"I hope so because?—"
"I said, she’s not coming down again."
He examines me insistently but says nothing else and finally averts his gaze. "Whatever. Make sure you’re ready," he demands while rising. "I’ll see you later."
His steroid-addicted friend and Mo stand, too, and a few moments later, I’m alone.
"Fucking shit," I mutter, closing my eyes and letting my head fall back.
I should go upstairs and confront Jules. I should figure out how to stop Sophie from walking down here again. And I should prepare for tonight. But none of that is what I want to do right now, especially not after seeing Sophie like that.
She was already beautiful without any makeup, but Jules did a fucking great job highlighting her best features, which made Sophie look absolutely breathtaking. It’s no wonder Mo looked at her as if she were a mirage. And the worst part is that she has no idea about the effect she has on others. She doesn’t seem to realize that she could probably turn every man’s head if she wanted to. With her full lips, amber eyes, and soft features, she looks so innocent that guys would line up to be her first. Because it’s literally written all over her face that she’s still a virgin, and for some reason, some men are into changing that fact in an incredibly misogynistic and disgusting way.
The thought alone makes my blood boil. I may not be a saint, either, but the last thing I want for Sophie is to get laid by some random scumbag, only to be nothing more than a notch in their bedpost afterward.
All of a sudden, her words from this morning come to my mind.
I want to know what love feels like.
There’s not much I’d wish more for Sophie than for her to be able to experience exactly that. But I also know how this world works. And although I have no clue what her ideas about love are, I suspect they are far from reality.
TWELVE
SOPHIE
Unsure, I look at Jules after Cole left. "I didn’t want him to get angry."
"It’s okay," she replies with a sigh. "He’s not angry. He’s just acting like a moron."
"Why am I not allowed to go downstairs?"
She averts her gaze before answering. "You’ll have to ask him that."
I don’t understand what it’s all about, but after Cole got so mad, I don’t dare ask further questions. Instead, I look around the large living room.
"Maybe we should clean up," I suggest. "My mother always got a little more gracious when things were tidy."
Jules laughs, looks at me, and nods. "You’re probably right. Cole hates a mess. Let’s get your stuff in your room first."
After putting away my new clothes, I want to go back to the living room, but pause when I hear muffled voices. I know it’s inappropriate to eavesdrop, but I’m too curious. Besides, I’m a little afraid to face Cole after he seemed so upset.
"I can’t keep an eye on her all day," Jules hisses softly. "I have to go to work, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember." Cole still sounds mad. "But what am I supposed to do? Tie her to my back? I’m not a fucking babysitter, goddamn!"
Jules says something, but I don’t understand her words. What Cole says in response, on the other hand, is clearly audible.
"That was a fucking terrible idea. I should’ve just left her there."
My heart contracts in a painful way.
They’re fighting, and it’s more than obvious that it’s about me.
Again, I’m confronted with the fact that I’ve been very, very stupid. Of course they don’t want to have me here. They don’t even know me, so why would they help me find my way around and shelter me?
Yes, Jules has been more than nice to me, but she just said it herself: She has to work. She has a life, and I don’t fit in. And the fact that Cole isn’t very amused about having me around has never been a secret.
The first tears well up in my eyes as I realize that I can’t stay here and let them explain the world to me. It was already more than generous of Cole to buy me clothes. Jules’s efforts to change my appearance so I can move more freely outside also mean a lot to me. But in the end, I guess that’s what I have to do: Go out there. Find my way in this world. And most importantly, not be a burden to Jules and Cole. Because that’s what I obviously am.
