Page 102 of Checkmate
“Nothing’s been happening, Mum,” Erica said, disturbing the peace. “I promise. We can prove it if we need to.”
“Which they don’t,” Lottie said. “Right, guys? Remember, we love Erica. We trust her.”
“Thanks, Lottie,” Erica replied. “But it’s okay.”
“We had a feeling something like this might happen,” Marcus said. “But Erica had her reasons for doing it this way.”
“If he had any inkling I knew, he’d have time to get rid of the evidence,” she said. “And then he would’ve concocted some story and made me doubt myself. Made you doubt me.”
“As if we’d doubt you,” Debra said. “Oh, darling, you must have felt so lonely going through this on your own.”
“I haven’t been alone, Mum. Marcus has been there, and I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Marcus smiled as Erica reached for his hand, offering him a reassuring squeeze. “Right back at you.”
“I know this is weird, guys,” Erica replied. “But Marcus has been a great friend to me. And he’s here to stay.”
“Then there’s nothing more to say,” Debra said, clapping her hands together. “Marcus, would you like to stay for dessert?”
“Man, your mum sure knows how to feed her family,” Marcus said as he let them into his flat. “I don’t think I could eat for a week.”
“She gave you the good stuff too, so I don’t think you left too bad an impression on them.”
“I’m glad,” he replied. He meant it too. One afternoon with her family was enough to know they were his kind of people. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun.
“So that kiss…”
“Yeah… I probably shouldn’t have done that, huh?”
“You regret it?” She asked.
“No. No, absolutely not.” He didn’t hesitate. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But in hindsight, it probably wasn’t my best idea.”
“I wouldn’t say that—”
They both jumped as Marcus’ phone blared out the music of Van Halen, his favoured ringtone of the moment.
He answered without checking the ID, his mind back on the kiss that had driven him crazy.
“What?”
“Marcus?” He scowled as he heard Sophie’s voice in his ear, an edge of irritation in her tone.
“What do you want, Sophie?” He sighed and glanced at Erica, who raised her eyebrow in question.
“Loudspeaker?” She whispered. Marcus nodded and switched to the speaker.
“Did you tell Erica about Alex?” Sophie’s voice filled the living room, an octave or two higher than usual. “He’s just called me, completely distraught—”
“Yes,” he replied. “Of course I told her.”
“Why did you do that, Marcus? Don’t you understand what you’ve done?”
“Go on then,” he said. “Amuse me. What exactly have I done?”
“You’ve ruined her marriage!”
“Nope. That was you,” he chuckled without humour. “Next.”
