Page 100 of Try Hard
“Doesn’t make me hate it less,” I said as Herc jumped up at me, clearly too excited by the whole evening to contain himself. Relatable.
Ophelia stepped back, smiling briefly at him and his little waistcoat. “We can pick this up later, Archer.”
“Thank goodness for that.” I gestured towards the stairs. “For now, let’s go have dinner with my family while my sister flirts with you.”
She shook her head ruefully, leading the way towards the stairs, but any concern I was feeling was soothed by the way she reached to hold my hand until we were back in view of everyone else.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Fia
After an evening of fairly unsubtle attempts to monopolise my attention, Sophie caught me in the hallway as I put my coat on and waited for Eve to return with her overnight bag. Her mum and Terrance were packing up leftovers for us both to take, even though nobody had actually spoken about the fact that Eve wasn’t staying here tonight.
“I cannot believe that, after all this time, you’ve chosen the least interesting Archer sister,” Sophie said, leaning against the wall and inspecting her nails.
I looked at her levelly. “Eve and I are friends.”
“Yeah, right. You might be good at hiding your feelings, but she sure as shit isn’t.”
I pursed my lips to avoid smiling. She wasn’t wrong about Eve. It was honestly a relief to be around someone who was so free and open with her feelings—and Eve’s were constantly written across her face. Just as they had been when she’d run off to the bathroom to get a grip on her jealousy over Sophie flirting with me. “You know, it wasn’t very nice of you to wind her up.”
“By flirting with you? That’s just a bonus. I’ve been flirting with you since we met. I’m not giving that up because Eve finally realised how hot you are.”
The familiar squirming in my stomach started up, but I hadn’t been lying when I told Eve it was different with her—with Sophie too, I guess—given that I knew it wasn’t about my weight. Still, Sophie looked at me like she wanted to devour me. It was all physical. Sure, there were aspects of my personality she’d always seemed to enjoy, but it wasn’t the same as with Eve. Something about the way Eve looked at me made me feel simultaneously like she was looking at the best thing she’d ever seen and like I could be a consciousness inside a vase and she’d still want me in the same way. No matter how much Sophie liked my personality, she liked my body more.
I sighed. “Well, it’s a good job your sister and I aren’t dating, isn’t it? Flirting with your sibling’s partner would be weird as hell.”
She eyed me critically, something similar to the looks she’d given me years ago when I’d suggested she give some of her teachers a chance. “Firstly, just because you haven’t named it yet, doesn’t mean you’re not dating—and I’m assuming that’s because Eve’s being too much of a loser to ask you.”
“It is not.”
“And, secondly,” she continued, shooting me an amused grin, “I met you first. If she’s going to sweep in and take you, she can put up with the knowledge that I liked you first.”
From the comments Eve had made, I wasn’t sure that was true, but I wasn’t going to wade into that. If Eve wanted to defend her… honour from Sophie, I was sure she was more than capable.
Sophie inched along the wall, getting closer to me. I knew she wouldn’t try anything, but I shot her a look through narrowedeyes that would have stopped a younger her in her tracks—and most adults too.
She shook her head. “The good news is that she couldn’t have picked a better time.”
“How so?”
“I’ve been seeing someone. So, while my heart breaks for your bad taste, at least I know I’m still the better sibling. I managed to ask my person out.”
I shook my head. Still the same Sophie I’d always known. It was amusing to see, even as her prickling made me want to defend Eve. I knew that would only make things worse, though. “Congratulations. Who’s the lucky person?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“People generally ask questions, Sophie, because they’re interested in the answers.”
She laughed and tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “She’s never deserved you, you know?”
“That’s your opinion.”
“You always told me I’m entitled to that.”
“You are. Just as I’m allowed to disagree with you.”
She rolled her eyes at me but didn’t seem truly wounded. “It’s just someone I met at work.”
