It’s the least I can do. Don’t mention it.
Océane
If you say so
Océane
Thank you again big bro
Océane
Btw Rachel is coming over this weekend, wanna come with?
Will
I’m sorry I gotta work overtime this weekend.
The lie burns like acid in my chest as I send it out. I lean back against the cold seat of the metro and close my eyes.
If I can help Sophie succeed, despite her wanting nothing to do with me, then maybe I’m capable of more. That’s what I’ll focus on. Yes.
Everything else can come after.
CHAPTER 7
SOPHIE
My feet pound against the cemented path as I make my way up Mount Royal. The autumn leaves crunch satisfyingly under my running shoes with each step, their brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows blurring together as I race by. My breath comes in ragged gasps, but I push myself harder, embracing the burning in my legs and lungs.
I’m sweating out my anger, letting it drip away with each bead of perspiration. Luckily for me, I have a membership at a nearby gym with a shower, which is where I got changed to go on this run—and where I’ll be able to prep for yet another meeting right before I pick up Julian again.
The brisk autumn air whips against my flushed cheeks. I welcome the chill, focusing on the refreshing coolness instead of the frustration boiling inside me. Looking out over downtown Montréal in the distance, I’m struck by the dazzling beauty surrounding me. The city sprawls out picturesquely below the mountain, glittering in the warm afternoon sunshine. Above me, the few clouds in the piercing blue sky seem close enough to touch.
I love this view. But it’s not quite enough to push the thought of Will out of my mind.
The audacity of that man.
What sort of game is he playing? He was looking at me like we shared something unspoken, like we were in on the same thing.
Like nothing ever happened.
I crest the summit, my ponytail whipping behind me in tempo with my pumping arms. The panoramic view steals my breath away, the anger and hurt inside me momentarily fading. I stand tall, wiping the sweat from my brow, inhaling a deep breath of crisp air. The rich aroma of fallen leaves, pine trees, and earth fills my nose. For a moment, all is still and serene. I close my eyes and attempt to slow my heartbeat.
There’s no use putting any more of my thoughts or energy toward this man. Because I don’t intend to see him again anytime soon.
I think back to several years ago when Gwen was just a baby. Will had brought a cute, but kind of annoying, girl to our annual friend’s Christmas dinner on Boxing Day. She was nice enough, and even got along with Avery, who tends to hide in her shell. But it enraged me to think Will was taking advantage of yet another woman who didn’t know any better.
Turns out I was right. Again. At our New Year’s party, Will showed up with another woman on his arm. This one was a bit older and reeked of cigarettes. She’d even picked up Gwen without asking permission, which promptly resulted in me cussing out Will in private to keep his date in check.
Because Matt and Will were so close, the two of them spent a lot of time at Matt and I’s place. Being a social butterfly, I did my best to be the agreeable host when Will brought a girl over—mostly to put the poor girls at ease. This means I had a front-row seat to the flurry of faces Will paraded in front of us over the last decade.
The worst part of this whole thing? Will never seemed to care about the trail of broken hearts he left behind. And now that I can be honest about it, neither did Matt. During all those years, I gritted my teeth and kept the peace—at least for the most part—out of respect for my partner.
But now that I don’t owe Matthew anything anymore, there’s no way I’m going to keep enduring Will’s presence in my life. No thank you.
I take one more look at the panoramic view of the city in front of me before I turn and start jogging my way back down the mountain trail. Shortly after, I’ve showered and dressed back in my outfit to head to one of my favourite coworking spaces in the neighbourhood. I’m meeting a potential client called Natalie, who’s planning a Halloween party for her business staff. Never mind it being Halloween in hardly a month; despite the time crunch, I’m ready to take this on.
I’ve only been walking towards the coworking space for a few minutes before my phone dings with the notification sound specifically for text messages, which I don’t get a lot of. Maybe it’s important? I grab my phone from my pocket.
