Still groggy, I wake slowly to find my hands tied to the bed post. Sophie is sitting at the bottom of my bed, watching me with a ridiculously huge smile plastered on her face.
I groan loudly, but I am amused. “I didn’t know you had a kinky side to you, Gerrard. If I’d known, I would have made it really easy for you. All you need to do is ask next time, I’ll come willingly.” My own mouth forms a devious grin, then I sneak a glance at the door.
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t even bother yelling for help. I already checked. Peter’s gone.
“Well, this is getting interesting. What did you have in mind? A little foreplay, have your way with me, what?” I tease her, even though I can tell she’s trying desperately to hold her own.
“No. I didn’t want you to touch me, and I...I have a list.”
Now it’s time for me to roll my eyes. “Another list, Sophie? Look where the last one got you.”
“Just shut up and listen,” she snaps.
I give her a small smile, letting her carry on. “I know you love me, and you know I love you. That’s not really what I’m questioning right now. I know you had so much rage and pain that you needed to get away...escape, and to do it your own way. But, you left for a really long time, Ethan, and to make it worse, you didn’t even have the decency to pick up the phone to let me know if you were alive. Simply put- you broke my heart. I trusted you like you asked, and you let me down.”
I interject, “Soph, please?” I beg, knowing the pain in my voice must be obvious. She holds up her hand to stop me.
“What I don’t understand is how you could walk away from me so easily? But, you know what, forget that part. We always talked about our future together, moving in together, maybe even getting more serious then that later on in life. So I don’t understand why didn’t you tell me about Australia. I know that your Mom is moving back to be near your sister. I can’t move there, Ethan. I can’t leave everyone behind. At least not now,” she pauses, and I can tell she’s trying to fight back the tears. “I want you to go and be with your family.”
I turn my head to look away from her, because I can’t bear to look into those eyes right now. So instead of telling her that I love her, I manage to respond, “I thought you said you had a list?”
“I do. I just wanted to get that out before I told you.” She clears her throat a few times, and I catch her wiping a tear that is running down her cheek.
1: No phone calls 2: No visits 3: Let me go 4: Forget about me A few minutes of silence go by before I can finally face her again. “I don’t think that list is going to work for me, Soph. I know what I want now. I mean, I always knew it was you, I just needed some time to get my head together. It was a lot to process. But, I promise you, I’m in a good place right now. I need you, and as far as forgetting you,” I stop to laugh at the thought. “that’s not going to happen. Are you kidding? Forgetting you would be like giving up on myself again. Or, forgetting to breathe.”
Slowly she uncrosses her legs, and stands before making her way over to me. My heart pounds inside my chest as she leans over the bed, letting her forehead touch mine. “I wish you could have figured that out earlier, when I was still willing to love you as fiercely as ever, but I’m going home in a few days.”
Her lips graze my nose. “Just do me a favor and respect my wishes.”
Every word comes out so soft and sad. I can’t tell if she is really going to go through with this. She shuts her eyes, and I desperately want her to open them and see me, really see me. She doesn’t. The feel of her lips on mine for a brief second is my undoing, I feel nauseous knowing this is possibly my last kiss from her.
“Good-bye, Ethan,” she whispers. And now it’s my turn to be sick. I try to spring from the bed, but I don’t get far since my hands are still tied.
“Damn it, Sophie. Please don’t go!” I yell out, but she is already gone. Time feels like it’s dragging while I wait for Pete to come home. I’m desperate to run to her, to talk some sense into that thick skull of hers. My hands start to shake as I imagine not being able to see her face ever again. I feel so alone without her, and now it’s over. I’ve ruined everything that meant anything to me. I wish I could take everything back that I did, or said, a thousand times over, just to feel her one more time. Letting her go home is not an option. Not anymore. “Mate, you here?” Pete shouts out, when he gets home. I have no clue how much time has gone by since Sophie left, I just know every minute feels like forever. “In here. I could use a little help.” Pete strolls by the door like he’s going to walk by, but does a double take. “I don’t even want to know how that happened.” He walks in and starts to untie the rope. “I can’t tell if this means the two of you made up, or if things went down the toilet.”
My hands are free, but they feel numb, so I begin to rub them back and forth to ward off the pins and needles. I look up at Pete who’s staring down at me waiting for me to explain everything. “She did it to make me listen to her. I don’t know, maybe she was afraid I would touch or something. I need to come up with a plan, Pete. Sophie’s leaving.”
He leans on the desk in the corner. “I assume you’ll be needing my help in keeping her here, right?”
“Something like that. Do you have any ideas? The only thing I could come up with was just kidnapping her.” I shrug with a small smile.
Pete sits down next to me. “I say you have a few options.” “Well, get on with it.” I say, anxious about any kind of plan. “One, you let Sophie go...” I cut in, shaking my head. “That’s not an option.” Pete holds up two fingers. “Two, you use those ridiculously good looks, and charm of yours to convince her to stay.” “Tried already. Anything else?” He continues, “Three, we organize that kidnapping you were talking about.
Take her somewhere-anywhere for a long weekend. I could tell her that her flight was cancelled or delayed, while you nab her. Throw her on the ferry to France or to Isle of Wight...somewhere. Make her remember the good times.”
My head is bobbing up and down. “I can do that. She’s been telling me she wants to go to Paris. I could do that.” I pause thinking of how I can pull this off. I stand pacing back and forth, my nerves getting the best of me. How in the bloody hell am I going to be able to steal Sophie without her kicking and screaming the whole way? “So, you’re in on this, mate?”
“Are you mad? Of course, I’m in. The last thing I want to do is put up with you if she leaves. Let’s get the ball moving. We don’t have much time.”
Pete holds out his hand, and I shake it. “Deal!”