I know I probably don't say it enough but thank you so much for all your lovely reviews for this story and the rest. It's what encourages me to keep going and keep dusting those cobwebs away. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride lol.

Chapter 24

"Sweet dreams little man."

Paul brushed back the soft dark hair from the sleeping infant's forehead and bending over the cot, he dropped a kiss on Jake's chubby cheek before quietly leaving the room. His son was out for the count and it was little wonder after the busy day he'd had. The ongoing adventure of presents and cake had completely worn him out and then of course there was the never ending attention from the cooing doting grandparents.

"Hey Daddy."

Ellie's voice got Paul's attention as the nursery door closed over behind him staying open just a crack and he turned his head to smile at her as she bounded towards him in her pyjamas.

"Is Jakey asleep now?" she asked.

Paul nodded his head. "Are you nearly ready for bed?" he asked.

Her curls bounced as Ellie nodded her head. "Grandpa Paul said I was to come and ask you if I can stay up and watch Cinderella with him and Grandma. Can I, Daddy? Please!"

Her big brown eyes stared up at him hopefully and Paul laughed as he ruffled her hair affectionately. "I guess so but only for a little while. You've got school tomorrow remember?"

"Okay." his daughter grinned.

She turned around and raced back down the stairs with Paul following close behind her. He smiled as he got to the living room to see Ellie already wedged between her grandparents on the sofa. Patricia looked up and smiled at her son.

"Is that Jake in bed?"

"Yeah. He's out like a light." he said lightly scratching his head as his eyes scoured the room. "Where's Steph?"

"On the phone to Linda I think."

Paul rolled his eyes dryly as he made his way through to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Her mother had only left an hour ago and they were on the phone already. What the hell did they find to talk about anyways especially when they talked every day sometimes even two or three times and that didn't count the times Linda actually came to visit. It seemed all conversation between a mother and her daughter was totally limitless.

However, all thoughts of Stephanie and Linda soon left Paul's head as soon as he pushed open the door and the sound of a cell phone ringing echoed around the spacious kitchen. Flicking on the light he made his way to the counter and noticed it was Stephanie's phone sitting there. It was intermittently spinning around the marble as it vibrated and Paul picked it up in his big hand just as it threatened to topple over the edge and fall to the floor.

"Nice save." he said, congratulating himself as his lips curved into a small smile.

But that smile quickly downturned into a frown as he noticed the name scrolling across the lit up screen in front of him. Mark W. There was only one Mark W he knew of and it was that bastard neighbour from across the street. But why was he calling Stephanie? Why was he speaking to his wife when he'd told him in no uncertain terms to stay the fuck away!

Paul's thick finger lifted and hovered over the green button as he silently deliberated whether or not to answer the call. He wasn't in the habit of being his wife's personal secretary but the fact Mark was calling her was bugging him. In fact it was bugging him to the point that it was actually pissing him off. To think that the creep would actually have the audacity to call Stephanie after everything that had gone down between them and of course it wasn't the first time he'd tried to contact her. Christ, he'd even come to the house too and conveniently at a time when he hadn't been here. And that was the one time he'd found out about. How many more times had there been because it was quite clear to him that Mark was more than adamant to keep in contact with his wife. Well over his dead fucking body! He didn't want his wife anywhere near a guy like that especially when that same guy had kissed Stephanie and not only that, he'd only married a woman that looked the spitting image of her. And the more he thought about that, the more it creeped him out especially given their past history together. It was of course a history he had known nothing about until Mark had told him and a history that Stephanie still hadn't mentioned to him for whatever reason. Still it was a reason he could admit had been niggling at him because there were no secrets between them in their marriage or at least there hadn't been. And sure it was no big deal she hadn't mentioned every single guy she had dated in the past. It's not like he had told Stephanie every date he'd been on in high school but the difference was that date hadn't recently moved in right across the street from them. Surely it would have cropped up in conversation for the ironic factor alone.

Lightly shaking his head, Paul decided to take the call. However his decision came a second too late as the phone went silent. Tossing it back down on the counter in frustration, Paul pushed his big hand through his hair. That's when his brown eyes settled on the unopened card still lying there. He picked it up and chewed the corner of his lip wondering where he'd seen that handwriting before. It definitely looked familiar to him and it was bugging him why. Paul's finger ripped through the envelope and he took out the birthday card. He smiled at the picture on the front but as soon as he opened it, his smile turned into a scowl as he read the scrawled words at the bottom.

"Lots of love and kisses from Mark and Chloe."

Paul's nose crinkled with his frown. When the hell had Mark been here to deliver a card? He hadn't seen him here and he'd been in the house all day but that wasn't the only thing bothering him. He wondered where he had seen that jerk's writing before.

Suddenly it hit him and Paul reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the envelope that had been there since this morning. His brow furrowed with his confusion. Why the hell would Mark be sending a letter to him?

Paul couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut as he opened the envelope, the tearing of the paper echoing loudly in the silent kitchen. His hand reached in and retrieved a note. As he opened it, something fluttered to the ground and Paul absently gazed down at the floor, bending down as he scanned the slanted scribble in front of him.

"Maybe now you'll believe me when I tell you Stephie and I are more than just friends."

Paul's mouth curled into a snarl as he lifted the items from the floor. There were two photographs and the top one got his attention, the photograph that had landed face up. It was Stephanie but she was much younger and she was standing beside a guy that was obviously Mark. They were both dressed for some kind of formal dance or something. Probably homecoming or prom or some other lame school get together.

But why the hell did Mark send him this? Was he looking to get some reaction out of him? Well if that was the case, he could screw off. It didn't matter to him who Stephanie had dated in high school or otherwise.

But as Paul tossed the photos and the note to the counter, the corner of the second picture briefly caught his eye. It was Stephanie again but this time she was older. This photograph looked recent.

His curiosity piqued, Paul's big hand lifted the photo once more. Stephanie was standing next to Mark in this one too and her fingers were laced through his as his arm lay draped across her shoulder. She was smiling, her head slightly turned towards him. And Paul knew this was a recent picture. It had to be because Stephanie was wearing the sapphire pendant he'd given her just this Christmas. But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him. His wife had this look on her face. A look he'd seen countless times over the years and a look he thought had been reserved for only him. A look that was soft and filled with love and for some reason that unnerved him more than anything because Stephanie shouldn't be looking at anyone else that way. Not the guy she had dated in the past and certainly not the same guy who had recently made a pass at her.

But as Paul continued to stare at the picture, he couldn't help but wonder if that part was actually true. Had Mark made a pass at his wife or had Stephanie kissed him first? Mark had been adamant that was the case just like he had been adamant sending these fucking photos and wanting him to believe there was more than friendship going on here. Why would he do that unless he had something to prove? And he had to be honest. From what he could see right in front of him, there was a tiny part inside of him that couldn't help but wonder if Mark was right. Did Stephanie care for someone else? A guy who was constantly in their lives and a guy it seemed she couldn't stay away from despite her promises to him. His heart screamed no. His head was another matter.

"So this is where you're hiding."

Paul froze as he heard Stephanie's voice behind him. His body tensed as he felt her hand touch his shoulder. He hadn't even heard her come into the room and he could feel his heart beat just that little bit faster at the simple act of being around her. It always did and had done since the moment almost ten years ago when he had realised he was falling for her.

"I hope you're not trying to steal that last piece of birthday cake Mr Levesque."

"Nope." he replied ignoring her playful tone and refusing to look in her direction as he stood at the counter trying his best to keep calm because there had to be a logical explanation for all of this. An explanation that would make some sense of this and an explanation that didn't have the potential to completely kill him. Because honestly the thought of Stephanie even touching another guy made his stomach twist into tiny knots and he felt sick.

"Because you know you promised Ellie she could have it."

"Yeah well promises don't seem to count for much around here." he shot back.

The words were out of his mouth before Paul even realised what he was saying. But it was the truth. Apparently promises didn't mean much lately especially coming from his wife. Raking his hands through his hair, Paul let out a heavy sigh.

"Why? What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You tell me." he said letting out a calming breath as he finally turned to face Stephanie. Her blue eyes were watching him carefully and he could see the confusion etched on her beautiful face. The same beautiful face that was smiling in that fucking photograph! The photograph he wanted to confront her about but at the same time, a large part of him was scared to. What if he didn't like the answer she gave him because honestly, the possibility of this ever happening to them had never even entered his head before now. He had trusted Stephanie implicitly and the very idea that he would never be enough for her had never crossed his mind. And he hadn't been arrogant in thinking that way. He had just had faith that the love they had was strong enough to last forever because not only was Stephanie his lover she was also his best friend and confidante; his soul mate.

"Paul, you're making no sense. What is this about?" Stephanie asked, clearly losing her patience.

His words stuck in his throat. Instead he handed her the photograph he still held in his hand and feeling his fingers lightly tremble as he watched her, he clenched them together tightly. He refused to fall apart even though the mere thought of her being anywhere near Mark completely wrecked him. It was bad enough knowing another guy's lips had touched hers. It was even worse imagining those same lips had wanted to kiss that guy back and then of course was the knowledge that she had deliberately kept the kiss a secret from him. What else was his wife not telling him?

"I don't understand. I don't remember this." Stephanie said, her brow furrowed deeply as she pored over the picture, shaking her head.

"How very fucking convenient." Paul snorted and as Stephanie snapped her head up to look at him, he could see the angry flash in her ocean blue pools. It was the same anger that was beginning to take over all the other emotions swimming around inside him; emotions that made him feel scared and a little sick inside. His whole world had the potential to come crashing down around him right now and if it did, he wasn't so sure he would survive it.

"What the hell do you mean? What are you trying to imply here, Paul?" asked Stephanie.

"I don't have to imply anything." he told her lifting his left shoulder in a shrug before he crossed his massive arms across his chest. It rose and fell with his heavy breathing as he tried his best to keep his temper in check. "After all the proof is right here in front of me." he said gesturing the photograph in her hand.

Stephanie let out a cry of frustration as she threw the photo back to the counter before lifting her hands into the air. "Oh, here we go again! How many times do I have to tell you, Paul? There's nothing going on between me and Mark. We're just friends."

"Friends, huh?" Paul spat back as the blood beat in his ears knowing differently and he could feel his heart race nervously in his chest. "And that's all you've ever been, Steph? Friends?" he asked her.

"Of course." Stephanie replied and Paul sneered at her as he grabbed the other picture from the counter and thrust it in her direction.

"Funny. Mark seems to remember things a little differently."

Her blue eyes went wide with her surprise as she recognised the picture in her hand. It had been the homecoming dance. Her mom had taken the shot when Mark had picked her up from the house that evening but up until now she had forgotten it had even existed. "He sent you that? Why?" Stephanie asked in a daze as she looked at her husband.

"Apparently he thought I needed proof that the two of you were high school sweethearts once upon a time."

Her stomach dropped as she realised he knew the truth. A truth she should have shared with him the second Mark had introduced himself to them. "Paul..." she began to explain but he never gave her the chance as he lifted his big hand silencing her.

"Cause see the thing is my wife failed to mention that part to me. You know the part where you tell me Mark wasn't just an old friend. Matter of fact he's an old boyfriend."

His deep brown eyes stared at her and Stephanie swallowed thickly seeing the anger that lingered there and a pain too; the pain that she had caused by her inability to be completely straight with him and she could understand why he was hurt by that because she'd never been in the habit of keeping Paul in the dark before. There were no secrets between them and there never had been ever since the first moment they had gotten together. Maybe even before that when their work related late night telephone conversations had turned into something else entirely. Something that had made her realise Paul was way more than a friend.

"Look, I didn't think it was important." she told him knowing that was pretty much true because who Mark was to her all those years ago made no difference. It didn't change anything between them. They were simply friends, nothing more and they never would be.

"Not important, huh?" said Paul closing the short distance between them and he lightly shook his head in obvious dismay. "Well I think it's damn important especially after everything that's been going on lately."

"But that's not my doing. It's not my fault."

"Maybe not but that doesn't stop the guy calling you on your cell phone or coming to my house when I'm not around. And even when I am around, he's personally delivering birthday cards for my son."

Stephanie slowly shook her head. "He was just being polite, Paul."

Paul lightly snorted with his disgust. "What? Like he was being polite when he shoved his tongue down your throat?"

"Not that again." sighed Stephanie in frustration.

"Yes that again."

"Look I told you it meant nothing." she told him softly as she reached for Paul's arm but he moved away, flinching from her.

"And I told you to stay away from Mark but you didn't listen to me now did you?" stated Paul as he stepped back and pushed his big hand through his hair. "In fact it seems to me you want to do the exact opposite and why is that, Stephanie? Why are you putting this guy before us, before our marriage?"

"I'm not!" Stephanie cried as her big blue eyes pleaded with her husband. "Look, nothing is going on with Mark. Trust me. Please."

But her plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as Paul's big hand gestured to the scattered photographs on the counter. "Look at your face. The camera doesn't lie, Steph."

"What? And I do?" Stephanie asked in disbelief. "Paul. I'm your wife. You have to believe me. You have to trust me."

Paul pressed his lips together and dropped his head, refusing to look at her and Stephanie felt an icy chill creep along her spine as the truth slowly began to dawn on her.

"You do trust me don't you?" she asked desperately.

But Paul remained silent and Stephanie's bottom lip trembled as her sad blue eyes looked at her husband and she swore she could feel her heart breaking in her chest as she voiced out loud the fear that now gripped her entire body. "Paul, if we don't have trust in each other, then this marriage is in trouble. You know that don't you?"

"Yeah. I know." he told her so softly she could barely hear him and Stephanie could only watch as Paul pushed past her grabbing his keys from the counter and walking out the back door.