Page 78 of Try Hard

“Sophie, be nice,” Mum said with a frown. “Eve is also very well travelled. I’m sure they have lots of things to talk about.”

I could hear the unspoken excitement and hope in my mum’s voice, but, if Soph could, she didn’t show any sign of it.

Instead, she groaned. “At this rate, she’ll be leaving again and I won’t have gotten to spend any time at all with her.”

Mum hummed. “Well, maybe it would be a good idea to have her over for dinner. You know, so the whole family can spend some more time with her before she’s jetting off again.”

My stomach twisted like I’d been stabbed at the reminder we were on something of a clock here. Sure, Ophelia and I both had homes in London, but, once the wedding was over, I’d be heading back there and she’d be off travelling again. That, more than anything, had me actually wanting to invite her to dinner with my whole family.

“Yeah,” Soph agreed excitedly. “Text her right now and ask her to come over for dinner.”

“Oh, but not Friday night,” Mum said quickly. “Terrance and I have tickets forHadestownso we’ll be staying in London.”

“It’s the stag and hen on Friday,” I said slowly, suddenly realising that meant I’d have the house to myself that night.

“That’s right. Well, good timing. Maybe Saturday night?”

I laughed. After a late Friday night and a potential early Saturday morning, if we were going plane spotting again, I wasn’t sure whether Ophelia would be in any mood to have dinner with my mum, Soph, and Terrance. “We’ll see.”

“See now,” Soph demanded, nodding eagerly to urge me on as Mum shot her a suspicious look.

“No, thank you. I’ll ask later.”

“But I won’t be here to get the answer then.”

“I know your number. I can just text you.” I paused and frowned at her. “What do you mean, you won’t be here? Aren’t you staying for dinner?”

“No.” Soph straightened and looked away, suddenly reserved and controlled.

Well, that probably explained Mum’s confusion at finding her here. It did nothing for my confusion, though.

“Your sister has aprior engagement,” Mum said loftily before calling Herc and heading off to the kitchen to feed him.

I eyed Soph. “Why’d you come over?”

“To talk about Fia. Obviously.” She shot me a look like I was entirely baffling.

“Right,” I replied, somewhat amused. “But you have other plans tonight?”

Mum had said it like she had a date. But, here she was, still trying to get at Ophelia?

“Yes,” she said, holding my gaze defiantly. “With a friend.”

“Does this friend have a name?”

“No, Eve, I have hundreds of friends who have no names.”

“Is it a date?”

“No.” She said it like the concept was ridiculous and couldn’t be further from the truth, and I faltered.

Soph had always been a good liar, but was she even lying? Maybe it had just been Mum stirring the pot again? Or it was an ill-advised attempt to stop me worrying that Soph wanted Fia.

“Where are you going?” I asked, more confused than ever.

“Concert. I’d tell you the band but there’s no way you’d know them.”

“My musical tastes are expansive, thank you very much.”