a hug.

“Right?” I ask again.

“Give it up,” Harriett, a friend of Charlotte’s, calls out. “You’ll never be loved more than a ride or die friendship. If you try to get in between them, you’ll be the one who is fucked.”

“That isn’t true, is it, Freya?” I ask.

“Go get the burgers before your uncle steals them all.”

I narrow my gaze. “We’ll finish this later,” I promise.

“He’s so cute,” Harriett declares when I walk off.

*** *** ***

Holding Freya’s hand, we step into the lift. “Are you really okay?”

I know Summer is more than a friend to her. She’s family. “I’m good. Looking back, I think I missed all the signs that she wanted to be with them. And for her to think of me whilst making the decision to leave proves she didn’t make it lightly. We’ll be okay.”

“Not to sound like a prick, but I’m more worried about you and how you’ll be feeling.”

She leans up on her toes to kiss me. “I love you for it, but I’ll be okay. I promise.”

“So, how do you feel about us moving in together?”

She grins. “I’ll get sex whenever I want, I won’t have to worry about you stealing anything, and my cat will no longer be held hostage.”

I narrow my gaze. “I stole one doormat. The cat keeps breaking and entering. That’s not a hostage situation.”

She laughs. “You’re so cute when you get a frowny face.”

“You really don’t mind us moving in together?”

“Why, do you have a problem with it?” she asks, stepping back.

I bring her closer. “No. We already live together. Summer was right. I just didn’t want to assume you would want my stuff moved into yours.”

“You’re going to move into mine?”

“Why do you seem so shocked?” I ask.

“Because you love your place.”

“Yours feel more like a home. Plus, despite your cat constantly getting out, he prefers your bed to mine.”

“Then we move into mine,” she declares with a smile tugging at her lips. “We’re really doing this.”

“I told you, we are for keeps,” I remind her.

She leans up, kissing me briefly. “I guess you did,” she whispers. “Now, the question is, how are you going to fuck me to celebrate?”

The door dings when it reaches our floor. “I was thinking of in the chair in front of the mirror,” I reply huskily.

She smiles wider. “Or over the back of your sofa. Give the place one last goodbye.”

I grin, but movement over her shoulder catches my eye and I tense. “Fuck!”

She tenses and glances over her shoulder. For a moment, she freezes, but then grips my hand. “Let’s go in.”

I follow her, keeping my eye on the snake waiting outside our door, looking ready to strike. I prepare myself for a confrontation, but Freya surprises me when she ignores her sister and unlocks her door.

“Freya,” Esther calls out. “Are you just going to ignore me?”

I keep quiet, following Freya’s lead.

“Real mature. You can’t ignore me forever. I have news to share. I don’t know what he has told you, but it’s lies.”

Silence.

“You’ll forgive him but not me? I’m the one who turned him down. I did you a favour.”

Freya grips the door, staring at her sister. “Goodbye, Esther.”

She closes the door until it clicks. Doesn’t slam it shut. Doesn’t even put much thought into it, and it feels worse than it would if she had slammed it. It feels colder and I like it.

A fist bangs on the door. “Freya, talk to me. I’m pregnant. You’re going to be an aunt.”

Freya turns to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “So, sofa or bedroom? I will warn you, Summer may walk in on us and I’d rather her not see your junk again.”

I grin. “Why? I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Which explains my reasons,” she teases, ignoring her sister.

“Are you really going to ignore her? Not that I have a problem with it, but you don’t need to on my account.”

She shrugs. “She’s dead to me. We’re done. Now please, carry me to the bedroom.”

I lift her up in my arms. “I love you.”

She drops her forehead against mine. “Not as much as I love you.”

“We are forever, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you love me more than Summer, right?”

She laughs, wiggling until I put her down. She walks backwards towards her room, unbuttoning her blouse. “Why don’t I show you instead?”

My top is already off before I’m chasing after her. Her laughter fills my chest with warmth.

I don’t know what I did to deserve this woman, but I will spend eternity proving I’m worthy of her.

Because this is it.

This is all I need in life.

Her .