29| Seeking Guidance

The first light of dawn crept into Sophie's room.

She had barely slept.

No matter how much she tossed and turned, their argument kept replaying in her mind—like an endless loop, like the ghost of Christmas past, haunting her.

She stared at the ceiling, the house too silent.

Except for the distant hum of the really kind gardener blow-drying leaves in the backyard.

That was it.

She couldn't stay here. Not when everything reminded her of him.

The last thing she wanted to see this morning was Ethan's face.

Which was ironic, because she was pretty sure she actually liked his face.

Get yourself together, Sophie.

She slipped out of bed, dressed quickly, and grabbed her things.

As she stepped into the hallway, she hesitated. Just for a moment.

The house felt different this morning—too still, too heavy, as if it knew something had cracked between them.

And for some reason, that made her chest ache.

She shook the thought away.

Once outside, she inhaled deeply, the cool morning air a sharp contrast to the suffocating weight inside her chest.

She hailed a taxi, but even as she rested her head against the window, she couldn't relax.

Her thoughts wouldn't stop.

What the hell was last night?

She shook the thought away. She didn't want to think about it.

When she arrived at the shop, the familiar scent of fresh flowers greeted her.

Normally, the fragrance was comforting, grounding.

Today, it wasn't enough.

Sophie took a deep breath, willing herself to focus.

Work. Just focus on work.

She moved on autopilot—watering the plants, checking inventory, reviewing the day's orders. Her hands worked efficiently, but her thoughts wandered.

She hated how angry she had been yesterday.

She hated everything Ethan had said.

But she also hated everything she had said to him.

It was infuriating. But worse than that—

It hurt.

"Morning, Sophie."

Lily's cheerful voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Sophie looked up as her sister walked in, bright-eyed and full of energy.

"You're here early."

Lily set down her bag, glancing at Sophie curiously.

Sophie forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah. Thought I'd get a head start."

Lily tilted her head, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Everything okay?"

Sophie nodded. Too quickly.

"Yup. Perfect."

Lily didn't push. But she didn't believe her, either.

Instead, she joined Sophie in preparing the day's orders. Normally, they would chat, joke, fill the space with easy conversation.

Today, the silence between them felt heavy.

By mid-morning, Sophie was running on fumes.

She slumped into a chair behind the counter, resting her head in her hands.

She was trying to hold it together.

But by now, she should know—she wasn't great at keeping her emotions in check.

Lily had had enough.

She walked over, her voice soft but firm. "Sophie, why don't you take a break? I can handle things here for a while."

Sophie shook her head, her voice quiet but resolute. "No, I'm fine. I need to keep busy."

Lily crossed her arms, frustration flickering in her gaze. "Keeping busy doesn't fix anything, Sophie. You can't just work through whatever's bothering you."

Sophie looked up, meeting her sister's concerned gaze.

For a brief moment, she thought about telling Lily everything.

About Ethan. About Claire. About how, no matter how much she wanted to be enough, she wasn't sure she ever would be.

But the words wouldn't come.

Instead, she stood, her movements stiff. "I just need to keep working."

She brushed past Lily before she could respond, diving back into the flower arrangements.

Lily sighed, watching her with a mix of concern and helplessness.

She wanted to help.

But she knew Sophie too well.

She wouldn't open up until she was ready.

********

Ethan knocked on Sophie's door that morning, hoping that after a night of sleep, she'd be more willing to talk—instead of just accusing him of things.

But there was no answer.

Frowning, he knocked again.

Still nothing.

A bad feeling curled in his stomach. He pushed the door open, only to find the room empty.

The bed was neatly made, as though she had left in a hurry but still wanted to keep things in order.

That alone told him everything.

Usually, he was the one who dropped her off in the mornings.

But she must have left early.

On purpose.

Ethan let out a slow sigh, rubbing a tired hand over his face.

Sophie was really mad at him.

And the worst part?

He didn't even know why.

She had clearly chosen to leave early to avoid him.

And that stung more than he wanted to admit.

Ethan ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

Why was it so damn hard to understand Sophie sometimes?

He spent his days solving complex problems, making high-stakes decisions—yet here he was, struggling to figure out why Sophie was upset over whatever Claire had said.

Claire.

Why did she have to make things so complicated?

Ethan was used to Claire inserting herself into his life, even when he didn't appreciate it.

But surely—surely—Sophie could see that Claire's rough personality wasn't a reflection of his feelings.

Or was that too much to hope for?

His phone buzzed, breaking his train of thought.

A text from Jessica.

His morning meeting had been rescheduled.

Thank God.

There was no way he could have gotten through meetings knowing Sophie was this mad at him.

Though—if he was honest—he was a little hurt too.

Did she really not trust him at all?

Another text came in. David.

Normally, Ethan would ignore his friend's annoying persistence—

But today?

He really needed to talk to someone.

And David was the only person he knew he could call.

"Hey, I need to talk to you."

He sent the text quickly.

"Me? Me?! Seriously?!"

Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Right now. Where are you?"

David's reply came almost instantly, sending him an address.

A short drive later, Ethan arrived at a newly opened café.

The place had a unique charm, its walls adorned with local artwork. One piece caught his eye—a striking abstract painting. He recognized David's style immediately.

Of course.

David was already seated at a corner table, sipping coffee, looking every bit the calm, collected artist.

As Ethan approached, David grinned. "Ethan, the fact that you wanted to see me on a Wednesday morning really does something to me."

"That's not why I came," Ethan replied dryly, sitting down.

David ignored him, waving a hand at the café's decor. "What do you think? It's a new concept I've been working on."

Ethan glanced around, offering a faint smile. "It's great. I didn't know you were setting up a new exhibition."

David shrugged. "I'm always working on something." Then, his eyes gleamed. "But let's get to the real question—why are you here? Don't you have work or something?"

"My morning meeting got rescheduled," Ethan said casually.

David raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Sure. And that's the only reason you're here, right?"

Ethan hesitated. Then sighed. "Fine. I need your help."

David leaned forward, intrigued. "Go on."

Ethan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Would you say you know a lot about women?"

David clapped his hands together, delighted. "I knew it. Trouble in paradise? Did you and Sophie have a fight?"

Ethan nodded, leaning back in his chair. "You could say that. She was upset last night, and we argued. She started asking about my relationship with Claire, and I don't even know where to begin fixing it."

David's playful expression faded, replaced with something more serious. "What exactly did Claire say to upset her?"

"I don't know," Ethan admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. "Sophie mentioned something about marriage, us living together—gossip, basically. But it's all out of context. Claire was probably just being Claire."

David tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "So... you didn't ask Sophie what Claire actually said? You just assumed?"

Ethan frowned. "I didn't think it mattered. Claire's always been difficult. I figured Sophie would understand that."

David let out a long sigh, shaking his head.

"Ethan," he said slowly, "let me break this down for you. You might know how Claire is, but Sophie doesn't. If Claire said something hurtful, Sophie has no reason to brush it off the way you do."

Ethan's jaw tightened.

"You're her husband—her partner," David continued. "She's looking to you for reassurance."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, a habit he had whenever he felt cornered. "So what am I supposed to do? I can't control what Claire says, but I didn't think it would hit Sophie this hard."

David's voice softened. "It's not just about what Claire said. Sophie's probably feeling insecure. And if she is? That's on you. It's your job to make her feel secure—to make her feel like she's the most important person in your life."

Ethan stared at his coffee, the steam rising slowly.

"I don't know how to be more open with her," he admitted. "I've never been good at talking about my feelings."

David studied him for a moment. "Let me ask you something," he said finally. "Have you actually told her how you feel about her? Or do you just assume she knows?"

Ethan gave him a look that screamed No, I have not.

David groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Come on, man."

Ethan sighed, looking away.

"You can't do that to someone you care about," David said, his voice firm but not unkind. "It's time to learn how to open up. Sophie's your wife. She needs to know where she stands with you. She needs to feel like she's your priority—not an afterthought."

Ethan looked up, meeting David's gaze. "I want to fix this," he said quietly. "I just don't know where to start."

David nodded. "Start by talking to her. Be honest about your feelings, even if it's hard. She needs to know that she means something to you."

Ethan exhaled deeply, a renewed sense of clarity settling over him.

"You're right," he admitted. Then, after a beat, "I've been such an asshole."

David grinned, clapping Ethan on the shoulder. "That's the spirit."

Ethan huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "I really need to step up." His fingers tapped against his coffee cup. "I hate that I might've done that to Sophie. That I might've—" He stopped himself, jaw tightening.

That I might've pushed her away.

The thought made his chest tighten. Sophie had been so furious, so hurt. He had never seen her like that before. And the worst part? He didn't even know how deep the damage went.

He had been messing up so much, he wasn't even sure if Sophie was still willing to stick around.

The idea hit him like a gut punch.

David's grin softened. "Ethan," he said seriously. "You and Sophie have something real. Don't let misunderstandings ruin that. Be honest, be vulnerable, and most importantly, be present."

Ethan nodded, something shifting inside him. Determination. Resolve.

"Thanks, David," he said.

David smirked. "Anytime."

Ethan sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Just as I thought—you're not completely useless."

David gasped dramatically. "Excuse you? I am the best thing in your life—in a strictly platonic way."

"Debatable."

David grinned, unbothered. "And hey—next time? Maybe skip the drama and take Sophie out for coffee instead of me."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who invited me here for coffee."

"I didn't think you'd actually say yes," David shot back with a grin.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head.

For the first time since last night, he felt clear-headed.

He had a plan.

And more importantly—

He felt ready to make things right with Sophie.

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