Chapter 19
Sofia Andrew
Angel was kissing me, and it was better than I imagined. I feel like I'm floating.
I desperately clung to him, and I almost did not move; his lips on mine were the only thing that mattered. I felt his need and hesitation. I wrapped my arms around him and finally kissed him back after years of wanting to do this but knowing I couldn't. I refused to think. I refused to think of any reason not to let this happen. I just let myself experience this moment without hatred and pain.
After we were both breathless, he pulled away from me and leaned his forehead against mine. We are both catching our breaths, and his hands are still holding my face.
"That's what I've always wanted to do, but I can't," he muttered, his hot breath fanning my face.
My eyes can only see his reddened lips, which I had just kissed minutes ago. "You can't, but you just did. Why now, Angel?"
"Why?" His jaw clenched, and I saw doubts swimming in his eyes. "I'm confused, Sofia. My mind's a mess."
"Instead of talking to me, you've hated me for years and believed everyone but me. We lived a life like hell, and now you're telling me that you're... confused?" "Sofia, you don't understand. How can I..." He trailed off and turned his back on me before taking a deep breath.
What are you not telling me?
"Angel, what is bothering you? I think we are living with too many misunderstandings, and it's time we clarify them, although our situation seems hopeless."
He turned back to me, and it looked like he was fighting himself. "You're right. We should talk, but not now. I can't. You better rest now, Sofia."
He tried to leave, but I couldn't just let him.
"Are you serious?" I asked him when he was about to open the door. "You came here with your nonsense, and then you talked to me about the company, your design, and you kissed me. When I told you we needed to talk, you said not now. Why not? Come on, Angel!" I said in frustration. "I am not in the right mind right now, Sofia!" He threw back, and I glared at him.
"Not now and not in the past!" I walked towards him and slapped his favorite. "Do not ever kiss me again!" I warned him and started to push him out of my apartment.
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked when I kept pushing him, and he barely moved.
What strength can I have over a hundred pounds and a giant man like him? But despite that, I kept pushing him.
"Angel Leffman, you really are infuriating! Go in and continue believing other people, but do not come back for me to complain, shout, and especially to not kiss me! I am not your toy, and you should respect me!"
"See? This is what I can't understand. At some point, I think you're right and I let myself be fooled by you, but then you will go back to a spoiled and cold woman. How could I not be confused and doubt?"
"Hah! What, you think just because you decided to count your little girlfriend and give your wife a chance, I will just let you in and kiss me as you want? Well, no. You are wrong about me!"
"I think I was wrong in thinking that you were an angel when we were in college when you were actually evil!"
"If I am evil and you come back here again to act up, you will experience hell! Now leave!" I shouted at him, and when I finally managed to throw him out, I closed the door on his face.
Ugh! I am so angry, sad, embarrassed, and... confused. I don't understand what happened or what he said. Why did he kiss me? What does Kevin have to do with this? What did I tell my dad for him to marry me? God, there are so many questions in my head, and the a*****e is the only one who can answer them.
After a few minutes of calming myself down, I called Amelia and told her what happened. And just like me, she didn't understand anything.
"I don't think Angel kissed you without any reason."
"I don't know. I swear, Amelia, he's driving me crazy."
"And I don't know what to tell you because my brain is still processing what you said."
"I don't know how I did not break his neck," I exclaimed in frustration.
"He knows that you are the owner of Lee Andrew's. Does he also know about Let-Tech?"
"No. I don't think he does."
"Are you sure he doesn't?"
"He would have said anything by now, so yes, I'm sure he doesn't."
"Okay, but still, you need to be careful. Anyway, how's the kiss? Was it scrumptious?" Amelia asked and giggled.
I groaned and facepalmed. "Amelia, I'm serious!" I exclaimed but bit my lip when I remembered the kiss. "Yes, it was. I swear, I almost forgot about everything. I even think my heart stopped for a while."
"What did he say after the kiss?" She continued to interrogate.
"Were you not listening to me? He left, and he told me we could not talk yet. That he's confused. That he always wanted to kiss me, but he can't."
"Huh? But why?"
"I don't know, I'm going insane. He said nonsensical things about Kevin: that he's my boyfriend, that I didn't choose him, that he's indebted to Elisa, that I did something to him using dad. I asked him to explain, but he still left." "You know what? That is too much to process over the phone. I'll just change, and I'll be there soon."
She dropped the call, and in just an hour, as I was still thinking about what happened, Amelia arrived.
"Finally! What took you so long? Are you going to an event or beauty pageant?" I claimed as she entered my apartment without reservation.
"What? I needed to prepare. There is no way I'll go out looking like a mess. What if I suddenly run into my future boyfriend? He'll be scared."
"You still scare them with your attitude alone, Amelia."
"Yes, but still," she said, taking a pair of glasses and a bottle of liquor before getting comfortable. "Now we start from the beginning. That Alexis, the pervert, what does he want from you?"
"He threatened that if I don't sleep with him, he will sue Angel, and aside from that, that jerk promised to ruin us," I told her while shaking my head.
"That son of a... what did you tell him? Does he not know who you are?"
"That's what I told him. I want to ruin that man's life for him to know that no one messes with me."
"And did you tell Angel what that a*****e told you?"
"No. I just told him that it's not his business what I'm doing there."
She widened her eyes at me in disbelief. "What? Sofia. Why did you not tell him?"
"Amelia, Angel almost disfigured him. I almost did not recognize him. If I told him, he might end up killing him, even though I am not sure if he cares. I told Isaac to find out everything about him." "You just said that he almost killed him, Sofia. Anyway, I support you in ruining that pervert's life."
"I don't know, Amelia. Angel is confusing me so much," I said, holding my head.
"That takes us to the next problem. What did he tell you about what happened to the clubhouse? Because I thought he came for that."
"That is what's strange as well. He did not complain at all. He just told me why a cunning woman like me fell for their game." "That's it?" She asked in disbelief. "Wow. That is indeed strange."
"Yes, he even told me that he wanted to hear my version."
"You should have told him everything that happened to let him know what kind of witches those three are." She sneered and made a face.
"No. I told him that I don't care what he thinks. He will never believe me because you are the bad guy for him."
"Ouch!" I exclaimed when she pinched me. "Amelia! Why did you do that?"
"He gave you a chance to speak and tell him what kind of witches they are, and you did not grab the chance? Did your mind buffer or something?"
"I am not stupid; I'm exhausted from explaining, knowing that he won't believe me anyway. I told him about the party where he thought I drugged him for the pictures, and he did not believe me. I won't waste my time, Amelia. I don't care what he thinks."
"Liar. You've been in love with the man for years. I still remember your lovesick face whenever you see him." Amelia teased me with an annoying laugh.
"It's one thing to admire someone's physical features and their intelligence, but I won't let him treat me like a puppet he can use."
"Third topic: How did Kevin get into the picture? Did you sleep with him?"
"I was confused when he brought him up. We argued like usual, and he told me he knew there was something between us, that he liked me, but when he found out I was with Kevin, everything changed, and it got to the point where he was involved with Elisa and now felt indebted to her." "Obligated how?"
"I don't know, but I don't know where he got that or where his comment came from."
"I told you, he liked you back then, Sofia, but you refused to believe me. A man like that with women at his feet won't follow you just because he wants to talk or cares for you."
"But if he really liked me, why did he end up with Elisa and ignore me?"
"He just told you. It's Kevin."
"That stupid guy did not even talk to me. I still remember when he tried to kiss me because I am not as into him as the others."
"Sofia," Amelia called my name, and I looked at her. That face she's making means she remembers something. "Do you remember when you were almost kicked out and the reason why our professors told me that I'd be a great lawyer one day?"
"Of course. I broke a bottle on Kevin's head, and then I humiliated him in front of everyone because he told everyone I slept with him."
Angel believed that rumor instead of talking to me.
"I remember that after the rumor, Angel and Elisa went out right away. When you found out about it, you fixed it, but there are a lot of people who believed it."
"Great. Another misunderstanding. And have you seen him? He looked like a puppet in her hands, and she's still controlling him."
"Maybe. We don't really know what happened. This is a whole mess!"
I swear, I hate Elisa. That horrible woman. What did I do to her? I never really cared what she did back then. And now she's back again to manipulate the man I like.
"I am not sure, friend. That woman is for the psychiatrist, and this whole thing is hopeless."
"Now, what did Angel mean when he said that he's indebted? Is he referring to you or Elisa?"
"He just blabbed something about why I chose him if he ended up with Elisa. I don't know if he's talking about the child or if he's feeling guilty. Amelia, if you saw him, how he mentioned the baby, he was so sad and hurt."
"Of course. It's a baby we're talking about, and it's an unborn infant."
"It's like something was broken inside him. If Elisa was pregnant, who's to say that it's even his?"
"Angel has always been just and a gentleman. Well, that is until he married you, and we discovered a new him."
"Because he's angry at me. He believes that I have something to do with it."
"The only solution I'm seeing is to sit down together and talk about everything once and for all."
"I know, but if he doesn't want to, I won't force him. I didn't before, and I wouldn't now that we are going through a divorce."
"What would you do? Will you just let him continue to believe that you are a killer of babies?"
"Of course not. I just want him to find out how much of a liar she is. That the way he treated me was unfair. I want him to regret that he did not give me the chance to explain myself. I want him to know what he lost."
Amelia smiled and patted my back. "That's my friend. The question is, how would you do that?
"I'm still not quite sure, but I know I won't let them be happy. More importantly, I want to find out what he thought I told Dad to marry me."
""How? Didn't your families agree on a contract?"
"I thought that as well, but according to Angel, my dad forced Angel's dad to marry me if he wanted to negotiate, but Dad told me that the idea of marriage came from my father-in-law. He just accepted it when I did because he knew I was in love and thought Angel was a nice man." "You did not tell me about that part."
"It slipped my mind. Anyway, it must have been something huge or complicated if they got Angel to marry me and leave Elisa. And then, out of nowhere, he accepted it."
"But you told me Elisa made up a story where she had a miscarriage and managed to control him."
"Yes. That's what I've been thinking until now, but there must be more. You know Angel, and he wouldn't be easily threatened."
"Only Angel can answer that."
"I know, but let me tell you something: I will fix this whole mess, and when I do, that woman will pay. She's the reason we've been like this for five years."
"Cheers to that. I will help you, Sofia, because the story isn't over."
We made a toast for our new plan to fix this whole mess that we got into, and Angel will regret not believing in me.
"Now, how's the kiss again?" Amelia asked to change the topic.
I gave her a blank look. "I already told you, Amelia."
"Yes, but it lacks details, Sofiia."
"It was divine." I gave it to you and rolled my eyes.
""Like before?"
"We were arguing about why he's leaving, and I told him no, that we needed to talk. He held my face and kissed me while pressed up against the wall. I felt like I was flying. It was sweet yet a mind-blowing kiss. It's as if he wanted to convey everything he can't tell me through the kiss. He was so close that I could tell everything about him. I swear, I almost forgot everything and anything."
"Wow. A kiss worth waiting for after five years."
"Yes, but I think it's better in my dream because now that I experience it, I'm afraid I will crave it."
"If that's only because of a kiss, I can't imagine how you'll be when comes to s*x. He must be a god in bed because Elisa won't be that obsessed over him if not."
"You just needed to remind me of that shameful woman." I rolled my eyes with a frown.
"Hey, I just don't understand one thing." I looked at her and waited. "Why are you involved in Angel standing her up?"
"Oh, I don't know, Amelia," I replied, remembering the pictures and message. "They have a date. I know because I saw her messages with provocative pictures.
Amelia let out a mocking laugh. "No way."
"Yes. I played with them. I asked him to take me to my house, and he left after that. Earlier, when I woke up, I found out that I fell asleep on the way. When I asked him if he went out, he said yes. Now if he's not with her, then I don't know."
"Or... maybe he didn't go out, and he just wanted you to believe that."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know, Sofia. After all this mess, I'm starting to doubt everything."
"How about you ask Carmen?"
"Carmen is more loyal to you than him, so there is nothing wrong with asking her."
"And what would I gain from that? That wouldn't change anything."
"Even if it changes anything or not, I just realized that in this story, even you, the characters, have no idea what you want."
"That isn't true."
"No? Excuse me, Miss Andrew, but didn't you get the biggest clients for Angel for him to be recognized around the world without him knowing?"
I wasn't able to say anything because it's true.
"Isn't it you who gives Angel the credit for all the cars you created with him on your mind?"
I pursed my lips and was left speechless because, well, it's true.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.