“Do you Marcus Anthony Walker, take Anne-Marie nee Brodie, nee Sinclair, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Marcus’ “Yes” was immediate and firm. He had dreamed about this day, and now it was here. He didn’t want to waste more time.
Marcus looked down at Annie and saw the slight flush on her cheeks when Parker asked, “Do you, Anne-Marie Brodie Sinclair, take Marcus Anthony Walker to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Annie looked up at Marcus, her eyes bright. Her answer was as firm as Marcus’, “Yes.”
Marcus exhaled, causing Luke and Nathan to laugh but Marcus ignored them. His brothers did not know how much was at stake. His eyes kept Annie’s, willing her to look at him when they said the rest of the vows. His hands shook when he slid the ring on her finger, but it didn’t matter. Annie’s shook as much as his.
Since they announced their plans, Marcus took the opportunity to play a convincing role as Annie’s loving and caring future husband. He had to touch and even kissed her so others would know, hadn’t he? Yeah, that was his excuse. He thought he did an excellent job. But this, now? This moment was all for him, and he hoped for Annie too.
When Parker said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Marcus took his opportunity. Marcus let go of Annie’s hand and slid his hands to cup her cheeks. He leaned in, and against her mouth, he murmured, “Mrs Walker.”
Annie smiled, but Marcus didn’t give her a chance to reply. His mouth captured hers in a kiss that he would’ve liked to take much further, but couldn’t. Not yet. Luke anyway didn’t give him an opportunity as he slapped his hand on Marcus’ shoulder, “You can kiss your wife again later, Bro’. We’re hungry, and you still want to take photos.”
Marcus lifted his head to smile at Annie, who returned the smile. Everyone watching them, believed they were in love. Their responses to each other, the way they looked at each other, the way they touched, was convincing. So convincing that Marcus almost believed it too.
“Now sit down you two and listen,” Anna scolded.
Annie sat on the couch, making sure she sat far enough from Marcus. In her vulnerable state, she could not be close to him. She didn’t have to worry, though as Marcus had the same idea. It looked like he couldn’t sit far enough from her.
Annie swallowed and looked down at her hands. She didn’t know what this was about but knew it was necessary. She hadn’t seen both parents so severe for a long time.
“We didn’t want to interfere in your life again, but since you had now said your vows, we had hoped that you would sort your stuff out. If I have to judge the distance between you, it doesn’t look like you had. Haven’t you two sorted out the past yet?” Marc demanded.
Both shook their heads. Marc stared at them, “Have you not once spoke about what went wrong?”
Again they shook their heads. “Come on, Annie. We know we made a mistake, but you can’t blame Marcus.”
Annie frowned, “I don’t understand. What do you have to do with what had happened?”
Both parents frowned, and Anna asked Marcus, “You never told Annie about our discussion?”
Marcus flushed and shook his head. He didn’t look at Annie.
“So why did you break up then?” Anna asked, confused.
Marcus said nothing, so Annie whispered, “Because Marcus slept with Linda. When I found them at the Hideout, he told me that what he and I had was only a summer fling and that I had to grow up.”
Annie felt the tears threatening, and she looked down at her hands before she added, “So that’s what I did.”
Marcus cursed and jumped up. He went to stand at the window, leaning his hands on the sill but he still didn’t answer his father’s question. It was only when Marc also stood and demanded, “Is that true, Marcus? How could you tell us one thing and do that? That is not how I raised you.”
Marcus turned to face them, but he did not look at his father. He looked at Annie and said, “I admitted the words I’ve spoken, yes, but I didn’t sleep with Linda. I only wanted Annie to believe that. I regretted it ever since. I should never have had Linda convince me to do it. It was wrong, and I know I hurt you, but at that moment I was so desperate. I thought if you hated me, you would not plead with me to stay. If you had, I wouldn’t have been able to resist you.”
“I don’t understand. I knew you were leaving, and although I was sad about it, I understood. We could still have gone through with our plans. We could still have gotten engaged and got married when you came back,” Annie said, confused.
Marcus shook his head, not looking at their parents, “I couldn’t tell you the truth, Annie. I didn’t want you to hate our parents as much as I hated them. I did. Then and for many years after. You would have rebelled, and I didn’t want to be responsible for you losing everything. You might have hated me later. I didn’t know what else to do. I was naïve and young and stupid just as my dad had said because I made a stupid choice and then you hated me anyway,” Marcus said.
Annie stared at him, shocked. Marcus sighed, “I couldn’t win,” and then he left through the open veranda door.
Annie stared after him. She was now even more confused than when this conversation started. Annie turned towards her mother when Anna said, “Let him be for now. It was our error of judgement, and as Marcus never told you about our discussion, it is up to us to tell you.”
“What discussion?” Annie asked.
Marc took a deep breath and said, “The day before Marcus left for South America, he came to talk to us.”
“And?” Annie asked when Marcus didn’t continue.
Marc looked uncomfortable when he told Annie what happened years ago—the discussion, the lie he told Marcus and Marcus’ reaction. Marc glanced at Anna and sighed before he turned back to Annie. “Don’t blame your mother, Annie. That was my decision.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told Marcus that if you got married before you were twenty-five, you would both lose your trust funds. I told him that one day you might hate him for losing that, and your opportunity to fulfil your dreams.”
Marc flushed before he added, “There was a stipulation you would forfeit your trust fund if you get married before your twenty-fifth birthday, but I didn’t tell Marcus that it wouldn’t happen if we give permission.”
Annie shook her head sadly, “So you allow me to marry a man who turned out to be a manipulator and an abuser, but you didn’t want me to marry your son?” Annie asked aghast. “How could you?”
Marc swallowed. Annie didn’t miss the tears rolled down his cheeks, “I’m so sorry. That night and the following day, your mother convinced me to give you a chance. It was too late, though. We didn’t know what Marcus had said or done, because you went to Kathleen and Marcus left without saying goodbye. He hated us. He didn’t speak to us for three years. He only made contact when you turned twenty-one. It had been sporadic, but at least he spoke to us again. And one day he was back. We had hoped that you would work things out, but you didn’t. And when he came back, you were with Kent, and you made it obvious that you hated Marcus. Marcus had by then figured out I had lied. He hadn’t forgiven me for that. Not until the day before he asked you to marry him.”
“We are sorry, Annie, so sorry,” Anna whispered.
Annie didn’t answer. At that moment, she didn’t have the right words, and she feared that she would speak in anger. She might do what Marcus didn’t want her to do thirteen years ago, and that was to hate their parents.
Annie stood up, folding her arms around her to protect herself. She couldn’t look at the two people who had raised her and Marcus and all their siblings so lovingly, and yet they were the ones who caused her the most heartache.
She turned away from them and said, “I need to work through all this. Close the door on your way out.”
She was rude. She couldn’t help it. She needed time to figure this out on her own—and perhaps with Marcus, after she had taken it all in.
When the door closed behind them, Annie sat on the couch. Marcus’ words confused her. Her thoughts drifted back to that day when he broke her heart.
Now that she knows about the discussion, she knew there were more to Marcus’ behaviour that day. Even then she knew it was so out of character for Marcus to do that, but she let her pain and hurt take precedence before anger and hate took over. But now? She could almost feel his pain when he left earlier.
Annie pulled out of her memories when she heard the back door open. Only then did she realise tears were running down her cheeks. She jumped up and rushed to their room. She did not want Marcus to see her like this.
She grabbed a long-sleeved t-shirt and yoga pants and rushed into the bathroom.
A warm shower helped her get control of her emotions, warming her body at the same time.
When she left the bathroom and their room, Annie could smell the rich aroma of the soup Marcus had heated. She suddenly felt hungry and made her way to the kitchen. It did not help to postpone it. She needed to face Marcus.