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“You can Google it if you wish. I’m sure the photos are all over the news by now. Apparently, some reporter with telescopic lens had all the luck and got everything.”
Unable to help it, Anneke grabbed her laptop and began typing Marcus’ name, feeling a little hysterical all the while. It was so strange, typing his name after all this time. And did he really nearly fall off—-
Her face whitened as image results of her Google search popped out, and they were exactly as he had said.
“Oh my God.” This time, Anneke was certain hysterics had gotten a hold of her, and a crazy little laugh escaped her. “Oh my God.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.
Forty-first floor,the caption mentioned.Near mishap averted. Would have fallen to his death.Other websites said the same, but the terms were more graphic, and Anneke found herself clutching her chest.
Marcus had almost died.
Hearing her choke out another panicky little laugh greatly disturbed Marcus. “Anneke?”
She didn’t answer, only letting out another laugh.
Accidenti!Realizing Anneke was in shock, he said immediately, “Take deep breaths.”
“N-no, I—-”
“You’re in shock,” he cut her off in a hard voice.
Oh.Was she? Anneke’s mind was lost in a haze. Was that why she was feeling ever so faint? She clutched her chest more tightly. It hurt so, so bad still, and yet she could feel herself fading from the world at the same time.
“Anneke, did you hear me? You need to start taking deep breaths.” And when Anneke remained silent, he added forcefully, “Do it. Now.” Frustration crept into his voice.“Per favore, bambina.”
The painfully familiar endearment did it for Anneke, hauling her past the icy cage of shock, and she let out a loud, uneven gasp.
“Keep taking deep breaths.”
She found herself doing blindly as asked.
Half a minute passed, and he asked, “How do you feel?”
“B-better.”
Dio.Relief made him shudder, and not wanting to give the press more fodder, Marcus grabbed his iPad from the table and walked back inside his suite. After switching the call to loudspeaker, he placed all his stuff on the counter and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
When Anneke heard the clink of ice against glass, she asked dumbly, “Are you drinking right now?”
“You should, too,” he advised curtly. “It should help get rid of any remnants of shock.”
As Marcus downed the glass in one gulp, he heard Anneke mutter awkwardly, “Thank you.”
He put the glass down as soon as he heard the words, knowing that the state he was in could put him in danger of crushing the glass. Taking a seat on one of the stools, he said carefully, “It was my fault. I’m sorry the photos caused quite a shock.”
The silence that followed was expected.
He knew what he had realized was beginning to dawn on her, too.
She wouldn’t have reacted so adversely – if she hadn’t cared.
“Anneke—-”
She couldn’t help shaking her head at the sound of her name on his lips.“No.”The word came out both a plea and a desperate denial of reality.
His chest heaved at the sound of her voice.Porca miseria.Self-loathing poured inside of him at the realization that he was hurting her.Again.Was this what Padre Adolfo meant that he was a changed man? How could he believe he was now a better man when he kept hurting the only woman that mattered to him?
“I don’t want to hurt you, Anneke.” A choked laugh spilled past her lips, and his lips twisted. “Sounds like the biggest fucking lie in the world, doesn’t it?”
