Chapter 12
Sofia
Three days of almost bliss passed. Almost, because any time I went into the living room, the piano stood taunting me, tempting me like forbidden fruit.
I craved to play it, to hear the sweet tunes I could make, yet I didn’t dare touch it.
Not until I’d asked Miles for permission. It felt like the right thing to do.
On the topic of the asshole, I hadn’t seen him since he walked out on me the day after our wedding.
He was gone by the time I woke each morning, and he returned home long after I’d gone to bed.
The only reason I knew he came home at all was because the rumblings of his car trundling up the track woke me.
Oh, and the fresh scent of leather and wood that would greet me every morning when I came down the stairs to make coffee.
I didn’t mind. I was quite enjoying the peace. At least to start with. It was like having a place to myself, but with the lingering question of when my reluctant housemate was going to grace me with his presence again.
A few hours after Miles left on the first day at the house, my belongings arrived, as promised.
I spent the next few days exploring the house and unpacking, finding places for my things.
Most were kept in my bedroom, but I’d decided to add some life to the house by sprinkling a few possessions around; a photo of me and Rafe here, a cute figurine there.
If Miles didn’t like it, tough shit. If I was being forced to live somewhere, damn straight I was going to make it my home.
But after I unpacked, I was at a little bit of a loss for what to do. If I’d been at my old home, I’d have bothered the staff, keeping them company as they carried out their chores, or going for walks in the grounds.
If there was one thing I didn’t like about my new home, it was that there was no garden. Yes, there was a swimming pool on the roof, but I wasn’t a fan of swimming, and it wasn’t as if I could aimlessly walk around the Olympic-sized pool for hours on end.
By day three, boredom had well and truly set in.
So, I was pretty darn glad when on the fourth morning, Riley showed up and insisted we went into the city for a spot of shopping. I hadn’t plucked up the courage to speak to my new bodyguards, let alone ask them to take me somewhere, and cabin fever was hitting hard.
Needless to say, I snapped Riley’s hand off at the chance to get out of the house.
Arm in arm, we strolled along the street, ignoring the stores despite the reason we were in the city in the first place, surrounded by eight—I kid you not—big, beefy bodyguards.
The two of us had access to endless pots of money, yet neither of us had any desire to spend it.
She’d grown used to having to work her ass off to make a pittance, which ultimately went to making sure Angel had everything she needed.
And while I had access to a trust fund, there simply wasn’t anything I wanted.
Nothing money could buy, at least.
Instead, we caught up on gossip, and as Riley hadn’t had a chance to before my wedding, she filled me in on most of the details of her honeymoon, and all the trouble Angel was causing at her new school. She had a boyfriend, something Kai was not happy about.
“So, how’s married life?” Riley asked after we collected our iced lattes from a little cafe and resumed our stroll.
I shrugged, trying my hardest to remain nonchalant. “I can’t complain. I haven’t seen Miles since the day after the wedding.”
She stopped walking, her brows creasing as she brought me to an abrupt stop. Around us, our bodyguards paused, looking around for an imminent threat. “You haven’t seen him? As in, he hasn’t been home?”
“He’s been home. Not ’til I’ve gone to bed, though, and he’s long gone by the time I wake up.
” I paused, taking a sip of my latte and enjoying the sweetness of the vanilla syrup on my tongue.
“I didn’t expect anything different, if I’m honest. He told me that after the wedding, he wanted as little to do with me as possible. ”
She pursed her lips. “He can be such an asshole sometimes. Honestly, I’m so disappointed in him.”
I tugged her arm to continue walking, ready to move on from the topic of my husband, when she spoke again, almost to herself. “I wonder where he’s been going? He hasn’t been to our place.”
“He hasn’t?” I replied, hearing the accusation in my tone.
If he hadn’t been with Kai, where had he been these last few days? Acid roiled in my stomach. He’d implied that I had nothing to worry about with regards to him fucking another woman, but he hadn’t elaborated. There was a lot you could do with someone without actually fucking them.
He also could have been a big fat liar.
Right at the moment, my brain unhelpfully chose to play the image of him four years ago, on the stage, pounding into someone. I hadn’t allowed myself to think about him still going to Exotique, but what if he was still a regular, fucking different women each night?
A wave as strong as a tsunami crashed into me, and I had the sudden urge to call him and demand to know where he was. Until I realized I didn’t have his number.
Riley squeezed my arm, trying to reassure me. “I know you won’t have anything to worry about, Sofe. Miles is many things, but he isn’t a cheater.”
“He might not be a cheater in a real relationship,” I muttered glumly.
She sighed. “I wish I knew what his problem with you is. It can’t just be because of your family.
It was his idea to go through with the wedding in the first place.
” When I could only hum a response, she turned her suspicious gaze on me, her eyes burning into my profile.
“You know, don’t you? You know why he’s so distant with you. ”
It wasn’t a question, and my silence confirmed her statement. Her thumb rubbed lightly over the bare skin of my forearm. “Sofe, what’s going on?” she asked gently. “You know you can talk to me, right? I won’t say anything.”
I exhaled a heavy sigh. I’d never really had friends, except Kat, who Papa had forbidden me to see after she took me to the club, so I’d never had anyone to discuss secrets with. Even Rafe, there were just some things you couldn’t tell your brother.
Like the fact that I went to a sex club and almost caused World War Three to break out.
But part of me wanted to confide in Riley. Not because it was something we could gossip about, but because the secret of the night Miles and I met had always weighed on my shoulders. I hadn’t told a single soul, but maybe telling her would help lift the burden.
Subtly, I checked to make sure none of the guards were listening before leaning closer. “You won’t tell Kai?”
She almost looked offended. “Of course not!”
Sucking in a deep breath, I bit the bullet. “When you and Miles came to the house for the meeting with Papa, that wasn’t the first time I met him.”
Her brows flew to her hairline. “What? When did you first meet him? And how?”
Pulling her tighter to me, just to be absolutely sure we couldn’t be overheard, I launched into the night in question, being careful to avoid certain parts.
Like how it was a sex club we’d met in, or that I’d watched Miles on stage, fantasizing that it was me whom he was fucking in front of everyone.
I didn’t know if she knew about his…interests, and it certainly wasn’t my place to tell her.
She listened with bated breath, her jaw dropping as I told her that I’d met Theo, and that he’d kissed me. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed when I was done recounting that night. “Of all the things you were going to say, that wasn’t it!”
“Yeah, well.” I shrugged. “But that’s why Miles hates me.
He told me that after that night, Theo was obsessed with finding out who I was, and that Miles had to lie to him to hide my identity, otherwise it would have caused trouble between our families.
That’s why he hates me. He blames me because he had to lie to Theo. ”
Riley fell quiet for a few seconds, lost in deep concentration. “Actually, Sofe. I don’t think that’s it,” she said tentatively. “I think…I think Miles might be jealous that he didn’t get to you first.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
“No, seriously. You might not see it, but I have. Remember that night at your uncle’s party, when I was mad at him?
” I nodded, not needing the reminder of how he couldn’t get away from me quickly enough after our dance had finished.
“All night, he was watching you, and it was like he was pining for you. I’m telling you, he’s attracted to you, but he won’t do anything because he’s too loyal to Theo. ”
I shook my head. I loved Riley, but she was talking shit. There was no way on this planet that Miles was attracted to me.
“I love your optimism, Riley, but you couldn’t be more wrong,” I replied sullenly. “He hates me, and nothing will change that.”
Sadness rolled through me. It was almost as if admitting that out loud made it real.
Riley was thoughtful for a few beats before she asked a question that made my mouth turn dry. “How do you feel about Miles?”
My first instinct was to lie, but at the mention of his name, my body reminded me of my reaction anytime he was near.
The way my pulse raced whenever I inhaled his scent.
The way my core clenched whenever I thought about him on that stage.
Even when he was being a bossy asshole, there was a little part of me that enjoyed it because he was giving me his attention.
“I want to hate him,” I admitted.
“But you don’t?”
“No.”