Chapter 28
28
SOPHIE
I t was the distinctly noticeable noise one makes when trying to be quiet that woke Sophie the next morning. Gavin was dressing while on his cell phone as he looked out the hotel window, his voice hushed but insistent.
Staying as still as she could, Sophie wondered if this meant he had taken to heart the out she’d tried to give him before they fell asleep. After returning to the Chateau Marmont, he had ordered champagne through room service. It was yet another example of how easily they were able to drink despite being underage—a nice benefit of Gavin’s fame, she supposed. They had enjoyed the entire bottle together in celebration of their engagement.
But as they lay together on the verge of sleep, Sophie’s more prudent nature finally came to the forefront. She knew that agreeing to marry Gavin was reckless. She would be twenty in July, but that didn’t mean she was ready for marriage. Marriage to a rock star, no less. Her more fantastical side wanted to dive deep into the sheer romance of the evening they had shared overlooking the city lights. But she also feared that he had been giving into that good feeling too, and that the practicalities of what he was proposing hadn’t been even remotely considered.
“Gavin,” she had said softly. Her head was nestled into the crook of his arm, her naked body pressed against his.
“Hmm?”
“I know that this—us—feels good. But it doesn’t have to be marriage. I mean, I’m not going to hold you to that. Everything has happened so fast. I understand if you want to just see how things go.”
He shifted slightly but didn’t respond.
“Baby?”
“Let’s talk later, darlin’,” he said in a sleepy mumble.
Now he was busy making some sort of plan and she realized she’d better get up. But doing so seemed like waking herself from the best dream she had ever had, and so she stayed curled up in bed instead.
“Darlin’? Wake up for me,” Gavin said.
She reluctantly opened her eyes and saw him crouched down by the bed, watching her. His face was covered in stubble from the last few days, giving his usual disheveled appearance an even sexier edge.
“I need your help with something.” He held up a piece of paper with scribbled notes. “Will you drive me?”
Sophie was preoccupied as she followed Gavin’s directions, driving through West Hollywood and along Santa Monica Boulevard. As they neared Beverly Hills, palm trees began to neatly line the streets against the backdrop of the clear morning sky.
Meanwhile, Gavin toyed with the radio and when he heard “Last Night” followed by “All My Life,” and “Fell In Love With A Girl,” he regaled Sophie with his theory that they were experiencing a rich period in music with the likes of The Strokes, Foo Fighters, and The White Stripes, respectively, making their mark. “Clocks” by Coldplay came on and that sent him off on a rant about how close Chris Martin was to being a good front man but that he was clearly lacking confidence. He declared “Toxicity” by System of a Down too heavy-handed, but thought Chris Cornell’s effort with Audioslave was one of the better transitions of a singer into a new band that he had seen.
As Gavin’s commentary went on, Sophie’s doubts about his commitment to her grew. He hadn’t mentioned their engagement once, and seemed more interested in this random errand than making the most of their last full day together.
“Here. Turn here,” he told her.
When she realized that he was taking her down Rodeo Drive, she rolled her eyes. When had he become the kind of person who wanted to do this kind of sightseeing?
“Park around here. Any spot is good.”
It was still early, not yet ten in the morning, and only a handful of people were on the sidewalk. She found a vacant metered spot and pulled over.
“You know, nothing’s going to be open yet,” she said as he took her hand and led her down the street.
“Guess what? Turns out my limited celebrity actually has some perks.”
“What does that mean?” She knew there was an edge of irritation in her voice that came off as petulance. The romance of last night had been an incredible high and now it was like crash-landing into banal reality.
“I was on the phone earlier, before you got up, with our business manager. She’s helping me sort this out.”
Sophie stopped walking, now completely confused. “What are you even talking about, Gavin?”
He laughed. “Listen, darlin’, I’m told this is the place to get what we need. And they’re willing to open up early for us.”
She looked at the gray stone building in front of them on this manicured street. The fact that it was Tiffany & Co. didn’t register. Had he really dragged her out here to get a gift for his business manager?
“I don’t?—”
“We are here, sweet girl,” he said slowly, emphatically, “to pick a ring.”
She took in a quick breath, feeling both thrilled and stupid. How had she managed to mangle this incredible gesture?
Gavin stroked her cheek. “I heard what you said last night, Sophie,” he said. “And I know what you mean. I know how scary this all seems. You and I have spent years apart and it’s fair to worry that we don’t know each other anymore. The thing is, I have no doubt that I love you. I love you for what you were and I know I’ll love you for what you’ve become. I absolutely want to marry you. What do you say?”
Wiping at the tear escaping her eye, Sophie smiled. “You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet.”
Gavin laughed and kissed her. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Will you marry me, Sophie?”
“Yes,” she whispered back.
Inside the store, there were four employees and they all had their eyes trained on them. Sophie smiled and said hello but the enormity of their task—finding that one ring to last a lifetime—was daunting.
“Just breathe,” Gavin murmured to her, squeezing her hand.
She looked at him, relieved that he could read her. His hand was warm and reassuring.
A lovely saleswoman with a calm way about her took control then, showing them the various bands, settings, and cuts to choose from while also casually questioning Sophie about her own personal style.
Though the glittering jewelry was mesmerizing and she adored admiring all the options, Sophie quickly realized that the one setting that most pleased her was the classic Tiffany.
“Let’s size you, then,” the saleswoman said. She quickly established Sophie’s ring size and pulled a solitaire diamond set on platinum out of a glass case. “Gavin, why don’t you help Sophie with this?” She handed him the engagement ring.
Sophie looked at him and smiled, tickled by the fact that he was about to put a ring on her finger that held so much promise for their future.
“Shall I make a speech?” he asked with a smile.
“You’ve already made a couple of amazing speeches,” she said.
He toyed with the ring for a moment before dropping down on one knee.
“Sophie Michelle Kavanaugh,” he said and tears filled her eyes. “I’ve broken your heart in the past. I never want to do that again. But if I do, I promise you that I will always mend it. I will be the one for you, just as you are the one for me. I love you fiercely, desperately, absolutely. Marry me, sweet girl, and make me whole.”
“I’ll marry you again and again and again,” she said, smiling through her tears.
He slid the ring onto her finger and kissed the back of her hand before standing.
As they kissed, the store employees applauded softly.
“Will we always have an audience for special moments like this?” she whispered.
“Welcome to my world, darlin’. It’s a wild ride, but we’ll make it through together.”
She had no doubt about it.