I was an arrogant asshole back then. Too concerned with my image and getting as much pussy as I could. I was desperate to be the anthesis of the chubby, nerdy, D&D-playing loser I thought I was. If I had noticed Sofia and chased after her…I definitely would have fucked it up eventually.
My shitty teenage self wasn't ready for her. My tender ego wouldn't be able to handle any snark, and I would've given up at the first eye roll. I was used to easy girls with no drama.
I wasn't like Barron, either. His stepping out on Eden was a rare slip. He didn't carry on being an ass.
I would have.
Sofia and I would reconnect again precisely the same way we had now - except she would have a legitimate reason to hate me. And she definitely wouldn't give me a second chance considering we didn't have the same lifetime bond Eden and Barron had. There would be no reason for her to reconnect with me. I'd just be her friend's asshole cousin.
Yeah, it was better that we connected this way. I knew I was a better person now than when I was eighteen - hell, better than I was this time last year. I had a lot of growing up to do, and a lot of it was down to Sofia. She made me a better person, but more importantly, she made mewantto be a better person.
So when I volunteered to pose for Sofia's life drawing class, I knew I was in love. She was my person. No one made me laugh harder. No one made me come harder. She was a fantastic friend and daughter. Loyal, a protective Pitbull to anyone lucky enough to have her in their life.
After I took her roughly against the desk, I stood there like a lovesick fool, watching her clean up. And at that moment, as she swiped wet paper towels around her pussy, I thought:I want to watch her clean my come off her body for the rest of our lives.
Admittedly, not a very romantic notion. I couldn't see Shakespeare ever writing that as a sonnet. But at that moment, it was profound.
I needed to expel the emotional overload I was feeling. I couldn't tell her I loved her. At least not yet. We were dating exclusively, but no words of 'labels' had been uttered. I needed to make a gesture to show her that I was ready to move forward in the natural progression that a committed relationship entailed. Meeting my parents as my woman seemed like the next logical step.
The week leading up to dinner, Sofia badgered me no more than twenty times, asking what she should wear and what gift she should bring.
Gift? It was just dinner with mom and dad.
When I told her just to bring herself, she huffed in annoyance, told me I was useless, and then gave me the silent treatment all night. God, even when she was pissed at me, I found it adorable.
When she arrived at my place for the weekend, she had a bottle of fancy wine, presumably for my mom. She promptly shoved it at me when I answered the door, but I just grinned, grabbed her hand, backed her up against the wall, and kissed her soundly. We were almost late for dinner.
"So, how did you two meet?" My mom sipped her wine as she regarded my girl over her glass. "Sofia, I know you're Eden's Maid of Honor. Is that how you two met?"
I placed a protective arm around the back of Sofia's chair as I took a drink of my beer. I could tell my woman was a little uncomfortable.
My parents weren't exactly the warmest of folks. Compared to Barron's parents, Eden's mom, and Sofia's mother, I'm sure the contrast in personalities was jarring. I gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze, trying to lend my warmth to her.
"Kind of, yeah," she tactfully said. "I mean, we've known of each other for years, but I've never properly conversed with him until Eden and Barron became engaged."
I hid a wince at that diplomatic answer. I recalled the first time I noticed Sofia - at my Aunt Kelly's barbecue a few summers back. I remember encroaching in her space, cornering her in a dark garage to proposition her. I remember my petulant anger at being dismissed by her before I quickly replaced her with Maria.
Yeah, I definitely wasn't ready for Sofia back then.
"Must've been a quick courtship," my mom commented. "Didn't you have a girlfriend at Eden and Barron's engagement party, Si?"
My mouth dropped slightly at my mom's words: anger and embarrassment clouded my face. But before I could censure her, Sofia placed a comforting hand on my thigh.
"Finder's keepers," she piped in.
She turned to me, eyes dancing in sauciness as she gave me a cheeky wink. I'm sure she'd reach down to slap my ass if I were standing.
I shook my head and snorted out a laugh before quickly stifling it at my mom's glare. I squeezed Sofia's shoulder in joint humor as I tried to temper down my amusement.
Mom was miffed at the remark, but I didn't care. I told her repeatedly that Maria was just a girl I had been casually dating and that it ended soon after. I knew my mom didn't want to think of her dear son sleeping around, so she read into the situation more than she should have.
"Ma, you know that she was only my date for that night. Nothing more."
Dad cleared his throat before asking mom for a refill of his beer, hoping to alleviate the growing tension.
We were silent, with only the sound of cutlery on plates. My mood was low, so I powered through my meal. The sooner we could leave, the better.
"So, Sofia... you're an art teacher?"
