Page 15 of Marrying a Spy

Chapter Five

Sophia lay in bed, watching the early morning light creep through her window and dance on the floor and walls. It was seven in the morning, but sleep was evading her.

All she could think about was the man on her couch. The one she’d once loved. And the one that she now knew nothing about.

She closed her eyes, and her stomach twisted as what she’d seen the night before came flooding back. What had happened? He certainly didn’t have those scars back in high school. Had it happened in the service? They were raised and jagged, running the length of his chest.

Her heart squeezed. It would have been a serious injury to leave a mark like that. Her breath caught in her throat as worry coursed through her. Had he been alone? Had he had anyone to take care of him?

She scoffed and covered her eyes with her elbow. If there was one thing she was certain about, it was that Noah Elliot had no problem with women. She was an idiot if she thought Noah had stayed single. She was pretty sure that the moment he drove off, after breaking her heart, he was in the arms of another woman.

She was probably the last person he would think about.

So, to keep her sanity, she needed to stop thinking about Noah and focus on something more pressing—the reason Noah was back here. The search for her father.

Her phone rang, slicing through the silence. Sophia glanced over and grabbed it off her nightstand. It was Jazzy.

“Hello?” Sophia said after she cleared her throat.

“Soph?”

“Yep.”

There was a pause. “Just checking to see if you survived the evening. One minute you were there and the next you were gone. I’m guessing the second reunion with Noah went well?”

Sophia groaned at the teasing sound in Jazzy’s voice. “No. Nothing like that.”

But the butterflies in her stomach told another story. Last night had been a very strange and confusing experience. She wanted to know more about Noah than he was willing to tell her.

Jazzy laughed. “Well, let me know when anything changes.”

And then Sophia remembered what she’d agreed to do. It would be strange to suddenly inform Jazzy that she and Noah were engaged. If they were going to be believed, her aunt should be one of the first people to know. Sophia just wasn’t sure what she could tell her. As much as she hated lying to her aunt, she allowed the words to flow from her lips.

“Actually, about that, Noah needs my help. We’re getting married this week.”

Jazzy was quiet. “What?”

Sophia sighed, working the worry out of her mind. “Noah needs my help,” she said again. “It’s legal. We’re getting married.”

Jazzy was not going to be happy with how vague she was being. Inside, she prayed that her aunt would leave it alone and not push her for more information.

“You okay?” Jazzy asked.

Yep, Jazzy was worried. “Yes. I’m fine. We’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry.”

The phone grew quiet. Sophia winced as she imagined what her aunt must be thinking. “Everything is okay. For legal reasons, I can’t really talk about it.”

Jazzy harrumphed then sighed. “I’m not happy about it, but I trust you.” She scoffed. “But I’m having words with that young man next time I see him. I stood up for him.”

Relief flooded Sophia as she nodded. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep lying to her aunt. “Thanks, Jazzy.”

A soft chuckle filled the air. “I love you, Soph. And you tell Noah, if he hurts you, he’ll have to answer to me.”

“All right,” Sophia said as she softened her voice. She loved her aunt. She was grateful she had such a strong woman in her life to support her.

They said their goodbyes, and Sophia set her phone back on her nightstand and stared up at the ceiling.

It was starting. Noah had re-entered her life and she was instantly changing who she was. How many times had he told her to lie to her mom about where she was going while they were dating? And she’d gone along with it. She needed to stay strong in her convictions if she was going to survive this next week.

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