Surrender

chapter 14

Chapter 14

The emerald greens of the trees over head shimmered in the mid-day sunlight. A hot, dry breeze blew Sophie's bangs from her eyes as she and Jade strolled side by side through the family-owned stalls at the local farmer's market. A weightless feeling lingered in the soles of her feet. It had appeared instantaneously, almost knocking her to the ground when she'd crawled out of bed this morning. It had tickled her insides when she'd brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and caused her to burn her toast while she daydreamed about the man across the hall. The man that made her feel like a woman again.

            Just thinking about the weight of his body pressed against hers as they tumbled onto the plush rug, missing the couch by only a few inches, entangled in a spell of laughter and messy kisses, made Sophie shiver under the blazing, Floridian sun.

            "You've got that look in your eye again." Jade gave a devilish grin and jabbed Sophie's side with an elbow.

            "What look?" A flood of crimson infused Sophie's cheeks.

            "Come on. Spill," Jade urged. "You know you can't keep things from me, Trovsky. Tell me all about your mystery man."

            "There's not much to tell." Sophie brushed the topic aside and grabbed a basket of plump strawberries.

            Jade placed a hand on her hip and flashed Sophie an all-knowing look.

            "Okay, fine. You're right," Sophie caved, her shoulders collapsing. "I don't even know where to begin." She looked down into her basket of strawberries, cherries, and a freshly-baked apple pie that she would bring to tonight's Sunday night dinner at her parents'.

            "Start with what happened last night." Jade wiggled her dark eyebrows.

            She tried to gather her thoughts that were scattered like cut-outs that couldn't quite fit into a collage. Last night still felt like a dream, a fantasy that her mind had concocted. "We made dinner, we started talking, and things got a little…heated."

            Jade gave her a wide-eyed expression. "Sophie Trovsky, did you--"

            "No!" Sophie cut her off, slapping Jade's wrist like a bad schoolgirl. "God, no. I mean, we were close, but no." She broke off, looking out into the crowd of people that twisted and turned around them. "I told him I wasn't ready." She crossed her arms as though to shield herself from the world.

            "How did he react?"

            Sophie shrugged casually. "He was fine with it." She picked at a loose thread in the hem of her shirt. "He knows about Sammy. I mean, he doesn't know everything. He just knows that I'm not ready for a serious relationship. At least, that's what I told him."

            "And do you really feel that way? That you're not ready?"

            She took a moment to reflect. "I don't know," she mused. "All I know is that I wanted to be with him--with Chris--last night, but I wouldn't let myself."

            Jade gave her a wicked grin.

            "What?" Sophie inquired.

            "You're hooked," Jade proclaimed.

            "I am not," Sophie quickly defended.

            Jade tipped her head to the side as though to say, "Don't make me say 'I told you so.'"   "You're right, aren't you?" She buried her hands in her wind-blown hair. "God, Jade, what am I going to do?"