Fifty

Chapter Fifty

He ignored her question and walked towards her slowly, his eyes boring into hers. His little move intimidated her stance and her almost determined hardened face, that she took a step backwards, gulping hard as she did. But she never broke eye contact no matter how uncomfortable she felt within her. His small steps finally brought him very close to her. Too close, Jennifer had to break her eyes from his blue ones for a second to look elsewhere. The door of the second jeep opened and Charlie came out of the driver’s side, Mike coming from the other side. Jennifer frowned a bit at them, she certainly did not ask for them to visit and she was even meant to visit them sometime in the next two weeks.

“Okay, what on earth are you guys doing here?” Jennifer asked, walking away from Mark whose presence was starting to make her heart grow heavy as she remembered how they left things.

“We came to visit our favorite girl.” Charlie smiled and hugged her fully, giving her forehead a kiss before releasing her. She noticed Charlie give someone behind her a glare and that confirmed her feeling that Mark’s eyes never left her.

“Hello you.” Mike came forward and gave her a hug herself, baby oil scent filling Jenifer’s nose. His hair looked more sleek so she guessed that was the source of the scent.

“Okay, seriously guys, what’s up? Why are you here?” Jennifer asked, her eyes darting between the two men.

“Well Ma…” Charlie nudged Mike before he could continue which made Jennifer frown in wonder.

“We just missed you, that’s it.” Charlie threw her another familiar cute smile which Jennifer returned her eyes squinted as the sun’s rays came in her direction. The door of the passenger side of Mark’s car opened and Silvanus came down, all dressed in black like the spy he was. He held a black duffel bag in one hand and a leash in the other, which on seeing it Jennifer smiled grandly, her insides feeling all mushy from excitement.

“Oh em gee, you guys brought Bruce! Hi Silvanus!” Silvanus serious face flashed a short grin at her as he opened the back door. Jennifer rushed to the door, taking the part of the dog she could hold into her hands. She rubbed through his brown fur, the cute slightly grown animal barking excitedly like he was about to be fed his favorite snack.

“Who’s a good boy? You. Yes you. I am so happy to see you.” Jennifer cooed making cute faces at the dog. She turned to collect the leash in Silvanus hand and attached it to the plain black collar on his neck. After, she carried the dog off the seat and helped him down, holding on to his leash. Looking excited, she looked towards Mark who had re-positioned himself by leaning on the bonnet of her car, just beside Amanda who had a look of admiration on her face as she watched them all. Mark looked as before, still unreadable, but his eyes was trained on something else, something far away. Remembering that she had not introduced Amanda to the Charlie and Mark, she took her eyes off Mark refusing the urge to look again to see if he would look her way.

“So, guys,” She walked towards Amanda, Bruce maintaining her pace at her side. “…this is Amanda. My very good best friend.”

Mike’s face lit up dramatically and he walked to Amanda, grabbed her hand gently and said, “I am so sorry.”

Amanda looked at her friend confused yet amused but all she got from Jennifer was a shrug. So, she turned to Mike. “What for?”

“For speaking vile things about you in your absence. See, we thought you backstabbed your friend and plotted to kill her so you could marry her… ex-husband. But now that I know the truth, I have to apologize.”

Amanda smiled graciously. “It is fine. You don’t have to apologize.”

Silvanus rolled his eyes and grabbed Mike by his collar to draw him back before he could say anything. “Alright drama queen that is enough.” He faced Amanda, his hand pointing towards Charlie. “That handsome dude over there is Charlie. They are glad to meet you. So, to why we are exactly here…”

“Why are you guys here?” Jennifer asked again, the tone of her voice suggesting that she wanted the real reason.

“We came here because of this block head…”

Mike cleared his throat to interrupt him receiving a glare from the tough looking guy. “We came her because we are block heads.” Jennifer and Amanda looked at each other, sharing a confused look then they faced Mike who grinned largely.

“Yes, we are blockheads because we refused to inform you that we were coming to meet you, so we had to break your gate’s lock to enter your house to check if you were in.”

Jennifer nodded slowly. “Uh …okay?” Then the last statement hit her. “Wait, what?”

She frowned.

“God damn it Mike what on earth are you saying? We came here because of Mark. He… for some reason has been a total…” Jennifer felt her mouth go dry as she waited for him to complete his statement, but Amanda interrupted him before he could conclude the statement he was uttering out of frustration.

“Why would you guys destroy the lock? What if someone saw you, they would have thought you were thieves.”

“That will be Silvanus bad, he has been on quite an edge these days he couldn’t chill for a second for us to at least call Jennifer’s number to know where she was.” Mike eyed Silvanus who scoffed in reaction.

Jennifer looked towards Mark who was still looking elsewhere, he did not appear to be aware of the talks happening around him. “Mark has been a total what?” She asked, looking Silvanus straight in the eyes.

He sighed before responding. “Mess. A total mess.”

“Silvanus, he told you he would handle it himself.” Charlie shot at him.

“Does he even look like he is going to say anything to her soon? I bet he hasn’t said hi to her.” Silvanus said bitterly, Jennifer glancing at Mark again. “He needs us to help him with this even though his stupid ego won’t let him admit it.”

And immediately, as though triggered by Silvanus words, Mark got up and walked towards the gate, pushed it open and walked into the compound, Jennifer watching his back as he did so with a squeezing heart.

“You guys actually broke the lock. Wow.” Amanda said few minutes after he had left, breaking the silence that his action infused into their midst. Mike threw her a sheepish grin and she chuckled amusedly, grabbed his arm and they both walked into the mansion, starting a conversation.

“What is wrong with Mark?” Jennifer looked worriedly towards Silvanus and Charlie who first looked at each other as though having a brief conversation through their minds. Silvanus was the one who answered her question.

“He is just having issues concerning how he feels.”

Jennifer’s chest leapt because she knew it was about her. But the question that made her mind race afterwards was; how did he feel about her? So she slowly and carefully asked, “How he feels about what?”

“More like who.” Charlie answered and she nodded in understanding. “We should go in too, the sun is hitting pretty hard.” The other two nodded in agreement, Jennifer suggesting they drove the cars in. She went to her car and told the driver to park inside and take the rest of the day off. Still gripping on to the leash of a still excited dog, she walked past the gate which was already wide open in waiting for the cars to troop in. She released Bruce to play around, her eyes roaming around for Mark.

She walked past the flowers, hoping that Bruce wouldn’t ruin them while playing. As her legs took her through the bare concrete ground where her car was meant to be parked, she finally saw Mark. He was in front of the building, his back against a pillar as he looked intensely at what Jennifer could guess to be a painting since it was placed on a easel.

‘Maybe that is the big thing he has been working on.’ Jennifer thought.

‘Weird for him to bring to along though.’

She walked towards him, unsure of what to say when she finally faces him. Should she ask him about how he felt about her? Or she should just smile and greet him? Or maybe her heartbeat will do the talking. She placed her hand on her chest as the continuous loud rapid pounding filled her ears.

“Hi there.” She started softly when she finally got to his front. His eyes left the work piece and connected with hers.

“Hey.” He replied, softly as well. Jennifer took a step closer, all feeling of hatred she had created in her mind to have towards him evaporating as their eyes still remained connected.

“What are you looking at?” She walked to his side, taking her eyes off him to look at the piece in front of him, but his eyes still stayed on her. They watched her as a gasp of wonder left her lips on seeing what was in front of her. It was a painting of her and it was glorious. Her eyes staring at the painting in awe, she moved closer to study her painting. He had captured the conflicted emotions her eyes have been holding ever since her dad died.

“Oh Mark.” She whispered softly as she studied the painting more.

Her hair looked so black and rich it complemented her skin which had more life in it compared to reality, so well. She had this beautiful smile on her face, the whiteness of her teeth matching the gown she was putting on. A deeper dig into memory, Jennifer recalled where she had seen the gown before, it was the gown she had on while she drowned. In the background of the painting, was the mansion which still looked beautiful even as a tiny background in a painting.

Jennifer’s heart had melted with love for the painting and for… the man who painted it. She faced Mark who still had his eyes watching her, the space between them so little, their foreheads were almost kissing. “Mark,” She whispered softly. “it is so beautiful.”

He held her hand and said, “The image of your face refused to leave my head ever since you ran away from my house.” He shut his eyes. “Even right now, I can still see your face Jennifer. And I do not know why.” He opened his eyes, the blueness looking right into her eyes.

She reached for his face with her free hand and cupped it gently like it was a fragile thing. “I think I know why.” She took his other hand and placed it on her still pounding chest. “Do you feel that? That is because of you.”

“But I have hurt you, I said things I never meant to say.”

“If you never meant to say it, I can forgive you for hurting me. My heart can still beat fast because of the love of you in me.” He removed his hand from her chest and shook his head dejectedly.

“What is it Mark? Why are you holding back?”

“I… I don’t know why. Being in love with someone, I have never seen myself doing it. But…”

“But?” Jennifer held his other hand as he held her other hand.

“Not having you in my life in the past month messed me up so much that I just had to come down here when I couldn’t take it anymore.” His stare into her eyes intensified. “I am afraid I am in love with you.”

Jennifer felt her insides go all soft as he said those words. Attempting to not burst out a huge smile, she gave out a shaky short laugh and said, “You are afraid you are in love with me?”

He nodded, freed one of his hands and used it to push back a couple strands of her hair that blew onto her face. “Yes. I know at first I was this awful person to you.”

“Very awful.”

“Yes, very awful. I had to be that way because when I first saw you, fully alive I mean, there was something that just attracted me to you. And I have never been a huge fan of things like that, so I went with the option of being hostile to you. When you ran away from the house, I found myself yearning for just your presence in the house, it was there I knew what I felt towards you was something strong. But I cowardly opted to act like my old self when you told me you liked me. I should never have done that, I just caused you unnecessary pain. I should have just manned up and told you how I felt how I truly feel.”

“That you think you love me?” Jenifer grinned playfully.

“That I love you and that I am willing to go on this journey with you.”

Before Jennifer could respond his lips captured hers gently and slowly. It was as though he was professing his love all over again through the kiss as it had so many emotions attached to it. Jennifer relaxed herself into the kiss and enjoyed the bliss the came with it, her entire system feeling at peace almost instantly. After a while, their lips separated, their little display of affection gaining cooing from their friends.

They both faced them, their hands still together. Silvanus walked towards them and faced Mark.

“Is your mind settled now Mr McMuffin?”

“Yes it is.” He smiled at Jennifer as he answered.

“Good. Can we go in and get some wine to drink and steal now?”

“Steal?” Jennifer asked.

“Silly Silvanus here is holding that bag because he wants to stuff them with some of your best drinks.” Mike piped in.

“You brought a duffel bag just to steal wine? Here I was respecting you for staying true to your call even if retired. I legit thought you had your spy equipment in there.” Silvanus shrugged at Jennifer.

“All I want now is some wine.” He walked into the house, Amanda, Charlie and Mike following suit.

“Shall we?” Mark requested of Jennifer who smiled at the man who had strangely found a way to stay in her heart even after everything. Having him beside her at that moment made her feel so much at peace with herself, she had to wonder if he was the antidote to all the pain she had been experiencing all the while.

“Earth to Jennifer.” His hand was in front of her face.

She smiled at him and replied, “Yes we shall.”

And they both, hands still clutched together, walked into her abode that held both her sad and happy memories, Jennifer hoping and praying that her new beginning bring more joy than pain.

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THE END