You Belong to Me (Sequel to Controlled)

Chapter 2- Sophie

"Let's go for a walk," I said, hooking the leash onto her collar. I grabbed the coffee cup from last night and walked downstairs with Naomi. I glanced around at the living room. The beige sofa was against the wall, across from the plasma screen sitting on the black T.V. stand. I looked at the pictures on the wall of Justin and me, my family, Naomi, and our friends.

I glanced at one of Zoey and stared at it for a long time. God, I missed her almost as much as I missed Justin. I remember her saying she wanted to go to Australia for school with her boyfriend Jeremy. I watched her getting on the plane a year ago, and I haven't seen her since. All I've seen were pictures she's sent me. She seemed happy, so I was happy for her.

I put the coffee cup in the sink and walked over to the door. Unlocking and opening it, Naomi and I walked outside into the bright sunshine. The air outside was cold and breezy. I locked the door behind me and led Naomi down the concrete hallway and down the two flights of stairs. We walked through the courtyard, and I saw the apartment building's manager, Ms. Hattie, watering some flowers. I waved to her and continued to walk out to the sidewalk.

"You want to go to Starbucks, Naomi?" I asked her. She looked up at me and wagged her tail. "I'll take that as a yes."

Scott, the manager of Starbucks, knew me and Naomi. He would always give me discounts on coffee, and always knew what I wanted. At first, I thought he had a bit of a crush on me. Later did I find out, he was married and had two kids. I'd babysat them a few times, and met his wife, Debbie. She was beautiful, and they made a perfect couple.

When we finally got to Starbucks, I went in with Naomi and was instantly greeted by one of the workers, Hannah. She was still in high school, and we'd talked a few times before. She'd memorized what I got each time as Scott did.

"Hey Sophie, hey Naomi," she said, smiling. She was cleaning a coffee machine and trying to get a customer their coffee at the same time.

"Hey, Hannah. Is Scott here today?" I asked, approaching the counter.

"Yeah, he's in the back," she told me, handing the customer his coffee. "Scott, Sophie is here!"

A few seconds later, the kitchen door swung open. Scott came walking out of the kitchen and went around the counter to come and hug me.

"Hey, Sophie!"

"Hi Scott," I said, returning his hug. Scott noticed Naomi and reached down to pet her. She returned the greeting with a lick to his cheek. Scott stood back up and looked at me.

"I haven't seen you here in a while, Soph. How's school going?" he asked, walking back behind the counter.

"School is going really good, actually. I'm keeping up with the rent and bills and such. I don't have classes for another few hours, so I thought I'd stop in and say hi," I said, looking over the glass dessert display.

"That's always good. You want your regular?" he asked me. When I reached into my bag for my wallet, he stopped me and added, "It's on the house."

I smiled up at him. "Sure."

He got my vanilla latte and handed it to me over the counter.

"Thanks, Scott," I said, sipping the coffee.

"Anytime," he replied. "So, how's your mom?"

I smiled and looked at him. He gave me a questioning look and asked, "What?"

I laughed softly then whispered, "She's pregnant."

He smiled and continued to wipe off the counter. "Tell her I said congratulations!"

"Will do, Scott," I said, glancing at my watch. "Hey, I actually have to go. Classes are starting soon and I need to run a few errands before I get to school. Thanks for the coffee," I added.

"Anytime, Soph! Come back and see us soon, okay? Jenna and Tommy want to see you again," he told me. Jenna and Tommy were his two kids. They were still in elementary school and they seemed to adore Naomi and me.

I smiled at him. "Alright, Scott. Bye!"

"Bye, Sophie," he said as I walked out the door. I walked out into the bright sunshine, shivering as the cold breeze blew through the air. Walking down the sidewalk, I sipped my coffee and looked around the street. There were joggers and dog walkers, people opening up shops, and some other people getting on a bus. I glanced up at the sky, watching the clouds hide the bright sun. Passing a bookshop, I looked over into the window and gazed at the books on display. I looked closer when I saw a familiar reflection in the window.

When I realized who I saw, I almost dropped my coffee. I whipped around and looked around frantically. Naomi, who was by my side, looked up at me and started whimpering. When I didn't see him, I pat Naomi on her head and hastily walked down the sidewalk to my apartment complex.

I didn't see him. I know I didn't see him. It's all in my head. He's dead, Sophie, he's dead. I continued to repeat that over and over in my head until Naomi and I were safely inside my apartment. Sighing, I locked the door, then unhooked the leash from Naomi's collar. Looking at the clock, I realized I only had an hour left to get to my classes. I finished my coffee then ran upstairs to grab my bag. When I came back downstairs, Naomi was lounged out on the couch.

"I'll see you tonight, Naomi. Bye," I said, patting her head. I grabbed my keys and walked out the door.