Chapter Nine Sophie
Chapter Nine
Sophie
"No, we should roast him over a fire," April says, not even looking up from crocheting. I didn't know someone could crochet angrily, but apparently, April can. "Pig roast style."
"Could go a few rounds with him at the gym," Atticus grunts, curling his large hand into a fist that looks like it could dent a skull without much effort.
"Poison would be easier," Jane says calmly, her voice a calm contrast to the deadly intent of her suggestion. Her hands are folded neatly in her lap, her expression unreadable, but there's a subtle satisfaction in her tone. Atticus grins at her and Jane just shrugs. "...no cleanup."
"I got a friend at the morgue," Tonya throws in, flashing me a shark-like grin that's all teeth. "I'm sure we could work something out."
I glance around the room, bemused and also a little concerned because they all seem very serious. There's a loving menace crackling in the air.
It seems an unspoken rule that if you hurt one of them, you hurt all of them.
I meet Parker's eyes, who just shrugs while reclining in his chair, though his face looks a little tight with tension. "We're readers, we have very active imaginations."
But it's Callum that my eyes feel the pull toward. His jaw’s clenched tight, his hands curled into fists, and there's a certain look in his brown eyes. It’s a quiet rage that feels more dangerous than loud spitting and hissing.
He hasn't said anything, yet to me he's said the most.
"God, Sophie, that's horrible," Bailey whispers with the saddest look on her face, her voice trembling.
In a flash, she pulls me into a warm hug that I can't help but melt into. She whispers, "Sorry, I'm a hugger."
This kindness given to me by someone I met less than an hour ago makes a stinging sensation appear in my nose, the telltale sign I'm seconds from falling apart.
Then I feel another presence, and suddenly April is hugging me from the other side, just as warm and welcoming. Then another pair of arms around all of us, these are lanky and long—Parker.
A large hand on my shoulder—Atticus. He hangs back slightly while Jane remains beside him, her hands twisting together nervously. She doesn't step forward, but the look she gives me is full of empathy.
Tonya winks at me and drags her finger against her throat while mouthing, just say the word, cutie.
Finally, a pair of large arms circle around all of us, and I look up to meet Callum's eyes. They're a little wet, but they crinkle at the edges when he smiles. His strong arms tighten around us all, but he keeps his eyes trained on me, scanning my face and making sure I'm okay.
All these different scents wrapped around me, the warmth of these steady arms holding me, is so soothing. I've felt so alone, so shaky, like I've been drifting untethered in the open ocean, trying to find something to hold on to.
Finally, I'm standing on my own two feet. I feel secure nestled in the embrace of these people who welcomed me into their group without a second thought.
I feel safe.
"Thank you," I murmur through a sniffle, tears trailing down my cheeks. "Thank you for being... kind. And welcoming."
"Of course," Bailey says, pure sunshine as she smiles and squeezes me a little tighter.
"You're ours now," Callum murmurs, his voice a soft promise.
"One of us, one of us, we accept her, one of us, gooble gobble..."
"Shut it, Parker," Tonya snorts, playfully thumping the back of his head.
That breaks the group into laughter, and slowly, we let go of each other, but the warmth remains. I soak it all in like a sponge.
Atticus takes out his cellphone and hisses when he sees the time, "Damn, I have to go pick up Leo from my mom's."
"Oh, wait," Jane says, reaching into her large black purse on the ground near her chair, taking out what I see is a stuffed butter-yellow Triceratops.
She holds it out to Atticus, who looks stunned.
"One of my colleagues had to stop by the Natural History Museum. I asked him to pick this up for Leo."
Atticus blinks in surprise before he reaches and accepts the toy with reverent hands, like he's touching something precious.
"Jane..." he breathes, his voice quiet and raspy. "You didn't have to do that."
"He said the other one I got was too rough," she murmurs, twisting her fingers together in front of her and not quite able to meet his eyes. "I should've known the texture would be too much for him. This one's softer."
Atticus looks struck dumb and can't take his eyes off Jane.
The moment feels so intimate, I feel as though I'm intruding. When I glance sideways to where Callum stands, I see he's watching the pair with a soft smile playing on his lips. There's something knowing in his expression.
"Leo?" I ask Callum in a whisper, not wanting to disturb their moment.
Callum leans in a little, his shoulder brushing mine. "Atticus' son," he replies just as softly. "Kid's obsessed with dinosaurs."
Atticus gently runs his thick fingers over the plush toy's soft hide. "It's perfect," he murmurs, his voice so tender as he looks up at the shy girl. "He'll love this. Thank you, sweetheart."
Jane's pale cheeks flush at the endearment, and she nods, meeting Atticus' awed gaze for a moment before she drops her gaze once more. "You're welcome, Atticus."
"I'll walk you to your car," Atticus says and glances to the room, seeing all of our attention on the duo. He doesn't look awkward or embarrassed. In fact, he looks downright pleased. "See you guys next week."
"Goodbye," Jane gives a small wave to the group before meeting my eyes. The first time she has this evening, and I give a small smile in response. "It was very nice to meet you, Sophie. Your ex is a total moron."
The kind bluntness of it all makes me laugh outright.
"It was nice meeting you guys," I say as they make their way through the beaded curtain.
Parker is already jingling his keys, catching April's attention. "Need a ride?"
She nods through a massive yawn, gathering the mess of yarn in her lap and shoving it in her tote bag. "Yeah, thanks."
Both of them give me a quick wave—April's half-hearted due to sleepiness, Parker's accompanied by a wink.
"Hope to see you next week, Sophie! We can continue our murder plotting!" Parker jokes over his shoulder as they trail after Atticus and Jane. Callum rolls his eyes and follows to let them out the front.
"What's your number?" Tonya says, black acrylic nails clicking away on her cellphone at the speed of light. I recite my number for her, and within seconds, my phone buzzes with a new notification.
Added to Group Chat: Ever After Always
"It's an emoji-only group chat," Tonya explains with a grin. "We send our thoughts on the books through emojis and try to translate each other's nonsense. It's like we're ancient Egyptians."
I laugh and scroll the emoji-filled text thread—hearts and swords and stars and that melting face emoji and... is that shrimp? I don't know if I want to know about that one.
It's unhinged, and I love it.
Callum walks back into the room and smiles when he sees my phone, "Oh, good, I was gonna ask if she wanted to be added to the chaos."
"Ten steps ahead of you," Tonya smirks at him in triumph. "She's one of us now. She needs to witness the full extent of our insanity."
I smile when I see that Atticus heart reacts to Jane's every emoji message.
I tilt my head and ask curiously, "So, what was that thing with Leo and texture?"
"Leo has autism," Tonya says matter-of-factly, but with a tenderness behind her words. "He's got texture and sensory issues. Certain fabrics or materials feel like sandpaper on his skin."
"Jane is neurodivergent too, so Leo really connects with her," Callum says with a warm grin. "They're very attached to each other. Leo likes being around Jane and feels safe with her. Honestly, besides Atticus' mom, Jane's the only one Atticus really trusts with Leo."
"That's really sweet," I murmur. "And Leo's mom is..."
"Not in the picture anymore—thank god," Tonya pushes out through gritted teeth.
"I went to school with her. She was a total piece of work.
She and Atticus were a disaster together, but they were stuck in this whole toxic on-again-off-again thing.
When Atticus seemed like he had finally woken up and was going to leave, Nora found out she was pregnant.
Atticus tried so hard—too hard in my opinion—to make it work with her. "
Callum lets out a slow sigh, scratching thoughtfully at his beard. "Leo was diagnosed pretty early, I think around two years old. Nora was awful as a mother—”
“—yeah, that’s a nice way to say she was a selfish, psycho bitch who would lock Leo in a room when he had crying meltdowns and scream at him to stop.”
I suck in a horrified gasp at this and Callum nods in silent agreement with Tonya before continuing to explain.
“Atticus finally had enough, especially when he found out about... that. He told her to get out. That was... what, four years ago?"
"Three," Tonya says and mutters a curse under her breath directed at the woman. My heart hurts for Atticus and Leo, though it seems that her absence is definitely for the better.
"But Leo's thriving now. Honestly, he's doing much better without her in the picture. He's smart as hell, real sweet,” Callum grins fondly, easing the ache in my chest a bit. “And Jane? She's amazing with him. She gets him in a way no one else really can."
"And if it's not obvious yet, Atticus is astronomically down bad for Jane," Tonya cuts in dramatically, and I laugh, the look on my face saying that was clearly obvious, and Tonya gestures to me like I know.
"And she is just as in love with him. The man refuses to make a move. I keep trying to tell him to shoot his shot, she'll say yes, but he's convinced himself that she doesn't like him like that. Or bemoaning that she deserves better than a grease monkey single dad."