“Ugh, how did I get mixed up in this?” I swallowed the frog in my throat as I walked toward the doors.
I glanced back at Cam. I could see the worry in his eyes. My palms instantly started to sweat. Confrontation is not my forte, and I had no clue what she wanted from me. Cam pulled out his phone and was already calling someone. What the hell did I just get myself into?
I walked outside to find Evelyn seated in a car. The driver was holding the car door open. I walked slowly, hesitation ran through me. I stopped a few steps away from the car. This isn’t normal. None of this was normal.
“Come child, I do not have all day.” Evelyn called out from the car.
My mind was telling me to not go, but my feet led me toward the open door. Evelyn didn’t even look up when I slid onto the seat next to her.
“The penthouse.” Evelyn said to the driver.
The drive wasn’t long, and Evelyn didn’t speak to me the entire time. It only took about twenty minutes, but those were the most agonizing twenty minutes of my life. I was nervous, and I knew she could feel that I was. She paid no attention to me though. It was as if I wasn’t even there. When we arrived, the driver got out, and opened the door for us. Evelyn said nothing to him as she walked away from the car, but I gave him a Thank You smile.
The penthouse was on a floor that seemed like another small lobby, with two grand doors that immediately faced you when you stepped off of the elevator. A woman was standing behind a desk off to the side with her hands folded. She was so still, like a statue.
The woman pushed a button that allowed us to enter through the beautiful doors. The first room was a living room that had nothing but windows for walls. The sofas were white leather, the furniture was marble with brass metal. I was afraid to breathe on anything, for fear of breaking something.
A young girl entered carrying tea and sandwiches. She set the tray down on the coffee table. Evelyn handed her coat to the girl, and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.
“Come.” Evelyn said to me. I walked over slowly, and sat opposite her. She was making me way too nervous to sit any closer.
She picked up the tea pot, and began pouring a cup, “I’m glad we were able to arrange this. My son is so temperamental at times.”
Maybe she remembered the last hour differently, but she didn’t really give me a choice of being here. I cleared my throat, “Me too.” I lied, trying to sound confident and unbothered.
“How do you like New York so far?” She used a spoon to lower two square sugars into her cup.
“I love it.” I followed her cue by placing two sugars in my cup.
“You come from a simple background don’t you?” She brought the cup up to her lips.
“I think my life was pretty normal.”
She gestured the room, “So, you enjoy this?”
I hesitated, “It’s nice, yes.” I was unsure of her motives. I didn’t really know what the right answer was.
She studied me for a few seconds, “Your mother is important to you, isn’t she?”
My face became confused, “My mom?”
“To me, my family is very important.” She continued.
I set my cup down on the tray, “Mine is too.”
“Then you understand when I tell you that you are a problem.” She said, looking me straight in the eyes. Did she really just say that? I told you, I broke a mirror. Seven years of bad luck.
“I don’t understand.” I knew very well that she was referring to Stefan, but I wanted to hear her say it.
“There’s no room for you in my family.” She took a sip of her tea, and looked out the windows. “You see there is a tier, and you are at the bottom. It’s very hard to climb to the top. My door is not open for any new visitors.” She added.
Her words took the breath right from my chest. I was staring at her blankly.
“My husband has worked very hard to make this company what it is after my father passed. I will not allow you to ruin it, at whatever cost.” She stood up from her seat.
“What does that mean?” I asked, looking up at her.
“Precisely what you think it means, dear.” She smiled, and walked over toward the window.
The way she cuts you with every word she spoke, but yet delivered a warming smile. That’s what nightmares are made of.
I stared at the back of her, “I don’t understand what I have to do with any of that?”
She continued staring out the window, but I could see a smile form in the corner of her mouth, “Stefan is a very important piece of our family company. So, you see why you are a problem.”
A bang on the doors made me jump. Evelyn looked in that direction unfazed as if she were expecting it. The sound of Stefan’s voice on the other side of the doors made me exhale in relief. I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath. He was yelling at the woman to let him through. His fist was pounding at the door. I heard the door unlock, and watched as Evelyn stared him down as he entered.
“I can’t believe you.” He said sternly to his mother. He walked up to me and knelt down, “Are you ok?”
“Sweetheart, it’s in your best interest.” She took another sip of her tea as if this were a normal situation. I was perplexed and confused.
Stefan laughed under his breath as he stood back up, “My best interest? That’s funny.”
“You will understand it one day.” She turned her back to him, and faced the windows.
“You can’t just do stuff like this.” He stepped closer to her, she remained facing the window.
“I did nothing wrong.”
He clenched his jaw, “You’ve been doing your husband’s bidding for so long that you are blinded of the consequences of your actions. You will lose me if you continue.”
She laughed, turning to face him, “Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m promising you.” He reached for my hand. “We’re leaving. Don’t have anyone follow us either.” He told her.
She turned back to face the window as if she didn’t care. I walked in front of Stefan toward the elevator; the statuesque girl’s eyes followed us. I wanted to be out of the building. The entire elevator ride was silent. He was fuming. I didn’t know how to talk to him, or what had just happened up there with his mother. How do you process something like this?
We got into the car, and he looked over at me. “Why did you go with her?”
“I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”
“You always have a choice.” He looked forward, waving his hand for Tim to drive.
“Stefan, you weren’t there, even Cam didn’t know what to do.” I sighed, “She borderline threatened me.”
“I know.” He said. I could hear the sadness in his voice.
“I don’t understand any of this.”
He took my hand in his, and looked out the window. “You always have a choice.” He was mad, I understood that, but I couldn’t help feeling like he was closing me off.
Stefan went straight up to his room, leaving me at the foot of the stairs. I deserved better than him shutting me out. I needed some explanation. When I got to his room, he was sitting at his piano. His back is to me, as his fingers grazed the keys lightly.
I stopped in the middle of his room, “Stefan, you have to talk to me about this.”
“No, I don’t.”
I stepped closer, “That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair.” His voice was almost a whisper.
“You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to act like this! What I’ve been through since I met you, with Sam, your mom, and Thomas?! Don’t even let me get started on Thomas.” My voice had unintentionally risen.
“You don’t fucking get it!” He slammed the piano shut. Causing me to jump, and step back.
“You can explain it to me.” I was trying to hold my nerve, but he was making it hard.
He whipped around on the piano bench, “No Sophia, I can’t! You wouldn’t understand even if I did. My family is dangerous.
They will take your life, crumble it up into a little ball, and throw it out with the trash. All while they smile and attend charities to make them somehow feel like they’re good people. Maybe they’re right. Maybe you should fucking leave. Life would be easier if you did. Everyone would just leave me the hell alone.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
He stepped closer to me, and I backed away, he was scaring me. “It means that I'm not good for you, my life and everything that comes with it. I don’t want to worry about you anymore. You’re driving me fucking insane. Life was easier without you.” He said it with such certainty.
Once the words left his mouth, tears instantly formed in my eyes. I tried to hold them in, but they came anyway. Pure anger filled his eyes. I hesitated for a moment, thinking maybe he would retract what he said. He didn’t, and my heart broke. My feet quickly took me down the stairs into my room, and I slammed the door. My hands were shaking, and the tears slowly fell.
Chapter Twenty Two
Stefan
I woke up the next morning, reaching out for Sophia, nothing. My fingers grasped the sheets, I was reminded of how I spoke to her last night. She stayed in her room the remainder of the night. The sadness in her eyes broke me. I didn’t know how to respond. I just wanted to protect her. She doesn’t know how far my family would go to get what they want.
My Mum easily plucked Sophia from her life when I wasn’t watching. In my mind, it made sense to push her away, but now I was filled with this horrible pain in my chest. What I said wasn’t right. I was wrong, and I knew it. I climbed out of my bed and threw a shirt on. I wasn’t even sure if she would talk to me, but I was going to try. When I got to her bedroom door, I hesitated for a moment, and then knocked. No response.
I turned the handle, opening the door slowly. She wasn't there. I looked around her room, and noticed that her brown purse she always carries was gone, along with the majority of her clothes out of her dresser. I grabbed my phone, and called her. It went straight to voicemail. What did I do...?
I rushed downstairs to Keira’s room. Her door was open; Keira was sitting in front of her mirror doing whatever it is that girls do. Not important. She jumped from my presence.
“Have you seen Sophia?” I asked.
“No, why?” She stopped fiddling with her face long enough to seem concerned.
I sat down on her bed, “I don’t know. Her phone is off. She’s not in her room.”
“Where would she be?” Keira stood up, and walked over to me.
“I don’t fucking know.” I snapped.
She picked up her phone, “Stefan, chill out.”
“I fucked up.” I looked up at her.
“What did you do?” She questioned, as if she knew me; which she does. She knows that I'm an asshole. Keira is the only person who ever calls me on my shit.
“Nothing.”
“Stefan Edwards, you tell me right now.”
“I told her that life was easier without her, and she should just leave!” I yelled, throwing my phone against the wall.
Keira sat there staring at me. She didn’t even flinch. I felt her judgment sinking in.
“There! Are you happy?! I’m an asshole, I know.” I yelled, lying back on her bed.
“Stefan, you’re not an asshole...Just a dumbass. We will find her, she probably just went to clear her head.”
“You don’t get it! Her shit is gone. She’s gone.” My fist dug into her sheets. Anger was filling me slowly, I couldn’t tell if it was directed at myself, or this fucking life that I have been dealt.
Keira was on the phone with Cam, seeing if he had heard from her. This is what my family wanted. They always get what they want. The millions of games they will play. They know if they threaten her, I will push her away. I won’t be the reason she gets hurt, and they fucking know it. Now my phone is broken. Even if she did try to call me, I won’t be able to answer.
“Alright, tough guy. Let’s get you to calm down.” Keira touched my shoulder. I hadn’t realized that I had started pacing back and forth in her room.
I ran my hands through my hair, “I don’t know what to do.”
“First, let’s get you another phone.” She picked up my now shattered one off of the floor.
After we left the store, new phone in hand, I tried to call her one more time, in hopes she had turned her phone back on. Nothing. I slid my phone into my pocket. Leo had also joined us. They were talking as if nothing was wrong.
Suddenly I saw her brown hair blowing in the wind, that blue skirt she’s always wearing. She was exiting a store half way down the street. I weaved through the crowded sidewalk toward her, relief almost filled me; until I walked up, and she turned. My hope disappeared. It wasn’t her. The girl looked at me like I was crazy, and crossed the street as quickly as she could.
Leo walked up behind me, “Are you ok?”
“Fuck off.”
“You did this. Do not take it out on your friends.” Keira snapped.
She was right. I did do this. This is why I don’t keep people close to me. I can’t stand here with these two. They’re driving me insane. It was like they weren’t worried that no one knew where she was. I couldn’t quite understand why I cared so much, but I knew I had to find her. I walked away, leaving them without another word.
Somehow how I ended up back at my parents' penthouse. I don’t know why I came here. I was desperate. My irrational mind thought that maybe they convinced her to come here again. They are that fucking insane. I wouldn’t put it past them.
I walked into the living room, my parents weren’t anywhere in sight. I checked the rooms, until I found my mother reading in the study. She looked up from her magazine, and removed her glasses.
She smiled, “What a pleasant surprise.”
“I don’t have time for your small talk. Is she here?”
“Who?” She closed the magazine.
“Sophia. Is she here?”
“No, dear. Why? Where has she gone?” She seemed almost pleased.
“Well if I knew that, I wouldn’t be here would I?” My patience was running thin. After yesterday, I barely wanted to talk to her.
“Sweetheart, sit down. I want to talk to you.” She patted the cushion next to her.
“I don’t have time for this.”
“It will only take a minute. You at least owe me that.”
“Fine. You have two minutes” I sat down on a chair across the room.
“I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean for it to go that way.” She said softly.
“You’re sorry now? After you got what you wanted?” I snapped.
“She needed to know that she will never get what she wants from you.”
“How would you know what she wants?” My hands were tightening around my phone.
“I know girls like her. She is no good for you. She will only cause you more trouble.”
“I don’t think it’s your place to make that judgment.”
“You don’t have the best judgment yourself.” She tried to defend.
“Why? Because I don’t agree with you? Sorry, that I don’t want to be chained down by our family.” I stood and walked toward the window. “I don’t get you. You preach about how much you love your family, but yet you could care less about what I truly want.”
“What is it that you truly want, Stefan?” She asked in amusement.
“If you have to ask, you don’t deserve to know the answer.” I turned to look at her. I watched as her pride quickly slipped away.
“You are so much like Judith.” She leaned back in her chair.
“It’s funny that you can’t even call her your Mum.” I laughed, but then it hit me. My Nan, my freaking Nan. I pulled my phone from my pocket, and rushed toward the door. I heard my Mum calling me, but I continued out the door.
I dialed her number; it felt like it rang for ages.
“Stefan? Is everything ok?” My Nan finally answered.
Sophia
I looked around this familiar room; I don’t know why I came here. Mine and Stefan’s argument felt like a bad dream. I felt humiliated. I gave myself to someone who just threw me out like it meant nothing to him. Did he get what he wanted, and his phase was over just like Jess said? That’s how I felt. This aching pain wouldn’t leave my stomach. At first I didn’t understand why I was so upset, but then I realized my time with him meant more to me than I realized.
The sweet smell of waffles radiate from the kitchen. I walked out into the dining room, and allowed my fingers to trail on the table. My heart was sad; I had yet to turn on my phone since I arrived two days ago. I told my office that I needed some time; I don’t even know if I want to work there anymore. It was a dream job, but it’s not mine anymore. It’s theirs, and they’ve poisoned it; at least the idea of it.
“Sweetheart, do you want bananas or strawberries on top?” My Mom called out from the kitchen.
“A banana is fine.” I entered the kitchen, and sat down at the island.
My mom kept asking me what was wrong. I kept brushing it off like it was nothing, but she knows me better than that. She also knows how expensive a plane ticket is from New York. She didn’t mind too much. She was just ecstatic that I was home.
“Since you finally have emerged from your room, will you tell me about New York?” She asked and she placed a plate in front of me.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I looked down at the banana smiley face she created.
“Ok, fine. Will you at least go with me to visit Ms Annabelle’s? I want to pick a few things up. Did I tell you I wanted to start a garden?” She said with a smile. I haven't seen her smile like that in years.
I picked up my fork, “Sure.”
We arrived at Ms Annabelle’s plant nursery. It was a small yellow building, with a large greenhouse off to the right. My mom walked straight into the white building, she was a woman on a mission. The inside of the greenhouse made you feel as if you entered a forest. Small plants surround you, looming potted trees were scattered around the greenhouse. I started to wander around the isles.
Until Then : Book 1 - Until Then Series Page 16