Page 162 of Between Regrets and Promises

“Sophie’s pissed.”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious. Gonna tell me why now?” I wait for her to answer, and all she does is laugh.

After crossing my arms and glowering at her, she continues, “If you haven’t figured it out yet, you’re stupider than I thought.” She turns with the cue stick in her hand, then leans over and hits a solid into a side pocket. I don’t wait around for her to talk shit like usual before I head out too.

By the time I make it home, I’ve had too much time to think about tonight. The attitude, the annoyance, the dirty looks Sophie threw Serena’s way—there’s no reason for any of it, and by Hunter’s and Liam’s remarks, I wasn’t imagining things.

When I walk inside, Sophie’s sitting on the couch, already changed into different clothes. She doesn’t look and focuses all of her attention on the TV.

“What’s your problem?” I ask. Crossing my arms over my chest, I stand at the end of the couch.

She shrugs. “Not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Not sure? You’re not sure?”

She narrows her eyes, her face expressionless as she speaks firmly. “Please tell me you’re notthatdense, Mason.”

“Enlighten me then.” I lift my arms and let them smack against my sides.

“Serena. Why did you invite her to something I arranged for you tonight?”

The question confuses me.

“Because she’s my friend. She’s done a lot for me over the years, and when she asked about my plans tonight, I thought she’d want to celebrate my promotion too. She’s like an annoying big sister.” Which is the truth. She’s always looked out for me and has never given me any indication of wanting more.

Nevertheless, I notice she’s growing more frustrated with me. “Never mind,” she snaps, turning off the TV and walking to her room, then slamming the door shut. Refusing to make it that easy for her to drop this, I follow and walk inside her room.

“We’re having this conversation right now.” By the look on her face, she knows she can’t escape me.

“Fine,” she says, sighing. “I see the way she looks at you, Mason. And the way she touches you, flirts with you, how her eyes shine when you give her the tiniest bit of attention.”

“That’s not true,” I argue.

“Really?” Sophie tilts her head at me. “She leans into you when you talk to her. I watched her touch your arm. We’re in limbo, so it’s not like it matters anyway. I’m not sure why I’m even upset. If you want to be with her, you should be. You two would probably make a better couple, anyway, considering you have so much in common. Not to mention she’d at least put out for you.”

“Jesus, Soph.” I take a step toward her, feeling like she slapped me across the face. “It’s not like that. Serena’s a flirty person and has always been that way. You’re looking for something that’s not there, but I don’t know why.”

Her mouth falls open as if I’ve slapped her. “Leave. You’re treating me as if I’m making this shit up, and I’m not. You need to leave right now before I say something I might regret later.”

“That’s how you feel? That I should be with Serena? Take her out on dates and make her my girlfriend and fuck her?” I’m so pissed and wish she’d realize she’s the only woman I want. The only one I’ve wanted for years.

Sophie tenses as if my words affected her. “I can’t give you what you need, so you might as well. Considering she’s so willing…”

I shake my head and drop my arms. “Don’t you realize how absurd this is? I’m standing here fighting for you, telling you I don’t want Serena and asking you to see what’s right in front of you. Why are you looking for a fight? Haven’t we been through enough to get to this point?”

She stands and points to the door, her chest heaving as my words sink in. “Just leave. I don’t want to talk about this right now and want to be alone.”

“Soph,” I whisper, pleading with my eyes for her to stop pushing me away. She’s all I want. Why can’t she see that? She stands her ground as my heart deflates. “Alright, fine.” I walk out of her bedroom, then climb the stairs. I notice Liam’s door is open down the hall and poke my head inside.

“Everything okay?” he asks, flicking on his TV.

I sit on the edge of the bed and scrub my hands over my face. “I want to be there for her, give her everything she needs, but anytime I make some sort of progress, she slips through my fingers, and I have to start over. The moment we get closer, she pushes away again.”

He unpacks a duffle bag of clothes, and I can only imagine how long they’ve been in there. By the smell, a while.

“Well, she’s not wrong about Serena.” I narrow my eyes at him, and he shrugs. “She’s not. I don’t know if Serena wantsyou or wants to screw around, but she’s flirty around you. Whether or not it’s harmless, it obviously bothers Sophie. She’s in a fragile state of mind right now, so everything probably feels escalated, but perhaps validating her concerns instead of brushing them off would tell Sophie that you respect her feelings.”

“Of course I respect her feelings. Our friendship has always been like that. Serena checks up on me like an older sibling, and I tease her for having no other friends. It’s how we are. It doesn’t mean she wants something more.”

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