Best and Honor

Chapter 20

Andrew

How are there no flights out of this town until tomorrow? I sit on the edge of my bed and rest my head in my hands. It looks like Sophie caught the last plane out of here and now all I can do is wait around until the flights resume tomorrow. My bags are packed and my ticket is purchased. This time if she is fleeing this town, I'm going with her. I will not make the same mistake I did four years ago when I let her board a plane and fly out of my life.

Maybe this is not the best thought out plan, but I can't take a chance that she is going to try to push me out of her life with out even letting me explain. I had no idea that Evan cheated on her with Rachel. My secret I was keeping from her was that he had been cheating on Rachel. I didn't think it was in her best interest to know that if she had to stand up there with Rachel. I guess now that I was very wrong. Asking her to trust me only lead her to believe that I knew about Evan and Rachel.

I pace my room watching the numbers on the clock slowly change, mocking my need to get face-to-face with her so she can see in my eyes that I'm not lying. I would have never allowed her to go through with this week if I had known earlier. Evan was my best friend, but I'm not a heartless dick like he is. What he and Rachel did to Sophie is unforgivable and I would have never kept that from her.

Evan's texts start blowing up my phone an hour before I'm about to leave for the airport. He is apologizing for our fight and asking me to help him fix things with Rachel. I don't answer any of them. I also don't answer the door when he knocks on it ten minutes later. My exit from his life is going to be swift. There's no need to drag out this dying friendship any longer.

The taxi pulls to the edge of the parking lot and I climb inside. The worker that's changing the marque in front of the hotel waves as we drive by. So far the new message proudly says, "Congratulations Evan and Rachel." As we wait for the light to change, he adds, "On your pregnancy." I feel my brows furrow together and then the realization hits me that Sophie might have something to do with the hilarious new message. Good for her.

As we make our way through the traffic of the now busy airport, I begin to receive a second wave of frantic texts from Evan and then eventually Rachel. Evan is freaking out because apparently his face is swollen and no amount of ice is making it better. Also, apparently his grandparents would like to know why they were not told about the baby and will not believe that Evan has no idea what they're talking about.

Rachel's texts are a little more insistent. She wants to know if I have seen Sophie. She would also like to know if I've seen her wedding gown. I don't feel sorry for her for even a second after what she did and I hope that if Sophie had anything to do with all the strange things happening today, she's going to one day be able to see all the chaos beautifully documented on Facebook.

My thoughts have not left her all night and all morning. I pray that I didn't destroy what we were building and that she'll allow me to do what ever it takes to make this better. It just doesn't seem fair that after all of these years of loving her from afar, I only got a few days with her and one unforgettable night. My stomach knots and I feel the ache in my heart grow as the time away from her ticks by.

Having her leave has shifted my world. I felt the loss of her from my life again and I know that it's not something I'm willing to live with. I've put a call into my assistant, Anna, at the office and let her know I will be in California for a while and to set up a meeting with the partners on Monday. I should know by then if Sophie will have me, and if she says yes, then I'm not going to ever let distance separate us again. I'm going to offer to head up the firm in California like they have been grooming me for this last year.