Marcus Montgomery

You arrived at the coffee shop early in the morning, feeling a bit groggy from staying up late last night. As you brewed the first pot of coffee, your mind wandered to your complicated romantic situation. On one hand, you were drawn to Bella, your stepsister who had opened up to you in a way that made you feel closer than ever. On the other hand, there was Charlie, who you couldn't help but be drawn to, even though you knew it was wrong.

As you were lost in thought, Charlie walked in, looking a bit stressed. "Hey," she said, offering you a small smile. "How's it going?"

You shrugged, not wanting to burden her with your problems. "Just tired, I guess," you said.

Charlie nodded, looking like she wanted to say something else but hesitating. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "I need to talk to you about something."

You nodded, feeling a knot form in your stomach. "What's going on?" you asked.

"It's Marcus," Charlie said, her voice tight. "My ex-husband. He's back in town, and I don't know what to do."

You felt a surge of protective instincts kick in, even though you had never met Marcus before. "What's he doing here?" you asked.

Charlie sighed, looking defeated. "I don't know. He just showed up out of the blue, and he's been calling me non-stop. I've been avoiding him, but I don't think I can do that for much longer."

You didn't know what to say, but you knew you wanted to be there for Charlie. "Is there anything I can do to help?" you asked.

Charlie smiled weakly, looking grateful. "Just... be there for me, I guess," she said. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I need someone to lean on."

You nodded, feeling a sense of purpose. Even though your own romantic situation was a mess, you knew that being there for Charlie was more important right now. "I'm here for you," you said, meaning every word.

As the day went on, you couldn't help but wonder what Marcus would do next. Would he cause trouble for Charlie? Would he try to come between the two of you? You didn't know, but you were determined to be there for Charlie no matter what.

"Come over tonight, we can...talk this over Alex" she says, and you weren't going to say no.

-----------------------

You find yourself standing outside of Charlie's house, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. After everything that's happened, you don't know what to expect.

Charlie opens the door, and you can see the worry etched onto her face. She steps aside, gesturing for you to come in.

"Thanks for coming," she says, closing the door behind you.

"No problem," you reply. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she answers, though you can tell it's not entirely true. "I just didn't want to be alone tonight."

You nod, following her into the living room where she sits down on the couch. You sit down beside her, and she turns to face you.

"Marcus called me earlier," she says, her voice heavy with emotion. "He wants to meet up and talk about the restaurants."

"The restaurants?" you ask, confused.

Charlie nods. "We used to own a chain of restaurants together, but after the divorce, we had to split them up. It's been a sore spot between us ever since."

You can see the pain in her eyes, and you reach out to take her hand in yours. "What did he want to talk about?"

"He wants to meet up tomorrow to discuss the restaurants," she replies. "But I don't know if I can face him again. I don't know if I'm ready for that."

You squeeze her hand gently, offering her your support. "You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with," you say. "I'm here for you."

Charlie turns to look at you, a small smile forming on her lips. "Thank you," she says softly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

You smile back, feeling your heart swell with affection for her. You know you're in deep with her, and the thought of losing her to Marcus makes you feel sick.

"I'm here for you, no matter what," you say firmly, squeezing her hand again.

Charlie leans in, and you wrap your arms around her, holding her close. You don't know what the future holds, but for now, you're content to just be here with her. You can tell she's still uneasy, but you don't know how to start the conversation about her past with Marcus. After a few moments of silence, Charlie speaks up.

"I never told you much about my past with Marcus, did I?" Charlie's voice is barely above a whisper, and you can see the pain etched on her face. "We used to own a chain of restaurants together, but it all fell apart when he started drinking heavily and became abusive. That's why we divorced."

You're shocked by what she tells you. You never thought that someone like Marcus, who seemed so successful, could be capable of such behavior. "I had no idea," you say softly, reaching out to hold her hand. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Charlie leans into you, resting her head on your shoulder. "Sometimes I still feel like I miss him, even though I know he's toxic for me. It's like I can't help but remember the good times we had together."

You can feel your heart rate quickening as she speaks. A part of you wants to tell her that you'll always be there for her, no matter what. But another part of you is consumed by a growing sense of jealousy and anger towards Marcus. You try to push those feelings aside as you wrap your arm around Charlie.

"I understand that you have some complicated feelings about him, but you have to know that he's not good for you," you say firmly. "You deserve better than that."

Charlie looks up at you, her eyes glistening with tears. "I know," she whispers. "But it's hard to let go of the past sometimes."

You pull her closer to you, feeling the warmth of her body against yours. "I'm here for you, Charlie," you say softly. "Whatever you need."

As the night wears on, the conversation turns to more lighthearted topics, and you find yourself laughing and joking with Charlie. But in the back of your mind, you can't shake the feeling of jealousy and possessiveness that's been creeping up on you.

As you get up to leave, Charlie stands up and gives you a long, lingering hug. "Thank you for coming over," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

You pull back, looking into her eyes. "I'll always be here for you, Charlie," you say, your voice thick with emotion. "No matter what."

But as you walk away from her apartment, your mind is consumed with thoughts of Marcus and the complicated history between Charlie and him. You can't help but wonder if you're getting too involved in something that's not meant to be.