“I didn’t know you had another sister.”
“Step-sister. But she’s still my sister. She went away to school, so she’s not around much these days.”
“She didn’t come to visit you after you got plowed down by a driver,” I point out.
Sophie sighs. “I don’t think you actually plowed me down, but things are a little fuzzy about the moment before…”
“I hit you?”
“Again—debatable.”
“There you go, back to making me feel better.”
Sophie laughs like I made a joke.
It wasn’t a joke. But if her laugh sounds like that, I’m fine saying funny/not funny things. Sophie’s laugh is sweet, like the tinkling of a bell. There are a lot of sweet things about this woman.
I don’t understand why I find that so appealing.
Sophie falls asleep soon after that. She gets quiet and asks if I can get a blanket for her. She never asks me to leave, just drifts off to sleep as I’m staring into the fire, kicking myself for getting into this mess.
I hopeit’s the pain meds because if I’m boring enough to put her asleep that quickly, I’m not going to have much luck wooing her.
And that’s all this is.
I sit beside and watch her sleep. Her head falls against the back of the couch. I should wake her up because she’s going to get a crick in her neck.
The cat is curled up against her hip like he’s guarding.
He might be. I’ve never seen an animal look at me with such disgust.
It might be just me thinking of myself like that.
I’m fixated on Sophie’s lips. Full, with the top just a little fuller than the bottom. Asymmetrical. Her eyelashes that rest on her cheeks are thick and dark. Even the way she snores—regular deep breathing until there’s a quick intake and then a little honking sound.
Sophie honks, and it’s adorable.
She is adorable.
I get up to leave.
11
Sophie
Ashtonisbackthenext day, even after I fell asleep in front of him.
I really didn’t mean to, but the pain medication I took after breakfast obviously kicked in. I don’t even know how long he was there while I slept.
I hope I didn’t snore.
Awkward.
I spent the rest of the day yesterday reading and watching season three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No one came to visit in the afternoon, and while I was glad for the quiet, I was a little bored.
Today is day four of my castle visit—or my castle captivity—and I might be here for a long couple of weeks.
I tell myself that’s why I’m happy to see Ashton.
