This I Promise You Chapter 16
			Coming Home
	The whole week seemed to go on forever for both Toni and Mark. While on promotional tour across Ireland and England, Mark was busy with the whole band and he just couldn’t wait to get home. Toni, on the other hand, had been worried sick and had been paranoid over Mark flirting with other girls. She knew it was impossible, but the fear of it just couldn’t be erased. And the fact that Mark was constantly surrounded by girls, who practically throw themselves at him, doesn’t exactly help at all. She made herself believe that she trusted Mark though. But how could you say that you totally trust someone when you get upset over the very thought of that someone getting too much attention from the opposite sex? It was so hard to deal with, because she was the jealous type, and was never one to be able to control her feelings.              Toni put down the book that she was reading, and closed her eyes. They were getting sore from all the hours of reading that she spent that day. She had to do something, anything to keep her mind off Mark and her useless worrying.       It was already 3am, and Mark wasn’t still at home. He called earlier and said that he’d be home by dinnertime, so Toni busied herself in the kitchen and prepared all of Mark’s favorites. Dinnertime came and dinnertime went, and he didn’t even as much as call her to say that he couldn’t make it. Finally around 10om, Toni got tired of waiting in front of the already cold food. She saved everything that could be kept and went up to their room dejectedly. Her mind started filling with macabre thoughts of accidents as she entered the room. She suddenly grabbed the phone and tried calling Mark’s number, but the phone was turned off. She tried calling the other lads, but it was either they weren’t answering their phones or it was turned off as well. So, she decided to do something and keep herself occupied and from time to time, try to call Mark on the mobile phone.       Toni was about to fall asleep on the chair when she head a car door slam shut, and the soft crunching sound of rubber tires on the pavement as it sped away. As the front door opened and then closed, she contemplated on going down to greet Mark or to just stay where she was, after all, Mark did make her wait for more than eight hours! Being like any other girl, she chose to play it cool, for a more dramatic effect. She didn’t want to give Mark the satisfaction that she was dying to see him, that she was worried sick and that she didn’t care if he didn’t call, and what’s important was that he’s home, safe and sound.       The sound of Mark’s footsteps on the wooden stairs quickened Toni’s heartbeat, and it was all that she could do to stop herself from bursting out of the door and engulf Mark in hugs and kisses. She quickly grabbed her book and covered her face with it to hide her excitement. Her heart practically leapt out of her chest as the doorknob turned. As the door swung open lightly, she looked up from her book, and what she saw immediately caused a frown to form on her face.
				Chapter 17