Bed Sheets II

23. Not Sophie

It had been two weeks since anyone had last seen Draven, other than Sophie who basically lived in his home. They had had sexual intimacy a few times, both comfortable with it, but being with a woman meant no genuine attraction or enjoyment, rather going through the motion since it made him feel at least something.

Sophie had been maintained Draven's emails and work. He continued to write from home and she would bring copies to the editors. She postponed any scheduled meetings or asked other members of Draven's team, mostly Hector, to do Draven a favour by attending them. Draven had been recuperating, and the news reportage barely spoke about Eric's allegations.

He had yet to show his face again to the outside, which frightened him, but he roamed around his home more often, could not stay barricaded in his room any longer. However, at the end of that week, Sophie had been organizing his emails when he noticed her spine straighten when she read one of the titles. She suddenly seemed in a panic, and Draven saw her immediately delete the email.

That made him raise an alarmed eyebrow, "You didn't even read that one?" He had been staring at the screen from behind the living room couch, and he leaned on the edge, dousing on the screen.

Sophie shook her head, "I knew it wasn't important."

"Just let me see it," he chuckled, folding his arms. It made him even more confused when Sophie's breath became shaky and she just glanced in his direction, not moving.

Draven furrowed his brow in alert, "Sophie, if something happened you had to tell me."

"No, I just don't think it's a good idea that you—" before she could finish, he ripped the laptop from her grasp and stepped away from her, finding the deleted files. It had not been permanently deleted yet, and the minute he read the subject box, his heart skipped a beat. When he opened the email, it was written,

I'll be waiting at Foresthill Beach everyday at nine p.m. We should talk, Draven.
- Eric

"Why the fuck would you delete that?"

She sighed, "I just...it would divert your attention. You've been doing so well lately—"

"That doesn't matter. I would've never seen this email if I hadn't seen you delete it. Why would you do that?" His tone was more hurt than angry, "I love you Sophie, as a friend obviously, you've been there for me for so many years but this..." he shook his head, "you know not to do this."

"You need to get away from him Draven, he's only hurting you."

"That's not your call to make."

"I just don't get it," she stood to her feet, widening her arms. Her emotions from a moment had drastically altered; her gaze was filled with anger that seemed to have been floating within her system for months. As if she had words on her tongue she had resisted to say, "I've literally had your back for so many years, picked you up when you were down year after year. And you just...have sex with me but it never means anything to you. Why? Am I not good enough?"

Draven shook his head, snorting, "Don't make yourself the victim; you agree to having sex with me."

"Because I love you, Draven. You know I love you, and not only as friends. I have sex with you because you make me feel loved when we do, and as if I'm the only one you care about in that moment, that you're mine and I'm yours—"

"Then let's stop having sex then! You make it seem like I'm begging you to fuck me!" he shouted, apathetic. "I've always been there for you too, but how many times do I have to tell you that even if I'm bisexual, the only gender that will ever make me happy and satisfied in life is with a man."

"Then why lead me on! Tell me you'll never love me—!"

"I've always told you that, Sophie!" he snarled, stepping towards her menacingly. "I keep telling you that this is just sex, I love your company but I have no affection towards you."

Sophie huffed, exhaling a long sharp breath from her nose before folding her arms. "All I wonder is why you don't give me a chance, Draven?" Her tone had shifted to heartbreak, and she turned away for a moment, blinking rapidly in hopes to make the tears retreat.

Draven's features immediately softened, and he reached towards her, grabbing her forearm and pulling her to his chest. She began sobbing against him, and he pecked the top of her head, "I'm sorry Sophie."

-&-

It took an hour for Draven to even build enough courage to pull away from his driveway. He purposely kept driving past the highway for twenty minutes before eventually building enough courage to turn onto the highway.

Now, his car parked at Foresthill Beach, his breathing had already grown heavy. His fingers were trembling, and the emotions circulating through his blood was a mixture of intense heartbreak and built up fury. He leaned his forehead against his steering wheel, inhaled long slow breaths in hope to calm himself down. For weeks he had thought of what he would say to Eric if he was to ever see him, but now in the moment, he was barely able to pull himself out of the car.

Eventually, after talking to himself for some time, he pushed open his car door and made his way towards the sand, the same spot he remembered they had encountered one another five years ago. That time it was Draven hoping Eric would show; strange how the roles had reversed.

He spotted Eric by the water, staring at the twinkling waves as they hit the shore. Draven was unsure whether to call for his name or simply approach him, but before he was able to decide, Eric had glanced backwards. When he realized it was Draven, he turned once more and his eyes widened.

He gulped, and in a shaky breath, whispered, "Draven."