Sophia Grace finds herself thrust into a reality where housing soldiers becomes an obligation. Little does she know that her carefully constructed world is about to be turned upside down by the arrival of Luke Kingston.
he thinks she goes by life to...
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-sophia-
Home used to be a place I hated. I loved finding any excuse to stay away.
From staying back for extra credit, going to games I didn't give a flying fuck about, volunteering for events I didn't care about, even getting detention on purpose. I did whatever it took—just to not come home.
But now... it's different.
Now, I'd kill to stay home all day. Going out? No, thanks. I can't even remember what the sun feels like.
"Sophia, get the hell up! Let's go," my sweet, relentless best friend Aubrey says as she barges into my room, flipping the light on like some kind of jail warden.
"No," I groan, rolling away from her, burying myself deeper into my blankets.
"Sophia, seriously," she says, her tone softening, adding that familiar layer of pleading she uses when she's trying to coax me out of my self-imposed isolation. "You can't just stay locked up in here all day."
"Yeah, I can." I taunt, not bothering to turn around.
"I'm giving you thirty minutes. If you're not up by then, I'm coming back and dragging you out of this bed," she says, her words a promise as she storms out, leaving me in the dim light of my room.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to drown out the constant hum of anxiety that has settled into my bones. The same hum that keeps me from doing anything at all, let alone get out of bed.
Minutes drag by, each second louder and more insistent than the last. With each passing moment, the weight of Aubrey's threat lingers. I know she'll follow through.
Finally, with a long, heavy sigh, I throw back the covers. Cold air hits my skin, a harsh reminder of the world waiting for me outside this cocoon of safety. My feet hit the floor, the cold hardwood a punishment for dragging this out.
A glance at the clock tells me Aubrey's deadline is fast approaching. Begrudgingly, I shuffle to the bathroom and go through the motions, even though every part of me would rather crawl back into bed. Stepping out of the shower, the cold air slaps me again, and I shiver as I wrap myself in a towel.
I stare at my reflection in the foggy mirror. The girl looking back at me is a stranger. The version of me who used to thrive in chaos is long gone, replaced by someone who prefers the quiet emptiness of this house, who dreads the outside world.
"Get it together, Sophia," I mutter, but the words feel hollow.
I pull on a pair of jeans and an old sweater, nothing fancy. I don't even bother with my hair. As I step out of my room, the scent of coffee drifts through the air, pulling me toward the kitchen where Aubrey waits.
She's leaning against the counter, arms crossed, her eyes fixed on me like she's trying to read my mind.
"Happy now?" I mutter, grabbing a mug and filling it with coffee.
