I Think I Love You (Australian Sports Star Series Book 3) Page 9
“I’ve got a job interview in Sydney.” He paused. The line was still open and he heard her breathing on the other line. “I’d really, really like you to come over tomorrow so we can talk about it.”
“Why?”
“’Cause I always discuss things with you when I’m not a hundred percent sure about what to do.”
“Why aren’t you sure?” Her voice was fragile and near a whisper.
He closed his eyes, sat down on his bed, and took another deep breath before he said, “Because the whole no regrets crap was bullshit.”
Silence again.
“Baby? I need to know where I stand. When you came over the other day, I was taken aback by what you said. Surprised.”
He heard her taking in a long breath. “I can’t believe that I did say that, but I was so confused and then I saw Melanie…I snapped.”
He nodded to himself, feeling the pieces of the puzzle come together. “I’m ready to give us a try,” he finally said.
“Why did you leave that afternoon, though?”
“Pardon?”
“I get that me coming over and giving you, as you call it no regrets crap, but why did you leave after…after—”
“I slept with you,” he finished for her.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Wasn’t that the ten million dollar question? He didn’t have the answer either. At the time, he thought he’d ruined a good friendship. Little had he known that staying and talking about it would’ve been the better and certainly the easier option.
“I freaked,” he murmured and, when Sarah didn’t reply, he said, “Look, Saz. In hindsight, I know it was the wrong move. As I said, I freaked, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about it since. I’m serious about what I’ve said.”
A heavy silence hung between them.
“I heard the message you left with Oliver. That you fucked up.”
“I fucked up by hurting you,” he replied straight away. It was all he’d been thinking about after his brilliant exit that day. “God, Saz, all I thought about was how much I hurt you by sleeping with you, by leaving you, by risking our friendship…friggin’ hell, Saz. I was so confused.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I needed to have someone’s opinion. When Annie told me she always thought we were meant to be, I did call you.”
“Yes, you did. Even stalked me in my house,” she whispered with a chuckle.
“Saz?”
“There’s just so much going on at the moment, Marky. I’m scared.”
“Timmy?”
Sarah hesitated for a moment. “What? No way.”
Surprised, but relieved, he coaxed, “Tell me.”
She hesitated, but finally said, “Rachel moved in. I wanna help her get her feet back on the ground.”
“I can help.”
There was a long pause.
“See, I’m not sure whether you understand, but you’ve always helped. You’ve always been there for me. I’m at a point where I’m scared that when you help we’ll inevitably go back to being friends without noticing.”
Markus heard her sighing and wasn’t sure whether to reply or wait. He patiently waited.
“This with Rachel is really important to me, Marky.”
He nodded, even though he knew she wasn’t able to see him.
“I’m…I don’t—”
Annie knocked at the door and stuck her head in. “Do you—” She didn’t finish her sentence and Markus saw a big grin spread across her face. “Sarah?”
He nodded and waved her off.
“Are you talking and sorting things out?”
Markus excused himself for a moment from Sarah and said through gritted teeth, “I’m trying. Now would you mind?”
“Marky?”
“Hang on a second, Saz.”
“Marky, darling. I really have to go. Pinky swear. But I’ll come over tomorrow night after work.”
At that moment, those words meant the world to him. A rush of excitement went through him at the idea of seeing her the next day.
She’d had him stumped for a long moment when the question about him leaving that afternoon came up. He rubbed his forehead with his fingers, letting out a long breath. It’d been such a stupid thing to do, but he’d been walking on unfamiliar ground and he hadn’t lied when he told Sarah he’d freaked. That was exactly what he had done. He had to get his act together when she came around the next day.
“Babe, I can’t wait,” he finally said.
Markus disconnected the call and glared at his sister. “Honestly, sometimes I would love to throttle you.”
With a big grin plastered across her face, Annie held up her hands and said, “Okay, okay, I’m leaving.”
“Too late,” he replied, but grinned as well. He wasn’t able to hide his glee. The weight on his shoulders was lifted and the thought that he’d see her the next day brought on a rush of excitement. Finally, they’d be able to sort things out.
***
Sarah felt giddy. Her insides tingled from top to toe, yet she wasn’t sure whether it was the relief she’d finally opened up to Markus, the anticipation of seeing him again, or apprehension about their decision of a future together, which way ever that might be.
Grabbing her sneakers, she walked past the room Rachel was currently sleeping in and said, “I’ll be heading out for a run. I need to clear my head.”
“Are you okay?”
Sarah nodded. “All’s good. Need to get rid of the third chocolate bar I ate this afternoon.”
Her sister laughed. “Yeah, right. I heard you talking.”
“Anyway, I’ll be back for the movie tonight. You know, the one you wanted me to watch with you.”
Rachel stood and came closer. “Sarah? Does running help? You know, like me and my mashed potatoes?”
She let out a shaky laugh. “I noticed dinner was a variation of the usual plain mashed potatoes, today baked in little swirls.”
Tugging a strand of hair behind her ear, her sister replied, “The mashing for frustration. The swirling for thinking things through.”
“With Mum here?”
Rachel lifted her shoulder in a hesitant shrug. “I’m okay.” She looked away, though. “One night and a bit of delving into family history doesn’t change things, but…” Looking back at Sarah, she said, “It explains a lot. Don’t you think?”
“It’s nice not only to have names for Grandma and Grandpa, but also to have stories about them. To know we’re part of a bigger family.”
Rachel nodded. “I agree.”
“I never wanted to have children, Sarah. I never wanted to be like Mum. Does that make me a bad person?”
Feeling the tears welling up in her eyes, Sarah said, “No, no it doesn’t. And just because we had our ups and downs with Mum doesn’t make her a bad mum. The circumstances were against us.”
“Ever the arbitrator.” Rachel chuckled.
“No, I’m not. I think just because Mum was adopted isn’t a reason for her to blame others for her mistakes. One has nothing to do with the other. She blames her parents for giving her away. Blames Grandma and Pa for not showing her more love, but it seems she never stood back, took a look at herself and said, I’ll do it differently. It’ll be something she’ll always have, but at least she promised to be more aware of it.”
Her sister nodded absentmindedly.
“And who knows, one day we might be the one who will help her to have some luck in her life.”
“Sarah?” she whispered. “Thank you.” Then she leaned in and placed a kiss on her sister’s cheek. “Honestly, thanks. I know you have this stuff with Markus in the back of your mind as well. It’s kinda hard to say how much I wanna thank you.”
Sarah smiled. “Having you here and having a sister after all these years is thanks enough.”
“Oh, and please be safe.” Rachel pointed to her sister’s shoes.
“I’ll be all right. Don’t worry. I’ll take my walkie t
alkie with if you like.”
“Yes, please. And your phone. And a torch.”
“Rach? Don’t worry!”
Sarah walked to the front of the house, put on her sneakers, and jogged down the street and towards the small park. It was late in the evening, but the sun was still a long way from setting. She ran to clear her mind, to free her thoughts of the day, all cluttering her head—work, Rachel, Oliver’s engagement present. She wanted to have only one thought and that was Markus. What could she expect the next day? Would they be okay? Have a repeat of the previous week?
She stopped, leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees, and tried to catch her breath.
Would she sleep with him again?
She walked back home, that single question stuck in her mind. The pros and cons spinning around her head like a whirlwind kicking up dust on the outback. She’d thought of that day they’d made love. It hadn’t been just sex. She remembered his touch, his kisses, and his mouth on hers. It still gave her a shiver down her spine. But she also knew she’d still recovered from a hangover and the fact that her latest boyfriend had cheated on her. Was it as simple as thinking Markus had been the rebound? Shaking her head, she stood, pushed the button for the pedestrian crossing, and waited. If he’d been the rebound, why did everyone tell her they’d seen it a long time coming? Had Timmy been the distraction?
She admitted Timmy was good looking, with his dark hair, icy blue eyes, and a body with no fat in sight. He’d been caring, helping, loving, and…cheating. At least once. The thought popped into her head whether there’d been more than one other girl. No, she wouldn’t go there.
The pinging noise of the lights hauled her back from the thoughts, and she crossed the road, heading up the streets. Subconsciously, she ran her hand through the bushes as she walked along, enjoying the sight of the colourful gardens. A chuckle escaped her lips as she thought about Markus’ garden. Messy and in desperate need for some clean-up.
Sarah decided to try not to think about tomorrow again, to simply take it one step after the other.
She turned into the small court she lived in and stopped in her tracks when she saw a police car in her driveway.
Sprinting the last few meters, all sorts of thoughts rushed through her mind.
Rachel. Her mother. The boys.
She nearly flew through the door with fear. Her gaze automatically tracked Rachel, who was standing in the hall, eyes red from tears, body shivering.
“What the hell is going on?”
Chapter Seven
After his jog along the beach the next morning, Markus sat down in front of Annie. With all the patience in the world, he unpacked breakfast from the café for his niece and nephew before he sat down and sipped his coffee.
“What about me?” she asked.
He slowly lifted his right shoulder. “What about you?”
“Breakfast.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Payback.”
Her brows shot up. “For what?”
“You know.”
Her expression told him she didn’t.
“You nagged me for days to call Saz. I finally do, she spills her guts, and you come in and interrupt.”
Annie tried to break off a piece of his croissant, but he slapped her hand straight away.
“Ouch. What did you do that for, Marco?”
“Mine.”
“So you two are good?”
He took another sip of his coffee before he said, “We’d be much better, if you had stopped talking once you noticed I was on the phone.” In one smooth movement, he stood. “I’ll get started with the packing. I want to get going soon.”
“Me va bene. I’ll get the kids organised and could be ready in an hour.”
“Bene.”
He walked down the hall to his room and started throwing his clothes into his bag. All he wanted was to get back to Melbourne. He loved the beach and he’d had a great couple of days with Annie and her kids, but it was time to get back to reality. Get things sorted, and as it seemed, life was back on track. After talking to Sarah, the decision about Sydney would be easier to make.
“Will you kick the footy with me until we leave?”
Markus turned. “Buddy, are you in trouble?”
His nephew shook his head vehemently. It was all the answer Markus needed. He heard his sister cursing at the other end of the house and a smile tugged at his lips.
“What’ve you done?”
“Nothin’,” his nephew answered.
“Yeah, right.” Markus grabbed his bag and the soccer ball. He could do with some distraction as well. “C’mon then, buddy.”
Henry hopped along the hall with so much excitement, he wasn’t able to stop when Annie came out of her room and bumped right into him.
With hands on hips, she stood in front of them.
Markus choked back a chuckle. “How bad is the damage?”
Annie didn’t look at him. “He knows he’s not allowed to kick the ball inside the house.”
“I’ll take him over to the beach. That’ll wear him out a bit.”
Slowly, her gaze met his. “And leave me with packing and cleaning up?”
He grinned. “It’s one or the other.” Holding up his bag, he said, “I’m ready.”
“You’re such an—”
His eyebrows shot up.
“Accidenti.”
He laughed. “So cursing in Italian is okay?”
“Just go. But take Ellie as well.”
“Mum, Ellie can’t kick the ball.”
“It’s either that, or help packing and cleaning up.”
Shoulders sagging, the boy took the ball and called for his sister.
Markus picked up his niece a few minutes later, smothered both of them with sun cream, and headed to the beach.
He placed a little bucket and a shovel in front of his niece and then tossed the soccer ball to Henry. Over the next half an hour he showed his nephew how to dribble the ball or showed off by bouncing the ball on his head, chest, or feet. Henry was in awe.
Ellie was less impressed and when she got restless the boys helped her with her small sandcastle before jumping into the waves.
They heard Annie’s shrill whistle. Markus looked around and saw his sister doing some awkward hand moves, which he assumed meant she’d finished packing up. It took him some convincing and bribery, but they headed back to the house and were on the road back to Melbourne twenty minutes later.
“What have you done to my kids?” Annie asked ten minutes into the drive. He didn’t miss the big grin on her face.
“Why?”
She laughed. “It usually takes at least the start of a video to get them into snooze-land.”
Looking into the rear view mirror, he shrugged. “Fresh air.”
“Thanks,” she said as she placed a hand on his arm. “I really appreciate it.”
He raised a brow. “Are we still talking about the kids?”
“Naturalmente.”
Annie switched on the radio, and they listened to music until he dropped them off. Miles came out of the house, and Henry and Ellie’s eyes flew open as soon as they heard their dad’s voice. Annie gave him a hug, whispered something into his ear, and when Miles placed a long kiss on her forehead, pulling his wife even closer, Markus assumed she’d told him her decision about Sydney.
A little envy crept up in him as he thought about returning to his empty home, but then remembered that Saz was supposed to come that night.
He hugged his niece, high-fived his nephew, and said his goodbye to Annie and Miles. Picking up some fish and chips on the way, he made it home within half an hour.
Markus noticed the small truck in front of his neighbour’s house. And as he turned into his driveway, he also noticed an unfamiliar car in front of his yard. A quick glance around told him that someone was moving in next door, which surprised him, because he hadn’t even known it’d been for sale. Good old Mrs. Gibson wasn’t all that old. A bit on the chit
chatty side, but not gossiping, and she certainly made wonderful cakes and stews. He made a mental note to try to find out what had happened to her.
He parked the car, grabbed his bag, and threw it next to the back door before walking to the front to check on his mail.
A little boy came past running after his soccer ball. It was a natural reaction for Markus to stop the ball and return it to the little boy. He was a cute little thing with his curly dark hair, freckled nose, and brown eyes. And if the fact that he’d played with a soccer ball wasn’t enough to impress Markus, the boy also wore a Manchester United T-shirt.
“Hey, buddy.”
The boy looked up and his jaw dropped.
“Your ball,” Markus pointed out.
The little guy blinked a couple of times, grabbed the ball, and then stared at Markus.
“Are you okay?” Markus asked.
He nodded, and Markus started to feel awkward.
“Who’s your favourite Man-U player?” he asked the boy.
His face beamed and with his chest out a little farther, he replied, still shy though, “David Beckham.”
“He hasn’t played for Man-U for a while.”
“Doesn’t matter,” came the prompt reply. Markus wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but thought he heard a broad English accent in the two words.
Still staring at Markus, the boy tilted his head a little. “Are you…” He hesitated. “Are you Mark Dee-On?”
Markus smiled and crouched in front him. “Markus DeLeon?”
“Yes!”
“That would be me. And how do I come to the honour of you knowing who I am?”
“You played for our team in Leeds.”
“You’re from Leeds?”
The boy nodded.
As much as Markus wanted to ask so many more questions, like why he was here or what happened to Mrs. Gibson or—
He had to ask. “Where’s your mum and dad?”
“Mum’s right here,” a soft voice said behind him.
Markus stood quickly, turned, and…had to blink a couple of times. He looked into a pair of beautiful emerald coloured eyes. Mum? She didn’t look anything like her son. Except the cute freckles.
He held out his hand. “Markus. I wasn’t having an inappropriate conversation with your son, but obviously my curiosity took over when I heard his English accent and saw the T-shirt.”