Chapter 23

Third Person

Nicole leaned against Marcus on the couch in his living room and turned to him with a curious expression.

"I'm interested to know, what was your relationship with her like?" she asked.

Marcus paused, considering his response.

He was aware that Nicole had doubts about his ex-girlfriend and he didn't want to say anything that would upset her or cause problems in their relationship.

He took a deep breath before replying.

"She was the reason why I never had any serious commitment with anybody else. I just couldn't bring myself to trust anyone after what happened between us." Marcus finally replied.

Nicole felt a sense of sadness wash over her. She could see the pain in Marcus's eyes as he spoke about Mariella. Mariella had really hurt him.

Nicole reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'm sorry," She said softly. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you."

Marcus turned to face her, his eyes locking onto hers. "Thank you," he said. "It means a lot