Verity woke up before Mark the next morning and found herself wondering if she could sneak out without disturbing him. She figured that he was in need of a lie in, but she was wide awake and could already feel her bladder protesting against her staying in bed. She slipped from under the duvet and quickly grabbed one of Mark's tees she had stolen from him and her sleeping shorts. She moved into the bathroom down the hallway and quickly showered before tugging on the clothes and heading down to the kitchen. The mess was still there from the night before, but the patio door was wide open and leading onto the pool.
Frowning, Verity moved towards the patio and saw that Doris was already outside. It wasn't entirely warm enough for sunbathing, but she was laid on one of the loungers, her body stretched out and her head laid back. She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, white sneakers on her feet. Verity folded her arms over the chest, feeling cold in her lack of clothing as she moved to the patio and looked at the woman with a stern stare.
"I didn't hear you get up this morning," Verity opened up conversation.
Doris rolled her head to the side and looked to Verity with a shrug of her shoulders. "I suspect you had quite an exhausting night judging from the noises from that bedroom," she retorted. "I take it you managed to calm him down?"
"He had every right to be annoyed with you," Verity said. She wasn't in the mood for sugar coating things. "You didn't need to be so cold and callous to him. He lost his parents…he needed someone when he was growing up."
"I was there for him. I took him in."
"Under sufferance, it seems," Verity replied and Doris moved to sit up, swinging her legs off the sun lounger and moving her glasses on top of her head.
"You have no idea what he could be like," Doris said with a firm shake of her head. "I warned my sister not to get married to that man. I warned her that it would be a mistake and it was. Did Mark tell you that they died in a car crash just after Angelina had been born? Did he tell you that his father had been drunk?"
Verity remained mute, but the silence said enough. She didn't know that. She thought it had just been a tragic accident. She suspected Mark kept that to himself because he felt a sense of shame or embarrassment. It was usually why he kept things from her. Doris laced her hands together on her lap.
"He didn't tell you then?" Doris checked. "Let me guess, he keeps things from you? He is all sweetness and smiles when you're around? I wouldn't be surprised. He's good at doing that. He can be charming and suave when he wants to be…but equally there's a side to him that isn't pleasant. Growing up he could be a pain in the ass with temper tantrums…snapping…"
"He was a kid who lost his parents," Verity said, defending him.
"And when he was a teenager?" Doris continued pushing. "He can have a sharp tongue. He always thought that he had a strong sense of justice…willing to hurt anyone who threatened him."
"So what?" Verity asked from her. "He got into some scraps in the playground? Who didn't. Whatever you think about him is just your opinion and you hardly know him."
"And you do? He didn't even tell you the truth about his parents," Doris retorted. "He's my nephew and I know him. I practically raised him. I know you might think he is a nice guy, but you need to know he has a mean streak inside of him."
Verity said nothing and Doris let her lip curl upwards. She gave Verity a knowing look and nodded her head slowly. She knew that something had happened. Something was amiss and her point was going to be proven. She was well aware of that because she knew people. She could read them.
"You already know."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Verity said, her mind flashing back to the look on Mark's face when he had Matthew on the floor of the cabin. She remembered how his hand had been shaking with rage as he aimed the gun at the kid. She thought that he might kill him. She had been scared. She had been terrified.
"Yes, you do," Doris retorted. "I can see it in your face. You know he's not all he seems."
"I know that everyone has a temper when pushed," Verity said. "And I know that Mark has one too. It doesn't mean what you think it means."
"I think it means exactly that," Doris replied.
"I'm not discussing this," Verity said, putting her foot down. "I need to go and clean up from last night and then I'm going to change. Feel free to stay out here…but maybe it would be best if you took a train back this morning."
Doris chuckled and moved to her feet, hands going to her hips. "You're throwing me out?"
"I don't know why you came when all you've done is cause trouble," Verity said and she knew that this might not be the best course of action, but a part of her didn't care. She couldn't stand the woman and Verity was done with being around people she didn't want to be around. She was standing up for herself. "You've insulted Mark. You've belittled Angelina. You've been more interested in how much money I have than who I am as a person. I don't want you to have to go. I don't want you to. Truly, I wish you'd come here and things had been different…you'd have wanted to make amends…but you haven't. All you've done is upset Mark and that doesn't sit well with me. He's my boyfriend. I love him. I want to protect him and we've been through enough recently. We came here for a relaxing week away and if you're going to threaten that then I am sorry, but I don't think you should stay here."
Verity had to admit that she was amazed with herself for being able to say all of that without her voice shaking. It was very rare that she was able to speak up for herself. She'd always been timid. She'd always been told that she should be seen and not heard. When you grow up being told that then it has an impact on your life. You learn to just be quiet. But Verity was done being quiet. She'd stood up to her parents. She'd survived Matthew. She wasn't going to let anyone else get to her.
"Just be careful," Doris said and she moved to her feet. "I'll get my bag and you can take me to the station. I know when I'm not welcome."
"If you hurry you might make the first train," Verity said, unable to stop herself.
Doris stormed off into the house and Verity let out a shaky breath. She waited until the woman had gone before she moved into the house and headed to the staircase. Verity climbed the steps back towards the master bedroom and tried to be quiet once more. She had no need because Mark was already awake and getting dressed. He'd washed his hair and had only towel dried it. He'd tugged on his boxer briefs but nothing else, standing by the wardrobe and reaching for fresh clothes.
"Hey," Mark greeted.
"I might have just kicked your aunt out of the house," Verity blurted out, closing the door behind her and holding onto the door handle tightly. Mark's eyes widened and his nose wrinkled.
"What?" he asked her.
"She was downstairs in the kitchen saying all of this stuff about you again and I just told her that I think it might be best if she leaves considering all she'd done since she got here was stir up trouble," Verity said to Mark and he had to admit he was amazed at what he was hearing from his girlfriend. It took him a moment, but he came to terms with it and forewent looking for clothes. Verity moved a hand to her forehead and started pacing. "I just lost it with her, Mark. She…what she was saying…it was just bullshit and I wasn't going to listen to it. I'm tired of people interjecting in our lives."
"I'm not mad," Mark promised her, raising his hands. "I swear to you that I'm not mad."
"This might mean that she doesn't like me though."
"Just like your parents don't like me?" Mark asked her. "Ver, I don't give a shit if she doesn't like you. She doesn't like me and I'm her nephew."
"I just don't want to cause you trouble," Verity said to him with a shake of her head.
"You don't cause me trouble," he assured her and he reached for her once more. His arms wrapped around her waist as he held onto her tightly and she gripped hold of his broad shoulders. He was still slightly damp from where water dropped from the ends of his hair onto his skin. "I love you and, if it's possible, I love you even more for knowing that you've got my back."
"Always," Verity promised him and he bent down to kiss her chastely on the lips. She kissed him back, closing her eyes and wallowing in the moment. Breaking apart, Verity ran a hand to his hair and tucked it behind his ear. "She did tell me one thing though…your parents…she said your father was drunk when they had the car crash."
Mark stiffened beneath her grip, suddenly becoming tense and Verity wondered if she should have left it. But a part of her remembered what they'd said before. They weren't going to lie to each other or keep things hidden.
"That doesn't mean that's what killed them," Mark retorted and Verity saw that he was defensive. He wanted to believe that his parents were innocent. She understood it. Of course she did. She'd made up excuses for her parents so many times before. You did that for the people you loved.
"Okay," Verity said, not pushing it any further. She knew he didn't like talking about his parents. He'd admitted that to her and that was why she hardly brought it up. She got it. There were things she preferred not to relive. "I know." It was all Mark needed to hear from her. She wasn't going to push him on this and he didn't want to be pushed. He knew, deep down, that his father drinking was a contributing factor to his parent's death. But he didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about blaming his parents. They were gone.
Lowering his head once more, Mark kissed Verity again on the lips. The motion was soft and gentle. Verity closed her eyes and languished in the feeling of him against her before she heard a door slam. Groaning against his lips, she pulled back, hand going to his chest.
"I should take your aunt to the train station."
"I'll take her," he said.
"No," Verity said with a shake of her head. "Just let me slip some jeans and trainers on and I'll take her. You spend time with Angelina…I can deal with your aunt."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
….
Verity had seen Doris off at the train station. She had left as soon as she was at the train station, not entirely willing to stick around. Driving back to the house, she felt a sense of elation. She knew that things would be fine. Mark wasn't angry with her. Angelina probably would be okay. Things would be fine. She pulled back into the driveway and climbed from the car. Walking into the house, she followed the noise coming from the radio. Heading to the kitchen, she saw that it was spotless. All of the dishes had been washed and put away. The table had been cleared. There was a mug of coffee on the side and a croissant on a plate next to it.
"We fixed you some breakfast for when you got back," Angelina said, moving inside and motioning to the food and drink on the worktop side. "Mark's just outside. I went to grab a jacket as I was chilly."
"Thank you," Verity said and she took hold of her croissant and coffee. She followed Angelina outside and they walked around the side of the pool towards the gazebo where a three-piece sofa sat opposite two single chairs, a table in the middle of it. Verity sat down next to Mark, placing her mug and plate on the table.
"Did she go?"
"She's gone," Verity said.
Mark kept an arm stretched over the back of the seat and Verity leant against his side, burrowing against him and closing her eyes for a second. She had never felt so content as she picked at her croissant and listened to Mark and Angelina chat about school and how terrible some of the teachers were that were still there and had once taught Mark. Verity took a moment to chew down on her croissant and wondered if maybe this was it. Maybe there were no more obstacles to get in their way? No more horrible aunts. No more controlling parents. Maybe it was just going to be her and Mark from now on?
…
They fell into a familiar pattern when they returned back to New York City. Verity went back to tutoring and playing in the orchestra. Mark returned to work. Verity had started getting better at being alone and by herself. She knew it would take time and she guessed she'd just have to be patient. Mark had been reluctant to work night shifts, trying to swap as many out as he possibly could considering he didn't want to leave Verity alone all night. But eventually he had to return to the night shift and she knew she'd be alone then. They'd installed new locks on the apartment and had a chain and bolt too for extra security.
The first night had been restless. Verity had tossed and turned most of the night and hardly slept. Eventually, however, she fell to sleep and woke up in bed and all was well. It got easier after that first night, but she had to admit that she always slept better when Mark was next to her. She knew he was safe then too. A part of her worried about his job. She worried about what might happen to him when he was called to an incident or out on patrol. She knew those things were beyond her control, but that didn't make it any easier.
Janet was due to give birth any day soon too and Angelina was waiting for college letters to come in. Verity had sat down with her in the Hamptons and helped her on her application. She didn't particularly know if she had been helpful, but Angelina seemed happy. Mark was increasingly becoming stressed because he knew that it would cost a fortune to send her to medical school. He hoped she managed to get a scholarship because that would help him out. But he knew that they were competitive and so he had to find another way. He had saved quite a bit and even more since moving in with Verity.
"She got in."
Verity had been sat on the sofa on the Friday night, the TV playing some bad cop show in the background that neither of them had been watching as they ate mac'n'cheese that Verity had cooked. They'd been talking about their days before discussing weekend plans. Mark wondered if she wanted to go for a walk round Central Park on the Saturday morning before she went to Janet's for dinner and he met Angelina back at their apartment. Turning her head over her shoulder, she watched as Mark walked back into the living room from the hallway where the phone sat on the sideboard. Verity moved to kneel on the sofa, an arm going over the back of it and she smiled widely.
"She got in?" she checked with him.
"She got in," he repeated and sank down to sit next to her, tossing his head back and Verity moved her fingers into his locks, running her fingers through them slowly. "I can't believe it…I mean, I can because she is so clever…but it's just…my little sister is going to college. She's going off to Boston."
"You must be so proud," Verity said.
"I am," Mark said with a smile still on his face. Verity knew what was coming next. He was worried about how they were going to pay for it and she knew that.
"Dare I ask about scholarship?" Verity wondered.
"Partial one," Mark said. "So it's not as bad as it could have been…but it's still going to eat up my savings."
"How much do you have?" Verity wondered from him.
"I'll be left with about five hundred dollars, but that's fine," Mark said and Verity suspected it wasn't fine. "I'll build up again. I've been saving more since we moved in together…just means that things might be tight for a little while."
"And if I want to help?" Verity questioned from him. "The piano here is worth at least-"
"-Do not finish that sentence," he interrupted her, not wanting her to do that. He shook his head firmly and looked to her, eyes stern and jaw clenched slightly. "You are not selling your piano. I refuse to let you do that, do you understand me?"
"It might help…give us some security so you're not using everything you have," Verity said. "I hardly have any spare cash. Tutoring doesn't exactly pay well and I can only afford this place because Janet lets me live here rent free. But that piano is worth enough."
"It is your piano, Ver," Mark said. "I'm not letting you give that up."
"I would rehearse at the theatre if I had to-"
"-This is non-negotiable," he interrupted, his voice firmer than he had intended for it to be. But he wasn't going to let her do that. He wasn't going to let her give up her piano when he knew how much joy it brought her. Not only that, but he loved listening to her. He loved sitting next to her on the bench and watching her hands move along the keys. "I'll get by, but that piano is going nowhere."
"I just want to help," Verity said and Mark reached for her cheek, stroking it softly in his grip.
"And I love you for it," Mark promised her. "I love you for wanting to help me…Angelina…but not like this."
"You know I could just do it behind your back, right?"
"What happened to no secrets?" Mark said and Verity rolled her eyes. She knew he had her there. She took a moment to compose herself and then sighed in resignation.
"Fine," she said to him. "But I'm still going to help you out. We're a couple and that's what we do. We work together and we get through things. We've been through enough, Mark…I mean…I almost don't want to tempt fate, but I don't think that anything else could be chucked at us."
"I wouldn't test that theory, sweetheart," he said to her and moved his hand slowly down her arm, picking her fingers up and holding her hand inside of his. She moved and leant her back against his side, head falling by his chest. "Either way, my little sister is going to make something of herself and I couldn't be prouder."
"She's going to be amazing," Verity said and she was convinced of that. She knew that she was going to be great because she was so determined. "And you helped her, you know?"
Mark scoffed. "I'm not sure how."
"Well, without you, she wouldn't have the chance to go," Verity said to him. "It's not like your aunt was going to help her out."
"Not if it meant parting with her own beloved money," Mark said and Verity kept hold of his hand, her fingers toying with his. "Either way, it does mean that I won't be able to take you on any dinner dates for a little while."
"I don't need dinner dates."
"I know you don't, but I like taking you out, Ver…treating you…"
"I know you do, but honestly, none of that matters to me," Verity said. "We're just going to get by and be happy. We have enough to see us through…more than a lot of other people anyway. Honestly, we're going to be okay."
Mark had to admit that he did feel some sense of relief at hearing her talk like that. Nodding his head slowly, he bent down and kissed her, swearing that he would do everything he could to keep this feeling of happiness.
…
Verity had just finished tutoring at a house in Manhattan and was intending on heading back home, but she figured she could do some window shopping first. She knew that money was tight. Mark had paid for Angelina's college tuition and Verity had been footing most of the bills for the apartment and the food because of it. She didn't care. They shopped around for bargains and planned their meals in advance. There were no spontaneous pizza nights and Verity had foregone catching cabs when she was tutoring and in a rush. She knew that they'd be fine in the long run. They just needed to save up.
But Verity had wanted to get something for Angelina as a congratulatory present. She hadn't known what until Mark said that he had considered getting her a bracelet or a necklace, but had no idea what. Verity figured Mark wasn't going to be home until late that night and so she could have a look at the jewellery counters in some of the department stores on her way home.
Summer had hit the city and the humidity was quite something. Verity could feel herself sweating through her white blouse she had tucked into her green pleated skirt. She was wearing sneakers and had tied her hair into a ponytail high on the top of her head.
"Verity."
Looking up from where she had been peering down into the depths of the counter, looking at silver jewellery, she turned her head over her shoulder and saw her mother stood there. She had a few bags dangling from her hand, dressed in a fitted red dress with black heels, hair in a bun on top of her head. Verity looked to her mother, not entirely sure what to say to her or how to act.
"Mother," she greeted her back and she saw her mother's lips purse. She had a suspicion that her mother didn't really want to talk to her. She knew how she felt.
"I…I heard what happened…what the Jacobson kid did," Dorothy said and Verity nodded once. "We saw it on the news."
"And you didn't think of phoning?" Verity questioned.
Dorothy exhaled a shaky breath. "You know what happened, Verity. We told you that there would be no second chances."
Verity scoffed then, cheeks tinting red from anger. "Even after I was kidnapped?" Verity wondered and stepped closer to her mother, the anger inside of her boiling up. "Did you know what he was going to do to me, mother? Did you know what Daniel intending on doing? What he told me? What he taunted me over?"
Dorothy looked uncomfortable then, her gaze moving away from her daughter like it was too painful to look at her. Verity wanted her mother to know how she felt. She wanted her to be ashamed of how she'd acted.
"It was Mark who found me," Verity said. "He found me before Daniel could rape me and kill me."
Dorothy gulped audibly and Verity felt her eyes begin to water.
"All I wanted was for you to love me…to be proud of me…and you cut me off because I fell in love with someone you don't approve of. He might not come from a wealthy family. He might have a job you look down on. We might not have enough money for lavish holidays or fancy clothes, but we're happy. And I didn't want your money. I just wanted you to be my mother. I wanted you to love me, but you can't, can you? Did you ever love me?"
There was silence then and Verity wondered if her mother could ever bring herself to say those three words to her. Verity wasn't sure, but she knew that she couldn't stand around and wait to hear them.
"I'm going home," Verity said.
"I just wanted you to have a good life," Dorothy said to her daughter. "I wanted more for you than this."
"You wanted me to have a life like yours?" Verity questioned. "A life where I'm not happy? I'm doing what I love. It might not be what you wanted for me, but it's what I want."
"Do you think it will last?"
"I don't know," Verity said. "I have no idea what will happen in the future, but I'm not going to worry about that because there's no point."
Verity turned on her heel and left the department store. She took the subway back to the apartment and got there on autopilot. She dropped her satchel off in the bedroom and stripped out of her clothes and turned the shower on to freshen up before she made a start on dinner. It was only when she was in the shower did she let herself cry.
…
"You know, it's okay to be upset," Mark promised Verity.
She had told him that she had bumped into her mother earlier in the day. She had sat and picked at dinner that night, not entirely hungry. They'd gone to bed reasonably early and Verity was sat up and leant against the headboard, book in her lap with her legs bent. Mark was laid flat on his back, hands on his stomach as he struggled to get comfortable in the heat. He'd kicked the duvet off of his side, but Verity had the duvet tugged up to her lap. The windows were open and there was a bit of a breeze, but not enough of one for Mark's liking.
"I'm okay," Verity promised him.
"Ver," Mark drawled her name. "You don't need to be okay. It's alright if you're upset. They're still your parents."
"I know," Verity said to him. "But I've spent so many years being upset with them and nothing has ever changed so why should it change now?"
"But you're still related which doesn't make how they've treated you any easier to accept," he retorted.
"I just…I can't imagine having kids and then being so cold. I told her what Daniel was going to do to me and there was nothing, Mark…she just looked away," Verity said and Mark sat up, an arm going around her shoulders. "I don't want to ever be like that."
"And you won't," Mark assured her. "Daniel is going to be locked away for quite some time, Ver. He'll never hurt you again…and your parents…it's their loss not wanting to see you."
Verity nodded against him. Daniel, thankfully, had pleaded guilty and spared them all a long and drawn-out trial. The sentencing was due in a couple of weeks. It had taken a long time because of the backlog in the courts and it turned out the justice system didn't give you preferential treatment because you were wealthy. Verity knew she'd received letters from newspapers and TV stations asking her if she was interested in telling her side of the story. She threw them in the bin as soon as they arrived.
"I'm sorry," Verity said. "I don't mind to put a dampener on things."
"You're not," Mark said, tone slightly harsher than he had initially intended for it to be. "Listen to me, Ver, you're well within your rights to talk about this and feel how you feel…but whatever your parents say or do, just know that you are nothing like them."
"Thank God," Verity muttered. "Because I don't want a relationship with our kids like I have with my parents."
"Kids, huh?" Mark wondered from her and Verity shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe a boy and a girl," she said.
"Last time I checked, you didn't get to choose," Mark said and Verity hit him softly across the arm for his comment. He chuckled and his grip on her shoulder grew tighter. "But is that what you want? Just two?"
"I see what you have with Angelina…how close you are…and Janet is basically my sister…so yeah, I think I'd want two," she said to him. "What about you?"
"Never really thought about a number," Mark confessed to her honestly. "But yeah, maybe two would be good. I just…with things being as they are right now…wonder when…we'd need a bigger place. Maybe even move out of the city?"
"But these are things we can worry about later, right?" Verity said. "I mean, we have time so that we can get into a position where we're ready for kids. Right now, we're still young and we're still dating. I mean, we've moved in together, but we don't need to think about bigger things or worry about them. It's just nice to know that we might be on the same page."
"I know," Mark said. "But you know what I'm like. I'm a planner."
"Well, some things you just can't plan," Verity said. "So we may as well enjoy what we have right now before we start stressing about having a family."
"I know," Mark said. "Besides, we'd need to get married before we get to that stage."
Verity's brow arched. "Marriage?"
"Don't tell me you've planned our kids but haven't thought about marriage?" he teased her gently and she nudged him in the stomach and he chuckled. "But yeah, if we're going to do the whole family thing then we'd need to be married."
"Technically we wouldn't need to be," Verity said, a teasing edge to her tone.
"Don't tell me know you wouldn't want to marry me," Mark said.
"Of course I would," she replied. "But I have to say if this is your idea of a proposal then I'm not impressed. You'll need to step your game up when it comes to the real thing."
Mark chuckled and lowered his face towards hers. "I'll keep that in mind," he murmured before kissing her softly and thinking about his mother's ring that he hid in his drawer.
….
A/N: So things are moving along now! A few more chapters of happiness before some more characters start to get introduced and we see a bit of a spiral. Would love to know what you think!
