51 Christmas eve (5)

Sarah is enjoying softness and flavor of Aiden's lips. This is a new experience for her, to savor the taste of his lips while holding back lust that is growing inside her. First time kissing in almost-public setting, where others can see them. It is a familiar, yet new experience.

There was a sound of a person clearing throat. Sarah didn't want to stop kissing, but Aiden inched back, breaking the kiss. He tilted his head signaling to her to look up.

Sarah looked up and saw JoAnna standing in front of them.

"I think my sister is thirsty, why don't you go and get her a drink?" JoAnna was looking at Aiden, her expression conveyed impatience.

Aiden understood that JoAnna wants to talk with Sarah in private. He smiled at Sarah and stood up.

Sarah was looking at his back in a daze while he walked toward the bar.

JoAnna sat next to Sarah. "You are giving a good show to everyone."

"What?"

"Don't pretend to be ignorant. People will leave soon, and you can continue later without the audience." JoAnna waved her hand as if she is shooing away people present.

Sarah pouted her lips in protest.

JoAnna sighed. "By morning dad will probably find out. One of these people will tell their parents and it will reach dad."

"I know."

"I thought you wanted to wait with telling him." JoAnna reminded Sarah.

"I did, but I realize that it does not matter. Now, next week, next month, he will not approve no matter when or how he finds out. The sooner he finds out, sooner he will accept. Who knows? Maybe he says it's not a big deal and he accepts that I have a boyfriend."

"You are optimistic." JoAnna bitterly smiled. "I'm not saying that your logic is faulty, but tomorrow is Christmas."

"We are all leaving tomorrow, anyway. So, he can sulk with mom." Sarah shrugged.

"With Lexi out of the picture, I might stay home longer."

"Oh? I see…" Sarah smiled. "Well then, put in few good words for me while I'm not home."

"When are you heading out?"

"Flight is at one in the afternoon. So, we will leave around ten."

"Do you want me to drop you off?"

"No need. We will take a cab. I thought you will not be available, so I already arranged everything." Sarah explained.

…

At that time, Sophia and Mark entered one of the spare rooms on the main floor of the Hill villa.

Sophia closed the door and headed to turn on the lights. Mark held her hand before it reached the switch, and with other hand locked the door.

"I miss you so much!" Mark pulled her in his embrace.

Sophia was conflicted. Her brain told her to push him away, but some part of her didn't want to. Her lips wanted to be kissed, and her body craved to be touched. 'It has been so long.'

In the dark room, lit up by moonlight coming through the window, Sophia gave in to her urges and they kissed. As soon as he felt that she is not resisting, he pinned her against the wall. One of his hands was working on undoing zipper on her skirt, while other worked on his belt.

In a matter of seconds her skirt and his pants were on the floor together with their underwear.

Both were panting while their breaths mixed.

Mark was not able to wait, Sophia was avoiding him for too long. Her kisses made him dizzy, closeness of her body excited him beyond control. Mark lifted her legs and satisfied his lust while muffled moans filled the room.

...

In the playhouse, Aiden is at the bar waiting to get drinks. Someone tapped his shoulder with urgency, and he heard man's voice. "You are Aiden, right? I'm Ed."

Aiden turned slightly to look at Ed and nodded.

"So... you and Sarah? That is quite a feat." Ed spoke like he is expecting that Aiden will talk more on this topic.

Aiden can tell that Ed does not have any good intentions but at this moment, he is not sure what he wants. Ed looked angry and anxious. Like someone who has a lot of negative emotions bottled up and does not know what to do with them.

Sarah looked toward the bar area and saw that Aiden is held up by Ed. She stood up with intention to go there, but JoAnna held her back. Sarah looked at JoAnna with a frown.

"I'm sure he can handle it", JoAnna said.

Sarah nodded, and her gaze went back towards Aiden.

"You know that Ed is interested in you for few years?", JoAnna asked.

"Yes." Sarah responded absentmindedly. She was uneasy seeing that Ed approached Aiden. "I know that Aiden can handle it, but right now he is my guest. He will do his best to avoid trouble because of me. That is why I can't just stand back and watch". Sarah walked towards Aiden.

JoAnna helplessly watched her sister walk away.

At the bar area, Ed was probing Aiden: "How long do you know Sarah?" His tone and posture were provoking.

"Why is that important to you?" Aiden was getting impatient. He realized that Ed is interested in Sarah, and he wants to cause trouble.

Ed started talking slowly. "I know her for five years..."

The only thing preventing Aiden from punching this annoying guy is the fact that they are in Sarah's house. But if Ed starts the fight, Aiden can say that he only defended himself. Aiden smirked and cut him off, "If after five years you didn't win her over, you should give up."

"I will not give up just because you showed up!" Ed was angry. Aiden's provocation obviously worked.

Aiden's expression softened. 'You got lucky this time!' Sarah was standing behind Ed and Aiden nodded toward her. "You should tell that to her, not me."

"Tell me what?" Sarah chimed in.

Ed was startled. "Oh! Hi, Sarah!" He turned towards her and flashed a charming smile.

Sarah ignored him and looked at Aiden. "I came to see what is causing the holdup with my drink."

"I got stuck in traffic." Aiden showed her two glasses of sparkling water in his hands.

Sarah smiled. "Let me get you out of the traffic." She pointed with her head towards the sofa where JoAnna was sitting.

Aiden passed next to Ed, avoiding to touch him. "Excuse me…" He smirked and walked next to Sarah.

Ed was looking after them. His lips formed a thin line, and his fists were tightly clenched while rage swelled within him.

"What did he want?" Sarah glanced at Aiden as they walked away.

"I don't know. I think that he does not know either." Aiden laughed.

...

In one of the spare rooms on the main floor of the Hill villa, Sophia is sitting on the sofa in the dark. Mark is next to her. He leaned in for a kiss. She pushed him away. "Please leave."

Mark lowered his head, defeated. He stood up and walked toward the door.

When he reached the door, Sophia heard his voice, "I will not give up. I will wait until you accept me again."

Then he exited the room and closed the door behind him.

Sophia was in a daze. Her thoughts went to 5 years ago... she didn't want to remember again, but memories kept coming in anyway.

Five years ago, both Sophia and Mark were law students at Harvard. They were doing their 6 months internship in one of major law firms in New York. They got together and kept their relationship a secret. Announcing a relationship in a such competitive environment can only mean exposing a weakness.

About 4 months into the internship, there was a party that Mark attended. Sophia didn't attend that party because she needed urgently to process documents for the case that went in front of the judge next morning.

Sophia was not aware, that was the night that changed lives for Mark and her.

Six weeks after that party, a young woman, Katherine, came into their life. She said that she is carrying Mark's child, and that she conceived during that party that Sophia could not attend.

Mark admitted that during that party he drank too much, passed out, and in the morning, he was in the bed, alone. Maybe. Later he admitted that in the morning his mind was hazy, so maybe there was someone with him. Mark found it strange that he passed out. He was always good at holding his liquor. He suspected that someone drugged him, but after party it didn't seem important, and by the time it was important, it was too late to do a drug test. Mark claimed that he does not remember meeting Katherine before. He denied that he is the father of Katherine's child, and even suspected that she is not pregnant. He requested a proof of her pregnancy and a DNA test. Few days after that, Katherine committed a suicide and her family cremated her body. There was no way to prove if Katherine was even pregnant, not to mention if Mark is the father.

Sophia wants to believe him, that he never had anything with Katherine. But there is a doubt, what if he did sleep with her? What if she carried his child? What if she killed herself because she could not handle the pain of Mark abandoning her and their child? What if...?

If she was lying... why would she go to such lengths to even kill herself?

There are so many questions, and no way to prove anything.

Five years ago, Sophia and Mark had a promising relationship, and now between them is a chasm full of bitter memories and doubts.

As Sophia thought about the events from five years ago, tears silently flowed down her face. The wounds still hurt, and every time Mark makes advances toward her it feels that he is reopening them. It's more than five years how that happened. Sophia is not sure how she feels about him now, but she knows that she can't accept him. Not now, not in the future.