Page 17

“Yes,” Nathan said.
“Yay! A party!” Saffron chirped, already getting delighted.
Liam ran his fingers through his hair while he thought about it. “I’ll see what needs to be done.”
“Do it soon,” Nathan said, and Liam hummed back.
“By the way, can we all eat lunch now? I’m getting hungry,” Alley remarked. “I can make something to eat,” I said.
“No. Stay where you are,” Liam said, making me frown. After that, he yelled. “Helen?”
Helen came out of the kitchen. She said, “Lunch is ready,” and Liam grinned at her. “Thanks.”
Everyone got up and went to the kitchen, where Helen was laying the table, and Liam and Saffron were helping her as we all sat down.
Liam sat next to me at the table, and we all started to eat. I always wanted to know what it was like to have lunch with my family, and now I do. It’s a great feeling.
One that can’t be replaced.
I looked down and attempted to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes. These tears were both happy and sad. I’m sad because I never had a family, but I’m happy because I’m finally feeling this.
Liam muttered, “Sophie?”
I quickly wiped my tears away and turned to him with a faint grin. “Y-yes?”
“Are you okay?” he questioned in a low voice so that no one else could hear him. His tone showed that he was worried. And my dumb heart missed a beat.
“Yes, I’m fine. Why?”
“You looked lost. Is everything okay?”
I shook my head. “Everything is fine. I was just thinking about something.”
He nodded, but he didn’t appear persuaded. “Okay.” And they kept eating as Nathan and Alley talked.
Everyone departed quickly after lunch, leaving me alone with him again.
He enquired a few minutes later, when everyone had departed, “What do you think about me throwing a party this Saturday to announce our so-called engagement?” I was sitting on the couch in front of the TV and changing stations.
I turned off the TV. He stood with his hands in his pockets in front of the couch. “I don’t know… do what you want.”
He let out a sigh. “I’ll do what I want, and you won’t like it, honey.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t call me honey; my name is Sophie.”
“I know your name is Sophie, but honey sounds better,” he said with a smile. I told them, “If you keep calling me that, I’ll hit you.”
He smiled. “You said I couldn’t touch, and I think the same goes for you. If you touch me, then I’m touching you, so…”
“That’s a terrible way to say it, but it’s true.”
“Whatever…”
“Anyway.” He sat down next to me, but not too close. “Is Saturday a good day for the party?”
“Any day will do. I’ll have to take a leave from the restaurant anyway.” “Fine. And yes, just so you know, Blake will be there.”
“Why?”
He frowned. “It’s necessary. I don’t want to invite him, but I have to. No matter what happened between you two, just don’t cause any drama.”
“I never cause any trouble. It’s always him!” I yelled. “Don’t go near him. He’s not a good person.”
“I know,” I murmured under my breath.
“Okay, then… buy yourself a nice dress for the party.” He took out his wallet, opened it, and handed me his card.
I was about to say something, but he stopped me. “Don’t say you don’t need my money. I know you don’t. But please take this.”
I looked at the card and thought about whether or not to take it. It’s not that I don’t have enough money to buy a nice outfit that meets his standards.
I sighed and took the card. “Thanks.”
He hummed as he walked back up the stairs, perhaps to his study.
It was night, and I felt hot, so I took a shower before bed.
Liam went in to change his clothing or to get out of them when I came out. As I dried my hair with a towel and stood in front of the mirror, I rolled my eyes at that idea.
He looked at me briefly as he left the restroom and then stretched out his duvet.
He was talking to me with his back to me. “What were you thinking so hard about during lunch?”
“Nothing important…”
“Was it about mum?” He turned around. “Did she scare you or something?”
“No, she’s nice, actually.”
“Then what is it, Sophie? Please don’t worry,” he added in a calm voice. “You can tell me things if you want.”
“Thanks… it’s just…”
He walked a few steps towards me, and I turned around to face him.
I smiled at him a little. “I was just thinking about how I got the family I never had. You know, I never saw my parents or had any family. Alley was the only family and support I ever had.”
“Having lunch with everyone today just felt good,” I said in a whisper.
He got closer and closer, and since he was taller than me, I had to crane my head a little to see him. A little grin on his lips.
“I’m glad you think of us as family,” he remarked in a hushed voice. I bit my lips and gave a little nod.
He bent down, and his voice became deep and taunting. “But what kind of family do I belong to with you?”
I expressed it in a fun way. “Just a jerk who messed with me.”
“I was just being a gentleman and dropping you off. You told me to.”
“You could have kept being that gentleman and pushed me out of your car and driven away,” I said back.
“Well…that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me, would it?” He grinned.
His smile was so infectious that my lips turned up into a smile, and his gaze slid down to my lips.
He replied in a low voice, “You kissed me first.” “I know,” I muttered back.
He leaned in even further, and his lips were almost next to mine, yet none of our bodies touched.
His kisses were so close to mine that night… how sweet they had been.
For a moment, I closed my eyes, and memories from that night came rushing back. For a moment, I wanted to forget everything and do that night again. For a second, I wanted to kiss him like I did that night.
For a second—
His phone ringing woke us up from our daze. Making me know what I was about to do.
I cursed under my breath and stepped back. He awkwardly turned around to his bed, where his phone was ringing, and exited the room without looking at me.
Sophie’s point of view:
I hurriedly lay down on the bed and covered my face with the covers to attempt to sleep before he came back.
What the hell was I thinking?
Was I really going to kiss him? Really?
I slowed my heart down, which was thumping like crazy. This is bad. This is not good at all.
I can’t start to like him.
I am only here because I am having his baby. Nothing else. I’ll be leaving in eight months. Eight more months. I made sure of it.
But can I keep my heart safe for these eight months?
The door to the room opened, and I froze, pretending to be asleep.
I heard his footsteps stop close to my bed, and I could feel him peering down at me. He stayed in that posture for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh. “Don’t make it hard for me, Sophie,” he said in a quiet voice. After that, he went back to bed. What did I even do?
What do you want to make hard?
With these ideas in my head, I fell asleep quickly.
He departed for work early the next morning. So, he’s back to ignoring me. That’s great.
I even went to work early, with Alley’s permission, to buy a frock for the party. I even asked if I could take Saffron with me, and she said yes.
Saffron came to the restaurant in the evening and looked thrilled to go shopping with me.
Nathan’s car was already outside with a driver, so we got in and began looking for a dress.