His Secret [Completed]

Chapter Eighteen

A soft grunt and then a frustrated huff sounded throughout the quiet apartment at just after nine pm. Sophia had settled into her usual routine of showering, changing into her cosy pyjamas she purchased at the store after her first paycheck and then hopped into bed to read a little. Occasionally the routine changed slightly - she would swap out the reading for a crossword or word search - but it mostly stayed consistent.

She slipped the glasses from her nose as she heard another huff coming from the room down the hall. Most evenings, she kept her bedroom door open until she decided to go to sleep for a couple of reasons. One: she always wanted to show her door was open for Noah, metaphorically speaking of course; after the breakdown he had in the car a few days prior, she assumed he may have needed someone to talk to. Yet, each time he passed her room he didn't dare look inside and the typical way of living for the two resumed, only speaking when it was absolutely necessary. And two: she didn't want to appear to have secrets - it was as simple as that. In her family home as a teenager keeping your bedroom door closed throughout the day was a sign of secrecy and her father didn't like that. Especially when she lost track of time and was supposed to be fetching him another beer.

Wrapping her thin dressing gown around her body Sophia pulled on a pair of fluffy socks and followed the continuing grunting and huffing down the hallway to her employer's bedroom. When she arrived at his room, Sophia was shocked to find the door wide open. Noah was a man of secrecy and he most definitely wasn't going to change because a woman who he only slightly liked was now living in his home.

Noah was standing at the foot of his bed, a grey material suitcase laid on top and there were clothes thrown inside, none of which were folded in any coherent way. He took one small step backwards and ran his hands through his hair in clear frustration; surely he'd packed a suitcase before? There were white shirts sticking out of one side preventing the zip from closing and a pair of shoes bulged from the other.

Sophia came to stand in front of him without a word, she didn't ask for entry into his bedroom, but instead just walked in. As Noah was about to protest, he realised her intentions; she unzipped the case and removed each item of clothing. Sophia then placed the shoes in first, stuffing his socks and ties inside to maximise space for his other clothes. A short while later, Noah's suitcase was packed, all clothes folded neatly and zipped up.

"Thank you," he told her quietly, feeling a little embarrassed that he couldn't carry out a simple task.

"When do you leave?" She asked.

"Early tomorrow." Noah told her he had a business trip to Mila, but he lied. He was going to meet an investor, he told her. He's very rich and is looking to invest in my hotel, he continued to lie, it was a lie Sophia accepted as the truth. She didn't have any reason to believe otherwise, he'd never lied to her before. Then again, she wouldn't know - he was talented in the art of deception. In reality, he was going to meet a woman, one he probably shouldn't. Not after everything, but he hadn't a choice; it was either that or lose everything. "You can invite your friend to stay while I'm away... if you'd like before you move out," he proposed, hoping it would make the guilt inside of him fade a little.

Sophia nodded. "I'd like to stay here for a little longer if that's okay with you."

"Perfect," he said without a trace of emotion on his handsome face. "The offer still stands - about your friend I mean."

"That would be nice. Thank you." She smiled and turned on her heel, leaving him standing alone in his room, wishing he could change. He dragged the suitcase off of the bed and placed it by his door ready to wheel behind him when he left in the morning. Noah then decided to exercise - it kept his mind off of things he knew he shouldn't think about, for example, the woman lying in her bed in her pyjamas, reading a book. He did cardio and then weights, but with each rep, his mind involuntarily repeated the things he had done wrong over and over again, as if his own body was torturing him. He needed to do something.