“The photos they took were nice, but I want to know what’s going on with you. Are you avoiding me? It’s not like you to be like this.” Libby sounded hurt.
Yes. Because I still haven’t figured out how to break the news that your brother tried to rape me. “I’m really sorry. I was planning to call, but things went sort of crazy here. It’s a long story, but I had to leave Seattle.”
“Why? Stalkers again?”
“Something like that.”
“That’s terrible! But you’re okay, right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Okay, good. So where are you now?”
“L.A. But you can’t tell anybody, not even George.” Especially not George. “I don’t have Chad anymore, so…” Sophia shrugged away the pain.
“What? Why not?”
“Well…Dad died broke, and Chad can’t afford to work for free.”
“So the rumors about your dad are true?”
Sophia frowned. Hadn’t George told her? “Probably.”
Libby sighed. “That’s just awful. But you should totally call Chad.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? Look, I don’t know what happened when you had to let him go, but he’s pretty unhappy.”
Sophia rubbed her forehead. Damn it. “That’s why I can’t call him.” Things had already been awkward enough when he’d come to say goodbye, and she didn’t want to create more discomfort by contacting him.
“What are you talking about? He’s unhappy because you haven’t called him!”
“What?”
“I ran into him last week. He was in town to see his sister. He asked me how you were doing, if you were okay. He said he’s been hoping you’d call him once the whole thing about…you know…letting him go wore off. I got the feeling that he feels like you don’t want to see him because you’re embarrassed about something. Maybe he decided you were ashamed of your father’s financial situation and didn’t want to make it worse by calling first or whatever.”
A realization sledgehammered Sophia at the base of her skull, making her feel dizzy. Why hadn’t she thought of this before? Having Chad around would ruin George’s plan to assault her. Whatever George might’ve told Chad, it was probably calculated to make Chad stay away.
“Sophia? Sophia, you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” she said faintly. “I have to go.”
“Okay. I’m going to be in L.A. sometime in the next few weeks. Let’s meet up.”
“Sure, I’d love that. Call me when you have firm dates.”
“Will do.”
Sophia hung up and dialed Chad, her fingers shaking. When he answered on the fourth ring, she choked out, “Hello?”
“Sophia! Baby girl, how are you?” His voice was as warm and open as ever, as comforting as warm soft sand on a beach. “I was hoping you’d call. Took a while, huh?”
“I didn’t know you were waiting.” She sniffed. “I thought…” No. She wasn’t going to waste their time talking about George. “What have you been up to?”
“Same old same old.” He chuckled. “How about you? Staying with your mom and her new husband now?”
“Um…no. I didn’t want to, you know, impose on them or any—”
Chad snorted. “Man. I shouldn’t have asked. She didn’t even bother to offer, did she?” He’d always been open about how he’d felt about her parents for neglecting her. “If you need a place to crash, you’re welcome at my apartment. I still keep it, but I’m not there much. Mi casa es tu casa. You know that, right?”
“Of course. Thank you, Chad, but I’m all right for the moment.”
They continued to chat. He told her all about his nephews and nieces, how his sister’s cancer was still in remission, and how much he missed her. She told him about her stay in L.A. in a few large brush strokes, how she was going to finish her last two semesters of college at UCLA.
“So Mister Mexico Man wasn’t a total washout after all,” Chad said.
“He’s really a good guy. I’m glad things are working out between us.”
“Yeah, yeah that’s good. Still… Geraldine Pryce’s nephew? Insane. She hates your mother.”
“He’s not like Geraldine, and she has a good reason. I’d be angry if I were in her shoes.”
“Yeah…” Chad sighed. “I’m not saying what your mom did was cool, but things could’ve been better.”
“Things can always be better.”