Page 35 of Always Mine

Luca:

Oooooohhhhh Sebastian, why is Eviemessaging you?

Raf:

Why the fuck are you putting that in the group chat. You’re right there with him.

Luca:

I would hate for you to miss out on the “luxury” of giving Sebastian your wise counsel too.

Sebastian:

I need a drink. Throw some shit. Raf, meet us at The Den at Bella Donna. Whiskey and darts?

Raf:

OMW. Happy, Luca?

Luca:

A+.

Raf:

Oh, and Marco. We’ll be circling back to you and Sophia. And whatever the hell that was or is. There are darts involved. Get your story straight, brother.

Chapter sixteen

Not Your Booty Call Girl

Sophia

“Justturnuponhis doorstep. Tell him you’re there for research purposes,” giggles a slightly buzzed Stella from the couch. “Tell him your life coach advised you the best way to move forward was to take a ride—on his fingers, tongue, and dick.”

I groan at the visuals her words paint, because before dinner imploded, that’s exactly how Marco had hinted the night would end. A grand finale I was fully on board for until I had to take a stand. For me and for my dignity.

“Stellaaaa, I’m trying to be mature about this. Besides, I can’t say your track record fills me with confidence.”

Evie hums playfully in agreement even though we both know Stella is bloody brilliant at what she gets paid a pretty penny to do—literally give people strategies to improve their life.

“Girlfriend, denying yourself and your body what it wants in the name of trying to prove a point about being an independent woman isn’t mature. It’s self-sabotage. You’re scared and that’s perfectly fine, but let’s call it how it is.”

“To be fair, Stella has a point, and you know we rarely agree on anything,” Evie chimes in. “Sure, proceed with caution, but Ipersonally don’t doubt Marco’s intentions. I think you owe it to yourself and him to see where it could go if you gave it a serious shot. The fall will hurt if it goes wrong, but if it goes right, you get your dream man.”

I stare out of Stella’s apartment window and watch the way the snow flutters slowly through the misty night, admiring the way the shine of streetlight mingles with the mist to cast a soft glow over everything. I try to focus on how pretty it looks to distract me from giving into the urge to go to him right now. I need to stay strong.

And so begins the battle between what I should do and what I want to do—my traitorous body no help with the way it thrums just at the thought of the man I walked away from earlier.

It’s the ping of a new message that finally results in a ceasefire. Checking my phone I see a text from an unknown number. I open it.

Unknown number:

Hi Sophia, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. Can we have a do-over? I’d really love to introduce you to a few of the lawyers from the firms sponsoring the Law Gala. Just one drink this week. Just as friends. *Wink emoji*

Unknown number:

Oh, it’s Arty by the way. Your dad gave me your number. *cringe emoji*