Page 14
Story: Sophie’s Second Chance
I strolled by his assistant’s desk, and she noticed me and nodded quickly to say hello. “Miss Spencer.”
I grinned a little. “Hey.”
“Should I tell Mr. Whitmore?” “No, thanks.”
He nodded and went back to work as I walked up to Liam’s office and tapped on the door.
“Come in,” he murmured in a loud voice.
I opened the door and walked in. He was sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop with a stack of paperwork next to him. He wrinkled his brows in concentration.
He kept looking at his laptop and said, “What is it, Jason?” “Hey…” I remarked in a hushed voice.
He slowly raised his head and was shocked to see me. “Sophie…”
I walked up to his desk and held the plastic bag in my hand. “I brought you your sandwich. I’m sorry Levi ate it earlier. I didn’t know it was yours.”
He groaned, pulled his chair back, and stood up. “It’s fine, Sophie. You didn’t have to come all this way to give me this.”
“Well…I felt a little bad, so…” I stopped talking.
He took the bag from me and put it on his desk. He smiled, and that grin was worth billions. It made my heart skip a beat, and butterflies flew about in my stomach. “Thanks. Really.”
I tried not to stare at him by moving my gaze around his office. “I like your office,” I said.
“Thanks…”
“Okay, I’ll be going now. Bye.” I turned around and walked away. “Hold on. I can have my driver take you home.”
“No, thanks…” I was almost at the door. “I can handle it. Goodbye, Mr. Whitmore,” I murmured over my shoulder.
He chuckled gently. “Bye, Sophie.” His eyes burned into my back as I went out the door.
Sophie’s point of view:
As Levi took his suitcase out of the room to depart for the airport, I questioned him, “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
We got to the front door, and Liam came up behind us and glanced at Levi’s luggage and him.
“He’s leaving?” He sounded so thrilled and relieved. He had a big smile on his face. I frowned at him, and his smile went away. He remarked in a sorrowful voice. “Oh, he’s going. You could have stayed a little longer.”
“Thanks, but I have to get back to work,” Levi responded, holding out his hand for him to shake. “It was nice to meet you, Liam.”
Liam shook his hand firmly. “Same, Levi.” “Let’s go,” I murmured, and Levi grimaced.
“Where are you going?”
“To take you to the airport, duh.”
Levi put his hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to come to the airport, Sophie. It’s fine.”
“But—”
Liam stopped me. “He’s right. You don’t have to go to the airport.”
I yelled at him, “I don’t need your opinion.” “Levi murmured gently, “Sophie…” “Please, you need to rest.” I pouted bitterly. “Fine,” I said with a sigh.
Levi grinned and gave me a loving, strong embrace. I hugged him back. “I’ll miss you, Levi,” I said in a whisper as tears sprang to my eyes.
“I’ll miss you too, Sophie.” He pulled away and kissed my forehead before departing.
Liam rolled his eyes and laughed to himself as he went, which I heard. “An acquaintance.”
I said sharply, “What?” “What?” he asked in return.
I crossed my arms and said, “What do you mean by ’a friend’?”
“He obviously likes you, and you think of him as a friend.” He rolled his eyes again.
“Feelings? For me? He’s my best friend; he doesn’t have any feelings for me other than platonic love,” I said.
“Try taking out the word platonic. I’m not blind, Sophie. Anyone can see how he looks at you and how he flirts and all that.” He sounded a little angry.
“What are you? An expert on love?”
He said, “I’ve read enough romance novels to know how someone acts when they like someone.” He was pleased with his ability.
“Novels? They’re just books! What happens in them isn’t real life.”
“Isn’t that what everyone thinks?” “Just shut up!” I moved past him. He stated it in a frustrated way. “He’s crazy about you, Sophie. I’m sure of it.”
I paused and turned to face him. “Really? Why does it bother you so much that he likes me?” I said back.
He was shocked by what I said; his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. I laughed and went back upstairs, leaving him standing there.
Does Levi like me? Are you serious? Please don’t, Levi. Please don’t let Liam be correct. I don’t want to hurt our friendship.
Levi has been gone for two weeks. I talked to him on the phone virtually every day, but happily, he never said anything that made me think he liked me.
Since that day, Liam hasn’t said much to me. He tries to stay away from me and only talks to me when he really needs to, and even then, it’s only a word or two. I had to say something since he looks so great with his beard coming back.
Helen did realize that we were not getting along, but she didn’t say anything. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.
The cab came to a stop on the road that led to Liam’s house. I don’t want everyone to know that I’m staying with Liam Whitmore.
After paying the fare, I got out and started heading to the home. It was about 10:30 p.m.
I was going down the side of the road when I heard a noise and turned around to see a car driving down the road towards me.
I didn’t pay any attention to it and kept walking till I got to Liam’s house. Then, that same automobile parked next to me.
When I saw Blake get out of the car, anger rose up inside me. “Sophie!” “What the f**k do you want now, Blake?” I yelled at him.
“You really did disappear again, Sophie,” he murmured as he searched about. “So, this is where you live now?”
“Blake, leave me alone. Can’t you get that?”
He didn’t listen to what I said again. “I had to follow you all the way from that restaurant to here. Can’t we just talk for a minute?”
“Please leave me alone!” I yelled. “Sophie—”
“She clearly told you to leave her alone, Mr. Theo.” A strong, hard voice cut him short.
Liam was standing at the front door of the home with his arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face as I turned to my left. A look of anger at Blake.
For the first time, I was glad to see him.
Blake’s eyes became wide with astonishment, but then he calmed himself and grinned. “Mr. Whitmore…how nice to see you,” he replied in a mocking tone.
Do they know each other?
“Leave, Blake,” Liam stated again in a hard voice that left no room for dispute. Blake asked me, “So, this is the guy you’re going to marry? Really, Sophie?”
I was about to say something when Blake stopped me. “You could have done better.”
I stated instead of denying that we are engaged. “At least he’s better than you.”
He smiled. “You’ll regret this, Sophie.”
“Just f*****g go, Blake,” Liam said again.
He gritted his teeth, got in his car, and drove away. I exhaled in relief and went inside the home.
Liam shut the door, and I enquired right away. “How do you know him?” “Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that?”
“I told you to tell me first.”
He looked away. “He was younger than me in college. One day, I saw him verbally harassing a girl and punched him. We’ve been enemies ever since, especially since he started his own company two years ago.” “How about you?”
He raised his eyebrow and said, “We grew up in the same orphanage. That’s all I know about him.” “There’s more to the story…what is it?”
“You don’t need to know everything, Liam. I don’t want to tell you everything. Please.”
“Okay, okay. But what did he mean by that thing about getting engaged?”
I let some air out of my mouth. “Ryan came to see me before my engagement broke up, and I told him I was engaged to someone. I didn’t say who, so he just thought it was you.”
I questioned Liam why he banged his face. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Don’t be shocked if the paparazzi are outside your house tomorrow morning.”
“What? Why?”
I grinned a little. “Hey.”
“Should I tell Mr. Whitmore?” “No, thanks.”
He nodded and went back to work as I walked up to Liam’s office and tapped on the door.
“Come in,” he murmured in a loud voice.
I opened the door and walked in. He was sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop with a stack of paperwork next to him. He wrinkled his brows in concentration.
He kept looking at his laptop and said, “What is it, Jason?” “Hey…” I remarked in a hushed voice.
He slowly raised his head and was shocked to see me. “Sophie…”
I walked up to his desk and held the plastic bag in my hand. “I brought you your sandwich. I’m sorry Levi ate it earlier. I didn’t know it was yours.”
He groaned, pulled his chair back, and stood up. “It’s fine, Sophie. You didn’t have to come all this way to give me this.”
“Well…I felt a little bad, so…” I stopped talking.
He took the bag from me and put it on his desk. He smiled, and that grin was worth billions. It made my heart skip a beat, and butterflies flew about in my stomach. “Thanks. Really.”
I tried not to stare at him by moving my gaze around his office. “I like your office,” I said.
“Thanks…”
“Okay, I’ll be going now. Bye.” I turned around and walked away. “Hold on. I can have my driver take you home.”
“No, thanks…” I was almost at the door. “I can handle it. Goodbye, Mr. Whitmore,” I murmured over my shoulder.
He chuckled gently. “Bye, Sophie.” His eyes burned into my back as I went out the door.
Sophie’s point of view:
As Levi took his suitcase out of the room to depart for the airport, I questioned him, “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
We got to the front door, and Liam came up behind us and glanced at Levi’s luggage and him.
“He’s leaving?” He sounded so thrilled and relieved. He had a big smile on his face. I frowned at him, and his smile went away. He remarked in a sorrowful voice. “Oh, he’s going. You could have stayed a little longer.”
“Thanks, but I have to get back to work,” Levi responded, holding out his hand for him to shake. “It was nice to meet you, Liam.”
Liam shook his hand firmly. “Same, Levi.” “Let’s go,” I murmured, and Levi grimaced.
“Where are you going?”
“To take you to the airport, duh.”
Levi put his hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to come to the airport, Sophie. It’s fine.”
“But—”
Liam stopped me. “He’s right. You don’t have to go to the airport.”
I yelled at him, “I don’t need your opinion.” “Levi murmured gently, “Sophie…” “Please, you need to rest.” I pouted bitterly. “Fine,” I said with a sigh.
Levi grinned and gave me a loving, strong embrace. I hugged him back. “I’ll miss you, Levi,” I said in a whisper as tears sprang to my eyes.
“I’ll miss you too, Sophie.” He pulled away and kissed my forehead before departing.
Liam rolled his eyes and laughed to himself as he went, which I heard. “An acquaintance.”
I said sharply, “What?” “What?” he asked in return.
I crossed my arms and said, “What do you mean by ’a friend’?”
“He obviously likes you, and you think of him as a friend.” He rolled his eyes again.
“Feelings? For me? He’s my best friend; he doesn’t have any feelings for me other than platonic love,” I said.
“Try taking out the word platonic. I’m not blind, Sophie. Anyone can see how he looks at you and how he flirts and all that.” He sounded a little angry.
“What are you? An expert on love?”
He said, “I’ve read enough romance novels to know how someone acts when they like someone.” He was pleased with his ability.
“Novels? They’re just books! What happens in them isn’t real life.”
“Isn’t that what everyone thinks?” “Just shut up!” I moved past him. He stated it in a frustrated way. “He’s crazy about you, Sophie. I’m sure of it.”
I paused and turned to face him. “Really? Why does it bother you so much that he likes me?” I said back.
He was shocked by what I said; his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. I laughed and went back upstairs, leaving him standing there.
Does Levi like me? Are you serious? Please don’t, Levi. Please don’t let Liam be correct. I don’t want to hurt our friendship.
Levi has been gone for two weeks. I talked to him on the phone virtually every day, but happily, he never said anything that made me think he liked me.
Since that day, Liam hasn’t said much to me. He tries to stay away from me and only talks to me when he really needs to, and even then, it’s only a word or two. I had to say something since he looks so great with his beard coming back.
Helen did realize that we were not getting along, but she didn’t say anything. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.
The cab came to a stop on the road that led to Liam’s house. I don’t want everyone to know that I’m staying with Liam Whitmore.
After paying the fare, I got out and started heading to the home. It was about 10:30 p.m.
I was going down the side of the road when I heard a noise and turned around to see a car driving down the road towards me.
I didn’t pay any attention to it and kept walking till I got to Liam’s house. Then, that same automobile parked next to me.
When I saw Blake get out of the car, anger rose up inside me. “Sophie!” “What the f**k do you want now, Blake?” I yelled at him.
“You really did disappear again, Sophie,” he murmured as he searched about. “So, this is where you live now?”
“Blake, leave me alone. Can’t you get that?”
He didn’t listen to what I said again. “I had to follow you all the way from that restaurant to here. Can’t we just talk for a minute?”
“Please leave me alone!” I yelled. “Sophie—”
“She clearly told you to leave her alone, Mr. Theo.” A strong, hard voice cut him short.
Liam was standing at the front door of the home with his arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face as I turned to my left. A look of anger at Blake.
For the first time, I was glad to see him.
Blake’s eyes became wide with astonishment, but then he calmed himself and grinned. “Mr. Whitmore…how nice to see you,” he replied in a mocking tone.
Do they know each other?
“Leave, Blake,” Liam stated again in a hard voice that left no room for dispute. Blake asked me, “So, this is the guy you’re going to marry? Really, Sophie?”
I was about to say something when Blake stopped me. “You could have done better.”
I stated instead of denying that we are engaged. “At least he’s better than you.”
He smiled. “You’ll regret this, Sophie.”
“Just f*****g go, Blake,” Liam said again.
He gritted his teeth, got in his car, and drove away. I exhaled in relief and went inside the home.
Liam shut the door, and I enquired right away. “How do you know him?” “Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that?”
“I told you to tell me first.”
He looked away. “He was younger than me in college. One day, I saw him verbally harassing a girl and punched him. We’ve been enemies ever since, especially since he started his own company two years ago.” “How about you?”
He raised his eyebrow and said, “We grew up in the same orphanage. That’s all I know about him.” “There’s more to the story…what is it?”
“You don’t need to know everything, Liam. I don’t want to tell you everything. Please.”
“Okay, okay. But what did he mean by that thing about getting engaged?”
I let some air out of my mouth. “Ryan came to see me before my engagement broke up, and I told him I was engaged to someone. I didn’t say who, so he just thought it was you.”
I questioned Liam why he banged his face. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Don’t be shocked if the paparazzi are outside your house tomorrow morning.”
“What? Why?”