Through It All

EIGHT

Sophia sits miserably on the floor. She doesn't deserve the commodity that a chair offered. What was she thinking? Why did she expect to see Daniel and not feel anything at all? She felt like her breath was sucked out of her the second she laid eyes on him.

There she was, Daniel on one side and her fiancée on the other, she felt so dirty standing beside them. Adam has been so nice with her; it was so unfair to hide such thing from him. She stands up decidedly and shakes the wrinkles from her dress. She takes a good look at herself in the mirror. She is a mess, her eyes are swollen and her nose's red, but she refuses to even hide her crying face, why hide what she feels when she is about to burst with emotions?

She will confess everything. She will tell him everything, she will hold nothing back. She knows she's risking what seemed like a promising engagement, but Adam has been so good to her, he doesn't deserve any of this deceit.

She opens the door but she stops, he is going to hate her, and he will definitely terminate the arrangement. And if that wasn't enough, he could tell her father, and he will hate her. He will no longer love her because her daughter turned out to be a whore. Tears start to form as she brings her hand to her head, why was everything so difficult? She wipes her tears with the back of her hand. No, she is going to tell him everything; she can't start a marriage with a lie. No matter what happens after this, his hatred, her father disowning her. They could send her away where she can hide her shame and not burden her family with her stupid mistakes.

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When she forces herself downstairs, she comes to a sudden halt when she sees Adam waiting for her at the other side. He meets her eyes and she holds her breath. Adam is going to hate her, and she's not prepared for it. She accepts his extended hand and he helps her down the las steps, Sophia struggles to breathe; her heart feels heavy on her chest.

"How are you feeling, Miss Willis?" he whispers as they walk across the dance floor.

"I need to speak to you..." Sophia starts but she is then interrupted with a sudden round of applause, she looks around bafflingly. Everyone present stopped dancing and applauded in unison as they saw the couple making their way through, assuming they were going to dance. She smiles shyly, she isn't used to so much attention.

Adam chuckles. "We might as well give them what they want." He holds her hand as his other hand makes his way around her waist.

She wants to refuse, she wants to get everything out of her chest, the sooner the better, but she knows the guests wouldn't be too pleased, so she smiles and places her hand on his shoulder. The music resumes and they start dancing rhythmically. And everyone else follows.

"What do you want to tell me?" Adam asks after a moment.

"Umm," she's caught off guard, she didn't think he had heard her. "Nothing, really," she replies regretting it immediately, it was official, she is a coward.

"Nothing? It seemed important," he comments. She feels his eyes on her like a cold breeze, she turns to look to her side, avoiding his eyes. "I want to inform you that if there is anything that is bothering you, you can tell me without fear."

She meets his eyes. "There is something, but ..." She comes to a halt. "I can't tell you here."

Adam nods and holds her hand tightly as he guides her through the multitude. They arrive to the spot where they were at before. She takes a deep breath, and she can feel her throat starting to knot. Adam waits patiently.

"I am very ashamed of what I am about to confess to you, and I will understand if you feel infuriated and you want to just terminate the engagement or if you say ghastly things about me or to me."