11. Chapter 11
Chapter 11
S ophie waited for Stone to reply. She’d looked forward to tonight’s book buddy chat more than she cared to admit. The anticipation had been like a sweet ache, a small thrill that made her heart race as she hurried through the week.
When he didn’t respond, she had to fight back a desire to cry. Not good. She quickly texted Donna. If anyone could talk her down from a spiral, it was her friend.
Sophie: Help. I’m falling for a commitment-phobe.
Donna: Meet me at the pub. I’m leaving now.
Sophie grabbed her sweater and purse off the couch and rushed to the pub. It was located halfway between her place and Donna’s.
When she walked through the doors, Donna was already there tucked away in their favorite booth, located in a dimly lit corner. She waved Sophie over.
Sophie took a seat and Donna thrust a glass of wine at her.
“Tell me all about him and don’t leave out any detail,” Donna said. “Starting with who he is. I wasn’t aware you were dating.”
Sophie’s heart pinched at the thought of Stone. She had really wanted to talk to him. “My bodyguard.”
“The guy you described as an irreparable grump?”
Sophie nodded. “Turns out, he’s got a hidden sense of humor.”
“Oh no. That’s your kryptonite.”
Sophie smiled but it was bittersweet. It really was her kryptonite. That hidden humor, the way he made her laugh even when she didn’t want to…it was dangerous territory. She’d lied when she’d told Stone her weakness was grand gestures. While they were charming when executed with sincerity, they weren’t the thing that made her swoon.
Donna took a sip of her wine, considering her friend with a thoughtful frown. After a moment, she leaned forward. “What’s his commitment-phobe number?”
“Ten. He and his brothers took a blood oath to never marry.”
“Ouch. Does he know you’ve fallen for him? Did you blurt it out by accident?”
“No. Thank God. Right now, our only form of communication is text.”
“Wait. What? I thought he was guarding you while you went about town interviewing strange men.” Donna had been away on a writers’ retreat in Sophie’s place.
“That’s on hold, for now. But we’ve been meeting once a week online and talking books.”
“I see. While I’ve been gone, you’ve been cheating on me?” Donna grinned.
Sophie knew she was teasing, but she wasn’t wrong. “I have. I’m so sorry. It’s just, I was afraid we’d never see each other or talk to each other again, and I jumped at the only thing I could think of to keep him in my life.”
The admission hung in the air. Sophie felt the weight of her words—the truth she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself. She was afraid of losing him, afraid of what that would mean for her heart.
“I forgive you,” Donna said. “What is the reason behind their blood pact?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me.”
“Then I suggest you invite him to dinner and ask him to elaborate.”
“But what if that scares him off?”
The fear was real, gnawing at her. What if pushing for more meant losing everything they had? Friendship was better than nothing.
Donna reached across the table, placing her hand over Sophie’s. “Then he wasn’t the right person to dine with in the first place.”
Sophie nodded, absorbing the wisdom of Donna’s words. She knew Donna was right, but it didn’t make the idea of losing Stone any easier to bear. “I guess it’s time to find out if we’re reading from the same book or if he’s just skimming through the pages.”
“Exactly,” Donna smiled, squeezing Sophie’s hand. “And whatever the outcome, I’m here. Just like I was after your ex showed his asshat true colors.”
“Fuck him,” Sophie said. Stone was nothing like her ex. Nothing . Her ex had been a master at deceit, hiding behind a charming fa?ade. Stone, on the other hand, was brutally honest—even about his flaws. That honesty was what drew her to him, even if it scared her.
“May ten thousand fat ticks crawl up his asshole and attach,” Donna said.
They toasted to the sentiment.
Sophie pulled out her phone. “I’ll text him and ask if he wants to meet in person next week for our book chat.”
Donna nodded her encouragement.
Sophie took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever response might come. The idea of seeing Stone in person made her heart race, but the fear of his rejection loomed large.
Sophie: Let me make it up to you for not being on time tonight and buy you dinner next week. We can discuss Single Dad in person.
She hit send and put her phone away. She glanced at Donna. “Now what?”
“Now we can plan what you’ll say to the grump whose bones you want to jump.”
Sophie threw back her head and laughed. This was why she adored Donna. “I won’t lie, I have definitely thought about getting him naked.”
“Of course, you have. Otherwise, there’d be no fear you were falling for him.”
Donna’s words struck a chord. The fear of falling for Stone was real, and it terrified her. But the thought of never knowing what could be was even worse.
“Speaking of getting laid,” Sophie said to Donna, “I haven’t forgotten you owe me the rest of the story about the guy whose bones you jumped right before leaving for the retreat.”
Donna’s smile crashed. “Not much to tell. He turned out to be not that effective as a lover.”
Sophie’s phone dinged. She yanked it out of her purse and quickly read the message.
Stone: Something has come up, and I will be out of pocket until further notice. Keep the bookmarks handy, Stone, a guy you once read books with.
Her heart sank, the words souring her stomach. All the hopes and excitement that had been building deflated in an instant. Sophie twisted her lips trying to stem the desire to cry. How could he be so casual about it? Did their connection mean nothing to him?
“New plan,” she said to Donna, her voice trembling slightly. She turned her phone around so her friend could read the text. “Turns out, we’re not reading the same book.”
The disappointment was overwhelming, but beneath it, there was a flicker of anger. How dare he make her like him so much and then just dump her? She deserved better.