33. Sophie
“Iwas right,” Dakota grins as she washes her hands at the sink next to me in the ladies room. “Xander looked like his head was on the verge of exploding when he saw you in that dress.”
Chuckling, I finish washing my hands and grab a paper towel from the nearby dispenser to dry off.
“He did, didn’t he?” I say to Dakota.
She grins. “He likes you, Sophie. A lot. It’s so obvious.” Her expression turns serious as she looks at me. “Are you sure things between you two are still fake? Because it looks pretty real to me.”
Nerves crackle in my tummy. “I caught feelings for him, Dakota. Major feelings. It’s real for me. I just…don’t know if he feels the same way.”
Dakota tilts her head at me, a sly smile pulling at her lips. She touches my arm. “Sophie. That guy is nuts about you.”
I start to speak, but she cuts me off.
“I’m serious. Xander always looks at you like you’re the only person in the room. Always. It’s so sweet. He’s always doting on you when we go out. He spoils you. He takes care of you. And he’s always checking in with you, making sure that you’re comfortable. He wouldn’t do all that if he were faking his feelings for you.”
I stand there and think about what my best friend has said. The nerves inside of me start to fade.
“You think so?”
She squeezes my arm, her smile turning tender. “I know so. Tell him how you feel.”
I let out a breath. “Okay. I will.”
Dakota grabs a lipstick from her clutch and touches up her makeup.
“So, how’s the date with Sam going?” I ask.
She smiles at me in the mirror. “It’s not a date, Soph. We’re just friends.”
That must mean he still hasn’t told her he likes her yet. I’m tempted to say more, but I stop myself. Sam clearly isn’t ready to tell Dakota how he feels about her…probably because he’s still scared that her brother will kick his ass. I should quit being so nosy.
We walk out of the bathroom and head down the hall back toward the ballroom.
I stop. “Shoot, I forgot my clutch.”
I tell Dakota to go ahead while I go back to the the bathroom and grab it. I walk it, swipe it from the counter, and walk back out.
I make it a few steps before I hear someone call my name.
“Sophie.”
I freeze at the sound of Ethan’s voice. I spin around. He’s standing a dozen feet away, staring at me.
His brow lifts. “You look hot.”
My stomach churns. He shouldn’t be saying stuff like that to me, not when he has a girlfriend.
“What are you doing here, Ethan?”
He shoves his hands in his suit jacket pockets. He walks up to me and stops when he’s a few feet away.
“My hospital partners with the Cancer Research Foundation for a lot of events. My dad thought I should come.”
He runs his gaze along the length of my body. It’s so gross and creepy.
“Where’s your girlfriend?”
“I didn’t bring her.”
I’m quiet as I look at him. He tugs a hand through his slicked-back hair, ruining the style.
“Why haven’t you replied to my messages?” He asks, his tone curt.
I frown. “Because I blocked you.”
He steps closer to me. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” I bite.
His frown deepens. He looks confused now for some reason.
“Ethan, you have to know that the comments and messages you sent me on Instagram were inappropriate. You have a girlfriend, and I have a boyfriend.”
He purses his lips, clearly pissed and annoyed. “Sophie, I just wanted to talk to you, okay?” He takes a breath. “I was thinking that maybe I made a mistake when I broke up with you.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. Running into you that night all those weeks ago made me re-think some things.”
“Oh really?” This is such a classic douchebag move, going after me when I’m with someone else. I roll my eyes.
He exhales sharply. “I’m serious, Sophie. Seeing you with that hockey loser made me realize I made a mistake. I wanna be with you.”
My blood boils at the way he insulted Xander.
“Screw you, Ethan. How dare you call Xander a loser. He’s the sweetest, kindest, most incredible man I’ve ever met.”
Ethan starts to mutter something, but I cut him off.
“You only want me because you saw me happy with someone else—someone other than you. Don’t you see how messed up that is?”
His jaw bulges as he grits his teeth.
“You treated me like crap when we were together, Ethan. It took me a while to realize what a piece of garbage you really were, but now I know. Why would I ever want to be with you again?”
Adrenaline surges through me as I spill out all the things I’ve wanted to say to Ethan.
He’s glaring at me, clearly pissed at me for what I said. I start to walk off, but he grabs my arm.
I glower at him. “Don’t touch me.”
“Sophie, you need to listen to me when I?—”
“Get your fucking hands off her.”
The sound of Xander’s angry voice echoes through the hall. I twist my head to look at him standing a dozen feet away.
Ethan scoffs. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“She told you not to touch her. Let her go, now.” Xander’s voice is hard and low.
Ethan glares at him. “Fuck off.”
I try to pull out of his grip, but his hold is too tight. I wince at the pain.
A split second later, Xander clears the distance between us and grabs Ethan by the neck. He instantly lets go of my arm. I stumble back right as Xander slams Ethan against the wall.
I go quiet as I watch Xander. His face is red and his eyes are wild with fury as he glowers at Ethan.
“If you ever touch her again, I’ll fucking kill you,” Xander says, his tone barely above a whisper.
I stand there and watch with wide eyes, my heart racing.
Ethan makes a choking sound. A long moment passes before Xander lets go and Ethan falls to the floor, coughing.
When Xander turns to me, that wild look on his face fades instantly.
He touches my arm that Ethan grabbed. “Are you okay?” His voice is soft and shaky.
I nod. “Yeah.”
His brow furrow as he stares at me. “Are you sure?”
I touch the spot on my arm with my hand and nod. He hugs me and presses a kiss against my forehead. I close my eyes, my entire body melting into him. All my muscles relax. I can feel my heartbeat begin to slow.
His arms tighten around me and I feel instant comfort.
My protector.
“Hey, what happened?”
Xander and I turn around and see Blomdahl staring at Ethan, who’s just a few feet away from us, still on the floor, still coughing.
Before Xander can explain, more of his teammates appear.
“Dude, I broke the seal. I’m pissing like a racehorse—whoa…” Theo trails off. Standing next to him are Isaac and Dylan.
Their gaze darts from Ethan to Xander and me.
“This guy physically assaulted Sophie,” Xander says. “He needs to be thrown out of here. Now.”
Not even a second later, Xander’s teammates assemble like some sort of security crew. I watch as Theo and Blomdahl walk over to Ethan, glaring at him. They bend down, each grab an arm, and haul him up. Ethan struggles to get out of their hold, but Theo and Blomdahl are bigger and stronger than he is. They hold him in place easily
“You got him?” Dylan asks Theo and Blomdahl. They nod.
“We’ll go find security,” Isaac says before he and Dylan jog away.
Xander turns to me once again and pulls me into a hug. With his arms around me, I notice he’s shaking.
I lean back and look at him. His hazel stare is watchful, like he’s still worried about me even though I told him I’m okay, even though I’m in his arms now.
My chest aches. He’s holding me like he never wants to let me go.
He kisses my forehead. “You’re okay?” He asks again, his voice soft and shaky.
I close my eyes as emotion crashes through me like a tidal wave at how he protected me. How much he cares about me.
I hug him tighter against me. “I’m okay.”