Finally, I nodded. "Yeah... Okay. That makes sense."
His smile widened, and his fingers tightened brieflyaround mine before he pulled back. "Good. You won't regret it."
I forced myself to smile back. The unease in my stomach was just exhaustion. That's all.
It had to be.
* * *
I ended up at Marcus's flat again without thinking much about it. The days had started to blur together lately. School prep, nonstop emails, Marcus reminding me to slow down if I didn't want to tire myself out. The joint account conversation had come and gone, absorbed into the week with everything else.
I sat curled into the corner of the sofa, my legs tucked under me as I scrolled absently through my phone. I should've been finalising lesson plans, but my brain refused to focus on anything. Mindless scrolling was all I had in me today.
Marcus came out of the kitchen with two glasses of wine. He handed one to me, then settled next to me on the sofa.
"Thanks." I gave the drink a lazy swirl before taking a sip. I didn't even really like the taste of it, but the warmth that came after was a welcome distraction.
A notification lit up my phone. I tapped it without thinking – and then realised it came from the bank:Withdrawal: £25.47.
That quiet unease from earlier in the week started to creep back in. It wasn't a large amount. Nothing to panic over. But we hadn't really talked about when he'd use the joint account or if he'd check with me first. Granted, he didn't exactly need my permission, but...
My thumb hovered over the screen. I didn't know how to react.
Marcus reached over to let his fingers brush lightly over my knee. "What's up?"
I tried to keep my tone even. "Just got a bank alert. Did you use the joint account?"
He blinked, then gave a soft hum like he was trying to remember. "Oh, right. One of your bills was close to overdue. Meant to tell you. Sorry." He downed the last of his drink and leaned forward to set the empty glass on the coffee table.
That didn't quite make sense. What bill would've been £25? My phone? No, I paid that last week. Internet? Maybe the price changed? But I never got a notice.
His hand slid up my thigh with easy familiarity, his touch slow, coaxing. "Relax. We're sharing finances now. It's meant to take the pressure off."
Good point. That's the whole reason I agreed, wasn't it?
I sighed, rolling my shoulders to try to shake the tightness building in my chest. "Yeah. I know. It's fine. Just still getting used to it."
His smile widened as his fingers traced slow, deliberate paths along my leg. Then he leaned in to close the space between us. Before I could respond, his lips brushed against mine.
It was easy to kiss him back. To let him pull me closer and let the weight of the past week fade into the background. The notification sat silently on my phone, dimmed and momentarily forgotten.
Marcus eased back first, his lips curling into a small and satisfied grin as his fingers slipped through my hair. "Hold that thought." He pressed one last kiss to the corner of my mouth before getting to his feet. "If I don't start dinner now, we'll cave and get takeaway again."
I stayed on the sofa, still caught in the haze of warmth and distraction, and watched him move around the kitchen for a few minutes. But once the quiet settled, my eyes drifted back to my phone.
That bank notification wouldn't leave me alone.
I told myself I was blowing it out of proportion. Yet before I could stop myself, I unlocked my phone and tapped the banking app. The login screen blinked at me, and I entered my details automatically.
Red words appeared:Incorrect password. Try again.
I frowned. Did I mistype it? I tried again, slower and more deliberate this time.
Incorrect password. Try again.
A prickle of unease crawled up the back of my neck. I always used the same login. I never changed it.
Unless...
