The Proposal

Chapter Twenty-Seven: What Hurts the Most

Gerard smiled as he helped Sophia out of the car, it had been three weeks since her accident and he had brought her back home to Barcelona with him; Suzanna had been thrilled that he’d ended things with Isabel to be with a confused Sophia.

The blonde still had no idea that she was really Cristiano’s fiancée and her mother had done everything to make sure that she’d never find out; she didn’t even seen to care that she had lost Fiona over what she had done.

Heading into the home that they shared, Gerard quickly helped Sophia sit down on the couch before he started to talk about things that they could do together now that she was home with.

Sophia nodded not really listening, her heart ached slightly like she was missing a part of herself; she didn’t know what it was but it hurt that Cristiano hadn’t been to see her since she had woken up.

“So what do you want to do? I know the guys have missed you,” Gerard said not even noticing that she wasn’t listening; he had already warned his team-mates about the plan to re-write the last year of Sophia’s life.

None of them seemed pleased with what their friend was doing, they knew that he cared about the blonde but he didn’t love her; if he did then he would never have hurt her in the first place.

“I think that I just want to lay down,” Sophia said shaking her head, Gerard looked at her and nodded his head concerned; she wasn’t warming up to him like he had thought that she would.

Sophia slowly stood and walked away from him, she knew that something was being kept from her and she didn’t like it; her life didn’t feel complete and she wanted to know what was going on.

“I’ll be here if you need anything,” Gerard said making her pause on the stairs, she nodded her head before she disappeared making the defender run a hand through his hair; he didn’t like the distance between them and he knew if he didn’t do something then he was going to lose her.

Gerard had been praying that she never got her memory back about Cristiano, he knew without a doubt that when she remembered that she would leave him.

Gerard sighed knowing that he was walking on thin ice and the footballer knew that sooner or later someone was going to slip up and tell her that he was lying to her about her life.

***

Dolores slowly approached the house were Suzanna lived alone, she knew that she had to do something if she wanted her friend to allow Cristiano to see Sophia; the footballer was suffering even if he tried not to show it.

Taking a deep breath, Dolores knocked on the front door, she licked her lips knowing that this was going to be far from pleasant and she knew that she deserved for her friend to be unforgiving about what had happened the day of the accident.

Dolores offered Suzanna a weak smile, as the blonde woman opened the door; she hoped that there was some way to fix the damage that had been caused by one selfish brat’s actions that had led to all of this.

“What do you want?” Suzanna spat making Dolores sigh and look at her, she knew she had been pretty harsh when Cristiano had told her about Sophia kissing Daniel; she only hoped Suzanna would let her apologize.

“Suzanna por favor…” she said making her friend purse her lips and shake her head, she didn’t want to hear her former friend’s excuses; Cristiano had nearly cost Sophia her life and the blonde was never going to forgive anyone for what had happened.

“No you think your son's a saint; ask him why he was still seeing that Russian when he first got engaged to Sophia… you were so willing to condemn her for what happened,” Suzanna said as she glared at Dolores.

She didn’t want to heard any of this and she wanted to forget all of this had happened.

Dolores sighed knowing that she had been wrong but she had never seen Cristiano more hurt when than he was now and she was responsible for it; she swallowed as she looked at her friend wishing that there was something that she could do to fix all of this.  

“Suzanna, it was a mistake… but what you’re doing is just plain cruel, they love each other,” Dolores said trying to reason with Suzanna who shook her head.

 She didn’t want that footballer anywhere near her daughter, Sophia was better off with Gerard and could finally have a better life.

Dolores sighed and looked at her friend, she had a feeling that this was going to go this way but she had to try; especially since she was sick of seeing her son suffer like this, she had a feeling that Sophia would suffer as well because of her mother’s decision.

“I will never forgive you and Cristiano for what happened to my daughter,” Suzanna told her before she slammed the door in Dolores’s face; putting an end to over thirty years of friendship.

***

Sophia sighed as she looked over pictures that lay around Gerard’s house, she frowned when she couldn’t remember them being taken; she knew that a lot of her memories where fuzzy but she knew that something was missing.

The blonde smiled as Lionel returned from the kitchen, since Gerard had an interview that he had to attend; he had left Lionel to look after her since none of his other team-mates would agree to help him because of what he was doing.

Watching Sophia, Lionel couldn’t shake the guilty feeling that seemed to be eating at him as he watched Sophia move about the room; he knew that there had to be something that he could do to help her when she needed someone to trust.

“Everything okay, Leo?” she asked making him nod, she made her way over to him since she had a feeling that he knew what she was missing.

Lionel had always been a close friend of hers and she didn’t know it but it was him that had helped her flee from Barcelona when Gerard had dumped her.

“It’s nothing,” Lionel promised her making the blonde look at him puzzled, he carefully Sophia’s hand before he led her to the couch and sat down; he knew that he could help her in some way.

The blonde looked at him as she realized that Lionel seemed to be struggling with something.

“I can’t say too much… but don’t listen to anything Gerard tells you about the past year,” Lionel said making the blonde look at him confused.

Lionel moved closer to her and offered Sophia a smile, he knew that Gerard would never forgive him for this but he wasn’t going to help him deceive the blonde.

“Gerard’s lying to you… Sophia you’re like a sister to me and the others and we want you to be happy no matter who you choose,” Lionel told her, he might not have liked Cristiano but he had seen how happy the blonde had been when she was with him.

The front door opened and closed signaling Gerard’s return, Lionel brushed some of her hair behind her ear, leaning forward he whispered into her ear.

“Don’t trust him,” he said before he looked at his friend who watched him; he knew that Gerard was going to stop anyone who posed a threat to his relationship from seeing Sophia but he had done the right thing.