Chapter 44

Sofia

Alice was right; the night felt like old times. Mrs. Riley and my grandfather recounted stories of our childhood antics while I prepared dinner. Alice pretended to help, playing with a single capsicum until the dish was finished. Sam volunteered, but I refused his help. He used to be my designated helper, fueled more by inside jokes than necessity. We could be friends, he and I, but I had no interest in reviving our old friendship. I couldn't, not with my heart aching for someone absent from my life.

I glanced at the door frequently, my longing obvious, I hoped Gabriel would walk through it. I'd thought I came here for space, but now realized I'd come to see if he cared about my absence. I invited Sam for old times' sake—and I did—but also to see if it would upset him, as it had last time. A crazy part of me wondered if my driver had told him about my "shenanigans," but that thought, like much of my current state, felt delusional.

He didn't care.

So, everything was like old times except for my forced smile and my wandering attention, constantly drawn to my phone and the door, only to be met with disappointment.

Sam and Mrs. Riley left around midnight. After freshening up, Alice and I settled in my room with a sappy movie, eventually opening a tub of ice cream and a bottle of wine. Alice cried, cursed her ex-boyfriend, and I hugged her until her rage subsided, replaced by a sense of self-assurance. Then, I confided in her about my situation: Gabriel, the honeymoon, Arthur, and even Lily. By the end, Alice wanted to call Gabriel and berate him; I had to stop her wine-fueled tirade.

We slept before sunrise.

Alice went to work the next morning, groaning and complaining, and waking me in the process.

"Why don't you come stay with Gabriel and me for a while, Grandpa?" I offered, stirring soup while he sat nearby, passing me condiments.

"I like living here, Sofie," he replied. "I've lived here my whole life. I want to die here, not in the city."

I turned, lips parted in a glare. "You're not dying!"

"I will someday," he joked. "Besides, if I wanted to move to the city, Alister and Leila have been calling every other day, trying to get me to live with them."

I feigned hurt, clutching my chest. "Over your own granddaughter?"

He laughed. "Now, I don't want to interrupt a newlywed's bliss, do I?"

My smile faded. That would have been true if we'd returned from Venice still happily married. But, unfortunately, that bubble had burst.

"Sofie, what's wrong?" he asked gently. "Are you not happy?"

I retracted my smile. "Of course I'm happy, Grandpa."

"You used to share everything with me, Sofie," he said, gesturing for me to come closer. I did, turning off the gas. "Do you dislike me because I got you married against your wishes?"

"Absolutely not!" I murmured, taking his hands as I knelt. "And I really am happy, Grandpa."

He caressed my head. "I worried about you, Sofie. You gave up everything you dreamed of when I got cancer. Every penny you earned went to my treatment. I only did this to secure your future. If you choose to divorce Gabriel, that's your choice."

I avoided his eyes. He didn't know about Gabriel's agreement to marry me, or our six-month contract.

He continued, "I didn't know if you two would fall in love. My only thought was getting you married to someone who could take care of you before I'm gone. But you can divorce him if he's making you unhappy. Whenever you want. I will support you."

I smiled faintly. "Thank you, Grandpa."

"Your Nana would kick my [butt] if she were here and knew I arranged your marriage without giving you a chance to find love," he joked, and I laughed.

Tears glistened in my eyes. "I miss Nana. I miss Mom and Dad."

"They're watching you, Sofie. They're so proud of their little girl becoming a strong woman."

I smiled, wiping a tear, and helped him up. "Come. It's time for lunch."

That evening, I mailed out resumes. I remembered Gabriel asking me to work with him, and my promise to consider, but it didn't feel right anymore.

Later, I met Alice.

"I've been offered a job in the city," Alice slurped her milkshake loudly.

"Why don't you take it?" I asked. This wasn't the first time she'd received a city job offer, and if she refused, it wouldn't be the first time.

"I hate it when people leave our town for the city," she pouted. "We need to protect our integrity, our culture, our vibe. Besides, I have nobody there except you."

I smiled. "I, for one, would love it if you moved."

"But aren't you in the city only for a few months until your contract with Gabriel ends? What will happen after that when you decide to move back, and I can't because someone else takes my spot, and then I'm all alone?" She paused, eyes closed. "Sof, I'm so sorry."

"No! You're right," I said, ignoring the heaviness in my chest. "But I haven't decided what to do after it ends. I don't think I want to come home; it doesn't feel the same."

"So you'll stay in the city?"

"I don't know." I shrugged playfully. "Maybe I'll run away and start somewhere new, somewhere people don't know me and don't think of me as a gold digger who married a rich man for six months."

Alice didn't find my joke funny. She placed her hand over mine. "Oh, Sof."

When we walked home, as we had the previous evening, I felt a gaze on me. I felt watched, but every time I looked, there was no one. As my second, third, and fourth days passed, I grew worried. It was unlike Gabriel to simply disappear. Even if he didn't care to seek me out, he always made his opinions known. Maybe he was giving me space, as I'd requested… but still, it was unlike him to vanish. Where was he?