Face-Off at the Altar Read online

  Markus didn’t know what to say, so he just stared up at the TV as people started to arrive. Suddenly, though, Jace caught his attention. “But also, if you’re going to go after her, go after her. Don’t play around. Tell her what happened, tell her the truth about how you feel, how you’ve always felt, and do it, you know? Make it work. Don’t think it will work. Fight for her, because her confidence is gone. She lost that when everything went down, and I can’t have anything else ruin that girl, okay? Avery is too close to her, and I’m too close to you. And if that happens, then I don’t even know what will come next. I know you shouldn’t have to think of me or our relationship, but I need you to. Okay?”

  He held out his hand, and Markus took it, shaking it before wrapping him in a one-handed hug. “Yeah, bro, I hear you.”

  “Cool,” he said, coming off the barstool and slapping him on the back. “My wife is here, looking too damn hot.”

  Markus turned just as Avery stopped in front of Jace, a grin on her face. “Oh, hush.”

  But even Markus could tell she loved it, and she did look beautiful. She had on a really cute loose-fitting black dress that was long in the back but short in the front with black boots to her knees. Her hair was down, and her makeup was very dark and dramatic.

  “Yo, Avery, you got me down for a duet tonight, right?” Markus called over to her, and she gave him a dirty look.

  “You know I can’t. Mekena will be here,” she said softly, and he shrugged.

  “So? Don’t be like that. We’ve been practicing this duet for months.”

  That made Avery laugh, and he smiled. “We have not. I don’t even know what we’re singing.”

  “Your pick. Come on, I can’t sing with Jace.”

  She made a face of horror. “No one can,” she teased, and Jace glared. “But fine, if she cusses me out, I’m gonna beat you.”

  “That’s fine. Send her my way.”

  She eyed him. “You mean that.”

  “I do.”

  Slowly shaking her head, her shoulders fell. “Have you tried talking to her?”

  “Kind of, but she keeps running from me.”

  “Sounds like her,” she said, looking around the room. “Do you still care for her?”

  Markus gazed at Avery’s profile. “Yes.”

  “Are you gonna tell her what happened with Skylar?”

  When she looked back at him, he looked at Jace, feeling a little betrayed. “You told her?”

  “I tell her everything. She’s my wife,” he explained, and Markus glared.

  “Either way, I know, and I haven’t told her because I don’t want to hurt her by telling her that her sister is a fucking backstabbing whore. Though, she may know that already. But if you’re going to try to talk to her and whatever, then you need to make sure you are completely honest with her. Explain everything because she thinks you did it because you didn’t want her.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Which is what I told her, but I couldn’t tell her what I knew ’cause I promised Jace I wouldn’t. Also, it wasn’t my place. So if you’re gonna do it, do it.”

  He nodded, knowing he had no choice. He wouldn’t let Mekena walk around thinking that. No, he’d tell her the truth. He’d make her listen. “I will.”

  “And don’t hurt her again!”

  “I promise,” he said and then he smiled, taking her hand in his. “I promise, Avery Sinclair, I will never hurt your best friend again. I just gotta get a chance to prove that.”

  Using the hand he was holding, she punched him lightly in the chest. “You better not.”

  “Hey.”

  Markus froze as he looked over to see Mekena standing only feet from him. Like always, he was stunned by her beauty, and his hand ached to touch her. Wearing a short flowy blue skirt, she had a darker blue sweater tucked into it. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she looked fresh and fun, especially with her little white sneakers. She looked like a schoolgirl and not of the naughty variety. The kind you begged for the answers to the test. But it wasn’t just the answers that Markus wanted. No, he wanted all of her.

  “Hey,” he said before Avery and Jace could. They both looked over at him, and so did Mekena, her eyes narrowing before she rolled them, looking back to Avery.

  “Where are we sitting?”

  “Over there somewhere. Let’s go find a spot,” she said before they walked away together.

  Watching as she walked, he saw Mekena’s skirt flirting with him, showing little peeks of the back of her thighs and the insides to the point where Markus’s hand came to his chest as he let out a breath.

  Jace, though, he laughed. “Man, you got some work to do.”

  “Yeah, I do,” he agreed as he watched the ladies sit before they moved their heads together. As he watched them, knowing darn well they were talking about him, all he could do was smile. He knew it would take work to get her back, the kind of work that terrified him, but that wasn’t a problem.

  Markus had no difficulty working for the things he wanted.

  Or loved.

  And Mekena was both of those things.

  “What is his deal?”

  Avery leaned forward, inches from Mekena as she met her gaze. “Whose?”

  “Markus. Why is he talking to me? Earlier at the rink, he caught me from falling and called me beautiful and shit. What the hell?”

  Avery’s eyes widened. “No, he didn’t.”

  “He did! Like, what in the world? You cheated on me, you broke my heart, and you’re trying to talk to me? No way.” Tearing her gaze from her best friend’s, Mekena looked to where Markus was watching them, leaning against the bar, a beer in his hand. He was wearing a pair of slacks, his green shirt tucked in loosely with his tie barely tied. It was disgustingly hot, and she needed help for being turned on by his messiness, but she couldn’t help it. He was delectable. “He needs to go on somewhere with that mess. We both know he is just trying to fuck with me.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Avery said, and Mekena met her gaze. Avery wasn’t laughing, but she wanted to.

  “I hate you.”

  “Mekena, you still get that gooey look in your eyes when you look at him. You don’t have to lie to me, I know you like that he caught you and called you beautiful. I know you, and I also know you don’t want to like those things. That you want to hate him, but you can’t ’cause you don’t hate anyone.”

  “I hate my sister.”

  “No, you don’t,” she said simply, shaking her head. “You’re mad, and I don’t know if you’ll forgive her, but you don’t hate her. If she were to fall and break an ankle, you’d make sure she was okay before you fist-pumped.”

  Mekena rolled her eyes, grumbling as she looked away. “Whatever.”

  “You know I’m right.”

  “I know I’m about to start not liking you,” she warned, and Avery laughed.

  “Yeah, okay,” she said between her chuckles as she leaned back in her chair. Mekena knew Avery thought she was right, but in a way, Mekena was pretty sure she was talking about “Before Mekena.” Before Mekena hadn’t ever been a spiteful girl, nor was she ever a grudge-holder. She usually let things roll right off her back. But then everything happened with Markus and Skylar, and well over a year later, “Now Mekena” was still upset about it. But maybe that was normal. She went from idolizing her sister, believing she ruled the world, to thinking her sister was the biggest whore this side of the Red River. With Markus, she’d seen and talked to him every day, and then it was over. She never got the closure God and everyone kept saying she needed, and maybe they were right.

  But how could she stand there and listen to him tell her that she wasn’t enough? That she didn’t give it up quick enough? She didn’t think she could. But she didn’t like the person she was now. She wasn’t happy; she was just going through life because she had to. Maybe she would grow to be a bitter cat lady, angry like Mr. Right. Maybe she’d get really overweight like him and hiss at people for snacks.