CHAPTER430
“Why don’t you just come out and say it, huh? Sophie, please don’t mention the fact you’re the reason I broke up with her and have kissed you twice!” I snap, picking up my plate and slide past him briskly so that I almost knock him off his legs. I sashay across the floor to the kitchen; yank open the door of the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of water without looking his way. Balancing my plate in one hand and acting like the impulsive, angry nightmare I used to be.
“Sophs?” He’s following me again, but the noise of the elevator pinging turns us both around as the light above the door shows it getting to this floor. Like a warning bell of her arrival, how appropriate. Arrick narrows his gaze on me and I can see the pulse beating in his throat as he tries to curb his reaction.
“Better go run along and welcome your girlfriend in....; I think I’ll take the couch and watch a movie!” I snap at him and drag myself and the items in my hands with me to the sofa in the middle of the room. Walking like a catty hoe and giving zero fucks about him, or her. He tenses his jaw when he throws a look my way, walks towards the foyer, furrowing those brows and hesitates for a second before staring across the room at me.
“Don’t make this worse for her. I’m trying, please.... For once in your life. Think about someone else’s feelings.” Arrick’s words sting me to the core and I snap my mouth shut and look away, tears burning my eyes, but I push them down harshly. Hating that he can’t see why I’m upset about all of this, considering the fact he told me he feels something for me and then kissed me like I mattered last night.
Am I just supposed to pretend everything is still the same??
I won’t let either of them see me upset. I dig my heels in, bite down the hurt and drag on that perfect mask of indifference. He wanders the last few feet to greet the opening doors, and I stiffen inside. I try to relax, try to make this look as natural as I can sitting here with my food. I channel hop to find something to watch, without any sort of attention or focus on the screen, laying my water on the table and pull over a cushion for my lap to cradle my plate.
I hear Natasha’s voice in the foyer with his, greeting him, and mumbling small talk. I refuse to look their way, even though my heart is hammering in my chest and just focus on the music at the start of the movie I randomly clicked on. I don’t want to see them embrace, kiss or whatever; he must be gone in the head to think this is anything but abnormal.
“Hi, Sophie. You look nice today.” Natasha’s silky sweet putrid voice sets my teeth on edge and I turn her way with a fake smile and catch Arrick giving me eye signals and frowns over her head as he stands behind her. I have to kill the urge to glare at him.
“Thanks, you too!” I try for sincere and just sound bored; seeing him give me another scalding frown and dismiss it.
Fuck off, Arrick.
“I hope you don’t mind me showing up like this while you two are obviously eating. I just needed some of my things, and I hoped to have a little time with Arrick.” She still seems to be talking at me, despite me pretending I am engrossed in the TV while stuffing Chow Mein in my mouth in a half-hearted way, not caring anymore if I’m hungry. It has all turned to cardboard in my mouth anyway. My insides are doing some sort of ‘cha cha’ and my temper has set up camp on my heart.
Arrick takes her jacket and bag and lays it over the nearby armchair while he avoids looking at me, so I get the impression she is staying.
Not that this is awkward in any way of course. Why would he think it would be? Clearly missed the whole love triangle thing he has going on.
“Nothing to do with me.” I lift an eyebrow her way with another fake smile and continue trying to will her to get the hell away from me. She’s watching me and I notice the weird expression she seems to have on her face; all strangely doe-eyed and blinky and smiling at me with a painfully shy vibe. I look at her questioningly with raised brows, annoyance hitting me in the gut.
“Sorry, I know I’m staring.” She giggles nervously and blushes “It’s just, I love your new look. It’s so very sophisticated, and your makeup is gorgeous. Maybe you could give me some tips with mine before I leave. You look so pulled together.” I almost blanch at her, screwing up my face, but she’s already looking towards the kitchen behind me for no apparent reason. I glance down at my fitted dress, another Louis Vuitton I picked up with Camilla, tailored knee-length shift dress. Dark purple and sleeveless and a little bit modest if I’m being honest. My hair still being dark means I have stuck with this style and the makeup.
“Drink?” Arrick cuts in and it’s only now I realize he’s in the kitchen; he must have hightailed it and is holding up wine, hence why she’s been staring adoringly that way. Arrick rarely drinks the stuff, and only keeps it for social visits. I guess he suddenly feels he needs one right now, and Natasha looks equally surprised at his suggestion, I am too. It’s not like him to hit the booze when his life is crumbling before his eyes.
Oh, wait … that’s probably because his life has never unraveled at his feet like mine has, because he is in far too much calm control to let that happen, right?
At least she’s no longer trying to become my soul sister and asking me for fashion tips.
For the love of God.
“Umm, sure.” She giggles nervously, and it’s only now I see she’s more dressed up than normal and definitely wearing heavier makeup. A peek at her shoes tells me she didn’t just pop by on the off chance to see him and is wearing something high and sexy that even I would approve of. She planned on coming here, dolled up and doe-eyed, to try and talk him into taking her back."
