Chapter 89 Box of condoms
Sophie’s pov
My stomach was full of butterflies. I adjusted the little gift bag in my hand and took a deep breath, a smile already on my face. This was going to be the best surprise. I am standing outside my boyfriend’s apartment. I just got off a ten-hour flight from one side of the country to the other. I changed planes more than once, then rode the subway, then a bus. All of it just to get here in time to surprise him for his birthday and here I am. Listening to him fuck another woman right behind that door.
“Oh god… yes, Jordan… just like that…”
I can hear everything. The bed shaking. Skin slapping together. The low groans. I press my hand hard over my mouth so I do not scream. All those times he asked me to come visit. And this is what he does? He cheats on me? I feel sick. I feel rage burning in my gut. Before I can think, my fist is pounding on the wood.
“Jordan! Open this door right now! Jordan!”
Everything goes quiet. A few seconds later, the door swings open. Jordan is standing there, shirtless, his hair a mess. I can see marks all over his neck.
“Sophie?” His face is pure shock. “What are you doing here?”
My voice shakes and I can not stop it. “What do you think I am doing? Who is in there? Have you been lying to me this whole time?”
I try to push past him into the apartment, but he grabs my arm to hold me back. “Just relax, would you?” he snaps.
He drags a hand through his hair, agitated. “Look… Sophie, I did not want you to find out like this. But think about it. We have spent maybe a handful of days together this past year. You never come to see me. What was I supposed to do?”
I can not believe what I am hearing. He is the one who cheated. And he is making it my fault.
“What were you supposed to do?” I spit the words at him. “You were supposed to keep your dick in your pants. Is that really so complicated?”
His face tightens.
“Come on, Sophie,” he says, his voice voice. “Do not be childish about this.”
My heart is beating so hard it hurts. I stare right at him and force the words out. “Do not ever call me childish. You are a liar. You are a pig.”
I slap him. My palm cracks against his cheek so hard his head whips to the side. Before he can even react, I turn and walk away.
I run out of the building and find it is raining. I want to go back inside, but the main door has already locked behind me. Perfect, Sophie. Now you are stuck in the rain.
“Fuck,” I mutter, wiping water from my eyes. I pull out my phone.
I need to call someone. The first two people on my list are my best friend Maya and my father. Both of them told me not to come here in the first place.
The last thing I want right now is to hear “I told you so.”
I scroll through my contacts, shivering. My finger stops on one name. I have never thought about calling this person… but I am tired, I am wet, and I have nowhere else to go. What other choice do I have?
One hour later, a taxi stops in front of a tall townhouse. This is the richest part of the city. You need serious money and influence to live here. As I open the car door, someone runs out with an umbrella.
“My god, what happened? You are soaked! Why did you not call me? I would have picked you up from the airport!”
I let her pull me toward the house. “I am fine, Mom. I will probably just stay one night.”
“What do you mean?” Her voice goes higher. “Aren’t you here to..”
“I am not here to see you, Mom,” I say, plain and simple.
“Oh.” The smile on her face fades. She pushes a piece of hair behind her ear, looking uncomfortable.
My mother is very beautiful. She has big blue eyes and thick brown hair that falls over her shoulders. She knows how good she looks. It is probably why she left my father years ago and married a billionaire. I look a lot like her. Jordan said he fell for me the moment he saw me. He was always telling me how pretty I am. But I never cared much about that. And anyway, being pretty is not enough to keep someone from cheating.
Seeing the hurt on my mom’s face, I already feel bad for being so blunt. “Is… Mr. Thorne home? Or Liam? If it is a bad time, I can get a hotel room.”
“No!” she says quickly. “Alexander is away for work. Liam stays at his own place in the city now. You can use his old room tonight. Come on, I will show you.”
So my stepbrother has his own penthouse. I am not surprised. Liam’s old room is on the second floor, first door on the left. When Mom opens it, it is like stepping back in time. Everything is just how I remember it. Posters on the walls, his skateboard in the corner, a glass case full of his strange collectibles.
Liam always bought odd, expensive things on his trips. One time I picked up a teacup from his shelf. He told me it was from some old royal era and worth more than my car. It scared me to even hold it. But he just laughed and told me I could have anything I wanted from his collection.
Even though things are strange with my mom, I do miss Liam.
“I always keep his room ready, in case he wants to stay over,” Mom says, holding the door. “But if you would be more comfortable in the guest room, I can have it ready in half an hour.”
“No,” I say, cutting her off. “This is fine.”
“Okay.” She looks like she wants to say more, but she does not. “Love you, sweetheart. Sleep well.”
She brings my bag in and closes the door. The second I am alone, my legs give out and I slide down to the floor. If I close my eyes, I can still hear it. The sounds from behind Jordan’s door. It makes me feel sick.
I climb into Liam’s bed and pull the covers over my head. His sheets smell like mint and clean wood. The smell is calming. I bury myself deeper into the warmth. It almost feels like being held. It is too bad Liam is not here. We have not talked in three years, but I really need a friend right now.
I cry until I finally fall asleep. When morning light comes through the window, my head is pounding. I groan. I need a cold shower to wake up. Liam’s bathroom is completely clean. There is not even a bottle of shampoo. I wonder how long it has been since he was here. I turn the shower on and gasp as freezing water runs over my skin. But it helps. My head feels clearer. Then I remember. My bag and my clean clothes are still in the bedroom. There is not even a towel in here.
Obviously, I do not want to walk around naked in my stepbrother’s room. But he is not here. It should be okay. I open the door a little and peek out. No one is there. I hurry out. My mom put my bag in the closet last night. I pull the closet door open and grab the strap of my backpack. A box gets knocked off the shelf and falls to the floor.
“What the…” I look down and my breath catches. It is a box of condoms. It is funny. His room does not have a towel, but it has a full box of condoms. The very next second, the bedroom door swings open. I spin around. There is a man I have never seen before standing right there, and I can not help it, I scream…