The Longest Wait Read online

  A LOW-KEY PARTY was exactly what Sofia needed. She refilled her champagne in the kitchen while admiring the photograph hung on the wall. It was of a lion, slowly creeping toward the camera as if the photographer was his prey. It was a piece of Alex’s work. This exact picture was his first photo to make the cover on National Geographic, and Lucy had it framed immediately. She was such a good sister.

  Sofia would’ve burnt it.

  Mostly because it was a picture Alex took and nothing to do with siblings. Not that she would know about the sibling bond either; she was an only child.

  With her flute full, she was ready to return to the party when she saw Dominic and Connor walk through the front door.

  She yelled from the kitchen doorway, “Look who could fit us into their schedule!”

  Dominic came over to her and kissed her cheek. “We went to Daltons before coming here.”

  She rolled her bright, blue eyes. “A bar pregame before a house party? I expected nothing else.”

  “If Connor and Alex didn’t force me, I may have stayed,” Dominic confided to her. “If you want to leave here early, we could go back to the bar. We can wingman each other.”

  “I’m not going anywhere where people are dressed up. In case you missed it, I’m not exactly wearing bar clothes.” Going out after the party was a solid no for her. “Besides, I’m not in the mood to play wingwoman. I actually like being somewhere I don’t need to scream over the music to be heard by my friends.”

  “What is wrong with everyone?” Dominic mumbled under his breath when he walked away.

  Another person walked into the party, and it was the one person Sofia hoped would bail. Alex Copeland, looking better than ever with his mused dark hair, brooding brown eyes, and five o’clock shadow, stepped into the house. He smiled when Lucy hugged him and then again when Jack gave him that weird guy hug before heading toward her.

  Sofia quickly sidestepped him and retreated back into the kitchen to avoid looking like a creeper spying on him.

  Which she was not.

  Not a creeper or trying to spy. Honest, it was poor timing. He walked in and happened to be in her line of vision. He probably planned it. She sipped on her drink and realized it was almost empty again, so she turned back to pour another glass.

  She busied herself with putting the champagne back into the refrigerator, when Alex stood in the kitchen, neither of them speaking. The room dropped in temperature, and not because she wasted electricity holding the door open. Not at all.

  It was because Alex showed up and had the nerve to crowd her space in the kitchen. He was basically leaning on her against open refrigerator. And he was nothing but cold.

  LAUGHTER BUBBLED OUT of him, despite trying to hold it back. Sofia wore a shirt that read “Resolutions Are For Quitters.” The shirt, with all of its sass, was perfect for her. He wouldn’t admit it, but she also looked perfect in it. Her jet-black hair was curled and tumbled down her back. Her sapphire eyes glowed, not needing makeup to make them sparkle. Sofia Winton, as she has always been, was a knockout.

  “I wasn’t spying on you.” She slammed the refrigerator door shut.

  “Did someone insinuate you were?” He stepped closer to her and reopened the door for a beer.

  She frowned. It came naturally to her whenever she was near him. “No, how could they say something when I wasn’t staring at you?”

  “Now that you bring it up: I did see you looking at me when I walked in. Could it be that you were waiting for me to get here? Do you want to spend time with me? Should we sit down and talk?” He mocked her.

  Alex had his beer and took a step closer to her. While most people would instinctually take a step back, Sofia didn’t. Instead, she defiantly stuck her nose in the air. Since she wore some killer heels, which had a lethal pointy toe and gave her a few inches to be closer to his tall stature, she felt more empowered standing up to him.

  “This kitchen isn’t big enough for the both of us,” Sofia said with a glare.

  He loved riling her up. “Maybe we should hug it out?”

  “You wish,” she said in her saccharine tone. An odd comparison to a woman who was less then sweet with him.

  In admission, he was never agreeable with her either. It was like after everything they shared ten years ago, the only rule they had in place was to not cause a scene in front of other people, especially Lucy. When it was only them, which hardly ever happened, all bets were off.

  “I know your shirt says otherwise, but maybe you could make the resolution to be nice to me this year.”

  “More wishful thinking?”

  “Perhaps, since I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I was nice to you once.” Sofia crossed her arms in the minimal space between them. “And I wasn’t impressed with the outcome.”

  Her comment was like cold water thrown in his face. Without referencing it, they both knew what she meant.

  “Maybe if you told me the truth, you would’ve had a better experience,” he shot back.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t have been such a—”

  Jack walked into the kitchen. “The ball drops in five minutes. Get your asses in the living room.”

  They jumped away from each other as soon as they heard his voice. Once he walked away, Alex moved back into her space. He brushed her hair over her shoulder, whispering in her ear, “You can’t run from me forever.”

  Chapter 2

  DESPITE ALEX’S OMINOUS comment, Sofia was able to run from him for three weeks. If only luck was on her side, she’d be able to do it forever. Anything was better than having to be in the same room with him. She did what she could to avoid him at all costs. Even if it meant skipping the last brunch date all her friends were attending.

  That’s right. Skipping approved champagne on a Sunday morning to avoid close proximity to Alex.

  This Sunday though, Sofia wasn’t missing time with her friends. Part of her debated texting Alex and asking him to not show up, but that would only add fuel to the fire. He would show up and sit next to her to prove a point.

  That was the last thing that would help her decompress. She needed some laughter.

  It was required after working until four in the morning for the past three nights. One of the perks from being a consultant in the tech industry was the flexible hours; she only needed to get the job done. This time around though, her assignment required more time than usual. Her latest project was a bit more difficult with the cloud migration, and with her deadline approaching, she spent all weekend completing access control for her client. A deadline was a

  The Longest Wait deadline, and she was required to finish the work. She was satisfied though. Another assignment done prior to the Monday agreement. It was the reputation she built for herself.

  Clients knew when they worked with Sofia, errors were minimal, she documented everything, and she always finished ahead of schedule. Another added bonus: She always created a quick guide for new users on what she did on her project, in case they needed it for future reference.

  Dragging herself from bed, Sofia checked her phone; it was almost noon. It gave her thirty minutes to get ready, head to the restaurant her friends were meeting, and have a mimosa in her hand. Doing the expert job of fixing the bags under her eyes with makeup, she threw her hair into a sloppy bun high on her head and walked out the door.

  By the time she made it to Iron and Stone, their favorite brunch spot, the whole group was there. Including Alex.

  Which was fine.

  Really.

  She was prepared he would rudely be in attendance with her friends. The plan was to not acknowledge him, per usual, and spend time with her friends. She was sure Dominic had some story of his weekend that would have them all in stiches. He was a magnet for not only women, but funny stories as well.

  “Look who showed up!” Lucy was surprised to see her.

  Sofia winced because her friend had a reason to be shocked. If only Lucy’s brother wasn’t such a turd, then she would
n’t have to bail on brunch dates. There was no other way around it; she would have to talk to the devil himself about this. She was in Phildelphia first. He should be the one skipping morning drinks, not her. While his common decency was lacking, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he needed to scale back on taking over Sunday brunch.

  Not that he cared in the slightest.

  25 He shot her a smug smiled at her, and had the nerve to pull the chair out next to him. Lifting an eyebrow, he patted the seat for her to sit. If she made a big deal about it, everyone would roll their eyes and continue on because they were used to the combative nature between them.

  If she did that though, Alex would win.

  In his typical fashion, he was testing her. This was all part of the cat and mouse game they played. He was challenging her. If she didn’t take his offered seat, he would win the first round between them.

  If there was one thing Sofia was certain of, it was to never give Alex the upper hand. He would only use it against her, as she has learned. She would sit next to him, like it was the best decision she made all day, which wasn’t saying much because she recently woke up. Anyway, if she sat next to him, it would be easier to avoid eye contact with him.

  So really, this was a win for her.

  At least, she told herself that was the case as she sat down. It helped boost her morale from seeing him in the first place.

  “You look like shit,” Alex said loud enough for everyone to hear.

  He was such an asshole.

  Lucy gave a light laugh to lighten the mood. “She probably proudly did a walk of shame.”

  That hasn’t happened in some time, but it was easier to play off as an excuse. Sofia used to love no-strings-attached sex, but it hasn’t happened in a while. Not since Alex moved into town. He was the constant rain on her parade.

  Sofia lifted her chin. “I did have a late night.” She avoided clearing up the one-night stand situation because they could think what they wanted. More so, Alex could come to whatever conclusion he wanted.

  Alex grumbled something while their waiter handed her a mimosa. She tapped the glass while she chugged it, asking for another.

  “And why does it have to be a walk of shame when a woman does it?” Sofia was a proud feminist, and the title of a walk of shame was crap.

  “Own it,” Dominic said.

  Sofia winked at him. “You know I do.”

  “Everyone knows you do. You live for random hook-ups.” Alex knocked back at her. “It’s your favorite topic of discussion.”

  “How would you know what I talk about?” Sofia snapped.

  Tess, always the sweetest, intervened. “There is something fun to talk about that everyone will enjoy. What did everyone do this weekend. Connor, you start.”

  “Worked.”

  “Same,” Lucy and Jack said at the same time.

  Dominic sipped his beer. “You guys aren’t only married to each other, but also married to work. That’s insane.”

  Tess shot him a look, he shrugged and kept talking. “Not insane that you’re married, but that you work so much. I, on the other hand, banged this woman—”

  “You know what,” Tess interrupted him. She was a prude like that. “I’m sure everyone would love a recap of your evening, but perhaps we can talk about the pictures from Lucy and Jack’s wedding.”

  “Why would we need to talk about them if we were all at the wedding?” Sofia blurted out.

  “And how did you even remember we got the pictures back?” Jack was amazed by this.

  Tess smiled. “It was noted in my personal planner. Lucy mentioned she wasn’t sure which photo to select for the thank-you cards. I made a note to give suggestions on what pictures have been most successful, historically speaking.”

  “There is history to sending a thank-you card?” Alex was dumbfounded.

  From there, Tess went into a long explanation of thank-you cards and proper etiquette. It was painful to listen to and relief finally came when their food arrived.

  Sofia stuffed a bite of waffle in her mouth. Everyone was having their own conversations, so she said to Alex, “In the future, don’t ask Tess anything about weddings.”

  “I had no idea there were actual unwritten rules about thankyou notes. Now I know.” He shook his head. “And you have syrup on your chin. It adds to the look you’re trying to pull off today.”

  “Your burger looks undercooked,” she swiped back. “It would be a shame if you got Salmonella.”

  He grinned. “If that happened, who would you spend all your energy on?”

  “You’re replaceable.”

  That damn grin went nowhere when his brown eyes met hers, only adding to his appeal. “Doubtful. You haven’t found anyone yet, and it’s been how long?”

  “How long since what?” Lucy joined their conversation.

  Ugh, how could Sofia forget Alex and her weren’t alone in their latest argument. This was the danger of Alex. He had a way of making her so annoyed, so angry, that everyone else disappeared.

  “How long it has been since Sofia managed to find herself a boyfriend,” Alex answered. “I figured with her affixation on technology, she would find someone on a dating app.”

  This was exasperating.

  “I’ve been single probably as long as you have. When was your last serious relationship?”

  “I want one brunch where we don’t bring up commitment,” Dominic chimed in. “That type of conversation is the only way to ruin my omelet. Unless, Magda shows up.”

  “Was that who you were with last night?” Connor tried to decipher who Magda was.

  Conversation moved to Dominic and his penchant for women. Even he was surprised when his woman of the night had sex toys in her purse, like it was normal to carry around.

  His story should’ve made her laugh, but all she kept wondering was about Alex.

  When was his last relationship?

  SOFIA WAS ONE of the first people to leave. She was running on minimal sleep and had to crash. She wasn’t sure how she managed to keep her eyes open after her second mimosa. That was the excuse she used when she left, anyway. In reality, she couldn’t fake nice with Alex anymore and wanted to be in her own space.

  Not many people would consider their most recent experience as either of them playing nice. However, since they had minimal outbursts and neither of them declared war, it was an improvement from New Year’s Eve. In reality, it was significantly better than what she wanted to do. Which was smack the burger out of his hand and tell him he was awful.

  That, or kiss him. For the briefest moment, the idea of kissing Alex was delightful. It made her shiver with excitement.

  The desire to kiss that fool on the mouth was coming from the little piece of Judas inside of her. It was a traitorous suggestion. Kissing was off the table. The only reason his lips would ever touch hers would be if she needed CPR, and he was the last, the very last person, who would be able to resuscitate her. Even then, she would thank him for being the only person left to save her life and immediately disinfect her mouth.

  She shuddered at the idea as she unlocked her apartment door and walked inside. Exhaustion took over and once she curled up on the couch, she wasn’t getting up until after she got a much needed nap.

  Relaxing, she closed her eyes.

  Her eyes popped open. She couldn’t get Alex out of her head.

  There was an unfortunate time in her life when all she wanted was Alex to kiss her. But who could blame her? When she wasn’t aiming to stick her leg out and trip him, she could admit how handsome he was. It was annoying. All he had to do was look at her and she had to fight the smile off. It has been like that ever since she met him.

  She remembered it like it was yesterday.

  Chapter 3

  Fourteen Years ago

  COLLEGE LIFE WAS going to be the best. From keg parties to late nights studying, from finding friends to chasing boys, it was destined to be life changing in the best way possible. Sofia ju
st knew it. Not like her high school experience was horrible or anything, but she was so over it. She learned early on the cattiness that ensued in high school after she had a few run-ins with unpleasant seniors her freshman year, so she mostly kept to herself outside of being friendly to her classmates. She didn’t want to burn a road or whatever the silly saying was, but high school wasn’t for her.

  She liked to think it was because she was sophisticated. While other kids were drinking and talking about each other, she wanted no part in it. Her eye was always on the prize, which was college.

  She lugged the last box of all of her clothes from her parents’ car. Her parents were also waiting for her to go to college, but for an entirely different reason. They were ready for the life of retirement.

  Sofia was excited to find a group of people she actually clicked with. Maybe she would get her first boyfriend this year. She smiled at the thought as she climbed to the second floor of the dorms. She was definitely going to parties. And, as nerdy as it sounded, she was ready to be challenged with school. High school was just boring.

  Her parents, though, they loved her and all, but they were ready to retire and travel. They had Sofia when they were a bit older and although they never admitted it, she had a feeling she was a surprise. They always showered her with love, but it seemed like both herself and her parents were ready to spread their wings.

  “We’re so proud of you.” Her mother hugged her tightly. “Are you sure you don’t want to defer a year and come with us?”

  Her father nodded. “It’s all the rage. You can travel Europe with us.”

  No way.

  Not that the idea of traveling didn’t sound fun to her, but with her parents? They would be all lovey-dovey, enjoying their time in foreign countries as if it was a second honeymoon and she didn’t want to be part of that. Besides, she has college to look forward to. No historical building was talking her out of it.

  “You two will have more fun without me, I promise,” she assured them.

  They gave her another round of hugs before leaving. As an only child, Sofia didn’t mind being alone. She flipped on the radio and “Best of You” by the Foo Fighters was playing. She turned up the music to jam while she unpacked. For the first time in her life, she was going to have to share a room. She hoped it wasn’t as dreadful as it sounded.