Chapter 31
Sophie
“You look great, Sophie.” My mother smiled as soon as I neared the table.
I returned the favor because it had been over a month since I had seen or talked to my mother and I missed her. So when she called and asked me to join her for brunch, I agreed.
“Thanks, so do you.” I kissed her cheek before I sat across from her and placed my purse in the empty chair next to me. Looking at my mother now, it was hard to believe she had tried to take her life not too long ago by downing a bottle of champagne and a bottle of prescription pills.
“How have you been? I’ve been worried about you, Sophie. You haven’t come by and refused to answer my calls.”
Hearing her say it made me feel bad, but I couldn’t take it back. Taking a break from William had a domino effect, which meant staying away from my mother also.
“I know. I needed space and time to figure things out,” I admitted and she nodded as if she understood, but there was no way for her to hide the sadness in her eyes.
“I like him. Trooper.”
Her confession made me laugh. I wasn’t quite sure why.
“I know I sound like a hypocrite. I was the one who discouraged you from being with him. Now my secret is out, but maybe that helps you understand why I wanted more for you.” My mother looked sad and embarrassed.
“More for me? Like William? You want me to follow in your footsteps and settle for a man like him?”
“That hurts, but it’s fair. I accept that.”
“I don’t understand. If you loved my father so much, why would you keep me from him and let William send him to prison? Why would you do that to someone you loved?”
“It’s not that easy, Sophie. No one’s answer will explain everything, not even mine, and I’m the reason most of it happened.”
“Then tell me everything. I think I deserve to know, don’t you?”
Nodding, my mother dropped her head and sighed before she looked into my eyes.
“I love him. I did back then and still do, but it doesn’t matter. After what I did to him or allowed to happen, he will never love me again.”
“But why? Why did you do it?”
“I’m not like you, Sophie. You’re strong and independent. You go after what you want and I admire that about you. I always have. You do what makes you happy. Even loving a man most think you shouldn’t.”
My mother smiled and I considered her choice of words. Love? Did I really love Trooper?
“Your fath… William is not as innocent as he pretends to be. He’s not the type of man who gets his hands dirty, he’s too soft for that, but he damn sure sets things in motion to make them happen.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’ve been sleeping with the devil for a long time now. There’s so much you don’t know about me, your grandfather, and William…”
“My grandfather? He’s dead. What does this have to do with my grandfather?”
“That’s where it all began. It’s how all of this started and why I let William do the things he’s done.”
“Mom, you’re talking in circles. I don’t understand.
You loved Story enough to try taking your own life when it all came out, but let William take his freedom.
Now you’re telling me it’s connected to your father, my grandfather, a man I know nothing about because you won’t talk about him, like he’s some type of secret.
All of these secrets are too much. Just tell me what’s going on. ”
“Your grandfather died because of William. I don’t know how or the entire story, but William had a hand in it.
The Prescott family is not what everyone thinks they are.
William’s father is into things. A lot of things and my father…
” My mother paused and tears slipped from her eyes.
She used her napkin to wipe them before she continued.
“I told William things he used to help his family. I didn’t know who he was or what I was doing.
I wanted that life so bad I thought I was securing my spot in their world.
I didn’t know I had set my father up to take his last breath.
My father was important. People respected and loved him, Story included.
Well, everyone except Harold Prescott. Harold made a lot of his money in the streets and cleaned it up to make it legal.
I didn’t know that until I was already in too deep.
I should have known when William kept questioning me about my father, but I thought it was because he needed to know who I was so he could make sure to keep our lives, my past, detached from the new one I built with him.
“He knew I loved Story and hated that about me. So when he found out I was still seeing him, he threatened my family. I told my father and he said I should love who I loved and let him worry about it. So that’s what I did.
I kept seeing Story until my father ended up gunned down in the street like a dog.
It was my fault. I didn’t pull the trigger, but I allowed it to happen. ”
“William kill… killed my grandfather?”
“No, Sophie, no. He didn’t actually kill him, but he went to his father and asked him to do it.
His father was all too happy to oblige because Story’s operation was cutting into the one he secretly ran.
William then came to me and told me Story would be next if I didn’t leave him alone.
His two options were death or prison. I couldn’t let him die. ”
“Oh, Mom. Why didn’t you just tell him the truth? You married a man who killed your father and stole another man’s child, me. How could you…”
“I know. Don’t you think I know that? I’ve been living with that guilt for years now, but Sophie, it was either that or lose both of you.
William and his family get what they want or they make the people holding them back disappear.
I had you to think about. William wasn’t the best, but he did love you.
He gave you the world, Sophie, and I’m not ashamed of that, but I do regret that you don’t know your father. ”
I sat there taking it all in. I was so overwhelmed, at a loss for words. Who was my mother? How was this so complicated?
“Sophie, say something, please.”
“What am I supposed to say? My entire life is a lie. Yours is a lie. My father went to prison for sins you committed. I’m not a child, and maybe it shouldn’t bother me so much, but it does. I don’t know any of you. I don’t know myself. How am I supposed to deal with all of this?”
“I know, but try to understand, it was for you. I wanted you to be taken care of. My father was the only one who could protect me. When William took that from me and threatened to take you from me, I made the best choice I could, to stay.”
I stared at my mother sympathetically. I understood, but didn’t. If Story was the man everyone said he was, he would have protected us. Both of us.
“But why didn’t you just let my father keep us safe?”
“Because they killed my father, Sophie. Do you know how powerful he was? And they got to him. I wasn’t taking that chance with your life and I didn’t want any more blood on my hands.
So, if it meant that he had to spend the rest of his life behind bars to stay alive, that was the choice I would make.
You don’t have to understand, I don’t expect you to, but it’s what happened. ”
“I have to go.” I stood and my mother did too. She wanted to make amends, but I couldn’t do that right now.
“Go where? Where are you going?”
“Home. I need time. Just give me that, please.”
My mother nodded. I kissed her cheek and walked away. My head spun and I had no idea what was next, but right now I had to get away from her.
“Are you okay?” Maddie asked for the tenth time after I explained everything my mother had just told me. We sat sipping tea on the balcony of the apartment Carlos had basically given her while the city moved below us.
“No, I’m not, but that doesn’t really matter.”
“Sophie, it matters. Everything you told me sounds like you’re living in some sort of movie, but it matters.”
I laughed at how dramatic Maddie sounded. That was one of the things I loved about her. She took on my problems like they were her own, with a passion so intense I had to respect her loyalty and friendship.
“Don’t laugh. I’m serious.” A displeased look spread across her face as she stared me down.
“I’m laughing because you’re right. Who has this type of drama in their lives?”
“Apparently, you do, boo.” She grinned and shook her head.
“So what now?”
“I don’t know. I told Trooper I want to meet him. He said he’ll set it up.”
“You’re going there?” Maddie questioned with raised brows.
“Yes, why? How else am I supposed to meet him? They’re not going to let him out just so I can have a father daughter moment.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I thought Trooper told you he didn’t want you to come see him.”
“He did, but if it’s what I want, why would he deny me? I mean, he can’t really. If I want to show up I will,” I said confidently, even though I had no clue how that worked.
“He can deny a visitor,” Maddie said with a slight frown.
“He won’t do that.”
She smiled and nodded. “No, he wouldn’t. You’re his daughter.”
She only agreed to make me feel better. This was all so new to me, and I felt out of place, like there was no certainty to anything in my life, except Trooper.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Maddie asked with a smug grin on her face.
“Like what?”
“Like that.” She pointed to my face, circling her finger in the air. “Your entire face just lit up. Somebody must be on your mind.”
“Maybe.” I felt my cheeks get hot and my stomach flutter. Trooper had that effect on me, even when he wasn’t near.
“My divorce is final,” Maddie said randomly and looked my way, waiting for me to respond.
“Really, since when?” I was totally thrown. Richard had been holding out because Maddie tried to fight the prenup.
“Since Carlos went to see him. Richard settled and the papers have been filed.”
“Settled for how much?”
“Almost five.” Maddie grinned and my eyes bucked.
“Five million?” I almost choked on my tea.
“Yep, it’s already in my account. My personal account.”
“Wait, what did he do to him?”
Maddie laughed, likely because of my expression. I knew who Trooper and Carlos were and they weren’t the boardroom negotiating type.
“He’s still alive, if that’s what you’re asking. I was pissed when I found out Carlos went to him, but he did it for me. I don’t even care about the details; he handled it. Now I’m free to do what I want and I’ve been doing him morning, noon, and night.” Maddie flashed me a devilish grin.
“Madeline!” I yelled through a laugh at her insinuation.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re not doing the same. That man has me so wide open I can’t even begin to explain. I might not love him, but I love what he has to offer.”
I laughed again but nodded to agree. If Carlos was putting it down like Trooper, I could definitely understand her addiction. I felt a pulse between my legs just thinking about Trooper.
“I’m glad you’re happy. You deserve to be happy.”
“So do you, Sophie, don’t let all of this get to you. Just let Trooper love you and be happy.”
“Love? We’re not there yet,” I said, thinking about what my mother said earlier. Why did people keep throwing that around? Was I missing something?
“You might not be there yet, but trust me, you have one foot in the door. That man is all about you and you’re all about him.”
I smiled thinking about it. “Maybe.”
“I love you, Sophie, but you’re a terrible liar.”
Maddie laughed and so did I. No matter how much I tried to deny it, Trooper had my heart. I just prayed he felt the same.