"Well.. do you?"
"I think we better go back outside, they'll be wondering where we are.."
"I need to know Sophia.." He grabs my wrist before I can walk away.. he pulls be close to him our bodies hitting each other.. "Please?"
"Robert, I was drunk, I always say stupid stuff when I'm drunk.."
"I don't believe you.." his hand is placed in the crook my neck, keeping my head still so our eyes are focused on each other.. "I know how you feel, because.. well there's a spark, a connection between us that you can't ignore.." his eyes scan my face, before falling down to my lips.. I anticipate his next move to be a kiss.. and I was right, he begins to lean and he gently places a kiss on my lips.. that familiar feeling once again..sending waves through my body.. "See.. we can't deny it.."
"I need to go..back out there.. I.." I try but he keeps us close.. he presses his body against mine, pushing me against the counter top.. just like before, it's hard to fight the urge that's telling me to kiss him senseless.. "Please don't do this.."
"Do what?" He asks.."Oh you mean.." he's connecting our lips again, our tongues moving slowly in sync as we make out in his kitchen.. my hands instinctively go to the back of his neck and I play with his hair line.. one hand of his still holding my neck whilst the other grips my waist.. it takes a moment before I realise what's happening and I have to push him away again..
"Sorry.. I want you.. I do.. but my parents are right outside..I'm sorry.." I don't give him a chance to say anything, as I quickly grab the drinks and head back outside.. my parents clearly didn't realise how long we'd been gone for as they sit talking and laughing away, my mom is cuddled up to my dad as I hand her the drink.
"Where's Downey?"
"Uh.. I don't know.. I thought he said he needed the bathroom?"
"He's probably onto his girlfriend or something.."
"Girlfriend?" I ask curiously.. "I didn't know he had one.."
"He doesn't, well at least I think he doesn't.. your dad's always trying to tease him, because he hasn't settled down yet.."
"Well he should be! There's a girl out there for him, he just hasn't looked close enough.."
"Maybe he doesn't want to settle down.." I try just as Robert enters the party once again. He doesn't say anything about what just happened, he just sits beside me with his fresh drink in hand.
"Settle down?" He overhears.. "Please don't tell me you're talking about me again Andrew.."
"Yes.. dad told us he teases you for not having a girlfriend yet.." I say, and he smirks making me a little uneasy with what he's about to say.. or do..
"If you want me to settle down, and make an honest woman of someone.." he begins, and I'm not prorated what he says next.. "Would you let me marry Sophia?" He asks with a wide ass grin and I swear I nearly choke on fresh air.. "Well would you?"
excuse me Robert, what the fuck?!
"If I knew my princess was marrying someone as successful as you.. I think I'd be fine with it.. I know she would be well looked after.."
"You didn't really answer my question boss.." Robert laughs, so he asks it again.. "Would you let me marry your daughter?"
"Well I don't know I.." he looks between the two of us.. "You're not really the marriage type.. if you hurt her, I'd kill you.."
"If it means settling down, and you stop nagging me then no I wouldn't hurt her, I'd treat her like a princess.."
"It's a shame Sophia isn't ready to settle down either, right sweetie?" My mom interrupts thankfully she noticed how uncomfortable I was with this whole conversation.
"Yeah.. can you stop, this is really weird.."
"Sorry, your dad is always pestering me to get married.."
"Maybe you should go out there and find the one then.. maybe we won't.."
"What if I already have?" He looks at me, and then back at my father as he gasps.. wanting to know who it is.. and again this makes me incredibly uneasy.
"What?!" My dad asks.. "Who?!"
"Well.. it actually doesn't matter who it is because she left me.."
"She what? If she left you, how can she be the one?"
"Because.." he looks up to the sky, leaning back in his chair, his arm resting across his chest.. "She is, I felt it whenever I was with her.. she has the most wonderful smile, that I can't get out of my head.."
"So.. why don't you go and get her?"
"She told me it's over, and that I won't get a second chance..but I know she's only saying that because she afraid of falling.."
"If she's the one Robert, you fight for her.." my dad tells her, but I can see my mom looking at him with a pressed brow, before glancing over to me with a questionable look.. she's not stupid, not when it comes to love, and feelings, she'll easy work out who it is he's talking about..
"I wish I could but I'm afraid she won't listen..I hid my feelings away from her, and let her walk away.. but the truth is, I love her.."
He gives me a side look, trying to not make it obvious to my dad, but I'm pretty sure my mom has worked it out by the small smile she gives me, before she looks back at Robert. She's worked it out, and I'm gonna get an earful later.. I can already tell.
"Oh my god, Downey is in love!!" My dad says enthusiastically.. "Downey is wanting to settle down!"
"I have to try and get over her.."
"No way man!" You have to go and get her.."
"Maybe.. I don't know.." he shrugs.. "I think it's time we called it a night.. it's late.." Robert is on my page, wanting this whole conversation to end.. I'm left feeling awkward, as now I know my dad would actually be okay with me and Robert.. so I know Robert is gonna push that. We all make our way back inside his house, and head out to the driveway..
"Thank you for a great night Robert, it's been.. interesting.." my mom gives him a friendly goodbye hug.. as does my dad, with a big pat on the back.
"Thanks man, see you Monday!" My dad calls back as he begins to walk with my mom.. leaving me standing with Robert..
"Thanks for having us.." I lean in to give him a friendly hug, as he wraps his arms around me to hug back, he whispers in my ear..
"You're welcome baby.." he places a kiss on my cheek.. "I meant what I said.." I glance my parent's way, and thankfully they aren't looking.. so they missed the little kiss he gave..
"You did?" I meet his eyes, and there's a sparkle to them, like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders..
"Of course.."
"Come on Soph!" I hear my dad calling to me, so I have to leave him once again with so many words unspoken for.. I give him a soft, small smile before leaving him stood alone in his doorway.
I glance over my shoulder to see him before we turn the corner and he's out of sight, I give him a little wave, before making our way home. His words are spinning around in my head, the whole conversation playing over and over as I sit alone in my bedroom, on my balcony, looking out at the clear night sky in view in front of me. The moonlight shining down over the ocean in the distance. It's perfect, it's peaceful, it's just what I need after a night like tonight.
As in sat on my own, a message comes through to my phone.. surprisingly it's not from Robert, but from Mason.. I haven't heard from him all day, and with everything going on with Robert, I just totally forgot about him.
hey soph, sorry about last night, we should really talk about what happened, can we meet tomorrow?
I really would like to know why he just left me there, and the photos.. we kissed and then he left me.. why? I reply to his text quickly before closing my phone off again.
sure, meet me down at the beach at 11am
Just as I place my phone down on the table, I hear footsteps behind me, and I know what's about to come.. I turn my head to see my mom, taking the seat beside me..
"So.. that was an interesting conversation with Robert earlier wasn't it?" She asks, and I'm just waiting for her to get to the point.. "Asking your dad if he could marry you..." she smirks a little, I'm unsure of how any of this is going to go, so I'm a little on edge..
"Yeah.. uh.. a little awkward too..they talk as if I'm not there.."
"I can imagine.." she looks out at the view.. "So when were you going to tell me you and him had a thing?"
and there it is.. do I admit it or try and deny..nah.. there's no way of getting around this one after what he said earlier..
"I didn't know how to.." I say softly.. "I wasn't really sure of it..I'm sorry that I didn't tell you.."
"You weren't sure of how you feel about your dad's business partner?"
"Yes.. and I know you wouldn't agree with it.."
"Sweetheart.." she places her hand on mine.. "I'm your mom, I'm never gonna be happy about you dating, it's just a rule of being a parent.. but if you fall in love with someone, you can't help it.. and even if I don't agree with it, I just have to accept your decision.."
"But still.. he's.. Downey.. not.."
"Yeah, he is Downey.. but he's always your dad's best friends son.. we've known him for a long time.."
"I don't know how I feel mom, I'm confused and then tonight.."
"When he was talking about already finding someone?"
"Yeah.." I say with a heavy sight, and she puts her arm around me.
"And he said that he loves her?"
"Mhm.."
"I'm right in thinking, he was talking about you wasn't he?" She asks, and I give a little nod before leaning my head against her.. "Oh sweetie.."
"I didn't know he felt that way.."
"He hid his feelings from you, is that why you broke it off?" She asks, and again I give a little nod.. "And you had to hear how he truly felt in front of your parents who had no idea he was actually talking about their daughter.."
"Yeah, I'm so confused, I don't know what to do.."
"Listen to your heart, before you tell him goodbye.." she softly strokes my arm.. "So what happened with this so.. called Mason.."
"He went off with another girl apparently.. and that's why I called Robert.."
"I did wonder why you would call him and not one of us.. it's all making sense now.. but.. one thing that I still don't understand is why you would quit being his PA if you had these feelings for him.." she asks, and I can't bring myself to tell her the real reason why.
"I did quit but that's because I thought he felt the same.. but like he said, he hid those feelings away and let me go.. now I don't know if I can go back.."
"Well.. Soph, you're my daughter and I will always support you, in whatever you choose.."
"Thanks.. I really need time to think about everything..it's all a bit of a mess.."
"I know.." she gives me a kiss to my head.. "You need someone to talk to, you come to me.. alright?"
"Thanks Mom, I love you.." I say, lifting my head up.. "Please don't tell dad about any of this?"
"I love you too..and I won't, I promise.." she smiles, standing up.. "Get some sleep, we can talk about it in the morning.."
"Yeah.. I don't think my head is switching off anytime soon, I'll tell ya.." I laugh a little, before following her into my room, closing the balcony door shut.
Once she's gone, I change into my pjs and try to get comfortable in bed, I lay on my side, trying to switch off, but a few moments later, my phone buzzes.. I lean over and glance at the screen.. a new message from Robert is displayed across it.. I wondered how long it would be before he sent me something..