Chapter 51 - Christmas eve (5) (2/2)

”I'm sure he can handle it”, JoAnna said.

Sarah nodded, and her gaze went back towards Aiden.

”You know that Ed is interested in you for few years?”, JoAnna asked.

”Yes.” Sarah responded absentmindedly. She was uneasy seeing that Ed approached Aiden. ”I know that Aiden can handle it, but right now he is my guest. He will do his best to avoid trouble because of me. That is why I can't just stand back and watch”. Sarah walked towards Aiden.

JoAnna helplessly watched her sister walk away.

At the bar area, Ed was probing Aiden: ”How long do you know Sarah?” His tone and posture were provoking.

”Why is that important to you?” Aiden was getting impatient. He realized that Ed is interested in Sarah, and he wants to cause trouble.

Ed started talking slowly. ”I know her for five years...”

The only thing preventing Aiden from punching this annoying guy is the fact that they are in Sarah's house. But if Ed starts the fight, Aiden can say that he only defended himself. Aiden smirked and cut him off, ”If after five years you didn't win her over, you should give up.”

”I will not give up just because you showed up!” Ed was angry. Aiden's provocation obviously worked.

Aiden's expression softened. 'You got lucky this time!' Sarah was standing behind Ed and Aiden nodded toward her. ”You should tell that to her, not me.”

”Tell me what?” Sarah chimed in.

Ed was startled. ”Oh! Hi, Sarah!” He turned towards her and flashed a charming smile.

Sarah ignored him and looked at Aiden. ”I came to see what is causing the holdup with my drink.”

”I got stuck in traffic.” Aiden showed her two glasses of sparkling water in his hands.

Sarah smiled. ”Let me get you out of the traffic.” She pointed with her head towards the sofa where JoAnna was sitting.

Aiden passed next to Ed, avoiding to touch him. ”Excuse me…” He smirked and walked next to Sarah.

Ed was looking after them. His lips formed a thin line, and his fists were tightly clenched while rage swelled within him.

”What did he want?” Sarah glanced at Aiden as they walked away.

”I don't know. I think that he does not know either.” Aiden laughed.

...

In one of the spare rooms on the main floor of the Hill villa, Sophia is sitting on the sofa in the dark. Mark is next to her. He leaned in for a kiss. She pushed him away. ”Please leave.”

Mark lowered his head, defeated. He stood up and walked toward the door.

When he reached the door, Sophia heard his voice, ”I will not give up. I will wait until you accept me again.”

Then he exited the room and closed the door behind him.

Sophia was in a daze. Her thoughts went to 5 years ago... she didn't want to remember again, but memories kept coming in anyway.

Five years ago, both Sophia and Mark were law students at Harvard. They were doing their 6 months internship in one of major law firms in New York. They got together and kept their relationship a secret. Announcing a relationship in a such competitive environment can only mean exposing a weakness.

About 4 months into the internship, there was a party that Mark attended. Sophia didn't attend that party because she needed urgently to process documents for the case that went in front of the judge next morning.

Sophia was not aware, that was the night that changed lives for Mark and her.

Six weeks after that party, a young woman, Katherine, came into their life. She said that she is carrying Mark's child, and that she conceived during that party that Sophia could not attend.

Mark admitted that during that party he drank too much, passed out, and in the morning, he was in the bed, alone. Maybe. Later he admitted that in the morning his mind was hazy, so maybe there was someone with him. Mark found it strange that he passed out. He was always good at holding his liquor. He suspected that someone drugged him, but after party it didn't seem important, and by the time it was important, it was too late to do a drug test. Mark claimed that he does not remember meeting Katherine before. He denied that he is the father of Katherine's child, and even suspected that she is not pregnant. He requested a proof of her pregnancy and a DNA test. Few days after that, Katherine committed a suicide and her family cremated her body. There was no way to prove if Katherine was even pregnant, not to mention if Mark is the father.

Sophia wants to believe him, that he never had anything with Katherine. But there is a doubt, what if he did sleep with her? What if she carried his child? What if she killed herself because she could not handle the pain of Mark abandoning her and their child? What if...?

If she was lying... why would she go to such lengths to even kill herself?

There are so many questions, and no way to prove anything.

Five years ago, Sophia and Mark had a promising relationship, and now between them is a chasm full of bitter memories and doubts.

As Sophia thought about the events from five years ago, tears silently flowed down her face. The wounds still hurt, and every time Mark makes advances toward her it feels that he is reopening them. It's more than five years how that happened. Sophia is not sure how she feels about him now, but she knows that she can't accept him. Not now, not in the future.