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I check my phone and wince at the time. By the time I hoof it to the station, ride the train for forty minutes, then make my way back to my apartment, it’ll be almost eight. I can’t wait that long to eat. But I hate the idea of taking the train much later than that. “I—uh—I have to take the train back to Providence.”
She sighs. “Oh, that sucks. Every day?”
I shrug. “Unfortunately. I live there so I’m close to campus.”
She smiles. “You should stash an overnight bag under your desk. Then you can stay at my place the next time we have to work late.”
“Really?” I ask, unable to hide my surprise.
She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Why not? Come on, let’s get a slice of pizza really quick before we head to the train station.”
She takes my arm and pulls me toward the pizza place across the street. “You’re walking me to the train station?”
She laughs. “Yes, it’s what friends do. We eat pizza, chat, and walk. Does that work for you? Besides, it’s on the way to my place.”
I sigh.Friends. So this is what it’s like.
* * *
Over slicesof pizza and Diet Cokes, Sophie fills me in on her life. “I live with my mom and dad. Pathetic, I know,” she says between bites, “but I have the entire basement of our townhouse to myself. Separate entrance and all for the late-night calls,” she says with a waggle of her brows. “And since my parents work so much, it’s not too crazy.”
“Are you guys close?” I ask, tamping down on my envy. Living in one’s parents’ basement at twenty-one shouldn’t bring on jealousy, but I would give just about anything to have even one parent who still wanted me around.
Dramatically, she replies, “Super close. Basically, my mother knew all about my first kiss before I’d left the boy’s house.” She smiles. “I’m joking. But seriously, they’re the best. My parents are both surgeons, so they’re super smart and ambitious, but they never put their ambitions on me. They let me find my way, and when I told them I wanted to work in fashion, my mom was all like ‘girlll, finally we’ll have someone to help with this wardrobe.’ She all but lives in scrubs, so she doesn’t need my help, but we have fun.”
My heart squeezes at the vision she creates of her perfect family. I have absolutely no idea what that’s like.
“Any siblings?” I ask.
She shakes her head and runs her hands up and down her body in a Vanna White way. “They stopped when they reached perfection.”
I laugh.
“How ’bout you? Are you close with your parents?” she asks.
I take a sip of my Diet Coke to hide my discomfort and fake a smile. “Nope. But I have three amazing brothers who drive me nuts.”
The three brothers bit always distracts from the parental figure line of questioning.
“Wow,three? Are they hot?” She shimmies her shoulders.
I laugh at her theatrics yet again. I like this girl. “I guess to other people they are. Carter is twenty-four and kind of an obnoxious asshole, but I love him. Cash is seventeen and far too mature for his age. He’s my ride or die. And then there’s my youngest brother, Chase. He’s fourteen and a bit of a clown.”
“Wow, your parents were busy,” she laughs.
“Yup,” I say, then stuff my face with another bite of pizza.
“Boyfriend?” she asks. I don’t know what my face does, but she cringes and blurts, “Or girlfriend? Uh, if that’s your thing.”
I shrug. “Just me.”
“Me too,” she replies. “But did you see that photographer? Dexter? He was so hot.”
Mouth wide open, I gape. “He’s like forty!”
“So what? Give me that daddy energy all day long.”
Throwing my head back, I let out a cackle, and she joins in. After we’ve calmed a bit and have continued eating, my phone buzzes on the table. I flip it over and cringe when I catch sight of a message from Mia. After only a few hours with Sophie, I suddenly see exactly how twisted my relationship is with her.
