Phoebe had known the questions would be coming, but she wasn’t prepared for them. She was still a little annoyed at Marco for his high-handedness in calling the planner and telling Sonya to ignore her text message. On the other hand she couldn’t help but think it was a sign he really cared for her. Sometimes actions speak louder than words and that action was screaming loudly at her.
“Phoebe?”
“Sorry, Soph, I was just thinking.” She took a deep breath and began to answer Sophie’s questions. “Well, to start off, Marco and I are back together and we are going to get married. You’re right, Soph, I love him and I don’t want to live without him.” A smile broke out on her face. It was so natural to tell Sophie she loved Marco.
“Oh, Phoebs, I’m so happy for you. I knew once you got away by yourself that you would sort things out. When did you tell Marco? When you got back?”
Phoebe was surprised at Sophie’s questions—she was sure her friend had known Marco had chased after her. “I told Marco last night, after we returned from the beach house. Surely you knew he arrived at the house two days after I did.”
“No, and I didn’t tell him where you were—I swear, Phoebs, I wouldn’t betray you like that.”
“I know, Soph, I know. But surely Alex told you we were together. Marco and I came across a wreck and Marco sent a text to Alex for help.”
“No, my husband didn’t tell me that and I shall be asking him the moment he gets home why he failed to mention something so important to me. So how did Marco find you then?”
“He used an app on his phone to find me. I’d forgotten that we both downloaded it.”
“Well, I don’t quite know what to say about all of this, except that that is the action of a man in love.” A cry sounded down the line and Phoebe knew her time of talking with Sophie was up.
“Look,” Phoebe said. “I’ll call you tomorrow and if Louisa is okay I’ll come by and see you.”
“Sounds good. Phoebe, I’m so glad everything’s working out for you. I couldn’t be happier. Bye.”
“Bye, Soph.”
Phoebe laid the phone on the table and picked up her now cool cup of coffee. There was no point in ordering a new one since Sophie wouldn’t be joining her; she might as well go home and chill out. She went to stand when a shadow loomed over the table. She looked up and wished that she’d finished her conversation five minutes earlier. A sense of déjà vu washed over again.
“Hey, Phoebe, you’re not getting ready to leave, are you?”
John Allen stood by her table. He was the last person she wanted to see. She gathered up her bag. “Yep, I’ve got an appointment to get to.” It was a little lie but a necessary one.
His hand landed over hers where it rested on her handbag. “Please, Phoebe, can you spare me a few minutes? I’d really like to talk to you.”
She sighed. There was a thread of sincerity in his voice and she couldn’t ignore it. “Fine. You’ve got five minutes.”
John pulled out the chair opposite her. “First off, I want to say sorry.” Those were the last words she expected to hear from him.
He chuckled and she knew she hadn’t kept the surprise off her face. “I see I’ve surprised you.”
“Somewhat, considering the last conversation we had, you were still being a jerk.”
His expression sobered and he leaned forward and grabbed her hands in his. She felt nothing. There was no spark. No fission of excitement, like Marco’s touch always gave her. She relaxed slightly, knowing that no matter what he said now she was sure of her feelings. And her feelings were all for Marco.
Only for him.
“You’re right, I’ve been nothing but an idiot since I arrived back in town. My actions have caused nothing but pain for you. I arrived back and thought I could just pick up where we left off.”
“Why on earth would you think that? You left me without a backward glance, John. Then you come back after no communication for months and profess you love me. What were you thinking?”
Phoebe looked at him and tried to see if there was any indication he did love her. But as she looked into his eyes they looked the same clear hazel they always had.
“I wasn’t really thinking. I’m ashamed to admit I was feeling a little lonely and thought if I came back here you’d still be waiting for me. When I found out you’d not only moved on but were engaged, that triggered some jealous, competitive part of me. I was immediately convinced that we were meant to be together, and I think I figured if I said I loved you, it would make a difference. Clearly it didn’t, but I kept saying it and kept going after you because I didn’t want to lose. I realized though, after I spoke to you on the phone again and you sent the text, that what I was doing was wrong. I was practically forcing you to feel things you didn’t and never would.”
Phoebe opened her mouth but he held up his hand.
“No, don’t say anything. I was being a complete asshole. I should’ve respected you when you said no. I have no excuses and I totally understand if you don’t want anything to do with me. I wouldn’t want anything to do with me if I was you. All I can do is say sorry again.”
Looking at the man in front of her, Phoebe knew he meant every word he was saying. Yes, he’d been a jerk. Yes, he’d done things he shouldn’t have. His only saving grace was that he owned up to it.
“I accept your apology, John.” She laughed ruefully. “If truth be told, you turning up again was a good thing for me and for my relationship with Marco. It made us realize a few things about our relationship and where it was headed.”
“You really love him, don’t you?” John asked. She didn’t know whether it was the way she said his name or something else that gave her away, but it was definitely the truth.
“Yes. Yes, I do. And I can’t wait to marry him.”
John still had hold of her hands when he stood and she had no choice but to stand as well. In the next instant she found herself wrapped up in a friendly hug. He kissed the top of her head. “I’m really happy for you, Phoebe, and I wish you nothing but good luck and a long and happy marriage.”
“Thank you. I’m happy too.”
“I really am glad you’re getting married, Phoebs. I remember Marco from Sophie’s wedding. He seems like a good guy.”
“He is.” The urge to see Marco was strong and she checked her watch. He should be back at her place by now. “Look, I’ve got to go. Take care with whatever you’re going to do.”
“It was good to see you and sort this out. I was hoping I’d have a chance before I headed out of town again.”
“Off on another adventure?” she asked, extremely glad that Marco had pursued her. If he hadn’t she could’ve still been sitting at the beach house wondering if she and John might have had a chance at a future. How stupid had she been?
“Yeah, I’m off for another stint overseas.”
Phoebe reached over and gave him another hug, a goodbye hug. “Good luck and stay safe.” She then reached up and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Bye.”
She turned and walked away from John, not feeling bereft but rather full of energy at the prospect of seeing Marco soon.
* * *
Marco didn’t know what he was feeling as he watched Phoebe walk away from John.
As he’d watched them interact he’d noticed the relaxed way they responded to each other. He’d wanted to march over there and punch the guy out when he’d reached out to take Phoebe’s hands. He’d controlled his urge when he saw that Phoebe, instead of pulling her hands away from his touch, left her hands where they were. As if she was happy to have them held by John.
The words from his earlier conversation with Roger White came roaring back to life. He didn’t want to think of Phoebe as a scam artist or a gold digger only after him for his money. But as he stood and watched the conversation progress and the hug and the kiss she and John shared afterwards he couldn’t help but think that there might be a grain of truth to Roger’s words.
It seemed too convenient for John to
have just stumbled upon Phoebe at her favorite café. Marco only knew she’d be there because he’d received a text from her letting him know she had decided to meet Sophie. It could only mean one thing—instead of meeting Sophie, she was actually meeting John.
What had they been discussing? Had they been making plans?
He tried not to let his mind get away with the thoughts that were spinning through it, but it was impossible. He’d just acknowledged to himself that he was in love with Phoebe, and then he saw her with John and he wasn’t sure what to think. He really wanted to believe the meeting was accidental. His heart was telling him to give Phoebe the benefit of the doubt—that it was a coincidental meeting, there was nothing malicious about it. But his mind was screaming at him not to be an idiot, not to give her the power to hurt him. She had contemplated leaving him for John once—she could do it again.
“Marco!” He found himself enveloped in a hug and he recognized the scent of the woman hugging him.
Phoebe.
He tried to act natural, tried to not give away his tumbled feelings that were swirling about him.
“Hey, sweetheart.” He tried for natural but his voice sounded tense to his own ears.
“I didn’t know you’d be here. How’d your meeting go? I was just heading home to see you.”
Her words came tumbling out, as though excitement filled her veins. She’d just seen her former lover—was that the reason she was so happy?
He wanted to put distance between them. He found her hold claustrophobic for the first time ever. He’d always welcomed her embraces. Wanted them. Yearned for them. Now he needed to get away from them, away from her, and think about what he’d just witnessed. He couldn’t be wrong, could he? He couldn’t be fooled once again.
“My meeting was interesting. How about your meeting? Did you find it fulfilling?”
At the shocked and confused look on her face he knew he’d been unable to keep the bitterness he was feeling from his voice.
“What do you mean? What meeting?” Then, as if a comprehension dawned, her features lightened and she smiled up at him. “Oh you mean my catching up with Sophie. She had to cancel because Louisa got sick.”
His heart broke a little at how easily the lie tripped out of her mouth. “You can stop lying now, Phoebe. I know you weren’t meeting Sophie, you were meeting John again.”
Shock then anger flitted across her features. He didn’t know what she had to be angry about, unless it was because she’d been caught out on her lie.
“I was meeting Sophie, Marco, I told you that. As I was leaving John arrived and asked to talk to me.”
“And that was oh-so-convenient wasn’t it. He just happened to be passing the café where you were? Don’t take me for a fool, Phoebe.”
“And don’t be a jerk,” she stormed back at him. “I can’t believe, after everything we’ve shared over the past few days, the secrets we’ve shared, you believe me capable of lying to you. You really haven’t changed at all, have you, Marco? You’re still so caught up with not trusting anyone that comes into your life. People who care for you and love you. Just because of the actions of one stupid girl.”
He went to refute her claims, but she held up her hand to stop him.
“No, I’m going to say this, and then I’m going. Yes, what Veronika did was shitty. It was the lowest of lows. But you can’t live your life expecting every single person you meet to be a liar. To be faking who they are. Do you honestly think that Alex and Sophie would encourage our relationship if I were a liar and a faker? I’ve known Sophie most of my life. She knows me, and she wants our relationship to work.” She shook her head and pity filled her eyes, an emotion he didn’t want aimed at him. “But that’s not going to happen now. You have to learn to trust again. I thought you trusted me. Clearly I was wrong. Goodbye, Marco, and make sure you phone Sonya and cancel everything this time. I can’t marry a man who mistrusts everything I say and do even if I do care deeply for him. I can’t and won’t live like that.”
She turned and walked away from him, and Marco felt his heart splintering into a million pieces. Slowly his surroundings came back to him and he noticed that he was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk. People were looking at him with mixed expressions. He needed to get out of there. His whole world had come crumbling down and he didn’t know how to fix it.
The hurt of Phoebe walking away was ten times worse than what he’d felt when he found out the truth about Veronika. He knew, rationally, that Alex would never have encouraged or supported his relationship with Phoebe if she wasn’t who she portrayed herself to be.
Why had he let his stupid insecurities cloud his judgment? As the fog cleared he knew he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life. He wished he could take back the words that hurt the woman he loved. The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. In a few short sentences he’d probably killed the love she had for him.
Pain gripped his chest, no doubt the after affects of his heart breaking. It hurt more than anything he’d ever experienced. He didn’t think he would be able to survive the intensity of the emotions that were crippling him at that moment.
What the hell had he done?
* * *
Marco sat in his darkened apartment nursing a glass of whiskey. His mind going over everything that had happened since he’d woken up, happy and contented, in Phoebe’s arms. The day had gone to hell in a hand-basket, again.
A knock on his door had his heart leaping to his throat. Could it be Phoebe coming to talk to him? It didn’t seem likely—he’d hurt her, practically called her a cheat. No matter how much he wanted her to be behind the door, he knew it wouldn’t be her. She was probably getting rid of everything he’d given her and he couldn’t blame her. He’d been an A-Class jerk. If he ignored the knock maybe the person would go away and leave him in peace.
A second knock sounded, only louder.
“I know you’re in there, Marco. Open this door.” It was a female voice but it wasn’t the one he was hoping to hear.
He dragged himself out of his chair and opened the door. “I’m not in the mood, Sophie.”
“Tough,” she said as she barged through like a woman on a mission. He had the feeling he wasn’t going to like what was about to be fired at him.
“Where’s Alex?” Marco would’ve much preferred his best friend to come and see him.
“He’s at home with Louisa. But he’s just as pissed off with you as I am.”
Marco sat back down on his chair, lifting the glass to his mouth and taking a deep swallow.
“Alcohol won’t help, you know.”
“But it will dull the pain.” He finished off the rest of his glass and put it on the table. “I take it the reason you’re here is because you’ve seen Phoebe? Is she okay?”
Sophie gave an unladylike snort, the sound so not what he would expect from her. “Oh, she’s just peachy, you know. On top of the world.” She put her hands on her hips. “How do you think she is Marco? She’s devastated.”
“Join the club,” he muttered.
“Well it’s a club you created, you know. She didn’t plan on meeting John, and I don’t know why you’d think that.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit convenient that he happened to be walking past the café at the same time Phoebe was there, supposedly meeting you?”
“No, I don’t, especially seeing as he stays in the short stay apartment complex next door. The likelihood of us running into him would have been pretty high. I’m going to ask you this, though—if I’d been sitting at that table with them would you have been this upset?”
“If you’d been there they probably wouldn’t have arranged to meet.”
“You still believe it was all planned? That she’s not who she says she is? Phoebe is the most open person I know. She’s not pretending to be someone she’s not. Not like Veronika.”
He inhaled sharply. “How do you know about Veronika?”
She shrugged. “Alex t
old me before I came over. He hoped it might help me understand why you reacted the way you did.” He withstood her perusal. “Although I think it’s more than that, isn’t it? What else happened, Marco? Why react so strongly with just seeing Phoebe and John together? From what Phoebe told me, you didn’t act this way when she broke off your engagement.”
He picked up his glass, walked over to the cabinet, and poured himself another generous portion of the amber liquid. He lifted the glass to take a sip, as he got close, the aroma from the malt whiskey reached out to him. The smell turned his stomach. He placed the glass down and turned back to Sophie.
“I had a conversation with a client of mine who happened to know Phoebe. He said some things that hit buttons with me.”
“And that caused you to act the way you did, because someone said some things?” Her emphasis on the word “things” told him he wasn’t winning her around to his side.
“I really don’t want to talk about it now, Sophie.”
“Again, tough. My friend has been hurt badly and the worst thing is the both of you are Louisa’s godparents. I’m not only fighting for my friend, I’m fighting for my daughter. I want to see her godparents together, not apart.” She softened her tone and for the first time since she walked through the door, Marco saw the Sophie he knew. “I care about you both and know you are perfect for each other. But you have to believe in her, Marco. You have to love her.”
“I do.” The words exploded out of him. “I do love her.”
He started when Sophie’s hand landed on his arm. “Then you need to let go of the past and you need to tell me what this person said to you. I’ve known Phoebe most of my life. I’ve seen her cope with her parents’ deaths and everything else in her life. She’s like a sister to me.”
“I had a client meeting today with a person by the name of Roger White.”
“And what has that got to do with anything? How would your client know . . . ” He saw the moment the name finally registered with her. “Not Roger White, as in Mrs.
White’s son?”
Seducing Phoebe: Lovers Unmasked: Book 3 Page 17