Sophie waited for Stone to reply. She’d looked forward to tonight’s book buddy chat more than she cared to admit. The anticipation had been like a sweet ache, a small thrill that made her heart race as she hurried through the week.
When he didn’t respond, she had to fight back a desire to cry. Not good. She quickly texted Donna. If anyone could talk her down from a spiral, it was her friend.
Sophie:Help. I’m falling for a commitment-phobe.
Donna:Meet me at the pub. I’m leaving now.
Sophie grabbed her sweater and purse off the couch and rushed to the pub. It was located halfway between her place and Donna’s.
When she walked through the doors, Donna was already there tucked away in their favorite booth, located in a dimly lit corner. She waved Sophie over.
Sophie took a seat and Donna thrust a glass of wine at her.
“Tell me all about him and don’t leave out any detail,” Donna said. “Starting with who he is. I wasn’t aware you were dating.”
Sophie’s heart pinched at the thought of Stone. She had really wanted to talk to him. “My bodyguard.”
“The guy you described as an irreparable grump?”
Sophie nodded. “Turns out, he’s got a hidden sense of humor.”
“Oh no. That’s your kryptonite.”
Sophie smiled but it was bittersweet. It really was her kryptonite. That hidden humor, the way he made her laugh even when she didn’t want to…it was dangerous territory. She’d lied when she’d told Stone her weakness was grand gestures. While they were charming when executed with sincerity, they weren’t the thing that made her swoon.
Donna took a sip of her wine, considering her friend with a thoughtful frown. After a moment, she leaned forward. “What’s his commitment-phobe number?”
“Ten. He and his brothers took a blood oath to never marry.”
“Ouch. Does he know you’ve fallen for him? Did you blurt it out by accident?”
“No. Thank God. Right now, our only form of communication is text.”
“Wait. What? I thought he was guarding you while you went about town interviewing strange men.” Donna had been away on a writers’ retreat in Sophie’s place.
“That’s on hold, for now. But we’ve been meeting once a week online and talking books.”
“I see. While I’ve been gone, you’ve been cheating on me?” Donna grinned.
Sophie knew she was teasing, but she wasn’t wrong. “I have. I’m so sorry. It’s just, I was afraid we’d never see each other or talk to each other again, and I jumped at the only thing I could think of to keep him in my life.”
The admission hung in the air. Sophie felt the weight of her words—the truth she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself. She wasafraid of losing him, afraid of what that would mean for her heart.
“I forgive you,” Donna said. “What is the reason behind their blood pact?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me.”
“Then I suggest you invite him to dinner and ask him to elaborate.”
“But what if that scares him off?”
The fear was real, gnawing at her. What if pushing for more meant losing everything they had? Friendship was better than nothing.
Donna reached across the table, placing her hand over Sophie’s. “Then he wasn’t the right person to dine with in the first place.”
Sophie nodded, absorbing the wisdom of Donna’s words. She knew Donna was right, but it didn’t make the idea of losing Stone any easier to bear. “I guess it’s time to find out if we’re reading from the same book or if he’s just skimming through the pages.”
“Exactly,” Donna smiled, squeezing Sophie’s hand. “And whatever the outcome, I’m here. Just like I was after your ex showed his asshat true colors.”
