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“No one else has ever had the chance. If you let them try, you’d find there are people out there who care about you.”
She chewed on a nail, grimacing at the taste of acrylic. Her nail tech would kill her, but old habits died hard.
Levi moved closer, bringing a hand to her shoulder. The sensation was odd in its absence, even though Sophie could see the curl of his fingers. After all this time, she still hadn’t gotten used to it.
“Soph, I love you, but there’s a reason we usually disappear before kids grow up. We’re not meant to still be around when our charges are thirty.”
“So go then, if it’s too much. Leave already. Who cares if I need you.”
“Needing people is good, but I think it’s time you had someone real.”
“And you’ll be gone? I’ll never see you again?”
His sigh told her all she needed to know.
This was it. The first friend she had ever made was leaving her. When he was gone, Sophie would truly be alone.
It wasn’t Levi’s fault she was so messed up. Maybe if she had tried harder, been better, he wouldn’t have had to stay. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so hard for her to make new friends or trust that they’d stick around.
Instead, she was a thirty-year-old woman who was more confident in her ability to pick up a stranger for a one-night stand than to ask a coworker to hang out away from the office.
When had friendship become so daunting? Kids did it every day.
New people wouldn’t get her references or know that she would gag if she bit into a piece of onion (thanks to a nanny who’d force fed her the stuff). Hell, she still had an imaginary friend. Who would understand a quirk like that?
Okay, Mitch did. But Mitch was different.
Sophie wasn’t cool like Annette, with her muscle car and open laugh. Or nerdy like Colin. Or funny like Mitch.
It had only taken him a week to learn the name and coffee order of every person on their team.
In Sophie’s world, it wasn’t that easy. Never had been.
* * *
Two more cosmos later, a pleasant buzz had replaced Sophie’s racing thoughts. Deep, pounding bass rumbled through the air and under her feet. Saturday nights were always packed, and the crowd was usually a safe haven.
Yet tonight, it was stifling.
Sophie pushed her way to the bar and slipped into a seat, casting a look at the man beside her. Blond, tall, fit.
A couple of months ago, she wouldn’t have hesitated to flirt. Buy him a drink. Take him home.
Tonight, there was no urge.
Tonight, everything felt off.
Instead of chatting up someone new, her thoughts were fixed solely on Mitch. She missed him.
“It’s not that late. You should call him.”
Sophie blinked, long and slow. She could. He’d probably answer.
Levi was still watching her, his expression one of compassion.“Having feelings is a good thing, Sophie.”
Fishing her phone out of her bag with one hand, she polished off the last of her drink in one gulp. The worst he could say was no. And if he did, Sophie would have the answer she needed. Then she’d double down on shots and try to forget.
Sophie regarded her phone. Nerves she hadn’t felt in years came rushing over her.
