Chapter Twelve
“She will come to her senses, Alfie.”
Alfie stared into his glass listening as Jared tried to make him feel better. He was in the restaurant where Sophia had been working before she came to him. Everything had been going great.
“Come to her senses? She just realized that for the past year I’ve done nothing but manipulate the circumstances so that she would be in my life.”
“So? That’s hot.”
He rolled his eyes. “If you think it’s so hot, why are you here rather than going and getting Freya? You know Sophia’s telling your girl what went on.”
“Let her. I don’t mind actually. It means I can work on winning her over again.”
“Aren’t you worried about her father?” Alfie asked.
“Nope. I love Freya. I know I’m the best man for her.”
“We sound like assholes.”
“No, you sound completely drunk off your ass, and like a loser.”
“I’m not a fucking loser.”
“Then why are you here, rather than at your girl’s apartment, telling her how much you love her, or better yet, asking her to marry you? I’ve seen the ring. It’s beautiful by the way.”
“I love her so fucking much, but I’ve got to give her space to get over what I did. I don’t want to completely lose her. I did everything wrong.” He had done everything he thought he was supposed to do. “I’m acting like a damn pussy, aren’t I?”
“Yep.” Jared slapped the counter of the bar. “We’ll have another two scotches. Once I get you drunk enough, you may remember you’ve got some balls.”
“I’ve got balls, asshole.”
“Then fight for your woman,” Jared said. “Fight for the woman that you carefully managed to meet. That’s all you can do. Or don’t you love her enough.”
Alfie glared at him. “I’ve got to take a piss.” He left his seat, and headed toward the men’s bathroom. Standing up in the cubicle, he took a leak, feeling every single scotch making his body sway. This was not how he wanted today to go, or even the day he planned to tell her what he had done. Everything had gotten so fucked up, very fast, and he was so damn angry.
Sophia hadn’t been a good intern for the company as she lacked any skill when it came to software and technology. Her love and passion was in her writing, and that was all. He never intended for her to do anything else but write, and that was his problem. His plan had been his all along, and never had he asked her what she wanted to do. Now like a pansy ass, he was drowning his sorrows.
Once he was finished, he put his dick away, and made his way to the sink, and the moment he saw his reflection in the mirror, it made him pause. A day’s growth covered his face, and his hair was out of place. His suit was wrinkled. He looked every bit the fallen man rather than the businessman that he was.
There was no way he admitted defeat. It wasn’t in his nature. He couldn’t do that. He was a fighter. He fought for everything in his life, for his company, for what he wanted, and above all, he fought for the woman he loved.
Yes, he had been an asshole about the way he had gotten to know her, but he knew that deep in his heart, no one else could ever love her the way that he had. No one! He loved her more than anything in the world.
No other man would buy a publishing company just so that she could realize her dream, and yet that was exactly what he had done.
He had done everything possible to give her whatever her heart desired. He knew what it was like standing at the top of the abyss and fearing what would happen if you just took a leap. He had done it, and at times it had been the wrong fucking decision. When it came to Sophia, nothing was wrong. Everything was fucking right, and he wasn’t going to allow her to leave him, nor was he going to let her go.
He loved her, no one else.
Splashing some water on his face, her ran his fingers through his hair, clearing the fog of defeat.
Glancing down at his watch he saw it was a little after seven.
His time for waiting had gone.
He was going to get his girl.
****
“Men are asshole pigs,” Freya said.
Sophia laughed. “For once I can’t even argue with you. Put that wine in my glass.” She wore a pair of pajamas that had a fluffy rabbit on them. She sat cross-legged on their sofa. Chinese food was spread out on the coffee table, and they had already started on the wine. She wasn’t a big wine drinker, but right now, she felt like she needed it.
“They manipulated everything so that you and I lived here, and we worked for them.”
“You work for Jared. Me? I didn’t work at all. I didn’t even have an employment record, and you should have read some of the stuff he wanted me to fill in. I’m surprised I wasn’t asked what my favorite position was, you know, sexually.” Her cheeks heated remembering the feel of Alfie inside her. She had to stay angry with him, as otherwise she had to admit that she had fallen for him, and she couldn’t do that.
Silence fell between them, and she saw that Freya was also lost in thought.
“Did you end up sleeping with Jared?” she asked.
Freya sighed, and nodded her head. “Yes. I did. I wanted to be with him. It was one of the reasons he was here, you know? To talk it out. After we had sex, we fell asleep in his office, and when I woke up, I freaked out, and left. He didn’t wake up. I know how to sneak around.” Her friend ran fingers through her hair, looking so sad. “You know what sucks?”
“What?”
“It’s kind of hot, don’t you think?”
“What’s hot?”
“That they would go to such lengths to keep us close. It’s hot in a really weird way.”
Sophia laughed. “That’s what is so crazy about it.”
“If it was anyone else it would be super creepy, but they’re like our men, you know? We can fall for them, and find their rather dominating attitude a turn-on.”
“I think I’m in love with him, Freya, and that scares me.”
“Why? Love shouldn’t scare you.”
“Look what happened to your mom. She got hurt so many times. How can you not be … worried?”
Freya sighed. “I know I should, right? My mom made a lot of bad decisions, Sophia. You can’t compare our life with hers. My dad fucked everything up, but even my mom wasn’t perfect. I don’t want to live my life scared to feel anything just because my mother had a run of bad luck. It doesn’t mean I’m going to have that bad luck, you know.”
“Yeah, I do.” Sophia bit her lip. The more she thought about what Alfie had done, she couldn’t help but feel special. He had done it so that she was closer to him. She didn’t remember him from the restaurant, but it would explain why he seemed familiar. He had never hurt her. When he had taken her virginity and caused her pain, he had been so sorry and upset. He’d been tender and loving to her.
“I can see that you’re softening toward him.”
“It’s crazy, right? We’re living in an apartment that they purchased together. We’re part of their lies, and it has crazy stalker attached to it, and yet I can’t help but feel a little buzz that someone out there loved me that much to keep an eye on me, who wanted me close.”
“We’d be telling everyone else to run the other way or better yet get a restraining order.”
Sophia nodded. “I can’t fault that. Maybe we’re weird.”
“We’re totally weird. We’re in love with two men. One is best friends with my dad, and the other is a computer geek.”
She couldn’t stop laughing thinking of Alfie as a geek. “That is so wrong.”
“Yet so right, and you love him.”
“Yep, I love him so much.”
They were both interrupted by the sound of knocking on their door. “This sounds exciting,” Freya said.
Following behind her friend she watched as she opened the door, and there were the two men in question.
“Jared,” Freya said then gasped as he lifted her up. “What are you doing?”
“We’re going to have a little chat, and we’re going to let those two work through their problems.”
A door closed, and Sophia and Alfie were alone.
He looked so calm, so in control. “Hey,” she said.
“Hey yourself.” He glanced over at the wine and Chinese. “Are you drunk?”
“Nope. I am very much sober.” She folded her arms. “What do you want? I know this is your apartment, but we pay rent.”
“At a really reduced amount as well.”
“Oh,” she said. “Wow, you really did control everything.”
“It wasn’t about control, and I didn’t see it as that. I wanted to protect you, to take care of you. This is a city, Sophia, and it’s dangerous. I didn’t want to ever see you hurt.” He stepped toward her, and she couldn’t bring herself to take that step back. Within seconds, his arms were wrapped around her, and maybe she was weak, but right then, she just wanted to be in his arms. He held her tightly to him, his fingers sinking into her hair. She inhaled his scent, detecting the strong stench of whiskey, and yet he was fine. There was nothing wrong with him. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Sophia, never. I love you. I love you so much.” He pressed a kiss to her head, and she didn’t know why it brought tears to her eyes, only that it did.
“I love you, too. It’s completely crazy, but I love you, and I don’t know what to think half the time.”
“I’ve been where you are. Where everyone is demanding that you make a decision, and you’re standing there afraid that whatever decision you make, it’s going to be the wrong one.”
Tears fell down her cheeks, and she nodded. “Yes.”
“The one time I saw you happy—apart from being in my arms—was when you were writing that book. I hacked into your computer, and I stole a copy of that book you wrote.” She gasped, but he didn’t stop, and kept on talking. “You have so much potential. I got professionals reading it. What I’m telling you is that I can give you whatever you want. Ask for it, and I will give it to you.”
“And in return? What do you want?”
“Nothing. I don’t want anything. I love you, Sophia. I love you so much that I will walk away from you if that is what you want, but I will never allow you to be alone.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Do you want me to leave? I ask for nothing other than you allow to give you your dream.”
“You would really do that?” she asked. “You would give me my dream for nothing.”
“I’ve got my memories of you, and that will be more than enough.”
She couldn’t believe it, and yet he started to take a step back. He took another, and there was just no way she could let him go. Watching him walk away, it was like a movie played in her mind, and she couldn’t let him go. From the moment she first met him, to the way he kissed her, stroked her, to every single detail of the time they had spent together. The past month had been one of the best of her life, and letting him go was not an option.
“No, don’t go. Please, don’t go.” She rushed toward him, and threw herself into his arms. “I know it’s crazy, but I love you, Alfie. I love you so much, and I don’t want you to go. I love you.” She held him tightly to him, closing her eyes, and crying as his arms circled her. This was what she wanted more than anything. This was her decision. Being with Alfie was her dream come true as well. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t afraid of what her decision would mean. She looked forward to being with him, more than anything else.
“I love you, Sophia. I love you so much, and I will never let you regret this moment.”
She cupped his face, and pressed her lips against his. Never in all of her life could have imagined someone would go to such lengths for her. It was completely out of this world, and she didn’t want to lose him.
He had somehow gotten under her skin, and now she couldn’t imagine being with anyone but him. She loved him so much, and wanted to be with him.
Alfie pulled away, and then went down on one knee. “I was trying to find the perfect time to give this to you, but I don’t see why I can’t give it to you now.” He held up a box. “I love you, Sophia. I want you to be mine forever. Will you be my wife?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” She stared down at the diamond engagement ring, and then at the man who had given it to her. He didn’t hold anything back, and showed her the love in his eyes. That was what she wanted, and she didn’t care about anything else.
He got off one knee, and placed the ring on her finger. She heard him vow to love her for the rest of his life, and she believed him because she felt exactly the same. She loved him more than anything, and something told her that they were going to have one heck of a life together.