Chapter 96

• Sophie’s POV
• I sat on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind completely restless. The invitation to Alex’s birthday party kept running through my head, and no matter how much I tried to push it away, it wouldn’t leave me alone. Would it be a mistake to go? How would I face Alex after all these months? Would he even want me there? And Ethan’s parents—how would I look them in the eye after walking out on their son?
• But the worst part? I wasn’t sure I could trust myself around Ethan. Today’s encounter at the boutique had reaffirmed my worst fear—I was still hopelessly in love with him. Even after everything, even after I convinced myself I had done the right thing by leaving, just being in his presence had messed me up completely. The way he looked at me, the way he spoke, the way he still had that infuriating yet irresistible confidence—it was all too much.