Page 31 of Forever, Never, Always (Forever #2)

Sofia

I rest my head against the back door and listen as my two best friends tear strips off one another. It falls quiet, and I pull the blanket around me a little tighter before opening the back door. “Well, now the entire neighbourhood knows your life story, you should probably come inside.”

Relief floods both their faces. “We’ve been worried,” says Meg, following me into the kitchen. Zoe lingers by the door.

“I’m fine. Just taking some time.”

“Ric told Hugo you lost your job.” The mention of his name makes my heart ache, and I turn away slightly.

I haven’t stopped crying since he left on Monday.

Just seeing the way he held Harry . . . I take a breath.

“Anyway, now you’ve seen me, you can go.

” My words are harsh, I’m aware, but I don’t want to see anyone. Even talking is an effort.

“Sofia,” Meg whispers, looking hurt.

“I just need to be alone, Meg. I’m sorry.”

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that,” Zoe announces, stepping in and closing the door. “Haven’t you heard the saying that misery loves company?”

“Harry’s sleeping. I’m tired. I just want to be left alone.”

“I’ll get ice cream, and you pick a film,” she tells Meg, ignoring me.

I groan, knowing there’s no way I’m going to win this, so I head into the living room and flop down on the couch. Maybe I’ll get some sleep if there’s background noise.

I wake with a start and look around. That same ache hits my chest when I realise it’s not a bad dream. Ric really is gone, and I am unemployed.

Meg glances over, smiling, “Hey, sleeping beauty.”

“Harry?” I whisper, my voice raspy from my sleep.

“He’s bathed, fed, and back in bed.”

I look around. The place is spotless. “Zoe?”

“She had to go.”

I push to sit up. “Does she hate me any less?” I ask.

Meg shrugs. “She’s coming round.”

“I did what she wanted.”

“I know. I don’t think she knows how to respond to your heartbreak.”

“I don’t,” I utter. “How’s Ric?”

Meg looks away, “Not great. He’s at work but he’s not himself.”

Tears fill my eyes, and Meg immediately rushes to me, wrapping her arms around me. “He was so hurt,” I sob. “And he held Harry while he begged me not to end it.”

“Oh, Sof,” she whispers into my hair.

“He told us he loves us. I’ll never find anyone like him again. He was it for me.”

“It’s all gonna work out,” she whispers gently.

I sob harder. “I didn’t just lose him, Harry did too.”

“I know. It’s shit. I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”

I wipe my eyes and sit up, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth to calm my racing heart. “How did she find out?”

Meg bites on her lower lip. “She said something about hearing you. She was in your wardrobe.”

“Hearing me what?”

She hesitates. “You and Ric . . . yah know . Doing it. I think it was at Harry’s party because she knew I knew too. It explains why she left so abruptly.”

I bury my face in my hands. “Shit.”

“What happened at work?”

I groan, “A long story.”

“Which I’m dying to hear.”

Realising she’s not going to let it go, I cross my legs and shrug. “Amelia took a disliking to me. She’s had it in for me for weeks.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why they fired you.”

“Remember the Fendi bag and trainers?” She nods. “Apparently, staff aren’t allowed to take them home.”

“So, just tell them it was a mistake.”

“I tried. She’s fully denying ever telling me to take them.” I rub my hands over my tired face. “She’s done other stuff, besides the social media video humiliating me. She locked me in the stationary cupboard.”

“Christ, Sofia. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

“What could you do about it? She’s a bitch. Anyway, I got payback. Turns out she’s shagging the boss, and he’s married. His wife walked in on our showdown and it sort of slipped out.”

“No,” Meg gasps, smirking.

“Yep. She got fired too.”

Meg laughs. “Well, at least that’s something.”

“On reflection, I don’t think the job was for me anymore. I felt old and out of touch. I’m gonna start looking for something else.”

“I’ll help. We could get Zoe on the case. You know she loves all that. It might be a good way to start rebuilding bridges.”

I reluctantly nod. I guess a part of me resents her denying me Ric, but it’s done now, and we have to move forward. Otherwise, I chose her for no reason.

Eric

“He’s got to start facing things.” It’s Jimmy’s voice that wakes me.

“Give him a break,” Hugo replies in a hushed tone.

“He’s had a break. It’s been a week. When’s he gonna go home? He can’t avoid seeing Sofia forever,” Jimmy hisses in reply.

Sofia . My heart twists painfully. She’s all I can think about. Her and Harry. It gets to seven p.m. and I find myself remembering his bath times and how we’d all somehow end up soaked. Or first thing, when I’d usually be in the gym, I remember how I’d grab her breakfast.

“All of you should step aside.” That’s my dad’s voice. Great . Why the hell have they bothered him with this? “Your mother will talk some sense into him.”

I groan loudly. “You called Mum on me?” I push to sit up as Mum marches in and pulls the curtains back, letting in the bright sunshine I’ve been avoiding all week. It blinds me, cutting through my retinas like sharp knives, and I shield my face. “Jesus,” I hiss angrily, burying my face in my hands.

“Not my doing,” says Hugo, holding his hands up in defence.

“Brother, I love you, and I feel your pain as if it were my own. But we can’t keep taking shifts to babysit your broken arse. And you can’t keep slumming it on Hugo’s couch. Even Izzy is sick of seeing you walk round here like a zombie,” says Jimmy.

“I don’t remember you saying this when Hugo was a mess.”

“Hugo’s wife died,” snaps Jimmy. “Don’t even compare your breakup to us all losing Liz.”

Guilt eats away at me, and I lower my head in shame. “Sorry, Hu, I didn’t mean that.”

Hugo pats me on the shoulder. “It’s fine. We say shit when we’re hurting.”

“Out you all go,” Mum says lightly. “And Hugo, wash your mouth out.” He grins, kissing her on the cheek before they all leave so I’m alone with her.

She closes the door then takes a seat on the armchair opposite me. “So,” she says, smiling, “tell me everything.”

I lean back in the couch, suddenly feeling like a teenager in trouble again. “We broke up.”

“I know that much, but what’s happened since then?”

I shrug, scrubbing my hand over my messy growth. I don’t know when I last showered, let alone shaved. “I’ve been here.”

“And how’s that making you feel?”

I narrow my eyes. “Great, Mum. I’m almost tiptop,” I say sarcastically.

“Exactly,” she says. “So, why are you still doing it?”

I sigh heavily. “Because I can’t face anything.”

“So, the plan is to spend the rest of your days here, living on Hugo’s couch? Avoiding daylight? Not washing or taking care of yourself?”

“Obviously not,” I mutter.

“Son, we all love you and we’re worried. You can get through this, even though it doesn’t feel like it right now.”

“I live next door,” I whisper. “I can’t see her doing life, getting on. I’m not ready.”

“Ric, she’s probably feeling the exact same way. But hiding won’t make it better.” She sighs before asking, “What things in life made you happy other than Sofia and Harry?”

I think over her words. “Work,” I admit. “The gym. Seeing my brothers at the bar. Sunday dinner with you and Dad.”

“Right, so I suggest you start there. Do those things again. And before you know it, you’ll be doing life again. It won’t make you forget your pain. It won’t make you forget Sofia or Harry. But it’ll keep you moving, one step at a time, until one day, the pain is just . . . less.”

I raise my head and look her in the eyes. “I really love her, Mum.”

She grabs my hand. “I know you do, Ric. And she loves you too. But right now, it’s not your time. That doesn’t mean to say it’ll never be, it just means not right now. So, do the things you love, get your life back, and worry about the rest later.”

“And if it doesn’t work out? If it’s never our time?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Another week passes. Two weeks since I walked away. Since Sofia chose Zoe.

And Mum was right. Doing the normal everyday things is helping me to feel some kind of normal again.

I’ve even managed to avoid seeing Sofia, which has been a task in itself.

I’ve been leaving for work extra early and hitting the gym first thing.

Then I’ve stayed late to mark books and get organised for the following day.

I’ve not been this organised with lesson plans since I was newly qualified.

And I can’t deny that hearing Harry crying in the evenings has pulled at every heart string. I’ve had to fight myself not to go round just to check they’re both okay. But it won’t do us any good. Not when I’m starting to make progress.

So, tonight, as I get the round of drinks in, I force thoughts of Sofia out of my head and concentrate on being here, in the local bar with my brothers, just like any other Friday night.

As I place the tray on our table and each of them take a drink, I sit down. “I just want to thank you all for getting me through these last couple weeks.”

Jimmy hits me on the shoulder and I wince. He’s so heavy handed. “That’s what brothers are for.”

“You’re first heartbreak is always the hardest,” says Hugo. “But you’re coming out the other side. We’ve all noticed.”

“And when you’re ready, I’ll be right here to help you get back on the horse,” says Jimmy, grinning. “Until then, you’ll just have to watch me work alone.” And he pushes to his feet and heads off to talk to a couple women at the bar.

I laugh, rolling my eyes. “Do you think he’ll ever settle down?”

“No, let’s bet on it,” says Seb.

“Katie will have your balls,” Hugo says, grinning, “but I’ll have by forty. Maybe even married.”

“Never,” I say, shaking my head. “He’ll still be single well into his forties. I reckon he’ll meet a lady in his sixties. They’ll both meet travelling or on holiday.”