4 How much longer?

SOPHIA

His eyes circled my face, lingering on the tears sliding down my cheeks. The look in his eyes softened as he searched my eyes for answers.

“Sophia, is someone after you?“ He asked slowly, his voice a deep, rich baritone that made my insides twist in a way I hated but couldn't help.

I watched his eyes dart from my face to behind me as if looking for who I was running from.

I came back to my senses immediately and pulled away from him, almost slipping, if not for his quick reflex to hold my hands. I slipped my hands out of his grip before I'd do anything stupid.

I didn't want Mom to see him with him. She's never been an actual fan of him, even when we dated.

'Wait, was I trying to protect him from her now? I don't care if they meet again. Ryan and I are nothing more than strangers right now.'

I subtly- not so subtly, wiped the tears away from my cheeks and looked up at Ryan with a wide fake smile. His eyes narrowed in confusion for a split second before realization set in them.

“Mr Caddel. I'm sorry for bumping into you. I wasn't watching where I was walking,”

His frown deepened. He wasn't having any of what I was saying.

I turned to where I had just come from. Any second from now, my mother would walk out and it would mean trouble.

He raised his hands to touch my cheek but I took a step back and I saw the disappointment in his eyes as he tightened his fists and dropped his hands.

“Sophia,”

“Ms Adams,” I corrected.

“I know Zara, not you, so I'd prefer you refer to me formally,”

“How much longer, Sophie?“ He asked, his voice reducing to a whisper at my name. I felt a throbbing pain in my heart and I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment as if that would help my pain at any chance. I repeated to myself throughout the plane ride that I had let go of all the pain and that his presence, or words, or the look in his eyes whenever they were on me, wouldn't affect me anymore, but how wrong could my assumptions get every day?

I didn't want him to call me Sophie, I didn't want him to look at me with those eyes, neither did I want him to ask if I was feeling okay. He didn't eight years ago, he shouldn't now.

“I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I'll be on my way now,” I added with a tight-lipped smile. As I tried to walk past him, he grabbed my hands and stopped me. I squeezed my eyes shut, my back turned to him.

'Ryan Caddel, please do not make my life more miserable than it already is.'

Immediately I turned around, my eyes fell on my mother walking up to us.

Surprise washed over me when I saw the smile that touched my mother's lips.

“Ryan Caddel!“ She exclaimed. Ryan glanced at me, his eyes silently begging me to not leave, and then he turned to my mother.

“Mrs Adams,” He gave a smile.

What? When did my mother greet Ryan with a smile? She's never liked him. Maybe eight years was a long time and has changed a lot.

He let go of me as he shook hands with her.

“I still talked with your father yesterday. I last saw you a few months ago, you look even better than in the pre-wedding photoshoots,”

Ryan's shoulders tensed and so did mine.

Pre-wedding what?

“Aren't you here for Ms Hills? You are having lunch with her right?“

The same Ms Hills I knew?

I tightened my fists as I took a step back.

I must be such a fool to even think of this Jerk in the nicest way. It's not real, and it's just my illusion.

They were getting married? How did I not know that? Well, maybe it's because I made sure I didn't have to hear his name in the last few years. I just had to ruin it by coming back here.

Well, it was long due for them.

I looked at his attire. No wonder he was in such expensive and datelike attire. I should have known.

“I see you've met Sophia again,”

I turned to Mom with a glare but the smile on her face told me she didn't care what I thought and I knew I needed to stop her before she said something I wouldn't like.

“I'd be on my way. You two business people can catch up,”

“Sophie,” Ryan called my name as I turned but I pretended not to hear and quickened my pace, to get the hell out of their sight.

I really didn't need to hear he was getting married, or even see him today at all.

He would marry her. Then why did he act all concerned today? Would he have wiped my tears if I didn't stop him?

I got into Zara's car which I had lent from her. I placed my hands on the wheel and shut my eyes.

“Sophia Adams, you do not give an absolute fuck about Ryan Caddel anymore. In fact, you will not be in any relationship anymore. You are not here to rebuild any relationship but to take a break and start over whenever you are ready. If he's getting married, good for him. None of your business.

There's no mending of a relationship that was destined to be ruined from the beginning.“

I opened my eyes, let out a deep breath, started the car, and drove out of the parking space.

☆

The house was empty when I walked in, but when I saw Zara's half-opened laptop on the couch, I knew she was inside somewhere so I left to wash my face before she started to ask a thousand questions about what happened where I went to. I washed up, and changed my clothes into a comfortable set before making my way back into the sitting room.

I sat on one of the couches facing the window and turned on my phone's data connection and my heart broke when the only notifications I got were from Aimee, and G****e.

On usual days, I'd have my text box flooded with text from friends, workers, investors, and collaborators, but now they were gone. Every one of them, not even the one I called my close friend groups stayed.

As much as I hated it, it was an eye-opener. But life could have shown me differently, did it have to be bringing my life to the ground?

The degrading articles and hate comments were spreading so much that I feared that soon, people here would recognize me and I'd be doomed.

I heard a sound and I looked away from my phone. Relief washed over me when everywhere went silent and Zara didn't emerge. Just as I made to use my phone again, my eyes fell on a letter peeking from under the books on the coffee table.

Curiosity took over me and I was reaching for it before I could stop myself.

My breathing hitched as I stared at the letter. A bachelorette slumber party invitation card from Adriana Hills — Caddel.