“Look, Lana I own the fucking club. I’m responsible for people’s wages. I’m not going to let all the bad publicity ruin what I’ve built up over the years.”
“So it’s more important?”
“More important than what, Lana?”
“Me…” She trailed off, her heart left damaged and aching.
Marcus stepped back like she’d slapped his face.
“Why didn’t you call me? I was waiting around like a fool.” Her mouth was dry and the words sounded strangled.
Marcus took a step closer. “I was working.” He reinforced through gritted teeth.
“I just don’t know if I can trust you, or anyone for that matter.”
His hands bunched like he was holding back. “Right. I’ve got a shit load of work to follow up on.”
Gulping back the swell in her throat. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
He stood at the foot of the bed like a statue. “You’ve made up your mind. There’s no point arguing about it.” His sigh was barely noticeable.
“You didn’t text me or return my calls, then Amanda saw you with another woman. What else am I meant to think?” Her voice took a high-pitched tone almost breaking. “Did you have sex with her?”
“Fuckin’ hell, Lana!” he snapped.
“How can I trust you, Marcus? For all I know, you could’ve been shacked up with her all day and that’s why you didn’t call me!”
His shoulders drew back. “Jesus Christ, this is too much. I haven’t even been away that long and you’re accusing me of fucking around. Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
She shrugged slowly. “How can I? You’ve always been a player, and it’s not like we’re actually in a relationship.”
He cleared his throat. “I can tell this is upsetting you and that wasn’t my intention. I’m gonna head out…”
“Why?”
“To give you space.”
“Oh my god, Marcus. Obviously it’s you who wants space.”
“Right now, I do need space. I thought we had something to work with...but I just don’t know now. I opened up to you, Lana. You know my past, and yet, you still think I’d sneak around behind your back and fuck someone else. You actually think I’d lie…like a fucking spineless cheater?”
“What the hell, M…”
“Yeah, I’m an asshole, I get it,” he interrupted. “I didn’t cheat on you, even though we aren’t in a relationship. I was working alongside Donna Marie and I’ll continue to do so. And to think, I was actually really fucking happy to come home, to you.”
Lana saw the anger and the hurt in his eyes. Her gaze fell to her clasped fingers and her shoulders sagged.
“I’m sorry, Marcus. I just got really pissed when you didn’t return my call. I’m not thinking clearly at the moment.” She tucked her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins.
She hated feeling clingy and needy. In the back of her mind she had always felt an irritating niggle that he wasn’t boyfriend material.
Moving in had felt like a step too soon, temporarily or otherwise, and hoping he would be faithful seemed like an even bigger error. Now, emotions were involved, and he was pulling the reins on a runaway horse.
A strand of hair hooked his forehead, teasing the furrows. “You don’t trust me, and I can’t change my past. I’ve put you first from the minute we met, Lana. I’ve tried my best to change my old ways, but it isn’t easy. It shouldn’t be this hard. It’s no shocker this was going to go to shit. If we don’t have trust—then we have nothing.” His words spliced through the atmosphere like a fighter jet.
“You make it sound like you were doing me a favour, Marcus. I never asked you to change,” she snapped, raising her chin high and rounding her shoulders, even though she was far from fine with his cold brush off. “You’re right, if we don’t have trust then I shouldn’t be here. I’ll stay with Amanda.” She crawled off the bed and reached for a navy hoody that was slung on the floor.
There was a second or two of utter silence before he said, “No, you won’t.” Marcus stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets.
