N*****X AND CHILL

ROBERT'S POV

We were done shopping, and as soon as we made our way out of the boutique and back into the car, I felt pretty damn good. Sophia had picked out some killer stuff, and I could tell she was buzzing, too. The drive back home was going smoothly, but I decided to switch things up and take a different route that’d cut some time off the trip.

As we cruised along, a huge-ass billboard caught my eye. It said something about investing in real estate — all flashy and shit — but that wasn’t what pissed me off. It was the guy in the picture. Charles. That smug bastard, standing there with his arms crossed . The sight of his stupid face and that arrogant smile made my stomach churn. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, but I kept it locked down for now.

I glanced over at Sophia, and yeah, she’d seen it too. Her expression gave it all away. There was this painful mix of sadness, anger, and guilt written all over her face. Fuck, I never want to see her like this,and knowing it was his fault made me boil. I couldn’t stand that prick.

But I didn’t say a word. I just kept my hands on the wheel, my eyes on the road, and stayed quiet. The tension was thick in the air, and I didn’t want to make it worse for her by bringing it up.

Still, in the back of my mind, I made a silent promise to myself. Charles was going to regret ever messing with Sophia. During that boat cruise, I’d make sure that asshole licked his own shit.

We got home not long after, and the sun was already starting to set. Sophia had been quiet ever since she saw that damn billboard with Charles on it, so I figured it was time to cheer her up. As soon as we got inside, she practically collapsed on the sofa, looking wiped out. The shopping spree must've drained her. The staff was already grabbing the designer bags from the car, taking them into the dressing room I had set up for guests. Yeah, not her bedroom, but a room where all the fancy stuff went, until she was ready to leave.

"Hungry?" I asked, hoping to get her talking again.

“Yeah, a bit. But I’m too tired from that shopping spree to fix anything for us to eat,” she sighed, sinking deeper into the cushions.

Her saying that warmed me up a bit. The fact she thought of fixing something for "US". I grinned, "No need for that, I’m sure my chef already whipped up something."

I saw the ' Oh I forgot you had a Chef' look on her face, then a smile.

I waved over one of the staff members and told him to let the chef know we were ready for supper and to set the table for two. Told him to keep me updated as to when it would be ready, but I figured it wouldn’t take more than five minutes, to get the table served.

In no time, we were invited to the table, and damn, my chef didn’t disappoint. Supper was on point—grilled salmon with lemon butter sauce, roasted veggies, and some fancy truffle mashed potatoes. The kind of shit that makes you feel like you’re eating in a five-star restaurant. For dessert, he put out a vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries, which Sophia seemed to really enjoy. She looked a little more brighter after the meal.

After supper, it was just past five, and Sophia went back to the living room, and leaned back in the chair, looking a bit restless. “I’m kinda bored,” she said, almost like she didn’t know what to do next.

“Well, how about we N*****x and chill before you head back?” I suggested, keeping things casual. I wasn’t going to push anything too much—we weren’t that close yet. Sure, we were friends, but there was still that gap from all the years we hadn’t been in each other’s lives.

She nodded, so I led her upstairs to the mini cinema room upstairs. When I got that space, I thought I would be the only one who would be making use of it, cause I didn't just picture me and a Lady there watching movies. But well I'm happy it came in handy, and Sophia is the one here with me. I had already told the chef to prep some snacks for us, knowing we’d want something while watching. When we walked in, the room was ready—plush recliners, a massive screen, and a tray of snacks on the side: popcorn, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and some sliders. Yeah, I like to go all out when I’m hosting.

Soph seemed impressed by the setup, which made me feel good. I pulled up N*****x and scrolled through the options. We eventually settled on The Irishman—not too light, not too heavy. Perfect for chilling, with plenty of moments to keep her mind off shit like that billboard.

We settled into the recliners, and I handed Sophia the remote so she could play around with the volume. The mini cinema room was dimly lit, just enough to make it feel cozy without being too dark. The plush chairs were damn near like beds with the way they reclined, and the surround sound made you feel like you were in an actual movie theater. I looked over at Sophia, and she seemed to relax a little, the tension from earlier.

I grabbed a handful of popcorn, more focused on her than the opening scenes of The Irishman. She didn’t say much, but every now and then, I’d catch her glancing over, probably just trying to feel things out. It was weird, you know? We used to be tighter, but now there was this space between us. Not like we couldn’t close it, but it was there, and I didn’t want to push too hard.