Being on edge wasn't something Mark was used to. He was usually calm and collected, but he found himself slightly worried. What would his colleagues say about Verity? What would she think about them? Mark wouldn't say that they were his close friends. He didn't really have close friends because he didn't let anybody in, but Verity was different. She was the thing that broke all of his rules. He had never thought that he would feel this way for someone. He'd had crushes before, of course. He'd dated girls, but it had never gone that far. He had been the one who cooled things off. It was strange – he was almost scared of getting close to people. No doubt a psychiatrist might say it was as a consequence of his parents dying, but he didn't want that confirmed.
"You know, I don't think they'll bite," Verity said as they stood at the bar and waited to be served.
Mark chuckled. He was stood up straight and Verity had her back to the bar, elbows on the marble surface and head tilted upwards so that she was looking in his direction. Mark adjusted the bowtie he wore, feeling slightly like he was suffocating in the tuxedo. Verity smiled up to him with such an encouraging look that he couldn't help but smile back down to her.
"It's not that I'm worried," he confessed, "just that…I've never done this before."
"Go on a date?"
"Have a date meet people I know," Mark said. "I never did the take a girl home to meet my parents' thing…and my aunt…never wanted to take a girl back there. Angelina never met any of my girlfriends either."
Verity's smile turned slightly sad at hearing that. She moved a hand to his cheek and stood on her toes, pecking him on the other cheek. "I'm sorry," she said to him.
"Don't apologise," Mark said. "It's the past. We're together and I want you to meet the people in my life…I just want it to go well and they don't scare you away."
"Mark, honey," Verity said to him as she brushed a thumb along his cheekbone. "You met my parents and you didn't run a mile. If you can do that then I think I can manage to meet your friends tonight. They can't be as bad as my parents. Besides, I want to know who you work with…I want to be a part of your life."
Mark smiled down to her again and bent down to kiss her quickly. "I want that too."
"Then stop worrying," she urged from him. "I'm not going anywhere. Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with me."
"Don't mind being stuck with you, sweetheart," Mark said before the bartender finally came to them. Mark ordered Verity a glass of champagne and he took a beer for himself. They picked up their drinks and wandered into the throngs of people. Verity kept her hand in Mark's arm as they moved.
The hotel where the function was being held was swanky. They were all stood in the foyer for the time being, grabbing drinks before heading to sit down for the meal. The main hall was decorated in swathes of red and blue drapes, flowers dotted around. There were tables of six, white tablecloths draped over them and fine cutlery sat there. The charity gala was an annual event and Mark usually just went alone. Some officers brought their other halves with them, but quite a lot were alone.
"Mark."
Mark looked up and saw David Tapp walking towards them. He was also wearing a tuxedo and carrying a small glass of whiskey. Mark noticed that he was alone. He never asked Tapp about his private life, but he knew that he did have a wife.
"David," Mark greeted him.
"How are you doing?" David wondered and Mark nodded.
"Good," he answered. "I should introduce you. This is Verity…she's my girlfriend."
"Pleasure to meet you," Verity said in a charming voice and Mark was instantly at ease. He had nothing to worry about. That was the thing with Verity. She was so charming that it was easy to fall for her. "Mark's told me so much about you."
"All good things, I hope?" David asked.
"Ah, I can't make that promise," Verity teased and David laughed as she shot Mark a knowing smirk. He rolled his eyes playfully at her and she went back to talking to David. "How long have you been with the department?"
"Going on twelve years now."
"Wow," Verity said. "I can't imagine how difficult it can be sometimes. I know from Mark that it isn't easy."
"It isn't," David agreed with that and Mark moved a hand to the small of Verity's back, letting it sit there for a few moments more for his own comfort than for hers. She felt her body tingle, the warmth of his palm and fingers searing through the silk dress she wore. She tried to block it out and focus on the conversation with David. "But it's rewarding when we can help people. Things don't always work that way, but when they do…well…that's the best feeling we can hope for."
"I understand that," Verity agreed with him.
"And what is it you do, Verity? I confess, I didn't think Mark would actually make a move to talk to you that night," David said.
Mark chuckled at that and Verity also laughed softly, leaning back against Mark's palm.
"Well, I'm glad whoever it was bet him ten bucks to do it," Verity admitted. "But I'm a pianist. I tutor and also play in the city's orchestra…other bands when they need pianist…it's not exactly the best paid job in the world, but I love it. I've always loved playing the piano. It was like an outlet for me when I was a kid."
Mark couldn't describe how he felt at that moment. His girlfriend was a talented musician. It was almost like he wanted to boast and shout it from the rooftops. He was proud of her. He couldn't describe how he felt whenever he came to her apartment and heard her play. He would just sit and watch her, completely mesmerised and in awe. It was his favourite thing whenever he got to her apartment and walked into a soft melody from the hallway.
"That's impressive," David confessed with a nod of his head. "When did you start playing?"
"I must have been about five," Verity said.
"And did you go to college?"
"I did," Verity said with a nod. "I studied composing and loved it."
"She went to Julliard," Mark tacked on and Verity rolled her eyes.
"My father bought me a place," she said.
Mark scoffed. "She's being modest. She's amazing and she got there on talent alone," he retorted.
"I think money also had a part to play," she said, holding up her index finger against her thumb to emphasise the amount. "Anyway, I'm not entirely that exciting. I made the piano my life. And do you have a wife, David?"
"I do," Tapp nodded and a soppy smile came over his face that Mark instantly recognised. He swore he'd also seen it on his own face in the mirror a few times now. "She can't be here tonight. She's a nurse. It can be hard…when I'm on an early shift then she's on a late shift. It can take us a while to actually get together."
"I can imagine," Verity said. "And how did you two meet?"
"A friend of a friend set us up," Tapp said. "I'd just come out of a relationship with a girl from college and I wasn't really in the mood to date, but she insisted that I'd love this girl. Turned out she was right. We were married a year after that."
"I never knew that," Mark said, taking a swig of his beer.
Verity rolled her eyes at that. "Do you not talk to people?"
"We tend not to talk private things," Tapp said, offering Mark some defence, but it wasn't entirely enough for Verity. She still smirked at Mark.
"So you haven't told people about me then, huh?" she teased him gently and Tapp laughed out loud then as Mark swore his cheeks were turning slightly red. He bit down on his tongue for a moment, but he didn't have chance to answer. Tapp was doing the taking for him.
"We know you exist, but he hasn't shared the intimate details with us," Tapp said. "We have been teasing him slightly, I have to admit. But it's only because we care. Mark here has always been closed off until he met you and now he often comes into work looking slightly happier than usual…and then when we ask what he's been up to your name always crops up."
"Usually because everything I've done has been with her," Mark defended himself.
"He's smitten," Tapp said and Mark didn't even bother to deny it. He was smitten and he didn't care who knew it.
"We talking about Hoffman?"
Mark wanted to groan as he heard Kerry approach. She was wearing a long-sleeved red cocktail dress with black heels. Her hair hung loose down her back in soft curls. She looked good and completely different in comparison to the usual pantsuits that she wore. No doubt Eric would glance at her all night. Mark sensed that there was something going on between the two of them, but they never admitted it and Mark also knew that Eric was dating someone else. Maybe they'd ended whatever kind of fling they'd been having?
"Indeed we are," Tapp confirmed.
"Allison, this is Verity," Mark said and Verity once again stretched her hand out towards another of Mark's colleagues.
"The mysterious Verity from the bar," Allison said and shook the young woman's hand.
"Very same one," Verity said. "And can I check that you did pay Mark his ten bucks?"
Allison laughed at that and Verity's lips arched upwards.
"Technically he didn't get your number," Allison said. "But the bet is still on if you two get married…thirty dollars in that case."
"I'll hold you to that," Verity said. She didn't bother to feel taunted. Besides, a part of her had wondered about their future. She knew it was far too early to really think about it in a lot of depth, but her imagination had a habit of running away sometimes. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. Mark said that you're in a similar position to him?"
"Started at roughly the same time."
"Just don't ask them which one's the better cop," a new voice struck up and this one sounded a bit cockier. Mark kept his hand on Verity's back. She almost felt like his anchor at that point. The man held his hand out to Verity. He wasn't dressed in a tuxedo. He was wearing a navy suit with a dark blue tie, but the top button was undone and the tie slightly loose. "I'm Eric Matthews."
"Verity Daniels," she replied and shook another hand.
"You've done well for yourself here, Mark," Eric said. "Far too good looking for you."
"I know that," Mark replied.
"I don't know, I think I'm the one who struck lucky." Verity said, not entirely sure how she felt about Eric. He wasn't as pleasant as David seemed to be. She noticed the way Kerry continuously looked at him though. Mark had told her that he thought something had been going on between the pair of them.
"I'd disagree there," Eric said. "Got yourself a proper uptown girl there, Hoffman. Need to make sure you can keep her."
"Who is to say it isn't me who could scare him away?" Verity said. "I mean, he's already met my parents and didn't run away which is impressive because if you think I'm a snob then you want to meet them."
Mark chuckled at that. He had to admit that was quite entertaining. "She really can slum it with us. Trust me, I've seen her drink beer…eat pizza…it's not champagne and caviar every night."
"Only on Fridays," Verity said with a grin and they all chuckled at that at the same time the announcement came for them to make their way into the hall. Moving towards their seat, Mark moved his hand to take hold of hers, squeezing her fingers tightly.
"How did I do?" she whispered up to him.
"Your usual charming self," Mark whispered back down and kissed her quickly before pulling her chair out for her. She sat down and he tucked it in before settling next to her. Thankfully, Tapp sat at her other side and Eric and Allison sat in the two other two chair. One chair was spare, but no one came to bother them for it.
The conversation was light and there was laughter. The three-course meal was lovely and the wine kept flowing. All of the money for the tickets had gone to charity and then there was the fact that there was about to be an auction as well. Verity wasn't sure how much that would raise, but she had a feeling that it might not be the same as when she'd been to auctions before with her parents and people had sold off nights away at their resort in Aspen or use of private jets to private islands in the Mediterranean.
"Excuse me, but are you Verity Daniels?"
Verity turned her head to the side to see a woman dressed in a sequined black dress stood there. She had dark brown hair that was curled and came down to her shoulders. She was pretty and her makeup had been intricately done.
Mark draped an arm over the back of Verity's chair, his hand holding his glass of champagne.
"Yes," Verity answered and the woman offered her hand daintily.
"I'm Jennifer Connors, the Police Chief's wife," she introduced herself. "I'm in charge of organising this event and I heard that you were here. I watched you play with the orchestra last Christmas. You were amazing."
"Thank you so much," Verity said with a soft smile and Mark's own lips arched slightly.
"I was wondering if you might be willing to be part of the auction tonight? You could hold an hour's lesson or maybe play at some party?" the woman suggested and Verity faltered for a moment, feeling put on the spot. Jennifer continued speaking, her voice racing and her hands animatedly moving around. "You're so talented. You could really help us out here and I know it's a big ask giving up your own time, but it is for charity at the end of the day."
"You're better off saying yes," Eric piped up then, his chair angled suspiciously close to Kerry's. "Jenny here doesn't take no for an answer."
"She is quite forceful," Kerry agreed with that point.
"Okay," Verity said, spitting the word out and then laughing nervously. She wasn't entirely sure how this would go and she had a moment of feeling like she might be embarrassed if no one bid on her, but she'd been put on the spot.
"Great!" Jennifer clapped her hands in glee. "If you head on up to the stage in a minute, we're going to get started."
Verity nodded her head and Jennifer rushed away. Mark moved his hand to squeeze Verity's shoulder as he kept his arm over her chair.
"You don't need to do this," he whispered to her.
"It's fine," she promised him, pecking him on the cheek. "I don't mind."
"You sure?"
"Sure," Verity said. "I'd best get up there before Jennifer comes back and drags me up."
Mark chuckled at that but nodded his head in agreement. He watched her stand up, noting the way her dress rippled with her steps towards the stage. She stood with someone else as Jennifer took to the microphone and announced that the auction was starting and said a few words about the chosen children's hospital they were raising money for. Verity toyed with the spaghetti straps of her green dress, anxiously pushing at her hair behind her ears. Mark kept his eyes on her, but she was whispering to other people stood around, smiling and laughing quietly at whatever they were saying whenever Jennifer gained a round of applause.
Before Verity took to the stage, a trip to a holiday home in California had been auctioned off alongside the use of someone's Harley for a weekend. Mark watched on as Jennifer introduced Verity and his girlfriend took the steps to the stage. Jennifer wrapped an arm around Verity's shoulders, no doubt trying to be reassuring.
"Verity Daniels is perhaps New York City's most renowned pianist. She plays for the New York Orchestra and has been involved in numerous Broadway productions," Jennifer spoke into the microphone. "Tonight she is offering a free lesson to anyone who has been dying to play the piano or perhaps you need a pianist for a party you're hosting…and trust me, that would really impress your friends."
There was a short pang of laughter then and Mark noted that Verity looked slightly uncomfortable, but she was trying to mask it through her nervous smile.
"We'll start the bidding at fifty dollars," Jennifer said and Mark looked around for a moment before automatically raising his hand.
Eric smirked. "You can't bid on your own girlfriend, Hoffman," he commented.
"We have fifty!" Jennifer exclaimed and Verity looked over to Mark's raised hand and he winked at her once.
"I'll give a hundred!" another voice called out from somewhere in the room and Verity had to admit that she was slightly relieved someone else had called out. She loved that Mark had raised his hand, but she didn't want him to do it out of pity for her.
In the end, they finished at two hundred and fifty dollars. It wasn't as much as some of the other things, but Verity was relieved when it was finished. Jennifer said she'd be in touch after the event with the details and then she was permitted to scurry off stage and turn back towards the table. She sat down as Jennifer got the bidding going for the next thing.
"You didn't need to put your hand up," she whispered to her boyfriend but he shook his head.
"I was just getting things warmed up," he responded. "Sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she promised him.
They went back to talking in hushed tones as the auction continued. Once it was finished, a band took to the stage and it seemed by then that people had had enough alcohol to be willing to dance. Verity watched as Eric and Kerry made a move to the floor, but Rigg excused himself from the event entirely, claiming that he needed to get home as he might just catch his wife before she turned in for the night.
"You know, we can go whenever you want," Mark said when they were just left alone at the table.
Verity arched a brow and tilted her head. "You're not even going to ask me to dance?"
"I didn't know you danced."
"You forget that I was raised in high society. I know how to foxtrot…waltz…doesn't mean I'm any good at them," she said and he chuckled as she shrugged. "But I wouldn't say no if you asked."
"I'm not sure that ballroom training will help you dance along to 'Uptown Girl', but we can give it a go," Mark said and he moved to his feet, holding his hand out to her. "Verity Daniels, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?"
"I thought you'd never ask, Officer Hoffman," Verity said and she laced her hand into his as he led her to the floor. He had to admit that he wasn't a dancer at all. He simply let Verity take the lead, wrapping her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist. They weren't moving as ferociously as other couples on the floor, but he didn't mind just swaying with her.
She smiled as she heard him singing along under his breath into her ear, his chest vibrating and her own shaking with soft laughter as a smile remained on her face and she wondered if she'd ever been quite as happy as she was at that moment in time with him.
…
Mark had excused himself to go and use the bathroom as the event took full swing. It had become more raucous with the alcohol spilling despite the free bar having ended. Verity had insisted on dancing for about half an hour before suggesting they go home. Mark had agreed and had told her that he would quickly use the bathroom and then come back for her. Heading down the corridors until he came to the bathroom, Mark didn't even get a chance to go in before he heard someone call his name.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?"
He couldn't quite place the voice, but he turned around as soon as he heard it in the empty corridor. Mark turned on his heel, the red carpet cushioning the footsteps of the man approaching him.
Derek Jacobson.
"I'm sorry?" Mark asked.
"You think I can't put two and two together?" Derek demanded.
He looked different to when Mark had last seen him in a from fitting suit. He was wearing a dark coat and a white shirt with the top button undone. He had dark trousers on and his shoes looked slightly scuffed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but this is a private event."
"My wife told me what happened," Derek said and Mark rolled his eyes.
"Which version?" he questioned him.
Derek flinched then and his lips pursed. Mark's own lips arched into a smirk of disbelief.
"The truth then," Mark said. "Your son tried to rape-"
"-Verity Daniels is nothing but a whore who thinks she's better than everyone else simply because she can play the piano," Derek spat out. "You don't really know her, do you? You see, I do. I know James and he's told me all about her…how she used to use him for his work…you know, it's amazing how weak men can be when a woman flashes a smile in our direction and spreads her legs. Your girlfriend knew that."
"Is that why she's a famous pianist and her ex now works in an office?" Mark spat back at him. "I suggest you watch your tone because I'm not on the clock and this is a hotel full of cops."
"Are you threatening me?" Derek demanded.
"If you don't keep Verity's name out of your mouth then you bet I am," Mark snapped back.
"You think you've got it all figured out, but you don't," Derek snapped at him. "You think I don't know you're involved in this somehow? How did she find out? Did she snoop around my home? Was that it? She went looking for something to use as revenge?"
"She did nothing."
"Of course she did," Derek laughed. "I'm arrested for fraud literally a few days after she claims my son attacked her? She's involved in this."
"When do you think she had time to snoop around your apartment?" Mark demanded. "She was too busy trying to get away from your son to have time to go through your fucking paperwork. Besides, you should have been more careful. Fraud cases aren't difficult to crack."
"I'm not letting this go," Derek said.
"And what are you going to do? The DA is already investigating. You don't have a leg to stand on," he snapped. "You break the law and you face the consequences. It doesn't matter how rich you are so just get over it. Verity had nothing to do with this. All she wants is for you to leave her alone."
"You think that's going to happen? She'll get what's coming to her. I promise you. She's ruined all of our lives."
"She had nothing to do with it," Mark snarled, now going toe to toe with the man. They were roughly the same height, but Mark knew he had the advantage. His job required him to be physical at times. "Leave her alone or you'll make your life much harder than it needs to be."
"You and her…you're not getting away with this. People like you don't come into our lives and get to mess with them…especially not some two-cent slut who-"
Mark saw red then. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't and, if he was being honest, a part of him didn't want to. He balled his hand into a fist and punched Derek, watching as the man stumbled to the side and reached for his jaw, groaning in pain. Mark didn't give him time to react. He grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and pushed him up against the wall, keeping him pinned there.
"Stay the fuck away from us," he warned him. "Or I'll get the DA to add a harassment charge. Do you want that?"
Derek spat to the side, blood pooling around the corner of his mouth as his glare met Mark's. He didn't have a chance to say anything further. Instead, it was then when Verity chose to make her presence known.
"Mark," she spoke his name.
He turned his head to the side and looked at his girlfriend who was stood there and holding onto her bag. Her eyes were wide as she drank in the sight before her. Mark let go of Derek, allowing him to slump against the wall.
"And here she is," Derek hissed. "The bitch herself."
"Mr Jacobson, I had nothing to do with what happened," Verity said and Mark was amazed at how she could still be so polite to the man who had tried to ruin her life. "I didn't want any trouble. I just wanted to leave."
"And you expect me to believe that after everything that happened with you and James?"
"James was the one who stole my work," Verity said defensively. "All I want is to do my job. Mark had nothing to do with what happened to you and neither did I. You committed fraud and broke the law…it was going to come out at some point and deep down you must have known that."
Derek was quiet then and Mark watched as Verity did her best to keep herself composed. She sniffed once and then nodded her head, looking to Mark.
"Can we go?" she asked from him and he just nodded her head.
Derek remained where he was as Mark walked over to Verity and she reached for his hand, gripping onto it tightly. She looked to Derek once more and saw that he was a broken man. He was doubled over now and trying not to sob.
"I never did anything to your son," Verity said and Derek remained unable to speak, sobs still taking hold of his body. "Your son was the one who attacked me and I just wanted to leave and get away from him…I didn't know about what you had done…and Mark wasn't the one who took on your case. You broke the law and you need to face the consequences, but please…leave us alone…I've never done anything to hurt you or your family. Please don't hurt us."
Mark wondered if her appealing to his better nature would do anything. He wouldn't have done that. He didn't know if he could have kept his composure. He walked away with Verity, keeping hold of her hand as they went to get their coats. He helped her shrug into hers, aware that she was being very quiet. He bit down on the inside of his cheek as she buttoned her coat up.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"Can we talk about it at home, please?" she asked from him.
"Yeah," was all he said.
They stepped out and took a cab back to hers. Mark insisted on paying and Verity fished her keys from her bag. They headed into the apartment and Verity kicked her shoes off by the door. Stalking into the kitchen, Mark watched her go as she pulled her coat off and threw it over the back of her sofa, dropping her bag there too. He followed her, leaving his shoes on but taking his coat off too and depositing it with hers. Was she angry with him?
"You should ice your hand," Verity said and she grabbed an ice pack from the fridge and wrapped it in a towel.
"It doesn't hurt that much," Mark said to her.
"But it will bruise," she replied. "Best to ice it now than to wait."
He let her take his hand and press the ice pack against it. He winced slightly at the sudden coldness. He looked down to her as she left him to take hold of the ice and then headed towards her bedroom. Mark exhaled a sharp breath.
"You mad at me?" he called out to her and followed her back down the hall to the bedroom.
She was stripping out of her dress, sliding it down her body and leaving her in just her strapless black bra and panties. Mark stood in the doorway and Verity reached for one of his sweatshirts that was on her chair in the corner, tugging it on over her head.
"You shouldn't have punched him," she simply said.
Mark scoffed. "You didn't know what he'd been saying about you," he said.
"I can imagine it wasn't entirely complimentary, but still…violence…it's not the answer, Mark," Verity retorted and she exhaled a sharp breath, tugging his sweatshirt down her thighs and sitting at her vanity, beginning to remove her makeup. "I mean…what if he had pressed charges…someone had seen…"
"We were in a hotel full of cops. I doubt he was going to do anything," Mark retorted.
"That's not the point!" Verity snapped. "You could've made things ten times worse, did you think about that? You need to diffuse the situation, not enflame it."
Mark scoffed and threw the ice pack to the floor, flapping his arms by his side. "As opposed to what, Verity?" he demanded from her. "Begging him not to ruin your life? Appealing to his good nature when the fact is that some people don't have any decency inside of them?" he snapped at her and Verity turned around on her stool, cheeks red with anger and eyes watering as she realised that they weren't going to agree on this.
"I tried to diffuse the situation, Mark," she snapped. "He was a broken man, did you not see that? Beating him up…yelling at him…what good is that going to do? Do you think that's going to make him stop?"
"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire," he retorted.
"Bullshit," Verity fired back quickly.
"No, it's not," Mark said to her and Verity rolled her eyes. "But you know what? If you want to go around and plead with him to leave you alone then you do that. Forgive me for caring about you and refusing to listen to him talk shit about you."
"You don't need to fight my battles, Mark," Verity said. "Not if you're going to use your fists to fight them."
"Then defend yourself from now on, Verity," he commented and he turned on his heel, the rage inside of him hitting boiling point and he knew that he had to get out. He was so annoyed with her. He had been trying to help and this was how she repaid him? Shaking his head, he stalked back to the living room and grabbed his coat.
Verity stood up from her stool and loitered in the doorway of her bedroom, watching as Mark tugged his coat on and headed towards the front door.
"Where are you going?" she questioned from him.
"Out," was all he said back to her.
"You're just going to walk away?" she demanded and he reached for the door handle.
"Well you sure as shit don't want to see my side of things," he replied. "All I've done is look out for you and try to protect you because I care about you, Verity…I mean…fuck me…I'm just looking out for you and I wasn't going to stand by idly while that man spoke about you like he did. If that makes me the bad guy here then so be it."
"That's not what I said, Mark," Verity exclaimed, voice exasperated.
"Whatever," Mark said.
"So you're just going to leave?" Verity asked.
"I don't think we have anything else to say to each other," was all he responded with and he pulled the door open and then slammed it behind him. Verity watched the wood close once more and she finally let herself cry as he went and she didn't follow him.
She bit down on her bottom lip in a feeble attempt to stop herself from crying loudly, but she failed. They'd had their first fight and Verity wasn't even sure if he was going to come back to her.
…
Mark considered going to a bar for another drink, but he decided against it. He ended up just walking round the streets of Tribeca, not entirely sure where he was going or what he was doing. He kept his hands in his pockets and tried to ignore how his dress shoes were rubbing against his feet and probably giving him blisters. He'd tried to calm down, but he was still annoyed. All he wanted to do was protect Verity and now he was the bad guy? That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to look out for her and no one was getting away with saying the things that Derek Jacobson had been saying about her.
It was gone one in the morning when Mark next checked his watch and he wondered if Verity was asleep. Could she sleep? He didn't think that he'd be able to sleep that night. He didn't even know if he should go back to her at some point or if he should just go back to his own apartment.
He found himself wondering what his sister would say. Angelina might be the younger sibling, but she was always so rational. He guessed that was the issue with being raised by his aunt. They had to be logical and practical. She'd taught them that. There was no room for foolish endeavours with her.
Mark let out a deep breath and remembered how, even if he wanted to go to his own apartment, his keys were at Verity's. He knew he was stubborn. He didn't like to back down in arguments where he thought he was right and this was one of those times. But he knew that he didn't want to argue with Verity.
He didn't want to fight with her, but he didn't want to back down and give into her when he was so convinced that he was right. He suspected that was the issue: he was too stubborn for his own good. But then he tried to think about it from her perspective.
He found a bench and settled down on it in the dark park, the quiet not entirely scaring him but not doing much to put him at ease. He could have beat Derek Jacobson to a pulp. He'd felt like it. He was also convinced he'd have gotten away with it too. But then there was the issue of what would come after that. Would it have actually led to anything good happening? Would Jacobson have backed off or would he just have gotten even angrier? Mark let out a deep breath. He didn't know what would've happened, but he guessed that it could have gone either way.
He finally bit the bullet at three a.m. and made the trek back to her apartment, getting lost a few times before finding some familiar streets. He had her spare key in his pocket after she had insisted on him taking it in case she lost her purse. He went back to the apartment and climbed up the staircase. He tried to be as quiet as possible opening the door and stepping into the hallway in case she was sleeping.
But there was no chance of that happening.
Verity heard the click of the door and launched herself up from where she'd been sat on the sofa. She moved to the doorway of the living room and saw Mark closing the door behind him. She'd left the lamp on in the hallway just in case he came back.
Mark was about to tell her that he was just here to get his keys, but then he saw her red-rimmed eyes and stained cheeks. He saw her pull the cuffs of his sweatshirt she wore over her fingers and he felt a pang in his chest.
"I'm sorry," Verity said, her voice breaking as she spoke and Mark shook his head.
"I don't want to fight, Verity," he said and that was the truth of the matter. He didn't want to fight with her or fallout.
"I don't either," she said and he let out a deep breath before moving down the hallway towards her. "And I know that you were just looking out for me. I know that and I appreciate it because…no one…no one does that for me…"
Mark stood in front of her and all he had to do was extend his arms slightly before she wrapped herself into them. He held onto her and she buried her face against his neck. Mark ran his hand up and down her back slowly.
"I just can't bear the thought of anyone hurting you, sweetheart," he said. "I lost it…I saw red…I didn't know what else to do."
"I know," Verity whispered. "I don't want to fall out over them…I don't want to lose you because of this…"
"Ver, you're not going to lose me because of this," Mark said with a firm shake of his head. "I'm not going to walk away because we had one fight. We'll have fights because we're supposed to have fights…it's what people do…but that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon you, okay? I'm not like your family. I'm not walking away."
She continued to cry and Mark pulled back slightly and moved his hand to her cheek, forcing her gaze up to meet his. He looked her in the eye and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Looking her in the eye, he spoke to her in a soft tone.
"I love you, Verity," Mark confessed and Verity instantly stopped crying, her eyes widening as Mark spoke once more. "And I know we've only been dating a few months and it might be too soon to say it, but I know that I love you. I don't expect you to say it back because-"
"-I do," she interrupted him. "I love you too."
Mark's lips arched upwards at that and he nodded his head once. He moved to kiss her and he hauled her back into his arms. He picked her up and walked her back to the bedroom, not once moving away from her for breath.
…
Lying next to her after they had finished indulging in each other, Mark knew that they should try to sleep, but he didn't know if he could. Verity was draped all over him, her leg over his and her front pressed against his side, her head by his shoulder and a hand sitting on his chest. He picked her fingers up and held them inside of his as she closed her eyes. She was still awake, but felt content.
"I want you to meet my sister," Mark suddenly declared, realising that this was a big deal. He had never thought of introducing anyone to his sister before. Verity opened her eyes and nodded her head slowly.
"I'd like that too," she settled on saying to him and he kissed the top of her head.
He knew that this was it. There was no turning back now. He was in far too deep.
…
A/N: Quite a lot in this chapter! We have the sister meeting coming up too and Verity's parents make their return to talk to Mark. Thank you to my guest reviewer! Would love to know what you all think!
