Page 61 of Back On Ice

Jake’s right on one thing, I never stopped loving Sophie. When I came back to town it hit me like a freight train and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. The question “am I sure?” doesn’t even take a blip of brain activity to answer.

“Yeah,” I say, smiling to myself. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything in my life.”

Chapter Twenty Five

SOPHIE

After I leaveCarter’s hotel room, the drive home is an angry blur.

My grip is white-knuckled on the steering wheel. When I pull up the house, Tom’s car is already gone. Thank god he won’t see me like this and make me answer a million questions when I’m trying to process everything.

Why did I believe Carter when he told me what happened when he left for college?

Why does he keep messing around with me if he has a woman likethatwaiting for him? Angry tears burn the back of my eyes as I make my way into the house. I don’t know who I’m more mad at, Carter or myself. I had kept my guard up for a reason, and all it took were some pretty words and mind-blowing orgasms for me to turn into a gullible pile of goo.

After washing my hair so vigorously I’m sure that my scalp is raw, I changed into my work clothes and drive to the shop. I had thought that maybe having some time to think would helpme cool down, but no. My anger is still like this ugly thing in my chest, consuming me from the inside out.

Kerry is helping a customer with an order when I storm in, and I head straight to the back office, aggressively sitting in the chair at the computer desk.

Nicole. That’s the name of the girl he cheated on me with back when he first left. I should have asked him. I should have waited for him to get out of the shower and made him tell me to my face what a lying, cheating, asshole he is before finding out by accident.

I need to talk to someone, to vent everything right now before my emotions bury me completely. After pulling my phone out of my purse, I type out a text to Abbie.

Me: Are you coming for lunch today? Need to talk.

Abbie: I’m so sorry, Soph, we’re swamped today and I can’t get away.

Abbie: Everything okay?

Me: It’s fine. Talk to you later.

Sighing, I put my phone back in my purse, pointedly ignoring all the missed calls and texts from Carter. There were times when he wasmyCarter. My sweet, sensitive, caring Carter. That Carter wouldn’t cheat on me. He wouldn’t come back and lead me on only to crush me again.

As the day goes on, Carter and his betrayal plague my mind. Can it even be considered a betrayal when he was never loyal to me to begin with?

Part of me wants to believe Carter has a reasonable explanation. But another part of me doubts it all. Am I such a poor judge of character that I fell for lies and tricks? Becausereally, this puts into question everything that I’ve learned since he’s been back. How am I supposed to trust anything he says?

Noon hits, and I come out to the front, knowing I can’t hide in the back office forever. “Kerry, go ahead and take your lunch.”

She looks over at me, surprised. No doubt she’s been able to tell that something’s been off all day. “You sure? I can stay and help.”

Smiling tightly, I nod. “Yep, will you bring me back something though? You can take my card with you.”

“You got it.”

Kerry hasn’t been out of the shop for five minutes whenshewalks in.

Nicole.

What the fuck is she doing here?

Okay, play it cool. It’s not good for business to kick someone out if she doesn’t even know who I am. But I can’t bring myself to welcome her into my shop, so I do my best to ignore her, busying myself on the computer. She’s probably just here to browse, she’ll be in and out in no time.

Not so much.

“Sophie, right? Sophie Hartwell?” Her voice has a nasal quality to it, and I look up into green eyes that glitter with condescension. The fact that she knows my name and where to find me firmly points me away from my “she doesn’t know who I am” theory.

“Yes. How can I help you?” I eye her warily. It’s not like I’m afraid of her, but what could she possibly want?

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