Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 74

Tearing her and Nicholas apart, that was her one goal.

Ava smirked mischievously as she thought of a brilliant idea, one that’d do just that, and possibly even more.

She cackled with laughter.

This was going to be gratifying. Extremely gratifying.

__

Sophia was in an ill-tempered mood the next morning; she wasn’t able to get any sleep the previous night and now, she was running high on caffeine.

“Morning,” Nicholas greeted, taking his seat on the breakfast table.

Sophia mumbled something under her breath before she grumbled to him, “Morning.”

“And what’s making you so grumpy this fine morning?” Nicholas asked, taking a croissant from the feast that’d been laid out for him and her.

Sophia answered his question, “Insomnia.”

“Oh,” was all Nicholas managed to say.

Sophia dozed off, finally getting a minute of sleep before Ava entered.

“Morning!” She exclaimed cheerily to Nicholas, completely ignoring Sophia’s presence.

Sophia woke up. So much for sleep.

“Morning, Ava,” she greeted bitterly.

“Sophia,” Ava said in return, her tone just as bitter as Sophia’s.

Ava then noticed the dark circles under Sophia’s eyes.

A smile curved up her lips. This day couldn’t have gotten any better.

She took her seat beside Nicholas which further angered Sophia.

Ava drank her mimosa.

Sophia held up her head with her hand.

“Pass the coffee kettle,” Sophia ordered Ava.

Ava cocked her head to the side. This was the perfect opportunity for her to further infuriate Sophia that morning.

She passed Sophia the coffee kettle, as Sophia told her to.

“Whoops,” she said unconvincingly as she spilt her mimosa on Nicholas’ ensemble.

Sophia’s eyes widened at what Ava did.

Nicholas’ gaze darted to his now stained dress shirt.

‘Yet another day of Ava’s pointless antics,’ he mumbled under his breath.

He refused Ava’s help cleaning him up, telling her he could do it himself.

Sophia’s eye twitched as she watched him leave.

She poured herself yet another cup of coffee. Her third cup that morning.

Before Ava could say anything else, she left swiftly.

“I am not dealing with this so early in the goddamn morning,” Sophia said as she headed to Nicholas’ quarters.

She’d knocked, and once she hadn’t heard anything, by instinct, she opened his door.

She yelped, seeing Nicholas… in the midst of changing. Her eyes widened.

She froze, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“I’ll just… return… outside,” Sophia sputtered, unable to close her eyes.

“Yeah,” Nicholas stammered.

Sophia closed the door.

“I can’t unsee it,” Sophia said, her eyes wide.

All she could see was Nicholas.

She shut her eyes, telling herself to unsee it – what she just saw.

__

“We’ve got to do something about her,” Sophia told Nicholas weakly, seated in one of his chaises.

Nicholas – who had changed into another outfit – instantly agreed.

“It’s not as though I can simply force her out of here,” he told her.

Sophia wondered if she could get Julia to kick Ava out.

She also wondered if she herself had the power to do so.

She owned the place – technically – so she could, but who knew what Ava would do next. It had to be Nicholas to do it or she’d never leave.

“But she’s never going to leave otherwise,” Sophia protested, rolling her eyes.

“Honestly I don’t know if I can endure another day with her here,” Sophia admitted.

Nicholas pursed his lips. He didn’t know what to do.

On one hand, Ava was an old friend. And by all means, he would love for her to leave and never come back but he could say with certainty, she’d find a way to return.

“I’ll talk to her,” he promised.

Sophia had a pleased look on her face, it was an improvement, at the very least.

“Thank you,” she managed to tell him.

Nicholas beamed at her in return.

It’d been quite a while since they’d spent time together.

Sophia broke the silence.

“So, I’ve got to get going now,” Sophia decided.

Nicholas and Sophia exchanged awkward goodbyes before Sophia left.

She asked herself the question, ‘What the hell was that, Windsor?’

She cursed under her breath, blaming it on the lack of sleep she’d gotten the previous night.

She looked downwards, realizing then she was still dressed in a white, floral silk satin set that tied around the waist.

“Right, I’ve got to change,” Sophia decided as she changed courses, heading to her quarters for a necessary change of clothing.

An hour later, Sophia had changed, now donning a black v neck blouse with lantern sleeves as well as a pair of sleek, white dress pants paired with chic black heels. Sunglasses covered her eyes, hiding her dark circles.

Someone tapped her shoulder.

Sophia whirled around. She’d expected it to be someone else.

“Amazing outfit, as usual,” Louis praised.

Sophia chuckled, “Thanks.”

She felt better after a change of clothes.

Louis asked, “Had a hard time sleeping?”

Sophia nodded.

“You sure you’re up for this evening?” Louis asked her, concerned.

Sophia furrowed her brows.

“This evening?” She asked her brother, confused.

Louis blinked.

“You don’t know?” He asked his sister, baffled she wasn’t first to know of it.

“The wedding reception,” Louis explained.

“Practically every royal’s invited,” he elucidated.

“Yeah, no,” Sophia refused.

“So Nicholas will be there,” he said as well.

Sophia’s eyes lit up, which wasn’t visible to Louis since she was wearing sunglasses.

“He’ll be there?” Sophia asked curiously, wondering if her brother was merely playing with her.

Louis laughed softly.

“Yes, he likely will,” Louis confirmed.

“So, will you be there?” He asked her.

“You don’t have to… of course, if you’re not up for it,” he assured.

“You could always stay in and rest, that option’s always open,” Louis said.

Sophia stared at him.

“I’m coming,” she said.

Louis smiled, “Excellent.”

__

“So there’s a wedding reception being held this evening,” Sophia began.

Nicholas nodded. So he heard.

“You coming?” Sophia asked him.

“I am,” Nicholas answered.

The two shared a moment of mutual agreement.

“Is Ava coming as well?” Sophia asked next.

“I am,” Ava answered.

It was as though she was everywhere, snooping on Nicholas and her at all times.

“Well that’s… great,” Sophia lied.

Ava grinned at her, looping her arm with Nicholas’.

“It is,” she agreed.

Nicholas pulled away. He shot Ava a look of forewarning. He’d had enough of this, which had gone on for too long.

He’d promised Sophia he’d talk to Ava, so he’d do just that.

Sophia stifled a laugh before she heard someone call her.

“Your grace,” a man called.

She scanned her surroundings to see the majordomo who bowed the minute she set her eyes on him.

“I’ll be right back,” Sophia said

Nicholas assured her he’d be right there after she returned.

Sophia nodded and followed the majordomo who needed her assistance with something important.

Once she was done with assisting the majordomo, she returned to where Nicholas and Ava previously were.

They were gone.

Ava’s doing, Sophia immediately assumed.

She growled.

As if Ava hadn’t already crossed the line, this wasn’t helpful either.

“I leave for an hour to fulfil my royal duties, I return and no one else is here,” Sophia said before she froze.

She heard voices coming from a nearby room.

She shook her head.

“I am not going to eavesdrop,” she refused.

“I’m not going to eavesdrop,” she repeated as if it’d work.

“I am not doing this,” she said to herself.

“Am I really this desperate?” She asked herself.

“Am I really doing this?”

She then began, “But…”

“Who knows what they’re talking about?” She asked curiously.

She inhaled sharply.

“It’s Ava, she could be up to anything,” she reasoned.

She pressed her ear against the slightly closed doors.

“Why are you like that around her?” Ava asked, her voice hushed.

“I’m your friend, I’ve been your friend for the longest time, ever since we were little, and I come to visit you for your birthday for two weeks, and you replaced me with her.”

“Seriously? ‘Like that’ around her? What’s that supposed to mean, Ava?” Nicholas asked in a lowered voice.

“You’re all sweet to her,” Ava answered.

“She doesn’t deserve you,” Ava said next.

Sophia kept quiet, deciding it was best she stayed that way.

“What are you doing still here?”

“There’s no other reason, you’ve already won her over and all that,” Ava said next.

“Won her over?” Nicholas demanded.

“What, trying to feign ignorance now?” Ava asked him.

“Are you serious?” She asked next.

“I’m not feigning ignorance, Ava,” Nicholas said truthfully.

“Practically everyone knows why you’re like this.”

“The only reason the tabloids haven’t spread it worldwide is because… because they were paid off by a certain someone.”

“I knew you since you were little, Nicholas.”

“I’m not idiotic, even if you think I am.”

“And honestly, it doesn’t take brains to figure out you only courted her for access to military once you… how do they put it? Seal the deal and marry her, yes, that’s it. Am I getting closer to the truth, Nicholas?”