24

24

Sophia’s POV

I turned around slightly, moaning slightly and hugging myself beneath the blanket. It was a bit cold here since it was raining. Even shutting the windows and closing the curtains and turning off the air conditioning didn’t help with the cold. The only thing that it helped with was helping me sleep well.

My phone began vibrating again on the bed. That was what had woken me up in the first place. I groaned, spreading my hands around on the bed as I looked at my phone. I found it and picked up the call. “Yes?” I asked without even looking at the caller ID. I yawned and covered my mouth with my palms.

“Have you been sleeping, sweetie?”

I jerked awake as I realized it was Ian. Ian?

“Yes,” I answered slowly. “The weather is cold. Decided to put it to good use.”

“The weather is cold,” he agreed. “I want you to come over.”

“You want me to come over,” I repeated slowly. “You don’t have any visitors anymore?”

“That was yesterday, sweetie,” He answered. “I do have a visitor though. My best friend, he’s here.”

I frowned slightly. “I won’t be visiting you with your best friend there,” I told him.

“You won’t even see him,” He assured me. “He’s just about to leave.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to see me again. It seemed like you’ve been avoiding me at ever chance you could get,” I murmured.

“Me? Avoid you? Why would I?” He asked with a chuckle.

“You didn’t come out and have dinner with me,” I reminded him. “That was yesterday.”

“I told you I had a visitor. Besides, I can’t risk being sent with you, Sophie. You know very well how much of a risk that it,” he answered gently.

“But it isn’t a risk for you to tell me to come to your house?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, Sophia. There’s a difference.”

“A difference?” I asked, my eyebrows raising higher.

“Yes, Sophia. There is a difference. In here, at my house, no one will see you and I together. But at a restaurant, there’s a lot of people who could see us,” he explained like he was talking to a little child. I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t even know your house, I murmured.

“I’m going to send an Uber over to your dorm to bring you to my house,” He answered.

“I can do that myself. Or I can just trek,” I told him, shrugging even though he couldn’t see me.

“I want to do it for you. And no, you can’t trek to my house. It’s actually a little bit far,” he answered.

“Alright. I’ll be waiting for your Uber,” I replied. “Am I going to stay the night? It’s a public holiday tomorrow.”

“Well I guess you can stay the night. I’ll see you soon,” he answered and ended the call.

I giggled lightly. I was already feeling giddy. I didn’t know why it excited me that I was staying over at his place. But it just did. I ran my hands through my hair and sent a quick text to Jenny that I was going out and I won’t be coming back today.

I had already had my bath before but I hurried into the bathroom and took a shower. I brushed my teeth again and quickly went to my wardrobe to get dressed. It was cold and I didn’t know what to wear. I ended up settling for a very thick hoodie and baggy pants that were also thick. It was like my mom had known I would need this later when she bought it for me.

I packed a few essentials into my tote bag, including a shorts and a shirt that I could change into when I needed to. I quickly braided my hair into two cornrows then put my hair essentials into the tote bag.

I wore my sneakers and sat on my bed, waiting for a call from the Uber driver he had sent over. It wasn’t long before Ian called me himself.

I picked up the call and put the phone to my ear. “Hi.”

“He’s outside,” he answered. “Just outside the gates of your dorm in a black SUV with tinted windows. His name is Joseph. Ask him for his name before you get in. Do you understand?”

I frowned a bit then chuckled nervously. “You’re acting like I’m in danger or something,” I said.

“I don’t trust those drivers,” he answered casually. “I’ll be waiting.”

I walked into Ian’s house, marveling at how grand it was. I wasn’t expecting him to have such a big and beautiful house. I didn’t know what exactly I was expecting. But not this.

“You look like you’ve not seen a house like this before,” he said, coming out of the kitchen and holding a glass of wine in his hands.

I started at him and the side of my lips lifted up in a smile. “I wasn’t kidnapped,” I said. “I got here safely.”

“As expected,” he answered as he got to me and offered my one glass, before wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me closer to him. He kissed me softly, nibbling my lower lip a bit then kissed my forehead.

“I have missed you,” he murmured. “And before you say I was avoiding you,” he added before I could talk. It was like as if he knew what was in my mind. “I wasn’t.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know. You already explained your reason.” I disentangled myself from him and took a sip of my wine before dropping my bag on the couch and sitting down too. “Your house is very beautiful.”

“It s. Thank you,” he answered with a nod. “Did you miss me?”

Red colored my cheeks. “Of course I did,” I answered with a nod while he dropped his glass of wine on the floor before walking around to the back of the couch where I was sitting and began unbraiding my hair.

“It’s very cold. I could keep you warm,” he whispered in my ear, making me shiver lightly.