Chapter 8 Vii - Sophie

• Still crying, I took the plates back to the kitchen. I didn't care if Holly saw me with tears streaming down my face or if John was staring at me strangely. I didn't care about anything around me, I just wanted to get out of that house.
• "John, can you take me to town? I need to do something and I don't want Patrick to know," I asked, looking uncertainly at Holly, as if seeking her opinion. "Please, I promise I won't take long."
• "Why can't Patrick know? He won't be happy to find out that I took you without asking for permission..."
• "Patrick doesn't have to know everything!" I exclaimed. The last thing I needed now was that monster shouting that I would only leave if it was to go back to my uncle's house. "If you can't, I'll go alone."
• Perhaps John knew it was a bluff. I had no idea which direction the town was, but he still got up and gave me a friendly smile.
• "I'll get the car, meet me at the gate," he said. I was ready to run, but he stopped me. "Try not to attract attention. If Patrick hears us, we won't get anywhere."
• I nodded quickly and hurried up the stairs. I grabbed the thickest coat I had and put on a pair of pants. I knew it wouldn't be enough for the cold outside, but it was all I had.
• As I walked down the hallway, I looked at the door of the office. It was still slightly ajar, and I could hear Patrick's heated conversation, probably still trying to convince his parents to cancel the contract.
• I ran outside and hurried along the gravel path to the gate at the entrance of the property, where John was already waiting for me in the car.
• "We can go now!" I exclaimed, getting into the car and looking out the window, hoping we hadn't attracted any attention.
• "Where do you want to go? Shopping? Salon?" he asked, starting to drive as I continued to look back.
• "A bar!" I interrupted him. John looked at me through the rearview mirror as if I were crazy. "Don't judge me, I just need a distraction."
• I wanted a distraction and also to be able to talk to Rosa. I needed to hear a friendly voice, to listen to advice and vent. The woman who had watched me grow up was the only one I could trust for that.
• John took me without complaining. The road that crossed the mountain and led us to town was empty, but as soon as we reached the center, we were surrounded by people and cars.
• It was a small, cozy, and welcoming town. I discovered this when John dropped me off in front of a bar that was open twenty-four hours.
• "I come here sometimes, I think you'll like it," he informed me as we got out of the car and he guided me inside.
• The place had a completely masculine aura. It wasn't the type of bar I would normally go to, but what did I know about bars? Nothing, I had never been to one.
• I ordered a margarita before even sitting on the stool in front of the bar. I didn't bother to take one of the tables, it wasn't necessary to get drunk and call Rosa to tell her about my failure.
• I drank the cocktail in one gulp, the alcohol burning down my throat, warming my body from the inside and making me forget the cold for a while.
• - "It's better to take it easy, you haven't had lunch," he scolded me. "If he knew that I hadn't had breakfast either, he would be even more upset."
• It was a terrible idea, but I didn't care.
• "Get me another drink, I'm going to use the bathroom," I got up and went straight to look for a phone.
• Not having a cellphone made my life difficult, and I didn't want to risk anyone in the house overhearing me whining to Rosa.
• I dialed the number that I knew by heart, and it rang until it went to voicemail. Given the time, she was probably busy, but it was urgent to talk to her before making a decision. So I dialed again and waited.
• "I don't want to buy anything..."
• "Rosa, it's me! Don't hang up, it's me, Sophie!" I shouted before she could hang up on me.
• "Sophie? Darling, it's so good to hear your voice," she wouldn't think it was good once she knew the reason. "How are things over there? Is your husband treating you well? Are you already in love? I bet you are!"
• I felt the cold and anger take hold of me as his words invaded my mind again.
• "Rosa, he doesn't want me, he doesn't want a virgin!" Silence reigned on the other end of the line, telling me how shocked she was, so I continued. "We were starting to understand each other, we fought too, but that's part of it. But today I heard him telling his parents to find another woman because he would never touch me."
• "Why? What's wrong with this man? You're beautiful, sweet, you have an enviable body," she shouted with such indignation that I could feel it. "What's his problem?"
• I took a deep breath, preparing myself to say something that would kill me with shame, just knowing that this nonsense was in my way, serving as an obstacle.
• "He doesn't want a virgin, Rosa. He wants a woman who knows what she's doing and who isn't a fool who will fall in love."
• "Fool? The only fool in this story is him! And who said you're going to fall in love? He could very well fall in love first!"
• I bit my lower lip and looked around, trying to see if John hadn't followed me. I only relaxed when I saw him at the bar talking to the waiter.
• "I don't know what to do, Rosa. If he cancels the contract, I'll have to go back to that hell for another year until my inheritance comes through," I let out a sigh and let my shoulders slump in defeat with this thought. "And in order for it not to be canceled, I would have to be another Sophie, one who isn't a virgin and foolish."
• "Listen here, girl, you're not foolish, you never have been!" Rosa unleashed a torrent of curses before calming down. "You just need a little more experience, that will help show him how wrong he is. He must be scared, show him that you're determined, sexy, beautiful, and that you won't fall in love unless he falls in love first!"
• I let out a nervous laugh, grateful for the familiar voice giving me strength, but nervous because I had no idea how I would prove this to Patrick. But as soon as my eyes met John's at the bar, smiling at a woman sitting alone, an idea crossed my mind.
• "Rosa, I love you, you know that?"
• - Yes, I knew, but I will know more if you call me more often. Don't disappear, girl, I miss you. - the sweet tone almost made me want to run away and go to her, but I knew I couldn't. - Now go there and win your man.
• I hung up the phone and went back to the bar, sitting next to John determined to make him solve this virginity problem for me. I just needed to be relaxed enough to propose it.
• As we talked, I drank more and more, hoping that all the alcohol in my system would help me gather the courage. It didn't go unnoticed that John didn't touch me, he avoided getting too close to me at all costs, and I couldn't get out of my head that it was because of Patrick's threat.
• - Enough! We're leaving now because you're too drunk and soon Patrick will notice our absence. - he said, already getting up and throwing some bills on the table.
• - But I... - I tried to protest, but as soon as I stood up, everything around me started spinning.
• - But nothing, you can't even stand straight! God help me if Patrick sees you like this, or I'll lose more than just a tooth.
• John took me back to the car, helped me sit in the front seat and buckle up before going around and leaving. The sun had already set, the city was much darker compared to when we arrived.
• The further we got from the city, the more I knew I needed to make a move on him. I had to try before we got closer to the house, or he wouldn't do anything with me.
• - John, do you think I'm beautiful? Do you find me attractive?
• - Ma'am, I told you this morning that your husband would punch me if I said anything like that about you. - he replied, smiling and not even bothering to look at me.
• I unbuckled my seatbelt, convinced that I couldn't let this opportunity pass.
• - Patrick won't touch me, he... he doesn't want a virgin and pure wife. - I opened my coat and threw it on the car floor. - I need you to help me, John, I need to lose my virginity... before going back h...home or he'll send me away. - I opened the sweater I was wearing underneath, leaving only the thin long-sleeved blouse.
• - What are you doing? Sophie, put your clothes on or you'll freeze!
• - I need you to have sex with me, John... to remove this obstacle from my path! - I reached for the button of my pants, and finally, I had his attention.
• He stopped the car and turned to me, his hands prevented me from continuing to try to take off my pants, and he threw the coat back into my hands.
• - I won't do this to you! Have you gone mad? - he practically shouted, shaking me by the shoulders before trying to push the coat onto my shoulders. - Let's go back home, and I'm sure tomorrow, when you're sober, you'll be able to talk about this with Patrick.
• That idiot didn't understand anything, no one understood, they knew nothing about my life.
• John turned to the steering wheel, and I took the opportunity to open the door and run out of the car. I buttoned up the coat around my body and kept running into the forest, leaving John's voice calling me in the distance, getting farther and farther away.
• I just didn't imagine that I would regret not wearing the other sweater, and when the effect of the alcohol wore off even more, I regretted getting out of the car and getting myself into a forest in the middle of the night.
• I had nothing with me and now I was trembling, my feet inside the sneakers felt frozen, just like my hands. I had already tired of walking, trying to find my way back to the road, my stomach growled, my body complained of the cold and hunger.
• I didn't know what else to do, so I just huddled against a tree, ready to freeze to death. No one would care anyway.