The CEO's Rose

Mark’s POV

Mark knew how weddings worked in their social circle. They were huge extravagant things meant to showcase power and build new connections. Giving and receiving wedding invitations were things that were not taken lightly at all, and people always made sure to show up at weddings.

He had been attending such events all of his life and quite frankly, he was sick and tired of them.

But for Ryan’s sake, he had been mentally preparing himself to go through yet another boring routine of listening to long-winded speeches, avoiding people that he did not wish to talk shop with and searching out those that he wanted to build business connections with. All the while smiling his fakest smile and doing his best not to get drunk and do some regrettable things.

But Ryan, good man that he was, had saved Mark. There would be no need for that.

Once again playing pool with his friend, he was pleasantly surprised by what Ryan was telling him.

"It is going to be an intimate affair held at Vivian’s Rose. No press, no business associates, just ourselves and our loved ones," Mark was stunned, an intimate wedding ceremony. He could go to his friend’s wedding and just enjoy himself without needing to keep up appearances.

He would not even need to study the guest list ahead of time so that he went in there with a game plan.

Instead of doing what was expected, his friend had opted for a small ceremony.

Wow, he’d heard of such things but he had never thought that it would be possible for the likes of them. Thank goodness for Vivian Rose.

***

"You are really happy about this, aren’t you?" Mark asked his friend and Ryan nodded.

Leaning his pool stick on the table, he went over to his friend’s side and hugged him tightly, thumping him twice on the back for good measure.

"I am really happy for you man. You truly deserve this," Returning the hug, Ryan laughed softly. When they parted, he briefly turned to the pool table, sunk a few balls into the holes and then straightened, returning his gaze back to Mark.

"Speaking of happy endings, I hear that you and Amy are a thing now," Wow, news really travelled fast. There was absolutely no doubt in Mark’s mind that Amy had told Vivian, and she had been the one who had informed Ryan.

Instead of being bothered by that, the banker found that he was glad to not have to find the words to tell his friend.

Trying to be nonchalant about it, Mark shrugged.

"Oh, you know, we are just having a bit of fun, feeling things out," Instead of teasing like he expected Ryan to do, his friend leaned against his pool stick and gave Mark an assessing look.

"Are you happy when you are with her?" Ryan asked and Mark nodded without hesitation.

"Do you feel secure?" His friend asked and again, Mark found himself nodding without wasting any time. There was just something about being with Amy that made him feel at ease. Realizing that his face was heating up, he swiftly bent over and took his shot.

Once he was done, he found Ryan still staring at him.

Releasing a long breath the other man finally nodded, then he took his turn on the table and straightened afterwards.

"When you are with her, you feel settled, like you do not have to look anywhere else to be content, right?" Once again, the only answer that Mark could give was a nod.

"If that is how she makes you feel all the time, my advice to you is this, never let her go. I have never had you say that about any of the women that you have been with. Yet when it comes to Amy, you nod along without hesitation. That means something. Don’t squander it,"

They did not speak on the issue again afterwards. Instead playing pool until Ryan finally left, leaving Mark alone with his thoughts.

***

As much as Mark had been aware of Ryan’s issues when it came to relationships, he knew that he too had his own problems when it came to being with the opposite sex. Having parents who were constantly fighting but could not seem to be away from each other for too long would do that to anyone. The level of toxicity that he had grown up with that he was still being forced to witness occasionally even as an adult was enough to scar several thousand human beings in one go.

So Mark had never even bothered to lie to himself and say that he was not a little bit affected by the behavior of his parents.

As a result of that, he had never really sought serious relationships.

But the thing that he was having with Amy was nice. She never pushed him to give more than he was willing to. She never took without first asking for permission.

When they were together there were no mind games at all. There were also no unnecessarily instigated fights.

They just got down to the business of amazing sex. At first, after the sex, they had immediately parted ways, not wanting to make things awkward.

But now they had started spending more time together even after the deed was done. Things were at a point where Amy sometimes spent the night with him.

That meant something, the relationship was evolving. It was going somewhere that Mark had never thought it would. He would not lie. The realization that things had changed had been worrying him.

He had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for things to turn into the dumpster fire of a relationship that his parents had. But after the talk with Ryan, Mark was beginning to see things in a new light.

Perhaps it was not a bad thing that their relationship was evolving. Maybe all that he had to do was give it a chance. Perhaps settling down would not be the nightmare that he had always thought it would be. Maybe if he decided to give things a go with Amy, nothing terrible would happen.

Only time would tell.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!