Chapter 2 Sophie #3
“What dinner?” I ask as I take my seat next to Raegan. She goes back to her phone and I can tell from a quick glance that she’s texting her bridesmaids, judging by the Besties thread.
Which means I’ll get the text as well.
Shit! My phone! I nearly jump as Sam pours a mug of coffee, almost knocking my barstool and myself over.
Benny gives me a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry, I uh…just forgot my phone’s in the other room.”
Sam slides me my coffee and pushes a bottle of creamer toward me. “Sorry, all we have is Italian Sweet Cream, hope that’s okay. If I had known you were going to stay—”
It’s the way he says it, that word. Stay. Like he’s just accepted it, which is both comforting and also makes me feel guilty. Just showing up here was probably not the best idea, but…
I didn’t know what else to do. I had to get out of that penthouse, had to get away from Keaton and that woman and the promises he broke.
“Totally fine with me,” I say.
Benny says, “With all the fam and shit coming in, your mom thought it would be nice to get the family together for a dinner.”
I look back at my brother. “This was never mentioned…”
Sam shrugs as I pour a bit of cream in my coffee. “Well, I mean, you weren’t coming in until later, so I didn’t think to mention it, you know.”
I purse my lips as Benny catches my gaze and says, “I mean, I’m sure you can make room for the princess, right?”
Sam sighs. “I mean…obviously.”
Raegan sets her phone down and casts me a grin. “Dinner’s at seven tonight. Roland’s. Party of twelve.”
Benny whistles. “Me and the boys will be there most definitely,” he says as he pushes off the counter.
Even though he’s dressed in a black tee and jeans, it’s hard not to notice the tattoos on his arms in the daylight.
I can’t make them all out, but his arms are covered, down to his knuckles.
And even with a shirt on, the outline of his muscles is somehow still evident.
Combined with the dark, mussed hair and his evident facial hair, I can’t help but stare.
Someone’s definitely grown up into a hottie for sure. Not that he wasn’t hot to begin with.
“Sounds good,” Sam says as he leans in to bro-hug Benny, who slaps him on the back.
“Yup. See you guys later,” Benny grunts.
I try not to stare at his broad shoulders or his ass in his jeans as he leaves, but it’s harder than it should be.
“Have a good sleep?” my brother asks, pulling me from my momentary stupor.
“Oh. Right,” I say as I pick up my mug, drinking down the coffee if only to hide my sudden embarrassment. “Yeah, I guess it was okay. Still a little tired, but it’s nothing a good cup of coffee won’t fix.”
Raegan smiles at me. “It’s good to see you, you know.”
I give her a soft smile back. “All things considered, yeah, it’s good to see you too.”
I look back at my brother, my expression softening as the memory of my momentary snap comes crawling back. “I’m uh…sorry about yesterday, I just…” Neither of them say a word, but I can feel Sam’s gaze on me. That invisible twin thread pulling between us. “Had a really rough day.”
There’s silence before Raegan speaks. “Where’s…Keaton?”
I tense, but I know it’s probably better to be honest with them than to lie. Even if I’m not ready to talk about what happened with the rest of my family, or in front of the guys, I know I can tell Sam and Raegan. My brother and my soon-to-be sister-in-law. If anyone can hold my secret, it’s them.
“Um, we kind of…broke up,” I say carefully. It’s not a complete lie. It’s just not the entire truth. I suck in a deep breath, mustering the courage. “He um…I found him. Yesterday. With…” I let out a heavy breath, hanging my head low. “Someone else.”
“Oh…honey.” Raegan pulls me into her arms, and Sam lets out a strained breath.
“Shit, Soph, I had no idea, I—”
The moment Raegan hugs me, I let go and the tears come without warning.
“I just…g-grabbed my stuff and headed to the airport and got the first ticket out and—”
A moment later, I feel Sam next to me, his hand rubbing my back as Raegan hugs me.
“I just don’t know how to tell Mom and Dad just yet, and—” I push away from Raegan, locking eyes with my brother. “I just need some time to figure things out, you know?”
Sam nods, pulling me into a hug as well. It’s tight, warm, and soothes just a fraction of my anxiety.
“Please don’t say anything to them, Sam, I—”
“I won’t,” he says, holding me out at arm’s length, assuring me with his trusted gaze.
I believe him. My brother is the one person on the planet I know always has my back no matter what. We’ve been best friends practically since the day we were born.
“You can stay here as long as you need,” Raegan says.
I nod, thanking both of them, and then Sam heads for the fridge. “You uh…hungry?”
I look up at him with tear-stained eyes, noting the warmth in his gaze. “Starving, actually,” I say as my stomach growls on cue.
“Me too,” Rae says as she smiles at my brother. “I could so go for a grilled cheese right now.”
I smirk at her. “Cut diagonal.”
She smiles back at me then winks at my brother. “With a forehead kiss.”
“You two are insane,” he says as he pulls out bread, cheese slices, and mayonnaise. My brother insists grilled cheeses are better made with mayo than butter, and I have to agree with him.
I watch as he fixes the sandwiches, grilling them with absolute perfection.
“Voilà,” he says as he flips one sandwich onto a plate, cuts it—diagonally—and serves it to Raegan with a kiss on her forehead. She smiles, so candidly, so perfectly. It’s sweet, but it also hurts to watch.
Because I wish I could have that, and I thought I did. But I guess life doesn’t always work out the way you want.
Sam flips my sandwich onto a plate and tosses some pickles on the side before sliding it across the counter to me.
“Thanks,” I say as he offers me a genuine, soft look of understanding.
“Course. What are little brothers for?”
I can’t help the faint smile that stretches across my lips.
Technically, I’m older by two minutes, which is why he always says he’s the “little brother,” despite us being twins.
But sometimes I think my brother is older than I am.
He’s got an older soul, and he’s always been the one who seems to have things together, while I…
I thought I was turning a leaf with Keaton, but I guess I was wrong.
But as I eat my sandwich, relishing in the warm, melty cheese and the perfectly crisp bread, I tell myself it doesn’t matter, because I’m going to turn a new leaf here, today.
I’m going to do my best to put Keaton and his cheating ass behind me, and that starts with being present for my brother and Raegan, and going on this well-deserved vacation, which I’ve been looking forward to for months.
I smile, thanking Sam as I finish up my sandwich and head back to the guest room to check my phone, noting the string of messages in the group chat.
In the daylight, the guest room looks bright and cheery and not at all dark and depressing like it did last night.
I gather my clothes and take them to the laundry, focusing on the task at hand and keeping myself as busy as I can around the house.
I should call Mom and Dad and let them know I’m here, especially since I agreed to go to dinner, but a part of me is dreading that conversation, so I don’t. I can always pass it off as a surprise, even though my mother quite obviously hates surprises.
I rationalize that it’s easier than the truth right now. I’m not sure yet how I want to tell her and Dad—and I know I’ll have to at some point—about my failed engagement.
Thankfully, with everyone set to leave in a few days, and family flying in, things are crazy enough and I’m able to help Rae take care of some last-minute things, so she can relax.
I get lost in the pickups, the phone calls, and for a little while I feel like my old self again.
That is until four thirty rolls around and I realize I need to get ready for tonight’s dinner.
My anxiety kicks in, and I have to tell myself it’s just dinner. It’s not like it’s going to be an interrogation or anything.
Yeah, a dinner with Benny and the guys and your parents and the rest of the party and probably Uncle Bob and Aunt Susan…
I groan internally, pushing my fear aside for the moment as I pick out a dress—a hot pink Lily Pulitzer for Target I scored off a thrift app—and start getting ready.
It’s just dinner, and all I have to do is just…pretend everything is fine.
All I have to do is act natural.
Like my fiancé didn’t just cheat on me, like I didn’t just find myself out of a place to live, and like everything is going to be perfect for these next two weeks.
Fake it until you make it, right?