Watching Elena and Daniel together hurt Marcus so badly he sometimes struggled to breathe.
Still, he refused to give up.
He spent his days turning up wherever Elena happened to be.
When she was pruning the flowers, he would "accidentally" walk past.
"Ellie, that flower suits you."
When she cooked in the kitchen, he leaned against the door and watched her make spaghetti.
His voice would turn rough with emotion.
"Back in that old neighborhood, you always made spaghetti for me. Remember?" He laughed faintly. "I was so clumsy. I kept burning myself, and you always..."
Elena finally interrupted him.
"Marcus, you don't have to keep bringing up the past. Neither of us can go back. Do you understand?"
She looked at him with the calm detachment she might have shown a stranger.
The next t
