“By obvious he means you’ve been clueless for years.” Sophie gives me a sly grin and then leans in and kisses me as cheers erupt from all sides.
“But you’re forgiven because the way you, like, swept in and claimed her that night at the bar?” Emmy shakes her head. “So hot, Tyler. So fucking hot.”
Grinning, I lean down and press a kiss to Sophie’s shoulder. “Couldn’t have anyone else moving in on my girl.”
“His girl,” Maddy practically squeals, pressing her hands to her chest. “I can’t take it. I love this so much.”
“You love it?” Sophie says. “What about me? I thought I would be stuck in dating app hell for the rest of my life and then all of a sudden, the guy from the app is my best friend who I’ve been lusting over for years and I’m still not sure this is real and not some fantasy-induced fever dream.”
Chuckling, I pull her so she’s leaning back fully against me. “Trust me, Sal, it’s no dream,” I murmur into her ear. “I’ve got the claw marks on my back to prove it.”
“Fuck, I love this so much,” Maya says with a sigh. “I love it because it’s you guys and I love you both, and I love it because it’s grim out there on the dating apps.”
“Another bad one?” Caitlin asks, draining her margarita andsetting the empty glass on the table. I watch as Drew refills her glass without a word and Caitlin very pointedly does not pick it up.
Maya groans. “He asked if he could borrow a strand of my hair to get a piece of steak out of his teeth. Because my hair was longer than his. I think it’s time for me to take a long, long break from the apps.”
Sophie snorts out a laugh, leaning her head back on my shoulder. “Aren’t you happy you have me? I might end up on the other side of the country, but at least I don’t ask to floss my teeth with your hair.”
I laugh and pull her closer, even though she’s already as close as she can possibly get, because the thought of her on the other side of the country makes my stomach twist.
Don’t beg her to stay.Don’t you fucking do it.She deserves this.
I’m so lost in my head that it takes me a couple seconds to realize the room has gone completely silent and everyone is staring at Sophie and me.
“What do you mean the other side of the country?” Maddy asks, sitting up straight and looking right at Sophie.
“Explain.” Emmy points at Sophie and me, and I see Caitlin studying us with an unreadable expression.
“Shit,” Sophie mutters, shoving her hair back and scanning our friends’ faces. “Okay. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way. I wasn’t keeping anything from you, I swear. I was just waiting to find out if it was really real before I said anything.” She glances back at me, and I nod at her, taking both her hands and lacing our fingers together.
She squeezes my hands and takes a deep, fortifying breath before telling them everything. About the job opportunity and the interviews and the potential move to California and what that might mean. She talks and talks and tells them all the things I already know but stops short of mentioning anything about the interview today. When she glances back at me again, meaningfullook on her face, I know it’s intentional. Whatever happened today, she wants to tell me first.
And the idea of it, that I’m her proverbial first call, her most important person in all things, has warmth spreading in my chest, love rushing through me, strong and true, because she is absolutely, undoubtedly, my person too.
When Sophie’s finished, it’s quiet for a few seconds before Drew lets out a low whistle. “MasterLab? That’s incredible, Soph. They do such amazing work.”
I wonder briefly how the hell Drew, who has spent his entire adult life as a football player, would know about the work of a tech company on the other side of the country, but I decide that’s a question for another day and focus on the rest of the room.
“Sophie.” Sarah’s voice is quiet, pride evident in her tone even as unshed tears glaze her eyes. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“This is a huge deal, Soph,” Jack says. “CEO? That’s amazing.”
“So fucking badass.” Oliver nods like it’s obvious that Sophie is, in fact, a major badass and seeing the confidence and pride that all our friends have in her makes me love them, and her, a million times more.
We are the lucky ones.
Even if the thought of Sophie moving away makes me want to hold onto her tighter and never let go.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and look over to see Cam studying me, like he somehow knows the mere suggestion of Sophie not living right here with me has my brain spiraling just a teeny, tiny bit. Cam might be a bunch of years older than I am, but being teammates bonded us like glue and he’s my brother, just as much as Jack and Oliver are. I’m grateful for them all, especially since pretty soon I might end up on the other side of the country from my best friend in the world and the only woman I’ve ever loved.
“No one deserves it more.” Maddy reaches over and lays a hand on Sophie’s leg, looking at her and then at the rest of the girls, and I see a thousand unsaid words pass between the six of them. An entire silent conversation. Thoughts and feelings the rest of us aren’t privy to and can’t access. The mysterious, extraordinary language of female friendship. I’ve always known my friendship with Sophie was special, but these women are her sisters, and no man could ever compete with that.
I wouldn’t even want to try.
Sophie shrugs, like none of this is any kind of big deal. “It’s just a couple interviews. I don’t even know if they’ll offer it to me.”
“They will,” Caitlin and Emmy say in unison.
