Page 42 of Designing Love
Sage chuckles. “I think Ethan’s practically built for your new reality, Sophia. He’s patient, kind, funny. And he makes you smile like I haven’t seen you smile in years. Isn’t that reason enough?”
I blush, smiling shyly into my lap. “He is pretty great.”
She lifts her tea smugly. “Pretty great, indeed.”
We momentarily fall into a comfortable silence, the lake breeze gently ruffling our hair. It’s peaceful — perfect, even. Until the shrill ring of my phone cuts through the quiet.
I reach for it distractedly, answering before checking the screen. “Hello?”
“Sophia,” Daniel’s smooth voice cuts in sharply, instantly shattering my calm. “Ready to end this little vacation and come back to work?”
Anger floods me immediately, and I stand abruptly, knocking crumbs onto the floor. Mr. Darcy startles awake, eyeing me reproachfully. “Daniel. What do you want?”
“To discuss the inevitable. Your Miller House project fell apart, as I knew it would. There’s nothing left holding you there. Come back to Vancouver and our design company.”
I feel heat burning my cheeks. “You did this, didn’t you? You sabotaged Ethan’s project just to punish me. I thought it could be you, but I didn’t want to accept that you’d stoop so low.”
He sighs condescendingly. “You’re being dramatic. I simply pointed out legal oversights. A favor, really.”
“Favor? You’re trying to ruin Ethan’s investment, ruin his project. This is beneath even you.”
“It’s reality,” Daniel replies, chillingly calm. “And the reality is you belong back here, in Vancouver. This little small-town fantasy isn’t you. You have responsibilities. Enough with this adolescent escapade.”
“You have no idea who I am anymore,” I retort sharply, my voice trembling. “I’m not your puppet. Leave me — and Ethan — alone.”
“Fine,” he says dismissively, “but eventually, you’ll realize I’m right.”
I hang up abruptly, chest heaving, pulse pounding through my temples. My vision blurs slightly as frustration and anger mingle with a quieter, colder dread.
Sage sits in stunned silence, her mug of tea frozen mid-air, observing me.
“Daniel strikes again?” she asks gently, slowly setting her tea down.
“Of course,” I mutter bitterly, running a shaky hand through my hair. “He’s decided this is all just some… whim. That I’ll run back as soon as things get tough.”
Sage leans forward, eyebrows raised in concern. “And what do you think?”
“I think…” My voice trails off, and I stare at the lake, the glistening waves deceptively calm and inviting. “I think he will keep causing trouble unless I do something.”
Sage frowns, worry edging into her usually serene expression. “Define ‘something,’ Sophia. Because Daniel’s form of something usually involves unnecessary drama.”
I swallow tightly, my pulse racing faster. The decision forming in my mind isn’t one I’m taking lightly, but the ache in my chest feels heavy enough that I know avoiding it is no longer an option. My fingers move quickly, pulling up the airline’s website on my phone and tapping hurriedly.
“What are you doing?” Sage asks carefully, suspicion creeping into her voice.
“Taking control,” I say quietly, without looking up, my thumb hovering over the confirmation button.
She watches me for a long moment, eyes narrowed. “Texting Ethan?”
I shake my head. My voice is oddly steady, considering how my heart races. “No. I’m booking a flight.”
Sage’s mug clinks against the table, tea sloshing over the rim as she sits forward suddenly. “Sophia, wait — are you sure that’s the right choice?”
I meet her worried gaze, the anxiety twisting inside me, gradually fading into certainty. It isn’t the easy choice or even the choice I want, but it’s the only one I can think of that might finally stop Daniel. For Ethan’s sake, at least.
“Yes,” I whisper, finger pressing firmly against the screen. “I’m sure it’s got to be done.”
The confirmation email pops up, flight details neatly summarizing my decision in stark, impersonal letters. I exhale heavily, pocketing my phone as if hiding evidence.
