Chapter 17 – Sophie
17
SOPHIE
L iam is holding my heaviest box that’s full of every shoe I own and looking at me expectantly. I bite my lip to keep from fully letting him read me. I know he probably is curious about why we’re going inside and not back out to the guest house. I’m already distracted by the sizzle I felt when he touched my elbow, and I’m annoyed at myself for wishing he’d do it again, especially because the last time we spoke was so contentious. “Uh…yeah, inside. I’m going to be staying there for the next few weeks until I figure things out.”
Could this be any more awkward?
Liam nods but doesn’t ask me any more questions. “Inside. Got it.” He brushes past me with the box, and I follow him without grabbing another one. “Ellie!” He bellows as I follow him in. “Sophie’s back!”
Ellie rounds the corner from the kitchen and smiles so genuinely I think of a mother seeing her long-lost child. “Sophie! I’m so glad to have you back.” She embraces me and I’m covered in maternal warmth. “And staying in the house with me! We’re going to have so much fun together! Like The Golden Girls!”
Wait until you see all the crap I brought, I think to myself but instead I say, “I, uh, sort of have a lot of boxes. I didn’t realize how much stuff I had in that house. Thirteen years of my life. I hope that’s okay?” I search her face for annoyance but find none. Ellie is as accommodating as ever.
“Not to worry, dear! I gave you the largest guest room. Everything will be just fine.” She wraps an arm around my shoulder and guides us toward the stairs. “Liam, Lucy is napping in the living room. Be a good boy and bring in Sophie’s boxes,” she calls over her shoulder and winks mischievously at me.
“On it,” he says, already jogging out the front door.
* * *
The room Ellie has chosen for me is the first bedroom at the top of the stairs, and it may just be one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever stayed in. The hardwood floors are polished oak and it smells faintly of lemon which makes me think that Ellie has cleaned for me. A plush gray area rug covers most of the floor. The bed is a beautiful four-poster canopy with a plush white duvet and lilac-colored accent pillows that match the walls. A welcoming window seat in the rounded alcove of the turret tower of the Victorian-era home faces the front of the house. It’s just like my grandparents’ bedroom. The window seat looks cozy with a plush cushion, a soft throw, and various purple pillows.
Built-in bookshelves line one side of the cozy alcove, and I quickly scan the shelves to see Ellie likes her romance novels. I imagine myself sitting here reading with a warm cup of tea. I walk around the room and take note of the lovely Victorian wardrobe painted white, and a four-doored closet that should hold most of my clothes. An ensuite bathroom with a beautiful clawfoot tub and a corner stand-up shower completes my new oasis. The room itself is a bit dated but has exquisite Victorian charm. I know I will be very comfortable here.
As much as I want to, I can’t leave Liam outside to carry in my boxes himself. Once Ellie shows me the room, I jog quickly down the steps. He has already piled most of the boxes on the porch and is just starting to bring them in. I can’t help but notice my keepsake box is open and right on top. I blush at the thought of Liam seeing my wedding photos. If he picked up the box, he wouldn’t be able to miss them.
Liam brushes past me. “The purple room?” He asks.
I can’t seem to find my voice. “Yep,” I manage to squeak. I pick up my keepsake box and follow him up the stairs.
Liam is carrying two boxes at once and even though I shouldn’t notice, I am distracted by his back and shoulder muscles bulging in his tight sleeveless gym tee. My attention is then drawn to his waist and his ass. He has great looking calves too. Woo, am I sweating? It’s got to be that it’s warm for the first week of May at the shore.
James always took good care of himself, and he wasn’t a big guy by any means, but he also wasn’t this fit. I allow myself a moment to admire the sharp edges of Liam’s back and his sinewy forearms as he hoists box after box up the steps. I may be broken-hearted, but you can’t blame a girl for noticing an attractive man walking up the stairs ahead of her. Plus, the apology he gave me when I got here seemed difficult for him and I find myself softening toward him a bit for trying.
“All of Ellie’s rooms have a color theme.” Liam smiles genuinely at me when I follow him into my new room. I might feel a tiny flutter in my chest. Maybe.
“Oh…really? That’s nice. And vaguely OCD.” I laugh and he does too. Yep. Definitely a flutter. I clear my throat and will myself to calm down. A rebound is fine, Sophie, but it should not be this guy. Not Liam! Alarm bells are ringing in my head loud and clear.
“I used to stay in the green room when my parents had enough of me,” he offers, awkwardly laughing. I get the sense there is a lot more to that story, but I decide now is not the time to inquire. He must sense my reluctance because he says, “Let me grab the rest of those boxes for you,” and jogs out of the room before I can say another word. Do not watch him go, Sophie , I scold myself.
And then I watch him go.
* * *
Liam is able to bring up all of my boxes pretty quickly. They’re heavy, and it would have taken me way longer. I decide I will spend the rest of the afternoon and evening putting everything in its place so I can get settled quickly, but first, I need a snack. I find Ellie in the kitchen cooking up a storm. It smells heavenly and I realize I am famished when my stomach audibly growls.
“Oh my gosh, what are you making?” I peer over her shoulder as she is seasoning a pot of soup.
“Clam chowder,” she says, offering me a taste from the spoon.
I lick the spoon, and my eyes roll back in my head. “It’s divine,” I moan. “Is this a late lunch by any chance?” I ask, feeling hopeful.
She turns me around and walks toward the table with her arm around me. “This, my darling, is part of our dinner. But I do have a cheese plate in the fridge for you if you’re hungry.” She ushers me to a chair and then opens the fridge. She hands me a plate of assorted meats and cheeses and a water bottle.
“I’m eternally grateful.” I sigh, taking my first bite of prosciutto and gouda. “Moving is hard work.”
“I know it is, sweetie. I am cooking us a feast tonight!” She claps her hands together and then points the wooden spoon at me. “But don’t get used to it.” And then she giggles as she walks back to the fridge to retrieve some vegetables.
“I like to cook too, so I can certainly cook for us some nights. Also, please don’t feel like you have to feed me, Ellie. I don’t want you to think of me as a guest…more like a roommate.” I hesitate as I say this because I don’t want to offend Ellie. She’s so maternal that I feel like she will get her feelings hurt if I don’t allow her to nurture me and my broken heart, but my intention is not to impose on her.
“Nonsense! A guest is what you are!” She waves her hand at me.
“That’s another thing, we need to discuss payment. I can just send you a Venmo or write you a check each week or month, whatever you prefer.” I feel awkward bringing this conversation up, but I have to.
This time, Ellie puts the spoon down and turns around to face me, wiping her hands on her apron. “Now, Sophie. You’re going through a very difficult time. I don’t want you to pay me the price of summer rent. You’ll pay the off-season rate.” Ellie has clearly put some thought into this, and I am treading lightly so as not to hurt her feelings.
“Ellie, you aren’t used to having an extra person here, using up your electricity and water. Those things cost money. I have to pay you the full rent. I have savings and I can afford it.” I cross my arms and try to look defiant.
Ellie puts her hands on her hips. “But you just picked up and moved away from your home. You’re getting divorced. I presume you left your job. I cannot take money from you when it might be tight for you right now.” She sighs and has her arms folded over her chest. We’re at an impasse, but I think I can win.
I chuckle at this back-and-forth we’re having. It’s so much like a conversation I imagine I might’ve had with my own mom. Ellie is the kindest woman I have ever met. I can’t take advantage of her, especially when it seems like Liam takes enough advantage for the both of us. I roll my eyes at that thought and Ellie gives me a curious look. “Look, you let me worry about that. I have money to live, Ellie. Just tell me an amount I should pay you, please.”
Ellie huffs like a child and drops her arms. “Fine. The winter rate is five hundred dollars a month, she says with a reluctant sigh. “And that’s my final offer.”
I laugh until she laughs with me. Before we know it we’re both cackling with tears in our eyes and I think, just maybe, this might be an arrangement I can live with. “Fine. Five hundred. Let me get my purse and I’ll write you a check,” I say, walking out of the room. Yes. I can live with this.
“Liam and Lucy are joining us for dinner,” she calls after me.
I stop in my tracks. That part…is the part I might not be able to live with .
* * *
I spend the next two hours up in my room with my boxes, and I make a pretty good dent in organizing. I am able to use the shelving over the toilet in the bathroom for my toiletries and makeup, and I hang up most of my dressier clothing items in the closet. I am excited to wear real clothes again since I’ve spent a good amount of time the past few weeks wallowing in my pajamas. I am organizing my underwear drawer when I hear the front door open.
“Ellie, we’re here!” Liam hollers. Then I hear Lucy giggle.
I just want to finish what I’m doing but a few minutes later, I hear footsteps coming up the wooden staircase. Then Liam is in my doorway, and he takes up all the space.
He stands there for a moment, wordlessly watching me pull clothes out of my suitcase, and I can’t stop sneaking glances at him, too. He changed out of his gym clothes and is wearing relaxed-fit jeans and a snug black T-shirt that hugs all of his muscles. God. The muscles. The scent of too much cologne permeates the air but he smells really good. Like evergreen and eucalyptus. It’s so dangerous. He is leaning in the door frame in the same way he did the night I stopped over at his house, and how comfortable he looks there is doing something to me between the thighs. This guy looks like he belongs here.
There you go with those dangerous thoughts again, Sophie. I silently reprimand myself. He is just a man. And from what you’ve seen, not a very nice one so stop letting him make you tingle. Liam is looking at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, like he is reading my thoughts, and that would be very dangerous. I don’t even realize I’m holding a pair of red lace panties in my hand until he clears his throat and smirks like he is absolutely loving every second of it. I force my mouth closed and hide the panties behind my back, shoving them in my pocket.
Liam scratches his beard with a coy smirk playing on his lips. “Ellie says to tell you that dinner is ready,” he clears his throat again. Maybe he has a tickle in it. “It looks like you’ve gotten a lot of organizing done.”
“I…yeah, I’m trying,” I stutter, wiping my sweating palms on my pants.
“You’ll get there.” He offers me an encouraging nod.
“I haven’t moved in nine years, so this feels like a lot,” I admit with a frown.
“I could help you, if you want some company.” Liam raises his eyebrows, stepping further into the room.
I open my mouth, then close it again, shaking my head. “Oh, that’s okay. I’ve got it.”
“I know it didn’t seem like it the other night, but I promise I’m a nice guy.” He looks down at his feet and then his eyes drag up the length of my body before meeting mine again.
“I know. I mean, I’m sure you are,” I stammer. Did he just check me out?
“And, I really am sorry for the way I treated you on Friday.” He rasps, taking a step closer to me.
I suck in a breath. This guy makes me too nervous. “I know you are,” I murmur, walking back over to the wardrobe. I pull the thong out of my pocket and shove it quickly in the drawer. Biting my lip, I look back at Liam to see if he noticed. “I’ll see you down there.”
Liam winks and gives me a head nod. “See you down there,” he says, biting back a grin.
I’m going to need a pitcher of ice water with my dinner.