Tangled in Love

Chapter 22

"I was testing you!" Sophie shot out as she ripped the divorce papers in half.

"Hey!" Nolan quickly yelled out in anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Quickly, he dropped to the floor to pick up the torn sheets of paper she had dropped on the floor. Laying out the pieces on the table, he demanded in a low voice, "You said you were going to sign it, so sign it. Now."

Sophie raised her hand in defense before letting out a giggle. Leaning comfortably on his shoulder, she grinned widely. "Nolan, I was testing you," she repeated as he brushed her hand angrily away. Sophie pulled her injured palm to her chest, inspecting the damage he caused.

He glared as he began to puzzle together the ripped paper, noticing that she was doing nothing to fix it. "Don't touch me," he growled, avoiding eye contact.

"Nolan, I love you." Realizing what she had just came out from her mouth, she quickly added, scrunching her nose in disgust, "Like a brother. I just wanted to make sure your love for Maya was pure, so you wouldn't regret it in the future." Her eyes had a far distant look in them as she gazed out the window, a glint of sorrow and sadness flashing before disappearing. "Same for you Maya. I was just trying to protect you two."

Nolan squinted his eyes and sneered. "What gives you the right to protect us?!" he spat.

"I just, I know what heartbreak feels like. "When she saw the unbelievable looks on the couple's faces, she added, frustrated, "Real heartbreak!"

Maya just stared at her. "Oh, and what do you know?" Nolan sent a warning glance at his fiancé, but she took no notice, anger dictating her actions. "Do you know how I felt when I saw Nolan do all those things? Do you know how much hurt I had to endorse because of your stupid little experiment? I thought that it was for real, that I could help, but you just lied straight into my face." By now, she was rambling, tears streaming down her face. "It was all for your stupid entertainment!" She yelled, her wobbling voice ringing across the room.

Nolan immediately engulfed her into a hug, his strong arms covering Maya as he softly whispered, "Shhh. It's alright, I love you." Soon, the sobs escalated, replaced by slow, even breathing.

Sophie continued, yelling now. "You don't know what I had to go through! I was only trying to help you guys, so you didn't have to go through the same thing as me. Do you know how many pain I've had to go through? No, you don't." Turning, she slowly lifted the back of her shirt up, revealing a string of stitches and scars. "And my stupid decision made this. You see these scars? I'll have them for the rest of my life, just because of one. Fucking. Mistake."

By now, Maya was gaping at Sophie's injured back. "I didn't know...," she softly whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well, I'm more sorry than you'll ever be," Sophie sneered, dropping the hem of her shirt and whirling around. "When I try to help you, you just push me back, you ungrateful little brats." She stomped out the door, before adding, "We didn't actually get married. It was a fake wedding and I just needed an excuse, but it seems that everything ended happily ever after." Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

Maya reached out her hand, dumbstruck. "Wait! Sophie, wait! I'm sorry."

"Fuck off," was her response, before the door slammed so hard that the sturdy wooden table rocked back and forth.

Immediately, an arm circled around her waist as she stood there, staring off into the distance at the girl who's past she would never know. "It's alright," Nolan soothed, cutting her from her thoughts. "Let her blow off some steam and she'll come back soon."

Maya sighed and laid her head on Nolan's warm chest, letting comfort take over her. "She has a great heart, ya know?" Nolan said a while later, letting her feel the vibrate of his voice. "Even if she doesn't show it."