Whispers of Deceit, Echoes of Love

Chapter 4

Sophia re-read the message before throwing the phone away. How dare she? She took her boyfriend and now she dared to ask her to meet at their favorite hangout? She must be insane. Sophia took a deep breath, looking around her room before her eyes fell on the slightly opened closet. Getting up, she walked to it. With anger, she started removing Eric’s clothes from the hangers and throwing them on the floor. They used to alternate. Sometimes, he would sleep at hers and sometimes, she slept at his. She was also a fan of his hoodies and sweatpants. As she continued to throw the clothes down, hurt took over and soon she was crying. Sliding on the floor, she hugged all his clothes close to her heart. He had been her first love, the only man she trusted not to hurt her or use her to get closer to her brothers. He was her first kiss, her everything.

Curling into a ball, Sophia turned her face and buried it into the clothing, taking in Eric’s scent. She wasn’t sure how long she was curled there until the constant ringing of her phone rose her. Reluctantly, she stood up and walked to the bed where she threw it. It was Mia.

“Hello?” Sophia’s voice sounded patched even to her.

“Girlfriend, are you ok?” Mia was full of worry. “I have been trying to call you the whole morning! Was the dinner date that good?” she chuckled.

Sophia sniffled, fighting back the tears, “It never happened.”

“Oh? So you decided to stay indoors, then? A lot of Netflixing and chilling.”

“That didn’t happen either,” Sophia reached for her pillow and hugged it as if it would give her strength. “I found him with another woman in his apartment after you dropped me.”

The curse word that escaped Mia’s lips would have made Sophia laugh if she wasn’t so broken, “are you ok?”

Sophia took a deep breath, “I am not sure. I am here thinking it might be a bad dream or something.”

“Oh, girlfriend! I will stop by later when I get off work. I have covered for you, saying you got some food poisoning so you are good this side.”

“Thanks, Mia,” Sophia smiled a bit.

“Do you-uh-know the girl?”

Emily and Mia were courteous to each other but only because of Sophia. They only hung out together if she was with them. On more occasions, Sophia would hang out with each one individually. “Emily,” Sophia replied.

“You can’t be serious!” More curses came from Mia. “I knew there was something that I didn’t like about that girl! I am so sorry, girlfriend. I will stop by with a bottle of wine, ok?”

“Thank you, Mia,” Sophia sniffled again before disconnecting the call. She buried her face in the pillow and screamed. She was more substantial than this. Why did she keep on crying? She took a deep breath and got off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Opting for a bath, she filled her tab with warm water and dropped in her favorite bath ball before sinking into the fizzling water.

Once she had her fill, she got out and dried herself. She had decided to go and meet with Emily just because she wanted to know why.

Taking her time, she got herself ready. She was not going to give Emily the benefit of seeing how broken she was or how much she had hurt her. She opted for white fitted jeans paired with a green silky long-sleeved shirt. She applied a light coat of makeup put on her favorite earrings that she had gotten from her brother Seth. After collecting her bag and phone, she slipped her feet into green ankle boots and walked out. She made her way to the underground garage to get her car. She had left it yesterday because that’s what they did when they had date nights. Eric would pick her up from work, they would spend the night in one of the apartments and Eric would drop her off at the office in the morning.

Getting into her red Audi, a present from Enzo, she made her way to Orlando’s.

Orlando's Café was a popular and vibrant meeting place in the heart of the city. Known for its warm and inviting atmosphere, the café became their go-to spot to catch up over coffee or a delicious meal.

It wasn’t a big cafe, but it exuded a cozy and welcoming ambiance with warm, earthy tones and soft, dimmed lighting. The interior features comfortable seating options, including plush couches, wooden tables, and cushioned chairs. The walls are adorned with local artwork, giving the space a touch of artistic flair. The cafe also boasts large, sun-soaked windows that view the bustling city streets outside.

Sophia walked in, and scanned the area before locating where Emily was sitting.

“Better make it fast, I have places to be,” Sophia stated as she sat down. She kept her gaze clear of any emotions.

Emily looked up, a bit surprised, before she smirked, “Oh, I didn’t think you would show up.”

“I am here. What do we have to talk about?” Sophia was not in the mood. She shook her head when a waiter approached their table to get her order.

Emily sighed, “to be honest, Eric never meant to hurt you. He always felt guilty when we were together.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow before she started chuckling, “You have become his spokesperson now? Isn’t he man enough to talk to me himself?”

“He doesn’t even know you are here,” Emily shrugged, pushing her wave of blonde hair over her shoulder. “I just don’t want you to make it hard for us. We love each other.”

Sophia nodded slowly, “you love each other? When did this love start? Because if I remember correctly, he has been my boyfriend for a while and you have been my best friend whom I told everything.”

“When it started isn’t important. I am just warning you to stay away from him,” Emily’s eyes sharpened.

“You are warning me? To stay away from my boyfriend, who you stole?” Sophia laughed loudly. She ignored the looks that she got from the people in the cafe. “Are you hearing yourself right now, Emily? You don’t sound confident in your so-called love if you think I am a threat.”

Emily narrowed her eyes, “Eric is a softy. He was supposed to have broken up with you a long time ago but he didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Well, that was his issue not mine,” Sophia shrugged. “Look, I am not sure what you wanted to achieve by bringing me here, but if it was to warn me to stay away from Eric you are wasting your time. Unlike you, I don’t stab people in the back. I counted you as my sister but I guess all the time you were eyeing my man. Well, good for you, you got him. If there is nothing more, I am out of here.”

“You don’t have to act tough, Sophia, I know you,” Emily glared at her, somehow angry that she was not getting anything more from Sophia.

Sophia tilted her head, “do you, though? Know me, I mean,” she added when she saw the confusion on Emily’s face. “Can you honestly sit there and say you know me? Remember I have had to endure a lot of fake friendships because of my brothers. So how sure are you that what I showed you is really me?”

Emily’s jaws tightened, her green eyes spitting fire. “You can act all tough and all but he is still leaving you for me.”

“Well, good for you. You always were good at thrifting,” Sophia stood up. “Please don’t call me again to waste my time.” She was about to turn and leave when someone behind her called her name.

“Soph?” Eric sounded hopeful. “What are you doing here?”

Sophia’s eyes were one of Emily’s smirk. So she wanted to see this when she and Eric were having lunch together. “Don’t worry, I was about to leave. Good, you are here,” Sophia reached into her bag. She removed Eric’s apartment key and placed it on the table. “Here is your apartment key. Hand over mine.”

“Soph, can you at least sit down?” Eric moved from behind her to stand by her side.

Sophia turned to look at the face she had looked up at with so much love for the past four years and now all she could see was a cheater. “Why? Are you or are you not here to have lunch with your new girlfriend?”

Eric’s eyes fell on Emily before returning to Sophia, though no words came out.

“Thought so. Hand over my keys, please,” she extended her hand. She watched dispassionately as Eric removed the keys and placed them gently on her hand. “Thanks. You can burn, give away or throw whatever of mine is at your place. I will have your stuff delivered to you.” Without waiting for them to say anything else, she walked out, her head held high.