and we fell

Chapter 58

"What do you want, Elway?" I ask her direct. If she got the impression I'm on her side or that we will bond or whatever, she was wrong.

"Okay, cutting it straight to the point. Fair enough." Nini says and after taking a deep breath, she adds: "I am here to talk to you about Soph."

"Get out", I let out without even thinking about it. I'm not going to talk about my ex, the love of my life, woman I still want and need next to me, the one I can't live without. Not with her best friend. And not after spending three months trying to forget.

And how is that working? You still wake up in the middle of the night after dreaming of her and then pay a visit to the million dollars property you bought her, just to hang a painting in a room.

"See!" Nini shouts. "That's exactly why we need to talk about her. You're miserable."

I'm pulled back to the first time I met Foxy and I called her miserable. Without knowing what I'm doing, I stand up from my desk and go close the door. I don't want my employees knowing all about my personal messed-up life.

"It's not. And we're not talking about it. I am not miserable."

Nini nods but she clearly isn't convinced. "Uhm, yeah right. Let's see... You stopped seeing anybody. You look like you don't sleep. And you bought Soph a freaking museum for her to open an art gallery, although she isn't even in New York. Yeah, Cunnan told me. That doesn't look very cheerful to me."

"That's because I said I'm not miserable, not Little Mister Sunshine." I reply, my voice frozen. She stops and looks at me sad for a while, before she continues:
"We're worried about you."

"Who the fuck is we?" I ask her. She sighs annoyed.

"Adam and I."

Since when does Adam talk to Nini? I mean, I know he has a thing for Foxy's other best friend, Vanessa. Pretty damn pathetic if you ask me. The girl is clearly in a relationship with a loser that isn't half the man Adam is, and she seems in love. My poor Adam comes to me whining about how he wants her and can't have her. I suggested strangling the sucker a few times, make her lose her boyfriend through an "accident" to make the spot free for him, yet Adam only refuses my offer. His loss.

"I am going to kill him." I let out, making some plans for the next time Adam and I meet.

"Relax. He just wants you to be happy. And I want Soph to be happy."

"Smooth", I reply, wanting to make her aware she doesn't care of my happiness. She doesn't even flinch.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What did you expect me to do? Care for you? No way. I personally see you as a walking red flag and can't even understand why Soph would ever fall in love with you."

Oh, okay. "Thanks", I add, my voice a few degrees colder.

"However," she begins, stressing out the word as if she would want to crush it with her voice, "Soph seems happy when she's around you. She really loves you. And I want my bestie to be happy."

I nod, trying not to show any sign of emotion. I am a bit jealous of Nini, though. For the fact she is one of those people who had contact with Foxy in the last three months, whereas I didn't get any. And I miss my girl.

"So," Nini continues. "I am here to tell you something. I don't know if you know it already or not, but I think I should tell you."

I nod, getting a bit worried something might have happened to Foxy.

Nini notices and asks: "Have you looked at the news from Cordelia lately?"

I shake my head. I haven't opened the Cordelian news website or looked up Foxy's name on the internet ever since we parted ways. Seeing her would only make me want her and I made myself clear I can't have her.

"Oh, okay. Then, this might come as a shock but..." she takes a break before she continues that sentence. "Soph is getting married."

My world stops. Like for a moment, my world literally stops. I can't breathe. Can't think. All I can see is darkness. As it starts spinning again and I get to process her words, I still can't believe them.

Foxy. Gets. Married.

Not to me.

"She does what?" I ask, my words coming out more like a hiss.

"She gets married. On Saturday." Nini answers. I almost black out.

"That's tomorrow."

"I know. The girls and I are on our way to the airport right now. It took a lot of work to convince them to stop by."

I nod, still can't believing this is happening. I swallow hard before I say: "Well, congratulations to the happy couple."

Nini's eyes wide open as she screams: "Are you fucking kidding me?! That's all you say?! I tell you that the love of your life is getting married to another and you say congratulations." She turns to leave and mumbles on her way to the door: "They said it was a bad idea".

"Elway!" I shout after her and she doesn't stop, only flips me off with her middle finger.

"Elway!" I try again, still no reaction from her side.

"I love her!" I end up shouting, and that's the point Nini turns around. She looks at me waiting for more. I know I might be a coward for giving up so easily, but I let it all out: "I love her. I love her so damn much. yet I am too dangerous for her. She deserves so much better than me. I can't love her the way she deserves. She has my entire heart, but that's nothing compared to the world I would give her if I could."

Nini looks at me a bit proud, probably seeing that I actually have feelings and that they are all her best friend related.

"She loves you too", the redhead whispers as if it were a secret. "And she's sad. Very sad. I've never seen Soph like this before. She misses that spark that makes her Soph. She misses that spark. I never thought I would come to say this, but please, get your act together and do something, anything, to bring the real Soph back."

It pains me to know that Foxy is as broken as I am. And it pains me to know she's marrying another man.

Because one thing is clear.

Foxy is mine.

And screw the danger and everything, I am not losing that girl again. because if I don't do a damn thing, I lost her forever. She would never cheat on her "fiancée" with me and end their marriage. Foxy isn't like that.

But she's not married yet.

Which means, there is still hope.