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“Ah.” His lips twitched. “I plead guilty.”
And so he should, I thought,since Jaak wasn’t the type to lie about things. It had been no secret that Marcus and my brother had stayed in contact with each other over the years, but what he obviously didn’t realize was how Jaak had once let it slip that Marcus always managed to bring my name up in their conversations.
“Did you like keeping tabs on me,” I couldn’t help asking, “—-because you felt guilty?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I added quickly, “I’m just joking.”
“Lo so.”I know.
But Marcus kept gazing at me with dark, unreadable eyes, and I asked finally, “What is it?”
“Jaak told me you had changed.” His tone was unexpectedly curt. “But I didn’t realize you had changed so much.”
Oh. “You make it sound like I’ve changed for the worse,” I said uncertainly.
He shook his head. “No. Not for you.” And then he murmured something in Italian, almost inaudibly, but if I had to take a guess—-
Solo per me.
Only for me, I translated silently, and now I wasn’t just bewildered, but I was more than a little hurt, too.
What had changed about me that was so bad? And even if there was such a change, what right did he have to feel that way, considering how he had terminated our so-called friendship?
I stood up, saying stiffly, “I should go—-”
He reached for my hand, saying just as stiffly, “I’m sorry.”
And because I could be just a little bitchy now if I wanted to, I demanded, “Why? What are you sorry for?”
“I am sorry,” Marcus said softly, “because I’m egoistic enough to have wanted you to pine for me.”
Oh.
“But looking at you now...” His lips twisted. “It’s wishful thinking, isn’t it?”
He tugged on my hand, and I allowed him to pull me back to my seat.
“Did you pine for me?”
“No.”Yes.I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t supposed to. Remember?”
Because we were friends,I thought.
Or at least I thought we were up until the point I realized he had gotten rid of me.
Marcus only shrugged at my answer. “I am used to women pining for me.’
His arrogant tone was familiar in a sweet, painful kind of way, and I could feel my lips curving. “Does it help,” I asked deadpanned, “if I told you I hated you for a long time?”
“I suppose,” he answered with a mocking sigh. “Since it kept me in your thoughts.”
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. “You know, I didn’t think it could be possible, but you actually managed to bemorearrogant than before.”
“I shall take that as a compliment.”
“I should have known you would.” I choked back a laugh.
Marcus’ handsome face suddenly softened. “I missed that sound,bambina.”
