Chapter 19

He heard the sound of her footsteps in the hallway. Paul let out a calming breath trying to control his frustration as he closed over the door to the nursery. Stephanie had finally returned after being gone for the best part of four hours. Fours hours where hardly a minute passed and he hadn't wondered where she was or what the hell she was doing. After all how long did it take to tell someone you were no longer friends; that you wanted nothing to do with them because they were a creepy son of a bitch. Of course Stephanie wouldn't have been as blunt as that about it. Knowing his wife she would have made apologies the whole time before blurting out the reason why and bolting out the door. Stephanie never did deal well with confrontation. In fact she usually preferred to avoid it at all costs. It was like if she didn't acknowledge a situation then she could pretend it wasn't happening. That it didn't exist. But unfortunately Mark did exist and the only way to deal with him was make sure he got the message loud and clear. His wife wasn't interested in being friends or anything else for matter.

As Paul made his way down the stairs, he saw Stephanie at the bottom. She was pulling off her jacket and as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, she glanced up and smiled at him. But he couldn't smile back. He was too wound up and pissed off.

"Has Jake gone down for his nap?" Stephanie asked him.

Paul only nodded his head not sure he could trust himself to speak as he reached the bottom of the staircase. He'd had too long to dwell on things. His worry had turned to anger and that anger had built up to the point that he felt absolutely fucking furious with her.

"Sorry I was gone so long. Things didn't exactly go to plan."

"No shit Sherlock." he shot back sarcastically.

Stephanie sighed as she reached up tucking her brown strands behind her left ear. She had been expecting this. She knew Paul would be angry with her but hopefully her husband would calm down and understand once she had explained about Mark. Touching his arm, she gently tugged him in her direction.

"Look can we sit down and I'll explain everything."

Paul was silent for a moment before he lifted his left shoulder in a shrug and let Stephanie lead him to the living room. Her big blue eyes looked up at him apologetically as she guided them towards the sofa where they sat down. A soft toy fell to the floor at the movement of the cushions. Paul looked at Stephanie oddly as she released his hand and lifted the cuddly dog, gazing at it for a moment before placing it in her lap.

"Where did that come from? I've never seen it before."

"It was Jamie's." Stephanie explained as she smiled sadly. "Mark wanted Ellie to have it."

"Why?"

Her right shoulder lifted in an impatient shrug at his need to question her. "He thought she would like it I guess. That and he wanted to give her something to remember Jamie by. They were friends after all."

"I know they were." Paul replied feeling a little defensive at Stephanie's tone with him. After all, he wasn't having a go at her about the damn dog. He just wondered where it had come from that was all. He had no doubt Ellie would appreciate the gesture. She spoke all the time about Jamie and missed her a lot.

"So you don't mind her having it?"

"The dog? Of course I don't."

Paul pressed his lips together tightly, shaking his head. He was annoyed Stephanie would even think he wouldn't want his daughter to have the toy. He wasn't fucking heartless. His issue was with Mark making a pass at his wife. Nothing else. Leaning back in the cushions to turn to her, his brown eyes appraised Stephanie carefully. He tried to get a feel for how things had gone this morning but her demeanour wasn't giving anything away so Paul asked the question that had been on the tip of his tongue the second he had heard her walk through the door.

"So, how did it go over there?"

Stephanie was silent for a moment as her head bowed and her fingers began to absently toy with the large ear of the dog. Paul sniffed impatiently and touched her arm to get her attention.

"Steph? I asked you how it went."

Her head lifted slowly and when her ocean blue pools looked into his it only echoed his fears and Stephanie's admission that quickly followed.

"Look I couldn't do it okay?" she cried as she lifted the dog from her lap and placed it on the table next to her. Her fingers raked through her hair nervously as she rolled her lips together and lifted her shoulders in an apologetic shrug.

"When I went there Mark was crying. He was upset. He'd just been going through her things and it was hard for him. I think it finally hit him Jamie was really gone."

She paused for a second as she felt her own frustration bubble to the surface. Frustration that in his anger at Mark, Paul had seemingly forgotten what he was going through right now.

"You know Jamie, right?" she snapped. "The daughter he only buried yesterday."

Paul shook his head furiously. "Don't do this, Steph. Don't make me out to be some kind of bastard here."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are." he told her as he sat forward on the sofa. His forearms rested on his thick thighs as he sighed softly and turned to look at his wife.

"Look I know this is going to be difficult for you…."

"Difficult?" Stephanie shot back wide eyed and she let out an incredulous snort. Her hands pushed back her hair in frustration resting on her head for a moment before falling to her lap. "Christ Paul, you have no idea."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked as his frow burrowed deeply.

Stephanie stood up from the sofa and took a few paces across the room. She stood with her back to Paul for a few seconds as she struggled to keep her temper in check. Shouting at him wasn't going to help matters. She had to be rational about this. After all it wasn't his fault she had become Mark's emotional crutch. She had gotten into that one all by herself. Still he could be a little more understanding about her situation. After all, he knew her. He knew she couldn't just walk away from someone who needed her. And Mark needed her right now despite everything else and that included her husband's dislike for the guy.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" she eventually replied as she turned to face him. "The guy has just lost his daughter. He's got no one to turn to. No one to really talk to. No one to help him try and get through this mess. The only person he has is me. That's it. And I can't just walk away from that."

Paul's brown eyes softened knowing that was true. Stephanie couldn't walk away. She would never abandon a friend in need. She just didn't work that way. She had such a big heart. It was one of the many reasons he loved her. But as much as he loved her, he also needed to protect her. Stephanie really had no clue what she was dealing with. As usual she only saw the good in people. She trusted them too easily. She had no idea Mark was taking advantage of the whole situation; of her. He was leaning on Stephanie when he had other people he could lean on. He had family. They should be helping him through his grief, not his wife.

"And what about Debby's parents? Jane?" he asked.

Stephanie shook her head slowly. "He won't talk to her like he talks to me."

Paul rolled his eyes unsurprised. "How very fucking convenient!"

Her eyes narrowed at him sharply as Stephanie threw her hands in the air, frustrated once more. "Do you have to be such an asshole about this? I mean the guy is grieving for his child for Christ sakes. He's upset. In fact he's an absolute bloody mess if the truth be told. I mean put yourself in his shoes. How would you be feeling if it was Ellie that had been killed?"

As her words hung in the air between them, Paul felt his blood chill. The mere thought of losing his daughter made him die inside. He just wouldn't survive it. It was as simple as that. God knows how Mark had even survived this far but despite that, despite having sympathy for him and despite having a vague idea of the personal hell he must be going through right now, Paul couldn't help how he felt. His gut kept telling him Mark wasn't to be trusted. He was using his emotional state to get Stephanie on side or at least that's the way he saw it. And maybe he was being completely unfair to Mark, but he couldn't help it. He quite clearly had an agenda when it came to Steph and why couldn't she see that? Why couldn't she see he was taking advantage of the situation?

Paul stood up from the sofa and tugging down the hem of his t-shirt, Paul reached for Stephanie and took her hand. His fingers loosely gripped hers as he looked into her eyes.

"Look I know its shit. In fact the whole thing is just horrible. Mark lost his child and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Not even my worst enemy. But Steph, he made a pass at you. Despite his grief, despite everything the guy kissed my wife and I'm sorry but I can't just sit back and accept it.

"But why? It was a mistake, Paul. A stupid mistake and I keep telling you this." Stephanie's big eyes pleaded with him to trust her as she threaded her fingers through his clasping his hand. "Why won't you believe me? Why can't you let it go?" she asked.

"Because I just can't okay?"

"But Mark and I are just friends."

Paul shook his head angrily at her reply as he stepped back releasing her hand and tried to ignore the flash of pain in her eyes as she looked at him. Why couldn't she see? Why didn't she get it? "Friends my ass, Steph." he snorted in disgust. "The guy is obsessed with you."

"What! No he's not."

"Yes he is. I've seen the way he is with you. The way he looks at you. Everything." he told her as he paused for a second, rubbing his hand over his brow. "Trust me. As a guy who knows how guys are, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wants you Steph."

"But he's still in love with Debbie."

Paul shook his head at that argument. The very argument that gave him the creeps every single time he thought about it. "Debbie? You mean ex-wife Debbie? The woman who looks exactly like you. In fact she's your spitting image across to Jane. She had to do a double take when she saw you at the funeral yesterday."

"What?"

"It's true. Ask her."

Stephanie said nothing for a moment. She just stood there in silence trying to take it all in. He was sure it had come as a bit of shock to hear about Debbie. It wasn't every day you found out you had a doppelganger and especially one that had been romantically involved with your old high school friend; a high school friend that was now back on the scene. But he'd had to tell her. He had to make Stephanie see why he was so against her friendship with Mark. The guy clearly saw her as a substitute for his missing wife and in his current emotional state God knows where that could lead to. He'd already kissed Stephanie. He'd already tried it on with her. It was only a matter of time before he tried it on again. Of course the thought of another guy touching Stephanie made his skin crawl but this was more than that. He wasn't just acting out of irrational jealousy. He didn't trust Mark. In his mind he was a threat to Stephanie and as her husband, he had to protect her from him. He had to protect their marriage.

Taking her hand in his, Paul pulled Stephanie towards him lightly brushing his lips over her forehead. Her beautiful face was etched with her concern and his big hand lifted to her cheek as his thumb gently caressed her skin.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to freak you out but can you see now why I'm so uneasy about you being with him? Why I want you to stay away from him."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head. She had to admit it put a different perspective on her relationship with Mark. In fact it made her question everything. Were they really friends or when Mark looked at her, did he see Debbie? Did he see the wife who left him, the mother of his children? Or did he actually see her? Stephanie. His childhood friend; the girl with whom he had shared a first kiss and dated. God, Paul didn't even know that they had dated back in high school. Not that she had deliberately kept it from him. Their past had just never come up in conversation. She guessed the whole situation with Jamie took over and made it unimportant. But she could hazard a guess that if he knew, then it would become important and Paul would be even more adamant that she keep her distance from Mark. And maybe he was right. Maybe she should stay away from him. He had enough emotional baggage right now. The last thing he needed was her face reminding him of Debbie. The mother of the child he had just lost. Maybe that's why he had even been clinging on to her so desperately.

"Please, Steph. It needs to be over. Surely you can see that?"

"I do." she admitted softly. Her lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles as she looked at her husband. She could see the visible relief on his face. Relief that she had finally seen sense.

"I'll tell him tomorrow." she promised.

"No, you won't."

Her blue eyes stared at her husband in confusion.

"I'll tell him." Paul informed her.

"No, Paul. You can't." she pleaded as she gripped his arms tightly. "This needs to come from me."

"Why?" he shot back angrily. "So he can sucker you in again and make you feel sorry for him? No, Steph. He needs to get the message loud and clear before this whole damn thing gets out of hand."

"No Paul. Please. Not like this."

But Stephanie's plea fell on deaf ears as her fingers slipped from his arms and Paul stormed out of the living room. She stood there for a second, stunned until her instincts kicked in and she ran after him.

"Paul. Paul, please wait."

But he didn't wait. The front door slammed in front of her making her wince and as her hand reached for the knob to follow him outside and stop him, she heard the baby cry. Stephanie let out a groan of frustration and lingered in the hallway, her mind racked with indecision until she threw her hands in the air and began to make her way towards the nursery.

"Paul, you'd better not screw this up." she muttered as she ran up the stairs, her heart racing in her chest and the blood beating in her ears as she silently prayed everything would be okay.