32. Sophie
Sophie
“I say if you love something, set it in a small cage and pester and smother it with love until it either loves you back or dies.” — Mindy Kaling
“ E veryone! The kids are here!” Lily Lovinski shouts as soon as she opens the door.
We’re here for yet another family dinner, and I’d be a filthy liar if I said I wasn’t worried and didn’t spend the whole drive here fidgeting with my knit dress.
But all my worries fly away when Clover’s mom nearly tackles me to the ground with her hug.
“Oh, my dear Sophie, I’m so glad you agreed to come over for dinner!
I can’t tell you how sorry I am for how I behaved last time.
I wanted to come and beg for your forgiveness a million times, but Julie told me to give you some time.
Did it work? Maybe I should’ve just gone with my gut.
You know, I’ve wanted another daughter for so long, I’m terrified of messing it up. Again,” she rambles, fast.
“Mom!” Julie chuckles. “Maybe let them come inside for starters?”
“Oh, yes, yes.” Lily steps aside, ushering us in. “I’ve asked around and made all of your favorite dishes tonight.”
“You have?” My eyebrows hit my hairline.
“Oh yes! I hope I did them right.”
“I-I’m sure they’ll be delicious, Lily. Thank you.” My throat clogs with emotion as we move farther into the house.
In my world, only people who loved me have cooked for me like that. And I can’t have Lily Lovinski love me. This whole thing is already getting too complicated.
Maybe Clover was right, and we should’ve declined this dinner invitation after all. I grip his hand harder.
“I thought this was a family dinner,” Clover grumbles, watching the very full living room we just entered.
“It is,” Fanny gives him a look that says, try to deny it, I dare you .
“Jesus Christ,” Clover throws his arms up. “Can there be at least one normal dinner night in this house? And what are you doing here, fucker?” he asks Luke who’s casually sitting on the couch with my best friend, who smiles too wide for it to be real. Oh no, it’s a smile of a traitor!
What a little…I send a glare her way. She never told me she’d be here.
Besides those two and Fanny, Jenny, Nina, and Willa are also here.
“I’m your fifth cousin from the third uncle on Mom’s side, not by blood. Thank God.”
“You’re the growing pain in my ass, that’s what you are.”
“Good luck getting rid of me.” Luke gives him the most shit-eating grin that makes me giggle.
“What?” I feign innocence when Clover throws a glare my way. “Your friends are funny.”
“Heard that, asshole. We’re funny. Wait till we tell you all of Cal’s embarrassing stories tonight.” Griffin waggles his eyebrows .
“Mm-hmm, fucking unicorns with rainbows over their heads,” he tells them, making Luke and Griff dissolve in a fit of laughter before he pulls me in close, leans into me, and whispers, “Funny, huh? I’ll show your ass funny later tonight.”
I tilt my head up, biting my lip. “You should know better than to tease me with a good time, Shrek.”
“Fuck.” He lets out a low growl, his lips finding mine in a kiss right away. Without a single care who sees it or how appropriate it is in his family home. Not that I’m thinking all that much when his lips are on mine. “Let’s go home. Now. Screw this dinner.”
I laugh against his mouth. “Not a chance. I’m here for these stories.”
Suddenly, we become very aware of the silence around us, yet no one’s left the room.
“What?” Clover barks at them, and they quickly go back to whatever it was they were doing or talking about, pretending like they weren’t watching us just now.
“Um, is it always like this? Or am I missing something?” I whisper to him.
“If you mean whether they’re always such lunatics, then the answer is yes, most definitely.
Now, can we leave before we catch this disease?
I promise to make it worth your while.” That salacious smile spreads across his handsome face.
The one that always makes my knees weak and I almost…
almost agree—because clearly, I have no self-control around the man.
It’s basically the summary of the last week.
But I push my finger against his hard chest. “Keep that panty-melting smile of yours away from me, Shrek! We’re not leaving yet.”
“But I need to kiss you.”
“You just did.”
“No, I haven’t.” His eyes darken at the thought of what kisses he means, and I trap the whimper that wants to escape.
“Stop it!” I plead.
“That’s not what you said last night.” He smirks. “And this morning. And at lunch. ”
“I swear to God, I’m gonna murder you if you don’t stop it right this second!”
“ Tsk tsk , threatening a police officer, little menace? You know there’s a punishment for that.”
“You know…I think that badge is creating an unhealthy power dynamic over here.”
“That’s because I do have all the power.”
I snort. “Keep telling yourself that, buddy.”
Clover shakes his head with an amused smile. “You little—”
“Callum! Stop hogging Sophie all to yourself! We’d all like to talk to her,” his mom calls out, and I roll my lips at his exasperated expression that no one else can see.
“I don’t share,” he grumbles back as he turns around and steps behind me, hugging me to his front protectively.
I chuckle when he nuzzles his nose into my hair, drawing stupefied expressions from all around.
“Jesus Christ.” Luke sighs. “And I thought Griffin was bad.”
“Shut it, asshole,” Clover shoots back, but doesn’t attempt to deny it or step away from me, and a wild, dangerous warmth spreads across my blood.
Smiling, I close my eyes, reveling in his scent, touch, and protectiveness.
Callum is still so hot and cold. He still hides so much that I wish he’d tell me. But for now, I will cherish all of these small moments because I’ve given up telling my heart to hold back.
Now, I moved on to this hopeless hope that eventually—maybe—Clover might feel the same.
“Callum! Let go of her! I have something for Sophie,” Lily snaps, and with yet another sigh—and a chuckle from me—he steps away but immediately grabs my hand instead.
“Sweet heavens,” she tsks , shaking her head at his behavior, but I don’t miss the teary smile she has on.
I also don’t miss my own heart skipping a beat. Sometimes he makes me believe that I’m not the only one who stopped pretending a long time ago.
But then I wake up …
“I made something for you!” Lily says, walking around the couch to pick up a box.
“Oh, you have?” I ask, surprised.
“Yep.” She smiles brightly and pulls out a beautifully handmaid vase, handing it to me.
It’s…
Clover snorts so hard, he starts choking on the beer his dad just handed him.
“What a beautiful coral vase, Lily.” I roll my lips, plastering a sweet smile onto them as I smack my husband on his back as hard as I can.
“Mm-hmm, Mom. Sophie’s favorite color.” He coughs, and I fight the urge to kill the man.
“Really?” Lily’s green eyes, identical to the dead man standing beside me, light up. “Oh, I will make a whole dining set for you like that!” She claps her hands, excitedly.
“Oh no, Lily. That’s all right, I don’t want to be a bother,” I try.
“Oh, no such thing.” She pats my cheek. “I always have time for my kids. See, I just had a feeling about coral when I was choosing that paint color.”
“You sure did, Mom.” Clover is barely restraining himself from laughing, and I catch Grace doing the same out of the corner of my eyes.
“Okay, now you can have your Sophie back to yourself. I’m gonna go finish dinner.”
“Would you like some help?” I ask her.
Lily smiles. “No, no, I got those four to help me.” She throws her hand at the Fantastic Four who are already filing into the kitchen, and she joins them, happily humming to herself, leaving me here with this coral vase in my arms.
“Told you we should’ve left when we could,” Clover whispers into my ear, still finding this hilarious.
“Did you put her up to this?” I turn to him, and he lifts his arms up in mock surrender.
“I did no such thing.”
“I don’t believe you.” I narrow my gaze at him as he attempts to not laugh again. “Shrek! I swear—”
“I haven’t! I really haven’t.” He laughs. “But you must admit. That was hilarious.”
“Not even a little,” I whisper-hiss.
“Come on, I’ll take care of this for you. I promise to make it look like an accident.” He goes for the vase in my hands, but I clutch it harder.
“Don’t you dare.”
“But it’s coral. You abhor coral.”
I lift my nose up, hugging the base closer to my chest. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s my new favorite.” I bite the inside of my cheek, eyeing that horrendous color. God, it had to be coral, but she made it for me. “Okay, I might still need some more convincing later tonight.”
Clover chuckles. “Well, that, I can arrange.”
Love Hive:
Ninasunshine: He loves her.
Toughtolove: I know, we were there.
Infullbloom: See! I told you it was real love.
Toughtolove: Hold your unicorns, Lily, because I don’t think he knows that he loves her.
Infullbloom: What do you mean?
CookieJ: It means we did our job, albeit in a very runaround way with an impending cliff at the end.
Toughtolove: Fantastic Four, assemble. We need a new route!