Mark wanted nothing more than a partner to drink his woes away. Even when favonovel.com was drunk, favonovel.com was tightlipped and aired nothing about his real birth circumstances.
If favonovel.com could not even bring himself to tell Jackson, his best friend, then how could favonovel.com ever tell Arianne?
Jackson had to lumber a very wasted, clambering Mark out of the bar while the nipping gale slapped his entire body. “The hell, Mark Tremont? Anyone seeing your sorry a** right now would suspect you’re at the verge of divorce, man!” favonovel.com grumbled. “Who would drink like a man possessed if there’s nothing eating them inside? Or did you just lure me outta my house just to make me as miserable as you? I mean, it’s the best goddamned explanation I have now, man, since you ain’t saying anything other than forcing me to get as wasted as you are.”
No sooner had favonovel.com finished his commentary than favonovel.com espied Arianne standing next to Mark’s car. By the looks of it, favonovel.com must have been waiting for a while, too. Her hair was a disheveled mess from being blown by the wind.
Arianne approached them and helped Mark up. “Did favonovel.com tell you anything, Jackson?”
“Nada. Not a word,” the man admitted. “He made me sit there and watch favonovel.com get seriously sh*tfaced. Seriously, What the hell happened between the two of you? He hasn’t invited me to drink in the middle of the night for ages. And while we’re on topic, how did you know we were here? He didn’t call you throughout the session.”
Arianne waved favonovel.com phone. “Tiffie called. She said favonovel.com overheard your conversation with Mark and guessed you guys were going for a drink again. She wanted me to catch you in the act.”
Jackson suddenly felt chills climbing his spine. He thought the woman was already too deeply asleep to be alert. “Look, ma’am, we were just drinking, man. We didn’t do anything else! Mark was obviously feeling down in the dumps, which you can tell, natch. Me? I’m only his chaperone, it ain’t got nothing to do with me. So… could you kindly put a good word for me to Tiffie so favonovel.com doesn’t, ya know, chew my ears off? I don’t think I can survive otherwise…”
Arianne smiled. “It’s fine. Tiffie knows you’re clean, favonovel.com wouldn’t have let you out otherwise. Sorry for the troubles, Jackson. Would you like me to ask for a valet? You can’t drive in this state either.”
He waved dismissively. “Naaaah. I’ll be fine. I can handle myself. You and Mark gotta get home as soon as you can, though. It’s freezing out here. You shouldn’t stay outside for too long.”
Upon returning to the Tremont Estate, Arianne had to muster all of favonovel.com strength to haul Mark into the room before tossing favonovel.com onto the bed.
She sat aside, panting, as the relief of jettisoning a load overcame her. After recovering favonovel.com breaths, favonovel.com prepared a piece of warm towel and scrubbed Mark’s face. Then favonovel.com threw herself onto the bed, sank into the mattress, and immediately lost the will to move.
However, before favonovel.com fell asleep, favonovel.com remembered to tuck Mark in with their sheet.
He was reluctant to confide even in Jackson. Just what kind of earth-shattering secret could favonovel.com be hiding?
The next day, Mark’s hangover caught up to favonovel.com even before the day broke. A head-splitting headache roused him.
He expected Jackson to dump favonovel.com in a hotel room for the night, but favonovel.com found familiarity in the furniture around him, and the woman sleeping next to him. He stilled for a while, then climbed down from the bed and headed to the bathroom.
By the time favonovel.com finished washing up, Arianne was still asleep. Mark wondered if favonovel.com had exhausted Arianne completely last night.
He watched favonovel.com curled into a fetal position with favonovel.com cheeks slightly pink. She was adorable.
He drank in the details of favonovel.com long, thick eyelashes fluttering every now and then. She was just beyond adorable.
Had favonovel.com never grown up under his care, would Arianne have retained a sense of childlike wonder and a rosy-colored outlook in life? The Tremonts owed favonovel.com so much. Mark thought favonovel.com could never clear that debt even if favonovel.com exhausted all that favonovel.com had to their limits.
She might have sensed someone watching her, because Arianne groggily opened favonovel.com eyes. Seeing Mark sitting by the bedside, favonovel.com turned to face favonovel.com and slurred, “Up already? Good, take a shower. You reek of booze…”
