The Arranged Bride

Chapter - 29

Nick's POV

" Uhh I will leave ." Without even waiting for my reply , Sophia started walking off .

Stop her , she is leaving. Stop her dammit !

My subconscious yelled but being the perfect idiot I am , I kept shut and watched her leaving. I know I have to talk to her , apologize to her and I will do it as soon as I return. But for now, I have to stay with Ethan. He needs me more right now.

.........

" Nick , go home. I will stay with Ethan." Mom said as she came and sat down beside me.

" No Mom, I'll stay." I argued. Honestly I didn't want to leave Ethan.

" Nick , you have been sitting here since morning. Your Dad is here with me and Ethan is fine now. Just go home and take some rest." Looking at her stern eyes , I knew I wasn't going to win this. So I gave her a hug and left the hospital.

Now that I was heading to home, I couldn't help but get nervous. I had seen the look of pure hurt on her face when those words had left my mouth. I would do anything to get her to forgive me.

Parking the car , I made my way inside the house. Everything was unusually quiet. Sophia wasn't there in the living room . So , I swiftly went up to our bedroom.

On opening the door I couldn't see her there. I knocked on the bathroom door but got no reply. When I pushed it open , there was nobody inside. I checked our walk-in closet as well but she wasn't there. Panick started rising inside me . I hurried down the stairs to check the room where she used to stay earlier and eventually checked each and every corner of the house but she wasn't anywhere.

It was pretty late and she wasn't home yet. Where is she ? Is she okay ? Did anything happen to her? All kinds of negative thoughts came into my mind and I was getting tensed.

Taking out my phone, I called Mom and she picked up on the second ring.

" Nick."

" Mom, Sophia is not here at home. Where is she?" My voice came out impatient.

" She is staying over at Charlotte's house for a few days." Mom answered in a calm tone. Charlotte's house ? Why?

"Why?" I voiced out my mind but somewhere I knew the answer.

" Why do you think? She... She needs some time with her friends." Mom said.

" Or some time away from me." I stated.

" Maybe." Mom replied and honestly it hurt .

" Bye Mom." I hung up.

She is not staying here and it's my fault. I had hurt her so much that she wants to stay away from me. But I need to talk to her. I dialled another number and waited for it to be picked up.

" Sir ."

" Send me Charlotte Smith's address right now." I said in my cold professional tone.

" Right away Sir."

After a few minutes , a message popped in with her address. Taking my car keys , I jumped into my car and drove off.

Sophia's POV

I was sitting on the sofa with Ryan and Char , while we watched movies. I was pretty upset over everything that happened today and my friends were practically doing everything to lift up my mood but I couldn't take my mind off things.

Just as the movie ended , I remembered something.

" Char ,we need to talk." I spoke with firmness.

" Okay ?" She looked confused.

" What did you do now?" Ryan playfully asked.

" Well , I don't think I did anything." Char replied

" Oh you did. Why are you avoiding Caleb ? " I asked . She took some time before speaking.

" Who said I am?" She nonchalantly said.

" You don't have to hide it from me. If it's something personal between you two then I won't interfere but tell me , has it anything to do with Nick and me?" I asked but she didn't reply and kept looking everywhere else.

" Char , tell me. What is it ?" I urged her to speak. She gave out a large sigh before looking up at me.

" I don't know. Nick , he always finds one way or the other to insult you and he's his best friend and I am yours . I am not probably making any sense right now but I am - I am not sure." She huffed.

" You're right , you're not really making any sense. He is Nick's best friend but that doesn't mean you can judge him based on Nick's behavior. He is a different man with a different way of expressing emotions and looking at life. The one thing I can say is that he is a nice man. He is funny , carefree and most definitely not rude. Don't push him away because his best friend behaves... well , in a certain way." I make a face at the end and she chuckled at that. Coming forward, she gave me a tight hug.

" You're right, I was acting as a dumb bitch. " She said.

" True." I added in a serious tone earning a slap from her at the back of my head. I was going to return the favour when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it." Ryan got up to open the door.

" What do you want here ?" I heard Ryan's stern voice after a few seconds.

" I want to talk to Sophia." Nick ? He's here ? Not now!

I walked up to the door and stood beside Ryan. Nick stared at me and I matched his gaze . Finally I decided to break the silence.

" What are you doing here Nick ?" I asked.

" Shouldn't I ask you that ? Why are you here Sophia?" Really? He was asking me that.

" I want to spend some time with my friends." I tried and acted casual.

" Sophia , come home with me ." Nick looked straight into my eyes.

" She won't." Char crossed her arms against her chest.

" I'm speaking to my wife." Nick said in a warning tone .

" Wife ! Right." , Char scoffed.

" Sophia , we need to talk please." Nick looked at me.

" Nick , I think you should -" I cut Ryan off.

" Guys , you go in . I will be back." Ryan looked at me with concern and I nodded my head to assure him. He literally pulled Char in with him as she didn't look convinced to leave me there. She had always been excessively concerned about me.

" Sophia , please come home with me." I turned to look at Nick.

" I will, once Ethan comes back , I will move back in." I said.

" Sophia , you very well know that I am asking you to come back now."

" And I very well know that you don't trust me. Then why do you need me to come with you? " I knew I sounded immature but I was hurt and didn't want to give in so easily. He rubbed his temple .

" Sophia I didn't mean it."

" But you said it." I shrugged my shoulders. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

" I wasn't thinking." He reasoned.

" Oh but you should think before speaking, you know?" He groaned.

" There was a reason I was standing there alone . You're the one who came to speak right? I was angry, I was tensed and I didn't mean a word. Why don't you understand dammit!" He was frustrated and so was I, if anything more than him.

" Yes , I don't understand and I don't want to. It's my fault that I was worried about you standing there like a dead person , it's my fault that I approached you to get you to atleast speaking." I raised my voice.

" No it wasn't. I am sorry. I am really sorry. Please give me another chance-"

" Another chance ? How many chances should I give you ? Tell me. First you don't trust me as a wife , then you don't trust me as Ethan's mother. You have been through a hard past and I haven't, but that doesn't mean I can take any shit you throw my way. And all of this is just because you don't trust people easily for your whore of a girlfriend had cheated-" I cut myself off realising what I was saying but it was too late. His expression changed from one of frustration to hurt. He immediately masked his emotion and walking back to his car , he drove off.

I stood there watching his car retreat. What the hell was I thinking? He had shared his story with me and I used that to hurt him. I was frustrated, beyond imagination but that didn't give me the right to hurt him like that. I was feeling so low of myself.

Closing the door behind me , I walked in.

"Are you okay ?" Char jumped off the sofa and came towards me. I nodded .

" I just want to sleep." I excused myself to Char's room and lay down replaying what just happened in my head.

With each passing second, the guilt inside me was increasing. It was really pathetic of me to bring up a topic , that sensitive to him. I told him to think before speaking and I did the exact opposite.Ethan was there at the hospital and here I was acting petty and hurting Nick to vent out my frustrations.

I tossed and turned in my bed until I could finally sleep.