“Has Mei told you about our unofficial Friday tradition, Lily?” Alisha asked, moving to the front of the room to slip her laptop into her bag.
“After-work drinks? She did, but I’ve already agreed to go to my mom’s for dinner tonight. I’ll join you next week, though.”
“All right, have a good weekend.”
“You too.” Lily waved good-bye to Alisha and the others. “I’ll see you all on Monday.”
Returning to her own room, Lily was about to pack away her things when she noticed a missed call on her phone. Lily swallowed when she read the name. Being so busy with the new job and putting the finishing touches on her new home had meant she hadn’t had much time to dwell on the past, and the woman she’d left behind in Miami.
Now it all came flooding back in a rush of memories, her heart feeling like it was caught in a vice. She and Sophie hadn’t spoken in nearly two months—what was she doing calling her now?
And more importantly—was curiosity enough for Lily to call her back?
To hell with it. Lily lifted the phone to her ear. It might be important.
“Lily.” Sophie saying her name didn’t fill her with the same warmth it used to. “I thought you were ignoring me.”
“Thought about it.” Lily dropped into the chair behind her desk and worried at her bottom lip. “What do you want?”
“You moved.”
Not an accusation, exactly, but there was an undertone to Sophie’s voice that made Lily bristle. “Yeah, I did.”
“You loved that apartment.”
Lily closed her eyes and leaned her head back, trying not to remember the shape of Sophie’s face, the way her brow crinkled when she frowned. “Yeah.” It had been her first place, and she’d made it her own, and now she had to start all over again. “But I couldn’t stay there. Not after…” Lily trailed off, still struggling to think about the demise of their relationship, the new “friend” Sophie had made at work that she insisted Lily was crazy to be jealous of. “How do you even know?”
“I ran into Jessica yesterday. She told me you quit your job and sold your place. I—I’m sorry, Lily.” It wasn’t the first apology Lily had heard, but it was the first time Sophie had actually sounded contrite. “I didn’t—I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Lily scoffed, even as she was blinking back tears. “If you didn’t want to hurt me, you wouldn’t have done what you did.”
“I know. I fucked up, okay? I really am sorry.”
“If you’re expecting my forgiveness, you’re not going to get it.”
“I don’t. I just…I just wanted to know you were okay. And I know I don’t have any right to know, and I shouldn’t have called, but I—I miss you.”
“Don’t,” Lily said, voice sharp as a tack. “You made your bed, Sophie. You have to lie in it.” Lily glanced at the time—she really ought to be going, or she’d be late for dinner. “I’m fine, and I’m happy where I am now.”
Happy to be away from Sophie. Away from any painful memories. A fresh start was exactly what Lily needed. “Please don’t call me again.”
Lily hung up before Sophie could reply, her breaths coming quick and fast. Closing her eyes, Lily concentrated on the ticking of the clock and tried to calm herself down. She hated that another person could have this effect on her—someone she trusted, someone who had promised, on late nights tangled up in the sheets, that they’d be together forever.
But she refused to let Sophie have any power over her anymore. Lily shoved her things into her bag and headed for the car. Eva’s classroom door caught her eye as she stepped into the hall, and Lily wondered what Eva would do in her situation.
Not let Sophie walk all over her, for one. Eva wouldn’t entertain her in the slightest, and maybe Lily could do with taking a page out of Eva’s book. Determined, Lily pulled out her phone and blocked Sophie’s number, just in case she did call again, and tried to push all thoughts of her ex from her mind as she slid behind the wheel of her car.
The forty-five-minute drive gave her time to clear her head, and Lily felt better once she’d parked in the drive behind her sister’s car.
Pulling open the door to her childhood home, Lily was greeted by the smell of cooking. She followed the sound of quiet voices into the kitchen. Her mom stood at the stove stirring a pot, and Daisy sat at the table with baby Emma cradled in her arms.
Her mom dropped her wooden spoon in favor of wrapping Lily in a hug. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you? How’s the new house? Did your first week go okay?”
“Jesus Christ, Mom. Give her a chance to sit before you start the inquisition.” Daisy rolled her eyes, and Lily kissed her sister’s cheek.
“I’m excited to see her, is that a crime?”
“You saw her like five days ago,” Daisy said, and Lily grabbed a glass of water before settling into the chair next to her. She waved at Emma, who was watching her with wide blue eyes. “You’re never this excited to see me.”
