The next morning Jade was emotionally and physically drained. She had achieved in getting little sleep the night before and for the first time since she arrived it wasn't her arrogant neighbour's fault, but that dark place in her mind she trapped her darkest secrets and fantasy's. When she entered the bathroom at the early hours of the morning Jade knew she looked like shit, so she avoided looking in the mirror and opted for a warm shower, hoping to work out her frustration and thinking, at the gym despite the protest of her leg.

Once Jade had finished up in the bathroom she ventured out of her apartment listening to the sounds around her wondering if anyone would be up at this ungodly hour of the morning. When she deemed that no one was up she made her way down the stairs avoiding the elevator after the incident yesterday.

When Jade stepped into the cool morning breeze, it woke her up from any sleep that was lingering around. Taking a deep breath Jade made the short walk from her apartment to the gym with her crutches wanting some time to herself. With each step, Jade took she wandered into the dark depths of her inner mind that she tried all night to fight. She tried to fight off the dark sensual thoughts circling around her head. The deep, dark desire to give into him, to give her body to a man she knew would know exactly what to do with it.

It had been so long since anyone paid attention to her body the way it deserved. To know the hidden secrets that lay beneath and what made her body and mind tick. Her body came alive again last night after being dormant for so long. Her body reacted in a way her mind didn't want to do, but there was no denying that she wanted Marcus. Despite him being an arrogant ass there was a part of her that felt a deep desire, a need to be with him. To let him consume her in a way no man has consumed her before.

Jade knew she would never act upon these dark hidden desires, for it was a fantasy, a dark one, but she knew she would hide it into the back of her mind, into that dark box everyone had. The longer Jade walked the more these desires stirred around her mind and she knew if she wasn't careful these desires would consume her every thought. So, pushing aside her bodies' sexual needs, she locked these thoughts away, the closer she got to the gym.

When Jade arrived at the gym, her leg was aching so when she arrived the first thing she did was sit down and rest it before starting her upper body workout. She knew the quicker she healed the quicker she could get back to work.

By the time Jade finished the sun had risen in the sky and the morning gym junkies were coming in for their daily fix. Even though Jade was satisfied with her workout and how she was progressing she wasn't satisfied with the fact that she had nothing to do. Being stuck at home doing nothing was boring and it allowed Jade time to think, which she didn't want to do. Jade didn't lock all her emotions away, but there were some she kept buried for a reason, and they were surfacing and it scared her.

When Jade exited the gym, she hailed down a taxi. She knew there was no way she could walk home with her aching leg and the slight burn in her chest. It didn't take long to hail down a cab, and she was relieved when she could finally sit down even though it was only a 5-minute trip home.

When Jade got home, she stopped and looked up at the building wondering when did her life become so plain and boring. Each day was the same get up, go to the gym, and either go therapy or physiotherapy.

She remembered a time when she had a future a plan, but now it took one day at a time and was like watching her days tick by as she completed nothing with her life. Most women her age were married and on their first child and all Jade had to show for her 28 years of life was a broken family, a lost fiancé, and herself jobless with nothing to do in her spare time. Sighing Jade ventured into the building and made her way to her apartment with the thought of getting something useful done in the day.

Jade made it to her apartment without running into the Blackwood brothers and she thought of that as a success when she turned the key and entered her plain, boring, lifeless apartment. After having a shower Jade powered up her laptop with the intentions of finding something she can spend her time with, to avoid thinking about the past she didn't want to remember. However, after 2 hours she signed up for Netflix and was watching mind-numbing movies to waste her time on.

It was around lunchtime when someone knocked on her door and she paused the movie she was watching to answer whoever was interrupting her highly unmotivated day. When Jade opened the door, she wanted to close it straight away at the sight of her mother and ex-fiancé who was carrying red roses in his hand.

"Oh, hell no." She murmured under her breath and really contemplated shutting the door on both of their faces.

"What the hell do you want?" She demanded as she rested her hands on her hips trying to look intimidating in track pants and a baggy shirt.

"Jade manners, Garret has come to apologise for his actions and to say that he misses you and wants you back." Her mother said and Jade wanted to claw into her perfectly styled hair and the immaculate dress she was wearing.

"I am sure Garret and speak for himself, and why on earth would I want to talk to this scumbag?" Her mother tsked and Garret thrust the flowers towards her giving him her large, blue puppy dog eyes.

"These are for you. I was hoping we could come in and talk. When your mother contacted me the other day and said you missed me, I thought there was a chance we could get back together." Jade stood there gob smacked and didn't know who she wanted to kill first, her mother or her cheating ex-fiancé.

"Your fucking with me, right?" Jade looked at Garret who looked confused as he stared at her.

"Why would I be fucking around? I still love you Jade and I am so sorry for straying from the path, but it was, but a mere blip and you can't blame me when you were away all the time." Jade let out a dry laugh and she looked at the pathetic man before her.

"So, it is my fault you spent all my money and cheated on me on various occasions whenever I was away, you have got to be kidding me, and your mother. I cannot believe you not only told him that I missed him, but you bought him here to my home and expect me to be polite to the person who, not only slept with other women but used all my money on drugs and prostitutes. That may be fine in your eyes, but in mine it is unacceptable." Jade voice had risen, so she wasn't surprised when it attracted the attention of the Blackwood brother's next door.

"Is there a problem out here?" Marco said as he stepped out of his apartment.

"No, this doesn't involve you." Garret sneered at Marco who just rolled his eyes and strolled over to Jade.

"As of a matter of fact, it involves me. Anything that has to do with Jade is my responsibility." Garret looked back and forth between the two before looking towards her mother for help like a lost puppy.

"I think you should both leave." Jade finally said as the tension between the four of them grew by the second.

"I think that might be best. Let's go, Garret, you can come back another day when Jade isn't occupying male company." Jade took a step forward ready to have a go at her mother when Marco put a hand on her shoulder stopping her from ripping her mother to shreds.

"Just let them go, Jade, they aren't worth getting stressed and worked up over." Jade and Marco watched both her mother and Garret get into the elevator as she wished to whatever gods that were up there, that the stupid thing broke and they got stuck in there forever.

"You okay?" Marco asked when they finally left and much too Jade's distaste the elevator made it to the bottom without a problem.

"Yeah, I am fine. Nothing like seeing your dragon of a mother and cheating, lying ex-fiancé." Jade shrugged and looks at Marco who was giving her a look that told her that he didn't believe a word that she just said about being fine.

"Jade," Marco said crossing his arms and Jade rolled her eyes.

"I am fine, nothing I haven't dealt with before." Marco took in Jade's attire and decided that this woman needed to get out of the house and do something.

"Come have lunch with me today. I was planning on meeting with a date, but I think I would much rather your company today." Macro said and Jade looked at him wondering if she could be bothered getting ready to go out.

"Why should I," Jade answered stubbornly causing Marco to laugh.

"Because it looks like you could. How often do you leave your house, Jade?" Marco raised an eyebrow at her and Jade sighed.

"Give me 5 to get ready." She sighed in defeat and went into her apartment to get ready.

Marco waited outside while Jade quickly dressed into something that didn't make her look like a homeless person. When she was ready, she grabbed her crutches and opened the door to Marco who was waiting patiently for Jade to get ready.

"Ready?" Jade nodded and locked up the house and they both made their way downstairs and outside where they got into Marco's car.

"So where are we going for lunch?" Jade asked after about 20 minutes of driving.

"This place uptown. You will like it." Jade nodded and looked outside the window watching as cars passed by them and people went on with their day unaware of the real struggles that others faced and needed help with.

It was another 10 minutes of driving in silence with the radio making the only sound when Marco pulled up into a parking space outside a small cute family-owned restaurant/café.

"We are here," Marco said breaking the silence that the half an hour trip consisted of.

"Do you come here often?" Jade asked and Marco shrugged his shoulders.

"Sometimes." They both walked into the shop and the amazing smell of food and the warmth immediately greeted Jade.

"Marco." A small older woman cried before pulling Marco into her arms giving him a hug and kissing him on the cheeks.

"Jade I would like you to meet my mother." Jade smiled kindly while shooting daggers at Marco for not warning her she would meet his mother.

"It's lovely to meet you." It shocked jade when Marco's mother pulled her into a hug that she nearly dropped her crutches at the unexpected gesture.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. I have heard so much about you. Come in and sit down I will be out in a second." Marco's mother took them to a seat and left in a fluster.

"Before you say anything it was Marcus who talked about you, not me." Jade huffed and crossed her arms while Marco tried to hide his smile at the lie he added about his brother.

"A little warning would have been nice." Jade looked around the shop taking in the natural bright light coming in through the windows and the bright colours that lit up the place making it warm and inviting.

"So, your mother works here," Jade asked turning her attention back to Marco who was watching her.

"Yes, she is the manager. She started here not long after our dad passed away and has been here ever since. The place would be a mess without her." Jade nodded as a waiter came out to take their orders before disappearing into the kitchen.

"So, you used to live in the area," Jade asked and Marco smiled.

"Yeah, we were likely to get posted back here after our last tour. Mum misses us, she gets lonely sometimes." Jade said nothing but nodded as his mother came back out.

"Sorry I had to fix up a small kitchen problem." Jade smiled as the older women slid into the seat next to her son.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier, I am Anne."

"Well I am Jade, but I am sure you already knew that." Anne laughed at Jade's expression while looking at her son.

"So, my boys tell me you are in the army." Jade nodded her head rubbing her sore leg that was throbbing.

"Yeah, came back from my last tour not too long ago. On medical leave now." Anne smiled knowing that her family must be glad she came back safe.

"I bet your family is glad to have you back home." Marco cringed while Jade snorted.

"I don't talk to my family." Anne frowned and Marco placed his hand on his mother's leg telling her not to say anything else.

"Oh well, that is a shame." Their food came while Anne was talking to Marco about Marcus needing to come down and visit her more often. Now there were back.

"Anne, Mason wants you in the kitchen again." The waiter from before said coming to collect Anne.

"Well enjoy, I will see you guys later. Let's go see what the big guy wants." Anne flirted away leaving Marco and Jade alone once again.

"Your mother seems nice," Jade commented as she devoured the food that was sitting in front of her.

"Yeah, however, she worries way too much." Jade looked down at her food wishing that her mother worried for her in the ways a mother should and not be petty about everything she did.

"Don't look so down Jade," Marco said picking up on the sombre mood that Jade had adapted quickly.

"It's hard, for my whole life I wished I had a mother like yours. Instead, I was stuck with a woman who hated me and never once worried about me the way a mother should." Jade played with the food on her plate before deeming she was full. Marco frowned wondering how a mother could ever hate her own children.

"You don't talk to your father," Marco asked as he listened to Jade.

"I haven't seen or talked to him since I was 10. My mother made sure that I didn't have any contact with him. When I turned 18, I joined the Army and gave up trying to find him." Jade shrugged like it was nothing, but Marco could hear the pain in her voice and his heart ached for the women before him who just wanted to apart of a family.

"Anyway, did you have any other plans for today?" Jade asked trying to steer the conversation away from her.

"Nothing really. Going out later tonight, but other than that, nothing." Jade looked around the place and saw that it was filling up.

"We better get going then," Marco said when he could tell that Jade wanted to go.

"Sure." They both got up together and bid farewell to Anne before taking their leave.

On the way back to the apartment Marco stopped off at the shops to get some food and Jade had no choice but to follow behind. While at the shops Jade picked up a few items for dinner deciding that she was sick and tired of pre-cooked meals and would make something for herself.

She was glad that her mother insisted on her knowing how to cook to please a man. Her mother enrolled her in cooking classes from a young age, because in her mother's eyes all women needed to know to keep their man fed. She was grateful that her mother made her take those dreadful cooking lessons even if she hardly ever used the skill that she picked up so easily.

Shopping took almost an hour because Marco stopped off for ice-cream as they passed it. Jade didn't want to admit it, but she had a great time out with Marco. Unlike his brother, Marco was a lot more carefree and made her laugh with his sheer stupidity and outlook on life. By the time they arrived back at the apartment, Jade had never laughed so much in her entire life.

Once she was able to relax, she found herself having a great time and didn't want it to end, because ending their time together would mean coming back to reality and the miserable life that she had.