Fated (2 page)

“Bullshit, every man knows when he has gathered the attention of the entire room.”

“Do you?” he asks me, as one corner of his mouth pulls up into a smile.

“Excuse me?”  I
bat back at him.

“Do you realize that no one was looking over here until you sat down?”

“Whatever,” I say to him motioning for another shot from the bartender as he laughs next to me.

“See, you can’t assume everyone knows something when you don’t even see it yourself.” Had he said this to me a year ago I would have already taken notice to it, but since the collapse of my life I just couldn’t seem the think that I held any sort of significance.

“You don’t even know me.” I tell him.

“You’re right,” he smiles to me, “So why are you driving from Boston?”

“Moving,” I sigh.

“Where to?” he asks me.

“Ah, no.” I tell him. “I don’t know you. I’m not telling you where I am going.” He chuckles a little under his breath.

“Alright, then why are you leaving?”

“My life fell apart.” I state.

“How so?”
His onslaught of questions is becoming slightly annoying.

“I don’t even know you.” I say to him as I toss back the other shot of tequila.

“I know that, but sometimes it helps to tell a complete stranger. Come on let me try and help.”

I sigh, deeply. I’m not sure why I instantly trust him, but I do. I slowly look up to him and start, “I owned a successful business, lived in the most amazing apartment in the city, had more money than most people I kn
ow my age, that I managed to blow, and had a fiancée. Over the summer my business started to fail. And like I said I blew most of my money I made from it, and on Wednesday I locked the doors for good.” I look down at my hands that sit on the bar top.

“That sucks, well what about the fiancée?” he asked, as if he actually cared
about what happen.

“Well,” I laugh nervously and run a hand through my hair, and turn to look at him, “We were supposed to get married on the fifteenth,” I see a sad look on his face, “And Wednesday night after I walked away from my business I went back to the apartment that I was forced to move into with him because I had lost mine, and I was taking a bath. He came home, not knowing that I was home, with his girlfriend.”

“That’s awful,” he says covering my hand with him, there is something about him, I’m not sure what it is, but I feel as if I can trust him. I want to pull my hand away, but for whatever reason I don’t and I stare even deeper into his eyes.

“That’s not even the worst part.” I look up to him and I can read the confusion in his eyes, “Well, they were together before him and
I where, in fact she lived there with him before I lost my apartment.”

He looks even more confused, “I don’t understand. Why would she be alright with that?”

“Well, it was their plan. He was going to marry me, and then divorce me, for the money.” He looks at me as if questioning the money part, “My business, when it was doing well, was a goldmine, well when it fell I never really admitted it to him. I was planning on telling him that I had to close up that afternoon, but… anyways, I kind of lost it.”

“Lost it?” he asks me with a smirk on his face.
For some reason it eases me.

“Yeah, it was like my breaking point.” He turns to
hide a laugh, “Why is that funny?”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much about it; we all have
breaking points just before life gets really good.” He smirks at me and I make myself walk to the restroom before this night gets even more interesting.

I stand, staring at myself in the
mirror; I’m not even sure who I am looking at right now.

“Get it together Sophie.” I
tell myself still looking into the mirror.

“Excuse me?”
I jump as I hear come from the stall and I am mortified.

“Ugh, nothing, I didn’t realize anyone was in here.” I quickly move out of the bathroom.

I walk back to the bar from the door and see that he has left; for some reason it makes me slightly sad, I didn’t even get his name.

I walk back up to the bar without siting down and ask her for my tab, noticing that the ticket that was in front of me is now gone, she shakes her head at me and points to the door, “He picked it up for you.”

“Thank you,” I say, slightly confused, pulling out a five from my pocket and placing it on the bar for her and then speed walk towards the door, and for some reason I can’t help but notice that everyone watches me leave the restaurant. I see a dark figure walking across the parking lot towards the hotel that I am staying in and I sprint over to him, “Hey,” I shout as I run up to him and watch as he turns around. He’s taller than I thought that he would be, standing a good foot taller than me.

“You know that can be seriously dangerous to do that.”
I ignore his comment.

“
Why did you pick up my tab?” I trail as we enter the hotel, “You’re staying here as well?”

“Yeah, I’m in town for a few days for a conference.” We walk over to the elevator and get inside
both pressing a different floor’s button. We don’t say anything to one another until the elevator comes to a stop on my floor and he emerges from the car with me and I look up at him curiously, “I can’t just let you walk to your room alone.” I smile back up to him as we walk down the corridor.

“You know,” I say feeling the need to make sure that he is aware, “I didn’t tell you that story in hopes that you would pay for my drinks.”

“I know,” he smiles, “I can tell that you’re too proud to ever as for help.” We stop at my room and he smiles to me leaning over and kissing my cheek, and then whispers into my ear, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of; even the most successful need help sometimes, have a good night… and drive safe to wherever you’re going.” I lean against the door and slightly bite down on my lip with just that slight kiss he has managed to make my knees weak. He turns and I can’t help but watch as he walks back over to the elevator and gets inside, but before he can see that I watched him I slip into my room. I sigh as I close the door and then collapse onto the bed and instantly pass out; maybe he was right, just talking to someone did kind of help.

Even though we had only talked for a
brief period of time last night I dreamt of him, and I don’t even know his name. I am getting ready to leave as I look over at the clock and see that it is only eight in the morning. I pack up my toiletries’ and roll my suitcase to the door as I open it I see a note shoved under my room door.

-Good morning,

I hope that one day fate will magically bring you back into my life.

-Austin

And for the first time in weeks I legitimately smile.

Chapter Two

The eight hours that it takes to get to Miami passes slower than I thought was possible. I plug the address into the GPS, that I bought when I didn’t need it, and follow it until it says that “You have arrived at your destination.” And my mouth falls open. There is no way in hell that my sister lives here. But then again she is a surgeon, and has much better sense about her when it comes to budgeting than I ever did.

The house is two stories with a fence that sits in front of the entire house just leaving an opening for the driveway. I pull into the drive and up to the house. I bet there is more space in her house than my old apartment and Joe’s apartment combined. I sigh opening the door and
stand up to look at the building that stands in front of me. I instantly notice how amazing the temperature is and I wonder if I look silly for wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

“Soph,” I hear my sister’s squeaky voice, and I smile walking, calmly over to her and she rushes me and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so glad that you are here and got away from that awful place.” I smile sweetly at her and look her over. We are fraternal twins
, but yet she reminds me of whom I used to be, who I was before Boston. Before the jet black hair that contrasts my porcelain skin to make it look whiter than it really is. I see the platinum blonde hair that she still wears, the color that my hair once was. I see her deep brown eyes, the kind of eyes that tells you that a person is so innocent and pure while mine are hazel that changes frequently. She used to make me sick with her tall skinny frame, she was always several inches taller than I was, never an ounce of fat on her, while I was slightly curvy reaching in at a whopping five foot five and a half, not that I was fat I just had boobs and an ass that took me some time to learn to love. We are both smart, in fact in school we were considered ‘gifted’, but like everything else we went in opposite directions with it. While Mar decided to take the medical world by storm, and I have no doubt that she will one day be considered one of the best surgeons’ ever; I on the other hand used it more creatively. I always wished that I was more like Mar, and I know my parents did as well. She was always the child that they wanted and I was always the disappointment. She had finished college in two years, while I took the normal four and partied more than I even care to admit. She finished medical school in another three years and finished her internship some time ago. I was now living with her because I couldn’t afford to live on my one, or better yet I wasn’t really allowed in the city of Boston, except for my court date.

“This place is amazing,” I finally tell her after taking it all in.

“Oh, you haven’t even seen the best part.” She grins and grabs ahold of my arm pulling me around the side that she had just come from. I let my lips part as the ocean comes into my view and the breeze hits my face. My poor porcelain skin is not going to be happy with me soon.

“It’s breathtaking.”
I gasp.

“Yeah, I know, I spent more on it than I should have, but how could I pass this up?”

“I wouldn’t have.” She smiles at me and I wonder if she already knew that I would have bought it as well.

“Dad nearly lost it when he heard how much it was, he told me that it was an awful decision.”

“Well if that’s the only thing that pops gets upset with you about than I say that you are doing great.” She frowns at me, “I should go get my stuff out of the car.” I tell her pointing my thumb back towards the front of the house.

“Let me help,” I shrug as we pull the boxes out of the car and haul them up the steps. She opens the door and then walks up a staircase and into a room that faces the ocean.

“Oh Mar, this is too nice.” I tell her, stunned.

“Nonsense, this room is nothing compared to mine, so just be happy and accept it.” I feel awful; here I am unemployed, recently singled, spending thousands of dollars on a wedding that I will never see happen or see the money again; I should be sitting in a dark, wet room, but here I am with an ocean front window, and balcony.

“Thanks,” I tell her trying to sound happy, but failing… miserably.

“It’s not a problem, you’ve got to cheer up though,
and I refuse to let you become a recluse.” She smiles at me knowing how I handle things and then leaves the room.

I sit in the room for days only coming out when there is food involved, and then it’s only because Mar drags me out. One morning before she has to be at work she walks into my room while I am still in bed and opens the curtains. I moan.

“Get up; put some workout clothes on and some running shoes.”
She demands.

“What are we doing?”

“We are going for a run… on the beach.”

“Why?” I ask her, almost debating on pleading not to go.

“Because you have been here for over a week and you have hardly left the room and the only time that you eat is when I force feed you… NOW GET UP.” She yells the last words at me before turning around and walking out of the room. “Five minutes, now wake up.” I begrudgingly pull my body up from the bed and wallow over to the closet where my boxes of clothes are just thrown into and rummage through until I find something to wear. I dress and while walking down the stairs I am pulling my black hair into a ponytail that sits high on my head.

“Ready?” she asks me and I shrug my shoulders. I used to love to
run, in fact I would do it in Boston a lot, until the business started plummeting. Mar and I used to run in high school, it was our daily workout and the time of day that we got to spend with one another, usually gossiping, or talking about my latest relationship. Mar was usually too focused on school to date anyone, in fact throughout high school she only had one boyfriend.

We come back inside panting and she grins to me, “Does that make you feel any better?”

“A little,” I honestly tell her. “I didn’t think that running on the beach would be so hard.” and she laughs under her breath at me.

“Hungry?” she asks.

“Starving.”

“Good,
now go take a shower and we will go get some breakfast before I have to go to work.” I smile at her and walk over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“
Thanks, Mar; I’m really glad that I came here. You have always known how to make me feel better.”

“Well I am your older sister,” she smirks which causes me to roll my eyes; it was a game that she always played with me when we were kids. She was technically the older twin, but I don’t think that a minute separating our births constitutes her as being older. She just laughs at me and I run up the steps. When I reach the top step I hear my phone beep on the bed as I walk over to see that it’s from Paige.

How’s everything going? Haven’t heard from you in a week, starting to worry; I will come down there and hunt for you.
I can’t help but laugh.

I’m fine, just been sad. Call you later.

We sit in the diner as I look over to Mar, as we are waiting for our food.

“Mar, does mom and dad know?” I know that I don’t have to explain to her what I am asking that they know about.

“Yes,” she pauses, and I can’t bring my eyes off of the table. “I’m sorry, Soph, but I had to tell them when I was talking to mom and she was going on and on about meeting up when we all got there-,” she hesitates and I know that she doesn’t want to say the word wedding, “I had to tell her that you guys split up, but I never told her why. Then she started in about going up there to see you, to make sure that you were alright, and that’s when I had to tell her that you were moving down here with me.” I look down at the table, “She asked why, and I had to tell her.” I sigh still looking down.

“And their failure daughter strikes again.” I say as the waitress brings over our plates.

“Stop being so hard on you,” she tells me picking up her fork and starting to eat her meal.

“Why shouldn’t I be?”

“Because you’re not a failure, you’re only a failure if you let this beat you.” I stare to her and pick up my fork resisting all urge to say something else to her, but finally I cave and I look up to her.

“That’s what they say to make failures feel better about
themselves.” She shakes her head at me, not knowing what else to say. “Mar, I don’t care how you want to try and spin this, but I physically assaulted two people and could possibly go to jail for it.” I say tossing my fork onto the plate in front of me.

“You won’t go to jail.”

“No, I just may.”

“Sophie, you are not going to jail.” She says and I look up at her and I know that she is serious.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because,” she grins at me, “I was going to tell you this later, but we’re getting you the best attorney around. My friend, he is out of town right now, but he’s getting back this week, I will introduce you to hi
m.” Then she smiles bigger, “And trust me, he is the best.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell her slowly picking up my fork again and beginning to pick at the food on the pl
ace, “I’m sure he is expensive, and I can’t afford him.”

“Nope, not for me, I told you he is a good friend of mine.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” I’m not sure why but I can’t help but ask.

“No, Soph, but you need to watch yourself because he is known to be a womanizer.”

“I can handle my own.” I tell her smiling, and begin to eat again.

“I know you can, which is why I don’t have a problem setting it up for him to
represent you.”

“Thank
s Mar,” I reply to her.

“No problem Soph, oh and one more thing,” I look up to meet her eyes and to tell her I’m listening. “I’m glad you beat the shit out of Joe; he deserved it and I never liked him anyways.” And neither one of us can help but laugh.