The oncoming headlights were blinding her as she raced up I-495. It would help if she could stop crying. But she couldn’t. It was just too much. She kept her feelings bottled up after the news report. But then the phone call broke her walls down. Now she couldn’t get to back to Baltimore fast enough.
She was snuggling on Alex’s couch with her novel that evening when the report came on the NHL Network. The tag line caught Mikhail’s attention as well, and he put his newspaper down to watch it.
“And in Phoenix, Alex Ovechkin and the Caps hit the Hounds Club for some fun last night. Looks like Mike Green and Alexander Semin joined in on the fun…” They showed a picture taken from the club that showed Alex and Mike Green dancing with two beautiful girls. Sophie really didn’t hear anything else that the announcer was saying. Her heart fell looking at the tall, skinny blonde snuggling up to Alex on the screen. She looked away from the television and felt Mikhail’s eyes on her.
“Sophia, don’t believe everything they report on that thing. The media likes to make Sasha into a bad boy. He is not. Sophia?”
“I know,” she said quietly and went back to her book. But her heart ached all the same. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to have a little fun. He deserved to let off a little steam with the guys. She really couldn’t even blame him if things went too far. He wasn’t getting it from her. Maybe she was too damaged, used up and broken. Maybe he really didn’t want to. She never understood why he wanted to be with her anyway. He could have whatever he wanted, whoever he wanted. Why would he want her? She closed her eyes and took a breath. She closed her book and went upstairs, smiling at Mikhail’s look of concern as she walked by. She stood by the French doors and looked out over the dimming back yard. She tried to remember the feel of his arms around her as they lay in his bed. She wanted him more than anything. But he still said no. She believed his excuse, but maybe it was more than that. Stop, she thought, Mikhail is right. She would find out when she saw him again. Her phone rang and she jumped. She was disappointed that it wasn’t him.
“Sophie Murray?” the voice asked.
“This is she.”
“This is Sue from St. Mary’s Hospital. I’m calling because Catherine Heinz listed you as an emergency contact.”
Sophie’s heart leapt in her chest. “What’s happened?”
“Ms. Heinz was brought into the ER this afternoon. She is stable, but I was asked to contact you.”
“What happened to her?” Sophie cried, her apprehension growing.
“She was beaten, Ms. Murray. She has some broken ribs, cuts and bruises, but she is going to be okay. I’m sorry I don’t have any more details.”
“I’ll be there in an hour.”
Sophie dropped the phone and gathered her scattered things, tossing them into a duffle. She was still wearing Alex’s shirt. She swallowed hard and traded it for one of her own, leaving it at the end of the bed. She stumbled out of his door and down the steps.
“Where you going?” Mikhail called after her.
“Catherine’s in the hospital. I should have never left Baltimore. I have to go,” she explained.
“You can’t go. What if he is waiting for you to show up?”
“It doesn’t matter. I have to go, Mikhail. She’s the closest thing to family I have.”
“No, Sophia. I cannot let you go. It’s too dangerous.”
“You will not stop me, Mikhail. I AM going. And don’t call me that. My name is Sophie,” she declared. Alex was the only one who ever called her Sophia. Now she wasn’t even sure he’d ever call her that again. Maybe she didn’t want him to. Maybe she never wanted to hear that name again. He made her believe she was something special, but she wasn’t. But she wasn’t going to bother about that now. Catherine was in the hospital. Sophie knew it was because of her. Now she had to face the one person that meant the most to her in the world.
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