“Sophie!” I holler, but she’s not there.
No, no no no no!
I jump to call her back, but it rolls to voicemail. Instead of leaving a message, I call right back. Again, it goes to voicemail.
“Fuck!”
“Trouble in paradise?” Candace asks.
Ignoring Candace, I take off for my bike. My heartbeat thrashes in my ears as my heart races. I have to find Sophie so I can explain.
Candace runs after me, but can’t keep up in her heels. But by the time I secure my helmet and start my Harley, she catches me.
“Goddammit!” I scream. “Leave me alone!”
I tear out of the driveway, but have no idea where I’m going. Halsey is filled with bars. I wrack my brain trying to imagine where Sophie is most likely to go before I remember Skyles. I get there in record time, but she isn’t there. I pull up a picture of her on my phone and show it to the bartender. He tells me she was here earlier, and that Joe took her and her friends home.
I speed all the way to her house, but she’s not there. I sit on the porch stairs and call her number again, but it goes to voicemail. I hang up and squeeze my phone hard enough that it makes a popping sound.
This can’t be happening.
It isn’t long before a car pulls up in front of the house. In it I see Joe and Miranda, but no Sophie. I race to the car.
“Where is she?” I yell as Joe walks to the passenger side door to help a tipsy Miranda out.
“I don’t want any trouble, man,” he says. “I’m just trying to get the girls home safe.”
I get in his face and growl, “Except Sophie isn’t home. Where did you take her?”
“She’s safe,” he tells me as Miranda steps out.
“I’m going to ask one more time, where is she?”
Miranda says, “She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Where is she, Miranda?” I ask.
She shakes her head in refusal. “You had me fooled for a minute, but not anymore. Sophie’s done with you.”
I follow her and Joe to the front door. “Miranda, it isn’t what you think.”
“Whatever, Rooter. Take your bullshit lies somewhere else.”
“I’m not lying, dammit! Where is she?”
Miranda drops her keys and huffs in frustration. “I really don’t care! She isn’t here and I’m not telling you where she is, so leave or I swear I’ll call the cops.”
“Call them! I don’t give a shit. I’m not leaving until you tell me where she is.”
Miranda takes her phone from her purse and starts to make a call. Assuming it’s the police, I yank the phone from her hand and throw it into the front yard. Fear flashes in her eyes and I immediately regret my actions. Joe steps in between us.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I think you should leave,” Joe says. He picks up Miranda’s keys, but doesn’t open the door.
“You gonna make me?” I ask.
“Like I said, I don’t want trouble.”
I step forward till we’re nose to nose. “Tell me where the hell Sophie is, and there won’t be trouble.”
“She’s safe… Just leave her be.”
I know where she is. I grab him by the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Joe tosses Miranda’s keys to her as I drag him down the porch stairs. “I won’t take you to her.”
I keep walking until we reach his car. “I can figure out where you live on my own.”
His chin falls to his chest, and he sighs. After a hesitation, he opens his door and slides inside.
“I’ll follow you,” I say. “If you take me anywhere other than to where she is… you’ll be sorry.”
A few minutes later, we come to a stop in front of what I assume is Joe’s house. I jump off my bike, following Joe to his door. “Sophie!”
Joe unlocks the door and I push past him into the house. I stride over to Sophie. Her posture is tense and her nostrils flare. Without a word, she smacks me in the face hard and yells, “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” I holler back. She could have gone home with one of her other friends. Hell, I’d even been okay if she went to Ryan’s place for the night. Why come here? Unless…
No, I can’t allow myself to think that. If I do, I’ll go ape shit.
“Trying to stay the hell away from you!”
I toss my head back and cackle. Has she forgotten who she’s dealing with? “That’s never going to happen. Let’s go. Now.” I yank her toward the door where Joe stands.
She jerks away and shuffles several steps back. “I’m not going anywhere with you! Go back to your skank.”
I inhale a deep breath and stalk over to her. “Do you really want to do this here?”
“I don’t want to do it at all.” She points to the door. “I want you to leave!”
My voice is low and foreboding. “I’m not leaving without you.”
“Well, I’m not leaving!”
Every muscle in my body is coiled tight as I stare her down. “Yes, you are.”
Defiant as ever, she crosses her arms and juts out her chin. “No, I’m not!”
My lips curl into a devilish grin. “I’ll carry you out of here if I have to.”
“Touch me and Joe will call the cops.”
I glare at Joe. “Fuck the cops! Call them. We’ll be gone before they get here.”
Tears slide down Sophie’s cheeks as she pleads, “Just go, please.”
Pain rips through my chest at the sight of her crying, knowing it’s my fault. When I speak, my voice is quiet and calm. “Sophie, it’s not what you think.”
She clutches the back of her head and groans. “I’m so fucking sick and tired of you saying that! How dumb do you think I am?”
So much for calm. “I know what it seems like, damn it! But it really isn’t what you think!”
She crosses her arms and squeezes her biceps. “I don’t care what it is, Rooter. I want this to be over.”
I take a step forward. “Well, that isn’t happening.”
She wipes away her tears and her lip trembles. “Why are you doing this? Is this some sick joke to you?”
“Baby, no. God no!” How can she possibly think that? Haven’t I told her time and again that she’s all I want? Why won’t she believe in me? I reach out to stroke her face.
“Stay away from me!” She slaps my hand away and moves backward, taking notice that she’s running out of room. “Just go!”
I make a steeple with my fingers, covering my nose and mouth. “Sophia,” I sigh and drop my hands, “you have two choices here. You can hear me out the easy way or you can hear me out the hard way.”
Her mouth drops open. “Rooter, don’t you understand that I’m tired of hearing you out when it comes to her?”
“Yes, I do. But I’m telling you, what happened tonight was completely innocent.”
“Innocent or not,” she points at my chest, “you lied to me. You said you had Club business, and you were with her!” She glances at Joe and a strange expression crosses her face. A look of longing or the very least, wondering what if.
I turn her face back to me and demand that Joe leave us alone. I need her to hear me out without distraction.
“Sophie, I didn’t lie. I was with the Club. I was at our annual summer party.” I look to the carpet and rub the back of my neck, nervous. “My mom throws it every year. I knew Candace would be there, so I tried to get out of it. But it’s something my family does for the members and with my rank in the Club I had a responsibility to be there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
“I wanted to, but with everything that’s gone down the past couple days with her, and you being pissed off at me…” I pause and rub my face. “I wanted to take you, but we both know what would’ve happened if I did. If I would’ve told you the truth about what was going on, it would’ve hurt you. I was protecting you.”
“So again, she wins.”
“What are you talking about? Wins what?”
“No matter what, she’ll always be around because of her history with the Club. She gets to be there and I don’t. I won’t be in a relationship with you like that.”
“Sophie, this shit with her ends tonight. I’m putting a stop to it. I’ll tell her no more phone calls or texts. It’s done.” Even though I say it, I’m not sure it’s the truth. Yes, I’ll have another talk with Candace, but I have to be delicate with her. But in this moment, I’m desperate. No way will I let Sophie break up with me over something this stupid.
She laughs, sarcastic. “Like that’ll matter. She’s not going anywhere.”
“She’ll always have ties to the Club, yes, but not with me.”
“Yes, she will.” Sophie pulls away and walks to the picture window keeping her back to me. When she speaks, she sounds defeated. “She always will.”
“Sophie, I’m asking you to trust me.” I walk up behind her and as much as I want to take her in my arms, I refrain from doing so. “Trust me that nothing is going on between her and me. Yes, I run into her from time to time and I probably always will, but it doesn’t mean anything. She’s just somebody I know.”
“How can I trust you when you lie to me?”
“I didn’t lie.”
She spins around and jams her index finger into my sternum. Fire dances in her eyes. “You lied by omission!”
Surprised, I recoil and take a step back. “Can’t you understand why I felt uncomfortable telling you?”
“It’s too much, Rooter. I can’t deal with this.” She tries to walk past me, but I hold her in place.
I glare at her through narrowed eyes. I won’t let her walk away from me. “Well, you’ll have to deal with it because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Fuck!” she screams with her hands clenched at her sides.
“Babe,” I speak as delicately as I am able, “there’s nothing Candace can say or do to change the way I feel about you. You’re the one I want. The only one.”
She screws her eyes shut and chews her bottom lip. I keep a hold of her arms should she try to get away again, but instead she takes a slow, deep breath in and says, “If I leave with you, I want you to take me home and leave me alone for the night.”
“There’s no if. You are leaving with me.”
Her eyes fly open. “You don’t control me. I’ll do what I want, Rooter. If I want to stay here, I will.”
I laugh because she really thinks she will—that she can. I’ll never allow my girl to stay the night in another man’s house, especially when that man wants her for himself. “I don’t think so.”
Sophie tries hard to pry free from my hold on her, but I’m too strong. Eventually, she gives up. “You can’t stop me.”
“From staying the night with another man? Yes, the hell I can.”
She rolls her eyes and huffs. “I wouldn’t be staying with him, Rooter.”
“You won’t be staying here at all.” In fact, we’re getting the hell out of here right this instant. I let her go and grab her purse from the kitchen counter and point at the front door with it. “Let’s go.”
She shakes her head, but not in protest. “Let me go tell Joe I’m leaving.”
Fuck that. You aren’t going anywhere near him.
When she starts for the hallway, I hurry past her and cut her off. “I’ll tell him,” I say and give her the purse. “Wait here.”
We don’t say a word the entire ride home. When I turn the engine off Sophie jumps off the bike, hands me my helmet and hurries to her house. I follow after her.
She unlocks the door and steps inside.
“We need to talk,” I say, “but not until we’ve both had time to calm down. I’ll call you in the morning.”
She nods and without a word closes her door.
Oddly, I have no desire to spend the night with Sophie. I’m pissed. Why the hell did she go to Joe Skyles’ house? I get that she thought I was with Candace and that I’d lied to her, but she could have gone home with one of her other friends. Did she go to Joe’s to get back at me? Was she planning to dump me to be with him? Had he coerced her or was it her idea? I bet he coerced her—used the situation to his advantage to get her alone so he could convince her to give him a shot.
Well he lost his shot. For tonight anyway.
First thing tomorrow morning, I’m going to get to the bottom of why Sophie chose to go there. She’d better have a damn good explanation. I won’t put up with any girl of mine going home with another man, ever, for any reason. If Sophie and I are going to stay together, she’d better learn quick that when she has a problem with me, she’d better come to me about it. I won’t tolerate her running off with other guys.
And it’s damned well past time for her to learn that she can trust me. If she won’t trust me, this will never work.
I barely sleep and at a little after six, I roll out of bed for a run. Running always helps to clear my head and relieve my stress. I need to burn some pent up energy before talking with Sophie.
Just before nine, I call her. When it goes to voicemail, I assume she’s still asleep and send her a text telling her to call me the moment she wakes up. Twenty minutes pass with no response. Impatient, I call and text again. When she doesn’t respond, I dart upstairs to see if her blinds are open yet. They’re not. I peer into the dining room windows and see Miranda moving about, but no sign Sophie. I can’t shake the nagging suspicion she’s avoiding me.
By ten thirty I can’t take anymore and go to her house. Miranda opens the door and gives me an unsure look, but I push past her.
“Come on in,” she says snidely.
“She awake?” I ask.
“She’s in the shower.”
I knew she was avoiding me. “I’ll wait for her in her room.”
In her room, I pace back and forth while she takes the longest shower in history. When her door opens, I saunter to her, stopping just inches away. “Is there a reason you’re ignoring me?”
She furrows her brow. “Ignoring you?”
“I’ve been calling and texting all morning,” I bark.
“Shit.” She smacks her palm to her forehead. “I don’t have my phone. I threw it across the parking lot after talking to you last night.”
My tensed muscles instantly relax. “Oh. I’m sorry.”
Sophie looks down at her towel covered body. “Can you give me a minute to get dressed?”
Consumed by my anger I hadn’t even noticed her state of dress, or undress. But now as I eye her from head to toe, thoughts about her going to Joe’s take a backseat. Her long hair is dripping wet and her shoulders and chest glisten. I fantasize licking the water droplets on her shoulder and then working my way… Snap out of it Rooter. Sophie stares at me as though she can read my mind and I smirk. “I’ll wait in the hall.”
Out in the hallway I lean against the wall with arms crossed and one foot propped up on the wall. While I wait, I remind myself why I’m here. I hear Sophie shuffling about in her room and a couple minutes later she opens her door. She looks just as incredible in a battered black concert t-shirt and denim shorts as she did the towel. Hell, she’d look good in a burlap sack.
“Come in,” she says and takes a seat on the side of her bed.
“How are you this morning?” I ask as I sit next to her.
“Tired and hung-over.” She rubs her forehead.
Before I start in on my irritation about her going to Joe’s, I want to know where she’s at in all this. “You still mad?”
She blows out a breath and drags her fingers through her wet hair. “Yes and no.”
Her answer grates on me. Either she’s mad, or she’s not.
She continues, “I understand why you felt you couldn’t tell me the truth. But I need for this issue with Candace to go away.”
She’s no longer mad about what I did, she’s angry about Candace in general. I can work with that. “I get that and I told you last night it will.”
“Okay, but how?” She twists her torso to face me. “How will you make it go away?”
“I’m going to talk to her.”
She cocks a brow, skeptical.
“Today,” I say. “I’ll tell her the phone calls and texts must stop.”
“And if they don’t?” Her posture tenses and she grips the edge of the mattress.
I rub the back of my neck. “I don’t know. But I promise I’ll figure something out.”
“Fair enough.” She turns the rest of her body in my direction, resting her knee on my thigh. “And do you promise not to withhold things from me in the future? Even if you think it’ll hurt me or I’ll respond badly to it?”
“Yes, I promise.” I swallow before saying my next words. “But you need to understand that Candace is someone I’ll always know. I can’t make her disappear.”
“Rooter, I need to know I can trust you.”
She seriously didn’t just say that.
Sophie continues, “You sympathizing with her and allowing her to come between us makes it hard for me. Especially when you withhold information from me.”
I take a slow breath in and exhale. “I get it, Sophie. It won’t happen again.”
She plops back on the bed and grumbles. “I hate that I’m turning into one of those crazy jealous girlfriends.”
Crazy jealous, huh? I can definitely work with that. I chuckle and lean over top of her, propped up on one elbow. My lips are only inches from hers. “You have nothing to be jealous about. I’m yours.”
Her eyes dart to my mouth and she licks her lips. Her breathing speeds up and her hands are clenched at her sides. When her eyes meet mine again, they plead for me to kiss her. She leans in, but I pull away. I refuse to kiss her until I know where she stands. Until I know she’s really and truly mine and until she understands exactly what that means.