Best and Honor

Chapter 10

Andrew

Sophie and I are still looking into each other's eyes, my words still hanging in the air between us. I'm looking for all of the answers in her expression, but all I can see is fear and confusion. I've done my part and now it is up to her to make the next move. Evan can't say that I didn't try to open her eyes to what he was feeling about her, and I can live with myself knowing I laid it all out.

"What are you talking about?" Her voice cracks a little and she shuts her eyes for a second as she tries to compose her emotions.

"He came to my room last night after you and Rachel went in yours. Seeing you has made him realize that he has never stopped loving you. He wanted help deciding what to do about the wedding." I give my drink a small spin before taking another long sip.

"He's crazy. What's he thinking? How could he do this? She's my best friend. I don't want to be the reason her wedding gets ruined." I see her suck in breath after breath as if her body is beginning to panic with each passing second. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

"I guess that depends on how you feel about him." Her eyes, which have been flying around the table focusing on anything but mine suddenly come to a stop and flash with surprise as they meet mine.

"His decision should have nothing to do with how I feel about him. Is he even serious? What's his plan? If I say I love him he's going to cancel the wedding or leave my best friend at the alter? If I don't love him then he's going to marry her even though he's in love with someone else?" She rests her head in her hands and closes her eyes again.

"We didn't really get to that part. He doesn't know that I'm telling you any of this. I told him he was just getting cold feet and he needed to sleep it off. He was pretty drunk, but I don't think that's the reason he thinks he still loves you."

"Oh God. Oh God." She drops her hands to her lap and then shakes her head slowly looking down at the table. "I can't be a part of my best friend's broken heart. Maybe she'd deserve it, but I know exactly how it feels to be left so I could never do that to her." I start to feel a little panicked myself since she has still not shared her feeling for him.

"When he left my room he seemed resigned to going through with the wedding. I don't know if he had a back up plan or if he was even still considering sharing his feelings with you. Maybe you don't have to do anything or maybe I shouldn't have told you. I just couldn't live with myself if I held on to a secret that could change your life."

She reaches for her drink and swallows it down, placing it firmly on the table before lifting her eyes to mine. "Would it make me a terrible person if I didn't tell Rachel? Would I be a terrible person if I did? DAMNIT! There's no good ending to this!" Rubbing small circles at her temples and closes her eyes again and takes a few slow breaths.

"Stop worrying about what's best for Rachel. She didn't worry about what was best for you. Listen to your heart. If you still love him then I think you should tell him." I lean forward and pull her hand away from her temple to hold it in mine. I silently pray that she doesn't still have feelings for him. I don't want to push her, but my heart is beating so rapidly I worry it might leap from my chest.

"You're right. I need to talk to him. I don't want to pretend that this problem will work its way out. It's not fair to any of us." I squeeze her hand and feel all the hope I have leave my body. I just opened the door for her to choose him and now I'm going to watch her walk through it.

The waiter returns to the table with our food, but neither of us touch it. We just sit in silence for a few minutes. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out and read a text from Evan.