29. Sophie
Sophie
“It’s amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy.” – My Best Friend’s Wedding
“ Y ou know you can just walk beside me.”
“Sophie, just…not a word.” I can practically hear that strong jaw of his, peppered with blond stubble, ticking again as he trails behind me ever since I walked out of the apartment.
What can I say, I live to piss off my fake husband. Quietly, I snicker to myself.
What? I did give him two options, it’s not my fault he chose to come to the bar with me.
I know , I know what you’re going to say, that I purposely dressed up like this to get a reaction out of him.
Nope, I did it for me, like I’ve told that grumpy husband of mine. I like to look good. I haven’t done it for a long time, so now I’m making up for lost time. Getting that reaction out of him was simply a bonus I enjoyed very much.
Honestly, though, I’m not sure why he reacted like a possessive caveman tonight, and earlier today at the diner. It’s not like he likes me or thinks of me as his wife. Maybe it’s that male ego thing? Technically, the world thinks I’m his, so he needs to act the part.
I look down at my finger where the most beautiful ring now sits. If it was the whole ego thing, why not get me a simple band that brands me or one of those princess-cut type rings that girls usually like. Why get something so… me .
It doesn’t have any fancy stones on it, and to anyone else it might look silly, but I nearly cried when I saw him slip this white gold band that has a colorful strip of mood-changing stones run through the middle on my finger.
I’ve never seen a more perfect ring. Never.
Looking away from my hands, I shut those wayward thoughts at the roots. The ones that want it to mean more. It doesn’t, Sophie .
Whatever it was, I am enjoying the benefits today after I’ve expelled all my annoyance with him.
I’ve had fun with Clover. I loved watching the game with him again and just…being normal, really.
I sigh, I shouldn’t be happy about it. I shouldn’t like that he’s trailing after me now because I was supposed to keep away from him like he was from me but for an entirely different reason. Because while he doesn’t like me, I’m falling deeper and deeper for his grumpy ass.
In complete silence the rest of the way, we make it all the way to LPs at the end of the Love Street, enjoying the fall wind on my skin. After that scene at the diner, I was in no mood to stay and eat, so I promised to meet up with Grace and the girls tonight.
Before my hand can touch the handle, Clover’s already pulling it open for me.
“Thank you.” I smile but he tips his head up. and I’m pretty sure is counting to ten or whatever. What a confusing man .
“Are you planning to stay here long?” he asks just as we step inside. The warmth of the bar quickly washing away that fall chill I enjoyed mere moments ago.
“Not sure, a couple hours probably. But you can go.” I shrug my cardigan off, giving him another sweet smile.
There goes another tick.
“Not—” Whatever Clover was about to say gets cut off.
“H-o-l-y fuck. Luke, pinch me!” I turn to see Griffin and Luke standing in front of us, one elbowing the other as they both gape at their friend.
“I did. Did you wake up?”
“Nope, he’s still here. At the bar. Tell me you see it too?” Griffin whispers the last part, and I fight my amused laugh.
Why are they acting like it’s so surprising that Clover showed up at LPs? He’s been here before, no?
I frown as soon as the question pops in my head. Wait a moment, did I actually ever see him here? My eyes fall on his tense form, hoovering by the door as his eyes rake over the whole space but doing it very covertly, so no one could tell he’s checking it out.
Oh my God, has he ever been in here? Because it sure as heck looks like it’s his first time.
“What’s with all the traffic?” Gracie pushes through Griff and Luke. “Is my bestie here yet? Ah, there you are.” Her face brightens before she tilts her head to the side. “Oh goody, you brought Shrek with you,” she states dryly. “You can go off into the grumpy corner.”
“The grumpy corner?” I arch an eyebrow.
“Yep. Luke will take you.” She points behind her where Joy is already sitting at the farthest booth, eyeing everyone with the scowl.
Grumpy corner, got it. I chuckle.
“Luke, did you hear me?” she asks her husband, who is still staring blankly at mine.
“I think he’s in shock.” I whisper to her.
“In shock? Why?” Grace frowns, whispering back.
“Because he showed up at the bar,” Luke answers for me.
“He? You mean Callum? ”
“Uh-huh.” Griff nods. “Where is Julie? She has to see this before the mirage disappears.” He starts patting his pockets for a phone.
“Will you two fuckers quit it?” Clover grumbles behind me. “Stop making it such a big deal.”
“Stop making it…Luke, did you hear him say stop making it such a big deal?”
“Oh, I heard.”
Clover rolls his eyes. “You two are such idiots. I think Mom must’ve dropped me pretty fucking hard when I was a baby that I decided to be friends with you.”
“And now he’s cracking jokes,” Griffin practically squeaks, while Grace and I just stand here watching the show. Where is Alec and his popcorn when we need it.
“What’s going on here?” Julie appears out of nowhere, and we both shush her.
“Shh, it’s just getting good over here.”
“What is—is that my brother?” she shouts.
“Yeah, it’s me. Do you all want an autograph or something? Fair warning, I do charge a fee for that.”
I roll my lips to hide the laugh.
“Um, what are we missing?” Grace asks, frowning, and Luke points at Clover with his beer bottle.
“Callum is here.”
“Yeah, we see that, and?”
“And he hasn’t been here since we were like eighteen. We invited him a million times since he came back but the asshole always refused.”
Grace blinks a few times and then whisper-shouts, “Seriously?” I mirror her expression and question.
“Uh-huh,” Julie hums behind us.
“Why’d you never come here?” Gracie asks Clover, but it’s Luke who answers.
“Because he’s allergic to fun.”
Grace gapes at him for a second and then says, “Yet he married Sophie? The literal fun on wheels? ”
I laugh so hard I snort, and Clover’s eyes snap to mine as that faint smile I love so much, graces his lips.
“Fuck, hold me Luke,” Griffin says clutching onto his friend who’s elbowing him in return.
“I haven’t seen him smile in the last sixteen years. Have you?”
Wait, what?
“Nope. Should I check if the sky fell to the ground yet?”
“Might as well.”
“Motherfuckers…will you two finally cut it out?” Clover crosses his arms.
“Not a chance,” they say in unison and grab Clover, dragging him over to the “grumpy corner.”
“I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.” Julie’s eyes shimmer with unshed tears, but all I can do is just blink.
I knew he has a story. Know he lost someone, but I had no idea the pain ran that deep. I want to know more. I want to dig deeper, yet I also know it’s not my story to dig into.
I’ve felt it anytime it came up in our conversations. He clams up. Shuts down, and so I change the subject, giving him the freedom to choose what and how he shares.
Oh, to be a fly on that booth right now and learn those secrets.
But I don’t even get a chance to glimpse their way before Grace drags me over to the bar where Hope is already sitting, chatting up the bartender, Matteo Loverson, who happens to be Willa’s son.
Stupidly hot and clearly has some kind of history with our Zoe, who’s still home, recovering from her daughter’s birth last week.
But I’m not sure on the details, being too preoccupied with my own situation.
And by situation I mean, I’ve been too preoccupied falling in love with my emotionally unavailable husband to pay attention to anything going around me.
I sigh, suddenly not in the mood to be at the bar or have fun.
I spy Clover seated with Griff and Luke in that corner who are now joined by Alec and Jacob as well. Joy looks like she’s about to murder them all, and after a few more minutes, she’s coming over to us, holding her virgin cocktail .
“You left the grumpy corner,” Grace states when she spots her oldest sister.
“It became mopey and that’s just not my thing. And anyway, I’m leaving.”
“Already? Why?” Hope asks.
“Zoe needs help with baby Mellie,” she tells Hope, but her eyes—or rather a death glare—is directed at Matteo who suddenly stopped wiping the glass he was holding and now does his best to pretend he’s not eavesdropping.
“Want some help?”
“Nope, we’ll be fine all on our own.” Again, with that pointed look at Matteo, she bids us all farewell and leaves.
“Um, what’s that all about?” I ask Grace quietly.
“Long story, but the short version is that Matteo is a chicken-shit.”
“Hey!” The man in question shouts. “I’m not a chicken-shit. She didn’t want me there.”
“Uh-huh, sure thing.” Grace waves him off, and I swear that glass he was wiping is about to be in a million shards by the look of those flared nostrils and narrowed eyes but to my surprise, Matteo doesn’t say anything back, instead turning to me, asking for my drink order.
Soon enough, he’s busy making it, and Grace and Hope sigh. “You think he’ll finally figure it out?” one asks the other.
“I sure hope so,” Grace mutters and turns her attention to me. “But enough about that. Now, you, Mrs. Lovinski.”
“What about me?”
“Was the make-up sex good?”
I nearly choke on the drink that Matteo just set in front of me.
“Make-up sex?” Hope squeals. “Oh, what did he do? Or was it you?”
“Okay.” Julie scrunches her nose. “Can we skip the sex details, but do tell what happened.”
Fortunately, I don’t have to say anything because my dear best friend is all too happy to tell the girls the whole story with some extra effects from earlier today .
“Oh my gosh,” Hope whisper-shouts after hearing all about Callum being the caveman. “That was worthy of make-up sex! Wait, is the other guy still alive?”