Careful What You Wish For

Chapter Fourteen

Sophie and Evan stand out the front of the Police Station in the swiftly cooling night air. It's almost 11 pm. After a very long statement and lots of waiting around, Sophie is drained and exhausted, yet relieved that it's done.

The CCTV footage had turned out to be a dead end. Although a camera at the front of the pool had caught her leaving by the front steps, there was no one matching the description she had provided in the footage. Probably waiting for her along the path somewhere, hidden in the trees, the OIC had baldly told her, sending unholy shivers up and down her spine. The only other camera in the area was at the entrance to the tennis court and had not caught her mounting panic as she passed on the path.

There was relatively little else the police could do at this point, other than encourage her to avoid going anywhere alone, lock her doors, lock her car, and be vigilant and aware of suspicious behaviour. Evan had been more vocal on the matter, telling her she couldn't go back to the pool alone, go out at night alone, or even wander around the university alone. She was not to be alone at all. Evan's abrupt concern for her well-being was extremely unexpected.

Now that they are alone again, Sophie finds herself openly staring at him, trying to understand why he is all of a sudden here, in her life again.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Evan says.

Sophie shrugs. "Maybe. But I'm happy it's been reported."

Evan runs an agitated hand through his hair and glares at her. "Why are you so calm?"

"Why are you so angry?" She counters.

Evan shrugs irritably and doesn't answer her.

She sighs. "I feel calm because now the police know. Also, I'm starting to think that the guy at the pool was some random thief trying to steal my bag or something, completely unrelated to the roses."

Evan is quiet as he muses on her words. "Maybe."

"If you think about it, they're very different incidents."

Evan nods. "Some creep leaving you flowers is different from being chased through a park at night."

"Unless the entire point is just to scare me." The thought gives Sophie pause.

Evan shakes his head. "Soph, you've got weird stuff going on..."

"No kidding," she mutters. I'm standing outside a police station in the middle of the night with Evan...

"Come on, I'll take you to Brianne's," Evan says.

"Why not home?"

Evan sighs. "Sophie, someone knows where you live and broke in to leave you a creepy gift. I don't know how you sleep there at all." He places a gentle hand on her back to guide her across the street to his SUV.

"I have a housemate," Sophie says, feeling the need to defend her actions. "I'm not alone. Besides, we lock all the windows and doors now, even when we're home." Even as she is saying this, Sophie can hear the absurdity of it.

Evan raises his eyebrows but doesn't say anything. The highly familiar action immediately agitates Sophie. She pulls open the passenger side door and climbs in. She watches him from the corner of her eye as he starts the car and eases into the street with practised movements. Her very unusual night is starting to feel familiar again. Evan. Evan's car. Evan taking her home to the college residence.

They drive in silence for a while. Sophie watches the late-night traffic distractedly. She thinks about everything she told the police officer and whether it amounted to anything at all. Evan is no doubt right about not going home tonight, but she still can't connect what happened tonight with the roses, it doesn't make sense. And speaking of things that didn't make sense, Sophie glances at Evan from the corner of her eye. He looks distracted. How had this happened?

"You know, you never got around to telling me exactly why you were at my house tonight?" Sophie says.

Sophie watches Evan become distinctly uncomfortable and smiles. "Yeah. I know." He says.

"So?" Sophie presses.

There is a long moment of silence as Evan appears to be trying to decide whether to go ahead with a conversation he finds intensely uncomfortable or find a way out of it. He glances quickly at Sophie and she narrows her eyes.

He lets out a long breath, giving up. "Fine. I wanted to apologise..." He struggles to get out the final word.

Sophie smiles softly but says nothing. His discomfort is wonderful.

"When we were dating, I know I was a little... self-involved, sometimes..." He pauses, trying to find the words. "I know I wasn't the best boyfriend." He says in a wild rush. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly and he shifts awkwardly around in his seat. Sophie has never seen him so uncomfortable. "And I do understand why you hate me."

He doesn't turn to look at her, but Sophie can see his eyes flickering over to her for some kind of reaction. She gives him nothing.

"I also know that asking Jonas to break up with you for me was the worst thing I ever did to you..."

"Well, yes," Sophie nods, finally engaging. "That was pretty bad, but I think maybe the cheating and the other girls were the worst thing, Evan."

"Cheating?" Evan looks baffled.

Sophie sighs. She is relieved to see the familiar streets of the university approaching, this conversation was about to get really awkward.

"Oh please..."

"What other girls?" Evan asks.

Sophie takes a measured, controlled breath, attempting to rein in the fury suddenly pumping through her body. "You know what I'm talking about, Evan".

He glances over at her blankly.

Sophie rolls her eyes, wildly irritated that she has to actually say this out loud. "The other girls you were dating at the same time as you and I were dating."

"What?" Evan looks completely baffled. "I wasn't dating anyone else."

"Evan, you sent roses to my house with another girl's name on them!"

Evan looks utterly mystified. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did." Sophie shakes her head. Why was he denying this now? Was he trying to make her furious? Well great, she was furious.

Evan regains some control. "Sophie, can you really see me sending roses to anyone? I've never even been in a florist."

He looks so earnest. Sophie stops.

"You thought I was seeing other people?" Evan asks.

"Well, yes," Sophie says. Now it's her turn to be confused. Was he telling the truth?

Evan pulls up in front of Emmanuel House, Sophie's old residence.

Her head is suddenly buzzing. She doesn't know if she believes a word Evan is saying or not, but she needs to get away and think. She reaches immediately for the door handle.

"Wait, Sophie." Evan leans forward in his chair and reaches his hand out to stop her. She turns and looks into his handsome face, now filled with concern. "Are you telling me that roses were delivered to your house, while we were dating, with a note with my name on it?"

"...and another girl's name," Sophie adds for good measure.

"Red roses?"

Sophie nods slowly. Yes, they had been red roses. But that wasn't unusual, most roses were red. Nevertheless, images of red rose petals scattered across her bathroom flash through her mind.

"Sophie!" Evan's voice startles her. She looks at him in confusion. After a night of high emotion and adrenaline, her mind can't process whatever Evan is trying to tell her. She doesn't understand the serious concern in his eyes. "I promise you, I never sent you roses. That wasn't me."

It takes a long moment for Sophie to decide if he is telling the truth or not.

"So.... If you didn't send them, then who did?"