How To Love Her

Chapter Twenty-Six

~~Unknown~~
"He fucking failed again!" The man snarls out, knocking the stacks of papers off his desk.

"Sir, he's dead. They killed him hours ago. Whatever information he had on us was not beneficial."The other man replies, grimacing at his bloody knuckles.

"I don't care what they know. They will never get to us. And I will get that bitch myself. I'm done with this."

The other man nods, his silver eyes glinting maliciously.

~~Sophia's POV~~
I smile with my eyes closed as I feel light kisses pressed on my face.

"You're back early.." I croak out, my just-woke-up-from-a-nap voice sounding gross.

She laughs before sitting next to me, lifting my legs to put on her lap.

"It's been five hours baby girl. It's almost dinner time."

My eyes snap open immediately and I sit up, getting lightheaded with the action.

"What?!"

"It's been five-" I hold my hand up.

"I heard you. How long were you gone for? What time is it exactly? I better not be missing Family Guy."

"I was out for a while, why?" She questions, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she massages my calves.

I shrug before smiling, kissing her shoulder before laying my head on it.

"Just missed you." I welcome her warmth, closing my eyes and wrapping my arms around her.

She releases my legs, wrapping her arms around my waist and patting my butt.

I move, sitting on her lap and wrapping my arms around her, playing with her hair by the nape of her neck.

"What'd you do today?" I hear her take a deep breath, her grip on my hips tightening.

"Just regular business stuff. Boring shit."

"What 'business stuff' are we talking about?" I ask, not totally believing her bullshit.

"Sophia, we're not going to talk about this right now. Let it go." She snapped.

I rear my head back, confused by her sudden animosity. "Excuse me? Lose the attitude. Look, I know you're lying about what you just went to do. You think you're good at hiding but you're not. Not with me."

She shrugs at me, an impassive look in her eyes as she stares at me intently. "Just leave it alone, Sophia."

I raise an eyebrow at her, "Are you serious?" I laugh humorlessly before pushing her hands off of my hips and getting up. "Don't follow me." I snap.

I watch as her expression falters for a second, but it was gone in a blink of an eye as her nonchalant mask was put on again.

I huff, walking away from the living room and into my art room. I slam the door shut, pressing my back against it while taking deep breaths, trying to control my anger.

I don't understand why she wouldn't just share with me. I've been patient with her and understanding. Letting it drop and giving in to whatever she wanted.

Maybe I felt like I owed her something for saving my life more than once. For giving me a home when I could've been homeless, and for loving me. But I could've saved my own life, I could've made it without her. And I didn't need her to love me. I just needed to love myself a little more.

Sliding down the door and putting my head into my hands, I feel a rush of exhaustion filter through me. I haven't given myself time to sit and think about myself through all of this. Think about losing my one and only best friend because he was sick in the head, losing my life before moving here to try and start over again, only to be swept into more of a mess. And now, I have them after me again. I will never get away.

I pull my hands away, feeling a warm wetness. Are those tears? I wipe my eyes, realizing I must've started crying.

Drying my face with my shirt, I stand up and take a deep breath. Walking over to my old painting, I brush my fingers over the woman's face, smiling to myself.

"I wish you were here, mamá." Another tear drips down my shirt but I wipe it away quickly and clear my throat as someone knocks on the door.

"Come in!" I hide the painting under the piece of cloth again before turning around, my gaze meeting silver eyes. I remembered being introduced to him a while back. What was his name? Justin? No..Jared?

He raises his eyebrow at me suspiciously, looking over my shoulder, "Hiding something?" He smirks.

That smirk. That look in his eyes as he regards me coldly. I remember him now. Jesse, the man who was speaking with Rose during the party. I haven't seen him around here in a while.

"If I was, I wouldn't tell you." I narrow my eyes at him, "What do you want?"

He walks into the room slowly, glancing around the room mysteriously, as if he was making a devious plan as he predatorily stepped towards me.

"Stop." I hold my hand out before he could get any closer, "Emilia is right out there. I'm sure she wouldn't like what you're doing."

That smirk again. "What am I doing, sweetheart?" He steps even closer, his smirk turning into a full blown smile as he backs me up against the wall, putting both hands beside my head.

He leans close to me, his lips brushing my ear, "I'd watch my back if I were you. Danger is closer than you think, cielita."

I freeze. A numb feeling spreading from my toes to my scalp.

My father used to call me that as a child, until things became worse after my mother's death. I haven't heard that word since...

He chuckles darkly before pushing off of the wall, backing up and going to the door. Before he leaves, he turns to say one more thing, "Oh, and I wouldn't tell your little girlfriend about this. That wouldn't be very safe." He mockingly pouted at my shocked face before finally leaving.

I remain standing there, still as a statue while thinking everything over.

Does this mean Jesse is working for him?

He's here. He's closer than he's ever been in the past few years. And he's going to finally end me.