Page 21 of Forever, Never, Always (Forever #2)

Sofia

Monday hits like a slap.

The second I step through the office doors, the hum of chaos wraps around me like static.

Phones are ringing off the hook, printers are jammed, and someone is yelling about a two o’clock deadline.

And, of course, Amelia is perched at her desk like a queen surveying her kingdom, iced latte in hand and a smirk that makes me want to rip her face clean off.

I slip behind my desk and drop my bag under it. I log in to find twenty unread emails. Two urgent. One from Amelia, flagged in red.

Before I can even open it, Amelia’s heels click across the office like gunshots.

She pauses at my desk with a folder clutched in her perfectly manicured hand.

“Darling,” she drawls, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I need a rough draft before the two p.m. meeting.” She drops the file on my keyboard. “No excuses.”

I flip the file open, run my eyes over the printed email inside, and frown. “This is addressed to your email,” I say. “Dex asked you for a draft story.”

“And I’m asking you,” she says, leaning a little closer. “I thought you’d be up to it.”

“I have a deadline to meet.”

“Look, this is more your thing,” she drawls, “Two p.m. sharp.”

“Amelia, I don’t have time.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, running her vicious tongue carefully over her lower lip. “Dex might be talked into giving you a second warning,” she says thoughtfully.

I scowl. “Why, because I refuse to do your work?”

“Darling, I know things have changed since you were last here, so I’ll spell it out. We’re a team. We all help one another, and if you’re not a team player,” she arches a brow and takes in a breath before releasing it heavily, “well, Dex would have no choice but to assign a buddy to you.”

“A buddy?” I repeat.

“Yes. Someone who is a team player. Someone who can take the lead.”

I laugh. “You?”

“Imagine, me and you, buddied. Day in, day out. And, of course, at the end of every day, I’d have to report back to Dex and let him know if you’re improving. If I can see a future for you here.”

I hear her message loud and clear and slam the file closed. “Two p.m.,” I repeat through gritted teeth.

“Perfect. I love it when we’re team players. Well done, Sofia.” And she saunters off in the direction of the kitchen, where she’ll probably gossip until the meeting.

I take a breath and re-open the file, glancing at the headline of the article. “Women to watch.” How fitting.

I open a fresh screen on my computer and begin typing furiously. Not because Amelia forced me into it, but because this article is going to be brilliant. And it’s going to have my name stamped on it.

By the time noon rolls around, I’m running purely on caffeine and spite.

My screen is now a sea of half-edits, notes, and quotes from big players in the fashion world.

On top of that, Dexter emailed me an hour ago to ‘tone down the feminist angle’ on an article I wrote on a best-selling romance that’s being turned into a Netflix film.

I’m ready to scream.

So, when Meg appears in the lobby, her hair swept back, sunglasses perched on her head, and a takeaway bag in hand, my heart leaps into my throat. She’s been calling me since Saturday morning, and I’ve not even texted her to explain my lack of communication. Although, I’m sure she’s guessed.

“Lunch,” she says, lifting the bag. “And before you say you’re busy, I already threatened the security guard with a very real breakdown if he didn’t let me through.” I exhale, almost smiling. “You’re lucky I’m not already in prison for strangling someone with my lanyard,” she adds.

I lead her out onto the rooftop. It’s half-patio and half-forgotten storage. It isn’t glamourous, but it’s quiet, and none of my younger co-workers dare step foot out here in case the pigeons steal their lunch.

Meg hands over a sandwich and settles beside me on the bench. For a moment, we eat in silence, then she says gently, “You look like you’ve not slept.”

I give a soft laugh. “That’s because Harry is cutting more teeth.”

“I wanted to check on you after Friday,” she says, leaving the words hanging for a minute before adding, “I tried to call . . . several times. But I guess you already knew that.”

I pause mid-chew. “I’m fine.”

Meg gives me that look . That don’t insult my intelligence kind.

“She didn’t say anything?” I ask quietly. “Zoe, I mean. After you left.”

“No.”

I look away, focussing on the skyline. “Nothing happened. Not really.”

“But he was upstairs, hiding in your spare room like a dirty secret.”

My stomach twists painfully. Tears are threatening to fall, but I force them back.

They’ll only make my lies more unbelievable.

“We’re friends. I’m stuck in the middle of supporting Zoe and being friends with Ric.

Before they split, we were hanging out. He’d bring me pizza and help with Harry. ” A small smile tugs at the thought.

“Yah know what hurts me more than anything, Sofia?” I turn to face her, waiting for her next words. “That you’re still lying to me now.” This time, my tears spill down my cheeks, but she makes no move to hold me. I see the disappointment pouring from her like a silent poison.

Meg crumples her sandwich wrapper and drops it into the paper bag by her feet. My appetite is gone, so I re-wrap my half-eaten sandwich. “I don’t want to hurt her,” I eventually say. “And I don’t want to lose either of you.”

“You know me better than that, Sofia,” she says, grabbing my hand. “I love you both. Ric too.”

“I just don’t know what to do.”

Meg offers a soft, knowing smile. “I stayed in a lie for far too long,” she says, “pretending I didn’t see it. Didn’t know he was shagging someone else.”

“Meg—” I want to tell her I’m not like Dan, that I wouldn’t cheat, but I clamp my lips closed because lying to her, to Zoe, is exactly the same.

“I thought if I ignored the signs, I wouldn’t have to face the fallout.

That uncovering the lies would break me.

But what really broke me was knowing I was right all along and not ending it sooner.

The lies just made me feel foolish, because deep down, I knew.

What I’m trying to say is . . . hiding it from Zoe won’t make it hurt her less.

And pretending it didn’t happen will only hurt you and Ric.

But lying to her when she already suspects will make her feel foolish.

And that is so much harder to get through. ”

“I’ll hurt her, won’t I?” I whisper, wiping more tears from my cheeks.

Meg nods. “But if this is real between you and Ric, don’t run from it just because it’s messy. Messy doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

We both stare out over the city, letting the quiet settle our racing thoughts. “I think I’m falling in love with him,” I say, barely a whisper.

Meg gives a smile. “Then don’t wait. You have to trap these Chadwick men because they’re a good breed.”

I let out a wet laugh and drop my head on Meg’s shoulder. “I hate how wise you are.”

Eric

Today dragged. The kids were extra loud, extra dramatic, and the final bell didn’t come soon enough.

I drop my final English book on the pile of marked work and lean back in my seat.

All I can think about is her. Again. I smile to myself.

The weekend was everything I’d dreamed it would be.

There was no talk of Meg or Zoe. It was just us.

Me, Sofia, and Harry in our little bubble.

I even skipped Sunday lunch at my parents’ house and afternoon drinks with my brothers because I didn’t want our weekend to end.

I look up as Hugo steps in, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “You are alive then,” he states dryly. “Mum texted earlier and asked me to check in on you seeing as you’ve ignored everyone all weekend.”

“Your dramatic persona matches that of the pupils today,” I say, smirking. “And you knew I was alive because you passed me in the hallway at break.”

“I didn’t notice. I was too busy chasing down Kyle Edge, who decided to rip his artwork up and leave class without a pass.”

“The kid’s got a lot going on.”

He scoffs. “You get more and more like me every day. But Mr. Cranmer, being the battleaxe that he is, didn’t see it that way and called for the highest punishment.”

I grin. “Which meant you took Kyle to the pastoral care and let Maggie feed him cake?”

He laughs. “Absolutely. He had a bad weekend with his dad. The police were called, and his brother got arrested. It was chaos. The kid needed some time to relax.”

“Good old Maggie.”

“So, what pulled you away from the family this weekend?” he asks, perching on the edge of a desk. My smile fills my face, and he gives a knowing nod. “Thought so.”

“I can’t wait to bring her for Sunday dinner. I can’t wait for Mum to love Harry like she loves Izzy and Chester.”

“She treats all of them like her own grandchildren,” he agrees, even though Chester is her only blood grandchild. “So, what’s stopping you?”

“What do you think? Zoe .”

“She’s still pretty cut up,” says Hugo. “Tread carefully there. I don’t think she’s as strong as you think.”

“Please, she chose picking up her Gucci glasses over Mum’s birthday dinner. She didn’t give a crap about me. She’s enjoying the attention it’s giving her.”

“She went out Saturday night alone. Drinking. Alone.”

“Sounds like something she would do. Did you learn that from her constant Instagram posts?”

“No. Jimmy bumped into her.”

I roll my eyes. “Did she charm him into bed again?” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. Too far, I know.

Hugo’s face hardens instantly. “What’s gotten into you?

She’s vulnerable right now and struggling.

It’s lucky Jimmy found her because she was out of it.

Some random guy was propping her up, about to take her in a taxi.

Fuck knows if she’d have made it home alright.

Jimmy didn’t let the guy stick around to find out. ”