Page 40 of More than Fiction (Misty Springs #1)

“He convinced me to sell my parents’ house,” she said softly, her voice laced with a wistfulness that tugged at something deep in me.

“It was gut-wrenching. I had so many memories tied up in that house. Losing them so abruptly... selling it felt like a betrayal, like any moment they’d return asking where they were supposed to sleep now. ”

“I can’t take this bracelet off. It feels like… all I have left of them.” Sophia’s fingers traced the bracelet around her wrist, twisting it. “It probably seems silly to be so emotionally connected to a piece of metal.”

I let out a sharp breath, recalling the tarnished piece of metal I raced back to retrieve from my hotel room weeks ago—the compass I inexplicably needed to bring when I first visited Misty Springs.

“It’s not silly,” I assured her.

We gazed quietly into each other's eyes for a moment, and inside my chest, another thread that linked me to Sophia pulled tighter.

“Landon was so helpful and attentive,” she continued, slicing sandwiches into neat little triangles, her movements methodical, as if the routine steadied her emotions.

“He was sweet, too—at first. When he offered me a job working for his parents, I could make more than I did at both jobs combined, so I jumped at the chance. All the money from the sale of my parents’ house went to school debt, and I was struggling to make ends meet again, so—at the time—it felt like a lifeline.

” She placed the sandwich on a shiny black plate she had pulled from the bottom of a stack in a high cabinet.

My mind—previously solely focused on her, was distracted—curious about who Landon sold her parents’ house to.

If it was in the right location, it was a bullseye for the Norwood’s schemes.

I made a mental note to check the public records—if they had it wrapped up in one of their exploits, who knew what would become of it.

“The rest is history. After spending all that time together, we eventually became a couple. He asked me to move in with him. Asked me to marry him. It all happened so fast.”

She placed the sandwich before me, the plate clinking on the counter.

“He showed me all the good sides of him for a year. My friends saw the truth, though—they couldn’t stand him.”

I took a bite of the BLT. It was delicious. It dawned on me that this may be my first home-cooked meal here. Sophia continued as I savored every bite.

“Cassie could see how unhappy I was. She’s known me forever, and I swear she knows me better than I know myself.

Devyn and Brent both took turns offering to beat him up after I’d told them about our fights.

Trevor and Sam were lighthearted about it, mostly cracking jokes, but I could tell they couldn’t stand him.

They were never quite themselves when Landon was around.

And Lana… Lana has the kindest ways to tell you that your life decisions are horse shit.

” Some of the names Sophia mentioned sparked a memory of people I’d encountered in Misty Springs.

Sophia’s smile beamed as she continued to tell me how they helped her and rallied behind her through some of her darkest moments, even when she initially pushed them away.

“This is amazing, by the way,” I raved as I took another bite.

“It’s nothing special.” She waved dismissively.

“So, then you caught Landon cheating and kicked him to the curb, and now here we are?”

“Pretty much,” she said through a mouthful of food.

She swallowed it down, and I tracked the movement down the column of her throat. Everything about her was delicate—her slim hands, her soft features, everything except her iron will.

“You know,” I started as her words from earlier rang in my head. “Someone wise once told me, it’s not the tribulations in life that define you. It’s how you continue to live your life in spite of them.”

She snorted. “Oh sure, let’s see, I have a broken engagement, two dead-end jobs, a crummy apartment... I’m really killing it here. ”

How was it possible that someone like her couldn’t see how incredible she was?

I leaned across the counter, my voice dropping to a softer tone. “First of all, life isn’t just about the material things you’ve acquired. You’re a good person, Sophia. Your friends are a testament to that. The people who love you and stand by you—that’s where your wealth lies.”

I let the words linger between us, watching as she stopped chewing and blinked at me, the weight of my statement sinking in.

“Not everyone has that,” I added quietly, leaning back in my chair. “Not everyone has people who would fight for them, who’d care enough to stand in their corner no matter how bad it gets. You may not realize it, but you’re richer than most of the people in this city.”

The words hung in the air, and I felt the weight of them settle uncomfortably in my chest. I felt like a hypocrite—my life’s ambition had always been about accumulating money and power, clawing my way to the top of the corporate ladder at the expense of everything else.

I’d spent years measuring success by bank accounts and titles, yet here I was, telling her the opposite.

But as I looked at Sophia—at her quiet strength, her resilience, the unshakable bond she shared with her friends—I couldn’t see her as a failure. Not even close. She had something money couldn’t buy, something I’d spent my whole life missing and didn’t even realize was so valuable.

Her expression softened, her eyes misted, and the tip of her nose turned into a delicate shade of red.

So, this was what it was like to open up to someone and have them open up to you. This was what it was like to feel vulnerable.

It was terrifying and freeing all at the same time.

We hadn’t slept together, but Sophia had seen more of me than any woman ever had. She held on to so many delicate pieces that I’d kept hidden away.

The question now was what she’d do with them.