Page 175 of Checkmate
“You tolerated me. And the minute something came along that you perceived as better, you left without a backward glance.”
“Hey, it was hard for me, too.”
Marcus sighed as he thought back to the day he took Erica to retrieve her belongings. He’d told Sophie that divorce papers would be on their way. She didn’t look hurt. She wasn’t having second thoughts. Everything about her expression had been gleeful. Like the dog who got the bone.
That look had haunted him for a while, and now it reminded him just how awful this woman was.
“I’m sorry you and Alex are going through something,” he said. “But I am not a part of your revenge plan. You can’t come here and involve me in your games.”
“No games!” She said, moving over to him. He held his hand out, blocking her from coming closer. “Alex and I are done, Marcus. It’s over. He doesn’t want anything to do with me or the baby.”
“Shame,” Marcus said. “I still don’t care.”
“Yes, you do,” she replied. “Don’t you see, Marcus? Things can go back to the way they were now. I know you still love me. You can’t just turn off feelings like that, and you loved me so much.”
“Yeah, I did,” he admitted. “I really fucking loved you, and I would have moved heaven and earth to make you happy. In fact, I did everything I could to give you everything you believed you deserved.”
“Exactly!” She said excitedly, reaching for his hand. He pulled away with a scowl, standing and firmly moving her away from him.
“And then you threw it all back in my face by fucking another man! You think I still love you?” He scoffed. “Sophie, I don’t even hate you anymore. The truth is you are not even on my radar. I feel nothing towards you. And the fact you would come here on my girlfriend’s birthday and try to get back with me?
“You’re disgusting,” he said simply. “You want to pretend you love me, but if that was true, you wouldn’t try to interfere with my happiness.”
“But—”
“Because let me make it very clear. I am happier than I have ever been in my life. I love Erica in a way that makes a mockery of how I felt for you. You think you can waltz in here and win me back like you are on her level?” He scoffed again. “She is above you in every way and I find it genuinely amusing that you thought you had even a lick of a chance.”
Staring down at her, he ignored the tears swimming in her eyes. Turning his head, he raised his eyebrows in surprise as Erica entered with some blankets and a cup of tea.
“Here we are,” she said, placing them on the arm of the chair.
“What’s all this?” Marcus said, covering up the tension in the room.
“I’m offering you our sofa for the night,” she said, answering his question by addressing Sophie. “Just for tonight, mind. It’s far too late for my conscious to deal with letting a pregnant woman wander the streets alone. So you can stay here.”
Sophie glanced between them and cleared her throat. “I don’t need your charity.”
“Yes, you do,” Erica said, waving her off. “You said it yourself. You and Alex are over, and you have nowhere else to go. So tomorrow you can figure that out and tonight you can stay somewhere safe.
“But I want you to remember something, Sophie. In your darkest moments, it was me who showed you kindness.” Marcus watched the exchange and felt pride swell in his chest. Sophie had screwed over Erica and broken her damn heart. Erica would have had every right to send her packing. But that was not the kind of woman she was. She was too good for this world, kinder than anyone had any right to be.
And she was his.
He had never felt luckier.
“We should go to bed,” he said, smiling down at Erica. She nodded in agreement.
“There’s plenty of food in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever.” Sophie stood rooted to the spot, her cheeks flaming. “And don’t mistake my kindness for weakness, Sophie. Put one strand of hair out of line and I’ll call the police so fast you’ll be in handcuffs before you’ve even processed what’s happened.”
Sophie nodded once, unable to say anything else.
Marcus hid a smirk as he led Erica out of the room. “Oh,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Watch out for Anna. She has a genuine hatred towards liars and cheats. And this is her favourite room in the house.”
Shutting the door, he caught one last glimpse of Sophie’s pale face, sniggering to himself.
“That was cruel,” Erica said. “You’re terrible “
“And you’re wonderful,” he replied, swooping to kiss her gently. “Shall we head up and finish what we started?” He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, nipping her lip.
