Sarah thought that this is something she can work with and get Ed to lower his guard to start talking. "Why would you cause trouble?"


    "I can be... dangerous." He wanted to be mysterious.


    Sarahughed like she heard the funniest joke. "You don''t seem dangerous... I still remember you as a boy with freckles andrge square shaped eyesses who stared at me, not able to talk."


    "I changed." Ed was visibly offended by her words.


    "Really? Besides being able to talk to me... How did you change?" Sarah was provoking him.


    "I can do things... and I know things..." Ed was vague.


    Sarah looked at him condescendingly and tilted her head slightly. "That is very generic. What can you do?"


    He shed a confident smile. "I can show you what a real man can do for you. Things you never experienced before."


    She chuckled. "Oh? And what if I have already met many men, and did many things?"


    "You didn''t." He shook his head.


    "You seem confident." Sheughed. "But that confidence does not seem to hold any weight."


    Ed narrowed his eyes and said in a stern voice. "I know that until you met the pretty boy you never dated."


    "Still... only guesses from your side." Sarah shook her head indicating that she does not believe him. She hoped that her rising anxiousness is not showing on her face.


    Ed''s words came without a thought. "In ss you always used to sit by yourself and spent evenings in your room ying games. Who would do that if they are dating someone?"


    Sarah was startled to hear those words from him, but besides her fists clenching for a moment, there was no other visible reaction. She continued taunting him. "Really? That is a very specific guess."


    "It''s not a guess, and you know it." He said through his teeth.


    At that time JoAnna approached them. "Is everything all right?" She suspiciously looked at Ed.


    "Yes, we are just talking, why such an attitude?" Ed responded, obviously irritated by JoAnna''s presence.


    Sarah wanted to find out more from Ed, at the same time she was happy that JoAnna showed up and interrupted this chat. He said things that made her ufortable. Also, Sarah was curious about Sophia''s condition, so she excused herself. "Nice talking to you. We should catch up some other time again."


    "Soon?" Ed was surprised that Sarah left the opportunity for them to meet again.


    "Sure." Sarah stood up and pulled JoAnna to the side. "How is Sophia?"


    Two of them were walking to an empty corner, while JoAnna talked. "Considering what happened, she is fine. Felix is with her. The medication I gave her works fast, she should get a good night sleep, and we can check on her in the morning." JoAnna nced at Ed who was still sitting on the sofa, gawking at Sarah. "What was that?"


    "I just wanted to see if I can find out something..." Sarah was suddenly thinking about what Ed said.


    "And? Did you?" JoAnna tilted her head while observing Sarah.


    "I''m still processing what I heard... I think that he has someone watching me at the University." There was panic in her voice. Seeing JoAnna''s perplexed expression, Sarah continued talking. "Yeah, sounds crazy, right? He is confident that Aiden in my first boyfriend... But that is not what is concerning me... He knows my ssroom habits, and how I used to spend my evenings."


    JoAnna was worried. "That sounds more than a harmless crush from a neighbor."


    "Yeah... too many things happened tonight." Sarah was shaking her head.


    JoAnna looked around. "Where is brother inw?"


    "Oh? Dad called him... " Sarah gave a meaningful look to JoAnna. "I guess they are bonding… or is it another disaster about to happen tonight?"


    "I''m sure that our father threw away his stubbornness.", JoAnnaforted Sarah.


    "Dad throw away his stubbornness??! I''m not sure if it''s him, or an impostor... we should check somehow." Sarah said with augh. JoAnna joined in and two of themughed together.


    ...


    In Sophia''s room, Sophia and Felix are in the bed. Felix is holding Sophia in his embrace like she is made out of a delicate porcin, afraid that he might break her.


    Sophia moved closer to Felix and pulled his hands to hold her tighter. She feltfort in his arms and needed him closer. Seeing that he is reluctantly holding her, she raised her head and demanded, "I feel safe in your arms... hold me tightly."


    Felix''s heart winced. He obeyed and his arms pulled her in a tight embrace.


    Sophia felt grogginess from the medication take over. "How much did you hear? ... Tonight... When did you arrive?"


    "I heard that you refused to tell me to scram...", his chest constricted. Felix heard those words, and his steps stopped before he entered the dressing room. Just after that he heard Mark hit Sophia and he rushed inside... When Felix reached the door and saw them, the sight of Mark pinning Sophia to the wall and pulling her skirt up made his mind went nk. He does not remember anything else until Aiden pulled him away.


    "I''m sorry that... you got to see something like that...", Sophia was very drowsy, and struggled to talk.


    "Please, don''t say that." Felix tightened his embrace. "I''m sorry for noting earlier." Even will all that happened to her, she is worried that he got to see something ugly. How amazing and selfless Sophia is? Felix heard her steady breathing as she slept off.


    Felix remembered what Edward told him earlier that evening: ''She looks strong, but that is just a front. Inside she is a fragile and kind person who needs to be cherished.''


    Image shed of her breaking down in his embrace, after the incident... and she quickly collected herself, and worried about what he saw. Silly woman. He kissed her forehead. "You don''t need to be so strong all the time. I will protect you and be strong for both of us.." Felix looked at her sleepy face, and when he saw her faintly smile, he thought that she heard him.