Cheating in Love [Completed]

Chapter 7

 Sawyer sat cross-legged on the couch, his arm dangling over the back. He ran his nails along the pattern of the thread. The soft zipping noise echoed the quiet hum of the apartment. He looked around again, allowing his gaze to rest on each object and trace the shadows it cast.

He checked the clock again. It hadn't moved since the last time he'd looked at it. Even the second hand seemed frozen in place. He watched the clock tick another minute.

A panicked feeling started to creep through him. His gaze fluttered from the clock to the blue carry-on suitcase next to the door with his messenger bag swung over the handle. The clock ticked on.

'You were supposed to be here half an hour ago, everything okay?' Sawyer texted Sophie. She hadn't texted that she was on her way yet.

The nervous knot in his stomach grew as the clock ticked another minute. He could almost hear the clock ticking.

Sawyer checked his phone again.

He started to tap his foot and his shoulders rose with tension. He reminded himself to relax. Sawyer drew in a slow breath and held it. He tensed further.

His phone buzzed, 'Be downstairs in 3 minutes.' He frowned at the cold message. A minute passed. He moved down the stairs to wait by the curb, the gnawing feeling inside him growing.

Sophie's car rolled up to the curb and the doors clicked unlocked. He breathed a sigh of relief that didn't alleviate his nerves.

"Hey," he opened the door. "What took you so long?"

She didn't respond to his grin and she ignored when he leaned over for a kiss. Her hands were clenched on the wheel so tight her knuckles were white. Her usually joyous gaze was locked on the road, her eyes narrowed and her lips drawn thin.

The car took off too quickly. It stopped jerkily. Sophie took the turn sharply and bumped over the curb.

"What's going on with you?" Sawyer asked.

"Oh really? You're going to ask me that now?"

"I'm... confused."

She screamed.

"Soph, what the hell?"

"What the hell me?" she cried. "What the hell you! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sawyer blinked, eyebrows furrowed. He was staring at her as a fit of anger came over her. She threw a half-full water bottle at him. Sawyer shouted as the mass of plastic and sloshing water crashed into his forehead.

"Ow," he said quietly, putting his hand to his temple. "Soph you can't just-"

"Just shut up Sawyer," her voice had the tone of her fists clenched on the steering wheel. He pressed his back against the seat, his attention directed fully out the front window. He scarcely breathed.

Sophie continued driving erratically. They jerked to a stop so fast Sawyer was thrown forward.

"You're going to hit someone if you don't cut that out," Sawyer said with a growl. He spared a quick glance at her. She had a dark scowl on her face and her eyes furiously locked on the road.

The light turned green and the car jerked forward. The water bottle rolled into his foot and he kicked it away.

"Stop doing that."

"I said shut up."

"What happened? You were fine before you left this morning."

"You really thought I wouldn't find out?" She turned to face him. Sawyer met her furious gaze.

"Find out?"

"What you were doing while I was gone." The car stopped and the seatbelt tightened across Sawyer's torso.

"You're upset that I spent time with Beckett? Because I promise you there's nothing going on between us," Sawyer held up his hands. Sophie's expression went from angry to confused. A split second was all it took for her to throw another half-full water bottle at him.

Sawyer barely dodged.

"Don't you fucking dare lie to me," she said through gritted teeth.

"I'm... not?"

She didn't respond. Her veins were visible along her arms. Her hands were as pale as her knuckles. Her lips were pressed together so tightly they nearly disappeared. Sawyer could see that she was struggling to keep her breathing steady.

"Soph I promise you I'm not gay," Sawyer said hesitantly. It wasn't a complete lie.

"So you're just going to pretend that you didn't cheat on me?"

"I did what?"

She didn't answer. One of her hands was reaching into the pocket on the door for something else to throw.

"I didn't cheat on you!"

Sophie grabbed her phone, the British flag case clearly cracked. Sawyer flinched in anticipation of it hitting him, but the blow didn't come. She was scrolling, her attention more on the phone than the road.

"You're telling me this didn't happen?" she shoved the phone into his lap. Sawyer looked at it. He didn't see anything. Sophie pointed at the edge of the screen.

He had to squint to see it.

"Sophie you can't be using that as evidence that I'm cheating on you," he protested.

"What the hell else am I supposed to assume based on that?" she threw her hands up. Sawyer was aware that her hair was frizzy and looked like she had been messing with it. He frowned. She didn't normally look un-put-together. It didn't bother him, but it caught him off guard.

"You're right, it looks like that," he said. "She just ran into me, I tried to get her off."

"I don't believe you," she said. "I mean, what, with your roommate being the way she is, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd come here just to sleep with an American for a while. You probably got bored of her."

"Sophie!" Sawyer shouted. She paused. She drew in a slow breath and some color returned to her hands. He saw her relax her muscles.

"I don't know what you expect me to say, Sawyer," she said. "But this isn't working."

"What?"

"This," she said very slowly, "isn't working. I don't think we should date anymore."

"You're breaking up with me because of this?" he held her phone up.

"That and everything else," she said. "We're almost to the airport. It's just around the corner."

"Come on, you can't be serious," he said. She didn't answer, looking more sad than angry now. "Sophie." She didn't turn to him. She was breathing slowly, measuredly. He thought for a moment that it was a joke. She turned the corner and she rolled to a stop in front of the drop off area. "Are you going to walk me inside?" He could see the motion in her chest stop. She shut her eyes tight.

"Look, Sawyer," she said. "I can't trust you anymore. I don't believe you that you didn't do that. I can't believe you. And I'm going to let you go back to England like that? No. So it's over between us." He was floored.

"So that's it?"

"Yes."

"Come on," he said. "At least walk me inside." He could feel desperation growing inside him to change her mind.

"No."

"Soph," he said. "Please. You can't do this."

"I can, and I am," she said. "And if you don't go you'll be late for your flight." Sawyer sighed deeply. He slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and got out of the car. Sophie closed the door after him. He pressed his hand against the glass, leaving a steamy handprint behind.

There was a small pop as the trunk opened. Sawyer got his suitcase out and when he had come back around to say bye, the car was locked and she had already put it in drive. The car had left the curb by the time he reached to knock on the window, leaving only the smell of exhaust in its wake.