~

This had been her home since many—many years. But as Sofia stepped through the front door, the familiarity strangely didn't give her the vibes of home anymore, probably because the concept of home had changed for her since a while now; probably because it was a person instead of a place now.

She had wiped away tears on her drive to Haydens', and now, after recomposing herself and entering the house, again she wanted to weep. It had just been a half hour, but she was missing Max already.

Nevertheless, she knew she had to do what she had to do.

For every relationship, distance is as necessary as intimacy sometimes.

And Sofia believed they needed that distance until she could sort out things within herself first, so that she could save herself and Max from further hurt.

Last night – the insecurity, the fright she'd found growing inside herself had the potency to destroy what Max and she had achieved in the past weeks. And it was fair to none of them.

Negativities must be ripped off from the depth of their roots and in the soonest possible time.

Sofia forced herself to smile as Sam greeted her first, running towards her with arms wide open and mouth stretched into an infectious grin. Skyler was the one next, hollering happily at her sight she bounded forward.

Marla had taken grampa for a short morning-walk, Sofia was informed, when she asked about the absent members of the family.

Sofia went to her old bedroom with a curious Skyler on her tow..

"Your arrival is so sudden," Skyler pointed out with arms crossed, glancing at the suitcase Sofia dropped beside her bed. "Is everything alright? You didn't have a row with your hubby dearest, did you? Like... the usual couple stuff."

"You know a lot of couple stuff these days, Skyler," Sofia chided, dispelling the seriousness of her cousin's query.

The damned girl had hit the nail in place!

Purposely, Sofia didn't turn back to look at Skyler. Instead, she got herself busy in putting her canvas bag on the study desk.

Skyler shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. Apparently, even Sofia had hit a nail in place – the bun in her cousin's metaphorical oven was the proof of it.

Both the sisters could as well become carpenters now.

"I was just asking," Skyler defended, propping her feet up on the bed and crossing them as she sat comfortably.

"I was just missing all of you a lot." Sofia didn't lie, not completely at least.

Skyler still looked a bit dubious. Maybe it was the redness under Sofia's eyes, or the tenseness and a state of forlorn that shadowed over her features. However, the uncomfortable topic that Sofia had no intention to share with others was evaded, at least for the time being.

"Anyway," Skyler bit her lip smiling shyly. "The good thing is you came in time, sis. We were just about to call you."

Sofia frowned. "Why? What's going on?"

"Your father in-law called grampa to ask if they could come this evening to fix a date for the wedding. Of course, grampa agreed. Can you believe it? I'm getting married!"

Sofia watched how Skyler had picked up the habit of rubbing her stomach deliberately while speaking. She smiled, feeling happy for her sister.

"What is that?" Sofia gasped, pointing at Skyler's hand. "Is that a ring?"

As Sofia snatched Skyler's hand to watch the little diamond on her ring finger, Skyler blushed all shades of red.

"Oh my God! When?" Sofia shrieked.

With her free hand, Skyler shyly tucked a floppy fringe of hair behind her ear. "Neil might have climbed in through the defective window of our store room and proposed me last night."

Sofia's mouth fell open.

That Neil! That ever diabolic one!

He'd been sneaking inside the house through the store room's window. Sofia recalled a similar incident then, of Max climbing in through the window that night when she'd refused to open the door. Both the brothers had quite some similarities.

Must have been the burglar blood secretly running through their veins.

The sisterly chatting had to end there as Skyler's phone rang with Neil's name flashing on the screen. The brightness was blinding as it appeared on Skyler's face, she excused herself quickly and left receiving the call.

Sitting alone on the bed now, Sofia looked at her own phone. She picked it up thinking of a certain person.

While still in her car on the driveway earlier, she had sent a short text message to Max – saying that she had went to the Haydens' and would reside there for a few days.

She had settled on a text message to inform him of her short departure. That would have to do, for she could not bear to call him and hear his voice while she was still in her car with her suitcase resting in the backseat. She feared it would wither her resolve to stay away from him. And it would be highly weird if she just heard him say hello and backtracked her car at the direction of her marital home.

Looking at the time on her phone, Sofia guessed that Max should be awake by now.

But, there was no phone call or text from him yet. Perhaps, he was being incisive here and granting her some time, and of course, the distance that they both needed.

Sofia's mind drifted back to the horror of last night. She slumped back into the pillows and turned her face to stare out the window. Sun was brilliantly glowing outside today, and the scorching rays fell over her skin, heating her up like hell-fire.

Despite the jealousy and insecurity she was feeling, her ordeal was not because of his past relationships. It would be hypocrisy if it was the case. For she had herself dated quite a few boys during her time in college, though none of them reached the level of physical intimacy. Her dilemma was more because of her shocking discovery of the actual amount of hatred Max used to posses for her.

And once again, she wondered how he could have despised her so impossibly much!

He had basically set out to break her heart and her self-respect in the worst possible way. She was relieved that he had stopped when there was still time, but at the same time she was frightened that he could've even thought about cheating on her and that too, for a purpose so vile.

He had wanted to break her. But he didn't know she would have preferred to be killed instead. Anything but the kind of betrayal he had planned.

Sofia sighed and closed her eyes when the glare of sun got unbearable and she was reminded that she had reached her limit.

--

To help prepare for the mini-function in the evening and the dinner that would follow, Sofia took the day off from work. Simmy had assured profusely that she would handle everything at Mary's just fine. Also, Joe called earlier and hearing that Sofia was taking the day off, he begged to go and help Simmy.

"It feels great cooking at your restaurant, Sofia. At any of my dad's restaurants, they treat me either as royalty or look down on me as though I'm a spoilt kid. Working at Mary's is damn refreshing, you know, I feel liberated. Can I get a job at yours, as a chef?" Joe pleaded. "Please."

Wasn't it a weird day? Ramsey's only heir, asking for a job to Sofia!

"Err..., actually, I need to hire more people for my extending business, but—"

Sofia couldn't even complete the sentence when Joe's ear piercing scream cut in, "YES! I'm starting from today itself! Thank you, Sofia!"

Rest of the day passed in a flurry of activities. Sofia ran around the house cleaning every nook and corner, preparing lunch, donning the cushions with fresh covers, fixing the curtain that her aunt tore apart by tripping over it God knew how, pushing a stinky Sammy into the shower and finally helping Skyler selecting a dress – which was, by the way, most difficult of all. For, it seemed, each cloth in the closet had one or another problem according to Skyler. And at last, after lunch, when they settled on a beautiful knee length lace dress, there were several freaking piles of clothes all across the room.

"Neil said, he's going to pick Max up on his way here," Skyler informed Sofia when they were sorting out the pile of clothes.

She could only utter an "Oh" in return while earning another dubious look from her cousin.

Of course, Max would be here. His entire family was going to be here, after all. It was an important day for his favorite cousin.

Suddenly, Sofia's heart leapt to her throat in zeal. And then her brain dropped in worry.

How would they face each other after last night?

Would it be awkward?

Would they be able to look at each other in the eye without recalling the heart wrenching emotions they'd suffered just a day ago?

What would he say? Argh, forget him, what should she say?

Oh hell. In the midst of both of their families they were bound to act no less than a picture of normalcy minus any sort of issue. Or none of them would hear the end of it from their families.

An hour later, freshly showered and draped in a blood red dress she had worn only once in the past, Sofia plopped down on the chair in front of her dressing mirror. Her reflection was tensed as she stared at it.

She bit her lip, feeling the anticipation seep into her skin in waves.

But the anticipation dropped along with her stomach when she stood at the doorway, waiting until she realized that everyone from the Wilder clan had marched inside the house but not her Max.

Why hadn't he come?

Was he alright?

Robert Wilder and Albert Hayden, as elders of both families sat side by side, next to them on the single sofa Katherine sat elegantly crossing her feet across from her ever stupid daughter in-law who kept everyone busy in useless conversations.

Katherine looked exceptionally smug the few times Sofia met her eyes, so she refrained herself from glancing towards the woman anymore.

But unfortunately, distinct was the fetid elephant between Katherine and her, and it didn't quite require to be looked at to prove its existence.

From where Sofia stood in the lounge area, she could see Skyler peeking out the curtains of her room, a couple feet downwards—Sam's grinning face stuck out from another slit of the curtains.

"So, what's going on between you and my brother?" Neil inquired in a hushed tone as he came up to stand beside Sofia. "His phone says it's unreachable. He didn't go to the office today and when I went to pick him up, that weirdly frustrating security guard of his didn't even open the gates to the driveway. Why has he kept himself on house arrest, may I ask? A lovers' spat? Is he even alive or have you already hammered his brain shut?"

The look Sofia gave Neil was a mixture of a vicious glare and the wobbly stare before bursting out in tears.

Neil blinked. "Holy hell! I've hit right at spot it seems."

"Please don't ask anything now." Blinking rapidly to have the unshed tears pushed back into the sockets of her eyes, Sofia discreetly gestured towards their families.

"And I guess, even if I do, you wouldn't tell a freaking word just like always. Would you?" Neil pointed out, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Sofia sniffled. "You guessed right. It's our private matter."

"Just solve it quickly whatever it is, okay? My brother is like a volcano, you know, he keeps it all in until he cannot anymore and finally explodes."

Neil couldn't have been more right. Sofia just didn't know how soon she was going to realize it.

As Skyler walked out in her beautiful dress they chose earlier, people went quiet for a moment to look at her.

Neil stepped ahead extending a hand for her to take it, and as Skyler placed her hand in his, people awed and teased and grinned.

When asked about Max's absence, Sofia gave the excuse that he was drowned till head with a complicated case. It turned out that a complicated case truly existed right now in the firm, and her lie was accepted by all. Robert looked a little doubtful though, but at least he didn't ask any questions.

As the most crucial conversation started about fixing the wedding date over plus size mugs of coffee, Sofia stood in the sidelines listening quietly. Whenever asked she gave her two-bits in but that w as all about it from her part.

Twice, she tried to call Max and see if the moron was alright, but just like Neil had said earlier—his number was unreachable. Sofia was boiling with worry by the time her sixth phone call declared the very same result.

Max's silence and according to Neil's descriptions—his isolation, was scaring her.

To make things worse, Katherine's sickeningly sweet voice filled with glee had her ears perk up. In the most indirect way it was directed towards her.

"Now that it's confirmed that the big day will be the very first Sunday next month—which means after twenty days, I agree that we should hurry with the dresses and jewelries and all those things," Katherine told Marla jovially, her eyes threw a short alluding look to Sofia. "And to make it faster and headache free, I was thinking about hiring a wedding planner. In fact, I know someone who can be just perfect for the job. It's my best friend's daughter, you see, Carol. What a spirited and sophisticated girl she is, my God. Even though her father's a billionaire, the girl's adamant to be independent and began her own business. Because she loves weddings and—" Katherine went on and on.

Well, it seemed like Carol had quite the intimate connection with Katherine.

The more Katherine praised about Carol, the more Sofia found herself comparing herself to the woman.

It was true that Max had been loyal to her since they were together. But it was also as much true that he had a somewhat relationship with Carol before that, and had the intention to maintain that relationship even when they were married.

By the descriptions, it was as clear as daylight that Carol was everything that Sofia wasn't—elegant, filthy rich, a double graduate. Carol had even traveled to many countries while Sofia had yet to peek outside the border of Asthel. Carol was fluent in six different languages, and Sofia could speak just three. And the list went on and on, leaving Sofia feeling absolutely inadequate about herself by the end.

Seriously, what had Max ever seen in me? Sofia wondered with a pathetic pang in her chest.

A pounding headache began to creep up inside her head.

Insecurity to this extreme was something Sofia hardly ever dealt with in the past, and perhaps that was why it felt so dreary.

Love had dragged many new things in her life, some good and some bad. It was not a road covered with flowers and cheese and stars after all.

"But it's true that no one can be better than my daughter in-law here." The Wilder senior looked at Sofia with pride as Katherine ran out of words of praise regarding her favorite person. "Carol has the support of her father financially whereas our Sofia has built her business without any help from anyone. That's what I call truly being independent."

Sofia almost had her eyes filled up with tears. Robert Wilder, she supposed, himself didn't know the true impact of his perspective that he had just put into words here.

"I agree," Neil nodded wistfully. "Also, mom, I don't think it would be a good idea to include Carol in Skyler and my wedding scene. The last time I attended a wedding she had planned, a brawl erupted among five men, right when the bride and groom were taking their vows, each one of them demanding she had slept with him in the course of just three days."

Holy shit! It turned out Carol was a generous woman.

Sofia's thought process tilted out of axis. What had Max ever seen in that woman?

"It could have been a scheme by those perverted men, son," Katherine looked awkward.

"Must have been quite a strong scheme then that Carol's father found the need to uproot with the help of a hell lot of money. You know how the media is with such news." Neil sighed. "I don't want to take any chances. Skyler and I will be happy with a simple wedding as long as there's no scandalous issues like that."

Katherine had her mouth snapped close into a tight line of humiliation. After such a long speech filled with praises about her Carol, she looked mortified at how it all crashed to the ground. If glares could kill, Neil would have been a corpse by now. Thankfully he was wise enough to have his eyes glued to no one else but Skyler. If you don't see it, it doesn't exist. Right?

After a few more failed attempts to reach Max on the phone, biting nail in increasing worry, at last Sofia called Debbie instead, sneaking into her room while the guests enjoyed more coffee. At this rate no one was going to have sleep tonight.

Apparently, Debbie couldn't be of any help either for Max had given her a day off. Sofia even called Bean and was informed that Max hadn't stepped out the house the whole freaking day.

"I heard a bone-chilling scream in the morning, it came from right inside the house," Bean had further informed from the other side of the line. "I believe Sir Max had finally seen her."

"Seen who?" Sofia had asked confused.

"The ghost of she-who-must-not-be-named," Bean's voice lowered mystically, there was a hint of suppressed panic in it. "I've tried informing Sir Max numerous times after he hired me that the house is haunted. He didn't believe me. Now see what happened!"

There and then, Sofia decided that after the guests left, she was so going to have to give Max a late night visit. And just like Max, Sofia didn't believe in the ghost thing as well. But then again, why would have Max screamed? It had to be quite loud to be heard by Bean standing at the front gates so far outside.

With her mind made up now, Sofia went to serve dinner in rocket speed. The faster she could feed the guests, the faster they would leave.

She was coming out of the kitchen with dinner plates was when, suddenly, the evening took quite an unexpected turn from there.

"SOFIA!"

Sofia's eyes widened before she even looked up, and when she did, her jaw dropped in shock. The plates dropped from her hands next, and laid scattered on the floor in broken pieces.

There, a very much drunk Max stumbled over the threshold of the Hayden household and wobbled ahead a few steps before coming to a standstill. He was swaying side by side as he raked his squinting eyes on the stunned faces, searching, before they stopped on Sofia's. And as he blinked, it seemed like his focus settled on her in such a way that he forgot about all the others present around.

There was pin drop silence as people stood up in shock.