Page 54 of Secretly Loving my Cowboy Best Friend

Sofi undid her seatbelt as Daniel pulled into her driveway. See, she wasn’t completely helpless.

Mario jumped out of the truck and Sofi shot out behind him. She had as little desire to see Austin as her brothers wanted her to see him.

“Sofi!” Austin’s voice called from behind and she turned around before she could stop herself. She’d always turned at the sound of that voice. Years of habit couldn’t be undone in one night.

He’d jumped from his still running truck, his long legs making quick work of Sofi’s front yard.

Mario’s tug from behind reminded Sofi of their goal. He’d already unlocked her door and he shoved her into the house just before slamming the door, staying outside with Austin.

Sofi’s body fell against the door, her entire being exhausted.

“Lock it!” Daniel called out, and Sofi quickly twisted the lock with fumbling fingers. Just in time, considering the rattling of the doorknob that followed.

How Austin had gotten through both of her brothers to reach the door, Sofi didn’t know.

The sound of his key entering the lock warned Sofi that he could still get in.

“Don’t,” she managed to say through the door and it was only with her one word that Austin paused. There was a moment of charged silence before Sofi heard the rasp of the key being removed.

“Just let me talk to her. Please let me talk to you, Sof. I can’t stand to see you like this,” Austin pleaded.

Sofi’s door might have blocked the man out but not his voice. She knew if she didn’t want to hear him she needed to go to her room, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

Daniel snorted.

“Funny, considering you’re the reason she’s like this,” Mario replied.

Sofi’s thoughts exactly.

“It was a stupid experiment. I was trying to see what I felt when I went on a date with another woman. Sofi’s been in my head for every moment since she told me what she felt for me and . . . ” Austin’s voice trailed off. “I need to tell Sofi all of this.”

“Not happening,” Daniel replied, unmoved by what Austin had said. Sofi didn’t want to be affected either, and mostly she wasn’t. An experiment? That still didn’t explain why he hadn’t contacted her in a month. But part of her was curious. Not curious enough to see Austin, though.

“Go home, Austin,” Leia’s voice commanded, letting Sofi know her roommate was now home as well.

“Not until she talks to me,” Austin said, sounding as firm as Sofi had ever heard him.

“Hold him,” Leia instructed and Sofi heard an ensuing scuffle. She then heard Leia’s key in the lock and pushed off the door barely in time to keep from getting trampled. Leia slammed and locked the door all in one motion just before the sound of a thud on the other side of the door hit Sofi’s ears.

“Sofi!”

Sofi ignored the ache she heard in his voice. He didn’t get to hurt. Not after what he’d done.

“Be quiet or I’m calling the cops!” Sofi called through the door, her voice steady in a way none of the rest of her was.

Leia stood by Sofi’s side, shoulder to shoulder, letting Sofi know she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Please do,” Daniel said.

Sofi imagined Mario was muttering his agreement but with the door in the way she couldn’t hear every nuance of their conversation.

“Sofi,” Austin said once more through the door.

Sofi could no longer take it. Her body was barely able to remain upright, her mind was cloudy with grief, and her emotions were raw and wild. She left the door behind, walking through her living room and down the short hall to her bedroom. She somehow made it to the edge of her bed before she collapsed, falling face first into her pillows and hoping sleep would claim her quickly. She was exhausted enough to sleep for months.

But she had no such luck. And worse, she’d been mistaken. She could still hear the conversation at the door even from her bed. Maybe Austin was now yelling but she heard his voice.

“She’s gone. Leave her be, Austin,” Leia said as she pounded the door once, probably trying to scare him off. Sofi knew almost nothing scared her best friend . . . wait, he was no longer her best friend, was he?

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