The Harbour...Chapter 61: Taking off the Mask
He had only raised his voice to her once before, and that was a long, long time ago.
“I shouldn’t even dignify that question with an answer. In fact, I shouldn’t even be entertaining this conversation, but we’ve spent too many years not talking about what’s going on between us.”
His voice was tight, and his eyes narrowed.
“No. No, I was not with another woman,” he finally said, his voice cold and hard.
“I was driving around trying to figure out what was going on with you. I’m forty one years old Carolyn, and I’m supposed to be marrying you in two weeks. Do you really, honestly think that there is anything that could happen that would make me go off and be with another woman?!”
“Supposed to be marrying me?” Her voice shook.
Marco closed his eyes, his expression a mixture of what looked like pain and exasperation.
“Do you still have feelings for Kyle?”
“No.” Her voice was firm and steady and though her eyes were filled with tears, she stared straight into his.
He ran his hand over his face.
“I find that so hard to believe, Carolyn.”
“I’m so sorry Marco. I’m so sorry.”
Her eyes no longer able to contain them, the tears spilled over their edges and coursed down her cheeks.
“This is nothing to do with Kyle and everything to do with me!’
His eyebrows knitted.
“I now realize that I have created this whole facade of the perfect wife, and ex-wife. I’m the victim. I was cheated on and lied to and I stuck it out, and gave him chances. He’s to blame for everything and I’m the good one.”
She wiped absently at the tears that ran down her face, leaving tracks of mascara in their wake.
“I guess on some subconscious level, I figured it he found out I had accepted his marriage proposal because I was hurt, and in love with someone else...” Her eyes locked his.
“That I was in love with you...” she said slowly, emphasizing the word ‘you.’
His stoic expression crumbled, and his eyes grew glassy.
She continued, her voice trembling slightly.
“I...I had set myself up as the victim,” she said
She lowered her eyes.
“I wanted him to be wrong, and me...and me to be...to be...the good one,” she whispered, struggling to find the right words.
She looked up again slowly, and held Marco’s gaze.
“I’m so sorry, Marco. I’m so sorry for making you feel that I didn’t love you, or that I had feelings for someone else. I am so sorry for not telling you for all those years what I knew in my heart...that Maya was your daughter. I’m a horrible, horrible person. I wronged you and yes, I wronged Kyle too. Yes he was a lying, cheating partner but I still have to own my own wrongs.”
She paused, her face shadowed with pain.
“I’m going to tell him.”
“What?”
“I’m going to tell Kyle that I was in love with you and I thought that you didn’t want me, and I figured that despite all his flaws I knew that he did, and so I agreed to marry him.”
“You don’t have to do that.” His voice cracked.
“Yes. Yes I do. He needs to stop interfering in my life!”
Marco’s lips bent into the smallest smile. He took a step toward her.
“You really don’t,” He said softly.
She bit her lip.
“I honestly don’t care about Kyle,” Marco said, his voice raspy.
“I just wanted to know if you still love him.”
She made a face.
“I didn’t even love him when I married him.”
She smiled at him through her tears. His shoulders sagged, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
She took two steps toward the door where he still stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck, gently wiping away a single tear that ran down his cheek.
He leaned into her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She rolled onto her side, and rested her hand against his chest.
“When did you talk to Kyle?”
He looked at her sleepily.
“Babe, do we have to talk about your ex husband while we’re in bed.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry. You’re right. Bad timing”
“No, no,” he said, his voice resigned, as he pulled himself up off the bed.
“It’s never the wrong time to talk about things that are on our minds,” he said, looking down at her.
He reached out his hand to help her to her feet.
“There are however, wrong places,” he said with a smile, putting his hands on her waist and drawing her to him.
