Page 22 of Marrying a Spy

Chapter Seven

Sophia couldn’t stand in the middle of Jordan’s studio for a minute longer. She needed to compose herself—to get away from Noah and that kiss.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, dipping her gaze and rushing over to the door with “bathroom” written on it in flourishing letters. After shutting the door behind her, she flipped the light on and made her way over to the sink, where she rested her hands on the cool granite.

Her heart was still racing and her lips were tingling from the feeling of Noah’s lips pressed against them. She closed her eyes as emotions bubbled up in her chest.

Why did they have to kiss? And why hadn’t she gotten over Noah? Ten years should have been long enough for her to forget about him.

When she glanced up at the mirror and saw her flushed cheeks and worried eyes, she knew she wasn’t even remotely over Noah. Pretending to be his fiancée was going to be torture. And all of this was to lure back her father, who had broken her heart first. How did she let herself get roped into this mess?

Instead of swallowing her fears, she let them pound out from her heart and flow through her body. If she wanted to keep herself safe, she needed to stop this charade, kick Noah from her life, and hole up in her house until she once again got over Noah and her dad.

There was a soft knock on the door, snapping her out of her fit of self-pity. Sophia washed her hands, splashed her cheeks with the cool water, and then dried her skin. She took in a few deep breaths and pulled open the door.

Noah was on the other side, resting his hand on the doorframe while studying the ground. She hated how good he looked standing there. She hated that she reacted to him like this.

He glanced up, and his half-smile made her hate him even more. “Everything okay?” he asked.

She swallowed. “I’m not feeling good,” she said as she stepped past him and walked over to Jordan. “I think I’m going to call it.”

Jordan glanced up. “You sure?”

Sophia forced a smile. “Yeah. Just tired.”

Jordan returned his gaze to his camera and continued flipping through photos. “I think we got a few good ones,” he said.

Sophia nodded and made her way back to the front door. She didn’t even acknowledge Philip, who said something to her as she slipped by. Right now, the only thing she could think about was getting outside, where she could breathe.

The sunlight hit her, causing her to squint. It was bright, but she welcomed its warmth. Needing more distance from Noah, she made her way around the corner of the building and leaned against it.

Why hadn’t she driven separately? She would be on her way home right now. But of course, Noah had insisted that he drive, so she was stuck with either walking or waiting.

She moved her purse to grab her phone from the inside pocket. Maybe she should call Kari.

After three rings, Kari answered. “Hello?”

“Kare?”

“Sophia? What are you doing? Pat said you weren’t going to come in this week and that you were acting all weird about why.”

Sophia swallowed. “It has to do with Noah.”

“Nice,” Kari said. Sophia could practically hear her wide grin.

“No. Not nice. He…” Sophia paused. What was she supposed to say? How could she explain this situation without giving her the details? First her aunt, and now her best friend? The lies were piling up. “We’re getting married.” The words spilled from her lips before she could stop herself.

Kari was silent. “You’re what?”

“Noah and I are getting married. Please don’t ask why.”

There was sputtering on the other end. “I don’t understand. What—how?”

Sophia turned and ran her fingers along the jagged edges of the brick building. “It’s okay. He’s an old friend. I’m…helping him out.” She could say that, right?

“Is it about a green card?”

Grateful that Kari was coming to conclusions on her own, Sophia nodded. “Yeah, something like that. It also includes an inheritance.” If she was going to lie to everyone, the least she could do was keep her lies consistent.

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