A/N: To be honest, I'm a little worried about this one. I hope you still like this one though, even if I have a feeling this is the "one" you've all been waiting for ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter 29: Letting Go

Tonight should've been the best night of Josh's life. Except, it wasn't.

Josh strode in the event hall. His eyes took in the velvet carpeted floors, the warm glow of the fluorescent lights on the high ceiling, and the buffet table, located on the other side of the room, that seemed to stretch on for miles. Lidded silver casseroles lined the buffet table, housing dishes that Josh wouldn't doubt were prepared by only the finest chefs in New York. Actually, he wouldn't be surprised if Filomeno went above and beyond and asked for international chefs as well.

Josh walked further into the event hall. He didn't want to socialize with his co-workers just yet, thus he occupied himself by noting the bar tables draped in white silk cloths, a small flower arrangement decorating each center. Then, his eyes went over to the stage where the magazine's cover was printed on a massive poster board, obstructed by a piece of cloth that Filomeno would remove after his People's Verse tenth anniversary speech later tonight.

Although Maya's story was the main article of the anniversary issue, she wasn't photographed to be on the cover. For one, Maya didn't know of the article. Filomeno didn't mind, however, as he thought it'd be best to have his face on the front cover. To him, the idea was brilliant because it was the tenth anniversary issue of the magazine he founded and built from the ground up himself. A little self-absorbent, but it made sense nevertheless.

A waiter with a silver tray full of champagne walked by and Josh plucked a glass. He downed the alcohol in one go.

"Slow down, Matthews. The night is young," Andrew said as he walked up to Josh's side.

Josh spared Andrew a quick glance. Ever since he found out that Filomeno asked Andrew to cover the benefit concert for him, he hadn't been able to look Andrew in the eyes. Josh knew his best friend had been against him using Maya's story since day one, and the fact that he didn't keep away from the story had put an obvious strain in their friendship.

"Must be hard for you coming here tonight," Andrew stated, his hands in his slacks' pockets.

"Hmm." Josh made a face as if to say, Oh, well.

"So . . . is Sophie not coming?"

Another waiter passed by and Josh placed his empty flute on the tray and grabbed his second helping. Just like with the first one, he tilted his head and downed the entire glass. "She flew back to Los Angeles this morning because apparently, Valentina noticed that one of her pieces needed a little adjusting and she had to be there to fix it. I asked her why couldn't one of Valentina's minions do it for her, but I guess designers aren't allowed to touch other designers' clothes."

Andrew didn't respond. He took a sip of his own champagne while his eyes roamed the room in search of his girlfriend, Jasmine.

"But, anyway, Sophie's catching the next flight back to New York after she's done dealing with Valentina. She said she's going to try to make it before Filomeno reveals the magazine cover," Josh added.

Although Andrew remained tight-lipped, he stayed put. He knew Josh had more things to say.

Josh heaved a deep sigh, his eyes glued to the bottom of his empty flute. "I know that this sounds terrible, but . . . I'm really hoping Sophie wouldn't be able to make it tonight. When she told me she needed to fly back to Los Angeles for an emergency, I knew there was no way she could make it back in time for this event. I don't want to admit it, but I felt relieved."

"You don't want her here because of that." Andrew pointed at the clothed magazine cover perched on a stand on stage.

With desolated eyes, Josh shrugged one of his shoulders and returned his gaze on his empty flute. "If I'm not a prime example of the culmination of bad life choices, I don't know who is," he muttered with a half-hearted chuckle.

One corner of Andrew's lips stretched into a lopsided smile. "Hey, you told me you wanted to write about Maya's art, but Filomeno wouldn't let you do that unless you write about her relationship with her mother as well. It started as a good idea—a generous idea, but . . . even your good ideas turn into bad ones at some point, you know? We all make mistakes. It's just that sometimes, some—specifically yours—are larger than others."

Josh smiled for the first time since he arrived at the Peoples' Verse tenth anniversary and issue release party. He reached over and gave Andrew's shoulder a playful shove.

"But, this doesn't mean that I forgive you," Andrew stated. "I hate that you did this to Maya, but I had a hunch that you're gonna need a friend by your side to help you get through tonight. That is until Sophie gets here, then I'm mad at you again. Very mad. Like, no Grab-A-Burger trips together for a whole month type of mad."

Josh's smile grew into a laugh. "All right, Andrew. I can deal with that." He paused and gazed at his best friend with genuine appreciation. "Thanks, by the way. I know you'd rather drag me out to an alley and beat the hell out of me, but you're choosing to be a friend and—"

"Hey, I said what I said. Let's just leave it at that. Okay?" Andrew interrupted.

Josh nodded in accord.

A single spotlight suddenly shone toward the center of the stage. People's Verse's editor-in-chief, Steven Filomeno, smiled and waved at the audience as he made his way to the center, a microphone in hand. He stopped beside the clothed magazine cover.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! My trusted employees and their respective plus ones," Filomeno greeted, his world renowned smile adorning his seemingly never-aging features. His eyes turned to every single person in the audience—a trick he learned could establish sincerity—until it fell and stopped on Josh.

Filomeno's grin widened after he noticed his journalist fidget under his gaze.

"Any chance you've seen Babineaux around?"

Josh had been attempting to decide which type of tart he'd like to try first when Filomeno strode up next to him. From the corner of his eyes, he watched his editor-in-chief scoop a slice of fruit tart onto his plate and removed the kiwis with his fork.

Josh cleared his throat. "No, sir. Babineaux won't be attending tonight's party. He's currently on his flight to San Francisco to attend his friends' wedding," he responded. "I thought Babineaux would've told you."

Filomeno sliced a small piece of his tart with the edge of his fork. "Oh, he did. But, I needed a conversation opener."

"With all due respect, sir, you shouldn't have a problem with that considering the fact that you are a journalist and an editor." Josh finally decided he didn't want a tart. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his hands clean even though he hadn't touched any of the desserts offered on the buffet table.

Filomeno lolled his head back in laughter. "You humor me, Matthews. And also, enough with the formality. I know you and Williams call me Filomeno behind my back."

Josh was unfazed. He knew he and Andrew weren't that lucky.

"Anyway, I just came over here to tell you that you're officially off my list," Filomeno informed, forking a thin slice of strawberry off the tart and dropping it in his mouth. "Your piece about Ms. Hart is exactly the kind of story I expected from you, Matthews. A job well done indeed."

Josh crumpled the napkin and pursed his lips. "I hope you're happy," he replied without meeting Filomeno's eyes.

The editor-in-chief only raised an eyebrow as Matthews stormed off, leaving him alone with his fruit tart.

Josh left the party immediately after speaking with Filomeno. He couldn't bear staying for another minute in the spacious room that only reminded him of the mistake he'd done. The supersized magazine cover perched on the stage mocked him for every time he accidentally glanced at it. Filomeno's hawk-like gaze, trailing a line of fire down his back. Although Andrew stated that he'd be a friend to him tonight, Josh couldn't deny the distance he'd kept between them. He mainly stuck with Jasmine. But what proved to be too much for Josh was the fact that he saw Maya everywhere. He saw her in every one of his co-workers' face, wearing either an angry or a disappointed expression.

Filomeno's praise for his article was the last straw.

He was back in front of his apartment door thirty minutes later. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Josh keyed his apartment open, ridding himself of his chaffing suit jacket. He started his path to the kitchen, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw his girlfriend perched on one of the kitchen stools.

"I thought you'd be home later?" Josh asked.

Sophie turned and smiled weakly. "It was only a minor adjustment. Valentina set me off on her private jet, so I could get here as soon as possible. Can you believe that just came out of my mouth? I rode Valentina's private jet!"

"How was it?" Josh queried. He didn't know why he couldn't move from his spot. His girlfriend sat meters away from him, yet he made no move to welcome her back home.

"Service was more luxurious, but still gave me the same splitting headache," Sophie responded.

She swiveled around in her stool, and Josh caught a glimpse of the People's Verse's anniversary issue propped open on the counter. Out of the hundred pages of the magazine, pages 57-62 proved to be the most interesting for everyone. Sophie was no exception.

"Please tell me you're not reading that," Josh muttered. He escaped the party because of the magazine, and yet, he came home to find it being perused by his girlfriend.

Swiveling back around, Sophie looked at the glossy pages of the magazine. "Of course, I am. It's a huge story written by my boyfriend about a very good friend of ours."

If it wasn't for her sad tone of voice, Josh would've been happy with Sophie's commentary. "You're upset," he pointed out, finally finding the strength to walk over to the counter and perch himself on the stool next to his girlfriend.

Sophie took her eyes off the magazine and gazed at her boyfriend. "Josh, I'm not upset. I'm just . . . I just wish you told me."

Josh hunched over with an exasperated sigh. "I know it was wrong of me to let Filomeno publish that story without Maya's consent and—"

"Maya didn't know that you published her story?" Sophie interrogated, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Josh glanced up at Sophie, a helpless look in his eyes, and shook his head. "No, she didn't."

Sophie heaved a heavy sigh before she reached for Josh's hands. "You need to fix this, Josh," she muttered, squeezing her boyfriend's hands tight.

"I know," he responded, then paused. "Wait. You're not mad?"

"Call her and apologize," Sophie instructed. Then, she released one of Josh's hands to cup the side of his face. A sad smile plastered on her face when she felt him lean his head on the palm of her hand. "And while you're at it," she paused and looked Josh over as though it was the last time she'd ever see him, "do me a favor and tell her how you really feel about her."

Josh straightened in his seat. "What are you talking about?"

Sophie's sad smile was still intact when she cupped Josh's face again.

"Sophie?" Josh called, worried.

Sophie let go of Josh's face and slid the magazine to him. "I was at the airport when I saw that this one was out. Of course, I bought it because you wrote the main story for this issue. I read it at the airport. I read it again on the plane. I read it once more on the taxi. When I got home, I freshened up and read it for the fourth time. I read it so many times I think I have all the words memorized." She laughed in an attempt to lighten their mood.

"I'm not sure I'm following, Sophie," Josh stated. His heart was banging against his ribcage.

Sophie picked up the magazine, cleared her throat, and began reading. "Maya Hart is truly a beacon of light. Anyone who knows her would consider themselves as fortunate because of her immeasurable generosity and infinite capacity for love. She once told me she was a coward, but I've never met anyone who is as lionhearted as she is. In all honesty, she held layers as thick as our own planet Earth's—layers that I'd spent months digging into only to find nothing but more qualities to admire about her. It was as though she never ran out of surprises—and I think that just makes her all the more worthy of the whole world. No, she deserves more than that. She deserves the infinite possibilities of the entire universe. One could only hope to give all that to her. I could only hope to give all that to Maya."

Sophie placed the magazine back down and looked Josh in the eyes. "It wouldn't make sense for me to stay when it's crystal clear that your heart already belongs to someone else," she said.

"Sophie . . ."

She chuckled, that downcast smile still on her face. "I know that you spent Thanksgiving with her when I was away at Los Angeles." When Josh opened his mouth to comment, she signaled for him to hold it. "I know that she was the one who went with you to see Donnie perform at NYU when I couldn't. I know that you were the one she was with when she disappeared during the NYE party two months ago. I know that you were with her the day she amended her relationship with her mother, which is a very big deal, Josh. It's something that you do only for the people you truly love. And . . . I also know that . . . as romantic as your song for me was, you weren't actually singing it to me."

Josh's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I saw it, Josh. Because when I was looking at you . . . you were looking at her," Sophie declared.

Josh shook his head. "You were the only one I could see that night, Sophie."

"Not when she left the room, no," Sophie retaliated, her voice still soft. "I saw the way you followed her with your eyes, Josh. Yes, it might have only been for a short moment, but sometimes . . . sometimes our truest feelings come out in those small moments when we think no one was looking."

Josh couldn't say anything.

Sophie took out the velvet box from her sweater's pocket and slid it over to Josh, much to his surprise. "You were supposed to propose to me," she uttered. "Why didn't you?"

Josh opened his mouth, but no words dared to come out.

Sophie exhaled. "I love you, Josh, but now that we're talking about this—especially after reading your piece about Maya, I realized that . . . there are still some people we haven't met that are actually much better for us. And as much as it hurts me to admit this because I do love you, I don't think I'm your person, Josh."

"Sophie . . ."

Tears began to roll down Sophie's cheek. She'd been holding them back for a long time, but she decided it was time to let them go. Her face muscles hurt from the smile she fought to keep on. "Someday I'll meet my person—maybe he's just somewhere walking around the city, waiting for me. But you? You already met yours, Josh, and it's Maya."

Josh's eyes brimmed with tears. When one rolled down his cheek, Sophie swiped it away. "Don't worry about me, Josh," she said. "I've got that thing with Valentina going on. My career's taking off, which means that I'd have to be on more flights than the usual. You need someone you can be with all the time. So . . . go and get her, tiger."

Sophie nudged the velvet box closer to Josh. She let out a laugh when she noticed his alarmed expression. "I'm not asking you to marry her, Josh. I'm just returning the ring because it doesn't belong to me."

Josh grabbed Sophie's hands and squeezed them. "I'm sorry, Sophie."

"Both of our careers require a lot of traveling, and I always had a hunch that it was going to affect us in some way in the future. We'll argue about it, for sure, then we'll explode because both of us are trying to stay in each other's lives as much as we could, but it's going to prove a struggle," Sophie responded.

A small smile broke out on Josh's face. "You've really thought of this, huh?"

"Between my flight from Los Angeles to New York and riding a taxi to get to our apartment, I sure had a lot of time. It helped that your article gave me a lot of things to ponder—made me realize some things. I'm sorry that our relationship is over, Josh, but it's better we end it this way," Sophie explained, matching Josh's grin. She let go of his hands to give him a solid pat on his shoulder.

"So . . . we're cool?" Josh asked, offering a hand for her to shake.

Sophie took it. "Yep. We're cool."

Song of the Chapter: Let It All Go by Birdy + Rhodes. For the longest time, Josh and Sophie's break-up song was the HARDEST song for me to find. Luckily, I stumbled upon this one on YouTube and I thought it was perfect! I mean, the lyrics said, "There's still a fire in my heart, my darling, but I'm not burning for you." It's basically like Josh's heart is still full of love, but it's not beating for Sophie anymore.

So, that's Josh's POV for you. In the next chapter, we'll get to read about Smarkle's wedding in San Francisco. Maya will be on the other side of the country when she sees the article, so we'll see how she'll react to it. Maybe we'll even get to see how her friends react to it?

Also, remember the Riley story I told you I'm gonna be writing after this one? I don't have an outline written yet, but I did write two chapters as a result of the idea popping in my head. Basically, I only know the beginning, but I haven't really thought of the plot yet. My junior year of college is starting next Monday, so stories might not be as updated regularly, but would you like it if I post the first chapter on that Riley story? Just sort of like a teaser?

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!