Page 94 of Broken Souls

A moment later, we’re alone in the room. Even Ghost trotted after everyone. Well, everyone was giving him so many hugs and kisses that he chose to follow a fun bunch. I look at Mark, and I don’t think he moved at all.

“What are you doing here, Mark?”

“Justin invited me over.” He puts his hands in his front pockets.

“Right.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. I’m about to get a nice Christmas headache.

“He really did.”

I open my eyes and notice him taking a measured step toward me.

“When did you become friends?” I ask

“We—” His eyes dart around. “Made amends.”

“Amends?”

“Yes.” He takes another step.

“And what are you doing here?”

“I’m trying to see if there is anything, I meananything, I can do to fix the situation between the woman I love and myself.”

“The woman you love?” I snort pitifully. “I heard you forgot about the said woman pretty fast.”

“That’s not true.”

“Really?” I squint my eyes. “You know, when you flew around the town with a wide smile on your face, you didn’t look all too heartbroken to me.”

“Did you keep track of me?” He bites his lower lip, trying not to smile. But he fails because the crinkles around his eyes give him away.

“No.”

“Liar.” His smile is full, and I forgot how blinding it can be.

I roll my lips before asking. “Why are you really here, Mark?”

“I’m here…” He takes a careful step forward. “Because I can’t live without you.” Another step. “I’ve tried”—he takes one more—“but failed. I know my presence causes pain to you, but I’m willing to try anything, I mean anything, you want to see if it can work.” He takes another step and then he stops two feet from me. “I can even wear a paper bag on my head if it will help.”

I look up and see a small smiling playing at his lips. “It doesn’t cause me pain.”

“No?” His brows shoot up.

“No.” The vigorous shake of my head makes my hair to fall to my chest over my shoulder. “Not anymore.”

“I’m not in your nightmares anymore?” he asks hopefully.

“You are.”

His face falls.

“But you’re my hero now. You turn a nightmare into a dream,” I explain shyly, and his face brightens in understanding.

“Does it mean we can try again?”

I give him a wicked smile because he doesn’t know what I’ve been doing and how I was working on myself so I could take my life into my own hands. And if he didn’t come here, I’d go to his place and demand we make up.

“We might.”