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Sophia leans in and kisses the top of Tex's head. "We're going to have so much fun together, aren't we?" she says. "I have the weekend off, and I'm just going to lounge around, take you for walks..."
Tex looks at me like I'm the idiot for going out of town, and I wonder if he could go on the work trip and I could stay here.
Of course, that would be ridiculous.
"You're going to spoil him," I laugh. "He's not even going to want me to come home."
"Well, maybe I'll come back and visit sometime," she says, off the cuff, like she didn't think about it for even a second. "I mean—if Dad is okay with it."
Dad. Jesus, she's just ticking all my boxes, isn't she?
"Dad would be okay with that," I smile. "I think we can consider ourselves friends now that we've spent an evening in the ER together, right?"
Sophia bites her lip, and she looks like a sin incarnate sitting there in my bedroom.
"Yeah," she says. "Friends."
I somehow manage to tear my eyes away from her as I zip up my bag and pick it up to sling it over my shoulder. I go downstairs first, and Sophia follows me down, Tex right at her heels.
"Okay," I say. "You know the outside door code, the key is on the counter, you should have plenty of food...and I've already sent you the payment we agreed on, plus a little extra."
Her face falls. "Oh, you don't have to—"
"I insist," I say. "You should be compensated for spoiling my dog, okay? And take care of him; he's probably the thing I love most in the world, so..."
"I'll take amazing care of him," she says. "Drive safe, Ryan."
"I will," I say. "Text me if anything happens."
"I'll even text you if nothing happens," she says. "Pictures. I'll be taking them all weekend."
I laugh as I make my way to the door. "Sounds good. Thanks, Sophia."
Just as I'm about to open the door, she calls out to me. "Hey, Ryan?"
I turn to face her, my hand still on the doorknob. "Yeah?"
She looks like she’s going to say something—anythingthat will confirm that the tension I’m feeling is real.
But she just smiles.
"Have a good trip," she says.
"Thanks," I say, returning the smile. "I'll see you when I get back."
And with that, I leave my house, my mind already racing with thoughts of her.
It's going to be a long trip to Salem.
Chapter seven
Sophia
Ivery nearly came onto Ryan before he left for his trip. Now I have two long, agonizing days to wonder if he knows something is up.
I spend my first night at Ryan's place cuddling with Tex and watching rom coms on the couch, chowing down on the tons of different snacks that he bought for me. I finish off the strawberries that night, along with a pint of ice cream in the freezer...and I end up passing out with Tex lounging on the couch next to me, perfectly cozy under a blanket.
I wake up around four in the morning, and I can't go back to sleep, so I burn the midnight oil working on Retro Revival's new website. Tex rolls over on his back to sleep, his tongue lolling out in the light of the TV, and I snap a picture to send to Ryan in the morning.
