Whispers of Deceit, Echoes of Love

Chapter 3

It was way past midnight when Sophia got home. She had no idea how she got there, to be honest. After leaving Eric’s apartment, she had walked aimlessly for what seemed to be hours before ending up at a park. There, she sat on one of the many benches scattered around the scenic park and just blanked out. She could not cry anymore. It seemed the tears were dry. She was numb. She tried to think back, trying to pinpoint when Eric had changed, but nothing came to mind. He was always the tentative boyfriend, always there for her when she needed him. He never once asked her to do something she wasn’t comfortable with. They had been planning to get engaged before the year’s out, thinking of a spring wedding next year.

But all that now seemed to have gone down the drain. Oh, she did know that a lot of his female co-workers had made a move on him. And who wouldn’t? Eric was not only handsome in a playboy way, but he was also attentive and caring, and he made enough money to live comfortably.

But Sophia had trusted him. He used to tell her every time a female co-worker made a move at him. They would laugh it out, and that would be that. There was never a rumor about him being with another woman other than her.

To find out that it was actually her best friend who had betrayed her that much, she couldn’t cope.

Opening the door to her apartment, she closed the door and leaned on it, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. For the first time, she was thankful that she kept her apartment and did not move in with Eric. Come to think about it, it was Emily who pushed her to have her own place. Apart from college, Sophia had always lived with others. Emily had told her that it was an experience she should try before conjuring moving in with Eric. When she brought the topic to Eric, he was initially disappointed but it did not take long to convince him.

Was that when they started their affair? Sophia asked herself. She groaned, placing her face on her knees. She could feel a splitting headache and knew she needed to take some painkillers before she could go to bed.

Pulling herself up, she slowly walked into her kitchen. Rummaging the top cabinet, she found her first aid box. Popping the lid open, she quickly scanned the contents before reaching for the painkiller bottle. Unscrewing it, she took two pills, popping them into her mouth and swallowing them without water. She quickly placed everything back and left the box there before walking to the tap. Reaching for the glass closest to her, she filled it up quickly and drained it. Placing it in the sink, she made her way to her room.

After a quick strip that saw her throwing her clothes everywhere, she walked into the shower. She stood on the side of the door, letting the cold water run first before the warm water started. The blast from the jets hit her body, and she welcomed it. She was working on autopilot, just going through the motions.

It did not recall how long she stood under the running water, only when it became cooler did she step out. With a quick brush of teeth and a towel over her wet hair, she made it to her bedroom. The bed called her name, and soon she fell into a restless sleep.

The constant shaking of her body made Sophia groan and open her eyes.

“What the hell, Sophia? Wake the bloody up!”

Her brother Morgan’s voice, sounding annoyed, floated into her ears. She turned to him, blinking so that she could bring him into focus. “Morgan?”

“No, your fairy godmother,” Morgan huffed in annoyance. “What the hell is going on with you? It’s eleven something, and you are still in bed. We get calls from Eric and your friend, Maya, that you aren’t picking up when they try to reach you. We call and find out your phone has been switched off. This isn’t you!”

Sophia sat up, pushing the curtain of hair away from her face, “it’s Mia.”

“Is that all you have to say?” Morgan sounded angry.

“Can I at least get out of bed first?” Sophia replied with a question of her own. “I will meet you in the lounge.”

Morgan’s blue eyes scanned her face for a few seconds before giving her a curt nod and walking out.

Sophia sighed before falling back on the bed. Eleven in the morning, and she did not even report to the office. She knew that Mia would cover for her, but she still felt bad for not letting her friend know what was happening. Pushing the covers away, she sat up again, swung her legs over the bed, and stood. A quick stretch, she walked ot her bathroom for a quick brush of teeth and combing of hair. She placed her hair in an untidy bun before walking into her bedroom. She opened her wardrobe and scanned what to wear. Her eyes landed on some of Eric’s stuff. She should probably send them back to him. Opting for some yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, she made her way to the lounge, not at all surprised to find her other brother, Enzo, there.

“Not surprised to see me?” Enzo asked. He was sitting on one of the bar stools by the kitchen island while Morgan was by the stove.

“You are attached to the hip. If Seth hadn’t traveled, he would have been here too,” Sophia shrugged. She was in no mood for company. “What did you have to say?”

Enzo turned and crossed his arms across his huge chest. He was the oldest brother and took his title very seriously. “Why are your boyfriend and girlfriend blowing up our phones?”

“First, I don’t have a boyfriend,” Sophia told them calmly. “The answer to the second question is because I overslept and didn’t make it to work.”

“What do you mean you don’t have a boyfriend?” Morgan asked as he placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her.

Sophia shrugged and reached for the fork. She seriously did not feel like eating, but with her brothers there, she had no choice but to stuff her face. “Just that. No boyfriend.”

“You have to be more forthcoming than that, Jewels,” Enzo used the nickname they had given her when she was little and all she wanted was to wear their mother’s jewelry.

“We have broken up, so no boyfriend,” even saying the words made her feel sick.

“Does he know this?” Morgan asked. “Because I don’t think a person calling me ten times indicates that you have broken up. What happened?”

Sophia shrugged, ducked her head, and put a mouthful of eggs into her mouth to escape from answering her brother.

Enzo sighed, “We are very busy people, Jewels, and you know this. We are here because we are worried about you. Your friend is worried about you, and so is your ex-boyfriend. So why don’t you tell us what’s going on so that everyone can get on with their lives?”

“I did not call you here,” Sophia replied without looking at her brothers. “So you are both free to leave anytime you want. Thank you for the information. I will call Mia and tell her to cover for me today.”

Morgan gritted his teeth, his blue eyes narrowing. He could scare anyone with his chiseled no, no-nonsense looks, “You had better spill, or we are taking this to mom.”

“Taking what? That I have been dumped? I am not the first person that happened to,” Sophia sat back and glared at her brother. “Y’all can go. Thanks for breakfast.” She slid off the chair and walked back to her room, ignoring the calls from her brothers. She knew they were busy and would not stay longer than necessary. She loved them, she did. But she needed time to process everything. Her emotions were still raw, and the last thing she needed was to cry in front of them. Her brothers were influential in the sporting industry, often in the spotlight. She did not want her life to be made part of the paparazzi’s story. Sophia, Sister of The Trio Collins brothers, Gets Cheated On With Best Friend. She was sure that news coverage like that would throw her right into the limelight.

She heard the door open and close, indicating her brothers had left. She took a deep breath and reached for her handbag on the floor beside her bed. Reaching for her phone, she found numerous calls from Eric, Mia, and her brothers. She was scrolling through the phone when she saw a message she was not expecting.

‘We need to talk. Meet me at Orlando’s.’