Chapter 2
After my shower, Edward scooped me up, his breath hot and heavy against my skin.
"Edward, we need to..." I began, my heart pounding as I tried to lay it all out.
But just as I was about to say it, there was a knock at the door.
"Dad!" Lucas called out, standing in the doorway, clutching his storybook, his eyes wide and hopeful as he looked up at Edward.
"Can you tell me a Superman story? Please?" he begged.
Edward set me down and took a deep breath. "I'll go put him to bed first."
However, he didn't come back until the early hours of the morning.
My chest felt tight, so I went downstairs for some water—before I knew it, I found myself heading toward the master bedroom.
The master bedroom door was shut tight, and the rest of the house was completely empty.
Suddenly, the door opened from the inside, and Lena stepped out in her nightgown.
She saw me and didn't look the least bit surprised, her voice slow and sleepy.
"Looking for Edward? He dozed off while telling Lucas a story. He was sleeping so soundly, I figured I'd just let him be," she said.
She paused, then added with a casual shrug, "It's not like we haven't spent nights in the same room before. Don't read too much into it."
With that, she turned and closed the master bedroom door behind her.
My chest was burning with frustration.
Should I go wake Edward up? But what was the use? Maybe I was just the outsider here.
At this thought, a sense of relief washed over me. However, sleep still eluded me. It wasn't until dawn was breaking that I finally drifted into a fitful slumber.
At some point, Edward slipped back into bed and pulled me into his arms, mumbling apologies against my ear.
"Sweetheart, don't be upset. I dozed off while reading Lucas his bedtime story last night. Get some more sleep, I'm heading out," Edward whispered.
Once he went down, I stood at the window, watching Edward and Lena—Lena looking flawless, Lucas bouncing with excitement between them—as they headed off to the amusement park, the picture of a happy family.
Maybe I ought to be grateful Lena showed up when she did.
I went to the hotel alone and quietly canceled the banquet hall booking.
Sitting in the empty hotel banquet hall, I pulled out my phone. The first thing I saw was a post from Edward at the top of my feed.
In the photo, he was holding Lucas, with Lena leaning against him, all three of them beaming at the camera.
The caption read: [Kept my promise to the little guy—such a happy day!]
It was his first ever post on his feed.
Just then, Emily called, asking, "Sophie, I've already talked to my cousin. Are you really not getting married? Are you really coming?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I've already booked my flight," I replied.
I stopped by the wedding planner and the bridal boutique. With every cancellation, I felt a little lighter, a little more at peace.
By the time I finally got home that night, the house was bursting with laughter the moment I walked in.
The wedding signs that had been pasted up were now ripped down and torn to pieces.
I acted like I didn't see any of it, went straight upstairs to the guest room, and started packing my suitcase.
Edward followed me up, reaching for my waist out of habit. I sidestepped, and his hand froze in midair, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Lucas thought the red wedding banners were fun and ended up tearing them by accident. We'll just put up new ones later," Edward explained.
I just stayed silent, tuning him out.
"Why are you packing?" he asked.
I zipped up my suitcase, my voice flat. "Before the wedding, I've got to head back to the home my parents left me. There are a few loose ends I've got to sort out there. I'll make it back in time for our big day."
Edward nodded in understanding. "Alright, that makes sense."
He leaned in, slipping his arm around my waist, his warm breath trailing over my neck—the kind of wild, dizzying desire I knew all too well, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Sophie, I've missed you so much!" he whispered, his kiss crashing down on me, raw need burning in every touch.