Fated (10 page)

“Your Honor, my client has just enlightened me that there is something in my voicemail that may be impertinent to the hearing.”

“This needed to be addressed before the hearing started.” I hear Joe’s attorney say.

“This call was made right before I walked into the room.” I tell him and I see Joe’s face fall. He knows what is about to be played.

“I’ll allow it,” I hear the Judge state. Austin gets up and walks up turning on his phone and dialing his voicemail. He presses the buttons quickly and turns it onto speaker phone. The entire room listens as Joe’s voice falls out of the speaker and Austin turns to look to me, smiling. I know what it means, this might just be it. Until he hears me beg Joe to let go of me, his face turns cold as he looks over at Joe. I think that if we weren’t in a court room he would beat the shit out of him, and for a moment his love for me shows. I force myself to remember why I left last night.

Chapter Fourteen

I am grinning as I walk out of the court room only moments later. The judge dismissed the hearing and Joe decided that he was going to drop all the charges. I am walking away from the building as I hear my name being shouted from behind me. I know the voice so I begin to speed up.

“Soph, wait.” I hear Austin shouting to me from the stairs. I don’t want to talk to him. I swear u
nder my breath as I get stuck at the cross walk and I look around and because there are no cars coming for the next three seconds I sprint in the four inch heels across the road. “Sophie,” I hear him shout as I hear honks and I spin around facing him. Cars honking as he continues to stand in the middle of the road looking at me. “Soph, talk to me. I came back last night and you were gone. What happened?”

“Don’t, Austin.” He looks quickly to his side and sprints to my side of the road and I turn back around trying to quickly make an exit.

“Soph, what happened?”

“Austin, just let me go. What’s done is done. It was a joke to think that we could ever make this work. We are two completely different people, and it is just destined to stay that way. Don’t
worry; we will still work the party.” The last line comes out snidely. He sprints across the remaining of the street and stops directly in front of me.

“Sophie,” I hear his voice crack and when I look up I see a slight glint in his eyes and I know that if I watch him break down it won’t matter what happened I won’t be able to pull myself away and leave. I turn quickly and begin to walk away when a car pulls up next to me.

“Need a ride, kid?” I look over seeing my father sitting behind the wheel and I get inside the car.

“Yes, how could you tell?”
I bat at him.

“What happened? You two seemed really happy a few weeks ago.”

“We were,” I tell him not wanting to explain.

“Where are you headed to?” He asks and I five him the directions to the hotel and then we head to the airport.

“I’ve known Austin for a little while, Soph.” He tells me.

“I know.”

“I knew that they were never interested in one another, but I just thought that if I pushed her enough she would, she was completely different from you. She usually tried to please me.”

“That’s why you were always proud of her.”

“No, Soph, I was always proud of you.” What? Had I just heard him right? Is this some sort of parallel universe where my father is nice?

“You have a funny way of showing it.” He laughs.

“Sophie, you never needed me to be proud of you. You had enough confidence to stand on your own no matter what life threw at you. You have always been so determined, and self-motivated. Your sister, she needed a little bit more. Where you thrived on yourself, she needed more encouragement.”

“You can’t just leave me by the wayside
because I don’t need you as much.”

“I know that now.”
He looks down, slightly ashamed.

“You know that now. How did you not see that the nights I came home drunk or high?” I can tell that the words that I have used have wounded him.

“Because I didn’t want to see those things,” He admits.

“I understand, dad.” I say after ten minutes and when we are sitting in the car in front of the airport. “I lo
ve you.” I smile to him and lean over the car and hug him.

“I love you too, kid.” He pauses, “Don’t hate him. I was hoping that they would get together because he’s a good kid, he reminds me of you;
that’s why I thought that they could work things out, but they never wanted one another.” He stops looking at me. “Don’t be mad at him forever.”

“That’s probably not possible.” I tell him and exit the car, walking through the airport I finally let myself cry. Four hours later I am landing in Miami airport, and I am instantly glad that I had booked the non-stop flight
, and that it is still early enough that the sun is still up. I run to Paige and hug her when I see her and I let the tears flow down. Who is this person who cries at will now?

“Shh, doll face, let’s get you home.” She pats my arm and then leads me out of the airport and to my car, which I had let her borrow while I was out of town.

We pull up to Marsi’s house and I am glad to see that she is at work today. We walk inside of the house and up the stairs to my bedroom. I open the balcony doors and I sit down and look over to the water. I let all of my worries drift away from me and I force myself not to look over at Austin’s house, but out of the corner of my eye I can see the light come on in his room and I can only wonder if he has someone in there with him.

“Stop doing that?” I hear Paige tell me as she sets a wine glass out in front of me.

“Doing what?” I ask her.

“Driving
yourself crazy trying not to look over there, take a quick look, and see for yourself.” I sigh looking over to his house, but at first all I can see is the lights on, then I see it. I see a woman walk out onto the balcony that sits on the outside of his bedroom and my heart sinks. I feel like I cannot breathe as I watch him walk out after her. I make myself turn quickly before he can see me and I walk back inside my room.

“We’re going out.” I say yanking my closet doors to look inside.

I come out of the bathroom half an hour later and take a look in the mirror at myself. I have picked out a purple halter top with a plunging neck line that shows off more cleavage than I have boobs, a pair of black skinny jeans, my five inch wedges, and I pull a light weight jacket around my arms. Paige’s mouth hangs open when she looks at me, “Soph, you know me better than anyone but if I wasn’t completely into guys I would want to have sex with you right now.”

“Thanks, I guess.” And we both start to laugh. I straighten my long black hair so that it hangs down my back and then put more makeup on than I have worn sin
ce I have been here. We make our way down the steps as Mar walks into the house and she looks at me questioning.

“Where are you two going?”
She asks us with a worried look.

“Out.”
I tell her.

“Okay, how did everything go today?”

“Good, Joe dropped the charges.”

“How did you manage that?”

“Come out with us and I’ll tell you.” I smile at her.

“Is this about whatever is going on with you and Austin?”
She questions, knowing me too well.

“Yes,” I tell her which causes her to shake her head and the look that she gives me is almost out of pity. I hate her for it. She begins to walk to her room and then walks back out only moments later throwing her hair up into a messy bun and I smile. The three of us used to go out every weekend when she would come visit us in Boston.

I think that we are on the fifth round of shots but I cannot really remember. I start to walk up to the bar when a guy sitting on the stool next to me looks over to me and smiles.

“Hey, sweetheart, what are you doing up here all by yourself?”

“I’m a big girl I don’t need anyone to escort me to get another drink.” I tell him. He smirks at me getting up and placing his hand on the small of my back. “Don’t touch me.” I tell him.

“Oh, but sweetheart, you said you are a big girl.”  He says stepping in closer to me and I feel his hand trail down towards my ass. I turn to my side and bring my knee up to right outside of his crotch.

“And I also said don’t touch me.” I snap and turn to walk away when I feel a hand come down onto my arm and snatch me to the side. I flinch slightly as part of his hand lands on the bruises that Joe
gave me.

“What was that?” I hear Austin’s voice slur into my ear. I turn bringing my eyes up to him.

“What was what?”

“That guy, what were you talking about.”
I can’t help but wonder where the girl is that was at his house.

“I don’t see how that is any of your business anymore.” I bluntly tell him turning around to walk away but I feel him snatch me back, “What the fuck,” I yell at him.

“Answer me,” I can tell that he is drunk, probably drunker than I am. “You never let me fucking explain what happened in Boston.”

“And I don’t plan to.” I start to turn around and walk away.

“You’re just going to waste whatever this is? Throw it away, god Sophie be a fucking grown up and fix your shit. Just don’t walk away like a goddamn coward.” His words hurt me, right down to the fucking bone, but I don’t stop walking. I let a tear fall down my face as I make my way back to Mar and Paige, but wipe it away before they can see it.

“Fuck,” I mumble to myself when I realize that I have forgotten the shots when I find my way to the end closest to the table that we have. I order five tequila shots
; taking two of them before I even leave the bar.

Chapter Fifteen

The last thing I remember about last night is taking the shots at the table after Austin yelled at me, but this morning I am too terrified about getting out of the bed that I am laying in because I have never been in this room. I have no idea where I am or who I left the bar with last night all I can gather is that I don’t know where I am and that I am naked. My thoughts think about Austin and if he had to witness me with someone else, but I quickly block them when I remember the woman on his balcony last night. I pull myself out of the bed, finding my clothes lying on the floor and pulling them on. I slowly crack the door open when I hear Paige’s voice coming from the other room, at least she is here with me. When I emerge from the bedroom she smiles at me and I notice that she is on the phone. I look around confused when I notice that there isn’t anyone else here. It’s just the two of us and there are boxes everywhere. I instantly realize where I am. This is Paige’s new house… or apartment. I’m not sure. She hangs up the phone and smile at me again.

“Like the new place?” she asks me.

“Sure, had I not woken up after being black out drunk last night, never being here and being naked.” She laughs.

“Well, you started throwing up last night, before we left the bar, and then decided that you didn’t want to sleep in your clothes. You actually started undressing before we got out of the cab.”
She tells me smiling, but it doesn’t really surprise me. I tend to do things like this when I’ve been drinking.

“Yeah, I tend to do that when I get drunk enough to throw up. Did I really undress in the cab?”
I’m slightly embarrassed.

“You forget, I know this already, and yes you did, in fact we didn’t even have to pay to get home.” She laughs as I shake my head. Why do I continue to drink when I know that this is how I act?

“Where’s Mar?” I ask her.

“She is still passed out in the other room.” I laugh wondering how drunk she got la
st night, “So, do you remember kissing that guy right in front of Austin just to piss him off?”

“Nope, and I wish it was left that way.” She laughs at me again.

“Well, get ready because we have a meeting at the firm on Monday about the party this weekend.”

“Crap, did we get everything taken care of for that?”
I ask her, honestly, not knowing.

“Yes, everything is ready we just have to set every
thing up on Saturday morning.”

“Sounds good
, now what do we need to do this weekend?” I say walking around and admiring her apartment just blocks away from my sister’s house, but farther away from him. I need to be away from him.

“You know that I have known you long enough to know what you are thinking.” She says, smiling at me.

“Oh really, what am I thinking?” I challenge her.

“That you want to move in this weekend.”

“You want me to live with you?” I ask her pretending that it was her idea.

“I would love for you to, on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to admit that you were thinking it before I said anything.”

“Alright, I was already thinking it.” I finally confess.

“What are you two talking about?’ Mar asks walking into the room, holding her head, clearly hung over.

“About me moving out of your house,”

“Awe, but I like having you there,”
She pauses and sort of smiles, “But I understand why.”

We get out of the house a few hours later and head back to Mar’s. When we pass by Austin’s house I can’t help but look. I see a car that is not his sitting in the driveway and my heart sinks. I hate to think of a girl with him right now.

“Did he?” I trail off knowing that they will know exactly what I am trying to ask.

“No, he was dancing with some girl last night, but after he saw you kissing that guy he got pissed, yelled at her to leave him the fuck alone, and then stormed out.” Paige tells me and my heart sinks even further because I caused him any sort of heartache.

Two days later we pass by his house again as we are getting a few things from my sister’s house when I notice a for sale sign out in the front yard, “Mar, how long has that sign been out there?” I ask.

“Don’t worry about it, Soph.” She says to me, patting my leg

“No, tell me.”
I demand.

“Soph,” she turns and looks at me in the car, “Just let it go.” I slump in my seat.

That night Mar has a party at her house, celebrating… I’m not sure what. Probably just trying to get my mind off of things. After a few bottles of Tequila are drowned I find myself outside of the house and my mind is wondering. Before I can make myself leave I realize where I am… only too late. I notice that I am standing in front of Austin’s back door banging on the door when the door is snatched open.

“What do you want?” he glares at me.
It looks as if he has been sleeping.

“You’re moving?” I ask him, it’s clear in my drunken voice that I am sad.

“Yes, but that’s not any of your business anymore.” He says using my own words against me.

“Why?”
I ask wounded.

“Because I can, Soph.” he stops cutting his eyes at me as they soften.

“Is it because of me, because you know I’m moving out of Mar’s house?” I say with a weighted heart. Apparently this night I am extremely nice.

“Where are you moving to?” he asks me,
curious.

“In with Paige,
” I press my lips into a hard line. He lightens slightly.

“I’m moving to New York.” I gasp.

“Why?” I want to cry.

“Because my dad wants a firm there and he is sending me to oversee it.” I lunge at him smashing my lips to his and he gasps, “Soph, you’re drunk.” But I don’t let him stop, I press them harder into him, pulling my body in to his, and he finally gives in as he wraps his muscular arms around my small
curvy frame.

With one motion he picks me up and places my ass on the counter in the kitchen and presses his body into mine, he knows as well as I do that this will be something that will never happen again, only this time each of us can enjoy it and remember it just the way that it is meant to be.

I watch his face as he kisses down my neck and then picks me back up carrying me up the stairs to his room. I feel my back push into the mattress and his bodyweight over me and his lips trail my body one last time.

“Austin, wait. This-,” I trail off not wanting to say the last words.

“I know, it ends here, tonight.”

He says right before he pulls at my dress.

“Let’s make this last all night.” He smiles at me and I have to laugh at his Tom Petty reference.

He slows his pace as he looks up to my eyes. “Sophie, what happened here?” he asks as I look down to my arms.

“That’s what happened in Boston.” And his eyes fall as he lets his mouth linger over the handprints on my arms and he kisses them. He brings his face back up to my eyes as he kisses me again and lets his hands dip in under my the hem of my dress and slides his hand between my thighs. I can’t help but moan when he rubs the pad of his thumb against me. He smiles as I turn him onto his back and push him against the bed knelling above him. I slide the sweatpants down to his ankles and take him into my hand as I being to gentle massage him, he moans out as he pulls my head up to meet his face. He tugs at my dress until it is lying on the floor next to the bed. I pull my face away from his and let my head fall, positioning myself just right to take him into my mouth. He gasps and I feel him grab a hold of the sheets. I figure if this is going to be the last night, I will give him something amazing to remember me by. I run my tongue up his length and I am lifted up and put underneath him.

“Did you not like it?” I ask him for some reason ashamed of what I was doing, that I was doing it poorly.

“Oh, god no, baby. But if this is the last time I want to remember being able to make love to you.” he tells me as he reaches around my back and unclips my bra. Trailing kisses down my chest until he takes it in his mouth and flicks the nipple with his tongue. He slides his hand down underneath my panties and begin to rub me once more; I can’t help myself as I wrap my hands around him and begin to rub.

“Oh, Soph, I can’t take that. I’m trying to make this good for you and if you keep doing that I won’t be able to last.” He says as he pulls away and then reaches down nearly ripping off my panties. He positions himself between my knees as he leans over me and kisses my mouth once, twice, three times until we are making out again and I feel him slide into me. I open my eyes looking up to him as he is looking back down to me. As much as I don’t want to
, I love this man.

He doesn’t rush it, but he takes his time, and his rhythm is slow as he moves i
n and out with each motion making sure I am enjoying myself as much as he is. I feel my insides beginning to grow and I can see that he can tell as he leans over into my ear and whispers, “Oh, Soph,” he says over and over again as we lock eyes once again, but this time I cannot break the contact. I cannot look away; I can see the love that he holds for me. I know that he can see the amount of love that I hold for him. His eyes grow wider as I know that he is getting ready to climax and I finally let myself release around him and it’s all that he needs for the finish. When we finish he doesn’t move and I know that I don’t want him to. We just stare into one another’s eyes for far too long.

“Austin,” I say not being able to control my mouth.

“Don’t Soph, I know.” He says and in his eyes I know that he knows I was going to tell him that I love him, and he couldn’t hear it. He finally slides off of me as he gets up and walks to the bathroom. I stand as I walk towards the door that faces the beach and look out onto the spectacular full moon that is shining onto the water.  I feel his hands on my arms as I turn around to look at him. I’m not nearly as drunk as the first time that I kissed him when I got here. “Come lay down with me?” he asks me. “I just want one more night with you in my arms.” There is no way I would ever be able to pass that up.