Chapter 36

Mark's POV

"He is my fiancée," thankfully Betty stepped in gleefully
"Mum, am glad you are here. I know we didn't talk much after Dad passed away. Come on I'll show you to your room. You must be pretty tired after the whole journey. Just rest and we will talk," her glare was still directed to me as Kylie hastily led her away grabbing her suitcas
I shifted my gaze following Kylie and her mother walk up the stairs. Well I guess I had already faced my fair share of victory it was probably time to face a little bit of reality. I was hell sure Betty was bound to find out about me and Kylie very soon taken the sudden turn of events. The presence of Kylie's mother didn't quiet sit well with me. I had read the unmistakable anger in her eyes when she saw me. For a little while I had thought she was going to do something irrational like slap me or call me name
"She looked like she recognized you," Betty looked up at me, a curious tint subtle in her eye
"Thanks to my father I seem to be very popular. She must have recognized me from one of the very many interviews my dad forced me to do when I was way younger," it was becoming more unbearable to lie to Betty each passing day
"Of course. Am really glad she came here you know. I just hope Kylie will feel much better after this," Betty commented looping her slender arms around my waist
"I hope so too," this was one of the few times I was honestly being sincer
"You know what will make me feel much better right now?" she bit the edge of her lips her right hand moving down to grope the top of my bel
"But you do realize Kylie and her mother are still in the house, right?" I let her down gentle
"Hey guys. So I'm going out for coffee with my mother. I hope you guys will be fine on your own," Kylie interrupted focusing her gaze on Betty
"Of course. You don't have to worry about us," Betty replied much to my disma
I watched them walk out of the door leaving me to the mercy of Betty. As soon as the door closed Betty placed a brief kiss on my lips
"Now we have the place to ourselves," she whispered seductivel
"Julia…" I trailed as she raised her eyes to look at me.
"What now Mark? Since day one you have been avoiding me. At first you were insecure and then you gave the excuse of the tension caused by Kylie's breakup. Well now her mother is here and they have gone out. You wanted space? We got it. What else do you want Mark?" she snapped stepping back her eyes close to tear
Oh God! I hated tears especially when they were from a lady. Finally giving up I grabbed her face, planting my lips on hers. At first she was shocked but soon enough she was kissing me back
"We should probably do this in the room," she breathlessly muttere
We both rushed to her room and as soon as we got in she tore off my shirt still kissing me. I felt her lips trail kisses on my chest as I tried to feel it but all my mind could picture was Kylie. Images of the previous night flooded my mind as I suddenly grew hard.
"You are hard for me already," she murmured as a wave of guilt tore through me
She giggled as I got rid of my trousers. I tried to concentrate on making Betty happy by pushing her on the bed with my frame towering over her. I wasn't in the mood for much seduction as I skipped to her nipples sucking imagine that to be Kylie's body. Her moans rippled through the quietness of the room. Sliding southwards she suddenly stopped me. Looking at her in surprise at she giggled flipping me while she straddled me. When she began riding me I closed my eyes and once again the events of the night before clouded my mind. A wave of sensations rushed through my system remembering Kylie's moans as I tried to muffle the
"Fuck Kylie," I cussed feeling I was so close.
Suddenly I felt the movement on top me stop. Opening my eyes I saw Betty staring at me in what I could only deem as shock mixed with betraya
"Why did you stop? I was so close," I inquire
"Of course you were so close reaching an orgasm for Kylie," she accused getting off me.
"What are you talking about
"You said her name. You fucking said her name you son of bitch!" she hastily wore her clothes, a stream of tears flowing down her cheek
"You can go to hell, you traitor," she stormed out of the house
Betty pushed Kylie's hands away before landing a resounding slap on her left chee
She spared me one disgusted look rushing out of the room. Cussing I jumped off the bed putting on my trouser quickly. Wearing my shirt I went after her while trying to get the stairs right instead of plummeting to my death. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs as Kylie and her mother walked in meeting Betty at the doo
"Julia? Are you okay?" Kylie questioned proceeding to touch Betty's cheek suddenly grew hard.
Kylie's POV
I held a cloth full of ice cubes over my left cheek. I had never seen Betty look so mad before but I guess I deserved her madness.
"So you finally told her," I whirled around to look at the perpetrator staring at me
"Not exactly. She was on top of me and I wouldn't stop thinking of you. I didn't even realize I had mentioned your name until I saw her mad expression. What have I done? Now she is going to hate me forever," he passed a hand through his messed up hair in frustration
"Well now you know how it feels like to know you are responsible for someone's pain,"
My mother had long left us to solve our problems. It had taken all the convincing words in my dictionary and two cups of coffee to talk her out of ranting to Betty about Mark and I only for us to come home and realize it was all useless
"Okay you want to hear Kylie? Yes Kylie, I feel guilt. Yes, I do care when people get hurt. Yes, am the worst jerk in the universe and Yes, I thought by ignoring other people's pain I could get you back," he stopped as I stared at him in shock. I had never heard him sound so in pain before.
"The damage is done already Mark. Try to call her again, "I said instead setting down the ice pack
He tried again but Betty wasn't picking up. Checking my watch I realized it was already six in the evening. It's so funny how time flies so fast. Picking an apple from the fridge I kept turning it just to keep me preoccupied and take my mind off Betty but of course that wasn't working. Giving up I dialed her number again and just like the other six times she didn't pick up. I resigned picking up my car keys and began walking
"Where are you going? "Mark questioned standing up from his chair
"Then I'm coming with you," I heard his steps picking pace behind me
"Am going to find Betty," I was already heading towards the door
"Who said I was going to leave you behind?" I asked him unbelievably to which he just shrugged
We spent the next two long hours driving around the small town checking every possible place she could have gone but to no avail. Giving up I hit the steering with my clenched fist. I had let her down and maybe I was to blame for the entire mess.
"I should have stopped her when I had the chance to," Mark stated quietly
Silence reigned in the car as we both got lost into our own world of thoughts
"Its happening again," I stated after quite a while
"What are you talking about?
"Ten years ago while we were in eleventh grade we were the inseparable best friends. Students envied our friendship but prom had to ruin it all for us. It happens that I was sort of untouchable while she was easy going. So when the most popular boy in school began taking her out I had no objection. Several times she told me that the relationship wasn't that serious. Then three days before prom we walked into school to find a huge banner hanging in the middle of the hallway. He was asking her to prom or that's what I had thought until I saw the name written at the bottom. It was my name in bold capital letters. She felt devastated and betrayed,
"So did you say yes?" Mark inquired
"I was overwhelmed at first but Betty was my friend so instead I ran after her. It turns out that was a big mistake. She accused me of going behind her back and all that crazy teenage drama. Unfortunately for her my parents had only divorced a month before that so I was still in pain. That's when I made the stupidest decision of my life. I stormed back into the hallway and said yes to Timothy. Betty never spoke to me again and a week later she transferred schools to Australia. We lost touch until a month ago when she called me," I finished fighting the tears threatening to form a stream down my cheeks
"Am so sorry. I didn't know any of it," he apologized
"It's my fault not yours. So now we are going to find her and make this right before it is too late," he nodded.
We walked into the bar at the far end of the town. It was crowded with the smell of cigarettes and sweat high up in the air. We pushed through the mass of drunk bodies swinging to the rhythm of the slow music. We were almost done scouting the bar when I caught sight of a blonde grinding against some old man at the far end of the bar. I grabbed her arm as she stared at me coldly
"What do you want?" she sneered at both of us but thankfully she wasn't the least bit drunk
"You are coming home with us Betty and we are going to make this right," Mark commanded
"Are you being serious right now Mark? You are having a crush on my best friend," we both looked at her in shock
"I do?" Mark asked baffled
"You think I haven't noticed. I'm not a child anymore Mark. I have seen how you've been looking at her since the first day we are arrived. Tell me right now if am wrong?" challenge was written in her eyes
The ringing of my phone cut through the tension. Luke's name flashed on the screen as I silently showed it to Mark and Betty. I rushed outside to answer it
"Daniel,"
"Blaze. Look I was not really happy with how we left things the other day. Would you please come over tomorrow? We really need to talk,
"Of course. It's only a three hours journey. Am pretty sure I'll manage," I was happy to say the least.
He cut off the line as I turned to go back inside only to run into Betty and Mark standing behind me.
Mark's POV
During the ride home no one said a word yet I couldn't stop thinking about Kylie's high school story. She had been trying to make amends and yet I had almost ruined it for her. No, I had definitely ruined it for her. I had been too obsessed about having Kylie back in my life that I had lost track of the people around me. I sat through the most awkward dinner of my life and I was glad when it was finally over.
"Am sorry Kylie. I shouldn't have slapped you," Betty was the first to break the eerie silence immediately after dinner.
"It's okay,"
"No its not okay. I have no idea what came over me. It's just that since high school boys only went out with me just to get you. I guess with the whole prom thing too I let my anger take control. But that is no excuse I know,
"No, I deserved it," she stated sparing me a quick meaningful glance
"Have you forgiven me?" she asked hopefully
"Of course. Come here," I watched the two girls hug and I just couldn't
take it any longer
"I need to say something," I stated without a second thought
"Anyone ready for desert?" Kylie's mother walked in with the desert obviously unaware of what was transpiring