Chapter 26 - Mara
Something has changed. I can feel it, even though everything on the surface seems the same. Dominic leaves a bit earlier in the morning, before the sun comes up. He doesn’t come into town at all, and I think he’s avoiding me in public.
When it’s just the two of us, he’s just as affectionate as he was a couple of days ago. His hands seem to know my body and he touches me with a tenderness that’s surprising from a man his size.
But still, something’s changed.
The renovations are about halfway through, with the lobby and dining hall finished and about half the rooms under way. Dominic has been able to deliver all his pieces on time, and they’ve gotten rave reviews from everyone who’s seen them.
“Mara, there you are!” My mother calls out as she comes down the hallway. “I have a surprise for you in the office!”
I glance over. “Okay, I’ll be right there. I just want to make sure this furniture goes to the right place.”
“When are you going to tell me the name of this furniture maker?” my mother exclaims as another perfect set of nightstands is carried through the door. “His work is exceptional.”
I smile and shake my head. “Maybe never.”
She clicks her tongue and gives me a sideways glance.
“I can tell you who made those,” a voice calls out behind me. A shiver runs down my spine and I already know who the voice belongs to. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. I turn around and my heart sinks like a stone.
“Aiden,” I say.
“What are you doing here?” my mother snarls.
“That’s not the warm greeting you give all your other guests, I hope,” he shoots, glancing at my mother. In a second, his eyes are back on me. My heart is thumping against my ribcage, and I open and close my mouth.
“Why are you… Can I help you with anything?”
“I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. And from what I can tell,” he says, nodding to my mother. “You’ve kept your parents in the dark.”
“What are you talking about? Mara, what is he talking about?” My mother squeals. I ignore her, keeping my eyes trained on Aiden.
“Aiden…” I start, trying to keep my voice calm.
I can see the fire in his eyes. He’s angry. He’s as angry as I’ve ever seen him. His broad body is taking up the entire doorway, and his arms are hanging by his sides as he opens and closes his fists. He looks like he’s trembling, and I have no idea what he’s going to do.
“Mara,” he replies through gritted teeth.
When he says my name, I try to suppress a shiver. There was a time when I loved hearing my name on his tongue, when I was drunk in teenage love. Now, it sounds bitter when he says it. He takes a step forward and opens his mouth again.
“Aiden!” A voice calls out from behind him. My heart lifts as I recognize Dominic. He appears behind Aiden and clamps a hand on his shoulder. “Aiden!”
Aiden shrugs the hand off and turns around. “Get your fucking hands off me!”
Ethan, the youngest of the three, appears in the doorway as well. “Come on, Aiden. Don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what!” My mother screeches. I put a hand on her forearm and can feel her trembling. “Get out of here! All three of you!”
I put a bit of pressure on her arm to keep her from stepping forward. She’s shaking.
The three brothers pay her no attention. There are unspoken words between them, and after a few tense moments, Aiden huffs and spins around, stalking back down the street. I watch him get into his truck and speed off down the road. Dominic and Aiden look at each other, and then back towards me and my mother.
“Sorry about that,” Dominic grunts, looking at the ground between us.
Look me in the eye! I want to scream. Look at me!
“What’s going on?” My mother asks to no one in particular. “Tell me!”
Ethan looks up at me, and I know he knows about me and Dominic. He glances at Dominic who lifts his eyes up to me. I look at the two brothers and glance down the road towards where the third Clarke brother just disappeared. I glance at my mother and take a deep breath.
“Mom,” I start, “Dominic is the one who has been making the new furniture.”
I think she might faint. She stumbles backwards and clutches her heart as I try to keep her steady. Ethan rushes forward, trying to help but she swats him away.
“WHAT!” She finally yells. “What did you just say?”
I take a deep breath and glance at Dominic. He finally lifts his eyes up to mine and I see the pain inside him. It’s killing him to be in the middle of this.
The guilt coiled deep inside me starts to wake up.
This is all my fault.
That look on his face – the pain, the discomfort, the hurt – it’s my fault. I should never have asked him to make this furniture for us. I should never have gotten involved with him. I’ve once again caused trouble for his family, and dragged him into a situation that he wants no part of.
I turn to my mother and take a deep breath. “He’s the best there is, Mom.”
“Do you think I care?” She exclaims. She looks at me, wide-eyed, until my shoulders slump. “Mara! Inside. Now!”
She stalks off towards the office and I watch her go before turning to the brothers. I take a step towards Dominic and try to put my hand on his arm but he steps away from me.
I drop my hand and feel a hot knife pass through my heart as he looks away from me. I glance at Ethan, who looks at his brother and then at me.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
Dominic finally looks at me and shakes his head. “I should never have gotten involved with you. I knew it would be trouble, and here we are. This?” he moves his finger from me back to himself. “This was a mistake.”
My chest feels hollow. My eyes are starting to blur as his words sink in. I watch him turn around and get into Ethan’s waiting truck. Ethan glances at me and follows his brother without saying a word. When they drive off, they take the air out of my lungs and the light from my eyes. They turn the corner and drive out of view as the first tear spills over my cheek.
I turn around and look down the hallway where my mother disappeared. I take a deep breath and start the long walk over to the office, preparing myself for the worst.
This was a mistake.
His words are ringing in my ears and I brush the hot tears from my eyes. I try to compose myself in the few seconds before I have to face my mother. Somehow, I’ll have to hide the fact that my heart is shattered into a million pieces.
I stumble back to my room and sit on my bed in a daze.
I’m not sure how much time goes by. Minutes? Hours? I finally lift myself up and take a deep breath. I make the long walk back towards the office. My feet feel heavy, and I struggle to keep my shoulders back. My chest is hollow and I feel completely empty.
When I turn the corner into the office, my heart somehow drops down further down into my stomach. I stop in my tracks and open my mouth in shock as I look at the visitor in the office.
This must be the ‘surprise’ that my mother was talking about.
My mother’s furious face is staring at me. Beside her, sitting in my desk chair, is my smug, suave ex-fiancé.
“Vincent? What are you doing here?” I exclaim.
My voice comes out as a squeak and I stare from him to my mother in shock.
“Hello, Mara,” he says as a smirk spreads over his face. “It’s nice to see you too.”