Eclipsed Hearts

Chapter 10

Music filled the air as the Christmas party raged on. Don and Sophie danced all night as they celebrated the New Year. This was their first night away from their daughters in almost sixteen years, and they were going to enjoy every second of it.

They mingled with they friends and family,

and shared stories as the night progressed, but before long, they found themselves missing their children.

"Let's call them Don." Sophie said.

"Honey, it's only been a few hours since we left. They are fine." Don replied

"I know that, but I'm not fine because I miss them already." Sophie pouted and batted her eyes at her husband.

"Don't look at me like that, Sophie. You know what that does to me."

Even after 20 years of marriage, Sophie still knew had this puppy look that made Don weak. He never understood why or how that always happened, but he chalked it up to him being absolutely head over heels in love with his wife.

Chuckling, he drew her in for a kiss, which she reciprocated. After a long while, he pulled away.

"I'm going to get the car so you call them and let them know we will be home early." he said to Sophie, whose eyes lit up at his decision.

He always loved making her happy from the day they met in high school. She saw everything differently, and it became one of the things he loved about her.

He remembers running into her in the halls, her light brown curly hair and big eyes drew him in as she walked past him, he immediately knew he had to meet her and staged a meet cute outside in the parking lot. To his surprise, she found him cute too and thus began their relationship throughout high school, college, and now in marriage. He could not imagine life without Sophie or his any of his girls, and if he hurried up, they would get to snuggle before they girls fell asleep.

* * * * * * * *

Sophie

"Hi, mom." Parker's voice rang threw the phone. "How's the party?"

Parker Leslie Miller was their first daughter. At 16 years old, she was almost 5'9 "in heights, with long dark hair and big brown eyes. Sophie and Parker had a wonderful relationship, and now that Parker was a teenager, they were even closer.

"Hi, sweetie." Sophie replied."The party is fine. How are you girls doing?"

"TJ and JP want to watch Harry Potter but somehow can't decide which one. Jessie said it wasn't the right movie for new years and that turned into a huge argument but we ended up watching Twilight curtesy of Emelia ( the nanny) and some hot chocolate with marshmallows didn't hurt either."

Sophie laughed at the commotion

"Yhup, that's exactly what I expected from you guys." she between giggles.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Parker responded, feigning offence.

"Nothing dear, just calling to let you know dad and I are on the back so we can watch a movie together."

"Sure, mom, I'll let the girls know." Parker replied.

"Tell them I love them, and I love you!"

"Love you too, mom." Parker said, but before Sophie could ask her anything else, she heard Parker yelling in the background

'GUYS, MOM SAYS SHE LOVES YOU!!!'

'WE LOVE HER TOO!!" rings back in Sophie's ear, and she just can't help but chuckle to herself.

It was moments like this that made her love the life she was given. She didn't even care when Don told her he came from money because her family was wealthy too, but it wouldn't have changed anything because she fell in love with how kind, charming and thoughtful he was. His family embraced her, and she found out that they were just as kind as her husband, which made it easier for her to want to marry him. She always imagined living on a quiet property somewhere secluded away from city life to raise their kids, and even though they aren't living somewhere secluded their family house was big enough and private enough that she didn't even mind all she wanted was for her daughters to grow up knowing that even thought

But I couldn't shake the nerves that fluttered in my stomach. It was as if a shadow lurked behind my happiness, a feeling I couldn't quite place. Maybe it was just the gravity of what had happened. s*x wasn’t just a moment; it was a step forward. A step into something deeper with Mark.

I hopped out of bed, quickly grabbing my phone to text him, but then I stopped myself. Was it too soon? Should I let him text first? I stared at the screen, biting my lip before tossing my phone aside. I could wait. Today was going to be perfect. I’d walk into school with that post-homecoming glow, find Mark, and we’d share that secret smile—the kind that only two people in love could share.

After showering and getting dressed, I felt good. No, scratch that—I felt incredible. The outfit I picked out wasn’t my usual jeans-and-hoodie combo. Today, I wore a simple, flattering dress that showed just enough without being too much. I wanted Mark to see me—really see me.

But as I walked into school, there was an odd shift in the air. Whispers trailed behind me, hushed conversations that stopped as soon as I passed by. My heart raced a little faster. What was that about?

No matter. I’d find Mark and everything would be fine. I walked through the crowded hallways, searching for him in the usual spots. When I finally spotted him near his locker, my heart lifted. There he was, talking with his friends. The sight of him alone made my chest warm.

“Hey,” I called, walking up to him with a soft smile.

Mark turned toward me, his expression hard to read, and my heart faltered. He didn’t smile back. His friends exchanged glances, and something cold slithered down my spine.

“Mark?” I said again, my voice a little less certain now.

He turned to face me fully, his jaw tight. “Mattie, we need to talk.”

The tone of his voice stopped me in my tracks.

Ryan visited a few times, always checking in on me, always making sure I was okay. He never pressured me to talk, but he was always there, quietly offering his presence when I needed it. He was the only person I could stand to be around, the only one who didn’t make me feel like I was about to break.

It was during one of those visits that everything changed again.

* * *

It was late, the moon high in the sky when Ryan showed up at my house. My parents had gone to bed, and the house was quiet. I let him in without a word, grateful for the distraction.

We sat in silence for a while, the air thick with unspoken words. I could feel the tension building between us, the weight of everything I hadn’t said pressing down on me.

“Mattie,” Ryan finally said, his voice soft, “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but… I hate seeing you like this.”

I swallowed hard, looking down at my hands. “I’m fine, Ryan.”

“No, you’re not,” he said, his voice firmer now. “And that’s okay. You don’t have to be fine.”

I looked up at him, and for the first time in weeks, I felt something stir inside me. It wasn’t the sharp pain of betrayal or the cold numbness that had taken over my heart. It was something warmer, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Why do you care so much?” I whispered.

Ryan looked at me, his eyes full of something I couldn’t quite name. “Because I’ve known you since we were kids, and I can’t stand seeing you hurt like this.”

His words hit me harder than I expected, and before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning toward him, closing the space between us. The kiss was soft at first, tentative, but then it deepened, and suddenly, I was lost in him.

Everything that had happened with Mark, all the pain and humiliation, melted away in that moment. All that mattered was Ryan—his touch, his warmth, the way he made me feel like I wasn’t broken beyond repair.

We tumbled into my bed, our bodies tangling together in a desperate attempt to feel something—anything—other than the emptiness that had taken root inside me. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t something I had thought about, but in that moment, it was what I needed.

Afterwards, we lay in silence, the weight of what had just happened settling over us. I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing.

I didn’t know what this meant. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. All I knew was that I wasn’t ready for any of it.

And so, the next morning, I left without saying a word to him or anyone.

I was ready to start a new way from all the years of bullying and away from the one person who might truly care about me. With the tears rolling down my face, I boarded the plane, leaving everything and everyone behind without a care.

my body to be mine and the huge amount of money you can stay for and I had had a plan to stay in touch and have a pup came up in the city with the Silver wolf packs and a huge argument for me to the United States to be mine and the huge amount of money in my mind racing in a way that you have.

He started the car and turned towards the road heading home. Sophie turned on the radio and stopped on a station still playing Christmas carols.

Sophie hummed to the tuned as Don sped down the street in his Honda CRV, a very modest car for a billionaire.