Ellinor stopped and spun around. âWhat? You want another goodbye kiss?â
Marcus maneuvered his wheelchair closer. âNo.â
Ellinor urged him. âThen what? Spit it out! Youâre not scared of being discovered anymore?â
Marcusâs eyes were fixed on her. âWho did you have dinner with this afternoon?â
Ellinor blinked in surprise, not expecting him to stop her for such a trivial question. âWith Chase, Ida, Bartlett, and the three kids. Apart from the children, I bet you donât remember the others.â
Marcusâs gaze softened slightly. âSo many people?â
Ellinor nodded. âYes! Did you really think I had a one-on-one date or something?â/
Marcus fell silent.
Indeed, he had thought that way.
âThen whoâs the man in your photo?â
Ellinor didnât hide anything. âBartlett. He used to be your friend too.â
Marcus felt a sour taste at the mention of the name. âWhile I was away, did he often seek you out?â
Ellinor felt a surge of guilt. Not that sheâd done anything wrong, but she was aware of Bartlettâs feelings for her, yet she still had dinner with him, which didnât feel right.
Of course, she couldnât refuse todayâs dinner invitation.
Not wanting to keep it from him, she confessed. âOccasionally.â
Marcus seemed to sense something. âIf youâre interested in him, thenâ¦â
âShut up!â Ellinor snapped, annoyed because she knew exactly what he was going to say. âIâve already told you what I think. If I wanted to pursue happiness elsewhere, I would have done so long ago. I wouldnât be here with the three kids, waiting on you, you jackass! If you dare suggest I go with someone else again, donât blame me for slapping you!â
Taken aback, Marcus then laughed. âYou misunderstood. What I meant was, if my old friend is interested in you, you shouldnât feel obliged to see him for my sake.â
Ellinor felt embarrassed. âOhâ¦â
Marcus chuckled. âYou donât mind that Iâm disabled, so how can I bear to push you away?â
Ellinor gave a wry smile. âHeh, Iâve been imagining things, havenât I?â
Marcus moved closer. âIf possible, Iâd prefer you not to meet him alone.â
Ellinor frowned. âThat might be hard.â
Marcus scowled. âWhy? Youâre not interested in him, are you?â
As a man, he knew men and worried that his old friend might take advantage of Ellinor.
Ellinor explained, âOur company is working on a project with him, so there will inevitably be some interaction. But donât worry, I know my limits. There will be no unnecessary meals or contacts.â
Marcus nodded. âGood.â
After seeing his grim expression, Ellinor turned back and cupped his face, planting a firm kiss on his other cheek. âIâm glad youâre back. I wonât look at anyone else. Donât ever ignore my messages again.
If you donât reply, Iâll worry youâve disappeared again. Theo, Iâm really scared. I canât play this disappearing act game with you. Promise me, youâll reply.â
Marcus felt a lump in his throat. âIâm sorry; I misunderstood you.â
Ellinor straightened up. âJust donât misunderstand me again. I can wait for you for three years, so I wonât be easily swayed by other men. You can rest assured that even if you fall for someone else, I wonât. Iâm not like you men.â She gave a dry laugh.