The One For Me (Danver #8)(84)
Mia leaned forward to grip Crystal’s hand, stopping her from nervously shredding papers on the desk. “I knew Seth was different from anyone else I’d ever dated almost from the start. It took me a while longer to admit it, but it was what I consider love at first sight.” Smacking her lips, she grinned. “Well, maybe lust, followed quickly by the other L word.”
“Yep, me too,” Gwen agreed. “I was drawn to Dominic even while I was dating Mac. If I’m honest, I may not have wanted to admit it at the time, but it was always him. When we were finally together as a couple, I knew in my heart that I was in love with him. I was scared because my romantic life had always been something of a disaster. But I know exactly what you’re saying about missing a part of yourself. “
“I think the next question here is what do you intend to do about it?” Mia demanded. “Mark may have some full-blown crazy in his family, but so do you, Crys.”
“No offense,” Gwen added sheepishly. “I’m sure your mother has her good days. . . .”
Shaking her head with a smile, despite herself Crystal said, “Um—no, she really doesn’t.”
“All righty, then.” Mia stood and began pacing the small office. “So you’ll talk to her and then move on to Mark’s parents. If you can show them all that you won’t be cowering in the corner like some wallflower, then Mark’s concerns won’t matter. He’ll know you’re capable of kicking ass and taking names whenever you want. Maybe we could even get you some of those platform boots—kind of like a uniform, or . . .”
Slashing her hands in a cutting motion, Gwen looked at Mia and said, “Rein it in, Rambo. I think Crystal gets the point. There’s no need for us to dress her like Xena the Warrior Princess.”
Crystal waited until their bickering had subsided before saying, “I can deal with my mother, but Mark’s parents? I have no clue where to even find them if I wanted to. Plus, his father would probably squash me like a bug.”
“Oh, screw that old goat,” Mia snapped. “Why don’t you talk to his cousin—what’s his name? Kenny?”
“Denny,” Crystal answered absently. Pushing a hand through her hair, she stared at her friends before finally blowing out a breath. “Let me think about it, okay? I don’t want to take a bad situation and make it worse.”
“Absolutely,” Gwen encouraged softly. “Give it some thought and let us know how we can help you. Just don’t give up, Crys. I’ve seen you and Mark together, and you’re perfect for each other. You click.”
After the other women had left with promises to check on her later, Crystal relaxed back in her chair and thought of their suggestion to confront the three people responsible for taking Mark away from her. She’d never been a person who dealt well with conflict. As much as it pained her to admit it, Mark was correct in the respect that it would be hard on her if his parents continued to attack her. But she had learned that she wanted to be with someone who could meet her needs, both physically and emotionally. What it all boiled down to was she would either have to be stronger than she’d ever imagined possible or leave him without a fight so that he could someday find another woman who was willing to fight for him. And, oh, how the last thought stung.
Chapter Twenty-two
A charity fund-raiser was the last place that Mark wanted to be. He stood off to the side of the banquet room, brooding as he drank ridiculously expensive scotch from fine crystal. It had always seemed ironic to him that fund-raisers served only the best to help the less fortunate. Hell, why didn’t they just have a simple gathering and donate the event money? It would probably be enough to feed the homeless of Charleston for months.
He had already dropped off a check from the DeSanto Group and was preparing to make his exit when a hand wrapped around his arm. “Mark, I thought that was you,” said a vaguely familiar female voice. Turning, he gave his first genuine smile of the evening as Margot Rush beamed up at him. They’d grown up together and had connected from time to time when he was in town. She was a gorgeous woman, but he’d never had the desire to sleep with her, and luckily, she’d always felt the same. Much like his relationship with Ava Stone, Margot was a friend who he enjoyed spending time with when their paths crossed.
“It’s good to see to see you again, beautiful.” He grinned as he pulled her into an embrace before dropping a brief kiss on her upturned lips. That affectionate gesture was as far as it ever went with them. It felt comforting and familiar, which he very much appreciated tonight. As they stood catching up on each other’s lives, he could almost pretend for a moment that he wasn’t a truly miserable fuck. Seeing her tonight could well save him from another evening of staring at the walls at home and missing Angel. Maybe the tide was beginning to turn for him.