Chapter Five
Dimitri
Do you ever just want to slam yourself against the wall so hard that eventually you'd end up disappearing; not literally, because that's exactly what I feel right now, not only because of being extremely embarrassed by Kenna's presence as she saw me laying naked on my own bed and in my own bedroom but the fact that Sophia was also standing near the bathroom door as she said, 'hi'.
Obviously, we were both naked but at least she had her body wrapped around with the sheets, leaving me completely bare and uncovered.
''I don't want to believe what I just saw back there,'' Kenna says, her fingers massaging her temples as she looks up at me—my eyes rolling in annoyance before running my fingers through my hair, desperately.
''Oh, come on. You were the one who barged into my room—how the hell did you get in, anyway?'' I reply, both of her eyes following my every movement. ''You could've called or at least texted but no, you didn't. Now you want to blame me for being naked in my own apartment?'' I scoff.
''Why were you even naked in the first place?!'' She lays her head on the kitchen island, wanting to remove the previous images from her head even though we both know that she's going to remember that for the rest of her life and she might even tell it to her children then her grandchildren and then even her great-grandchildren unless she has amnesia.
I let out a fake laugh before slamming my hands on the counter in frustration, ''Because I had sex, god damn it. Do people have sex with clothes on? I think not!'' I respond, trying to control my breathing.
''Well . . . some,'' She mutters under her breath, slightly smirking.
As soon as Kenna saw the whole catastrophe, she went out to the living room to calm herself down, probably even praying so that the images would be easily removed while Sophia and I were both frozen at our spots. Well, I was recalling back the memories of last night and they were perfectly vivid while she was just literally blaming herself.
''So, you're renting her the guest room to stay? She's the one you talked about?'' She asks, turning to look at me while I keep on glancing back at my bedroom door, not wanting Sophia to step out of the room and hear us talking about her; it'd be best if whatever conversation about her is only talked and said, privately.
''Yeah and your point is?'' I raise an eyebrow, leaning forward.
''Nothing, nothing, I just wanted to make sure because yesterday, I was very worried about you letting some stranger crash in your apartment.'' She replies, breathing out. ''Obviously, you've passed that stage. How old is she, anyway?''
''Just a few years younger than me. Don't worry, Kenna, she's legal.'' I answer before heading towards the fridge to get myself a drink, turning around to find Sophia slowly stepping out of the bedroom—in shirt and pants, covering her long legs while I glance to Kenna, wanting to give her signals . . . not letting her say anything stupid in front of Sophia.
Sophia glances at Kenna and I for a few times as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, letting me eye her every movement. The way she clears her throat before nearing the kitchen counter causes me to place my drink down, gesturing for her to take a seat near Kenna but all of a sudden, the sound of Kenna's phone manages to interrupt the beauty of silence. ''Hold up, I need to get this.'' She says, walking towards the balcony, leaving Sophia and I.
''Are you okay?'' I ask, staring directly into her dark brown eyes.
''Yeah, just—it feels awkward.'' She replies, chuckling before letting me join her while I take a seat, facing her.
''Well, Kenna and I are very close—we've been friends ever since we were in university and it's kind of a bummer to imagine my life without her. She's a great friend but sometimes . . . just sometimes, a little bit too clingy, especially now that she's pregnant. I hope she didn't surprise you this morning,'' I turn to look at her, wanting to see her reaction as she smiles, nodding her head.
Sophia smiles, ''I thought she was your girlfriend,''
''No, she's my best friend and she's married to my other best friend,'' I mutter which causes her to nod her head a few times, trying to process the whole thing—knowing that both of us are still a mess in the head after what happened last night. ''You know, Sophia . . . we need to talk about what happened last night to clear things out.'' I add, slowly.
''Of course.'' She breathes, ''First of all, I want to apologise for what happened because it was me . . . it was my fault for saying what I said and if I stayed quiet, it wouldn't have happened. We should've kept a professional relationship between housemates, at least friends but we crossed that line last night.'' She replies.
I chuckle, ''It takes two to tango. Not your fault that we were both sexually attracted to each other,''
''Right . . . I mean, look at you and look at me. How come we're not attracted to one another?'' She jokes, causing both of us to laugh as we continue to look into each other's eyes.
Truth be told, Sophia is by far more than just beautiful and what I said was completely true. I was sexually attracted to her the moment I saw her when I was walking down the street even though she just sat there on the stairs, playing with her phone with a frown plastered in between her brows, her lip slightly twitching in annoyance . . . but to me, she was different, she was beautiful and she was in fact very, very, much intriguing.
She's like a whole different person in a whole different world. As if, she doesn't belong here in New York City but someplace else that would appear more heavenly . . . maybe even, Maldives—somewhere people might be able to appreciate the sights and not get bothered by the loud sounds of honking or shouting. It's like she's actually sitting in front of me but in a creative bubble of her own, something I have not yet fully discovered, something I don't think I'm able to find time to discover.
''Whatever happened last night, I want us to be friends.'' I speak.
''That sounds great but can you keep up with me, though?'' She raises an eyebrow, her lips curving up into a smirk as she teases me.
I lean forward, ''Why can't I keep up with you? The question is . . . can you keep up with me, Sophia Thompson?'' I ask, teasingly glancing down her lips for a few times before meeting her eyes, seeing them sparkle with intensity which attracts me even more.
''We'll see about that, Derrick.'' She jokes.
''You love that name, don't you?'' I pour water into an empty glass before slowly dragging it to my lips, taking a few sips in wanting to make my throat feel less dry—turning to look at Kenna talking to the phone as she has one hand placed on her forehead, showing a certain amount of frustration from the phone call but I immediately give my entire attention to the woman sitting in front of me.
She clears her throat, ''You haven't exactly told me your age.''
''I'm twenty-eight but I'm turning twenty-nine, soon.''
''You're basically a grandpa,'' She laughs, throwing her head back while I grin, shaking my head for a few times. ''Don't get me wrong, Dimitri, you're not that old . . . you're just an adult but comparing your age to mine, you do realise that you're six years older than me, right?'' She asks, her eyes piercing into mine while I nod.
''And . . . do you even know what that means?'' I smirk.
''Care to explain?'' She blinks a few times, trying to act innocent.
''I'm a much more experienced man than your stupid ex-boyfriend, Mica? Milo? What was his name?'' I continue, earning myself a soft shove from her as she laughs, trying to wipe away the fallen tears from her eyes before tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.
''Michael,'' She corrects me, chuckling.
''Yes, that son of a bitch. You should really forget his name,'' I respond. ''I've been through what you're going through and I definitely understand the kind of pain you're feeling . . . it sucks but you'll get through it, just like how I did.'' I add, my mind slowly wandering off to when Chloe and I were madly in love with each other or it was just me, being in love with her but what I felt was real . . . it was sincere and pure, no other intentions than to love her for the rest of my life.
Chloe . . . I want to hate her, I really do. I swore I've said it a lot of time that I hate her . . . I despise her . . . I want to probably kill her in her sleep but I simply can't—I've been lying to myself and to others, especially to my two best friends, Kenna and Aidan. They know me as someone who has moved on completely from my ex-wife and only wanting to find someone new to love, to put in my heart but little do they know, I can't seem to really forget about the things that Chloe and I did when I loved her.
Really, not hating her does not mean that I still like her. Deep down, I really wish that she gets what she deserves, probably hit by a bus or a cab but at the same time, I know I'd be the man who'd cry on my knees if I see her die that way—not only that, Brody might actually hate me if he ever finds out that I pray for his mother to be dead . . . every single day.
Despite the fact that she cheated on me with some other dude, who's not even as good-looking as me, I still can't help but relive the moments or the memories that we made in the past. It's like I'm living in a classic romantic movie where everything around me is black and white, unexplained and sometimes a little too crazy but I simply and unknowingly, want to believe myself.
It's not just her beauty that I fell in love with in university but her being herself. The Chloe I met back then was different. She was funny, she was caring, she was smart, she was everything that I had dreamt my girl would be. It wasn't exactly love at first sight but I fell in love with her very quickly, in every way possible . . . I was starstruck by her. I was in awe, I was madly in love and I was insanely, insanely out of my mind.
Maybe, just maybe . . . I was a bit tad crazy when I proposed but she did want to marry me, too. We got married, had a short happy ever after with Brody along the way but it all ended with an excuse saying 'you're just not there anymore' 'I'm lonely' 'you're always busy' when all I ever did, all the money I ever earned was for her . . . for her future because God damn, I know how much her bags cost, they cost a damn fortune and if I don't work hard, she'd be carrying around a paper bag instead of her Chanel.
''You were hurt, too?'' Sophia's voice break me from my trance, instantly making me blink a few times.
Before I can answer, Kenna walks back with a deep sigh escaping her lips. ''Right, Dimitri, we will have this conversation later. I have to head back to the hospital, they are never giving me a break, I swear.'' Then, she turns to look at Sophia, ''By the way, I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier but I'm Kenna and you must be Sophia as . . . Dimitri told. It was nice to meet you,'' She says, in a hurry.
''It was nice to meet you, too.'' Sophia replies.
''Well, I have to go. See you guys, soon.'' She adds, before quickly stepping out of the apartment, the door shutting behind her.
I let out a breath, ''I'm going to get some stuff for your room. Then, I'm going to pick up Brody at his mum's house—would you like to come? It'd be great, we can grab lunch. I know that you're hungry,'' I ask before saying.
''You know how to bribe me,'' She smiles.
--
With Sophia quietly trailing beside me in the furniture store, I immediately turn to see her looking back at me as she smiles. ''Why are we here, again?'' She asks, raising an eyebrow.
''We're picking up a few things for your room. They look a little bit dull to me,'' I reply.
''I'm not staying there forever. You don't really have to do this.'' She responds, ''What happened to the whole 'I don't want to owe you anything' that we agreed to just a couple of days ago? Have you forgotten about it or you simply pretend to forget?'' She continues to speak.
I stare into her eyes for a few seconds, ''Let's just say that I want to redecorate the room a little bit. So, that it'd be great to look at because honestly, I haven't opened that room in awhile and I might've even forgotten about it until you came along. Don't ask me why,'' I answer.
''Oh, you're a man with secrets. How . . . intriguing,''
''Everyone has secrets, Sophia. So do you,'' I look deeply into her eyes which causes her smile to fall, leaving me to furrow my brows immediately, not expecting her to take it quite serious.
Just as I'm about to utter another word, ''Mr. Belrose! What a pleasant surprise to see you here again after awhile and you brought company, a very lovely young lady, indeed.'' A familiar man that I've known as Will for the past few years who was also there when I came with Chloe, looking for new furnitures for our house—it appears that he has grown into his seventies now.
''I told you to call me Dimitri,'' I reply before he starts to pull me in for a hug.
He smiles, ''How are you? It has been awhile and who is this young lady with you?'' He asks, peeking through his glasses before slowly shaking hands with Sophia who seems to be smiling as well—already enjoying Will's company, after all . . . this is his store, the same store that I've always loved to shop at, knowing most of his furnitures are well-handcrafted.
''Good, Will. This is Sophia and Sophia, this is Will.'' I introduce them.
''I'd tell you Sophia, this man is hard to handle. He seems like he's a little demanding or controlling but he's actually a sweetheart inside. Believe me, I've known him for years now.'' Will speaks, patting onto my back while I feel my cheeks starting to slightly heat up before causing me to clear my throat, wanting to start up a different conversation and not based on myself.
''Well . . . I can tell,'' Sophia jokes.
''Will, any new collections you want to show me? I heard that you made some new ones,'' I say before heading down the store towards a simple design, instantly making me feel attracted towards it—wanting the vanity to look appealing yet nice in Sophia's temporary room. ''What about this one?'' I ask, almost inaudible.
''This one is quite a catch but no one seems to be interested enough to buy it. Nothing new but nothing too old, either . . . just a bit uninterested by other customers. They say that it's a little bit too . . . boring but I find it meaningful,'' He replies, running his hand over the material of the vanity before I turn towards him, running a hand of my own on the material.
''I want it,'' I say.
''That's what I like about you, Mr. Belrose. You simply agree to things too quickly,'' He laughs, walking towards the counter, leaving Sophia to turn and look at me—her eyebrows furrowing in confusion before continuing to stare at me as if I've lost my mind.
''What? Don't look at me like that,'' I cross my arms.
''It's all set, Mr. Belrose! All you need to do is sign this document,'' Will calls out from the counter just seconds before Sophia can say anything which causes me to make my way towards the counter; leaving her behind to eye the vanity that shall soon be in her room for her to stare.
--
My eyes wander to a boy with dark brown hair and beautiful eyes turning to look at me with a wide smile plastered on his face before running towards my direction and immediately wrapping his arms around my waist as soon as he reaches me, ''Can we go and get ice cream?'' He asks, grinning widely as we both walk back towards my car, ''Can we? Can we, please?'' He asks, again.
''Anything you want,'' I reply as he gets into the backseat.
I immediately enter the car to find Sophia sitting awkwardly in her seat while Brody puts on his seatbelt. As I drive down the road, I find Brody busying himself by watching the busy streets of New York City, leaving Sophia to listen to the music being played on the radio as she looks at anywhere but me nor Brody, ''Talk to me.'' I interrupt her trance.
''What?'' She asks, confusingly.
''You're awfully quiet for someone who's very talkative,'' I reply before taking a quick turn.
''There's nothing to talk about. I mean, there's a lot of things running in my mind but I don't want to talk.'' She responds, turning to look outside while I chuckle, glancing at the rear-view mirror to find Brody listening to his own music with the earphones plugged into his ears which leaves both Sophia and I to talk freely without her feeling uncomfortable.
''I know you have a lot of questions but don't worry, you can talk and you can ask me anything. Besides, Brody is enjoying his own kind of music at the back—he can't really hear us,'' I say.
''Okay, were you cheated on?'' She asks, causing me to hit the brakes immediately.
''Wow, you're very direct. No stops and turns, you just go ahead and ask me that. Very unexpected,'' I mutter under my breath but loud enough for her to hear as she continues to stare at me, waiting for my respond. I breathe out, ''Yes . . . I was cheated on with the woman I loved and at that moment, it was bad.'' I respond, thinking back of the moment when it all happened.
''Why did she cheat on you? Was she stupid or were you giving her an exact excuse for her to cheat?'' She continues to ask.
''Is there ever a good excuse for someone to cheat?'' I ask back.
''I don't know—I was cheated on, too. Remember? But, that's normal for someone like me who's just a town girl living in Tennessee, naive and only living in a world of fantasies while you . . . you, Dimitri, you're the kind of guy that girls drool over and women want to keep in their lives because have you ever looked in the mirror? If you haven't, you should try.'' She replies, immediately causing me to chuckle.
''You're entertaining, has anyone ever told you that?''
''Wow, thanks. That was a huge compliment coming from you,'' She says, sarcastically.
''Let's just say that things didn't exactly work out for me and my ex-wife. Just so you know, Brody doesn't know anything about that because I don't want him to grow up hating his own mother—his own flesh and blood even though if one day, he might do that. I want him to see her as a role model . . . I want him to see me as his role model, I don't want him to grow up thinking that he has a fucked up parent and that he has never received enough love. I don't want that for my son,'' I say, eyes focusing on the road.
It doesn't take me long to turn and look at Brody who seems to be tapping his fingers on his lap before turning to look at Sophia who appears to be . . . looking back at me.