Fuck.
Sophie stands on one of the last steps and looks at us wide-eyed. She’s wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, and a loose, red-and-black plaid blouse over it. Her hair is no longer blond, but chocolate brown, and she now has bangs that soften herfeatures even more. Jules must have also put some makeup on her, because even from here I can make out the long lashes that frame her eyes as she looks around with uncertain, but curious glances.
She looks stunning. Completely changed, but absolutely stunning.
Still, I put some harshness in my voice, hoping she’s not having her brave five minutes again right now. "Go back upstairs."
Sophie doesn’t move an inch. Instead, she looks at Mo, who stands there with the chalk in his hand, staring at her like a Neanderthal who has never seen a woman before. "What are you doing here?"
Where the fuck is Jules? She was supposed to look after Sophie and make sure she doesn’t come down here, goddamn.
"For heaven’s sake… Go. Back. Upstairs," I try again. "Now."
When she still makes no effort to leave, I lose my temper. I jump up, walk over to her, and grab her arm to pull her out of the basement myself.
"What is it that you don’t get about going upstairs?" I press as we reach the stairs leading to the upper floor.
"Who are they?" she asks, unimpressed. "And what’s with the circle on the floor?"
"Jules!" I yell as we reach the top of the stairs.
"Just a second." Her muffled voice sounds through the closed bathroom door before it opens and she stumbles out. "What is it?"
"You were supposed to be watching her," I say and gently push Sophie in her direction, letting her go.
"I did!"
"Then why was she just downstairs?"
"I had to pee. That’s still allowed, isn’t it?"
Sophie cuts in, silencing Jules. "I’m sorry. This is my fault. I wanted to know where you were." Her voice sounds thin as she looks at me before lowering her gaze and staring at the floor in front of her.
"You can’t just?—"
"Cole," Jules cuts me off sharply, stepping up to Sophie to put one hand on her back and brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear with the other. "It’snotyour fault. After all, you didn’t know the basement was a restricted area." She gives me an evil look as she finishes her words.
"But why is that?" Sophie asks and lifts her head again to look up at me out of rueful eyes.
Fuck…
Again, what have I gotten myself into?
"I have to go back downstairs. Jules, you… just take care of her," I say urgently and then disappear because I can’t bear the sadness in Sophie’s amber eyes.
As I descend the stairs to the basement, Steve looks at me with a mix of interest and irritation. "Care to tell us who that was?"
"No one," I reply curtly as I sit back down. "Just a friend of Jules."
"I thought she had moved out?" Mo wants to know dumbly.
Steve raises a brow. "That’s what I thought too. Enlighten us, will you, Walker?"
"There’s nothing toenlighten," I reply curtly, meeting his gaze.
"You know we can’t have any broads down here. Especially not ones who are still in school."
"She won’t come down again," I grudgingly assure him.
