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Twenty-Eight
The next day, I decided to distract myself the best way I knew how—spending time with Alex. We had been planning to go shopping together for a while now, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to clear my mind, or at least try to.
As we walked through the mall, surrounded by the bustle of people, I did my best to focus on Alex. He was his usual sweet, thoughtful self, pointing out stores he thought I’d like and cracking jokes to keep the mood light.
But no matter how hard I tried to focus on him, I couldn’t shake the thoughts of Jack from my mind. It was like he had taken up permanent residence in my head, lingering in every quiet moment, every lapse in conversation. Every time Alex smiled at me or reached for my hand, a pang of guilt twisted in my stomach.
“Sophie, you okay?” Alex asked, pulling me out of my thoughts as we stood in front of a clothing store. He looked at me with a gentle smile, though I could see the concern in h
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