I sigh, releasing my grip on her waist. She looks up at me. Obviously confused, she scrunches her eyebrows together in that adorable way she does.

"That doesn't sound very enthusiastic," she observes. "Do you not want-"

"Stop it," I cut her off. I cup her face with both my hands and look her right in the eyes. God, she's so beautiful. "Don't even go there. There is nothing in this world I want more than you. Nothing. You hear me?" She nods.

Her blue grey eyes glisten with unshed tears. "But?"

I swallow loudly, afraid of what I'm about to say but know I have to. "But I need to know you want me too."

"I just said I-"

"I know what you said, Lyn. But if you come back I have to know that you trust me. I have to know that you believe we can be the same Marcel and Lyn we were before. Do you?"

She looks away. Of course. I knew it wouldn't be easy. We've been at it for weeks until we finally broke up.

That's because we lost ourselves in the lies Ariel created. And that's all they were. Lies. As soon as we both accept that, the sooner we both can move forward but I can't do that if she still looks at me like I cheated on her when I didn't. And has feelings for another guy.

"It's not that easy. I can't just forget about everything that happened these past months."

"I can," I argue. "The reason I left you last night was because I thought the best thing to do was to give you space and time to think. But we've had enough of that, Lyn. None of it really matters. What matters is us. Right here, right now."

She shakes her head. "Would you look at it from my point of view? I thought you cheated on me. And while I was trying to figure out if I should've forgiven you I find out you're a father-"

"I'm not."

"I thought you were. And you thought you were and you hid it from me. Don't you see? That wasn't Ariel. That was you. You lied to me about something as important as that even if you weren't really the father. And that's why it's not so easy to just trust you again."

"Now hold on right there. I was going to tell you as soon as I found out. Your 'bestie' was the one who basically told me I would ruin your life if I did. I never lied to you, Lyn."

She shakes her head again. I take a step back. "What are we doing?" I run my hand across my face.

"I didn't come here to fight with you. I came to fight for you."

"I'm not pushing you away, Lyn. I just want you to be sure. I want this behind us. God, I miss you so much."

She steps forward and wraps her arms around me. "I miss you too. Can I just.... stay here tonight?" She mumbles against my chest.

I hold her tightly. "Anytime you want." Kissing the top of her head, I lead her to the couch. I play a movie and grab some chips and soda from the kitchen. She snuggles against my chest and eventually that's how we fell asleep.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Quiet conversation is what I wake up to. That and the smell of something delicious. I lazily open my eyes and I'm hit with a familiar feeling. I'm​ in his bedroom - was 'our' bedroom before I moved out. But now it's just Marcel's. The bed feels the same, smells like him. He hasn't changed a thing in the bedroom, I observe.

The realisation that I'm in his bed quickly jerks me upright. I peek under the sheets. Nope. Still dressed though I somehow ended up in his T-shirt. I don't know why I feel a little disappointed about that.

Feeling a bit mischievous, I quietly pad into the kitchen after brushing my teeth and washing my face. I stand at the door and watch as Marcel manoeuvres around the room with humble expertise.

He's apparently on a phone call and the phone is on speaker. So he's alone.

Good.

I step inside the kitchen.

He's yet to see me since his back is turned and his attention is half on the stove and half on the call. I walk over to the fridge and clear my throat but not too loudly to disturb his call. He turns around the same moment I bend over pretending to look in the fridge.

"Holy shhh...uh...Mr Gordon? Can we continue this discussion at the office?"

There's a pause and then, "Sure. I'll come by around one."

Marcel rattles off a quick agreement and goodbye. I can feel his eyes on me. "Hmm...you don't have any orange juice. No milk." I stand up, closing the fridge. "Coffee?"

He points to the coffee maker on the counter. Same place it always is. I make sure my girls brush him while I pass behind him to get to the coffee.

"I hope you don't mind that I changed your clothes and moved you to the bed. The couch seemed a little uncomfortable."

I shrug, tipping to reach the mugs in the cupboard. The more I stretch, the more my legs are exposed.

...he let you go because you needed him to.

He turns his attention back to the stove. Well, he tries to but he keeps glancing at me. I decide to let him finish the eggs before my distraction caused them to burn.

...you've got all that and you're throwing it away. I shake my head, trying to get rid of Ariel's voice in my head.

I came here to get him back and that's what I'm going to do. He can make all the excuses he could but I know he's trying to push me away because he's scared.

What will it take for him to see that I'm not going to leave him again? He turns the stove down telling me to have a seat. So I sit down.

On the counter.

He glances at my legs than raises an eyebrow. "Just waiting on the coffee," I lie. "So what are you doing today?"

"Well, I have two meetings. Both new and big clients."

I smile, proud of him. "That's great."

"Yea. You always told me this was gonna happen."

"Not that you ever believed in my awesome psychic abilities," I laugh.

"Psychic, huh? What am I thinking now?" He says, coming closer to me.

I bite my lip. His eyes are drawn to the movement. "You're thinking about kissing me."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I want you to," I whisper, praying he wouldn't shut me down. He closes the space between us. Slowly, he trails his hands up my thighs. His eyes feel like they're glued to mine as if he's​ searching for something. I have no doubt now that we can go back to the way we were.

We just need to work on it. It can't happen overnight.

I smile, mentally giving him the go ahead. He brushes his thumb between my thighs, just below the hem of the T-shirt. I bite down on my lip again to prevent myself from jumping him. He grips the fabric and begins​ to pull it off me when we're suddenly interrupted by the smell of something burning.

I smile when he swears under his breath. Hopping down from the counter, I attend to the coffee while he tries to salvage breakfast.

I pour two mugs of coffee and add sugar and creamer. I leave the sugar on the counter, knowing he's going to add more to it.

"Damn it." He throws the frying pan into the sink and runs a hand through his hair.

"Hey, I can make breakfast. Don't worry about it." I feel bad because it's my fault breakfast is ruined. He's about to say something when my phone rings. I have no idea where it is but make no effort to look. "Pancakes okay?"

He smiles, nodding. My phone rings again and I ignore it. Then it just wouldn't shut up. "You wanna get that?" Marcel asks.

I sigh. Following the direction where the sound is coming from, I find the phone in my jacket pocket. It's Nick.

"Hello?"

"Evelyn, hey. I thought you were still at the hospital."

"I came home. Did something happen? Is Mom okay?" Please tell me she's okay.

"No no no. She's still resting. She's fine. I was just uh.... checking in on you. You didn't say much after you asked about my Dad..."

After Marcel was taken outside by the guard last night, I asked Nick what the fight was about. He had a nasty bruise on his cheek from where Marcel hit him but he refused to let the doctor look at it.

Instead he ushered me back to my room saying I needed to lie down. But I didn't care about the doctor's orders. I needed to know what made Marcel so angry. He told me everything.

Marcel misunderstood.

I take a deep breath. For some reason, I trust him. He didn't have to tell me but he did. He was so ashamed of his father.

"I know. I was just trying to process it all. I still can't believe your Dad did that."

"I can't either. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you believe me when I say I knew nothing about it before last night. I don't want to lose you, Evelyn."

My breath hitches. That's the first time Nick's ever said something like that to me. "Of course I believe you. It's just a sore topic for Marcel but I'll talk to him-"

"You don't have to do that. Besides, I'm sure nothing you can say will change his mind about me." I sigh, knowing he's right. "Will I see you soon?"

I run a hand through my hair. He's probably still in shock after finding about his father. I immediately feel bad for leaving him alone with his thoughts. But Marcel.... I had to be here for him.

Feeling a familiar presence behind me, I turn around to find Marcel standing at the door to the kitchen. "Sure. Hey, I have to go. I'll call you."

I hang up and am about to speak but Marcel interrupts. "Talking about me?"

I put the phone down and walk over to him. I shrug, changing the topic. "Do you even have pancake mixes?" I walk pass him into the kitchen.

He looks like he's going to say something but decides against it. He just follows me into the kitchen and opens the cupboards, revealing the untouched pancake mixes I bought before I moved out.

Has he not cooked anything since I left? I'm​ about to voice my question but think better of it. I get to work on the pancakes while he watches and sips his coffee. After each sip he adds​ more sugar.

He helps himself to the pancakes and I decide to join him. He pours syrup all over the pancakes. "You know, I'll be surprised if all that sugar isn't what kills you," I tell him.

He smiles at me. "Before you do? I'm convinced that you were trying to give me a heart attack this morning." His eyes trail over me making heat rise to my cheeks.

Think we've already done enough damage to your heart...

"You're the one that put me in your clothes," I defend.

"Because I know you like sleeping in them rather than your jeans."

Okay, that's true. We finish off breakfast then I go upstairs to get dressed. When I come back down, Marcel is sitting on the couch, staring at the blank screen of the television.

I call his name but he doesn't respond. My heart breaks for him when I move to join him on the couch. "Hey," I say. He finally looks at me.

"Hey."

"What's on your mind?" I question. He's looking so out of it.

"Are you staying over tonight?"

"Unless my parents decide they want me at the hospital tonight... I'll be here. They sort of kicked me out, telling me they'll call if something happens."

"Mrs. Brady is a tough cookie. She'll be back to normal in no time," he smiles. Unfortunately, it's a fake smile and I know why.

"You're waiting for me to walk out again, aren't you?"

He looks away. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Sorry for what?"

"I just found the man who murdered my parents last night and there's nothing I can do about it. Then I come home to clear my head and you show up and stay over. Then you walk around in my shirt, making breakfast... acting like we used to. It made me feel a ton times better than being here alone with my thoughts," he sighs. "I'm just scared shitless you're going to leave again, Lyn. And I don't think I can handle losing you twice."

I shake my head and move closer to him on the couch. "What will it take for me to show you that I'm here? For real."

"Move back in with me." He stares me right in the eyes. "If you're really back then get your stuff and move back here."

I wasn't expecting that.

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖