Chapter 2

On the floor below, a violinist played a flowing melody while a pianist accompanied.

It was Salut d'Amour, the piece I had specifically requested.

I had played that piece for him the night I told him how I felt.

The tension in Adrian's brow eased slightly.

"Fine. I'll give her a call.

"It's a special day, after all. No point holding it against her."

My eyes went wide. I drifted to his side and clutched at the hem of his shirt.

Nobody would answer, and then Adrian would have to worry!

Vivian smoothed her hair back and gave him a soft smile.

"Adrian, you still dote on your girlfriend.

"Sophie will understand you."

The line rang and rang. No one picked up.

Adrian's face darkened, displeasure surfacing in his eyes.

I screamed at him, "I've never ignored one of your calls! If I'm not answering, something has happened to me!"

But he hung up in irritation and told the server to bring the food.

"We won't wait for her.

"She has never been as understanding as you."

Vivian's brow creased faintly as well.

"I never imagined Sophie had such a temper."

I stared blankly as the two of them played off each other.

So this was how much he resented me?

"If she were half as considerate as you, I would count myself lucky."

The courses arrived one after another, all of them things Adrian liked.

Vivian's eyes flickered. She saw the care behind it.

"Maybe Sophie really does love you. Maybe she makes scenes because she wants your attention.

"She cares too much, so she's wary of any woman who gets near you. Especially me.

"We do have all those years between us."

Adrian took her hand gently, tenderness in his expression.

"You're too understanding for your own good."

Just then Adrian's phone lit up with an unknown number.

I couldn't help a small flare of hope.

He rejected the call, and the caller immediately rang again, refusing to give up.

"Hello?"

"Adrian? Is Sophie with you? Put her on."

"Who is this?"

"Julian Mercer. I'm a friend of Sophie's. I can't reach her. Is she with you?"

Adrian was quiet for a moment.

He had heard the name Julian before.

He had heard me mention Julian often and assumed he was a female friend.

"Adrian?

"I got a text from Sophie this afternoon. She said she was going snorkeling with you in unpatrolled waters.

"She hasn't answered a single call, which is why I'm calling you.

"Is she with you? Have her call me back so I can stop worrying."

Adrian answered coldly, "Why should my fiancee have to check in with you?"

"Don't change the subject. Where is Sophie? Hand her the phone and let me hear her voice."

"I'll say it again. My fiancee is none of your business."

Adrian hung up, his face dark.

Vivian watched Adrian across the table, startled by the change in his expression.

"You seem to care about Sophie more than I thought."

I looked at him.

His expression stiffened, and under her searching gaze a trace of guilt surfaced.

"Don't read into it. I just don't like her surrounding herself with losers."

Losers. The word drove straight into my heart.

Only then did I understand how little I was worth to him.

"Does the cut still hurt?"

"A little, still."

Adrian stood, went over to her, and bent to lift her without a second thought.

"Let's go back to the hotel. You've had a long day. Get some rest.

"Sophie has probably gone back to the hotel already.

"She really knows how to enjoy herself."

In eight years together, even when he knew he was in the wrong, he had never once come to smooth things over with me.

He had promised to visit my mother's grave with me.

I waited over an hour in the cold wind outside the cemetery, and he said something had come up and he couldn't make it.

Heavy rain came down out of that lead-gray sky, and I came home soaked to an empty apartment.

I hid under the covers and cried quietly.

When Adrian came back, he only paused in the bedroom doorway.

"Must be nice having enough free time to go to bed this early."

So in his mind, all of that had become proof that I knew how to enjoy myself.

Had there ever been even one moment when he felt sorry for me?

My obsession with him began to fade.

My soul was fading too, but I refused to accept that ending.

They were going to pay!