Whispers of Deceit, Echoes of Love

Chapter 16

Sophia glared at the door but did not make any effort to go and open it. She was not in the mood or emotional space to entertain him.

“Soph? Sophia? I know you can hear me. Please, we need to talk about this.”

Sophia rolled her eyes. She glanced at her watch. Growling annoyed, she called back, “You and I have nothing to discuss. Leave me alone, why don’t you!”

“Please, babe, open up!”

Sophia scoffed. She walked to the door and pulled it open. She had collected her car keys, the dessert, and purse, so she did not let him inside her apartment. “You better talk fast because I am not wasting time on you.” She moved past him and walked towards the elevators.

“Wait, where are you going?” Eric asked as he stepped with her, his eyes taking in what she was wearing.

“None of your business,” Sophia replied. She got into the elevator and pressed ground, not sparing him a look.

“Is it with the same guy who answered your phone yesterday?”

Sophia did not waste her time answering him. Instead, she shrugged her hands into the coat that she had on.

“So you have a boyfriend now?” Eric sounded hurt or angry. Either way, Sophia did not reply.

“Is that what you wanted to come and talk about? She turned to him, narrowing her gaze at her. “Because whatever I do with my time now is none of your business. Whoever I see is none of your business.”

The ding of the elevator indicated they had reached their destination. Sophia stepped out and walked purposefully to her car without waiting for Eric.

Eric reached out and took hold of her arm forcefully, “wait a damn minute! Who are you going to see, huh?”

Sophia glared at the hand that was holding her. From the brutal force, she knew she was going to have a bruise, “you had better let go of my arm, Eric, before I call the police on you for harassing me.”

“Harassing you?” He asked incredulously, though he let go of her arm.

“What do you think this is?” Sophia crossed her arms, challenging him with her eyes. “You and I are over. Done! Your doing, not mine. So whatever I decide to do is of no concern to yours. I don’t want nor need your permission, your blessing, or whatever it is that you think gives you the right to question me. Go back to Emily. That’s who you should worry about.”

Eric shook his head, “Soph, this isn’t you.”

Sophia laughed, “This is me. This has always been me. It is you who was two-faced, two-timing i***t. Now, I don’t want to see you, to hear from you. I don’t care if you are going to go running to my mother again telling her that I am going out on a date, or whatever. Next time you come to my apartment, I will call the cops on you. Do you understand me?”

Eric ran his hands through his hair, “Baby, please, we can talk about this!”

Sophia rolled her eyes. “Who is your baby? I am not your baby, Eric. Probably never was,” she shook her head. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as she could feel anger building inside her. “Look, you and I have a history, I get it. But you decided I wasn’t enough, again, your prerogative. What you need to do now is accept the consequences of your actions. You and I aren’t together. My life, my business. So please, leave me alone,” Sophia walked away without waiting to hear what he had to say. Getting into her car, she gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. She took deep breaths, trying to calm the erratic beating of her heart. It hurt being close to him and not falling into his arms as she usually did. She blinked rapidly a few times, taking deep breaths to try and calm her beating heart.

The ringing of her phone brought her back. Reaching for her purse, she took her phone and accepted the call.

“Tell me you are on your way,” Steven’s voice said.

“In my car right now,” Sophia replied with a small smile.

“See you in a few minutes then,” Steven disconnected the call.

Sophia shook her head as she threw the phone on the passenger seat. She turned on the car and was about to pull out when she noticed Eric standing before it. “Is this i***t serious?” she muttered to herself as she glared at him through the window. Reaching for her phone, she dialed a number she had promised not to call.

“Why are you calling me?” Emily’s voice connected.

“Well, hello to you too,” Sophia rolled her eyes. “Listen, please keep your man on a tight leash, why don’t you? You might be able to screw me over by sleeping with him while he was dating me, but I don’t believe in going back to what I have thrown away.”

“What are you talking about?” Emily sounded confused.

“Eric,” Sophia replied. “Tell him to leave me alone. He is here standing in front of my car, stopping me from going to my date. So come get your man, or I'll run him over.” She hung up before Emily could say anything else. Lowering her window, she clicked her tongue at him. “Grow up, why don’t you! Let me pass.”

“Not until we talk,” Eric folded his arms, glaring at him.

“Don’t have the time,” Sophia replied. She smiled as his phone started ringing, “You might want to answer that.”

Eric frowned as he reached for his phone. His eyes widened as he looked at the name on the screen, “You called Emily?”

Sophia shrugged, “she is your woman, isn’t she? I bet you will listen to her if you do not listen to me. I don’t want drama from the two of you, so I suggest you leave my way and go back to your girlfriend. I am going to say this once more. Stay away from me!”

Eric glared at the phone for a few more seconds before he connected the call, “Em?”

Sophia hocked at him when he made no move to get out of her way. She was not interested in what he had to say; she only wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

Eric turned to her, his eyes promising that this was not over, “I am on my way back, Em.” He disconnected the call and turned to Sophia. “This isn’t over.” He moved out of her way.

“Yes, it is,” Sophia replied as she put the car into gear and drove away without glancing back.

She wasn’t going to lie to herself. The sight of him had been a jolt—a sudden rush of emotions she thought she'd buried deep. Why did he have to reappear today when she began believing she was ok without him?

Questions swirled in her mind, each one a sharp pang in her chest. Did she miss him, or did she miss the feeling of being understood, the comfort of someone who knew her so intimately?

Driving forward, the road split into diverging paths, a visual metaphor for the choices she faced. Should she turn back, delve into the past and seek closure, or should she continue on?

As the distance between her and her ex-boyfriend grew, so did the turmoil within her. The rearview mirror framed a chapter she thought was closed, yet its presence loomed large, beckoning her to revisit emotions she thought she'd overcome.

Getting to Steven’s residence, she sat in the car for a while, collecting herself. She did not want Steven to ask her about her gloomy emotions. She bit her lip, wondering for the first time if what she was doing was right. Even if their relationship was nonexistent, Steven was still Eric’s father. Was she really doing something right in seeing the man?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft knocking on her car window.

“Are you going to sit there all night or come in?”