Crushed (61 page)

When she thought of him like that, he returned to being the innocent friend she'd once known and loved.

Luke's letter was short, but filled with emotion. She could feel his calm sadness and regret, and for the first time began to understand him. He asked about how she was, and wished that she was doing well. He spoke about how he was glad she hadn't gotten caught, and how he understood his mistakes. He apologized throughout the letter, asking her to someday forgive him for lying and using her.

The more she read, the harder it was to hate him. Luke had lost everything by turning himself into the police. When he got out of prison he would be approaching forty, having wasted the best years of his life in prison.

It was hard to hate some who had given up so much. It was even harder to be angry when she could look around her and see how satisfied she was with her new life. She was living a dream, and without Luke's decision in the past, she couldn't begin to consider where she'd be now.

Sophie gently folded the letter back into the envelope. Her heart was heavy after reading it, just like she'd known it would be. Every reminder of the past was hard to accept now that she was so far away from that time.

"It's too beautiful a day for you to be sighing so much." A deep voice said from the doorway of her studio.

Sophie smiled before she turned to him, already knowing who it was.

As Robert weaved through the scattered canvases towards her, Sophie was reminded of the day they first met. She could clearly see him as he was back then, and how much he'd changed over the years.

His face was still boyishly young, and his eyes were just as dark blue as she remembered them from the first time she saw him. His golden curls had been died brown, and were shorter than they'd been in the past. The years had been good to him, and Sophie silently marveled at his handsome face.

One thing about him had significantly changed from the past. When they'd first met his smile had been fake, plastered on to deceive others. Now, his smile reached his eyes with a sincerity she'd learned to adore.

"Well, look who finally showed up." Sophie hid her smile, attempting to remain stern. "Took you long enough to visit." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, her eyes narrowed. "How long has it been? A few weeks?"

Robert stopped in front of her, his eyes flashing with humor. He took her hands in his as he sat down on the windowsill beside her.

"One week, three days, six hours, and thirty-seven minutes to the dot." He replied seriously, placing a hand over his chest. "My heart hasn't let me forget it."

Sophie rolled her eyes, pulling her hand away from him. "Oh, I'm sure it hasn't."

Robert feigned a wince. "I can't believe you don't trust me."

"It's hard to trust someone who's never here." Sophie sighed again, and allowed him to recapture her hand. Her eyes fell to his left palm, where the gunshot wound to his hand had left an ugly scar. His nerves had also been damaged by the bullet, making it nearly impossible to work with.

While he never complained about it, Sophie saw it as a constant reminder of the past.

She reached up to touch his face, and he reflexively learned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "I've missed you." She whispered softly.

Over the years Robert had been Sophie's rock to lean on. He'd become her guide on how to live as a run away, and his hidden funds had supported them as they escaped to different countries. Robert's connections had also helped in creating new identities for themselves in each of the locations they'd chosen to hide.

Without him, Sophie wouldn't have been able to last so long. He made life thrilling, even while they were under the threat of being found. He made her feel safe, and always knew how to wipe away her fears. Best of all, he could make her laugh, and she gravitated to his warmth. They'd gone from lovers to best friends, and while they weren't immune to arguments, they knew how to work out their issues.

It had been a gamble to trust him in the beginning, but he proved everyday that he could be the support she needed.

"Next time I'm taking you with me." He replied, kissing her again. "You won't believe how boring the trip was this time."

"By boring, you mean they wouldn't let you do what you wanted." Sophie pulled away for a moment.

When they'd decided to make a permanent home in Paris, Robert had found work immediately. The connections he'd forged while working for Cleo had been the means for every opportunity they'd been given over the years, including this one.

Surprisingly enough, Robert's past as a thief was exactly what his new boss was looking for. His new job was working for the Louvre, the most renowned museum in the world. His official job description was working to improve museum security. The task his boss had secretly assigned him to do was track down missing pieces of art around the country, and recovering them.

Sophie knew it was exactly the kind of work Robert loved, and the kind he was good at. He knew how to think like a thief, which is exactly what led him to succeed.

The only negative part of the job was the extensive traveling. He would be away for weeks at a time, which was initially hard to come to terms with after being with him constantly for the last few years.

"You know me so well, Mrs. Locksley." Robert shook his head, and chuckled.

"Well, Mr. Locksley, it's kind of my job." She winked up at him.

Sophie secretly loved it when he called her Mrs. Locksley. According to their official file, they were a married couple that had traveled here from Canada. They'd never had a ceremony, but Sophie accepted the fact that they were married. Wedding days were in every girl's imagination, but she would trade a dress and cake for a lifetime with the man she loved any day.

Robert glanced out of the window at the courtyard below them. A ray of sunlight hit his face, and for a moment she couldn't make out his features, just like the day they'd first met.

"I was thinking I would make it up to you." He began suddenly, turning back to her. "Being away so long."

"Oh, really." She answered.

"The kids will be visiting soon, and when they get here we'll have very little...alone time."

"Uh huh." Her eyebrow raised.

"So let's go on an adventure, just the two of us."

"I don't know if I'm in the condition to go on an adventure." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, wondering what crazy idea he had planned next. "School doesn't end for another few weeks. I have responsibilities here."

"So what? So do I." He lifted her hand and his eyes flashed with amusement. "Please."

He leaned down and kissed her bulging belly gently.

"I want to take my wife and my child on an adventure. I have it all planned out." His voice rose in excitement.

Sophie rolled her eyes, knowing she didn't have a choice anymore. When Robert got an idea in his head, it would be impossible to change his mind.

She placed her hand on her stomach, smiling when she thought of the child hidden deep inside her.

"Will it be baby friendly?" She asked in defeat. "No skydiving, or cliff diving, or whatever you used to be into."

Robert's expression turned serious in a flash. "Of course not." He knelt down beside of her, a hand still on her stomach. "I may love doing those things, but you know what?" His smile turned soft. "I love being a father more."

"Since you're such an amazing father, you shouldn't have any problem with telling me what the adventure is."

Robert stood, shaking his head as he lifted her to her feet. "Not a chance."

"Come on!" She complained, placing her hands on her hips.

"The best things in life are a surprise." He reminded her.

Even though she was annoyed at his argument, she had to agree with him. The best moments of her life had always been a surprise, like meeting him, becoming a thief, falling in love, or creating a family. Everything had been unexpected, in the most perfect way.

She hadn't known she would abandon everything to become a thief, or that she would build a family with a group of strangers she'd known for only a few weeks. She didn't know she'd end up falling in love and running away with a criminal, or that she'd end up starting her own family with him.

Most of all, she didn't know that having taken such a strange and tangled path, she would end up in the exact place she'd always wanted to be.

Her dream five years ago had been simple. She'd wanted to live her life doing what she was happy with. Now, she was living that dream. Every morning she woke up and was able to paint to her heart's content. She was able to share her passion with others, and live in the city she adored, with the man she loved.

She hadn't taken the conventional path to her dream, and there had been moments along the way where she'd thought she'd failed. It had been a long, hard journey to where she was at now. She'd been threatened, shot at, and pushed forward by fear, but all of that was in the past.

She'd reached her destination, but she knew that was only the beginning of the real adventure.

No matter how happy she was with this life, it wasn't a happily ever-after. She was still in partial hiding, meaning she couldn't see Gwyn, Rylan, and Teddy as much as she wanted. She couldn't welcome them into her life like she wanted to, and could only support them at a distance. The life they lived before could not be recreated, despite how much she wished it could be.

There were still times when she missed Luke, and times she relived her fear of Cleo and Max coming after her. Sometimes it was all too easy to be lonely, and sometimes it was impossible to forget the mistakes of her past.

These were her challenge for the future. She would have to work on them, finding ways to come to terms with the realities facing her. There was no doubt in her mind that she could do it.

The life she'd managed to create was something to be proud of, even with the flaws. Surrounding her were so many vibrant colors, that came in the shades of family, friends, love, work, and art. Shades she hadn't known before, but shades that Robert had brought into her life by inviting her into his world.

When Sophie's eyes met Robert's, her lips curled into a bright smile. She couldn't imagine being happier than this moment.

"Are you ready?" He asked, squeezing her hand tightly and motioning to the door.

"Yeah." She answered, her green eyes shining with determination. "I think I am."

Ready for new challenges, new opportunities, and new beginnings.

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