"I understand, Sophie. Actually, I'm relieved that we were interrupted. We would have had wonderful moments together tonight, for sure... but it would have been just that, and then we would have regretted it, and... everything would have become even stranger than it already is," he stated.Sophie only nodded in agreement, and Nicholas opened the door, wishing her a good night, disappearing into the elevator. She felt tears rolling down her face immediately, unaware that he was also shedding tears as he exited the building. Both went to bed that night feeling as if they had once again lost each other, even though they were well aware that they were never truly each other's to begin with.The next day, the girl called her boyfriend, only to find out that he would finally arrive in Los Angeles a day later. It was arranged that she would pick him up, along with his cats that were coming to live with her in the United States, at the airport at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening, and then t
Alone in the back seat of the company's limousine, on his way to the Emmy Awards, Nicholas was thinking about the seven girls who were still part of the show he had created. He was trying to find a way to choose one of them for elimination the following night, but at this point, it was extremely difficult to send any of them home. Establishing rational criteria and setting aside the affection he felt for each of them was proving to be quite challenging.Nina's elimination had been so emotional that when he saw tears streaming down her face, he didn't hesitate to wipe them away and almost cried along with the beautiful brunette. The next day, he felt so guilty about the girl's heartbreak due to his choice that he asked Harmony to send her non-romantic flowers along with a thank-you card for her participation in the show. He expressed his genuine wishes for her happiness and success in finding someone special in the future.The fact that he had been with Sophie, and nearly made love to
Sophie thought about how ironic the situation was. It was a twist of fate that he was asking that question right at that moment! Months before, maybe even days before, she would have said yes without hesitation. That would have been the perfect course for their relationship—marrying Kevin would have seemed like the right thing, the perfect thing to do.Now, however, it didn't feel right... It was wrong! She couldn't do this to herself or to Kevin. If she said yes, she would be taking a step with no chance of turning back, or at least no chance of returning without causing more serious damage. He didn't deserve to be a consolation prize, a step, a backup plan. He deserved to marry a girl who wanted to be his and his alone.She, on the other hand, deserved the chance to be alone so that, perhaps, she could meet someone, other than Nicholas, who could turn her world upside down in a good way. She wasn't even twenty-seven yet! It wasn't fair to give up on love and simply choose the safe p
It was Thursday again, and for the first time, Nicholas was filming a rose ceremony early in the morning instead of holding it at night to be broadcast live on TV, as usual. He, John, the main cameramen, crew members of the show, and contestant Maya Hewitt were set to travel to France later that morning for a weekend getaway, which Maya had won in a quiz about the reality show's protagonist.Nicholas needed to choose another girl to send home, and Britney, Leighton, Dianna, Sugar, and Tina were standing in front of him, anxiously awaiting his decision. It was just the five of them and Maya now, as Ella had made his choice easier the previous week by having a fight with Britney, deeply offending her and almost physically attacking the peaceful girl.Maya was immune due to winning the trip to Paris, but that wasn't a problem because she wouldn't have been among Pierce's choices anyway. She had become undoubtedly the contestant closest to him. It wasn't for nothing that she had answered
As they arrived almost at eleven o'clock on Thursday night, all they did was check-in at the hotel, which was extremely fast since the rooms were already reserved, and a five-minute meeting in the lobby itself, just to go over the agenda for the next day with specific instructions for each member of the TV and press team, who in this case were only Sophie and Lauren.Nicholas and Sophie didn't speak to each other anymore. They behaved exactly as if she were just a journalist covering an event, and he, the protagonist of said event. It was like this on the day of the trip and continued this way on Friday, partly because while he visited tourist spots like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and the Invalides Palace with Maya, she remained inside a van with part of the team, including John most of the time, observing everything through monitors and taking notes.Only when they reached the D'Orsay Museum and encountered the need for special authorization for indoor fi
After all the day's tours, the team went to a restaurant for dinner. First, Nicholas and Maya dined leisurely, as if on a romantic dinner date, while being filmed as usual. Then the two headed back to the hotel with only one cameraman, who had already eaten elsewhere in the establishment. The rest of the GHShow staff, as well as Sophie and Lauren, were free to have their meals.Sophie had already taken a shower and put on a beautiful white silk nightgown, preparing to sleep, when the phone rang in her hotel room. The receptionist wanted to know if she'd like to be woken up the next morning, and that's when she realized that John hadn't told her anything about the plans for Saturday."I would, yes, but I actually don't know what time I need to be ready. Could you make a call to Mr. John Brener's room for me?" Sophie asked."Unfortunately, ma'am, Mr. Brener is not in the hotel at the moment," the receptionist regretted."And... Mr. Greene?" she asked, hopefully referring to the main ass
“Nicholas, is there any chance you ate some kind of pepper?" she suddenly asked.“No. I always make sure to specify no pepper in my food. Unless the restaurant..." he stopped talking because she had switched to the language he didn't understand, addressing Doctor Jacques Abancourt.“I told him that you're allergic to both pepper and penicillin," Sophie returned, finally speaking to Nicholas again. "So he suspects that the restaurant staff might have been careless and added pepper to your dish, even though you asked them not to, considering your clear allergy.""And?" he asked, wanting a solution more than finding out the cause of the problem. The itching in his nose, the roof of his mouth, his throat, his eyes, his ears – it was becoming unbearable. He couldn't stand coughing an
On impulse, he brushed away a few strands of hair that were covering her face, and unable to resist temptation, he delicately trailed his fingers across her skin, sighing at the delightful touch of her soft skin, the sight of her small breasts moving slightly with each breath, the fruity scent she left in the air, on the pillow, on the sheets.She woke up from the contact, and as soon as he noticed her eyes opening, he withdrew his hands, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. She blinked a few times, shifting and settling into the soft bed, even closer to him, guided by her subconscious or, as E. L. James would say, by her inner goddess. She locked eyes with the beautiful eyes before her and offered a shy smile, which was immediately returned in kind."Hi," she practically whispered. Anyone who saw them there, at that moment, would
Impressed, Sophie watched the fireworks light up and color the sky, marking the farewell of one year and celebrating the arrival of another. The year that was ending had been a milestone in her life and would always be remembered, but the new year was welcome and also promised to bring her many joys.While she watched the festivities, with Nicholas behind her, holding onto her waist and his face close to hers, she had some quick memories of the past few months and was still amazed at how much had happened in such a short time.First, she had returned to the United States, then her reunion with Nicholas had happened, the hesitant coming together of the two, the inevitable surrender, misguided judgments, anger trying to overshadow love, the revelation of the truth about the past, and finally, the union of two people who could never be
No sábado seguinte, everything was arranged, and Dante and Blaine insisted that they at least celebrate their union with the two of them, Sharon, John, Will, Emma, Maya, and Tony at a newly opened bar in Santa Monica. So, Nicholas made a reservation at one of the best restaurants on the beach and took Sophie out to dinner before meeting their friends because he still had some surprises in store for her.The two were led to a more private area of the restaurant to avoid being bothered or photographed by paparazzi. They received the wine list from a waiter who then left them alone. After choosing their wine and being served, they were given menus. Without realizing that Nicholas was simply watching her, Sophie opened her menu and spoke absentmindedly."What's this, Nicholas?" She asked, feigning annoyance but smiling after glanc
Nicholas's speech wasn't a declaration of love; after all, he wasn't speaking to Sophie but to the viewers. He didn't want to involve the public in their private affairs, even though he suspected some might be interested. He wanted the final episode to be successful and emotional, but he handled it with the necessary objectivity, hoping most people would understand his decision, even though there was a risk of not being understood.Nicholas knew that if he chose Maya, Sophie would pretend for the media that their relationship had ended and the wedding had been canceled. However, he felt terrible about deceiving people, and he feared Sophie might not understand the ruse, potentially ruining any chance they had of being together.Sophie watched everything silently, standing in the middle of her apartment's TV room. She smiled like a fo
Tony spent a few seconds processing the information. Maybe he would never have a concrete chance with Maya, even if she didn't marry Nicholas. But perhaps life was crazy and unfair enough that, even though he wasn't worthy of it, he did have a chance. Either way, there was only one way to find out, and that was to go after the girl and open his heart for the first time.He grabbed his car and sped down the road that connected the mansion's location to downtown LA as he had never done before. It was easy to spot the car carrying the girl since it wasn't a busy route, especially at that time of night, and the driver was driving at a moderate speed, with no hurry. Fueled by insane and passionate hope, he honked incessantly, startling both the driver and the girl, and didn't give up until he forced the car to pull over to the side of the road, where he also parked.
Sophie took her breakfast calmly, stopped by her own home, and went to work, acting as if it were any other day. She left her phone in a drawer, the same phone number Nicholas had since their first meeting, to avoid constantly checking it, hoping for his call. If someone needed to contact her about work, they would call her office. She didn't want to nurture hope even when she received flowers with a card that said, "I love you forever," because that phrase could mean a fond farewell, or it could simply mean he would love her from afar until the end of his days.Nicholas, on the other hand, spent a good part of the day anxious because Sophie wasn't answering his calls. He didn't want to call the magazine's office, as he imagined she might not appreciate interference in her personal life at work, but he couldn't understand why, after the previous night, she might not want to talk to him.
Their lips sought each other and greeted several times until their tongues also had their long-awaited encounter. Nicholas pulled Sophie's body so she was completely on top of him, and while keeping one hand firmly on the nape of her neck, he caressed the part of her back that the dress didn't cover with the other. She lightly ran her nails through his scalp and neck, already wanting to intensify the contact between them.As the initially calm, slow kisses gave way to more eager and rapid ones, and their hands couldn't stay in one place anymore, wandering and exploring their bodies, their breathing became more frantic. Sophie pulled away for a moment, kneeling between Nicholas's legs. She removed her dress, leaving her in just a small pair of panties, while Nicholas, enjoying the sight of her, quickly discarded his shirt.She pushed
"I know I should have trusted you, Nicholas. I know!" Sophie suddenly said, pulling Nicholas out of his musings and making him stop pacing like a madman. "I was stupid, naive, impulsive... and I understand if you never forgive me for the suffering you went through. But I needed... I really NEEDED you to know that I loved you. That I didn't trade you for anything, that I... would never trade you.""Soph..." he approached, getting very close to her and taking her small hands in his. "You were eighteen... and, as you said, you SAW. I think if I saw you in bed with another guy, completely naked, I wouldn't wait for explanations either. And if you tried to explain, denied what I SAW... I probably wouldn't believe you," he wiped her tears away again with his fingers. "I don't even have to forgive you!" he shrugged, and she started crying uncontrollably again, throwing herself into his arms.
"I needed to see you," she interrupted, taking a deep breath and fighting back the lump in her throat. "I need to tell you so many things! I need you to know that..." she couldn't finish the sentence as she broke down into sobs again, and he got up, deciding she needed something to help calm her."Where are you going? Stay here. Stay close to me, Nicholas. Please, stay close to me!" she said, a little more desperate than she would have liked, reacting to the torrent of emotions building up inside her with each passing minute since her brother's revelations."Calm down," he said, sitting back down and wiping her tears away with his thumbs gently. "Calm down, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he gave a little smile, and she managed a very timid one in return. "I just think you need something to help you calm down so you can tell me al
Nicholas was in the living room of his apartment, reading the script of an action movie that a director friend had proposed for GHShow to produce. He had convinced John that he didn't need to spend the whole night at the mansion where his TV show was filmed, and now he was enjoying the solitude he was about to lose.There was a part of him that found this good, of course. After all, he had created the show because he wasn't truly satisfied with not having someone to share his life with, to come home to at night, to have conversations with, and to learn about their day and share his own. Another part, however, had doubts about whether it would really be a good idea to have a woman waiting for him, eager to hear about his day and share hers, when that woman wouldn't be the one he truly wanted to tell about all his joys, fears, expectations, successes, and anxieties, and whose routine he would l