"You're splitting hairs." He takes a pull from his beer. It's an expensive import that he'd never typically drink. He's making me pay, literally, for not deleting those emails when he asked me to months ago. "You like this girl. If you hadn't fucked it up, she'd be your girlfriend. She was that before all this went down."
She was. I viewed her that way and I believe Sophia considered herself my girlfriend. The title doesn't matter. What does matter is the way I feel about her. "Tell me how to fix this."
"I specialize in grief counseling." He brushes his hair from the side of his face. "I'm not an expert on situations where one lover accuses another of stealing their unpublished manuscript. I read it, by the way. It's brilliant as usual."
I take the compliment with a smile. It would have done well if I had been given the opportunity to release it. "Thanks, Wolf. I appreciate that you took the time to read a pirated copy of my book."
He laughs. The sound is rich and warm. "You lost a few million in that, didn't you?"
That's a low estimate. The advance alone was near eight figures. "Around that. I'll recoup some one day if this thing goes to court or it settles before it comes to that."
"You're lucky you've got a big bank account to fall back on."
I swallow a mouthful of the wine I ordered with my dinner. "Whatever I recover I'll donate. The book is out there now. I might as well turn this into something positive."
"You're a good man, Nick."
"Tell me how to convince Sophia I am."
He finishes the last swallow of his beer. "Start with an apology."
CHAPTER SIX
Sophia
I stareat the soft blanket in Cadence's hands. It's the first gift I've given her for Firi. She hasn't said one word since I handed it to her. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have gone to the store she's registered at and chosen something that she actually needs instead of this.
"You don't like it," I say. It's not a question. I don't want to give her an out. I'd rather just state the obvious so we can move on.
She shakes her head slightly.
I tug at the corner of the blanket. "I'll get you something else, Den. I'm sorry. I just thought you'd like this. Obviously, I suck at making things for a baby."
"Don't." Her voice cracks. "Don't take it back."
My best friend rarely wears her heart on her sleeve, but right now she is. I recognize the quake in her tone.
"I love it," she continues. "I can't believe you'd do this for me."
I suck in a sharp breath. I don't want to cry. If I do, I already know that my tears of joy for Cadence will morph into something else quickly. I've been on the precipice of an emotional meltdown for days and I'm not about to let it happen right now. "I wanted to make something special for the baby."
"You didn't throw out my old baby clothes." Her hand runs over one of the patterned rectangles that make up the blanket's border. "This is that pink dress I told you I wore when I was three-years-old."
It is. When we were still living together, Cadence's mom had come for a visit along with a trunk full of keepsakes from when Den was a kid. Inside were old report cards, a catcher's mitt and a bag filled with clothing that Cadence wore when she was an infant and toddler.
Many of the pieces were too worn to save for another generation, so Cadence made the decision to toss them in the trash. I told her I'd take the bag down to the dumpster, but I kept it. I hid it in the back of my closet because to me they were treasures that I knew I'd eventually make use of. I had no idea back then that many of the pieces I salvaged from her old sleepers, dresses, and T-shirts would become a blanket for her first child.
"I know there's a lot of pink in it." I laugh. "But I added some odds and ends I had to make it at least a little more masculine."
"It's everything, Soph." She reaches for my hand. "You don't know how perfect this is. I can't wait to show my mom."
She won't have to wait long. I spoke to her mom just this morning about her surprise visit next week. She hasn't seen Cadence since she found out she was pregnant and now that the nursery is almost complete, it's the perfect time for Firi's grandma to come to town.
"I'm glad you like the blanket." I glance down at my watch. "I made a reservation for us at seven. You're sure you're not too tired for our dinner?"
She gingerly lays the blanket across the back of her couch. "My best friend is the lead designer on what is going to be the fashion line everyone is talking about this fall. That calls for a celebration. I'm not bailing on you, Sophia."
"You're just excited to see Tyler." I slip into my coat.
