Page 52 of Changing Tides

I reach for the handle and swing it open and Sophie immediately relaxes. “Claire!” she screams.

“Sophie!” Claire throws her arms around her friend and they rock back and forth. There is a guy standing behind Claire who I assume is her husband. He’s about my height, with sandy brown hair and light brown eyes. Like me, he has a scruffy beard.

I hold out my hand for him to shake. “Liam,” I introduce myself.

“I’m Derek, hi.” He shakes my hand. His grip is firm, unlike James’ who was clearly trying to give a firm handshake last night and failed miserably.

“Come on in,” I open the door wider.

Now Ellie is making her way with Lucy into the foyer from the kitchen just as Sophie is saying, “This is such a surprise! I didn’t know you were coming. This is Liam, and Ellie—it’s her house—and sweet baby Lucy.”

Claire squeezes Sophie again and then pulls away. “We can’t stay more than one night but I remembered you mentioning it and I wanted to surprise you. Are you surprised?”

Sophie takes her best friend's hands and pulls backward to get a look at her. “Of course!” Then she moves to hug Derek. “Hi, D!” She squeezes him tightly. I like getting to see who Sophie is and meeting her people. It gives me a glimpse of the happy side of her. “We were just planning a barbecue for tonight. You have to stay.”

“Of course!” Ellie interrupts. “You can stay in the peach room. We would love to have you.” Ellie is beaming. I know she is so happy to have her house filled with life.

We move back into the kitchen and Ellie fixes us all coffee. I urge Sophie to take Claire and Derek out and show them around. Ellie and I can handle the meal. I make sure to text the Perry Street Boys and, I guess, Melanie to join us for dinner. I don’t know that everyone will come since it’s a bit last minute, but I see how happy Ellie is with people around. Danny and Kristen will bring their three kids. Jack and Steph will probably bring their two as well. It’ll be a nice Memorial Day.

While Ellie is showing Claire and Derek their room for the evening, I grab Sophie for a minute alone. We’re standing face to face in the corner of the kitchen, while Lucy is toddling around at our feet. I am rubbing Sophie’s arms, and I brush her cheek, willing her to look me in the eyes. “Sophie,” I say, my voice low. “Are you okay?” She hasn’t looked at me any differently this morning, but she hasn’t given me an indication that our kisses last night were as earth-shattering for her as they were for me.

She meets my eyes and simply nods. She doesn’t pull away from me, but I feel exposed, like I have let her in and now she could hurt me. I don’t like it at all. “Areweokay?” I don’t move my hand away from her cheek and now she nuzzles it, giving me a little hope.

I lean in to kiss her just as we hear Ellie coming back toward the kitchen. Sophie jumps away from me like I have the plague. She shoots me an apologetic look but I can’t help feeling rejected.

Ellie looks back and forth between us as if she knows she interrupted something. Then she reaches down to pick up Lucy. “Sophie, Claire said to tell you she is ready when you are.” Ellie’s eyes sparkle, crinkling slightly at the corners. “I’m just so excited. Liam, shall we make a grocery list?”

A few minutes later, Sophie, Claire, and Derek are gone. Ellie and I make the grocery list. I decide to go to the store alone so that I can pay for it all and so that Ellie and Lucy don’t have to fight the crowds with me. We settle on a 4 p.m. party time and I send a text to Sophie letting her know. She responds with nothing more than a simple “okay” and my heart sinks. It doesn’t even feel like we’re friends now. We went from feeling like good friends, to almost lovers, and now what? Acquaintances? Neighbors? I am moping around the produce section when someone taps me on the shoulder.

“Hey, stranger.” It’s Melanie, and she’s smiling like she’s happy to see me.

It’s been a few weeks and the air between us feels clearer. I try to manage a smile, but it feels forced. “Hey there. You going to make it over for dinner?” I ask, throwing some zucchini and peppers in my cart.

She nods, gesturing to a carton of strawberries she is holding. “I am. I’m going to make strawberry shortcake.” She puts the strawberries in her basket and then catches my arm. “Thanks for inviting me, Liam. I don’t want things to be weird with us.”

I shrug. “Mel, we’re friends. We’ll always be friends.” I reach to give her a hug, mostly because I feel like I need one.

When she pulls away, she meets my gaze and hesitates. “Is…Sophie going to be there?” She winces as she asks, and I wonder if it’s because she suspects something is happening between Sophie and me.

I nod. “She is. Her best friend and her husband are down from Pennsylvania. They surprised her this morning.” Best to avoid any indication that I have any sort of feelings for Sophie.

Melanie smiles. “Oh, that’s great! Well, I think all the guys are coming. Danny and Kristen have to stop by his parents’ house first but then they are coming.” As she fills me in, I realize I haven’t even looked at the group text. I’ve only been checking every five minutes to see if I have a message from Sophie.

“Would you like to help me shop?” I ask Melanie. I am trying to be friendly, break the ice, but I also need the distraction. I can’t keep obsessing over what Sophie is doing all day. My heart hasn’t left my throat since we were interrupted in the kitchen.

But Melanie declines. “I really should get home and start making this cake,” She gives me half of a regretful smile. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” And then she’s gone, and I’m left alone with my intrusive thoughts telling me just how not good enough I am for Sophie.

29

SOPHIE

Having Claire here has improved my mood dramatically. It’s been a challenge jumping from an old life to a new life and even though I really like everyone I have met here, Claire and Derek are my people. They are in my corner. They know me well and they love me hard.

“I am so surprised to see you,” I say as we plop down on a beach blanket and settle in to relax.

“It was all Claire’s idea,” Derek grins. “She misses you.”

Claire leans into my shoulder and rests her head against mine. “I do,” she says, wrapping me into a squeeze.

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