Surrender

Chapter 1

Sophie Trovsky stood by the loft-sized window, shoulders wrapped in a dark purple blanket worn with loose threads and memories. Three stories below and far into the distance, frothy waves crashed onto the white sand beaches of Cape Coral. The sun inched its way into the clear sky, its golden rays spilling over the horizon. Sophie closed her tired eyes as the cool wind swept across her face. She felt the whisper of sweet nothings feathering her ear, and strong, familiar arms curling around her waist, chaining her to the daydream that forever plagued her mind.   

            What a fool she'd been, believing that she could simply erase her past and start a new chapter in her life. How was she supposed to move on when he haunted her every thought, every breath? How was she supposed to forge a new life when his love had branded her and then abandoned her?

            Since her days had been proclaimed purposeless in his absence, she resorted to passing every free hour in slumber. But he had soon conquered her dreams, so she'd begun to rise from bed and wait for the sun to declare a new day, a day that was one step closer to reuniting Sophie with Sammy.

            Grazing her hand against the chipping white paint of the window frame, she wondered what would happen if she climbed onto the windowsill. Would the wind carry her soul away? Would it extinguish the emptiness residing within her?

            “Sophie,” a voice called out her name.

            Sophie turned sharply, too sharply, and blinding specks of gold danced in front of her eyes. With a boulder of guilt crushing her insides, she stepped away from the windowsill. Pulling the blanket tightly around her hunched shoulders, she shuffled her bare feet across the wood floor into the living room.

            Standing by the doorway was her older sister, Angie. Angie pushed her ridiculously large Gucci sunglasses from the tiny bridge of her nose just over her windblown bangs. A delicate peaches-and-cream blouse; a string of pearls gracing her elegant neck; long strawberry blond locks framing both sides of her face. Angelica Trovsky looked every bit of the fashion icon the magazines proclaimed her to be.

            Clad in an old sweatshirt of Sammy's and a pair of shorts that needed a wash, Sophie paled in comparison to her sister, a world renowned fashion designer and entrepreneur, the pride and joy of the Trovsky family.  

            Sophie winced and grabbed her head at the clashing ring of decorative chains swinging from Angie’s leather purse. The effects of last night’s encounter with the conniving Jack Daniels and his good friend, Mr. Smirnoff, had taken full swing. 

            Sophie closed her hazel green eyes to steady herself against the ringing sensation in her ears. When she opened her eyes, she found Angie pulling out a round, tin take-out carton from a plastic bag.

            “I’ve brought your favorite: chocolate chip pancakes.” Angie smiled.

            “Thanks,” Sophie mumbled despite the nausea that protested any mention of food. “You didn’t have to.” She sat on a bar stool, elbows leaning against the counter and hands supporting her heavy head.

            Angie rummaged through the cabinets above the sink and revealed the crumbled, half-empty bag of ground coffee. Sophie's back stiffened at the sweet waft of air that penetrated her nostrils as Angie poured the ground substance into the coffeemaker.

            The girls sat in silence, concentrating on the maddening hum of the refrigerator and the strong hazelnut aroma that now dominated the otherwise bare atmosphere. It was pathetic how something as simple as coffee could ignite a storm of tears. After drowning her gut-wrenching sobs in liquor last night, she had promised herself she wouldn’t do this in front of Angie.