[1] Little Miss Luna. | ✔️

1.22

Sophie stared blankly at her grandfather, feeling her frustration and anxiety turn to betrayal. She was hurt, to say the least. Her grandfather just demanded her silence and called her stupid. Was he really that upset with her that he had to be so harsh? It wasn't that big of a deal. If he would just listen to her, he would understand how good Cortez was to her. But he kept cutting her off every time she got started.

"I'm almost eighteen." Sophie gulped.

"In September. It's mid summer, Sophie. You're not even out of your junior year of high school yet. You're not anywhere near being an adult."

"My last final is tomorrow and then I'm done."

"That doesn't change a thing, Sophie. I'm your grandfather, your guardian, and the only one that knows what's best for you. You'd do good to listen to me. I don't want to hear anything else. You're not seeing him. That's final."

Sophie felt a lump form in her throat as she held back the sadness crawling it's way out of her chest. Her eyes started to prick with tears and her hands started shaking. When she couldn't hold it back anymore, Sophie cupped her hand over her quivering lip and marched through the house. Henry listened as Sophie rushed up the steps and escaped into the bathroom.

For the rest of the evening, Sophie and her grandfather didn't talk much. And for the rest of the evening, Sophie had been fighting back tears. She didn't want to burst out in tears or a temper tantrum like a child and prove her grandfather right, but it hurt. She couldn't stop it from hurting either.

His words didn't change anything, though, she knew that. Cortez was her mate, he loved her, and already made it clear that he planned on spending the rest of his life with her. Sophie knew, no matter what, she would always run to him. But her grandfather still disapproved of their relationship and forbid it to exist. That hurt. Her only parental figure in her life, the man she loved more than anything, was angry and disappointed in her.

They ate dinner silently and Sophie put her grandfather to bed silently. She sorted out his pills like she did every night and handed them to him with a glass of water. Sophie kissed her grandfather on the cheek, despite how upset she was, and attempted to leave his room. She didn't get to escape before he tried to make her promise him that she'd get sleep tonight for her final instead of calling Cortez.

Sophie may have promised, but she had already lied to her grandfather a million times since she met Cortez. When she knew he was fast asleep, Sophie snuck out of her room and tiptoed downstairs. Daisy joined her in the kitchen as Sophie dialed Cortez and sat on the kitchen counter to lean tiredly against the wall. As she waited for him to answer, she hugged her cardigan tighter around her to keep warm in the dead of night.

"You're calling later than usual, Angel. Where've you been?" Cortez's voice finally came through the phone and Sophie's eyes fell shut.

"I miss you." Sophie whispered.

Cortez wanted to feel happy to hear her say that but the tone behind her words worried him. "What's wrong, Sophie?"

"Does something have to be wrong for me to miss you?" Sophie lightly smiled.

"Apparently, because something is wrong." Cortez patiently twirled his pencil between his fingers but Sophie never spoke. "What is it, baby? I'm worried."

Sophie's smile broadened. "I like when you call me baby."

Cortez fought a smile the best he could, failed, and shook his head. "You're avoiding the question."

"Call me baby again."

Cortez pulled his phone away from his ear, feeling her sultry, breathy words crawl down his spine and settle in his groin. He took a deep breath and tapped the corner of his phone repeatedly against his forehead to knock some sense into him and not fall into her trap.