CHAPTER 4

Sitting directly opposite someone but being alone seemed to become Elena's life for the next few weeks. She had reluctantly gotten into a relationship with Marcus, and it was not because she was a gold digger or anything; even if sometimes she felt like that. It was because Marcus asked, he looked bored when he did.

It happened one night, they had just gotten back from another terrible date where they ate in silence, and before he dropped her off he said, "Elena, will you go out with me?" He looked straight ahead like he could not care less about her answer.

"Like tomorrow?" She asked sheepishly, Elena was trying to avoid coming to terms with what she thought he was asking. She knew for a fact that he had felt the terrible vibe between them, and there was no space for a romantic pursuit but he had asked anyways…could he not see it?

"Like date me. Be my girlfriend, officially." Elena could not tell if the fact he was not looking at her was because he was shy or nervous, but he did not look shy, he looked blank, plain like he always did.

"Are you sure you want that?" She stepped cautiously around the question because his face did not look like he wanted it.

"Why else would I ask?" He questions, his brows dipping. "I have never taken anybody out as much as I have you, we might as well start a relationship now. Unless you have been playing me all this time," his voice had an edge to it, like he was daring her to counter.

Elena paused for a while, her mind working silently. The entire time she had been with Marcus it was always boring and tense. She did not know what to say to him and he did not say anything to her. Their meetings had always been professional, like two business partners talking outside work. It was always small talk at first, how she was, how her day went, how her sister was doing it, but even then it seemed forced. Like Marcus could not stand her presence but was forcing himself to. He had however been of a lot of help to her, anytime they ended the night together and he dropped her home, he would send her some money before she got to her apartment door.

Elena did not want to accept because he had been paying part of her bills and was stopping her from taking too many shifts but she did anyways because she felt like she was obligated to. She always felt like that around Marcus.

"Of course not. I would like to be your girlfriend." Elena was lying through her teeth, and she knew she was a terrible liar but Marcus did not pay attention to the way her voice went a pitch higher.

Now, two weeks into the relationship and they had not had one single physical contact that did not happen by accident. Even if it did, it made no difference in her life. Elena had been with a few men before, but none had made her nervous, or caused butterflies in her stomach, goosebumps on her skin like she often read in romance novels, her relationships had been so plain that she had started perceiving those things as myths.

Elena was sitting directly opposite Marcus in a fancy restaurant he took her to for dinner. He had been extremely busy with work throughout the week that they had barely seen. It was not as weird for Elena as she thought it would be, she did not even miss him.

"So, how is work?" Marcus stopped chewing on his stake for a moment. He looked surprised that she had asked him that, Elena never asked questions about his work or anything for that matter, she had done it once and she was left with a blank stare.

"Um, it's fine. I had a lot of clients at the firm and had to meet each of their demands personally so it was hectic. But work is good," she nodded and went back to her food. That was the longest he had spoken during their dinner.

"How is your sister?" Elena looked up, surprised also. "She is doing well, thanks to you I have been able to spend more time with her." Marcus nodded.

"Thank you. You have been of so much help to us." Marcus did not say a word for a few seconds, his calculative stare coming into place.

"Does your sister know about me? Us?" He asked.

"Not— not really. I told her I was seeing someone but I did not tell her anything about you. Do you— do you want me to?" Marcus stared at her as he chewed, his smooth jawline moving along.

"That is up to you."

"Would you like to meet her?" Elena sounded so desperate at this point but it was only because she wanted to spice up this relationship. It was too plain for her and she needed something, and she thought introducing him to her family would be the right step.

"No." Marcus replied almost instantly but then he paused, his eyes widened as he registered the look of disappointment on Elena's face— "Not like that of course, it is too early to start meeting family members. Let us pace ourselves."

"In case this does not work?" Elena asked. She had been thinking about stopping this whole relationship entirely, she was not comfortable around him yet, and they had not held hands this entire time. Maybe she was loopy on the lack of physical interaction but this did not seem like it was going to work.

"Things only don't work out if it is not fought hard enough for. There is no such thing as a failed attempt, only a lazy one."

That was the last thing he said to her that night.

Elena had walked up to her apartment, mentally drafting a break-up note because their relationship seemed too far formal to be a normal one when she got an alert on her phone. Marcus had sent her some money with the description 'Your rent'.

Elena held her head up in her palms, she was too far in debt to this man to end things.

Just a little longer, till I'm back on my feet. She said in her head, it was her little mantra now but a voice that she had been shoving into the furthest parts of her mind still questioned her, how long?