Chapter 22

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In the morning I got dressed in my house clothes, fixed my hair and emerged from my bedroom. Sitting on the couch was Marlon and Jocelyn. Marlon's hand was open as he looked down at objects cupped in his palm. Streaks of sunlight shot through the windows, illuminating them.

"You know, it was dad's cufflinks." Jocelyn said softly to her brother, not noticing me watching them from the hallway. "He wanted you to have them on your big day. Whatever day that will be."

"Suppose I don't want to get married?" Marlon asked his sister. "This acting thing is going smoothly for me... suppose that's all I want to do?"

"Why would you only want to do that?" Jocelyn asked. "There's many actors who get married. I did."

"And then you left Hollywood for good." Marlon sat back in his seat, his hand closing into a fist around the cufflinks. "You decided being a wife was more important than your career."

"That was my own decision." Jocelyn nodded, her lips pursed. Her cheekbones were tense, perspiration scattered along her blonde bangs. "Your parents both want to see you happy."

"I am happy." Marlon snapped at his sister. "I have a wonderful girl in my life and then some."

"If that's the case why doesn't she live with you?" Jocelyn's voice became weak. Marlon held his tongue for once, instead he opened his palm and looked down at his cufflinks. They were a window into his past and his future all at once. My eyes began to tear as I imagined Marlon standing on that altar.

"You're not going to marry that girl, are you?" Jocelyn asked with a frown. "All of this. Coming to New York after her then stumbling upon a career you didn't even want... and now you won't even marry her?"

"I think it's about time you go home, Joce." Marlon handed his sister back the cufflinks. She set it in the coffee table.

"I've already packed." Jocelyn stood up from her seat. "Write me when you decide what you will do."

"Sure thing." Marlon stood up and walked his sister to the door. Before seeing her off, he wrapped her in the most caring hug. One that you give someone when you know they'll be missed. Then he waved as she made her way down the hall, shutting our door shut.

I watched as Marlon slowly made his way over to the fireplace, bending over as he started a fire. Once a small fire began to burn, he poked it around to feed it. As the heat radiated in, he slowly peeled off his t-shirt.

Then he stepped foreword a few feet, lighting a cigarette. I continued watching quietly, that is until he acknowledged my presence. "Adele."

With an exhale I stepped forward into the living room. He scooped his thumb into the waist of his pants as he stood there nonchalantly. "I'm sorry if I caused... drama."

"You haven't been the most honest man lately." I crossed my arms. "There's a lot of things you've hidden from us that some may think are unforgivable."

"Me being wealthy and sort of engaged? How horrific." Marlon said sarcastically as he walked toward me. His muscular arms wrapped around me as he dropped his cigarette on the floor, stepping on it.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? You're going to make a fire one day." I warned him. "And stop wearing shoes in the house."

"How about I make it up by taking care of you. Both of you." Marlon rose a brow.

"And how would that go about?" I asked with a smile.

"All the rent... expenses... on me." Marlon smiled down. "Hell, with all I'm making I can do it. Make up for all the dishonesty."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I grinned up at him. Marlon left a kiss on my lips.

There was knock on the door. Marlon groaned as he went toward the noise. "I'm sure Jocelyn forgot something." 

Marlon, who was still shirtless, lazily opened the door. To our surprise, it wasn't Jocelyn at all. It was a woman with dark hair and black clothes that could easily be for a funeral. She didn't seem happy at all.

"May I ask where Paul Newman is?" The mystery woman asked.

"What brings you here?" Marlon asked with a risen brow.

"Well, I found his address down at the Actor's Workshop and decided to stop in." She told us, her voice coarse and upset.

"Who are you?" I asked as I stepped forward.

"Who are you?" She looked me up and down. Then she looked to Marlon. "Did you hire her? What is she doing here in the morning hours?"

"Listen—" Marlon barked. "I don't know what's gotten into you but you can't just knock on our door and then act like you run the place. We don't even know who the hell you are!"

"Jackie?" Paul gasped from the hallway. He only wore his boxer shorts. Quickly he made his way over to the mystery woman. "Jackie how'd you..."

"I found your address at your job." She cried out. "Your job. If you can even call that a job."

"Jackie, you've got to go now." Paul placed his hands on her shoulders, attempting to get her to back away from the front door.

"Who is this woman, Paul?" I asked.

"I'm his wife!" She shouted as Paul tried to get her into the corridor. Paul immediately stopped in his tracks. My stomach sank.

The only person who seemed chipper was Marlon. "Oh, that's much worse than my lie."

There I stood, totally shell shocked that Paul would keep something like that from us. He came over and held my shoulders. "Adele..."

"Paul... come home this instant!" His wife ordered him as she watched Paul hold me. "If you leave now maybe I'll have the strength to forgive you."

Paul's blue eyes looked down at my somberly. I was disgusted with him, but I was too fatigued to push him off. "You need to go, Paul."

With a sigh, he backed away and walked to his wife. He didn't even bother to pick up his things, just like that he left us. I weakly walked over to the window, opening the large space to let in air. While sitting towards the floor on that window sill, I could see Paul get in the car with her.

In the car was a child. Was it their child? Had Paul had a whole family without telling us?

Marlon crouched down and sat behind me, then wrapped his arms around me. His chin rest on my shoulder as we felt the cool air blow in. Neither of us could have expected such a thing from Paul.

Now it was just the two of us.

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