Page 36 of A Simple Reminder
I hit send, hoping for a more revealing response.
Adeline
Nice try. That’s not for me to say.
Ask Sophie
Well, she didn’t help.
Maybe Leora can shed some light on this. I decide to give her a call. Sometimes, it’s easier to get the full picture over the phone than through text. I check the time to make sure the time difference is okay. It’s seven-thirty in Nice right now. I dial her number and wait. After a few rings, she picks up. “Liam!” Leora’s cheerful voice is always a welcome sound. “How are you? Any new bruises?”
“Hey, Leora. I’m all good—no new bruises. How are you? And how’s my favorite nephew?” I can’t help but smile at the thought of Antoine. That little charmer has a way of getting under your skin—in the best way. I miss him more than I ever thought I would. He’s completely taken over my life by force, like the tiny tyrant he is.
“I’m good, we’re all good. He misses his uncleLili,” she says, her voice filled with warmth.Liliis what he calls me because, apparently, Liam is too hard. I absolutely love it.
“So, I have a bit of an odd question. I just hired an extra interior designer?—”
“Why would you do that? Isn’t Sophie enough?” Her tone shifts from cheerful to sharp, laced with concern. I choose my words carefully as I try to explain.
“She’s incredible and more than capable, but I thought it might ease her workload.”
“Hmm,” she replies, letting it hang in the air.
“You might not like what I’m about to say, but the person I hired is someone she used to date.”
“Spencer? Morgan?” she interjects.
Who the hell are Spencer and Morgan? A sharp twist of something I can only call jealousy tightens in my gut. How many interior designers has Sophie dated? My jaw clenches involuntarily as the thought digs deeper. Would I have ended up in this mess no matter which designer I hired?
“No,” I finally say, my voice cold. “Jared.”
There’s a heavy silence on the line. I can’t even hear her breath.
“You there?”
“Yeah, I’m still here. Ehm, why did you hire Jared?” Her tone is a little bit off, colder than before.
“I told you, I wanted someone to take some pressure off Soph’s back. What do you know about him?”
“I think you should talk to Sophie about this. I don’t feel comfortable discussing her when she isn’t around.”
“Come on, Leora, it’s me. I just want to know who I hired and if I made a mistake.”
“Listen, he’s an incredibly talented designer. From a business perspective, he’s great.” She takes a deep breath, almost labored. “But from a friendship perspective, I can’t stand the guy. He hurt my Sophie, and I will never forgive him for her tears.”
My stomach knots as I absorb her words. He hurt her. My voice is low and strained when I say, “What did he do?”
“Liam, I think this is a conversation between you and Sophie.”
It’s the same answer Adeline gave me, and honestly, I shouldn’t have expected any less. Their friendship is etched in stone.
“I get it. I’ll ask her. Thanks for nothing.”
“No. That’s not how we end our conversations.” Her voice cuts through sharply, dripping with playful authority.
I sigh. “Fine. Love you.”
“There we go. Much better,” she laughs, her tone warm and teasing. “Love you too.” And with that, she hangs up.
