Chapter Twenty One

“Yeah I’m doing graphics, art, physics and maths for A Level.” Rose said.

“Ooh, you’ve got yourself an intelligent one there.” Mark’s mum said.

Rose smiled at the compliment. It was her first evening at Mark’s house and her and Mark were sitting in Mark’s living room with his mum, dad and older brother, Colin. They were having a ‘let’s all get to know Rose’ bonding session. Rose was having a great time. All Mark’s family were so nice and friendly and she was getting on great with all of them, even Keith! What was even better was that since the event upstairs earlier on, Mark hadn’t left Rose’s side and was constantly showering her with affection. Like for example, at this very moment, even though there were plenty of seats to go round, Rose was sitting on Mark’s lap in the armchair by the window. He had his arms wrapped tightly and protectively around her and every so often he’d give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Obviously he wasn’t about to snog her face off in front of his parents but they had been sat there for two hours now and during the last half hour, the subtle “quick” kisses had become a lot more frequent and lingering.

”Um, is it alright if I get a drink?” Rose asked.

“Of course it is love.” Pam said.

“I’ll show you where everything is.” Mark offered, catching Rose’s eye and suppressing a smile.

“Okay.” Rose agreed.

They both went out of the sitting room and into the kitchen.

“You know that I don’t really want a drink, right?” Rose asked.

"Yeah, I got that.” Mark said, putting his arms around her waist as Rose slid her hands up Mark’s chest and they kissed.

“That was very devious of you I must say.” Mark said.

“Oh come on, you’d have done exactly the same if you’d thought about it.”

“I was thinking about it!”

And other things, Mark thought.

“Didn’t do anything about it though, did you?”

“I hadn’t quite got that far. I was getting there!”

“Of course you were.” Rose said patronisingly.

“Oh shut up.” Mark said, smiling and kissing her again.

“So that’s how you make drinks!” came an amused voice from the doorway.

Mark and Rose span around to see Colin grinning at them.

“All this time I’ve been it wrong, thinking that making a drink involved water and a glass when obviously what you’re meant to do, as you two love birds have kindly demonstrated to me, is practically shag in the kitchen! What a fool I’ve been!”

“Hello Colin. So nice of you to join us. I expect you’ll be going soon.” Mark said, going slightly red. “Just ignore him.” He said to Rose.

“Yep, that’s right, just ignore me! Coz I mean, I only live here too. It’s not like I was here before him or anything. Hey! Here’s an idea, why don’t you GET A ROOM??”

“I have one thanks.” Mark said.

“Good! Use it then! I don’t wanna see my little brother getting steamy with his girlfriend, no offence Rose, when I all I want is a drink! God damn this world!” Colin said dramatically.

Rose tried not to laugh at the outburst.

“And apart from that, you do realise that it doesn’t take this long to get a drink, don’t you?” Colin pointed out. “Mum and dad aren’t stupid.”

“Well we’re going upstairs in a minute.” Mark said.

“Oh great yes, that’s even better. I mean, it’s not like my room’s right next to yours or anything.” Colin complained.

“I thought you wanted us to go upstairs?” Rose asked.

Colin faltered for a good comeback, realising that Rose had him. “Well… yes… I did, but… uh…”

“Go away Colin.” Mark said smiling.

Colin sighed. “Fine. I’ll just relieve my chronic thirst though if that’s alright with you?”

“Be my guest.”

Colin got a drink and left the room.

“Sorry about him.” Mark said. “Clinically insane. It’s a strain on the family but we get by.”

Rose grinned. “He’s alright.” She said. “He’s funny.”

“Yes, and a pain.”

“Are we really going upstairs in a minute?”

“If you want to. I just thought you’d probably had enough of twenty questions with the Read family.”

“I don’t mind. I like your family, they’re all really nice.”

“Well they obviously love you! But I would like some time alone with you. They can see you tomorrow.” Mark said.

Rose smiled. “Ooh, I’m in demand.” She said.

“You are. Is that alright then?”

“Yeah, I’m happy to do whatever.”

“Cool. Let’s go and say goodnight.”

Rose and Mark went back into the sitting room. Colin grinned at them as they entered.

“Um, me and Rose are gonna go upstairs now.” Mark said, avoiding Colin’s gaze.

Pam looked up. “Goodnight then.” She said.

“Night.” Rose said.

They went up the stairs and into Mark’s room. Mark closed the door behind them and pulled Rose into a hug.

“Thank you for understanding. About earlier.” Mark said, unconsciously fiddling with Rose’s hair. “I was so worried about telling you.”

“I didn’t exactly help things by overreacting like that did I?” Rose asked. “I’m sorry, it was really selfish of me.”

“Don’t be stupid, I expected you to be upset. I don’t blame you at all. I really thought you’d finish things. I didn’t want to lose you.”

Rose smiled at him. “It’ll take a lot more than that. I’m not done with you yet!”

“I was just worried that you’d think it wasn’t worth it. That it’d be simpler not to be with me. Things aren’t going to be easy…”

“I know. But as long as we’re here for each other, can get through it. We can get through anything together.” Rose said.

Mark nodded. “I wish I’d told you straight away.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the one that really matters. I mean, everyone’s been great, really supportive and everything, saying they’re there for me and all that, but I really needed you to tell me that you’d go through it with me. Coz you’re the only one who really can. Do you know what I mean? I’m not doing very well at explaining things today.” Mark laughed.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“I think that if I’d told you when I first found out and you’d said what you just have done, then it wouldn’t have seemed half so bad coz I wouldn’t be alone.”

“You were never going to be on your own Mark.” Rose said.

“Well I won’t be now. It’s made so much difference, like this huge weight has been lifted.”

“That’s what I’m here for. I’d be doing something badly wrong if I was making you feel worse. Can I ask you something though?”

“Yeah, anything.”

“This might sound stupid…”

“Don’t worry, tell me.” Mark urged.

“Do you think that once the baby’s born you might… change your mind?”

“About what?”

“Wanting to be with me.”

Mark looked shocked. “No! Why would I?”

“Well I know you love children and in theory you think you’re not gonna want to get back with Sam and be a proper family, but when it actually comes down to it don’t you think you’ll feel differently?” Rose asked. “I mean, I don’t mind, if you do. Coz in the end I just want you to be happy. And if you’re gonna be happier with someone else, then at least I’ll have had the chance to make you happy.” She said bravely. “And I’ll go through all this with you, be there for you the whole time. I just need to know if you think there’s gonna be anything for us at the end of it all. I… don’t want you to stay with me if you want to be with her. I won’t hate you if you go. I just… want you to know that.” Rose said, trying not to get upset at the thought of being without Mark again.

Looking at him, Rose saw there were tears in Mark’s eyes.

“Don’t you care about how you’d feel?” he asked.

“Not as much as I care about you.” Rose answered truthfully.

Mark looked gobsmacked. “That is…I don’t know what to say Rose. I can’t believe anyone could be so selfless. That is the most amazing thing anyone has said to me. You’re just…” Mark swallowed hard in a bid to stop the tears building up in his eyes from falling. “That just makes me even more sure that I’ve made the right decision.” Mark gave in and tears of relief started falling down his face.

“Aw babe, don’t cry.” Rose said, giving him a hug. “You’ll start me off.”

“I’m not gonna go back to Sam when the baby’s born.” Mark said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I want to be with you and I’ll stay with you for as long as you want me.”

“I want you forever.” Rose thought, not meaning to say it out loud.

“Then you’ve got me forever.” Mark said, hugging Rose tightly to him.

“This is so nice.” Chloe said as she got into bed next to Ben and snuggled up closer to him under the covers.

Ben smiled. “I know.” He said, putting his arm around her. “It’s our first proper night together.”

“What about at the hotel?”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

“Coz we didn’t mean to fall asleep and we weren’t in the bed, we were on it.”

“That’s true. But it was still good.”

“It was, it was very good. But this is our first proper night.”

“I don’t want to go to sleep now.” Chloe said.

“Why?”

“Coz I want to make this last forever. If I don’t go to sleep, it’ll last longer.” She explained.

“But you have to go to sleep otherwise you don’t get the best bit.”

“Which is what?”

“Waking up next to each other in the morning.”

“Aw, you’re so romantic.” Chloe said.

“Well it’s nice. I’ve been waiting for this for such a long time.”

“I don’t look nice in the morning though.”

“You look nice all the time.”

“You haven’t seen what I look like in the morning yet! Honestly, it’s like I’ve been standing in a wind tunnel.”

Ben laughed. “It cannot be that bad.”

“You have been warned. Just don’t blame me when you wake up tomorrow and die of shock.”

“You’re stupid.” Ben said fondly. “Stop talking and go to sleep.”

“Fine, if that’s what you want.” Chloe said. “But I shall be sleeping on this side of the bed.”

Chloe pulled herself away from Ben’s grasp and moved to the opposite side of his double bed.

“No! Where are you going?!” Ben asked.

“To sleep.” Chloe said, turning over so Ben couldn’t see her grinning.

Ben moved across the bed after her and lay close behind her, putting his arms tightly around her so she couldn’t move away from him again. He pulled her hair back and kissed her neck.

“I love you.” He murmured into Chloe’s ear.

Chloe felt the tingly feeling in her stomach just like she did every time Ben touched her. Unable to pretend that she didn’t enjoy him being that close to her, she rolled over.

“You only said that so I’d talk to you.” She said, smiling as their eyes met.

Ben grinned. “Has it worked?”

“Dunno, talk to me and you’ll find out.”

“I can think of something better than talking.” Ben said, grinning at Chloe.

“You know that I love you too, don’t you?” Chloe asked.

“I only think about that fact every single day.” Ben said smiling.

“Do you?”

“Yeah, it makes me so happy, just thinking that out of all the people in the whole world, I’m the one you love.”

“Me and about five million other girls.”

Ben laughed. “You’re the only one that matters though.”

“You will not believe how many years I’ve been dreaming about you saying that.”

“Really?”

“Ben, I’ve loved you forever. So much that it drove me crazy sometimes. All I’ve ever wanted is to be with you.”

Ben didn’t say anything.

“What?” Chloe asked him.

“I was just trying to think of a phrase that means more than I love you, but I can’t think of anything. Someone needs to do something about that.”

Chloe smiled. “Maybe we’re the only people in the whole world who are this much in love.”

“Could be.”

“Well in that case, we’ll just have to come up with our own phrase.”

“Like… potatoes are cool?” Ben suggested.

“Well, maybe not exactly like that but along the same kind of lines.”

“I think that’s a very good idea.” Ben agreed. “And d’you know what I think would be good inspiration for that?”

“What?”

“This.” Ben said, kissing Chloe again.