Within My Grasp

Within My Grasp

Chapters: 35
Updated: 19 Dec 2024
Author: Catherine Edward
4.9

Synopsis

Sophia Ava Valentine and Noah Parker have been in love with each other for over three years. The lovebirds had nothing to worry about until Sophia’s father arranges for her marriage with a ruthless billionaire playboy, Irwin Pierce, to seal a business partnership. When Irwin discovers Sophia's love for Noah Parker, he makes it his mission to ruin Noah's life—as well as the lives of all of Sophia’s friends. Sophia accepts Irwin's proposal with one condition—he must leave her friends alone. Now, it’s up to Noah and her best friends to save her from Irwin and his not-so-innocent schemes.

New Adult Romance First Love Forced Marriage BxG Family Drama

Within My Grasp Free Chapters

Chapter 0.5 | Morning Routine | Within My Grasp

The calming breeze brushed against my skin, and I inhaled the fresh scent of the ocean and the trees. Doing yoga on a fine morning was not only relaxing but also refreshing. The luscious waves of the ocean sprayed my face with salty water, and I smiled, opening my eyes as I finished the asana.

I gazed into the blue depths of water as the sun soared through the sky to perform its daily duty while listening to the rhythmic beats of the waves that crashed into the sand itself, providing the full effect of a calming medication.

The distant sounds of seagulls provided an added effect, reminding me of the docks, which were not too far from here. Nothing would give you as instant a sense of calm and relief as the sea.

I couldn't imagine a day going without my morning routine, which included answering nature's inevitable call, brushing my teeth, drinking a cup of warm water, and then taking my baby girl Trixie to our private beach, where I did my yoga while she performed her own morning rituals, followed by a shower, eating, and then university and all the related chores a girl would normally do.

Being a Pisces, I also loved to be near any form of the water body. I found a sense of calm every time I was near one, just like what I was feeling now.

A bark towards my right grabbed my attention, and I turned to see Trixie barking at a crab, wagging her tail as she invited the little sea monster to play with her. Mr. Crab tried to burrow his way into the beach sand while my pooch just pulled him back and dropped him as if they were playing their own version of hide and seek.

"Trixie, enough, girl! Let's go home," I called with a smile on my face. Her expression always brought me joy. Did you know that huskies have the best facial expression among all dogs?

With one more bark, she took off after me, occasionally bumping her body into my legs as we walked home.

Trixie…the name itself was enough to bring a smile to my face. She was my three-year-old husky. I had rescued her from the roadside on a cold winter morning. Sounds cliché, doesn't it? But that was what happened.

It was also the day I met Noah Parker. Hmm… You may ask who he is—I will not say it now. That's what this story is all about, isn't it?

I am Sophia Ava Valentine, the only daughter of the rich and arrogant businessman Mr. Jaxon Valentine and Mrs. Kate Valentine.

And this is my story…

Chapter 1 | Meeting Noah Parker | Within My Grasp

If there was one thing I was sure about with Noah, it was that he liked me. Not just as a friend—he wanted more.

He never tried to hide his attraction towards me, and it was obvious. They say, 'Action speaks louder than words.' He was always caring and kind. Noah always watched out for me, walked me to my next class, sat with me for lunch, and gave the stink eye to anyone who dared look at me the wrong way. He blushed every time I complimented him on something and vice versa.

I clearly remembered the day we first met three years ago.

------

"Sophia, honey, watch your steps." My mom's kind warning reached my ears a little too late as I felt myself slip and fall backward on the pavement.

My hands reached out to cushion the fall on instinct as I tried to prepare myself.

I was well-known for my clumsiness, and no one could beat my record in my town. I tripped almost over everything, even on straight roads, and got injured at least once a day. My accidents ranged from small cuts received from a kitchen knife to spraining my ankles at least once a month.

Anyway, just as I was expecting my ass to kiss the snow-clad pavement any moment now, I felt a strong pair of hands take hold of my waist. Instead of landing hard on the ground, I sat on what felt like a shoe.

Not fancy, right?

Well, at least I didn't get hurt this time. Do you know it takes at least a week to walk and sit properly if you hurt your back? Tailbone injuries are the worst, and don't even get me started on those. I fell on the stairs once, and it took two weeks before I could sit and move without wincing every time I did something.

Whoever saved me from my fall was pulling me up, and I turned to look back at him. It was not a man, like I thought—it was a boy of my age.

Gray eyes with blue streaks in them stared back at me, and the boy’s amusement changed to some other expression, one I'd seen only in movies. A smile spread across his handsome face, which was dusted with freckles.

I stared into his eyes, unable to decide if they were gray or blue, when someone cleared their throat behind me.

"Thank you for catching my daughter on time." My mom smiled warmly at the boy.

"Oh, it's nothing." He gave me a shy smile. His eyes met my mom’s briefly before he turned his attention back towards me. "I'm Noah Parker, by the way. Our family just moved into this town last week," he said in a boyish voice that cracked a little in the mid-sentence. It was as if his voice was breaking.

"I'm Sophia Valentine," I introduced myself and gave him a shy smile as I stuffed my freezing hands into my jacket pockets.

We stood there awkwardly looking at each other when my mom broke our staring contest. "Sophia, we should get going. We'll see you around, Noah."

"Sure. Happy Thanksgiving," he called, and I wished him the same.

Noah nodded as my mom and I turned around and went into the store.

We were famished by the time we finished buying groceries and a huge stuffed turkey. My mom always invited our close family members for every Thanksgiving, much to my father's dismay. It was n’t like he was there for the dinner, anyways.

I didn't understand what my dad’s issue was with my mom's family coming over. They were not rich and didn’t meet the standards of my father, but they were family.

My mom fell in love with my dad while they were in college, and when she discovered that she was pregnant with me, they married.

However, that was not the whole story, according to my grandma. She once told me that my dad wouldn't marry Mom because she was born to a middle-class family. When they threatened him that would go to court if he didn’t, he married her.

Mom didn't know that grandma had told me her story. I was the pride and joy of my mother, and we did everything together.

We finished our lunch at a nearby restaurant and were walking towards our car when I heard a puppy whine from a nearby dumpster. I looked around, and my mom stopped when she noticed my hesitation.

After a few seconds, I heard it again. It was low, and I wouldn't have heard it if I were any further. I quickly opened the heavy lid to find three husky pups barely a few weeks old shivering inside.

"Heartless bastards," I spat as I quickly removed them from the bin. Mom, who usually chastised me for my language, kept quiet as she watched the tears streaming down my face.

I placed the puppies in my sweater, trying to warm their freezing bodies with my body heat. "Oh, my poor babies! Mom, who would do such a cruel thing?" I asked her as she stared.

"We need to take them to a vet. Come on," she said softly, and I followed her wordlessly.

The vet tended to the pups and suspected that they wouldn't make it through the night. They must've been there for a longer period than we had thought.

We brought them home, and I sat with them the entire night, keeping them warm and praying silently for their lives. I refused to drink or eat until I was sure that they would make it.

In the morning, when I woke up from my sleep beside them, I cried hard when I found out that only one out of the three pups had survived. The two boys hadn’t made it. I mourned for a week and kept the surviving little pup hidden from my father.

My mom tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn't listen. I named the little pup Trixie and took care of her like a mother would her baby. When my dad discovered Trixie, let's say it was not a pleasant day.

I fought him for the first time in my life that day, and he grounded me for a month without a phone or car. I gladly walked to school because Trixie meant the world to me. Because I grew up alone with no siblings, Trixie soon became my world.

------

A bark broke me out from my trance, and I realized that we had reached home. My dad scrunched his nose and glared at Trixie while she just brushed past him with her head and tail held high.

The pooch was clever and was never friends with my dad. Well, my dad never tried in the first place, and Trixie also returned his hatred to some extent. She wouldn't disturb him but would growl at him menacingly if he ever shouted at me or my mom.

After taking a quick shower, I let my hair air dry and skipped to the kitchen, where my mom was preparing her delicious pancakes and toast. I filled Trixie's bowls with water and some dog food before sitting down with a plate of pancakes.

"Hey, Mom…"

"Hey, sweetie, I am just finishing up," she answered as she packed two lunch boxes with a speed that only working moms possessed, and I stared at her in awe, like I did every morning. She sat down beside me and grabbed a piece toast for herself, biting into as she let out a sigh.

"Mom, you look tired."

"I am. I have some extra work. A few staff members resigned, so now, we are forced to do all the extra work," she mumbled in between bites.

"I can work part-time if your boss hires me," I suggested hopefully, noticing the small bags starting to form under her honey-colored eyes. Getting a job would also help me get pocket money.

"Your father wouldn't appreciate that, honey." Mom shook her head, her auburn hair pinned neatly in a perfect bun up-do.

"When has he ever appreciated anything I did?" I shrugged, and we both continued to eat in silence.

Though I was not always a fan of my dad's rules or ideas, I mostly obeyed him because he would just blame my mom if I spoke up against him. I couldn't ever allow that, so when he said I would major in business instead of journalism in college, I accepted without a word.

Around five years ago, Mom started worked at an auditing firm. This was because one day, my parents had another argument, and my dad had once again said some hurtful words about her family and their status, which made her cry.

I had been sick with fever and noticed that my mom was on a cleaning spree. She only did house chores and wallowed in self-pity when she was alone. She had a bachelor's degree in auditing, and I encouraged her to find a job—not that she had to work for a living. It was just that going to work gave her an opportunity to meet people, talk to people of her age, and maybe gain some confidence to face the world. My daddy dearest did a fine job by crushing Mom’s confidence levels. That man's venomous words stung like that of a scorpion’s sting. But she listened to me and eventually started working at her current firm. Dad didn't know about Mom's job. She left at nine a.m. and was back home by five p.m. every day. He left around eight a.m. and always reached home sometime around midnight. We were not sure if he knew—or even if he did know, if he would care.

"You sure you don't want a ride?" Mom asked for the umpteenth time, and I chuckled politely.

"Mom, I am nineteen now. Besides, I like going by bus," I replied.

"Okay, then. See you, honey." She kissed me goodbye, and I waved at her with a broad grin.

Dressed in my favourite black skinny jeans and a royal blue blouse, I set out to the bus stop with Trixie in tow. For some unknown reason, I never left her alone at home. Perhaps I didn't trust my dad with her. Also, she would get bored and chew on my shoes or bedding sometimes.

We reached Uncle Mac's home soon, and Trixie sprinted inside with a happy bark. She liked it here. Uncle Mac owned two Labradors girls, so my Trixie's virtue was still intact. I was definitely not ready to throw a few more pups into the mess I was already in with my father. Entering the fenced front yard, I was greeted by two familiar barks as two chocolate labs barrelled towards me.

A hearty laugh left my lips as I greeted the furry babies and hugged them.

I had met Uncle Mac when my father grounded me for the first time. He lived alone in this part of town where I took the bus to school and had happily agreed to look after Trixie during the day when I asked him three years ago.

"Sophia! Come in." Uncle Mac's face crinkled into a smile as he greeted me with a hug. He smelled like old man and coffee. Though I called him Uncle Mac, he was well over sixty and used to be part of the military. He had lost his wife ten years ago to cancer and lived alone with his dogs.

"Hey, Uncle Mac… How's your morning?"

"Fantastic so far," he said, patting my back like he always did.

"Here, I brought some pancakes and toast for you," I said, handing him the extra breakfast my mom made for him.

Uncle Mac couldn't always cook. Usually, he just made coffee to go in the morning. My mom made him breakfast and sometimes lunch.

"Do you have everything you need here?" I asked as I checked his refrigerator, which was almost empty except for some fruit and milk.

"I need to go grocery shopping to restock my fridge, and I realized that I ran out of bread this morning," he replied, taking a bite of a pancake.

"You're always forgetful. I forgot to check your fridge yesterday. I'll ask Sharon to bring you lunch today. We'll go shopping after my class," I said quickly and checked my watch.

I was always an early riser, so I still had ten minutes for my bus.

"Sure. You still have that pepper spray I gave you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Okay. Be on your way, then." He waved before going back to his food.

Typical Uncle Mac. With an eye roll, I went to grab his medicines and placed it in front of him. "Don't forget to take these after eating. See you in the evening," I said, kissing his cheek, and he grinned in response.

On the way to the bus stop, I stopped briefly at Sharon's diner to order lunch for Uncle Mac before I got on the bus on time. An involuntary grin made its way to my lips and lit my insides at the sight of my best friend, Noah Parker.