Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 106

“Enough about me,” Sophia decided.

“You, what’s going on with you,” she asked.

“We never discussed anything relating to your life, so let’s start,” Sophia decided.

Nicholas was surprised by Sophia’s sudden change of subject.

He pursed his lips.

“It’s Olivia’s birthday soon,” he said to Sophia.

Sophia blinked, “Oh.”

“And I’ve got to return to Sanguis.”

“I’d invite you, but that’s only if you’re up for it,” he said.

“Since… the last time we were there…”

“There’s no need to continue that sentence.”

“I’m coming,” she insisted.

“Wait, really?” Nicholas asked, surprised.

“You’d come with me?” He asked.

“Of course I will,” Sophia answered with a smile.

“You don’t expect me to sit here while you see your sister in Sanguis now do you?” Sophia questioned.

“Olivia’s a really sweet girl.”

“And a trip to Sanguis is a chance to… upgrade my wardrobe, seeing as it’s fall season there.”

Nicholas grinned, “Right.”

He grinned at her, “So just to confirm, you’re coming with me?”

Sophia nodded, “Yes.”

“Alright then,” Nicholas said.

“When are we leaving?”

Nicholas responded with, “Her birthday’s in three days so we’re leaving two days from now.”

“Alright,” Sophia agreed.

“Will Oliver be in attendance?” She asked.

Nicholas shook his head.

“He won’t.”

“Because he was never as close to her as I was,” Nicholas admitted.

“Oh,” Sophia said.

“Figured,” she added, “He has no sense of decency whatsoever, it’s not a shock he’s not coming.”

“What kind of heartless monster would be absent on his own sister’s birthday, gosh,” Sophia shook her head in disapproval.

If it hadn’t been obvious, she despised Oliver.

More than she did Blaine, which was surprising.

She knew it wasn’t Oliver’s fault he and Clarisse were in an arranged marriage, she knew it was Blaine’s decision to break up with Clarisse so as to not put her in danger, but they were two different things.

Oliver was the reason Clarisse would be unhappy for the rest of eternity. She’d be married to a man she had no interest in.

Meanwhile, Blaine moved Clarisse away from his family’s eye so she wouldn’t be hurt. Even if he could’ve told her what was going on, he chose not to.

Blaine was more at fault, but she couldn’t help but despise Oliver, for what he was doing to Clarisse and how he treated Nicholas.

Nicholas hadn’t had a childhood, so to speak. It was all dark, twisty and flat out depressing. She couldn’t help but blame that on Oliver and Nicholas’ parents.

She hadn’t the best childhood either but she had her grandmother to speak up for her and raise her in a way she deemed fit, not to mention she had Louis.

She felt horrible thinking about Nicholas’ rough childhood. He didn’t have anyone to lean on, not even Julia.

Nicholas asked her, “You’re sure you’re alright?”

“Returning to Sanguis and all, it’s a huge deal.”

Sophia shrugged it off, “So is living in the same place Bartholomew’s being kept.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Besides it’s you that had quite the scare,” she said.

Nicholas looked at Sophia worriedly.

“So you’re alright?”

Sophia asked in return, “Are you?”

Nicholas raised an eyebrow.

“Sophia,” he began.

“Nicholas I promise you I’m fine.”

“I’m quite resilient.”

Nicholas stared at her.

“Come on, lunch is waiting for us.”

“What do you have prepared?” Nicholas asked.

Sophia tucked her hair behind her ear.

She went ahead and opened the dining room doors.

“This,” she gestured to what lay inside the room.

Nicholas looked at it in awe.

“Since I got to pick all the food yesterday, I chose your favourites.”

“At least, I chose what I thought you’d like.”

__

“Now that we had lunch, what else do you suggest we do?” Nicholas asked.

Sophia shrugged, she had no ideas in mind.

“What if we stay in bed all day?” Nicholas suggested.

Time stopped.

Nicholas slapped his hand over his mouth.

It’d slipped out of his mouth.

Sophia burst out laughing.

“We could if we hadn’t a ball to attend this evening,” she said, beaming from ear to ear from the suggestion. She fought back a blush.

“Tomorrow,” she promised.

Nicholas was baffled she was taking it seriously – he’d been joking.

“T-tomorrow it is,” he sputtered.

“But… for your information, I wasn’t actually being serious, Windsor,” Nicholas admitted.

Sophia looked Nicholas up and down.

“Of course you weren’t,” she said, batting her eyelashes.

Nicholas knew what she was doing.

He crossed his arms and scrunched his nose which Sophia found adorable.

“You know, if you wanted me in bed you could’ve just asked nicely,” Sophia said. There was nothing wrong with making the first move.

Nicholas turned flustered.

‘How could you say that so shamelessly?!’ He thought to himself.

He flinched prior to deciding to play along.

“You’re right,” he agreed.

“I am,” Sophia said confidently.

“Why are you being so quiet?” Sophia asked blinking innocently whilst leaning towards him.

“I…”

“Hmm?” Sophia questioned.

Nicholas flapped his mouth uselessly.

“Tell me,” she said to him, her beautiful eyes staring into his.

By now, Sophia had pinned him to a wall.

“You voiced your opinions before, why so quiet now?” She asked next.

She tilted her head.

Nicholas tried to avert her gaze. His instinct told him to look anywhere else but in her eyes. Those tempting eyes of hers.

‘Look away,’ he said.

A voice in his head whispered, ‘Look in her eyes.’

Nicholas bit his lip.

Sophia was still pinning him against the wall.

She neared his lips before she gave him a hug and moved her hand away from him.

She laughed before she took his hand.

“This is not funny,” Nicholas insisted, trying to glare at her, his cheeks the deepest shade of red it ever been.

“You’re right, it’s romantic,” Sophia couldn’t help but smile.

“That wouldn’t be the word I’d use to describe it,” Nicholas mumbled.

He caught Sophia studying him.

“What?”

“You’re even more charming when you’re flustered.”

Nicholas scoffed, “I am not–”

“Don’t even try denying it.”