My Little Secret

(Ivan Radcliffe)

I did not like the fact that Bryan was bossing around Sofia. She was in the backseat of the car and Bryan was driving seriously, while I sat in the passenger seat. I turn around and look at her, she was looking out of the window, with earphones in the other ear; something that she does when she expects conversation to pop up. If she had both her earphones on, she would either be lost in thought or she wouldn't be in any mood for conversation or there would be a new song she would be obsessing over.

She looks at me and smiles.

"How did you guys meet?" Bryan asks, his eyes fixed on the road.

Sofia looks at me nervously. It was almost as if she was asking me if it was okay to let him know about it.

"We met at the bookstore." I say as I look at the road.

"What were you doing at a book store?"

"Well, there's this book. I could only get a copy of it there, so I had to go rent it out." I smile and look at Sofia, who smiled back at me, she looked a little shy.

"It's funny how you meet people no?" Bryan asks as he looks at me.

"What do you mean?"

"You remember how you met Cathy? It was almost like it was meant to be."

I saw Sofia shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Was he trying to make her uncomfortable?

"Well, if he hasn't told you Sofia. Ivan and Catherine, met at the Annual film awards Ball. She had just made her debut in this movie and it did quite well. Ivan was establishing himself as well, the bonded over how new all of this was to both of them. Look at them now. They practically grew up together, in this industry. They've been together for four years now. Long time don't you think?" he says and looks at Sofia in the rear-view mirror.

I look at her apologetically, but she seemed fine to me.

"That ball was wonderful." She says.

"You've been there?" I ask her, excitedly.

"Well, I was. But not in a place you'd know of."

"You were at the ball too?"

"It doesn't matter. Like I said, I wasn't on the guest list. I wasn't even at the actual location." She says and looks like she did not want to continue this conversation further.

Bryan looked a little surprised with the news he had just learned.

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Radcliffe." She says as we reach her apartment.

"No problem." He smiles and unlocks the door.

I get out of the car to hug her goodbye. I didn't care what Bryan thought. He could keep his opinion to himself.

"Be right back." I say and rush towards Sofia who was walking away.

"Hey, wait up." I call out to her.

"You didn't have to." She says and looks at the ground. She seemed sad.

"Sof, don't take him seriously. It doesn't matter how I met Catherine. What matters are the moments.

The moments I had with you is far deeper than anything I have ever felt." I say and hold her hands.

We intertwine our fingers with each other's and I bend forward to kiss her forehead.

"I'll call you." I say and hug her. "Be okay, Sof. That's all that matters." I could feel her warm breath against my chest. The smell of her hair, the softness of her skin. I move my fingers on her face and cup it and kiss her lips.

"I'll be okay" she says and smiles as we break free from the kiss. I watch her walk away and get back to the car.

"What was that all about?" I ask Bryan. I was pissed. I did not want to be angry in front of Sofia and upset her further but I was annoyed with Bryan.

"You and Catherine, you guys are meant to be Ivan. You know that. I don't understand, why would you to get your heart broken multiple number of times when you know that Catherine is the one."

"Don't start with the family legacy now. I don't believe in that and you know it."

"There's a limit to everything."

"Why are you back? Why now? The last time you were here, was when Catherine and I met. Now that we broke up, you're back again."

"I'm here to make you realise that she's not the one for you." He says and points towards Sofia's apartment.

"I decide that."

"It's too late for that now."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask him confused.

"Catherine is being cast in a new movie and guess who the producer is." He says and hands me a file

with a script in it.

As I read the name, anger takes over. Ivan Radcliffe. A hundred and twenty-six days of misery. Things couldn't get any worse.