Emma's POV
I was obviously already being relegated to the benches at the show of my own life.
I was the last person who knew Chase was gonna propose.
I had a lot to say to my mom and him, but that could wait.
Mark got a ton of good stuff from wherever it was they said they visited.
"Oh, these are so pretty." I said, glancing at how much stuff there was and how glittering the whole place looked.
He got a big sized teddy, some scarves that looked Hawaiian, anklets, waistbeads.
They must've gone somewhere funny to have brought back all that stuff.
"You can have this." I gave Patty some beachwear. I made a mental note to ask Mark how often they got breaks and when they did. Firstly, I must thank him for all that stuff. I saw some other girly things but I could open all those later.
I dashed to Mark's room, with one of the scarves in hand.
"Thank you so much." I said, jumping on him.
"That's a nice ring you've got there." Mark said, deflecting.
I look back on the ring, and smoke in a failed attempt to hide my blush.
"He told you about it too?" I asked him. I could only be too grateful for that. At least Chase thought to limit my embarrassment.
"Your mom did,"Mark replied.
I wondered if there was a reason for that, but I knew he and his dad had never really been best friends, so I brushed the thought aside. Plus he was saying stuff about his dad the previous night. I yearned badly to complete that conversation. I wish it didn't end the way it did.
"Are you sure about it?" He asked me.
He's the first person who had asked that question, not even my mom.
I looked at him, with hopes of discerning his motives, but he was expressionless, like father like son.
"I don't know." I replied, frankly.
"I like you." He said, patting my shoulder. "You're honest, and you should remain like that. Why did you take his ring then?" He asked.
"Uhmm." I didn't expect anyone to be asking all the reasonable questions so soon. I expected to answer it later in the future, probably when our relationship failed or something. "I just did. It felt like the right thing to do at the time."I said.
I didn't like being honest about Chase with Make, but I couldn't help it.
"Here." He said, passing me one of the chairs in his room. "Sit." He said. .
I was, coincidentally, the chair Chase sat in when we entered his dads room. Memories of the previous night came flooding back, reddening my eyes.
"You know," He stated, pouring himself a drink, "Chase's mom, Mary said something like that in one of our many arguments." Mark's eyes were red, like mine. "I still miss her, please don't tell your mom." He said, and we both smiled through the tears.
"I won't, pinky swear." I said, sticking my little finger out.
"That's besides the point." He said, clearing his throat, "She told me, she said, she never really loved me. She said she only accepted my proposal cause she didn't want to embarrass me." Mark still looked pained about it, like it was just yesterday it happened.
"I'm sorry about that." I said.
"It's nothing." He replied, pouring himself another drink.
"Does that mean she never really loved you?" I asked him, concerned. Since Chase wasn't willing to express his past, his dad could do the work. I was expecting Chase anytime from now. I left him with my mom, I didn't see anything that could delay them for so long.
"She did." He said proudly. "I made her. I loved her like myself, I got too defensive about her. I loved her and I loved our son." I had never seen Mark so passionate.
"That's, that's beautiful I'll say." I said.
"But she grew out of it. Life wasn't always this, well, good. We used to be quite humble,but life was good. I made sure they were comfortable. She started seeing other men. I had to make many hard decisions when I found out, but it did not include confronting her." He poured the last of his whiskey into the mouth and set the cup down so hard that it broke. "What I'm saying, Emma, is, we are alike. Father and son. We are both tough men, who have lived tough lives. We will have to make difficult decisions at times, and that could affect those we love. But we do it. I just thought to prepare you. Chase doesn't like me much, but he's my son, and I want only the best for him." Mark capped the bottle and I took that as the end of our correspondence.
I hugged him, thanked him and went out of the room.
His message was a little too cryptic, but it had its effect, regardless.
I checked Chase's room on my way out, but I was met with empty space.
"What's going on?" I asked the only maid I saw there.
"Master had the overs come in earlier today." She replied, with her head bent.
I found that strange.
Many things were happening at once.
Chase's moving out on the same day he proposed to me was both a good and a bad thing.
The question was 'Where?', but I knew the poor maid would have no answers, so I decided not to bother her with it.
No wonder he didn't come up.
I dashed to my room to get my phone and call him, but I remembered I left it in Mark's.
I ran back to Mars room and knocked, but it didn't seem like there was anything there.
For the benefit of doubt, I knocked again, and was met with utter silence still yet..
I turned the knob gently and quietly, and soon I was inside.
Marks phones were arranged on the bed, and mine still on the counter.
I picked it, and actually already turned my back.
But something kept nudging me to stay a little longer, and I gave in.
I turned his phones on, but they were all locked.
"Shit. Should've expected that." I said, and ran out of the room before he re-entered.
"Where from, young lady?" I met my mom right at the door.
"I should be asking you that." I deflected. "Mark got so many beads for me I'm starting to think y'all traveled to Africa." I said.
"We did." She admitted, laughing. "Multiple places, actually. It was a world tour baby. That means you've not gone through the book I got you?" She asked, looking hurt.
"I will." I promised. "Where's Chase?" I asked, looking behind her to see if he was coming up.
"He's moved." She replied, confirming what I heard earlier.
I didn't know when I opened my mouth wide.
"Do you know where?" I asked her.
"He never let me know." She slipped, "I mean, he hasn't told me." She corrected herself.
"You've always known about it?" I asked, dumbfounded. I was literally the last person to find out about anything.
"Not always. He told me when he told me about this." She held my hand with the ring up and said with exaggerated excitement.
"Oh, please!" The conversation was cringe at best..
"Did he say anything to you?" I asked her.
"You mean did he leave a message for you?" She asked, smiling.
"Yeah, whatever." I said, brushing the embarrassment off.
"Yes." She replied. "He said to be with your phone. He'll call." She said, rubbing my hand. "I know we're supposed to do some mother daughter thing about this, but it happened all too fast, Emma. I'm happy you're happy, and you have to know that I wish you all the very best, and I'm here for you, always, Emma, always." She hugged me.
I was a little rigid, but I wanted to save my old woman from further embarrassment.
"Thank you, ma." I said, and went back to my room.
It was filled with a lot of stuff I knew was gonna take me eternity to arrange, but that was okay.
I sat, tired and stressed, waiting on Chase's call. He had a lot of explanations o.to do
Meanwhile, I tried going online to check what the latest was.
I wasn't surprised to see Chase and I from different angles during our epic proposal. The videos warmed my heart.
I got an actual chance to look at his face and see how he managed to maintain his composure throughout the ordeal.