Innocent cravings

Chapter 24– The Intermediary part two

Brian

Sophie's challenge lingered in the air like a gauntlet thrown at my feet.

Five minutes to convince her. Five minutes to prove that I wasn't here to play games, that what I felt for Alice wasn't infatuation, wasn't rebellion, wasn't lust masquerading as love.

I had negotiated billion-dollar contracts in less time, but somehow, this felt infinitely harder.

"You want me to convince you," I said slowly, holding her gaze. "Then I'll start with this, Alice isn't a phase for me. She isn't some passing distraction. The moment I saw her, she dismantled everything I thought I knew about myself. And since then, she's been in my head, in my chest, in every damn breath. I've fought it, Sophie. God knows I tried. But it's not something I can walk away from anymore. Not for Clarissa, not for my parents, not for the company. Not for anyone."

Sophie's arms remained crossed, but I noticed the slight flicker in her eyes. Doubt and suspicion still dominated her expression, but beneath it, something cracked.

"You're really laying it on thick," she muttered.

"Because it's the truth."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "If it's the truth, why hasn't Alice heard it from you directly? Why is she crying into my shoulder about being made a fool of while you're,what, buying roses and making speeches to me instead of her?"

That landed like a punch. I forced myself not to look away.

"Because she won't let me near her," I admitted. "Clarissa got to her first. And Alice believes her. I've called, I've gone to the diner, I've..." I stopped, swallowing the frustration. "Every door I knock on, she bolts it shut. I can't force her to listen. So I'm here asking you to help me open that door."

Sophie blinked, surprised by the honesty. Still, her guard didn't lower.

"You know what you sound like right now?" she asked, tapping her finger against her cup. "Like every guy who shows up at the diner after ghosting a girl, asking for a second chance. Only difference is you've got a nicer watch and a more tragic jawline."

Despite myself, I let out a low laugh. "Tragic jawline?"

"I meant dramatic," she shot back quickly, though the faintest hint of a smile threatened her lips.

Good. Humor meant she wasn't ready to throw me out just yet.

"Look," she continued, leaning forward. "Alice is the type of girl who doesn't bounce back from heartbreak in a week. Or a month. She carries it like luggage, neatly packed but heavy as hell. So if you're telling me you want to be with her, I need more than pretty words. I need to know you're not just chasing her because she's the only one who said no to you."

That one cut deeper than I'd expected.

I straightened in my chair. "Alice isn't the only woman who's ever said no to me. But she's the only one whose no felt like I'd been robbed of air. You think this is about ego? It's not. It's about need. I need her, Sophie. And not because she challenges me, though she does, more than anyone I've ever met. I need her because when she's near, I feel like I'm more than the weight of my family's name. She doesn't see Davenport. She sees me."

For a moment, Sophie's eyes softened. Then, just as quickly, she masked it with a roll of her eyes. "You really rehearse this stuff in the mirror, don't you?"

I shook my head. "I don't have to rehearse what's real."

Sophie

Damn him.

The worst part about this entire situation wasn't that Brian Davenport had shown up at my favorite coffee shop like some brooding knight in a tailored suit. The worst part was that I wanted to believe him.

And that was dangerous.

Because I wasn't the one who'd end up burned. Alice was. Alice, who carried people's words like stones in her pockets, sinking deeper every time someone betrayed her trust.

I studied him carefully. He looked too composed for someone trying to win me over, too calm for a man supposedly desperate. But then again, maybe that was the billionaire training, be the iceberg, never let them see you sink.

Yet when he spoke about Alice, there was something in his voice. A rawness. Like the polished marble exterior had cracked and something vulnerable glimmered underneath.

"So what exactly do you want from me?" I asked, cutting through my own thoughts.

"Your help," he said plainly. "I need you to get me in the same room with Alice. Long enough for her to hear me out."

"And what if she doesn't want to see you?"

"Then I'll take it. But she deserves the truth before she decides."

I chewed on my lip, tapping my pen against the notebook. He wasn't asking for much, technically. A conversation. A chance.

But giving him that meant opening the floodgates to something I wasn't sure Alice could swim through.

"You know what I don't get?" I said suddenly. "Guys like you, you can have anyone. Literally anyone. And you're chasing Alice like she's the last girl on Earth. Why?"

For the first time, Brian didn't answer right away. His gaze dropped to the table, his jaw working, and when he finally looked back up, his voice was low.

"Because she is. To me, she is."

The simplicity of it stole my breath.

I blinked, caught off guard by the weight in his tone. He wasn't playing around. He wasn't even trying to convince me anymore. He was just telling the truth.

And God help me, I believed him.

I tried to shake it off, laughing lightly. "You know, you're lucky you're rich. If some regular guy said that to me, I'd call him dramatic."

He smirked. "And what do you call me?"

"Dangerous."

That made him laugh, deep, genuine, unguarded. The kind of laugh that startled me because I hadn't expected it.

But then he leaned closer, elbows on the table, eyes burning into mine. "Dangerous is fine, Sophie. As long as you understand I'm dangerous for the right reasons."

Heat crept up my neck. Damn it, no. He wasn't supposed to fluster me. I was supposed to keep the upper hand here.

I pushed my chair back, standing abruptly. "Enough. I've heard your speech. You want me to arrange a meeting with Alice. Fine. I'll think about it."

He stood too, towering over me. "Think fast."

I glared up at him. "Excuse me?"

His tone softened, though the intensity never left. "Because the longer Alice believes Clarissa's lies, the further she'll drift from me. And I can't let that happen."

For a second, our gazes locked, and the world narrowed to just that-me, him, the hum of the espresso machine in the background.

And I realized something I hadn't expected.

Brian Carter was serious. Terrifyingly, irrevocably serious.

And that scared me more than anything.

Brian

When Sophie finally left the café, she didn't promise anything. But she didn't slam the door in my face either.

And for now, that was enough.

Because for the first time in days, I felt the tide shift.

If Sophie was even considering helping me, then Alice was within reach.

And I'd do whatever it took to make sure she finally heard the truth, from me, and no one else.