Beautiful Pain (35 page)

Mason shifted next to him, not saying a word.

“
Mason, show her what we’ve got,” ordered Nassa, not taking his eyes off Sophia. Mason was holding a large white envelope in his hand. Reluctantly he tore it apart and took out a large set of photographs. He put them on the table so Sophia could see them. “This man isn’t for you, Sophe. He is still dealing and he is dangerous. I am going to keep you away from trouble. Pack your stuff and let’s go home.”

Sophia looked at the black and white photos of Harry clearly showing him amongst a group of other men passing small packages around. Those photographs weren’t taken recently, but Sophia knew that her heart was going to rip out of her chest. She couldn’t breathe; everything around her was falling, crushing her to the ground. Her mind was completely blank. She looked at her father.

“
I don’t want to go back to London, Dad. I want to stay in Belfast,” Sophia said quietly, feeling the tears falling down like a rain’s lyrics.

Chapter Thirty Six

“
Sophe, darling, you still have another year of University to finish. Have you not listened to what I just told you? Harry O’Donaghue is a criminal, a social outcast. Half of his family is in prison and you have to get as far away from him as possible. I can’t believe that you were so stupid and got involved with him in the first place!”

Her father didn’t understand. He’d already made up his mind.

“
I don’t want to go,” she whispered.

“
Stop this nonsense, Sophia. I am not going to leave you here, wasting your life away with that criminal. If you won’t go back to London with me I am going to send these pictures to the police. You know what is going to happen later. Mr O’Donaghue goes to prison for a very long time and your career is down the drain.”

Sophia felt like someone just shot an arrow through her heart. Her father had everything figured out. He was going to blackmail his own daughter. Sophia felt sick as nausea hit her, she couldn’t let him do this to Harry. He was going to expose him and put him back in prison. Her heart pounded between her ribs, sending a cold shiver through her body. Her father was going to ruin her happy ever after.

“
Dad, please, you don’t have to do this. Why are you making me unhappy?”

“
Stop it, Sophia, you should have thought about before you started this silly romance. You are not going to ruin your life for that illiterate Irish criminal,” he fumed, his face purple with fury. “Now go and get packed. We have a plane to catch.”

“
Dad ...”

“
And if you try to contact him again I will send these pictures straight to the probation office,” he roared.

Sophia wiped the tears from her eyes before she settled her gaze on Mason; he looked uneasy and troubled, shifting his weight to the side. No one had ever betrayed her as much as the man that was standing in front of her. He took part in this cruel plan, he’d humiliated her and followed the orders of her father without a question. She wanted to spit on him and scream that he was just a coward trying to seduce her.

Sophia pushed her heavy, numb limbs and walked away, clenching her teeth. She locked the door to her bedroom behind her and covered her face with her palms, sobbing. In the past few weeks she was living in a bubble, and now her dream was over. She was leaving Belfast for good, before she could even tell him how much she loved him.

Then Vanessa burst into her room, knocking her off her feet.

“
Sophia, what is going on? Why are your father and Mason here?” she hissed, approaching her.

“
I can’t explain anything right now. I have to pack and I need to leave,” she mumbled, looking at Vanessa. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out her suitcase, but Vanessa was right beside her, placing her palm on Sophia’s shoulder. She felt that she could stand up for herself. Her father couldn’t manipulated her like that but she couldn’t risk exposing Harry.

“
What? What do you mean he is making you go back? You’ve still got two weeks left. What about Harry?” Vanessa asked with horror in her eyes.

“
Vanessa, please stop. I will explain later,” she said, packing all of her clothes into her suitcase. She worked out the plan in her head. She was going to try to talk to her father. She was much stronger and braver than a few years ago. As an adult she could do what she wanted.

“
Sophia.” Vanessa tried the gentle approach, but Sophia wasn’t listening. She remembered the money that she withdrew from the bank a few days ago. Harry still hadn’t given her an answer, but she was going to give him the money that he needed.

“
Sophia, please talk to me, you are scaring me,” hissed Vanessa.

Sophia handed her the envelope filled with cash and squeezed her palm.

“
Listen to me, Vanessa, listen carefully. Harry’s mother has cancer and he is missing a certain amount of money to pay for the operation that will save her. This money is for him. When he comes later you have to give it to him. Can I trust you with this?”

Vanessa was staring at her with her jaw wide open, confused and bewildered.

“
You are going to tell him that yourself,” she whispered.

“
No, I have to leave now with my Dad. Tell him that I will call him and explain everything later.”

She hated lying to Vanessa, but right now she had to hurry. She felt like millions of sharp razors were cutting through her heart. Vanessa was probably going to hate her for the rest of her life for this, but right now Sophia had no choice.

“
Sophe, darling, please tell me what is going on.”

“
Vanessa! Go to your room before my father sees what you’ve got in your hands. Please,” howled Sophia, panicking.

“
No, Sophe, this is my ...”

“
Vanessa, I am begging you, just leave. I have to go, I love you.”

Her voice trailed off and she pushed Vanessa out of the room. Her anxiety came back, forcing her back into the deep, cold water. She couldn’t breathe, she was slowly suffocating. Her skin burned. She closed her eyes, trying to handle all of these raw emotions. She looked through her books, looking anxiously for something sharp that could help her to deal with the panic attack. Her blood rushed to her ears, the dizziness hit her, and her pulsed throbbed.

She found her nail clippers and lifted her shaking hand. She felt the blood that was pulsing through her veins, demanding to bring back the beautiful pain. Then she saw Harry in front of her and she broke down in tears remembering her promise to him. She threw the clippers across the room, howling as the fear slipped into her bloodstream, attacking her cells.

She wasn’t sure how she managed to finish packing, but when she was out of the room she was empty. Her heart broke into pieces and death ate away the last parts of her soul. She couldn’t explain to him that she was leaving forever and they were never going to see each other again. Her father was waiting for her in the corridor, and Mason had disappeared.

“
Right, let’s go then,” her father barked, seeing her emerging from the room.

“
Sophia,” shouted Vanessa, embracing her in a tight hug. Sophia swallowed her tears; she couldn’t break in front of her.

“
Call me please,” whispered Vanessa before Sophia left the apartment

“
There is Mason,” her father stated when a brand new Mercedes pulled up on the main street once they stepped outside. Sophia got inside.

‘
Dad I am an adult now, you can’t do this!‘ she screamed through gritted teeth. Her father turned around narrowing his eyes.

‘
You are not wasting your life! Not here‘ he pressed.

‘
At least take me to him, let me explain‘

Her father laughed and shook his head.

‘
You won’t see him again, just forget that you have ever met him’

***

She didn’t even remember getting to the airport. She must have dozed off because her father’s voice woke her up. They had half an hour until departure. She kept whispering to herself that this wasn’t really happening, until people started to turn around to look at her. Mason pushed her, but she jerked away, feeling sick just looking at him. Her father went to deal with the tickets, leaving her alone with Mason. Anger radiated from her skin, and she cracked her knuckles menacingly, imagining his death.

“
Sophia.”

She felt as though a volcano was pounding behind her eyes; hot rage burned in her veins when he called out her name.

“
Don’t you dare talk to me you scum,” she snarled.

“
I understand that you’re furious with me, but you need to understand that I didn’t know your father’s plans.”

“
You pretended all this time that you wanted me,” she bellowed. “I let you into my life and you used me and manipulated me, all because of the money.”

“
I was only doing my job at first. My boss called, ordering me to keep an eye on you. Then you came to that bar and I decided to talk to you.”

“
I don’t want to listen to this anymore!”

“
I didn’t plan to get close to you, Sophe, but you bewitched me. I didn’t want to carry on with the orders. I didn’t know that it was your father that wanted me to keep an eye on you.”

“
You make me sick, Mason. I wish that I would never met you in that bar. I wish you were dead,” she whispered. Mason’s face contracted with disappointment, and he ran his hand through his dark hair, looking at her with desperation.

“
I understand why you are saying these things, but if you hadn’t broken up with me for him things would have been different. I was angry, so I called my boss and told him that you’d started seeing that criminal. If I would have known then ...”

His voice rang in her mind. She rushed to him and slapped him. Her hand burned, but the soaring sensation in her stomach didn’t disappear.

“
You are dead to me, Mason. I hate you!”

She started to walk away but he was still talking.

“
You are special Sophia, and I have fallen for you. I can’t take what I’ve done back. I just want you to know that.”

When she turned around, the tears were streaming down her cheeks. Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe Mason wasn’t bad after all.

“
Then destroy those pictures, Mason. Please, I am begging you. If you love me then do one decent thing and get rid of those pictures.”

Mason drew a breath and his sorrow-filled gaze lingered on her face. Sophia searched his eyes and she waited, not breathing.

“
If I get rid of the pictures, will you give me another chance?” he asked in a husky whisper. Sophia’s cheek itched with heat, she wanted to gain some distance. Uneasiness whipped through her and she stepped forward.

“
I am in love with Harry, and this would never work between us,” she exhaled. She couldn’t pretend that there was something between them. Mason watched her for a long moment, then he shook his head and walked away as her father approached. She knew that Mason wasn’t going to do anything for her; he might love her, but he wasn’t going to let her be happy with someone else. She was going home and no one was going to stop her father.