***
They drove towards the place she used to live in with Derek in the West End. Even after driving around the block about ten times, they must have been early, because as the car drove up, the flat’s front door burst open. Sophie gasped and lurched forward in the car seat. The seatbelt’s strangling force kept her trapped against the chair. Despite her wiggling, there was no choice but to observe the scene in front of her.
Derek lingered outside the Victorian apartment. Tiny goose bumps covered her arms and her whole body shook as if in a cold sweat. She couldn’t quite see Derek’s face because he was turned towards the door. Presumably he was about to deadlock the apartment.
She couldn’t stand watching him any longer and her mind snapped into action. She reached down and released her seatbelt.
Sophie panted and gulped for breath as if she’d run to Derek’s place instead of being driven. “Get down,” Sophie hissed.
Matthew shot a bewildered glance in her direction as she slouched deep into the seat. They’d arrived only moments earlier and parked in a space opposite the apartment. He’d been removing his keys from the ignition. Now his gaze flickered towards the pavement and then back to her.
He lowered his body below the steering wheel and stared oddly at her. “I thought he would have left by now,” he whispered. “Doesn’t he play football religiously every Saturday morning?”
“He does, he’s obsessive about it,” Sophie muttered. “Kind of like how you are with swimming.”
Matthew jolted up in his seat. “Please don’t compare me to your cheating ex-boyfriend.”
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t comparing. You’re nothing like each other.” She tugged at his sleeve. “I was just saying he likes football a lot. Please come down.”
“So what if he sees me, London’s a big city. He doesn’t even know me.”
“Do you think he was waiting to speak to me? That’s why he hasn’t left?”
“I have no idea.” Matthew sighed. “I’m going to sit here and check him out.”
“What for?” Sophie asked. “He wasn’t your boyfriend. What do you care?”
“I just want to see the type of guy you go for. He’s blonde. Do you call him good looking?”
“Stop it.” Sophie grabbed his arm. “Don’t make fun of me in this situation. I wouldn’t make you confront your ex if you didn’t want to.”
His gaze remained riveted on Derek.
“Gee,” she said finally. “I’d better go and talk to him. Otherwise he’ll think I’m some sort of stalker.” Sophie slid up a fraction and craned her neck to catch a glimpse of Derek. She swallowed at the sight of his handsome face with no dark circles round his eyes. He hadn’t lost weight nor had he put any on. He appeared to be exactly the same.
“What are you waiting for?” Matthew asked.
“I’ll just take a few deep breaths.” Sophie shuddered. “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.” Her hand shook as her fingers twirled round the door handle.
Sophie closed her eyes. She counted to ten and opened the car door and her eyes at the same time.
Her pulse raced wildly as she jumped onto the pavement. Her gaze darted around the street. “Did he go back inside?”
“He’s gone,” Matthew said and he opened his own door. “You missed your chance.”
Sophie sighed and fought off a combination of embarrassment and disappointment. “Doesn’t matter, he didn’t want to see me anyway. Let’s grab the boxes and move!”
“The question will be, Miss Smart, where ever will you put them all?”
Chapter 14