Matt rolled his eyes, and both Sophie and Leanne laughed it off. And pretty soon we were playing something else. But I can’t remember what else we did that afternoon, because all I could think about was the seething rage boiling under my skin. Sophie was nothing but kind and caring towards Matt, and this was how he repaid her? With blatant disrespect?
I couldn’t stand for this. Sophie was a queen—isa queen—and she always deserved to be treated like one.
So later that day, when Leanne and Sophie were preparing something for dinner in the kitchen, I took Matt into his and Sophie’s room to confront him about it.
“Matt, that was unacceptable.” I remember my voice being tight with frustration. “You can’t speak to Sophie like that.”
“Whoa, chill, man,” Matt said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “It’s not that serious. Anyway, she laughed it off. We were just playing a game.”
But it wasn’t just a game, not even to Sophie. I’d seen a glint of hurt in her eyes just before I was able to interrupt Matt.
I got closer to him, making him back away into the room. “You said back then that you were going to treat her well. Remember?” My tone was icy cold, a hint of menace in my words. “I’m holding you to it. You’d better believe it.” Matt’s promise to me when we met Sophie—that he’d treat her like a queen—was the only reason I was relatively okay with not getting to be the one to win her heart.
“Alright, alright,” Matt conceded, holding up his hands defensively. “I got it. Geez. Since when are you such a killjoy? Anyway, shouldn’t you be paying attention to that hot piece of ass you brought here? You’re not gotta get laid by spending all your attention on me. Much less on Sophie.”
I’d brushed it off then, the way he spoke about Leanne. But I shouldn’t have. I should have seen that as a sign of how he viewed women. He was my best friend for three decades, for crying out loud. How I didn’t realize his true colours earlier is beyond me.
I realize now, with a lurch, that maybe I was too busy numbing my senses to truly take notice of anything uncomfortable.
As I watch Sophie’s eyes flutter closed again, I begin to wonder if Matt spoke of my dates around her the same way he did with me. If he did, I can’t fault her for always having walls up around me. She probably believed that’s how I spoke of them around Matt, and that Matt was merely reflecting that language back to her.
I can see how it looked from the outside, that I was some sort of conniving playboy or Casanova. But I didn’t move from one woman to the next because I lacked any respect for them, or because I wanted to lead them on. I tried so hard to make a connection. With every single woman I met. But every time I tried, they were outshone by my best friend’s girl.
Because not one of them could compare to her.
CHAPTER 17
SOPHIE
“I’ll be right back,” Will reassures me from the entrance as he rustles into his jacket, the sound echoing in the living room. “Just hang tight.”
Will has been here for twenty-four hours, nonstop. Despite me telling him we were fine and that he could leave, he wouldn’t budge. It’s probably a good thing he did, because I ended up being sick a few more times, and so did the girls. He kept Julian fed with bottles, and he watched over the girls whenever I went in the nursery to pump milk. Now I haven’t thrown up in twelve hours, and I’m able to feed Julian at the breast. But I can’t imagine hauling myself and the girls all the way to the grocery store when we’re still feeble and dizzy.
“I survived on my own for a year,” I call out, eliciting a squeal from Julian in my arms. “I think I can hold down the fort.”
We’re running out of medicine, and I don’t have any bread left to make toast—a great snack of choice when recovering from whatever bug this is. I was supposed to go grocery shopping yesterday, until all my plans got halted by this sickness. So, when Will offered to go out and grab us a few things, I didn’t object.
Still, there’s a slight pinch in my chest when the door closes behind him.
It hasn’t been five minutes since Will left when my phone rings from the coffee table. Barely moving from the couch, I stretch out to grab the phone and see Matt’s name on the screen.
I hold back a snarl. Sonowhe’s calling me back?? Then I pick up and speak before he can. “What took you so long?”
“I got held up at work.” That doesn’t explain why he didn’t call me back last night or earlier this morning, but I’ve long since abandoned arguing with this man. “What’s the issue?”
“The girls are sick.” My voice is still hoarse.
“Okay …” He sounds confused. “And you can’t handle that?”
I roll my eyes. “Typically, yes, Matthew, I can handle that. But I caught whatever they have.” I think about Will, who dropped everything—including his other clients—to come to my aid. Something blossoms from the bottom of my chest before I can smother it. “But you know what? I don’t need your help anyway, since Will decided to step in. So you can just go on about your day now.”No one needs you, Matt. Least of all me.
“Will?” Matt’s voice is bitter and loud. “Will Béchard?”
“Yes.” Despite a new wave of nausea coming up, my voice is steady.
Next to me, Gwen stirs. She looks up at me with big eyes clouded with pain. My baby.
“You let that prick around the girls?” Matt exclaims. Seems like he took Will’s departure from their friendship quite personally. Good.
