Page 53 of Spark
“He told you what happened?” Sophie asked in horror.
Mom shook her head. “Not exactly. Just that he’d hurt you, and that he was really sorry.” She paused. “For what it's worth, I think he was being truthful about being sorry.”
She turned back to her computer and resumed typing.
A thought came tiptoeing into Sophie’s head that maybe she’d gotten it wrong. Maybe Chris really hadn’t been doing what she thought he’d done.
She guessed he’d spent hours decorating those strawberries.
And maybe Matt really did want to date her.
No. They’re probably just trying to score more points in their stupid competition.
But still, she couldn’t help remembering how right kissing Matt had felt, and how good Chris made her feel. He knew just how to touch her. And being with him had felt so right, too…right up until the moment he made that comment.
She sighed, staring at the bowl of strawberries, feeling her outrage draining away like coffee through a cone filter. She started to wish that she hadn’t flipped out on Chris.
And Mom was right. Now that Sophie felt calmer, itwastime to talk about what had happened.
We’ve been friends for a long time. I owe him that much.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she reached for her phone and texted him.
Can I come by and talk to you before you go to work?
His reply came almost immediately.Sure.
She glanced at the big decorative clock that hung on the wall near Mom’s workstation. His shift started in 90 minutes, so if she wanted to talk to him, she needed to head over to his place now.
“You know what, Mom? You’re right. I do need to talk to Chris. I’ll be back soon.”
“Bye, kiddo,” Mom said. “And good luck working things out with him.”
* * *
Chris answered the door, dressed for work but looking like he hadn’t shaved or combed his hair yet. His face was haggard, with big dark circles under his eyes, and auburn stubble coated his jaw and cheeks.
The sight of him instantly made her feel better. Mom had been right. He did look like he hadn’t been sleeping. It told her that he’d apparently been just as upset as she by what had happened.
His apologies text messages probablyhadbeen sincere, and he hadn’t been sitting here treating it all like some awful prank.
The tight knot of anger and shame that had tied itself around her middle suddenly loosened.
“Hi,” she said, awkwardly.
He stared at her for a long moment, as if he couldn’t believe that she was actually standing there. “Uh, come in. Please.”
Her emotions were a jumble as she stepped cautiously through the doorway and halted in the big foyer with its dark wood floors and trim. She was happy to see him, worried about how awful he looked, and terrified that this might be the moment when he sneered at her for getting so upset, and told her that she should be grateful that he had kissed her at all.
Instead, his green eyes fixed on her with an intensity she’d rarely seen in him.
He cleared his throat, and said in a rush, “I hurt you, and I never,everwanted to do that. I’m an idiot and I’m really, really sorry. For everything, but mostly for making you think that making out with you was just some dumb bet with Matt. I swear to you, it wasn’t."
"It…wasn't?" She wanted to believe him, she really did.
He nodded. "It was because you’re totally hot and since you got back, I haven’t been able to think about anything but kissing you. And um, doing other things with you.” He stopped to take a breath. “Please tell me that you don’t hate me. And that we’re still friends.”
Sophie struggled to comprehend what she’d just heard.He thinks I’m hot and he’s been obsessed with kissing me?
