to her family about what she had found out; it was better they not know the truth. That, in all likelihood, everyone had been right. Sophie had not been able to prove Vivi hadn’t been a Nazi and now she knew that, even worse, she had been executed at the hands of the man who she had loved, and who had deceived her.
A man who looked so like the man standing in front of Sophie right now.
40
The next morning both she and Alex took early flights, he to Paris, she to London. She would pick up her car in Cornwall at a later date, knowing she would have to go down and tell her family what she had found out sooner rather than later. She decided to spare them Vivi’s painful death at the hand of the Nazi she loved, who had betrayed her.
As they rode in the taxi to the airport, Sophie felt lonelier than ever. It’d been hard enough when she and Matt had finished, but the alienation between her and Alex echoed because it was the reverberation of a relationship unfulfilled and tinged with so much regret. He, too, seemed thoughtful.
Her flight was leaving first, at 8 a.m., and he helped with her baggage and to check in. When they arrived at passport control, she turned to say goodbye. Sophie had decided to give him a quick hug and then to turn and get on her plane, but instead she was caught by his expression, which was communicating a profound longing and sadness.
‘Look, Sophie, I know things have been extremely challenging for us both, but I want you to know something. I am not Marcus Vonstein, I am Alex Vonstein. I don’t know what this is between us, if it is anything yet, but I will tell you one thing: it feels as if something remarkable is possible. Something we shouldn’t just walk away from without giving it more thought. And I’m leaving the door open, Sophie, because I don’t give away my heart easily. I’m not a serial dater. I don’t have the energy for trying people on like shoes, or swiping on Tinder. But this just doesn’t feel like that. This feels like something extraordinary, like the world conspired for us to be together. I know that sounds crazy.’ He smiled. ‘But think about how we even met. I really like you, Sophie, and I feel like this could be something, if we could think about the two of us, and let go of the past. If you and I had just met here, in a café, I think you’d be coming back to Paris with me right now.’
His words struck her heart. There was a genuineness to him that she could sense, something she’d never really felt from Matt. To push through the pain, she took him in her arms and hugged him, and for a moment everything within her wanted to stay there. But she quickly pulled away.
He leaned forward and brushed her lips with a gentle kiss. ‘If you just need time, Sophie, you know where I will be.’
She nodded and, clutching her bag, hurried off through security.
Just before she turned towards her gate, she got a glimpse of him one last time. He stood there, his hands in his pockets, watching her, an intense expression on his face, and she was captivated.
Sophie swallowed the tears that were swelling, making her throat ache, handed over her boarding pass and withdrew into the departure lounge. On her way home, she thought about his words. Sophie wished her emotions weren’t such a jumble. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. She couldn’t fathom what was real or not real any more. She’d lost track of all space and time and wasn’t sure how she felt about anything.
Sophie scrolled through her phone to review any messages, trying to get herself back into work mode. She would return to her job the next day.
When she arrived at her flat and opened the door, her past greeted her. It was as though time had stopped. Scattered across her room were her belongings, looking discarded and unloved – a couple of bags, a scarf, a jumper, her shoes – cast off haphazardly before she’d left. Her bed, unmade, her wardrobe doors open where she’d grabbed a few things and not even bothered to clear up behind her.
Needing some love and comfort, she went around to her neighbour’s to retrieve her cat, who looked decidedly