A/N: Hello again and sorry a thousand times for the very late update! I haven't put aside this story – not at all – but I've been sooo busy lately. My summer holidays just began, so – hopefully – I'll be updating more frequently the next couple of weeks. It's not a promise, but I do promise to do my best!

Anyway, as always… Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. It's so nice to know that you actually like this story. Oh, which reminds me… I'm sorry for the abuse of the word 'actually'. I can't help it. They do it in the movie, too!

Okay, so on to chapter four…

Miss Sofie.

Chapter Four - Enough

I attended the Christmas party of Mia and her colleagues with mixed feelings. I was used to being at the gallery, but always with Mark and almost always in broad daylight. This night the lights had been dimmed, colourful disco lights were the only ones to shine, and there was music. Loud music. And lots of people I didn't know. Lots of drunken people. I came a little late, and so everyone seemed to be drunk already when I got there. Except the few who were to drive later.

I noticed Mia as soon as I got into the room. She was wearing a tight, short, red dress and a pair of red horns on top of her head. She looked as devilish as I would have thought her to be, if she had been after Mark. I was grateful that she wasn't.

As she noticed me she sent me a big smile and walked over to me.

"Anna!" She exclaimed but didn't reach out her hand to shake mine.

"Hello Mia." I said politely and wished Mark would show up. I couldn't' see him anywhere, though.

"Mark was asking for you." Mia continued. "He was worried something had happened since you hadn't shown up yet."

"Nothing happened. I just left late because…" I hesitated while thinking up an excuse. "…I didn't know what to wear!" What can I say? I'm a girl, and the excuse seemed realistic enough.

"Aha." Mia said with a suspicious look at me. Then she turned to talk to someone else and her face turned into a big and somewhat artificial smile. "Harry…!" She said and took the man's arm.

I reckoned Harry was her boss. At least if Mark had been right about her and her motives.

"Anna!" Someone said behind me and made me turn around to face him. It was Mark. His eyes looked dim, and he had obviously been drinking. He tried to give me a kiss on the cheek but miscalculated the distance from his face to mine, which made the corner of his mouth touch mine in the kiss. I don't think he noticed, but I certainly did! I felt a little dizzy as the warmth spread inside of me, and judging from the fire in my cheeks I was blushing as well.

"Is anything wrong?" Mark asked and had no clue what was going on inside of me.

"No. No. Nothing's wrong." I said and tried to look him in the eyes. I couldn't. "I just need something to drink."

"Are you sure? You look like you're boiling."

"Yes. I'm fine." I lied and walked to the bar. "One vodka and juice, please."

The bartender gave me a nod before he looked at Mark.

"Make it two vodkas with juice." The latter added and turned around to take a look at the crowd. I followed his example while waiting for my drink.

"Look, Anna, there's the new prime minister's sister!" Mark exclaimed so loudly that I was afraid she would've heard. She didn't react, though, so I guess she didn't hear him, after all.

"Is she the wife of Mia's boss?" I asked feeling sorry for the poor woman. When Mia set her eyes on something or someone, she usually got her way. I wouldn't have liked to be Harry's wife with Mia as competition. But then again…was it any better to be competing with Juliet? Though Juliet didn't compete with me on purpose?

"Yes, she is. She doesn't look much like her brother, does she?"

"She looks a lot older." I said not raising my voice as much as Mark did. "And a lot more boring!" I added looking at the woman, who looked worn and much older than she probably was. In spite of the way she looked, she kept going around saying hello to all of her husband's employees. She looked strong and energetic, if that goes with worn and old. I couldn't help admiring her a bit, as she walked around the room leaving an air of friendliness all over the place.

"Where are you, Anna?" Mark's drunken voice brought me back to reality.

"Oh, I was just lost in my thoughts."

"About the prime minister's sister?" He asked with a teasing twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, actually!" I said pretending to try to shock him.

"And all this time I thought you were going for her brother!" Mark said and laughed at his own remark.

"You should know me better by now." I said and nudged his arm. "The minister is not at all my kind."

"I thought he was every girl's kind!"

"Nah, he's too old." I said and took a big gulp of the drink the bartender finally brought me.

"Two more of these!" Mark said and emptied his drink in one.

I knew he ought not to drink so much, but he was in a good mood, and I was convinced he wouldn't start whimpering over Juliet, so I didn't say anything. Besides, I was his friend – not his mother! There was no need for me to be so protective of him!

"Anna! Hi!" A somewhat familiar, female voice made me take my eyes off of Mark. I had been staring at him trying to dance for quite a while now. The voice was Sarah's.

"Hello Sarah." I replied and hugged her back as she threw her arms around me. I hadn't exactly expected to be hugged by her as we had only met a few times before, but she was probably drunk as most other people were.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She asked in her American accent. "Looking for someone to bring home with you?"

"Eh, no. Not exactly." I said a little surprised by this straight forward question of hers. Then a thought crossed my mind. Was she waiting for me to ask her the same question? "Are you?"

"Ehm…" She hesitated. "…No."

It was easy to tell she was lying, but I didn't want her to tell anything she didn't like telling me about. I mean, I hardly knew her. Why would I want to hear about the guys she wanted to take home with her, anyway?

"Do you see that handsome man over there?" She asked and pointed at a tall and rather dark man with glasses and black hair. He looked good, I had to admit that, but his hair was far too long for my liking!

"Do you mean Karl?" I asked and wasn't too sure from where I knew his name.

"Do you know him?"

"Eh…no." I replied and tried to think really hard. I still couldn't remember where I had seen him before. "Are you…?"

"If I'm in love with him? No. I mean…Yes. I mean…I'm not exactly in love with him. 'Love' is such a big word. An analysis of the word 'love' will tell you that…"

I stopped listening. I knew what love meant. And I really wasn't depressed enough to listen to Sarah explaining the meaning of it to me. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind her at all, but I was beginning to get in the mood for partying, and talking about love wasn't exactly the funniest thing to do. To my big relief Mark came over and grabbed my hands.

"Come dance with me!" He said and dragged me onto the dance floor. The DJ played a song that was rather difficult to dance to, but Mark didn't care. He danced the best he could and when the song changed into the slow Christmas ballad by Billy Mack that I had heard so often lately, he just placed his hands on my hips and kept dancing. I tried to tell him that I didn't feel like dancing, but he just ignored me and stared at my lips with quite a drunk expression on his face.

"Mark? Are you alright?" I asked and felt how his hands moved a bit up my back. I tried to step away, but he held me back.

"I'm…fine." He said still staring at my lips, and I had a feeling he was about to fall and that he would take me with him when he did.

He moved his face a little closer to mine, and I closed my eyes wanting to give in. I just couldn't. It would destroy our friendship if anything like this happened, and I could never allow that.

"Anna…" Mark whispered and I felt a tickle inside of me and had second thoughts about not giving in. "…I'll just go talk to Mia."

The announcement of his took my by surprise and made me open my eyes with lightning speed, but Mark was already on his way towards Mia. The latter was dancing with her boss, whispering something into his ear, and, to be honest, it looked as if the object of her efforts wasn't at all pleased with her being so close. Though Mark was very drunk he obviously thought the same thing, and a few moments later he had separated Mia from her boss.

I sighed and walked away from the dance floor. I had been about to do something very stupid, and still I wished I had given in a little sooner. Then I scolded myself for thinking so, because it would definitely have been fatal!

---

"You must be new!" A voice said and the prime minister's sister smiled warmly at me. "I haven't seen you before!"

"Ehm…" I said not knowing whether it would be okay with her and her husband that I was there when I wasn't an employee.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Karen. Harry's wife." The woman said and shook my hand.

"Anna Carlings." I replied and shook her hand as well. "And I'm afraid I don't really belong here."

"What do you mean? Don't you feel welcome at work? Is it something I should talk to Harry about?"

"No, no!" I said with a smile as she misunderstood. "I don't work for your husband. I'm a friend of the guy who's in charge of the gallery."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Karen said with a small laugh, but then she looked away. What had caught her attention was a tall guy with brown hair and blue eyes. He was walking over to us (well, no…to Karen) reaching his hand out to her.

"Karen! It's been a long time!" He said and shook her hand with a big smile. She smiled back at him and returned the handshake.

"Mike, this is Anna." She said introducing us to each other. I didn't fail to see the mysterious smile she sent him, but as he took my hand and kissed it, she seemed to disappear.

"Charmed!" Mike said and looked me in the eyes. I know it was lame of him to say that, but a small part of me felt flattered, and as he kept looking at me with that charmed expression on his face, it didn't take me many minutes to let him get me a drink, and after another couple of drinks he persuaded me to go dance with him.

"What is a lovely lady such as yourself doing here, when you're not one of Harry's employees?" Mike asked as we danced. He had his hands on my back, and I did nothing to make him remove them.

"You know the guy who's in charge of the gallery?" I asked with a nod towards Mark who was dancing with Mia.

"Mia's friend? What about him? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, he's just my friend, but I'm here because he didn't want to go alone."

"Oh, so are you saying that you don't really want to be here? Are you bored?"

"Not anymore!" I heard myself say and cursed my tongue right afterwards. That was such a lame remark!

"Is that so?" Mike asked and looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment!"

I knew I blushed, and I never know what to do or where to look when I blush, so I decided to go take a drink.

"Was it something I said?" Mike asked bewildered as I got out of his arms.

"No. I just need a drink." I said and thought I left him on the dance floor. I didn't, because he followed me to the bar.

"Let me." He said and got me another drink. To be honest, I was flattered because of all the attention he paid me and probably also rather cheap because of all the alcohol I had already consumed.

"You look so beautiful!" Mike said a few moments later, holding me close on the dance floor. I felt how he moved up his hand to touch my hair, and as I looked behind him, I saw Karl doing the same thing to Sarah. They, too, were dancing closely. Sarah looked really, really happy and her happiness sort of infected me too, and for a moment it felt as if Mike were making me happy.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked in a hoarse whisper which told me he was feeling good.

"Just that…" I began and breathed in deeply. The alcohol was gaining effect on me, and I wanted to feel in love with Mike. "…How much I enjoy this."

"What?"

"You, holding me close." I said and held my breath, afraid what he'd think of that remark. He would either break away from me or hold me even closer. I was hoping for the last thing to happen.

Mike didn't reply – at least not with words – but just as the songs switched from Christmas is All Around (which they played AGAIN) to an even slower Christmas ballad which sounded quite a lot like the boy band Blue's newest single, Mike's hand on my neck pulled my face so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. I closed my eyes, ready to kiss him, but instead of fulfilling my expectations, Mike whispered in my ear.

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

Drunk as I was I just nodded and followed him as he led me away from the dance floor and outside in the rain. It must've been obvious to everyone that we were leaving together, but I didn't care.

As we got into a taxi I practically tore Mike's shirt up from his pants, letting my hands crawl up his body underneath it. He kissed me rather hard and violently, and it was easy to tell that he, too, could hardly wait till we got to his place. Somehow, though, we managed to stay dressed until Mike had paid the taxi driver and we got into his apartment, but I had only just closed the door behind me, when Mike pulled off my top. He went straight to my nipples and kissed them brutally, and for a flicker of a moment I thought about slowing down and taking it easy. Then I felt his hand slide up the inside of my leg. I was wearing a short skirt, and the touch of his hand on my leg felt wrong. Again I thought about slowing down, but it was hard with a man so turned on and so demanding in his actions as Mike was.

As his hand pulled down my briefs, and with them my nylons, something inside of me contracted. This was so wrong. Though I was drunk it felt wrong.

"No, stop." I said not loud enough for Mike to actually understand. We were still standing in the entrance. Even he would know why this was wrong.

"Mike, stop!" I said again, this time a little louder. I'm positive he heard me, because for a short moment he stiffened, but then he ignored me.

"Stop!" I demanded and withdrew his hand from my abdomen. He tried to kiss me again, but I turned my face away.

"I really don't get you." Mike said angrily and stepped a little away. "In the taxi you couldn't get enough of me, and now…"

"I know." I said without looking at him. "And I'm sorry. I just can't do this."

"Fine!" He said and opened the door, pushing me outside. "Have a nice life!"

Then he slammed the door behind me, and I felt more surprised than ashamed, though I was standing out in the street, with my panties down between my knees, thinking that at least he could have let me get dressed again before throwing me out!

---

"Hello!" I answered my phone drowsily. The only reason why I answered was the fact that I could see on the display that it was Mark. Anyone else but him wouldn't have gotten through, as I felt so wasted that all I wanted to do was sleep the day away.

I hadn't gotten home that late, because in the end nothing had happened, but I had been awake for hours thinking about Mark and Mike and the reason why I couldn't go through with Mike. The reason was, of course, Mark. I couldn't have sex with anyone as long as I was in love with Mark. Heck, I couldn't even kiss anyone without feeling bad. Kissing Paul had felt wrong, and now kissing Mike had felt wrong too. I silently cursed Mark for having such an impact on me, when I heard his happy voice in the other end of the line.

"Hey Anna! Not up yet?"

"Not up yet." I replied much more sulky than he deserved.

"I take it that you and Mike had a good time last night, then." He said almost in a laugh.

"You're wrong." I said and took a gulp of water from the glass on my bed table. I didn't remember putting it there when I got home, but I had been quite drunk, so it was no wonder, really.

"Was he really that lousy at it?" Mark asked obviously forgetting to whom he was talking.

"Mark, I'm not one of your perverted mates! I can't take dirty talk like that so early in the morning!"

"Early in the morning? Anna, it's almost five in the afternoon!"

"That's why it's dark outside? I thought it was still morning." I muttered.

"Anyway, I was just thinking about coming over to cook dinner in your kitchen, but as you haven't had breakfast yet…"

"Thanks, but I'll pass this one." I said and felt a little less moody. "It's really sweet of you, but I feel terrible." It wasn't a lie. Maybe my hangover wasn't as bad as it would've been if I had woken up in the morning instead of the afternoon, but I was still feeling very sorry for myself, and I didn't want Mark to see me this way. He'd ask what was wrong, and he wasn't supposed to know, so I turned down his offer, though all I wanted to do was to see him.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to eat alone, then." He said obviously trying to sound sadder than he was.

"Too bad your parents moved. Your mum would've loved to cook for you." I said remembering Mark's mum and dad. Already when we were young they were a bit grandparent-ish. I guess they were just old-fashioned, but I always thought of them as grandparents.

"Yeah. Oh, by the way, will you be celebrating Christmas with your parents?"

"No, they won't be coming home this Christmas. I thought I already told you."

"Yeah. Yes, you did. That's why I asked Ma if you could come home with me."

"And what did she say?"

"She told me never to ask such a question again!"

"Oh."

For a moment I thought I hadn't been listening and thereby missed a part of the conversation, as I couldn't imagine Mark's mum saying a thing like that. I wasn't thinking too clearly, which is why it surprised me so much. I should've known that she would never actually tell her son to leave his best friend behind, but I didn't.

"Anna!" Mark complained. "She told me never to ask again because of course you'll always be welcome. I even think you'll be more welcome than I. They've missed you since they moved from London."

"Oh." I said again taking another gulp of water. "I really need some painkillers!"

"Huh?"

"Oh. Nothing."

"So, what do you say?"

"To what?"

"Will you come spend Christmas with me…us?"

"Ehm… Can I think about it?" I asked not sure I could handle so many days with Mark in romantic Christmas surroundings.

"What's there to think about? You've got nowhere else to go, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, you'll be coming with me, then. End of discussion."

"But…"

"And you'll be driving, by the way!"

"Alright, then. But I'm only saying yes to make you shut up!" I said teasingly. I was finally beginning to feel a little awake.

"That's fine with me. As long as you say yes."

"But we won't be leaving too early, will we?"

"No, not if you don't want to."

"Good, 'cause I've got some work to do."

"I've got some…stuff…to do, too, so leaving late will be perfect."

"Alright. But I gotta get something to eat now."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"'Kay."

"Bye, Anna."

"Bye, Mark."

---

For some reason I didn't know, the atmosphere was rather gloomy as we drove towards Milton Keynes on the night of the 24th. Mark's parents had moved there from London more than one and a half year ago, and I felt a little bad about not having visited yet. When they still lived in London I saw them at least twice a month, and I hadn't realized before how much I had actually missed them both.

I had picked up Mark five minutes ago, and from he had said 'hi' and got into the car and until now, he hadn't said a single word. I didn't really know whether to question him about it, but I figured that he'd speak if he needed to talk about it.

I turned on the radio and switched channels instantly. They were playing Christmas is All Around again, and it was really beginning to get on my nerves.

We drove another distance in silence (except for the radio playing a song from the sixties), until I decided to ask what was wrong. It would be a long trip if Mark refused to talk all the way.

"So…how was your day?" I asked casually, keeping my eyes on the road. The rain was pouring down, and for some reason I've always liked rain in the dark. As long as it's not windy at the same time. I think it sort of calms me down. Makes me relax in some way.

"It was…" Mark began, then he hesitated pressing his thumb and index finger against the top of the bridge of his nose. I've never figured why he's always done that when there was something he didn't know how to say. When I've done so, it's always been to prevent myself from starting to cry.

"It was different." He finally spilled.

"In what way 'different'?" I asked encouragingly. I didn't want him to leave it at that.

"I…eh…went to see Juliet."

"You what?!" I exclaimed trying hard to focus on the road. "Why? What for? I mean, she's married, Mark. You're not supposed to hit on her!"

I think I almost revealed my feelings with this sudden exclamation of mine, but Mark was too lost in his sorrow to notice.

"It wasn't like that. I wasn't trying to steal her away. It'd be no good, anyway."

"Okay." I said breathing in deeply. I had to calm myself, so I began listening to the monotone sound of the wipers on the windscreen. "And…what happened, then?"

"I brought a…eh…CD player."

"A CD player?" I asked puzzled. "Why?"

"To play her Christmas carols."

"Aha." I said awaiting more.

"And then…" It was easy to tell he didn't know how to express himself. "…then I had brought these boards…"

"Boards?"

"Yes. I had written something on them."

"Something like…?"

"...like…'to me you're perfect' and stuff like that."

"So you revealed everything?"

"She already sort of knew, but…I just had to tell her, Anna! I had to get it out!"

"I guess I…understand that." I muttered focusing on the road.

"I left again and thought it a thing of the past, but then she ran to me…"

"And…?" I asked not sure if I wanted to know.

"She kissed me."

"She what?!" I exclaimed and made the car swerve to the right quite suddenly. Luckily no one came towards us at that very moment, and within a second or two I had the car under control again.

"Not passionately. More…like…in a friendly way." He sounded far too happy for my liking.

"And was it…all you had expected it to be?" I asked fighting with the pain in my nose, which indicated that tears were bound for my eyes.

"It happened so fast that I didn't realize until she had left again, what had just happened."

"Mark, you gotta let go!" I said trying not to sound hysterical. I felt it, though.

"I know. She's Peter's girl. I have no right to wish for her to leave him."

"Mark!" I exclaimed a bit shocked. This time, however, I was able to control both myself and the car. "You have to move on! If not for your own sake, then at least for hers and Peter's!"

"You're right, Anna. As always." He agreed and turned up the volume. It was Billy Mack again. Did mark actually like that old hippie's music?

Again we drove on in silence for a while. My own words kept going around inside of my head. "You have to move on!" I had told him. But didn't I have to, too? I had been lost in him since forever, and there was no way he could ever want me. It was about time I realized that he and I were never meant to be. Right there and then I decided to give up. No, I decided to start over – not give up. Enough was enough, and now was the right time to change the state of things!

"What're you saying?" Mark asked with a questioning look at me. I hadn't realized I had said the words out loud.

"I just think it's enough now!" I said not letting him know I was referring to my own feelings for him. He just smiled and looked a little happier than he did when we left London.

"Yeah. It's enough now." He muttered almost inaudibly while switching radio channels.

A/N: Don't have much to say right now. Hope you liked it. Please let me know if you did so by reviewing. Thank you so much!