7. Chapter 7
”He”s bringing Sophia along,” I told Luna on the phone, panicked. ”I don”t know how it”s going to turn out.”
”You shouldn”t be afraid of a thirteen-year-old.”
”This is not your garden-variety thirteen-year-old.” And I should know. I spent enough time with Nina”s daughter, Bianca, who was thirteen as well, to know Sophia was going through something.
Bianca wanted to be an architect, and we spent every other Sunday afternoon together with the goal of seeing one historic building in Savannah at a time and learning about it. After we had lunch. I always enjoyed my time with her. Bianca was a lovely kid, curious and smart.
Sophia, I had a feeling, was a good kid who was stuck trying to save her parents” relationship and was acting out because of that pressure. Gabriel would never see it, but his ex-wife was doing everything she could to get him back and no matter how often he told me that was never happening, I feared that it would. The lure of being a happy family would be hard for a man like Gabriel, who was so dedicated to his daughter, to resist. If that happened, I promised myself I”d let him go with a smile. I wasn”t a home wrecker. I wanted him to be happy.
I set a third place on the table and turned up the lights now that it wasn”t going to be a romantic dinner for two. It was a beautiful April day in Savannah, and I opened the balcony doors to let the air in. The candles on the dining table flickered.
I looked around my home. It was warm and cozy. I”d always had an affinity for Native American art and style, so my home had a lot of colorful pueblo-design throw rugs and a bright red couch. The art was eclectic from impressionism to modern. Everything in my home was something I”d purchased and had meaning for me.
The dining table had been an impulse buy at an antique fair. It had been in abysmal shape until Stella—who in addition to being an amazing landscape architect was also a remarkable furniture restorer—gave it some TLC. I paired the beautiful redwood with modern leather chairs. It was a small table with seating for six people, maximum.
I had also changed the bed sheets, but I needn”t have bothered because Gabriel would not be staying the night. And somehow, that pleased me, that he wanted to spend time with me without sex being involved. He was bringing his daughter to my place. He was making a commitment. I”d do everything I could to make it work with Sophia, I vowed. Everything and anything.
But an hour into dinner, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my promise to myself. Sophia was chipper because her father was there, but her remarks were getting increasingly hostile, even if she was delivering them with a smile.
”It”s really a small condo…but you live alone, so I guess it works for you,” she said, looking around at my place.
”Isn”t it noisy to be on such a busy street?” she asked. ”Daddy likes it quiet; that”s why we live where we live, right, Daddy?”
”I love your dress. Did you buy it at Zara? In Paris, we went shopping everywhere. My favorite was Chanel.”
She was thirteen, and she was behaving like a…well, spoiled thirteen-year-old who was competing with me. I didn”t want to compete with this kid.
Gabriel looked so pleased with himself that it was painfully obvious he had the biggest blinders on when it came to Sophia. He simply couldn”t see what she was doing. Poor girl, I thought to myself, having to learn such underhanded behavior at such an early age. My heart went out to her and to Gabriel.
His phone rang, and he sighed. ”It”s my father, I have to take this.”
We”d just finished our soufflés, and they”d turned out really well, which I was relieved about. As soon as Gabriel stepped out onto the balcony, Sophia went from Jekyll to Hyde, but with a twist this time.
”Why are you doing this?” she asked.
I was taken aback. ”Doing what, Sophia?”
”Breaking up my family.”
I felt a sledgehammer go through me. ”Honey, I”m not doing that.”
”Look, I can see you don”t have a lot of money, and my dad does. Is that what you want?”
I sighed. ”No, Sophia, I love your father. I”d love him whether he had any money or not.”
She sniffled. ”You”re just a gold digger, and we all know that.”
She was a beautiful girl, like her mother. Blonde, blue-eyed, devastatingly good-looking features. The words gold digger coming out of her mouth sounded obscene.
”Sophia. Your father would like us to get along and—”
”I don”t like you.”
I licked my lips and smiled gently, ”Tell me why? What can I change for you to like me?”
”Leave my father,” she declared.
”Honey, your father and my relationship doesn”t have anything to do with how he feels about you. You do know that, right?”
”Either you leave him, or I”ll make sure he leaves you.”
I frowned at that. ”What?”
Gabriel walked in then, and as if on command, Sophia burst into tears. ”Hey, Sweetpea.” Gabriel crouched in front of his daughter. ”What happened?”
”I told Aurora that I”d like for us to be friends, and she said that kids and grownups can”t be friends.”
I stared at her, horrified. I”d never expected her to outright lie.
Gabriel looked at me in confusion. ”Aurora?”
”I…” I didn”t know what to say.
”What”s going on?” he demanded, pulling his daughter up from the chair and holding her.
”I didn”t say that, honey,” I tried patiently.
”What exactly did you say?” Gabriel asked harshly stroked his daughter”s back as she sobbed.
Sophia pulled back. ”I”m trying, Daddy, but she isn”t…I don”t know why you have to keep dating someone like her.”
Gabriel shook his head. ”Aurora?”
I took a deep breath. There was no winning this, was there? I felt tremendously sad for Gabriel and me, but especially for Sophia. How terrible for a child to lie and cheat to bring her family back together? Maybe that would be the best course here.
”You should get her home,” I mumbled. ”We can talk later.”
Gabriel looked at me, confused. ”What the fuck is going on?”
I just shrugged. ”She”s really upset, Gabriel.”
”I can see that. What I want to know is what you did to make her so upset?”
I”d been foolish to think this could work. His arrangement with his ex and his daughter made it impossible for Gabriel to have a relationship with another woman—I had always known that, hadn”t I?
Sophia pulled away. ”As soon you”re not around, she”s so mean to me, Daddy. Do you know that?”
Gabriel looked at his daughter, disbelief running through him. I could feel his conflict. He couldn”t imagine his Sweetpea lying to him, and he couldn”t believe I could be mean. I knew who”d win this tug of war.
”She tells me that I take up too much of your time. Do I?”
”No, honey. You”re my baby girl.” Gabriel stared at me with anger. ”Come on, Aurora, that”s not something you tell a kid.”
I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I could throw a hissy fit if I knew how to, but I didn”t. I could tell him that his daughter was lying, but that”d hurt him, and he”d never believe me, anyway. This was what was called a no-win situation.
”I never said…,” I said weakly. ”I”d never say that.”
”You did. You just did when you said that your relationship with my father has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with me. He”s my father.”
”I only meant that it doesn”t change how your father feels about you, Sophia.” I didn”t even know why I was trying. She”d just lie some more. The poor kid was brainwashed by her mother that I was the evil stepmom who was upending their family life, regardless of the fact that Gabriel and Iris had never been happy together.
Gabriel pulled out his car keys and gave them to Sophia. ”You know where the car is parked?”
”Yes, Daddy.”
”Sweetpea, go and wait for me. I”ll be there in five minutes.”
Sophia walked away, sobbing, and gave me a triumphant look. I only smiled back sadly. Yeah, kid, you won, but at what cost to your conscience.
I turned to face Gabriel, who was enraged. I could feel the anger emanating from him, directed towards me.
”You know I was warned that a woman who”s nearly thirty and hasn”t been in a relationship and has no kids is maternally unsuited to be with me. I didn”t listen because I was so fucking hot for you. I should have.”
Despite the anger, his voice was calm. I knew how Gabriel handled his temper. He said his piece and walked away. He didn”t discuss, didn”t want to hear the other side of the story—he just said what he had to and moved on.
”I”m so sorry, Gabriel.” I had no idea what I was apologizing for. Probably everything. That he had a child who was off the rails. That he was still mired in his marriage after he”d worked so hard to get away from it. For breaking my heart over a love that never had a chance, not the way he managed his personal life.
”Fucking hell, Aurora. I wanted you to make it work with her. Do I mean so little to you? What”s wrong with you?”
”I never meant to hurt her,” I said lamely. ”I never said those—”
”Well, there”s no point dancing around it, is there? We both know it”s not working. You”re too cold to be with someone who has a child.”
Cold?My heart almost stopped beating and the punch to my gut made me feel hollow.
This was it. We were ending.
Everything inside me was shutting down. I loved this man. I”d do anything for him. But I couldn”t convince his daughter to give me a chance.
He ran a hand through his hair. ”I”ve got to go. You have a good life. Ah…I have stuff at your place, and some of your things are at mine.”
I nodded.
”Just drop by with my things and take yours…do it during the day. I”ll make sure your code works for the next few days.”
”Thanks.”
I wanted to hug him one last time. Kiss him one last time.
He looked at me. ”Are you so jealous of my daughter that you couldn”t even try?”
”No. I”m not jealous of—”
”Now I can see why your father and mother walked away from you. All this calm and quiet is an act, isn”t it? I can”t believe you”re so selfish. The minute I”m not there, you”re attacking my daughter?”
I closed my eyes. He knew me well. Knew what buttons to push. How to hurt the most. But, see, when you”d been abandoned by pretty much everyone who was supposed to love you all your life—you learn to steel your heart. So, I did.
”You”re not even upset we”re ending, are you?” He looked devastated.
I smiled weakly. ”Take care of yourself, Gabriel.”
I left him standing in the living room and went into my bedroom. I heard the front door slam shut, and then, after I was sure he was gone, I let heartbreak take me.