Page 114 of Marked

The meeting ended and Sophia slipped out of the room. Thank God. Now she could pick up Bella.

As she walked to her car, her phone rang. She glanced at the number and frowned. Lexi. She hadn’t spoken to the woman since shortly after that fateful day. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me. How are you holding up?”

Sophia slung her bag into the passenger’s seat and lowered herself into the driver’s side. “Um, not bad, I guess.”

“I hope you understand why there’s no funeral. I know Dallas already reached out to let you know, but—”

“Yeah, I get it.” Of course there wouldn’t be a funeral. Who would come besides his brothers? “While I have you on the phone, I’ve got a question.”

“Shoot,” Lexi said jovially, as if happy about the redirection of the call.

“Cole was caught on camera entering the building, but there’s no evidence of me being there. Do you know anything about that?”

“Hmm,” Lexi mused. “Well, I’m not surprised. I’m sure Dare had something to do with that. Cole would have wanted them to protect you.”

They spoke a few more minutes, and Lexi invited her to go shopping for the baby. Undoubtedly because she felt sorry for Sophia, but nonetheless Sophia agreed and then disconnected.

As she pulled out of the parking lot, a strange sensation swept over her. She should feel sad leaving her place of work with no intention of returning anytime soon. Instead, she felt relief. Gratitude. She’d been off for the last two weeks and had only agreed to attend the meeting because Randy, the new chief, had stressed its importance. Although she could have done without the tribute to Kenneth.

Now, her leave had officially begun. She had a new life to start with Bella. One where she’d have to figure out how to support them both, but she’d do it.

All that mattered was being with her daughter.

Cole’s face crept into her mind, bringing with it another wave of sadness. She shoved it away. She couldn’t hang on to what could have been, but she could mourn what should have been.

She should have had the chance to decide her fate with Cole and not have had the choice ripped away.

He should have had the right to live and create a new future for himself.

Instead, it was gone. All of it. And she had to scrape up the pieces and answer Bella’s numerous questions about where Cole was and why Mommy was always crying in the pantry.

Swallowing the sadness putting lumps in her throat, Sophia headed to the park, where she’d pick up Bella from Natalie and take her for dinner.

Tomorrow was her birthday, and she’d smile through the weekend if it killed her.

***

Bella’s shrieks and laughs mingled with those of the other kids on the playground. Only somehow hers were less annoying... cute, even. She was wearing her hair straight down with a white bow secured at the side.

Her navy-blue dress and white cardigan were covered with woodchips and other debris from the messy area she was playing in.

Her sitter—Cole couldn’t remember her damn name, but the same lady who’d been there the day Bella had been kidnapped—watched from a bench, chatting with a parent.

He leaned forward on one of the benches that surrounded the playground and rested his forearms on his knees. While seeing Bella brought his heart a little bit of peace, she wasn’t what he needed. Wasn’t why he was here and had walked by the park nearly every fucking day.

Bella scaled a rock-climbing wall, out of sight of the sitter. The thing was high. He sat on the edge of his seat and leaned to look at the sitter, who was laughing with the woman next to her, oblivious to Bella’s activity.

Relax, dude.

Bella’s foot slipped, and a little cry escaped her. “Help!”

He bolted across the playground and caught her as she fell. When he turned her around to face him, her cornflower-blue eyes grew huge. “Cole?” Then her little arms wrapped around his neck, squeezing.

Her face stayed glued to his throat. His heart melted, and he squeezed her back. “I missed you, kiddo.” The words came out rough and gritty.

But I missed your mom more...

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