It's Sunday and i realise as i stare out of the window of my office, that the weather looks to be perfect for outdoor activities. I initially had the intent to go over more rehab works at my house with the guys this morning, but my plans have changed.

I have been up for a while now. After spending an hour and a half working out, i quietly showered and changed without waking Marianne up before coming back here to my office.

I walk back to my desk and shuffle through the documents to see what i can get done now to pass the time. I want something to temporarily keep my mind busy, distracted.

But after a few minutes of forced concentration, i pick my phone up and open the gallery.

I swipe through the pictures again and linger on the ones i received last night of Marianne at O'hagans Irish pub, which was such a surprise because i didn't even know she had plans to go out last night.

For the most part of my evening, i felt guilty about leaving her to spend the night alone, only to see later receive these pictures.

Eli later informed me after questioning him, that she was in a group, but the sender deliberately sent me pictures of her sitting at a table alone with some guy, who i now know to be Gregory Kiriakis, and more pictures of her dancing.

She looks happy, carefree, but my eyes are zoomed in on her outfit, which i find to be ill-suited for the occasion.

I swipe through the rest of the pictures, the source of which i find even more disturbing than her choice of wardrobe.

Max was there last night at the pub and sent me the pictures with a caption 'Small world, Look who i ran into... sexy girl'. It fucked up my mood but luckily the event was almost over at the time.

The thought of Max ogling her all evening in her barely there outfit, while his sister decided to make an unexpected appearance with their father at the ball got my blood boiling.

Even worse, the thought of these pictures sitting in Max's phone for his viewing makes me want to smash something, anything.

She shouldn't have gone to such a place without me anyway, i seethe.

And the fact that Max is fully aware of my relationship with her doesn't sit very well with me either, despite what i am doing for their family, he is reckless, unpredictable and untrustworthy and i don't know what he might do with that information. I need to keep him and the rest of his family as far away from my personal life as soon as possible.

Now feeling far too worked up to be productive, i make my way back upstairs to Marianne.

She is not in bed when i get into the room, so i walk to the bathroom, where i find her standing infront of the vanity.

"Good morning" I murmur, standing behind her, and confining her between myself and the vanity.

"Good morning" she says softly, meeting my eyes through the mirror.

"Did you sleep well, what did you dream about?" I ask, pushing some hair away from her face and neck, and tucking it behind her ear, and then staring into her blue eyes that are still laced with sleep.

She blushes, obviously not expecting my actions, especially on the note that we seperated on last night.

"I did, you?"she whispers, looking down.

Thinking about Max has got me feeling very possessive and protective.

"It was ok" i mumble, my hands going around her waist and inside her tshirt, leaving her exposed on her lower half.

I lean down to kiss her neck, hoping she won't be as standoffish as she was last night.

She isn't, and i hold her tighter, rubbing my hands up and down her body, enjoying how soft she feels.

"Your temperature feels warm, too warm, are you ok,?"I ask, looking at her again.

"Is it? I am ok. I was going go take a shower just now" she murmurs, breaking out of my embrace and stepping towards the shower.

"Can i join you" I ask seriously, holding on to her hand.

"You are already dressed" she chuckles.

"I don't mind" I reply, pulling her back to me.

I grab the back of her neck and lean down to kiss her but she turns her head, again.

I straighten up and let her go, my fustration falling down on me like a ton of bricks.

"Can we talk first, i want to tell you something" she mumbles softly, as i make my way out of the bathroom.

"Angelo!" I hear her call a couple of times as i walk across the room and out of the bedroom.

*

I watch a visibly angry Angelo walk out of the room and frown.

I wasn't rejecting him this time, i just want to have a serious conversation with him first.

I step into the shower and try to make it quick.

It's already past 9am when i get back into the bedroom to change and i frown at the fact that i overslept today, but owing to the fact that it took me a while to fall back asleep after i woke up thanks to that dream last night.

I ended up using the time to think about my life generally, my future and what i wanted to do with our relationship going forward.

I dress up quickly, wanting to get downstairs as soon as possible.

Finally satisfied with my look, i grab my phone and rush out of the bedroom. I check my phone and see that it's almost 10am now.

I get to the bottom floor, and find Mario.

"Good morning Ms Wright" he murmurs, turning to fully face me.

"Good morning Mario...." I reply.

I look around, hoping to spot Angelo, which he notices and speaks up.

"He is in the Kitchen" he informs me.

I nod and smile briefly in gratitude before walking away.

Angelo whose is holding a file of documents in his hands, is there with Nick, who on the other hand is eating from a plate full of food.

"Goodmorning Mary" Nick utters.

"Hello Nick, how are you?" I ask politely, coming to stand infront of them both on the other side of the counter.

"I am surviving, just three more months to go right" he quips.

"But don't tell Ally i said that" he adds quickly, and i nod and chuckle understandably.

I guess Ally has been giving him a hard time with her pregnancy.

I look up at Angelo.

"Hai" he says, putting the papers down.

"Hey" I murmur sheepishly.

"Hungry?" He asks, walking to the microwave.

"I made you something" he adds, without waiting for my reply and taking out a plate and placing it on the counter infront of me.

I would rather talk to him right now.

I look down at the plate of toast, bacon and eggs.

He cooked? I wanted to make him breakfast this morning, especially after the way we parted last night.

But i overslept and then annoyed him again this morning.

"You don't like it? You want something else" he frowns.

"No.it looks great.....thank you" I mumble, wanting to say something more, then looking at Nick and dropping it.

Maybe i can wait a bit.

"Are you going somewhere?" He asks, looking at me critically.

"Yeah....." I answer simply, knowing he won't like where.

He continues to look at me expectantly, waiting for further details.

"I am going to meet with Luke" I supply.

He scoffs and picks up the papers he had before.

"I can't avoid him forever, he is my friend.." I say but he doesn't reply, nor look back.

"Angelo" I murmur softly.

"You made your position about him very clear....I don't know what more you expect me to say about that subject" he mutters looking down again.

"It would be nice if you didn't get mad at the situation while i try to figure it out." I respond.

"Why? Because I don't have a right to be upset? But ofcourse, i do not have a right to be mad....not with what i have done right?" he asks rhetorically.

"I never said that"

"No, your actions have made that more than clear"

"My actions"? I ask.

"You have made it abundantly clear more than once i have no right to you now, but after what he did, you are running back to him" he mutters lowly and i assume he is referring to me rejecting him last night and this morning.

I open my mouth to speak but he beats me to it.

"And last night? You didn't tell me you were going out dancing with strangers" he murmurs, he tone and mannerisms calm, but the intensity of his stare completely different.

I gape at him in surprise at how he is making it sound like something it's not.

Nick, who i forgot is sitting here suddenly stands up and picks up his place.

"Excuse me, i will just finish this somewhere else......" He says, awkwardly.

But before he can move, we are interrupted.

"Knock knock..... excuse me Angelo, they are here" Mario pops his head through the door.

Angelo nods and picks up the papers he had.

"Who is here? What's going on" I ask softly, noticing the new seriousness on his face.

"Dad and Ben" he says, walking towards the door.

"I am filling papers for desolution of marriage tomorrow, just finishing up the paper work with them" he adds softly.

My heart literally stops and i look at him with wide eyes.

"Why? What happened.....I mean, what has changed so suddenly?" I ask, my voice a mere whisper.

"I will talk to you later" He shrugs, before walking out the door.

An annulment?

Now?

He said he needed to stay married to her for atleast three months, but it hasn't been even half of that.

So why now?

What has changed?

This news should make me very happy right?

But I feel anxious.

I sit down and suddenly remember Nick is still in the room again.

I clear my throat.

"You are not going to join them?" I ask.

They are each other's right hand man, and i imagine there isn't a single detail of Angelo's life he isn't aware of.

"I will give them some privacy, leave it for the family to deal with" he says casually as he eats.

I nod, and decide to do the same, tossing the food around my plate with the folk.

I look at Nick again, who turns his attention to his phone and i contemplate asking him what's going on.

He looks up to find me already looking at him.

He smiles.

"Can i ask you something" I ask.

"Sure, shoot" he offers.

I push some hair behinds my ear nervously and wonder if I should even bring this up with him.

"You know what, never mind" I utter and try to start eating again.

After a few minutes, I speak again.

"Actually.....do you know why Angelo has decided to go ahead with the annulment now" I speak, contradicting myself.

He smiles again.

"I think that is a conversation for the two of you to have" he says simply.

"We will, but do you think i have been unfair to him, that i overreacted about the marriage thing?" I ask him.

"I don't think it's my place to speak..." he says.

"You are allowed"I say cheekily.

"Look, I don't think i am the right person to talk to you about this, he is my best friend and my opinion would be biased"

"Ok.. You know him better than anyone and i want to understand things from his point of view but from an outside perspective....." I utter animatedly.

He laughs.

"Which is why the two of you should talk" he responds and i feel my fustration build.

I groan.

"And we will..but i want to hear from you now...please"

He sighs.

"Fine, speaking as someone who has made alot of shitty mistakes.....I know without a doubt he is trying to avoid making some of the mistakes i made and would have liked for things to have played out differently, especially in the way you found out....but this wasn't an easy position for him to be in Mary, and sometimes, shit happens and regardless of what decision one makes, someone is bound to get hurt, believe it or not, he tried...he has been trying to make sure you are protected in every sense from all this drama, it may not seem like he is doing enough, but sometimes that's the best we can do, try our best." He says and pauses.

I nod at him encouragingly to continue talking.

"This wasn't something he was able to foresee and plan for, it was quick and there was no reaction time and personally, i have been in a position where i have had to make decisions that put my family first before my own interests, but that changed when i met Ally, but believe me, i didn't get it right the first time.

It's a difficult thing you know, when you have been brought up the way we have been, where family comes first.... to somehow strike a balance and separate that and your personal life harmoniously, but it's something Angelo needed time to figure out on his own and i think he has.

By now, you must know what he feels for you and more importantly what he wouldn't do to hurt you, and evidently he is trying really hard to make it up to you..... however, i think you have a choice to make too." He finishes.

"Thank you" I murmur softly.

He nods and walks to the door where he stops and adds before walking out.

"..... Don't judge him based on his worst mistake Marianne, nobody is perfect, but he is a good man, and he loves you alot"

*

I already agreed to meet Luke, so i reluctantly leave the house, without having a chance to talk to Angelo again.

I wish i knew why he has decided to take such a decision right now and i wonder if he felt any pressure from me because of the way i acted recently. Looking back at how things played out, i do wish i had acted a little differently sometimes.

Last night, i thought about a lot of things and came up with some resolutions, among which was to sort out my friendship with Luke, which is where i am going right now and also have an open and honest discussion with Angelo where i was going to offer my unconditional support and trust.

But, then earlier, he left the bedroom angry before we could even talk and misinterpreted my hesitation for rejection.

And now that he has mentioned the annulment, if I tell him i was going to support him anyway, he will think it's only because of his recent course of action.

I sigh and look out of the car window.

*

Luke and i are supposed to meet at a cafe in town, but he changes our meeting place at the last minute and do i meet him at the park near the bridge. There was a time we used to come here alot, when i had just started teaching. I love writing and used to do it alot as we overlooked the water, then he started reading my articles and started using them for work.

"So how have you been really?" he asks, facing me on the bench, after our initial pleasantries.

"Good." I reply thoughtfully, removing some stray hair from my face although it keeps blowing back, due to the slight windy weather today.

I expected some awkwardness between us, but there is none.

Go figure.

"How is Sarah?"I ask.

He scoffs.

"We broke up, a couple of weeks ago"he says with a shrug.

"What? why? Why didn't you tell me?"I ask, surprised.

"How could i, you nolonger have time for me. Since you met him, i barely see you, he has you locked up in a box" he spits.

"That's not true" I frown.

"Really? You moved out without telling me M, wouldn't even come out to see me afterwards...honestly, it's like i don't even know you any more" he complains.

Honestly, i feel bad. I have been a bad friend.

"I am sorry, really..... it's just been really crazy lately with so much going on." I murmur.

"You can say that again. This guy, what do you see in him? he is changing you, I mean, he is taking you away from your friends, turning your life upside down....."

"You know what, stop! I never disrespected your relationship with Sarah, not once, even when i had reason too, so if you can't do the same for me, then i don't want to be here," I say fiercely.

"Listen to yourself...You don't even sound like you anymore, you have changed so much that i don't even recognize you.....if i don't know you these days, then who does" he responds just as heatedly.

"I have changed? Why? Because i met someone, fell in love and put them first before you and suddenly i am the bad guy." I ask furiously.

"You know why that's so funny, it's because that was exactly what you did. When you started dating Sarah, she became the center of your universe, you would drop anything and everything we were doing at the snap of her finger to attend to her, I wouldn't see you for days, but i never complained, you know why, because you made it clear she made you happy, because that's what friends do, they support each other and allow each other to be happy...I did that for you, why should it different with me??" I ask.

"Because, even when i was with Sarah, you have always been the most important woman in my life" he murmurs.

"You had a funny way of showing it, considering you were always with her as you should have been because she was your girlfriend. Besides, she had never really liked me and never even bothered to hide it and you watched her be rude to be plenty of times but i put up with it because of you." I mutter.

He frowns and runs his fingers through his hair.

"I am sorry it looked like i allowed her to behave that way, it's just that, the real reason she treated you that way was something i couldn't help or change."

"Which was?" I ask.

"Because she knew how i really felt about you" he says softly.

"Luke don't..." I stop him.

I thought about his kiss last night and what Angelo and mum both said about his feelings for me.

I was hoping for the sake of our friendship, we would burry that and pretend it never happened.

"Mary, i am sorry, but i can't pretend anymore" he says, grabbing both of my hands.

I pull them back.

"Do you know how many times Sarah wanted me to move out or move in with her? But i continued to stay in that shitty building because of you Mary, because you refused to move and i wanted to be close to you." He continues.

"Enough, that is so unfair. How dare you bring this up now, after all this time, when i am finally with someone" I ask crossly.

"He is not right for you"

"And you are? Don't forget, I liked you first Luke, hell i even kissed you, remember that? but you didn't want me like that....."

"Mary......" He tries to interrupt but i talk over him.

"You wanted to be just friends. Then you went on to casually date a couple of girls right in my face, before dating Sarah....I put up with it and supported you...it's been two years Luke, you can't suddenly bring this up just because i am in a relationship now."

"I know, and believe me, i know i fucked up years ago when I didn't take my chance with you, that's why i never had the courage to open up about my feelings for you later, but i thought maybe one day. Then this guy showed up out of nowhere, and now turns out he is actually married...i just thought that maybe the universe was giving me another chance to be with you..." He utters.

"Luke, there are things going on that i can't really share with you, but regardless of that, no matter how much I care about you...." I say

"You did more than just care for me once Mary, I know if you just give it a chance, you would feel that way again" he interrupts.

"I love him, Luke, in a way i have never loved anyone before.....No matter what i may feel for you, or what you think he has done, i can never really unfall for him, and i don't want too either...so if you care about me and want to remain in my life, which i hope you do, because you are my family and i don't want to lose you, you will need to accept, respect and support me, and him." I murmur.

He stays quiet, considering my conditions and words.