Page 132 of Try Hard

Eve

“You’re such a tryhard,” Soph said, standing at the door of Mum’s guest bedroom.

I grinned, glancing at her in the mirror where I was checking my suit. “I mean, obviously, but how so this time?”

She scoffed, letting herself into the room and flopping down on the bed. “Because Iknowyou’re not putting this much effort in for Kieran and Kim.”

“Gotta look nice for their wedding.” I paused and shot her a look over my shoulder. “But yeah, I’m just trying to look worthy of Ophelia.”

“You could show up in a bin bag and she’d be all over you. It’s fucking ridiculous.”

I laughed. The fact that she was probably right was, frankly, unbelievable. After all this time, I couldn’t believe I finally got to love Ophelia, got to be the one she loved in return.

I’d loved her for so long, listened to a million love songs, watched movies and read books and thought I understood the depths love could reach. But… actually being with her?It kept going forever, deeper and richer, and more blissfully overwhelming than I could have ever understood. It was the best thing.

I turned to look at Soph. “And you’re telling me that’s not similar to how you feel about your mystery person?”

She harrumphed, folding her arms as she looked at me. “I don’t remember that being the topic of conversation.”

“Correct. It wasn’t. Now, it is. Join me here. Maybe even tell me their name…”

She studied me for a minute before her shoulders slumped. “I almost ruined it.”

“What?”

“With the whole… Fia thing.”

“Oh, right. Shit. Sorry.” I sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Is it going to be okay?”

She nodded slowly. “I think so. I’m just going to feel like a fucking fool for the rest of time.”

“Hey, we’re all fools in love.”

“I didn’t say love!”

I laughed. “Did you have to?”

“If you keep that up, I actually won’t let you meet them.”

“Oh, because meeting has definitely been on the table so far?”

She looked at me and I suddenly realised why she was here. It wasn’t to give me a hard time. It was to give me an invitation.

I worked hard to keep my expression neutral.

After a moment, she looked away, down at her nails like she couldn’t care less what was happening. The stiffness in her muscles gave her away, though. “So, I was thinking that, maybe, you know, if you’re not too busy or whatever, it might be… okay… if we all got dinner together. They really want to try that new restaurant, Elixir, in town, and I was thinking that if theysaw you and Fia together—and, you know, me not drooling all over her—then it might… make things more… solid.”

I tried not to be patronising with Soph—or anyone—and it wasn’t anything to do with me, but I was proud of her. She really cared about someone and she was putting herself out there. Not just in a flirty way like she had with Ophelia, but in a real, emotional way. Whoever her person was, they were good for her.

“We’d be delighted,” I told her.

“Ugh. You’re both going to be so insufferable all night, aren’t you?”

“Do we come in another setting?”

“No. You’re perfect for each other. Nobody else would be able to stand either of you.”

I laughed around the happy sigh threatening to escape me, just like every time I thought of Ophelia. “Wouldn’t matter. I wouldn’t love anyone else the way I love her.”