Page 15
Story: Sophie’s Second Chance
He smiled tightly and mumbled something caustic. “Congratulations, Sophie. You are now Liam Whitmore’s fiancée.”
I frowned in perplexity. “What the hell are you talking about, Liam?”
“Blake thinks you and I are getting married, and it won’t take long for him to tell the press.”
I couldn’t believe it. “What the hell? You need to stop him, Liam!” “It’s not possible…” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Come on! Do something!”
He snapped, “What do you want me to do?” “Go and threaten him? So he can tell the media that I threatened him, too?”
His tone made me wince, and I ran my fingers over his face in anger and whispered. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t do anything.”
“So, what’s next?”
He thought for a minute and chewed his lips. “Now that the world knows we’re engaged, we put on a show for them.”
“How?”
“We act like we’re engaged. Make the world think we are.” “Can’t you just deny it?” I said.
He tilted his head and thought of something. “No. I mean, it’s possible, but I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
He let out a sigh. “The media bothers me almost every day about my relationship status…”
“So now they won’t?”
“They will, but only for a few weeks. After that, everything will be fine.” “Oh…are you sure about this?”
“Yes, Sophie. I’m sure about this. Don’t worry; it’s not a big deal.”
I was already scared. “It’s not a big deal for you because this is all normal for you, but it’s not for me.”
“Sophie, listen to me. Just calm down. Everything will be alright.” “Calm down? How can I calm down?”
We heard Helen say, “What’s going on?” as she walked into the living room.
“Helen, please tell her to relax, get her some food, and put her to bed,” Liam said to Helen.
“I don’t need anyone to feed me. I can take care of myself,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Helen grabbed my hand and pulled me away before I could say anything further. “What is going on?” she asked me, and I told her everything.
I woke up and noticed Liam was still sleeping, so I quickly performed my morning routine, grabbed my purse, and went downstairs. I wondered why he was still sleeping since he had to go to work.
I heard some noise outside as I was coming down the stairs, so I carefully opened the front door. When I saw how many photographers were in front of the home, my eyes dilated, and I dropped my purse.
“F**k,” I said.
Liam’s point of view:
“I heard someone yell, “It’s all over social media!” I groaned and cuddled with my pillow to attempt to sleep.
“How can you sleep so peacefully? Wake up!” A pillow hit me in the face. I put the covers over my head to keep her out.
“Don’t you have to go to work? What happened to your workaholic a*s?” she questioned in a dramatic way. My lips involuntarily turned into a little grin.
“I need to go to the restaurant, but there are so many people outside. Liam, do something!”
“No one’s going anywhere today,” I murmured.
“What?” Someone yanked the blanket off of me. When she saw that I was virtually n**e under it, she screamed and dropped the blanket over me again.
I eventually sat up straight and ran my fingers through my hair after rubbing my eyes. “You can’t leave the house today, or they’ll eat you.”
“But…”
“Please just listen to me once, Sophie.”
She huffed. “Fine.” Then she left the room, muttering to herself.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, which was ringing and vibrating with alerts.
Oh God. I can see how Nat may have felt when I posted about his wedding.
I put the phone down. I’ll deal with it later. I got up and headed to the toilet to do my morning ritual.
I could hear the noise outside as I headed down the stairs after using the restroom. I picked up the tiny package in the living room that I ordered last night without thinking about it.
I opened it and sang to myself in happiness. Then I brought the little jewelry box to the kitchen, where Sophie was having breakfast that Helen had made.
I sat down across from her and pushed the box down the table towards her. She glanced at it in perplexity.
“What’s this?” she said, her mouth full of pancakes. “Your ring for your engagement.”
Helen screamed, “Let me see!” as she picked up the box and opened it. She admired the ring. “It’s so pretty.”
Helen set the package down in front of Sophie and went back to her work.
Sophie took up the package and gazed at the ring. Her eyes got a little bigger. “How much does this cost?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Liam, it doesn’t matter.” “Liam, it’s…”
I cut her off and said, “Do you like it or not?” She nodded. “Of course. It’s beautiful.” “Then wear it. No arguments.”
She bit her lips, nodded, and carefully took the ring out of the box. She slipped it down her ring finger and put her hand in front of her face to view it. Her mouth opened a little in amazement. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as it brushed against her forehead.
She smiled at me and said, “Thanks.” Her eyes sparkled. I forget how pretty she is sometimes.
I was able to grin back. “Thanks… I mean, welcome.”
She chuckled a little and shook her head, then went back to eating her meal.
I put my elbow on the table and tilted my head, cupping my cheek to admire the beauty in front of me.
Hold on…what?
What the hell am I doing? Stop looking at her! But I couldn’t look away from her. Please hit me.
The sound of glass breaking brought me back to reality. I turned to my left and noticed a glass of water that Helen had dropped on the floor. Helen’s eyes were fixated on me, and she looked horrified.
She gasped and leaned down to pick up the bits of glass once she calmed down. I went up and bent down to help her, too.
Sophie tried to get up, but I scowled at her. “Stay seated.” She rolled her eyes and sat down.
Helen and I cleaned up the broken glass and threw it away.
I questioned Helen, “Are you okay?” She nodded and then left the kitchen to get a broom. She swept up the smaller bits of glass.
She instructed me to sit down and eat my breakfast, and I did what she said.
Sophie got up and departed quietly once she was done eating. I watched her go.
Helen cleared her throat, and I looked at her.
Helen smiled. “So, you’re in love with her?”
“What? No!”
She laughed and clapped me on the back. “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with loving her.”
“Helen, no. I’m not falling in love with her. Please don’t say that,” I said firmly.
She looked dejected and pouted. “One day, you will admit it, child.” She messed up my hair and then left the kitchen.
In love? I laughed to myself. Never.
Three seconds after the doorbell rang, I heard my mother scream from the living room. “What’s going on, Liam?!”
I took a big breath to be ready and headed outside. Mother stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, looking angry.
I turned around and saw Nat at the entrance, with Alley and Saffron next to him. Nat shook his head in sadness. Alley looked bewildered, and Saffron’s face was blank.
Awesome! Let’s put on a show for everyone.
“Right now, I need an explanation!” Mother said.
I remarked in a mocking tone, “I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner. Were you busy, Mom?”
And Nat hit himself in the face because I was so brazen.
Sophie heard her mother yelling and came down the stairs. Seeing Sophie made Mom’s face soften.
I frowned in perplexity. “What the hell are you talking about, Liam?”
“Blake thinks you and I are getting married, and it won’t take long for him to tell the press.”
I couldn’t believe it. “What the hell? You need to stop him, Liam!” “It’s not possible…” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Come on! Do something!”
He snapped, “What do you want me to do?” “Go and threaten him? So he can tell the media that I threatened him, too?”
His tone made me wince, and I ran my fingers over his face in anger and whispered. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t do anything.”
“So, what’s next?”
He thought for a minute and chewed his lips. “Now that the world knows we’re engaged, we put on a show for them.”
“How?”
“We act like we’re engaged. Make the world think we are.” “Can’t you just deny it?” I said.
He tilted his head and thought of something. “No. I mean, it’s possible, but I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
He let out a sigh. “The media bothers me almost every day about my relationship status…”
“So now they won’t?”
“They will, but only for a few weeks. After that, everything will be fine.” “Oh…are you sure about this?”
“Yes, Sophie. I’m sure about this. Don’t worry; it’s not a big deal.”
I was already scared. “It’s not a big deal for you because this is all normal for you, but it’s not for me.”
“Sophie, listen to me. Just calm down. Everything will be alright.” “Calm down? How can I calm down?”
We heard Helen say, “What’s going on?” as she walked into the living room.
“Helen, please tell her to relax, get her some food, and put her to bed,” Liam said to Helen.
“I don’t need anyone to feed me. I can take care of myself,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Helen grabbed my hand and pulled me away before I could say anything further. “What is going on?” she asked me, and I told her everything.
I woke up and noticed Liam was still sleeping, so I quickly performed my morning routine, grabbed my purse, and went downstairs. I wondered why he was still sleeping since he had to go to work.
I heard some noise outside as I was coming down the stairs, so I carefully opened the front door. When I saw how many photographers were in front of the home, my eyes dilated, and I dropped my purse.
“F**k,” I said.
Liam’s point of view:
“I heard someone yell, “It’s all over social media!” I groaned and cuddled with my pillow to attempt to sleep.
“How can you sleep so peacefully? Wake up!” A pillow hit me in the face. I put the covers over my head to keep her out.
“Don’t you have to go to work? What happened to your workaholic a*s?” she questioned in a dramatic way. My lips involuntarily turned into a little grin.
“I need to go to the restaurant, but there are so many people outside. Liam, do something!”
“No one’s going anywhere today,” I murmured.
“What?” Someone yanked the blanket off of me. When she saw that I was virtually n**e under it, she screamed and dropped the blanket over me again.
I eventually sat up straight and ran my fingers through my hair after rubbing my eyes. “You can’t leave the house today, or they’ll eat you.”
“But…”
“Please just listen to me once, Sophie.”
She huffed. “Fine.” Then she left the room, muttering to herself.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, which was ringing and vibrating with alerts.
Oh God. I can see how Nat may have felt when I posted about his wedding.
I put the phone down. I’ll deal with it later. I got up and headed to the toilet to do my morning ritual.
I could hear the noise outside as I headed down the stairs after using the restroom. I picked up the tiny package in the living room that I ordered last night without thinking about it.
I opened it and sang to myself in happiness. Then I brought the little jewelry box to the kitchen, where Sophie was having breakfast that Helen had made.
I sat down across from her and pushed the box down the table towards her. She glanced at it in perplexity.
“What’s this?” she said, her mouth full of pancakes. “Your ring for your engagement.”
Helen screamed, “Let me see!” as she picked up the box and opened it. She admired the ring. “It’s so pretty.”
Helen set the package down in front of Sophie and went back to her work.
Sophie took up the package and gazed at the ring. Her eyes got a little bigger. “How much does this cost?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Liam, it doesn’t matter.” “Liam, it’s…”
I cut her off and said, “Do you like it or not?” She nodded. “Of course. It’s beautiful.” “Then wear it. No arguments.”
She bit her lips, nodded, and carefully took the ring out of the box. She slipped it down her ring finger and put her hand in front of her face to view it. Her mouth opened a little in amazement. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as it brushed against her forehead.
She smiled at me and said, “Thanks.” Her eyes sparkled. I forget how pretty she is sometimes.
I was able to grin back. “Thanks… I mean, welcome.”
She chuckled a little and shook her head, then went back to eating her meal.
I put my elbow on the table and tilted my head, cupping my cheek to admire the beauty in front of me.
Hold on…what?
What the hell am I doing? Stop looking at her! But I couldn’t look away from her. Please hit me.
The sound of glass breaking brought me back to reality. I turned to my left and noticed a glass of water that Helen had dropped on the floor. Helen’s eyes were fixated on me, and she looked horrified.
She gasped and leaned down to pick up the bits of glass once she calmed down. I went up and bent down to help her, too.
Sophie tried to get up, but I scowled at her. “Stay seated.” She rolled her eyes and sat down.
Helen and I cleaned up the broken glass and threw it away.
I questioned Helen, “Are you okay?” She nodded and then left the kitchen to get a broom. She swept up the smaller bits of glass.
She instructed me to sit down and eat my breakfast, and I did what she said.
Sophie got up and departed quietly once she was done eating. I watched her go.
Helen cleared her throat, and I looked at her.
Helen smiled. “So, you’re in love with her?”
“What? No!”
She laughed and clapped me on the back. “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with loving her.”
“Helen, no. I’m not falling in love with her. Please don’t say that,” I said firmly.
She looked dejected and pouted. “One day, you will admit it, child.” She messed up my hair and then left the kitchen.
In love? I laughed to myself. Never.
Three seconds after the doorbell rang, I heard my mother scream from the living room. “What’s going on, Liam?!”
I took a big breath to be ready and headed outside. Mother stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, looking angry.
I turned around and saw Nat at the entrance, with Alley and Saffron next to him. Nat shook his head in sadness. Alley looked bewildered, and Saffron’s face was blank.
Awesome! Let’s put on a show for everyone.
“Right now, I need an explanation!” Mother said.
I remarked in a mocking tone, “I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner. Were you busy, Mom?”
And Nat hit himself in the face because I was so brazen.
Sophie heard her mother yelling and came down the stairs. Seeing Sophie made Mom’s face soften.